April 16, 2023 - King as Shepherd
Notes
Transcript
I have a little bit of a challenge today - in that it’s been 6 weeks since we were last in 2 Samuel...
Not sure if you remember - but before we DIVERTED into our mini Easter Series...
We were making our way through 1 and 2 Samuel.
The challenge - is the help us - Get back in the groove…the OT groove...
To understand our place in the story of Israel....
Where we were - in the story.
The last time we were together - gazing into 2 Samuel...
We had just come out of David finding out that Saul had died in battle...
AND that ANOTHER man was made KING over the majority of Israel.
David had been anointed King of Judah…but it was another man (Saul’s son) who took the place of Saul after he had died.
That was 2 Samuel chapter 2...
But before we get to our text for today (Chapter 5) - many things had changed.
Ish-bosheth - Saul’s son who had been made King over Israel...
Was KILLED, and so the people were LOOKING for their next King.
Let’s pick it up from there...
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.
2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’ ”
3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.”
7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.
8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”
9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built the city all around from the Millo inward.
10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
What I’d like to focus on today - is this CALL of David - to now come and RULE over Israel.
And so we circle back to v1
1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.
We are your bone and flesh...
What they’re saying is - YOU - David - though not of the same TRIBE as us...
You are our KINSMAN...
And this was important - BECAUSE - according to the Law - David could then still REIGN as King over Israel.
15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
Ok - I think we get it.
So they clarify and declare - that YES - David is our brother...
Therefore he can be KING...
Next verse...
2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’ ”
And here it is!
It’s THIS call I want to DIVE INTO...
The call - to SHEPHERD.
The LORD had said - TO David - you shall be SHEPHERD of my people Israel.
What does it MEAN - to SHEPHERD?
What was entailed in this CALL? Then and now?
If we think about what SHEPHERDS do - we know they have very specific tasks they are called to...
And if we simply look at the SHEPHERD role through the Biblical lens...
We see the specific attributes to this call.
And we start on the basis that Old Testament Shepherds were no different than New Testament Shepherds.
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Feeding the Flock
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
One of the primary responsibilities of the Shepherd - is to make sure the flock is FED...
real sheep - IN A FIELD? - Fed PHYSICAL food of course...
BUT as a PEOPLE? - Spiritual food.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
Jesus tells Peter - FEED my lambs… feed the flock.
NOT grass… for physical nourishment...
But THE Truth of God - for spiritual nourishment!
As we think about DAVID - we hopefully think of Jesus - SINCE David was a TYPE of Christ!
And Jesus - was - OF COURSE - the Good Shepherd!
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
So Jesus is the ULTIMATE Shepherd...
And so did JESUS feed the sheep - when He was here?
OF COURSE! - Any red letter verse in the Bible - was Jesus - FEEDING the sheep!
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
hey - sound familiar?
This here - is SPIRITUAL food!
And Jesus was ALL ABOUT FEEDING his children - in a CERTAIN way...
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
We can see that Jesus SPOKE ANOTHER language...
His OWN - spiritual language - and THIS language - has to be LEARNED on our end!
We know Jesus is the PERFECT Shepherd … but what about David?
David was called to FEED the people - MOVING FORWARD...
…but HAD he up to this point?
He did!
4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.”
God had told David - NOT to kill Saul...
But that INFO didn’t STAY with David...
David TOOK that command of the Lord - and PASSED it onto the people…!
Would David’s REFUSAL to kill Saul have been POPULAR with the people?
NO - they all ASSUMED HE WOULD kill him!!
But David OBEYED the Lord - STUCK to his guns...
And WOULD NOT go against the Lord!
But not only did David SIMPLY TELL the people about God’s command...
Next verse...
7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
David FED the people of Israel!
He fed them - SPIRITUAL food!
And THEY - IN TURN - obeyed God!
THAT’s a shepherd!
THIS is what David was called to!
But it’s not JUST about FEEDING the sheep!
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Caring for the Flock
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Tend my sheep - CARE for my sheep!
Don’t just FEED them - but ALSO CARE for them!
A COUPLE things - AT LEAST - go into CARING for someone…right?
1. KNOW THEM...
QUESTION: Would you rather have someone who KNOWS your kids - WATCH your kids....
OR would you rather have your kids WATCHED - by someone that DOES NOT know them?
Why would you choose someone that KNOWS them?
Because someone who KNOWS them is going to be more likely to - CARE about them!
Listen to how important Jesus thinks this is...
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
See - the one who OWNS the sheep has a different motive than the one who is HIRED to watch the sheep.
The one HIRED - the motive is - MONEY!
The one who OWNS the sheep - the motive is - LOVE!
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
NOW - Did Jesus KNOW his sheep?
Well - NEXT verse tells us...
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
And this KNOWING - is a DEEP kind of KNOWING...
3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Jesus KNEW His own! He KNOWS His own!
Could the Jewish leaders make the same claim?
NO - and we KNOW this because the Jewish leaders DID NOT care about the people…
Think about the man born blind…The Jewish leaders were more concerned that the MIRACLE was performed on the sabbath THAN THAT the man received his sight!!
They didn’t CARE that he RECEIVED his sight!
They didn’t care ABOUT HIM!
And this flows to our next point about CARING for people...
Not only is CARING about KNOWING them....it’s also about having COMPASSION toward them.
COMPASSION - ties directly into the CARING for the sheep...
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
So did Jesus show COMPASSION to His own?
Of course - Compassion UNTO death!
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.
30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Jesus had COMPASSION...
He wasn’t CHECKING to see if it was the Sabbath!
These two men - the Bible tells us - HAD FAITH.
Jesus has compassion for those WHO BELIEVE!!
But what about unbelievers?
2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
This DEMON - was worried!
He didn’t want Jesus to TORMENT him...
Jesus has compassion… Jesus ends up granting the request of this demon...
Jesus was always looking out for the OUTCAST…the downtrodden, the minority...
And what an EXAMPLE He is for us!
Listen - if we’re NOT CAREFUL - we can become JUST like the 1st century Jewish Leaders.
Why didn’t they show COMPASSION to their people?
Because they got TOO CAUGHT UP in their own ROUTINES.
We need to be careful!
And SO DID David!
Did David show COMPASSION to his people?
How about when he RELENTED from killing Saul - his king?
MORE than once!!?
And if we COMPARE David to Saul - we know of several times when Saul was NOT compassionate toward his people...
24 And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food.
Remember this?
Jonathan didn’t hear this VOW - he ends up eating some honey - and almost dies for it!
The people (INCLUDING Jonathan) - were angry with Saul.
A good shepherd will have COMPASSION on his people...
But NOT just compassion...
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Guarding the Flock From Wolves
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
Something that is also TIED to Caring for the flock - is the CALL for shepherds to GUARD the flock from wolves!
NOW - if we’re talking about LITERAL sheep - then yes - even THEN - the shepherd protects the flock from wolves.
One way the shepherd would do this was that once the sheep were back within the sheepfold for the night...
The shepherd himself would LAY HIS OWN BODY down and act as the DOOR...
So that if anyone was going to try to enter - they’d have to deal with the DOOR… the Shepherd!
NOW in our context - the call is to GUARD the flock from False teachers!
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
NOW - if you’re a SHEPHERD of ACTUAL SHEEP - and a WOLF trotted into the sheepfold - I THINK you’d NOTICE that…!
BUT For US - it’s not so easy...
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
These WOLVES look legit - at first!
And SO - what Shepherds are really doing is = GUARDING the TRUTH...
And in GUARDING the truth…they are GUARDING the sheep!
As we HOPEFULLY know - Jesus was CONSTANTLY guarding the truth!
CONSTANTLY correcting the FALSENESS of the Pharisees!
Remember Jesus telling His people:
You’ve HEARD it said - BUT I say to you...
You’ve heard it said - BUT I say to you!
Always - GUARDING the truth!
- BUT LISTEN - Bad leaders will FORSAKE truth when the going gets tough…
Maybe when the CHURCH become LESS FULL… (they’ll FORSAKE truth to try to fill up THE CHURCH!)
When church discipline is needed and most loving… (they’ll FORSAKE truth because it’s just AWKWARD!)
When it’s JUST EASIER to get along - (they’ll forsake TRUTH to make everyone more comfortable).
That’s BAD leadership - BAD shepherding!
And when Bad shepherds FORSAKE truth - the sheep under them will pay the consequences!
Did David guard the TRUTH?
37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
David guarded the truth of the ONE TRUE and LIVING GOD…that there WAS ONLY ONE true and living God!
And he was willing to DIE for it
THAT’S a shepherd!
But even THAT’S not all that a Shepherd is called to...
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Leading by Example
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
How many of you have ever worked for someone who never lead by example?
Ok, now how many of you have ever worked for someone who DID lead by example?
Which did you prefer?
Listen to how Jesus handled this...
3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
What does this say here? Jesus goes “BEFORE THEM”....and LEADS them!
I think we’ve all had managers who would lead by SITTING on their hands and BARKING orders…
What’s the feeling we get?
A lot of times we’re like - “you don’t know what you’re saying because you’ve NEVER ACTUALLY DONE the WORK”
*Rachel - Master’s Classes (worthless - taught by people who had NEVER been in a classroom).
BUT - When we have a manager who is ALSO IN THE TRENCHES…we feel more:
at ease
We respect them more
We feel more SAFE
We feel more cared for because we have this CONSTANT EXAMPLE before us…!
How did Jesus lead?
Sitting on the sidelines barking out orders? - - HARDLY!
WE’RE called to pick up our INSTRUMENT of torture (our cross) DAILY...
...Did Christ provide us an EXAMPLE of this? Of course He did!!
We’re called to LOVE God with all our Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength...Jesus - Did it!
We’re called to EMBRACE Gospel suffering...Jesus - Did that!
He is the GREAT, and GOOD Leader…!
If you’re walking through a VALLEY right now:
at home
at work
at school
in your family
Christ has BEEN there! He’s OUT IN FRONT!!
Don’t try to RUN to the FRONT to fix it!!
Let Him Lead!! He’s THE GOOD Leader…!
How about DAVID? Did he lead the people?
16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.
Where Saul was OFTEN - HIDING in the baggage...
Or HIDING in the caves...
DAVID - was OUT - FIGHTING!! - LEADING in the battle!
He was an EXAMPLE…to his people...
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
THAT’S a SHEPHERD!!
BUT - - - that’s not all.
It’s not just about:
Feeding the flock
Caring for the flock
Guarding the flock from false teachers
or Leading by Example
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Being Accountable
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
What does Heb 13:17 say...
17 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.
In this verse - we can HEAR the accountability that is BAKED INTO this call of SHEPHERD!
If I was to choose - as a pastor - to GO WOKE - and start preaching SOCIAL JUSTICE…and what-not...
Basically LEAD you guys off a SPIRITUAL CLIFF...
I - the ELDERS HERE - would be accountable for that - Before God!
Jesus - OBVIOUSLY took full responsibility for his teaching…
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
Did Jesus SHY AWAY??
No - He knew that these soldiers were there BECAUSE of things HE SAID and things HE DID.
Jesus STEPPED forward… He was accountable....and He was - LEADING His people...
But He wasn’t done!
6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
Do you see the compassion....the LEADERSHIP?
Was David accountable?
If you know David’s story… sure there were many TRIUMPHS…but you also probably know about his failures as well.
Later in David’s life - he would step into adultery… and God confronts David by way of a prophet.
That prophet CALLS OUT David - to his face...
And David - being a man after God’s own heart - Takes responsibility for it…and repents.
He was held accountable…and IN THAT - David UNDERSTOOD the benefit of that accountability.
He didn’t run from it!
THAT’S a shepherd!!
Being accountable… to the flock you shepherd.
AND FINALLY...
SLIDE: King as Shepherd: Risking Death
King as Shepherd
King as Shepherd
As we know - the Good Shepherd - JESUS - laid down His life for the sheep...
Physical Life - HOWEVER - TYPICALLY - isn’t on the line when it comes to pastoring a church in America.
In other areas of the world - OF COURSE...
BUT not so much in America - - YET!
Those days I believe are coming...
BUT - what we HAVE seen is that imprisonment of pastors has occurred IN THE U.S. for various reasons.
And this idea of LIFE being placed on the scales of Christianity isn’t anything NEW!
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,
3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
A Shepherd is one who must set aside -
Comfort
Ease
Apathy
Plans for the future
And look to the FLOCK - focused on the WELL-BEING of the FLOCK...
I know there are times that I’ve been asked a question about starting this NEW thing or CHANGING this OLD thing...
And whenever that happens - I ALWAYS filter that question - Through God’s word...
And THEN - thru the question - How will that IMPACT the flock...
How will that impact THAT PERSON?
As they say in Human Resources all the time - INTENT doesn’t matter - IMPACT does.
A Shepherd is willing to risk LIFE ITSELF - for the flock - BECAUSE the shepherd understands that LIFE is not the end-all be-all.
To die is - GAIN.
SUMMARY…what have we seen today?
(read thru all)
SLIDE
King as Shepherd:
Feeding the Flock
Caring for the Flock
Guarding the Flock from False Teachers
Leading by Example
Being Accountable
Risking Death
Now - when we think about church - we have Elders - of course called to these things...
But this call doesn’t JUST fall in the lap of elders.
When we think about the HOME...
MEN - you are called to LEAD - to SHEPHERD your families...
All these points APPLY! - Just for a different audience!
Men - Are you IN the GAME? Or on the sidelines?
WOMEN - You are also called to SHEPHERD your kids.
…in these ways...
Of course under the leadership of your husband...
But the call stands.
May we pursue SHEPHERDING those in our care, WHATEVER circle that applies to...
Let’s pray