LEAD MY SHEEP



PASTORAL THEOLOGY

LECTURE 9

LEAD MY SHEEP

The most important

Everyone loves a good leader. For, everyone needs a leader. And, everyone has a leader. All successful organizations have a leader (military, government, corporations, societies, etc.). When there is more than one person involved you need a leader. Leadership is so pervasive and so important. Everything rises and falls on leadership.

The most important organization on earth is the Lord’s churches. Thus, leadership is extremely important to have in the most important organization that exists! It is so important that Christ died for her (church). God wanted this most important organization, organism, to have leadership; so God gave gifts to the churches….pastors. Leadership within the church is key to the church’s success. Without good leadership the war is lost, the game ends in defeat, the company folds, the family dissolves, and the church dies. Oh how we need good leaders as pastors and pastors as good leaders!

Sheep do not naturally lead themselves; they need someone to lead them; they will just stay basically in one place unless a shepherd leads them to another pasture. If that shepherd begins going to another field, they will follow him.

Oh, dear shepherds, realize that you are there to lead them…to lead the dear sheep…the most important entity on the planet!

Sheep species

Leading today’s church congregations is a very challenging job, indeed. There may be 10 or 10,000. There may be mostly women, or mostly youth. The pastor needs to be prepared to lead all ages, numbers, personalities, tempers, talents, and intellects. There is the sheepish sheep to lead; there is the wolfy sheep to lead; there is the goat appearing sheep to lead; there is the black sheep to lead; there is the bleating sheep to lead; there is the Big horn sheep to lead; there is the ewe to lead; there is the lamb to lead

How hard can it be?

In real life, leading sheep probably isn’t too high-tech. It shouldn’t be too terribly hard to figure out how to do. It will take time, but a shepherd doesn’t have to have a triple doctorate to go out in the pasture and encourage the little sheepies to eat…and then every once in a while take the little sheepsters to another pasture for fresh grazing. Oh, there will be a wolf or two that comes along; and there will be some sick sheep to take care of; and even one or two sheep will get lost. But, all in all, to lead sheep shouldn’t be something that boggles the mind.

Profile of a Preacher, Pg. 58

Green pastures

Ps 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Remember, the Lord is your shepherd, shepherd. Follow His leadership style. He makes the flock lie down in green pastures – healthy, peaceful, nutritious, pleasant, appealing. He will lead beside the still waters – nothing dangerous; very calm surroundings; knows what’s good for them. He leads in the paths of righteousness – knows what is right and will not lead down any other path; not a compromisor; stands for taking a stand; believes the Bible; wants what’s right and best for the sheep. The sheep will fear no evil, for thou art with them – they have learned to trust him; he is there to walk them through their valleys in life. The rod and staff comforts them – it doesn’t beat them or yank on them; it comforts them. He prepares a table before them – he will make sure you get your needs met despite all the attacks of the enemies out there. He annoints their heads with oil – refreshes them; rejoices with them.

Who can you trust these days?

Bad leadership prevails among todays religious assemblies. These “leaders” are leading their innocent sheep into transgressions (Jer 2:8), they are brutish towards them (Jer 10:21), they trodden them under foot (Jer 12:10), and they destroy and scatter these precious ewes (Jer 23:1). Catholic Priests and so-called ‘famous’ Televangelists have fallen into immorality and financial misdealings and have hurt their credibility as a good leader before millions of Americans. It’s no wonder that today there is little confidence in the character of a pastor or priest. Pastors are looked at with a lack of trust, a paranoia that they will fall like the others, an unwillingness to follow them wherever they may lead. Pastors are looked as pulpit fillers rather than the leader of God’s people.

Dress the part

Leaders of the Lord’s churches need to dress the part. The shepherd had a mantle of sheepskin with fleece (Jer 43:12), a leather bag for food (1Sam 17:40), a sling and a staff to ward off foes (Zech 11:7), and had towers built to spy a foe afar off in order to guard the flock (2Chron 26:10,27:4). But, today’s ‘successful’ pastors have to have $500 Italian suits, expensive leather shoes, and a no more than 2 year old luxury car. They have their Mohogany desk with expensive leather chairs and fine plush office carpeting. They are dressing the part of a successful American pastor, indeed. From the Bible we see that a successful pastor (leader of the flock) is not so concerned with dressing for success, but for getting dirty as he serves and leads the flock. (Though, I do believe it is important for a pastor to dress respectfully when he is carrying out his pastoral duties). There is a danger of practicing ‘Sacerdotalism’, which is the elevation of the ‘clergy’ far above the ‘laity’. As today’s pastor tries to dress the part, he is distancing himself from his dear flock until he becomes so distant that no-one feels comfortable following him.

The shepherd is not concerned with himself but is very concerned with the sheep. For, his whole livelihood is there before him in the pasture. He dare not neglect them nor mistreat them. He must be prepared for the task that is before him; keeping watch over, feeding, guiding, helping, seeking, calling, protecting, loving these tender little sheep that the Chief Shepherd has given him stewardship over. Our pastors need to get out of their business suits, tuxes, sporting outfits, glitter and gold, and put on the sheepskin with a bag, a sling, and a staff.

In name only

It’s very possible to have the title, but not actually fulfill it. One can be given the position of leadership in a company or organization, but does that person then actually lead? Many will dictate and hide; many will get someone else to do the leading, they just think a lot; many will figure that all is well and continue to do ‘office work’; many will try and lead only when it is basically too late and everything is off course and falling apart around them. A leader needs to lead! It should be obvious that the pastor is the leader of the flock and that he is busy leading them.

Lead Sheep?

Are you a Shepherd that leads sheep or just simply a sheep that is the ‘lead sheep’?! A ‘lead sheep’ is a sheep that has proven to be a good leader as a sheep; but, definitely has not become a shepherd yet. They can lead the other sheep as they are instructed to; they can be trusted somewhat; they can get some work done; but, as far as entrusting an entire flock to them to take care of, love, feed, lead, protect…well, they would fail miserably at that…for they aren’t shepherds, just ‘lead sheep’! A shepherd will have qualities of leadership that are vastly different (better) than an impressive ‘lead sheep’. Sadly, there are ‘lead sheep’ in the shepherd business; and, there are shepherds in the lead sheep business. Help!

Lead on softly

Gen 33:13-14 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

There are many types of leaders: strong, weak, silent, loud, mean, loving, serious, goofy, inconsistant, stable….

It is very wise to lead in such a way that they will follow; don’t get out too far ahead; don’t go too fast; don’t cause the herd to faint; don’t be leading and find out that no-one’s following! Sheep are tender; many are baby lambs. Understand what they are able to endure. Lead them softly, tenderly, carefully, with longsuffering, much prayer, kindness, grace, mercy, understanding. Please don’t lead like a General Patton; don’t lead like one who says ‘let’s take on Hell with a squirt gun’! don’t lead like a military leader; lead like a shepherd…softly.

Abiding in the field

It’s hard to lead sheep effectively when you are only with them once a week (the preverbial Sunday morning message). A ‘good’ shepherd would be out in the pasture, pasturing the sheep on a daily basis. And not just for a few hours each day; he would be there sun-up to sun-down; and, at crucial times, would sleep in the field with their flock.

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

If you are not out ‘abiding in the field’ with the sheep, maybe someone else will from time to time; they will attempt to lead them; or, the sheep will attempt to lead themselves; maybe a ‘lead sheep’ will develop out of necessity to help lead the sheep. The less time a shepherd is with the sheep, the less he will be leading them.

The voice of strangers

Jn 10:1-5 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

A true shepherd needs to come to being the shepherd the right way. They need to enter by the door into the sheepfold; they need to be trained through a church and then have that church ordain them (commission) to be a certain flock’s shepherd. There are other ways people come into the sheepfold: para church Bible colleges; from unscriptural churches; on their own without any sending agency; via the ‘want ads’; looking for an open pulpit; looking for prestige; looking for the money….

A true shepherd (gifted by the Lord Jesus Christ and properly sent from a true NT church and having a true shepherd’s heart) will be around his sheep a lot and they will get to know and trust his voice. They will eventually not trust anyone’s voice but their own shepherd’s. They learn to follow him whenever he starts going somewhere. If anyone else tries to lead them, they will flee from them; for they don’t know and trust their voice…the voice of a stranger shepherd. Would to God that the sheep would not listen to any other so-called shepherds (televangelists, famous authors, radio show hosts, area pastors, etc) and only listen to and follow their own shepherd! They need to get to know their shepherd’s voice; the kindness in it; the concern in it; the content of it.

John 10:26-28 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

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