Sunday's Are Great At Grace
  • Grace Home
  • Good Words Blog
  • Online Giving
  • Our Beliefs
  • WEDNESDAY NIGHT Prayer & BIBLE STUDY
  • Upcoming Events & Church Calendar
  • Contact/Get Directions
  • FaceBook
  • Live Stream

Shepherds of the Flock

9/24/2017

0 Comments

 
Good Words from God’s Word
 
The good word for today is SHEPHERD. This word expresses the character of Jesus and provides for us the best model for ministry found in the Bible. Jesus said of himself:
 
“…he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leaders them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:2-3)
 
Jesus is our shepherd who knows us because he calls us by name. Jesus speaks to us and we know his voice when we hear it. He leads us into “green pastures” and into “paths of righteousness” because he loves us and knows what is best for us. Jesus truly is our “GOOD SHEPHERD”. (John 10:11)
 
The image of the good shepherd expresses the character of God:
 
“for thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd cares for his heard in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.’” (Ezekiel 34:11-12)
 
Like Jesus, who is our good shepherd, God the great shepherd searches for the sheep, cares for His sheep, and goes after them to deliver and restore them to the fold.
 
Charles Spurgeon said, “What would become of some people if they were always in good health? Tribulation is the black dog that goes after the sheep, and barks them back to the fold.”
 
When we stray away, God is a shepherd that “barks” at us to bring us back into His fold.
 
The image of the shepherd expresses the heart of God. It shows us the character of Jesus. As the good shepherd of the sheep, Jesus claims to be the only one who works to gather the sheep.
  • Sheep can find their way into the fold of God by no other means except through Jesus. (John 10:5)
  • Jesus lays his life down for the sheep. (John 10:11)
  • He has authority to do so because God has given Him the power to take it up again. (John 10:18)
  • Jesus knows His own sheep, because the sheep know His voice and follow Him alone. (John 10:16)
 
Today’s scripture, Acts 20:17-28, is the only sermon that Paul peaches in Acts specifically to the church. Paul tells us in this passage that we should not only believe in the good shepherd, but we should also follow his example and become shepherds ourselves. The “SHEPHERD” model of ministry is what Jesus commanded Peter to do:
 
“…Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.” (John 21:16)
 
Like Peter, we are called to become shepherds who gather the sheep, care for God’s sheep and lead the sheep into “,..green pastures and still waters.” (Psalm 23:2)

Grace church should be a SHEPHERDING kind of church. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “…shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28)

There is no better way to lead the people of God than to be a SHEPHERD to them. There is no higher calling than to become like Jesus, a SHEPHERD of God’s flock. Praise God today for the SHEPHERDS that God has placed here at Grace.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Mike

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

The Bible is not a book you finish reading.
It is a book that you read so that it may finish you.

(Pastor Mike)