Pastoral Integrity- Malawi 2024 (2)
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Pastoral Integrity- Malawi 2024
Why are we called pastors?
Why are we called pastors?
God calls his people sheep.
God is the Good Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
God provides those who help the sheep. No one is as good as the Good Shepherd. It is our standard.
A newspaper in Qatar had this quick news blurb…
ISTANBUL: Hundreds of sheep followed their leader off a cliff in eastern Turkey, plunging to their deaths this week while shepherds looked on in dismay. Four hundred sheep fell 15 meters to their deaths in a ravine in Van province near Iran but broke the fall of another 1,100 animals who survived, newspaper reports said yesterday. Shepherds from Ikizler village neglected the flock while eating breakfast, leaving the sheep to roam free, the Radikal daily said. The loss to local farmers was estimated at $74,000.
Who’s fault was it?
The sheep for being dumb or the shepherds who knew their sheep were dumb and ate their breakfast anyway?
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.
2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.
3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
God loves to use the sheep metaphor to describe his people. We are dumb sheep. But we have a Good Shepherd.
The church needs the Good Shepherd more than they need Pastors.
-We are the hired hands. He will die for his sheep.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.
16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
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.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
By understanding how we are sheep maybe it will help us to be better shepherds.
Why Do We Need the Good Shepherd
Why Do We Need the Good Shepherd
We Will Die (11)
We Will Die (11)
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Sheep do not live without a Shepherd.
Sheep are dumb.
God used sheep metaphor throughout old testament to refer to Israel and Gentiles were added into the fold in the New Testament.
God sees how helpless we are without him.
Sheep cannot live on their own.
They will eat something that will kill them.
They will get eaten by a wild animal.
They will follow one of the sheep that do not know where they are going and all get lost and die.
If they roll onto their back they cannot get back up on their own and die.
Their hair grows constantly and if someone doesn’t cut it they will get so heavy they cannot walk and die.
If they wonder off alone they will not know how to get back and die.
Only the true shepherd, the owner, is willing to die for the sheep.
Several times in this passage we are reminded the Good Shepherd will die for the sheep.
“For the Sheep”= In place of the sheep. Substitutionary atonement. he paid what we could not pay.
Hired hands= the leaders of Isreal. Just about what they can get out of it.
They will not sacrifice. (Refers to the Sadducees and Pharisees.)
They just want the money and title. Want respect of the position.
Earthly leaders will let you down. We come and go. Some are better than others but none of us will love you as well as Jesus.
We Are Prey (12-13)
We Are Prey (12-13)
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.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
ILL- Hunting under a tree when a mountain lion crossed 75 yards from me. I became the prey.
We have an enemy that wants us destroyed.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Either we are going to die or someone is going to die so we can live.
There is only one who was ever qualified to die for us.
Jesus.
We Are Known (14-15)
We Are Known (14-15)
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
A shepherd knows everything about every sheep in the herd.
Each has their unique needs to be taken care of.
Jesus knows us intimately, deeply. He knows us better than ourselves.
He knows the number of hairs on our heads.
We are beautifully and wonderfully made.
Everyone of us is different.
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
We Are One (16)
We Are One (16)
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
God is bringing unbelievers into his fold. Those who are willing to go through the door, Jesus.
There is “one flock”-
New Testament- individual churches make up “one church”.
No competition between churches.
We are still on the same team. God is not punishing me nor you. We are still under the same Shepherd.
He Has Authority (17-18)
He Has Authority (17-18)
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus died willingly for us. Because he loves us. He loves his sheep.
Only way into the fold= to go through the door-= to go through Jesus.
Jesus has authority to die for us because God gave him the authority.
No one else has ever been given the authority.
He is the only son.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
How you submit to those in authority is your own decision.
ILL- Rules at school/ Rules of government/ rules driving.
You can break the rules but there is always consequences.
Who are pastors?
Who are pastors?
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
What do we do?
What do we do?
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Jesus to Peter- feed my sheep
Why are we qualified?
Why are we qualified?
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
What if we fail?
What if we fail?
1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
ILL- friends who failed - hurts church
biggest reason for failure= pride, lust, and greed
What if we are faithful?
What if we are faithful?
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
21 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.
22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)
24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.