Today's
Christian churches are replete with self-serving
leaders, men whose only goal is to use the people of God for their own
self-exaltation. There are also many leaders in our congregations who
preach a good, strong message of repentance and holiness, while others
share almost exclusively on the love of God. There are many good
teachers as well as bad ones. However, is any of the leadership in our
churches predicated upon the needs of the congregation? True leadership
in the Christian faith must be rooted in the way Jesus led.
" I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep,
sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf
attacks the sheep and scatters them. Because he is a hired hand and is
not concerned about the sheep, he runs away" (John 10:11-13).
Jesus "laid down His life for the sheep". He was not concerned at all
about His reputation, nor what the masses thought. His only concern was
for the people (i.e., the sheep). John contrasts this with men who do
not own the sheep, but are merely "hired hands". Because the sheep are
not theirs, they have no concern for them. The first sign of danger has
them "abandoning" the sheep to the wolves. It also shows how little
these hirelings think of the Shepherd who hired them (revealing, huh?).
Matthew gives us a glimpse into the heart of the True Shepherd.
Listen carefully:
"Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the
harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38).
Compassion. The key component to being a true shepherd. Jesus truly
cared for the people. He saw that they were "bewildered and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd".
Sheep, in the natural, unless there is specific guidance (hence the
shepherds' rod and staff), will wander aimlessly, grazing on whatever is
directly in front of them, taking no thought to where they are or what
is happening around them. If left alone long enough, they will wander
away from shelter and right into the bared teeth of a predator.
Therefore, sheep without a shepherd are helpless. This tendency in
people is what grieved the Lord that they had no one to shepherd (i.e.
guide) them. This is the reason he spoke to his disciples, asking them
to pray that the Lord provide shepherds for them.
The problem, all throughout church history, is that in the absence of
true shepherds "wolves in sheep's clothing" have come in, entrenched
themselves, deceived the flock, and led them astray with their ungodly
leadership. And with no one to shepherd them properly, or step in to
protect them from these ravening wolves, they are easy prey.
Part of Jesus' reason for selecting a small number of disciples, was
so that He could take them under His wing and teach them how to be
strong, godly leaders; to be His apprentices in shepherding the sheep.
From the training of these twelve, the process would be transferred from
Him to them, and on to others through them. Paul also understood this
principle well, and shared it with his apprentice, Timothy, who was to
pass on these qualifications to those under his charge.
A true shepherd cares for those under his charge. His concern is for
their welfare, and he will sacrifice his own life (if necessary) to
protect them and keep them. He is desirous of training and equipping
them for the work of the ministry that all should come to the full
maturity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
True shepherds, lamentably, are few and far between in this present
day. That is why, along with Jesus, we must pray as He prayed, that the
Lord of the harvest would send out workers into his harvest. May we
allow the Lord to restore this model of leadership in our churches
today. Amen. :)
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, True Shepherd, forgive us for failure to
lead as you have shown us; for rejecting and discarding your perfect
model of leadership (shepherding) and creating our own model instead.
Grant us the gift of repentance that we might restore proper leadership
over Your people, and lead them, as You wonderfully do, into the way
everlasting. Teach us again, Master Shepherd, how to provide, nurture,
care for, and protect those you have placed in our care. May we bring
You glory in the way we shepherd Your people. May we realize the great
responsibility (and subsequent accountability) we have to lead them
aright. Thank you for Your grace, and for never abandoning US to the
wolves. Ours is to follow YOUR lead. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. :)
TRUE SHEPHERDS BY :JOHN GRACE
