The Shepherd And His Sheep

The Shepherd And His Sheep

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. - Psalm 23:1-6 

When a Pastor follows the Lord like a sheep following the Good Shepherd, he himself becomes a good shepherd for his flock to follow.
The good shepherd will disciple - train and teach his flock to listen to the voice of the Chief Shepherd and follow Him.

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. - 1 Peter 5:1-4 

The shepherds should carry an attitude of humility and serve their flock as overseers.
They should serve the flock willingly and eagerly for the LORD'S sake.
They should not be compelled to serve because of the wages.
Wages, profit and gain should not be their goal.
Their reward is a crown of glory from the Chief Shepherd when He appears.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." - Matthew 9:35-38 

Sheep without a shepherd are weary, scattered and are in danger.
JESUS' Shepherd-heart was moved with compassion for His flock.
As we pray, the Lord of the harvest will send out, and His chosen labourers will go into the harvest.
Am I praying for labourers to be sent by the Lord of the harvest?
If the Lord quickens my heart to go will I go?
It could be to step into part time ministry;
It could be to step into full time ministry;
It could be to go on a mission trip;
It could be to share the Gospel with a neighbour;
It could be to pray with a person at the mall.
Do not go unless you know you are sent by the Lord.

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ... "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. "I and My Father are one." - John 10:14-15, 26-30 

The Lord JESUS knows the Father and the Father knows Him.
JESUS is the Lamb of GOD.
He is One with the Father.
He came down to identify Himself with us, the sheep.
He laid down His life for us as the Lamb of GOD, thus taking away our sin.
He became the Great Shepherd of the sheep.
He is the perfect example of a good shepherd.

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. - Isaiah 53:6-7 

There is a special relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.

The shepherd loves his sheep. He takes responsibility for them.

He is prepared to lay down his life for the sake of his sheep.

He knows his sheep individually.

He knows their strengths and their weaknesses.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21 

The sheep is exposed to danger.
The sheep is foolish and prone to stray away.

The sheep knows the shepherd.
The sheep believes the shepherd.
The sheep hears the voice of the shepherd.
The sheep follows the shepherd.
The sheep is safe in the hand of the shepherd.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ... Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. "All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:1, 7-10 

The LORD JESUS was sent by the Father to save and shepherd the sheep.
He came in obedience to His Father.
Now He is the only One Who has the rightful authority over the sheep and to give access to the sheep.
He is the Door of the sheep.

The hireling does not care about the sheep.
He flees when a wolf comes.

"But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." - John 10:2-5 

Those who are sent by GOD to the flock to pastor or minister, will come the rightful way under the right authority structure set by the Church. JESUS is the Door Who opens the hearts of the sheep to such a shepherd.

He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. - Psalm 78:70-72 

Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." ' - Isaiah 44:28 

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. ... 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them." - Ezekiel 34:1-4, 10 

The shepherd is there for the sheep and not the sheep for the shepherd.
The shepherd carries the responsibility to feed, heal, protect and search out the lost sheep. It is the pastor's responsibility to take care of the spiritual needs of the flock of GOD entrusted to him.

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. - John 21:15-17 

Now, the sheep, the flock of GOD is the body of CHRIST.
One who loves JESUS will love His flock and feed them and tend them for His sake.

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' - Matthew 25:31-36 

Those who are blessed and inherit the Kingdom are those who ministered to the least of the brethren in their need. In doing this, they ministered to the LORD, to His body.