Shepherds and Sheep
(Staff devotion by Scott Egbert on 2/14/2012)
Psalms 23: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want
Only recently have I come to think of the part that states “I shall not want” to mean God is providing and will provide all of my needs. I took it to mean that we do not really want Him to have to draw us back to the fold with his rod and staff. I took it to mean that the writer of the Psalms desired to have such a bond with God that he did not need Him to pull him back because he really never wanted to stray. We all do stray at times, but what a wonderful Shepherd we have!
I do not want to be presumptuous and very humbly come before you all. This morning I speak to the backbone of one of the most respected church’s in Nashville, America and even the world. Many of you here are either currently a Pastor or are striving to be a Pastor. I am not a Pastor and do not feel lead to become a pastor, so I hope you all will forgive me for speaking on a subject of which I have no intent. However, I do feel that the Lord has been pressing me to discuss this subject with you all for the past couple of months. When Mrs. Jackie Stanfield asked me if I would be willing to lead the staff devotion, I was both excited and apprehensive. And I do realize that it makes for a much better devotion when you can discuss something personal. At any rate, this is how I feel led to proceed.
The meaning of the Greek word we translate as pastor is shepherd. The title of pastor therefore refers to a spiritual shepherd. The position of Pastor is often referred to as being a shepherd of a flock.
God himself has been referred to as the Great Shepherd. One such verse is found in Hebrews 13: 20-21
20Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Such responsibility must be overwhelming. The statistics that Pastor Daniel Bell sent out about Pastors recently reflects this to be the case.
Taken from http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/pf/0910/gallery.stressful_jobs/10.html
Median pay: $45,300
% who say their job is stressful: 71%
They may answer to a higher calling, but all that spirituality does not come stress free. It’s a lot of responsibility being an authority on morality. Leading religious worship every week and providing spiritual and moral guidance can be a heavy cross to bear for those in the ministry.
“People who are deathly sick, people with substance abuse problems, things of that nature, that can be emotionally draining,” said Father Dan Skvir of Princeton, N.J. “I’ve had calls at 2 or 3 in the morning to come and attend to someone, people in imminent danger of death.”
My hope is that my recent observation will relax you all. Sheep must be led, they cannot be driven! If you can visualize a herd of sheep with someone attempting to drive them and them scattering, this is my vision of what happens when we forcefully attempt to do what is to be done by example and thru trust. You see, not only do sheep have to be led; they have to be led by someone that has gained their trust. They need to be led by someone that is known to have their best interest at heart. Another shepherd could not come along and try to lead another shepherd’s flock. Maybe that is why pastoral transitions are so difficult on a long standing church.
The ironic thing is that ultimately, sheep are led to the slaughter.
The wonderful thing is that Jesus took on that role for us!
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Unlike goats, sheep rely on community. Sheep need each other and their “community” is their identity. Goats don’t need a shepherd to watch out for them and are independent to the point of being “head-strong”. In the case of sheep, without the shepherd’s attention and care they quickly find themselves in trouble.
A good shepherd will “leave the 99” to go after the single lost sheep.
Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Sheep are notoriously dumb. If you hold a stick in front of the lead sheep, he will jump over the obstacle. If you take the stick away after that, the sheep will continue to jump over the imaginary obstacle. As Pastors (shepherd’s) it is in your best interest to make sure the sheep that seem to be in the lead are not doing anything that will hard it and most importantly that the rest of the flock does not duplicate it.
When one of the sheep becomes obstinate and in danger of harming himself and misleading other sheep, they shepherd may have to take as drastic of a measure as to break the sheep’s leg. This is the last thing the shepherd would want to do because after that he will have to carry the sheep.
Even though I do not fall into the category of Pastor of a church or congregation, I still feel I am the spiritual leader of my household. Therefore, I am a shepherd of sorts. I suppose that we all are. If there is a hierarchy for shepherd’s, it would be (God à Jesus à) Pastor à Teacher à Husband à Wife à Children. All of which can bypass the middle sections and go straight to the source, but should never dishonor or disrespect those in the middle.
God forbid that we should ever become as Jeremiah states
Jer 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Responsibilities of the Shepherd:
- Lead the sheep
- Provide for the sheep
- Discipline the sheep
Responsibilities of the sheep:
- Relationship with the Shepherd
- Follow the Shepherd
- Obey the Shepherd
I used the following resource for research and content of this devotion:
http://churchgrowth1.blogspot.com/2007/10/good-shepherd-and-his-sheep.html
Friday, October 26, 2007
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
John 10
Jesus said:
10″…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (ESV)
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