In our last several posts, we explored the attributes of sheep. When the Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples in John 21, He told Peter to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, and feed His sheep. He wanted the disciples to see His church as lambs and sheep. He Himself would choose pastors or shepherds to oversee God’s flock, with Him as the Chief Shepherd. In today’s post, we will continue our journey to identification and restoration by looking closer at a shepherd. Over the next several posts, we will explore the following duties and responsibilities of a shepherd:
- A shepherd is responsible to the owner of the sheep
- A shepherd must guide the flock as a gentle, but confident leader
- A shepherd must provide a secure sheepfold and protect the sheep under their care
- A shepherd must feed the flock in all seasons and provide water even in times of drought
- A shepherd must have great endurance, be willing to work hard, and not be afraid to learn new things
In our post today, we will examine the first duty of a shepherd: A shepherd is responsible to the owner of the sheep.
Let’s begin with ownership. An owner is defined as a person who owns something or one to who property belongs. In business, a business owner starts or buys a venture to offer products or services usually for profit. The owner has a business plan that outlines the various aspects of the business, including how it will be conducted to achieve success and manage risks. The business owner may hire a manager or supervisor to oversee the business. The manager or supervisor is to carry out the day-to-day operations of the business in line with the owner’s plan. The manager or supervisor must be aligned with the owner’s vision and values for the business to be successful. The manager or supervisor has to report to and be answerable to the owner for any actions they take. In other words, the manager or supervisor is a steward and is responsible to the owner of the business.
In the same way, a shepherd does not own the sheep that are entrusted to them. A shepherd is responsible to the owner of the sheep. The owner has a plan for the sheep, and the shepherd is answerable to the owner for any actions taken concerning the sheep.
Who is the Owner of the Sheep?
In the word of God, owner means “supreme in authority” and “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding.” As born-again believers, we have been bought or redeemed with the blood of Jesus. We have an Owner. Who redeemed us? Who is our Owner? We find our answer in Ephesians 1:3-10-
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ…”
In the above passage of Scripture and throughout the New Testament, it is established that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is our Owner. He redeemed us for Himself, to do His will. We belong to Him!
Chief Shepherd, Not Owner
Now that we’ve grounded ourselves in our ownership, let’s look at how the Lord Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, demonstrated how a shepherd is to be responsible to the owner of the sheep in Matthew 20.
First, in Matthew 20:20-23, James, John, and their mother asked the Lord Jesus for positions of power in His kingdom. After getting past the shock of their bold, but misguided request, He told them that those positions were not His to give, stating at the end of verse 23, “but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” In His response to their request, He did not exert His own authority or will. He said that it was the Father’s decision who would sit at His right and left hand. He did not promise them a position of His own making or tell them His own idea. He stayed firmly in His place as Shepherd, and did not cross the Owner’s boundary.
Second, He taught His disciples to have an attitude of servanthood, not lordship, in the very next verses –
“And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:24-28)
This is simple and straight from the Chief Shepherd. Shepherds under Him are to be servants. Period. They are to manage or steward according to the Owner’s plan.
Third, the Lord Jesus did not introduce new doctrine from Himself. In Mark 12, a scribe questioned Him about the first or most important commandment. The answer He gave the scribe was already written. He actually quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 saying –
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)
The Lord Jesus once again did not exert His own authority, will, or ideas. He reiterated that we are to love the LORD our God with all of our being and with all of our resources.
Only the Owner’s Will
As sheep in the body of Christ, our priority and focus should be the will of our Owner. We should aim to do His will everyday in every area of our lives. In Matthew 7:21-23, the Lord Jesus said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Because “all” is such a big word and loving the LORD with our “all” is the first commandment, shepherds under the Chief Shepherd should always be leading the sheep entrusted to them to fulfill this commandment just like He did. Our “all” or primary resources are our time, our attention, our energy, and our money. Any shepherd that is not helping the sheep entrusted to them to focus “all” of their time, attention, energy, and money on the Father’s will is a strange voice speaking in the name of Jesus. He clearly warns us that there are people saying and doing things in His name, but they are evildoers! Regardless of how they claim to be speaking for Him, they are evildoers! They are not doing the will of the Father. We must pay attention to the fruit, or lack thereof, they are producing.
From a practical standpoint, in an unhealthy sheepfold, the sheep are not led according to the Owner’s will, which is to love God with their all (whole, entire, total). Because pastoral leadership in unhealthy sheepfolds are driven by their own self-centered desires for power, admiration, attention, recognition, money, honor, etc., they target the sheep’s “all” for themselves. They do not have the best interest of the sheep at heart, and have no regard for the Owner’s will. They do not follow the voice nor the direction nor the example of the Chief Shepherd. They distort the Shepherd’s voice to deliberately misguide and mislead the sheep for their own advantage away from the Owner’s will. Because of their wrong motives, they actually abuse and misuse the resources of the sheep they are supposed to be serving and instead feed on the flock of God – the sheep’s time, attention, energy, and money. This causes the faith of the sheep to be shipwrecked. This blatant disregard for the sheep’s well-being is discussed in Scattered and Devoured by the Shepherd!?
Examining Our “All”
We must examine where our time, attention, energy, and money are focused in our current walk with the LORD. We must ask ourselves if our “all” is fully devoted to Him, our whole, entire, total? Or is part of our heart, soul, mind, or strength divided? What about your pastoral leadership’s “all”? Is your pastoral leadership demonstrating how to love God with “all” under the voice of the Good Shepherd, which is according to the written word of God? Is your pastoral leadership teaching how to fulfill the first commandment in all their teachings? Is your pastoral leadership encouraging complete devotion to God in both their leadership and daily walk? Does your pastoral leadership point the sheep to the Owner’s plan?
Or is your pastoral leadership detracting from your relationship with God? Is your pastoral leadership interfering with your love for God by targeting your “all” for themselves? Are they distracting you from fulfilling the first commandment? Are they hindering you from doing the Father’s will by acting as owner and not shepherd? As we discussed in Follow by Instinct, But Also Think!, the Lord Jesus expects His sheep to know His voice and to follow Him only. We cannot blindly follow pastoral leadership into error. We must flee from any pastoral leadership that sounds like a stranger.
Fellow Worker and Overseer
Fellow is “a person in the same position, involved in the same activity.” The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:24, “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.” A shepherd under the Good Shepherd will be a fellow worker. They will not be domineering over the faith and lives of those they are called to lead as the apostle Peter also instructed his fellow elders 1 Peter 5:1-4 –
“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.”
Finally, as the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus did not say or do anything unless it was the will of the Father (the Owner) who sent Him, and all shepherds in the body of Christ are to follow His example of being responsible to the Owner in their words and actions without exception. We must know the Shepherd’s voice or risk being misled.
In our next post, we will continue exploring the duties of a shepherd.
Disclaimer: Before making decisions or changes that affect your spiritual life and well-being, always personally seek God for His perfect will for your life and always follow peace.
