Sheep Who’s Your
Shepherd
By Russ Kujawski
3/26/18
Everyone follows someone or something. Some are followers
some are leaders and yet the leaders even follow something or someone. The
question is Who or What are you following? Who’s your Shepard?
Thru the years people
have followed charismatic type people. Those who speak and tingle the ears of
those listening. Jim Jones cult ended in mass suicide, Heaven’s Gate ended in
mass suicide. Granted those are extreme. There are many cults or down right
miss leading who speak out of the side of their mouths taking advantage of the
weak, depressed, and the broken hearted or those who are just searching for
something to belong to. Everyone has a need or desire to belong.
There are so many
groups out there who speak the words people want to hear. Who will miss lead
their flocks into following them. They can get the flock to blindly give them
money, and resources for a promise of wealth and prosperity and health. When
you don’t achieve these things then you aren’t giving enough or your lacking
faith. These types of shepherds are indeed dangerous. As a Christian who do you
follow or what do you follow?
So Christian Who do
you follow? Who is your Shepherd?
This is a stat from a
research group “75 percent of the country who call themselves Christians don’t
take their faith that seriously,” there are 325,130,420 people in the USA
that’s 243,847,815 Christians in the USA that is quiet the force. The second ½
of the survey is extremely disappointing “they don’t take their faith
seriously” Who is there Shepherd? The failure in the Church can come from many
things. Maybe the ones who are the leaders of the Church aren’t taking the
responsibility of that position seriously. Maybe pastors aren’t teaching the
bible in its full context. Not calling sin sin. Saying stuff like we are good
people who make mistakes. Instead of saying repent of your sins, they say try
and do better. You’re a good person. But we are all sinners. That’s what Romans
tells us” Rom 3:23 for all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God,” not just some but we all fail in some
way shape or form. When scripture is being watered down, the end results is
feel good Christianity with no back bone. The church I attend the pastor there
will and does call sin sin. He doesn’t water down the scriptures to make
everyone feel good about themselves. You may ask how do I know that he doesn’t
water down scripture? I follow along, I verify what he says, with what
scripture say’s. If I have an issue I will go to him to either get
clarification or correction. If more Christians would practice this then I
think the Christian Church would be strong, and not bending to societies desire
to make every in-morale practice legal and ok to do. There are denominations
out there that have given into the political pressure to except thing the
scripture calls sin to no longer be sin, just a different lifestyle. This has
not given credit to the church as being holy {set apart} but has been a decline
of holiness, No longer set apart but becoming worldly.
Who is your Shephard?
Who do you follow?
19 times the term “follow me” is used in the ESV in relation
to Jesus. Who do you follow? Who is your
Shepherd?
I didn’t count them all but there are numerous verses that speak
of Jesus as the shepherd. Who do you
follow? Who is your Shepherd?
Jesus is spoken of the one giving living water. Who do you follow?
Who is your Shepherd?
There are verses that speak of Jesus as the Lamb of God. Who do you follow? Who is your Shepherd?
By now the question is clear. Who do you follow? Who is your Shepherd?
Jesus said “.” John
14:6 I am the way the truth and the
life, NO ONE comes to the father except through me
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and there is one
mediator between God and men(People), the man Christ(Messiah) Jesus.
John 10:11 I(Jesus) am
the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 I(Jesus) am
the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
What do these verses tell us? That Jesus is the only one
that leads to the father, he is the only one who can mediate on our behalf to
the father, he laid down his life for his sheep, he knows those that are his
and they know him.
Pastors we call them shepherds they lead and guide the flock
they have be called to lead. In the ESV the word pastor or pastors does not
appear instead it is translated “Shepherd”
Eph 4: 11 And he gave
the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[Pastors] and
teachers,[shepherd-teachers] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
Do we follow pastors?
Their job is to equip Christians {The body of believers they shepherd} for the
WORK of ministry for what purpose? To build up the body of Christ!!!!! Looking
at this verse who’s job is it to build up the body of Christ? It’s you, me it’s
the flocks job to build the body of Christ. The pastors job is to equip and my
I also add a teachers job is to equip the body for ministry. So if your church
isn’t growing, don’t necessarily blame the pastor as much as look in the mirror
and ask yourself this question. Are you doing the ministry to build up the body
of Christ? That question can be condemning or affirming.
David Guzik Commentary:Eph 4:11-12
c. For
the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry: The purpose of these
gifts of leadership is also clear. It is that saints (God’s
people) might be equipped for
the work of ministry (service), so that the body of Christ would
be built up (expanded and strengthened).
i. Equipping also
has the idea of “to put right.” This ancient Greek word was used to describe
setting broken bones or mending nets. These ministries work together to produce
strong, mended, fit Christians.
ii. God’s people do
the real work of ministry. Leaders in the church have the first
responsibility to equip people to serve and to direct their service as God
leads.
iii. “The primary
purpose of the Church isn’t to convert sinners to Christianity, but to perfect (complete and mature)
the saints for the ministry and edification of the Body.”
I think it’s clear we as Christians (Biblical Christians)
follow Christ he is the only way to the Father, he is the only one who can
cleans you of sin, he is the only one who can approach the father on your
behalf. Pastors and teachers (Shepherds) equip and guide us for the ministry of
building up the church. We as sheep need to be like the Bereans When our
shepherd teaches something we need to verify it with scripture, don’t be a
blind sheep. Question :How’s your
ministry?
