The Shepherds of Israel - Vision for 2008

A message from Ezek 34:1-10 by Phil Rogers 6/01/08

To listen to Phil's message click here mp3

Our church mission statement says that ABC is “A community of healing and wholeness, taking Jesus to everyone and making them his fully devoted followers.” Spring and Summer 2007 we looked at aspects of Healing and Wholeness in Luke's Gospel. In the Autumn we looked at Taking Jesus to Everyone through Blowing Your Cover and from Acts 2: being A People Full of God, we will now look at what it means to be and to make Fully Devoted Followers by looking at what the Bible teaches about shepherds and sheep. This shepherd motif runs right through from Gen to Rev. In Ps 23 it is particularly used of the Lord himself.

Isa 53:6 “All we, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Comparing people to sheep is not a compliment. Yet it is an image the Lord uses frequently. Moses and David led God’s people having first been shepherds. We begin by reading Ezek 34:1-10.

We have to have some caution when interpreting OT passages. In OT days national leaders were also spiritual leaders. Jesus was sent during the Roman empire when for the first time in history, politics and religion were being separated. God’s Kingdom is not of this world so it has always been a mistake when national leaders have imposed faith and morals on an unbelieving populus. God’s Kingdom is meant to be a spiritual allegiance complementing national allegiance.The idea of Christendom, state religion and Christian countries has always led to serious abuse. Where faith and nationality are not separated it has led to terrible atrocities, as happened in Christendom in the Middle Ages and in Islam today. We see in Ezek 34 that state religion does not work. The leaders of Israel are shepherds, with responsibility to care for the flock, but as we see they serve their own interests and do not really care for those they lead.

God speaks out very strongly against these leaders. We could look at many instances of similar leadership today across the world but rather I want to draw out what God expects of leadership and what He expects and does not expect of those in 'his flock'. What can we expect from being part of his church? What is pastoral care in the church all about?

v2-3. Shepherds only keep flocks as a means of livelihood. Sheep are not pets. A flock is not an ovine social club. Sheep provide food to eat, milk and meat, wool for clothing and produce many lambs. But if they are to provide quality milk and meat and wool and lambs, they need proper care. By comparing us to sheep God has our usefulness in mind. He is concerned that we each produce milk, wool and lambs. How does this interpret into our spiritual lives? How can we be spiritually productive? God gives pastoral care and leadership to maximise our productivity. Col 1:28. Leadership is given to help us become fully devoted followers of Christ. Imagine what ABC would be if we all led spiritually productive lives!

v4f. Sheep roam the hills but can easily wander off and get lost. So what do the sheep need? Look at the picture here. The weak are strengthened, the sick receive healing, the injured are bound up, the strays are brought back, the lost are sought out. The whole flock is being led lovingly and tenderly, effectively and firmly by shepherds who gather the flock together and protect it from 'wild animals'.

Pastoral care includes:
1. Feeding and watering the flock (see Ps 23: lie down in green pastures - leads me by still waters) Teaching God’s word and encouraging us all to drink of the Spirit. We are a Word and Spirit people. “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.” Imagine what we would be like if we all fed every day on the Word, and were daily filled with the Spirit? Leaders can and will encourage, but they cannot make us feed on the Word or go on being filled with the Spirit - it is ultimately down to each one of us personally whether we are ‘doers of the word or just hearers only, deceiving ourselves’. We provide small groups and Sundays to praise the Lord and hear the word but leaders can’t make us attend. How much do we appreciate the Lord? Given all that ABC provides for spiritual advancement if we don’t take full advantage of it we can starve while sitting in green fields and die of thirst right next to the cool still waters! Let me encourage each one of us to feed on the word, and to pray, and to go on being filled with the Spirit in 2008. Leaders can encourage but they cannot do it for us.

2. Strengthening the weak, healing the sick, binding up the injured. The goal is to see the weak become strong and the sick and injured become whole. Sandy and I have are kept quite busy praying with people for healing and deliverance, but we cannot do it all. This year we will be setting up a healing team with those who have been substantially strengthened and healed themselves who want to help weak and damaged people find wholeness in Christ. Most of us have been damaged through our living in this world, but the Lord can heal us and deliver us - yet we do have to want to be healed and set free!

3. Bringing back strays and searching for the lost. There are lost people and those who have strayed from the Lord all around us. ABC exists to reach out to those who are lost and bring them to the Lord, to bring them into the fold, see them made strong and whole and become fully devoted followers of the Lord. Whether we compare it to giving birth to new lambs or searching for lost sheep, taking the good news to others is a fundamental part of being a believer. We cannot escape the 'E' word - BYC showed us that we can all do this in our own particular way by God’s power. Evangelism is not a scary thing but something we can all participate in and what a joy to see lost people finding Christ! Let us be determined to see more come to the Lord in 2008 than we have ever seen at ABC before!

4. Servant leadership. Not just an eldership role, but we need many with shepherding and all sorts of other gifts to be involved in this. Caring for the flock, the church, for each other is a responsibility we all share. Imagine if every one of us was not so much concerned about who was caring for us and meeting our needs, but about becoming mature in Christ, caring for others and seeing them become fully devoted followers of Christ.

Let us commit ourselves afresh at the beginning of this new year to be 'fully devoted followers of Christ', feeding ourselves on his word, going on being full of his Spirit, devoted to prayer, seeking healing and wholeness and bringing it to others, involved in Evangelism in the special way that God has gifted us to be and seeking to fulfil every aspect of God's calling on our lives as his servants.