Relationship of the Sheep to the Shepherds
Shepherds • Sermon • Submitted
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· 22 viewsa discussion of the relationship of the sheep to the shepherds of the local congregation
Notes
Transcript
Be Sheep - Matt 25:31-46
Be Sheep - Matt 25:31-46
This is a choice – Matt 25:31-46 – for something as important as God’s judgment, Jesus used sheep and goats to illustrate
This difference comes from the way we relate to others as a reflection of what we think of Jesus
Respect being sheep, since our current culture de-values the qualities that distinguish sheep – meekness, quietness, submission
Approval
Approval
Selection of shepherds and ministers is a process that requires consensus and approval from all the congregation – Acts 6:1-6 (esp vs.2, 5)
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Get involved in the process (although it is not decided by majority vote), you should not complain if you were not involved
Get to know the shepherd’s voice – John 10:1-5 – talk with them about spiritual things (not their favorite dessert, but their favorite passage)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Submission
Submission
Submission is not (and cannot be) forced – 1 Pet 5:5 – means “to designate under”, is often translated as submit – Jas 4:7
A slightly different term is also used once – Heb 13:17 – means “to yield under”
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Submission is only truly practiced when we disagree with the shepherds
Obey – Heb 13:17 – means “to persuade” – Acts 5:36-39; Gal 5:7 – which is important for shepherds to consider, but this is written to the sheep, who must be willing to be persuaded – Acts 26:28 – was Agrippa willing?
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
Be willing to listen, learn, and serve – far too often sheep are not fed because they are at the fence of the goat’s pen wanting to be there instead (cannot serve a Bible booth because serving a fund raiser for dance team, cannot teach a Bible class because teaching how to hit a curve ball)
Hold accountable
Hold accountable
Expect leadership – Psa 23:1-3 – expect the shepherds to shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Give double honor for those who feed well – 1 Tim 5:17-18; Deut 25:4; 1 Thess 5:12-13 – praise, appreciation go a long way
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
Don’t listen to slander – 1 Tim 5:19 – there will always be grumblers among God’s people, but you don’t need to be a willing audience
Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Shepherds who continue in sin must be rebuked publicly – 1 Tim 5:20-21; Gal 2:11-14 – because of their example (but not for one moment of weakness)
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Accept repentance and grant forgiveness – 2 Cor 1:6-11 – which is not automatic cause for resignation (David continued in sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah for at least nine months, was rebuked, repented, and continued in God’s service)
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
The relationship of the sheep to the shepherds is mutually beneficial – Heb 13:17 – if we all work at it.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.