Shepherding Honorably
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Sermon Title: Shepherding Honorably
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:17-25
Occasion: The Lord’s Day
Date: December 22, 2024
Introduction
Introduction
What is the feeling that arises this Advent when you think of the people who are leading you?
Whether at home, with your spouse or parents.
Whether at work with your boss or at school with your teachers.
Whether at Church with your pastors or ministry leaders.
How are people leading you?
We have all experienced people who have failed to lead us well.
Failed leadership hurts people and it brings reproach on the name of Christ..
But Here is another more personal question: How are you leading you?
What Advent presents to us so clearly is that we have failed to lead and be led.
The history of God’s people has been a story of failed leadership.
If it were not for the sustaining grace of God in the OT, God’s people would fail to exist. They would have killed each other!
But the coming of Christ presents to us something beautiful and filled with hope.
That there is someone who can lead His people with righteousness and equity, with love, and with truth.
There is one who’s rule is merciful and yet strong and firm.
There is one who will lead forever and ever with perfect leadership.
Our text this morning presents us with and advent hope.
How so?
We are not Christ , but In our text, Paul demonstrates a type of leadership and a Christ-centered Church culture that not only reflects Jesus but also fully depends on Him, enabling us to grow into His likeness.
This Advent, Paul reveals a path for our churches and, more specifically, our shepherds to follow—a way to model and depend on the Good Shepherd, leading them to shepherd God's people honorably.
That is why I entitled my sermon this morning:
“Shepherding Honorably”
Today, we’ll explore three key truths from our passage in order for our Churches, elders and leadership to shepherd honorably:
Honoring the Faithful (Vv 17-18) – A call to respect and support those who lead well through shepherding and teaching.
Confronting the Sinful (Vv19-21) – A sober reminder of the need for accountability and discipline among leaders.
Discerning the Appointed (Vv22-25) – A charge to exercise wisdom and patience in selecting elders.
As we walk through these truths, we’ll see how each points us to our need for Christ, the perfect Leader who shepherds His people with truth, grace, and love.
Let us begin with the first key truth: Honoring the Faithful.
Point 1: Honor the Faithful (vv. 17–18)
Point 1: Honor the Faithful (vv. 17–18)
Read the Passage:
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.”
This whole section of scripture, 1 Timothy 5-6:1-2 can be summarized in one word-HONOR.
Pauls concern is that we honor those who deserve the proper honor.
It’s very reflective of our time in Romans 13, when Paul says…Romans 13:7
Romans 13:7 (ESV)
Pay to all what is owed to them:… respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
A Church culture that reflects Christ, that models Christ, is a church culture that thrives in showing respect and honor where it’s due.
This of course begins at home with our own families and our workplaces.
*Example of encouraging our children when they get good grades or help their siblings.
*Example thanking your spouse in front of your children for putting gas in the gas tank, making dinner, or simply being an amazing spouse or parent.
*Example of a boss writing an email showing honor to an employee for his faithful attendance of going above and beyond on a task.
If we fail to honor those in our spheres of influences we will fail to not only show them christ but grow them in Christ likeliness.
How we honor at home will be reflected how we honor in the Church.
But beloved, Paul is showing us a kind of culture in the church that not only makes much of the faithful leaders that lead us (how grateful we are for them), but makes much of the one who is faithful to us (christ) through them.
Exegesis:
This word elders here that Paul uses refers to those who oversee the affairs of the Church.
By Paul using the adverb “especially” here in verse 17 indicates that there were elders in Ephesus who did not predominantly preach and teach.
There were some elders, most likely, those who were a bit older, that had more wisdom and experience due to age, in governing affairs, helped with the administration of the Church, while others, depending on their unique gifting, focused on preaching and teaching the Word.
It doesn't mean they didn't teach, it just means it wasent their focus.
This scripture gives us room for executive and more administrative elders.
All of the elders in Ephesus had jobs outside of the Church.
But this was out of necessity.
The Church was very poor and often in financial distress due to it’s infancy and persecution.
Explanation
But Paul gives us two very important principles here that are worth noting.
The first principle is The Priority of Preaching and Teaching the Word.
Those who rule well among us feed God’s sheep.
John Piper has said “Leading is Feeding.”
This is Jesus’s principle not John Pipers.
Jesus, before ascending into heaven, says this to the Apostle Peter…
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.”
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.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Yes the elders will have administrative tasks to complete, but if God’s preacher fails to spend time with God in prayer and in the Word, he fails to rule well according to God.
A wise older christian once told me early in my ministry “that what the people of God need most from the minister of God is a man of God who spends much time with God. Without spending time with God in prayer and in the Word, you have nothing to offer His people.”
Paul says those who rule well “labor” in preaching in teaching.
This word “labor” here does not imply that the preachers does all these administrative tasks, then if he has a chance, he studies to preach to us.
NO!
Paul is saying that the job of the preacher is strenuous! It is simply hard work!
The word labor in the greek communicates struggle, striving to the point of growing weary!
Many among us have strenuous construction jobs, we know what this means. We come home from a long day and are exhausted.
Or maybe students among us, there are tests that we have really labored to study for.
You woke up early and you stayed up late.
You even had the test on your mind throughout the day.
Strenuous!
Contrary to popular belief, the work of preaching and teaching is treacherous.
Every single Sunday when I’m done preaching, the next sermon is already on my mind.
Every time I go to study, there is always attacks from the enemy that arise! Kids get sick. There is an emergency that I have to attend to.
Only the weeks that I am scheduled to preach and teach does this happen.
It’s a very cumbersome job.
This is why we must rid ourselves of the world notion that pastors must be bi-vocational.
I have never heard anyone advocate for a surgeon to find another job!
Is being by vocational lawful? Sure!
It is what’s best for the preacher and his family? NO!
This is hard and strenuous work!
*Example of when I was bi-vocational at a revitalization.
Maybe your wondering “Why does Paul separate preaching and teaching”?
Good question!
The reason he separates it is because they are two different yet similar tasks.
Preaching is translated in the greek to “speaking”.
So preaching involves speaking to reach the heart of people with the intention of a response!
Teaching implies instructing and educating.
This can be through speaking, but it also can be through writing, music, video, etc.
Someone once put it this way for me:
“You can teach without preaching, but you can’t preach without teaching.”
But the point is this:
Those elders who rule well and are considered worthy of double honor (I will get to this next) spend their lives laboring in preaching and teaching the flock among them.
Or this point can be summarized in Pauls words to the Church at Corinth that I often use to describe the task of elder:
2 Corinthians 12:15 (ESV)
I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.
That spending is a life spent preaching and teaching, trusting that it is God’s word that will save and transform His people!
So, that’s the first principle: The Priority of preaching and teaching.
The second principle is found in verse 18: Caring For God’s People.
Exegesis:
Many have the misconceived notion that double honor here in v17 means double pay. It does not!
The reality in Ephesus was that there were many money hungry elders among the flock looking for power and prestige.
These false teachers where seeking respect through fear, and manipulation.
They were taking advantage of the Church-widows, the poor, the marginalized who were easily manipulated. (Same is happening today!)
So Paul doubles down and essentially says “If you find yourself a true qualified elder, who cares for your soul, who pours his life out for you by teaching you God’s word, who spends his life in the trenches with you and your family-HE IS WORTHY OF HONOR, BUT NOT JUST ANY HONOR-DOUBLE HONOR- HE DESERVES RESPECT AND REMUNERATION.
Double honor here means: Respect and Compensation.
But the emphasis is on “worthy”!
The elder who has shown himself approved, rightly handeling the word of God, and caring for souls, is worthy of doubly honor.
The elder does not just receive respect and compensation because he has the title “Pastor” but because he has earned it from the flock.
This is why it is vital that we raise pastors from among us rather than hiring from outside of us.
Double honor is earned.
But the issue we mostly have is less to do with respect and more to do with remuneration.
But what Paul is simply emphasizing here, that if we say we value the Word of God.
If we say we have a high value of the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
After all it is through these means that we grow in Christ-likeness and in love, right?!
If we say (the Word says!) that it is through the preaching that people get saved, and transformed, and sanctified, then what we are saying is that when we look at our budget, at the top of the list, will be making sure that those who are fulfilling these tasks are being taken care of first and foremost.
What we say we value must be reflected in what we prioritize financially.
What we are NOT doing is looking to figure out ways to make the preachers job harder.
What we are not doing is asking these faithful ministers to look for other jobs so that we can transfer money to our harvest festival outreaches.
If we believe that the word of God does the work of God, then we will care for the man of God who gives his life to give us the breathe of God.
What God is teaching us here is that caring for God’s ministers is not only the right thing to do (if they are worthy) but it’s the biblical thing to do!
That is why he backs it up with v18 a reference to Deuteronomy 25:3 (OT Principle) and Jesus’ words in Luke 10:7.
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
The emphasis here is on Jesus quotation in Luke 10:7 - “The Laborer Deserves His wages”!
*Imagine you work all month for your job, and you go above and beyond to meet quota, but never get paid out. How would you feel?
Disrespected right? You would feel wronged, right? Undervalued?
It is oppression and an injustice not to pay a laborer his wages.
“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
The only way we can see respect and love manifested is through actions!
It reminds me of when John says in 1 John 4:20
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
That is Paul’s point here: If we say we respect our elders, that should be reflected in the way we care for our pastors financially.
They have earned their wages.
We should not look for ways to withhold from them.
We must work our hardest to take care of our pastors so that they can care for our souls. THAT’S A FULL TIME JOB!
We must do all we can to allow them to focus on this work, and relieve them from worldly affairs.
If we say that our elders are worthy of double honor than that will be reflected in the way we care for them.
Transition:
Now what we know that our elders are far from perfect.
There is only one who has ever ruled prefect and that is Jesus Christ.
So what do we do when elders don’t rule well?
Paul answers this question in the following verses.
In a Church that is attempting to honor Christ and build a community of Christ-likeness will not only HONOR THE FAITHFUL but CONFRONT THE SINFUL.
3. CONFRONT THE SINFUL.
Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
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.
These three verses are split into 2 sections:
Protecting your Elders.
Confront your elders.
Let’s start with Protecting your elders.
How does Paul instruct us as a Church to protect our elders from any false charges and claims of wrong doing and infidelity?
Before I answer that question I want to point out an assumption Paul makes here.
Paul assumes that since the elders are front and center, and have authority and respect, and since they get paid from the Church; the assumption is that they will naturally receive a lot more scrutiny from God’s people.
*Example of my favorite soccer player Ronaldo and how he is always scrutinized for everything.
So how do we then protect our elders from unwarranted charges?
Paul instructs us to use the Deut. 19:15 principle.
“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
Essentially he instructs the people of God to use the same principle that would be used on any other covenant member as laid out for us in Matthew 18 that says..
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
This teaches us two important things:
Elders are not exempt from being confronted about sin.
Elders are not exempt from Church discipline.
But we must be very careful to heed Paul’s command here in v19.
Do not admit a charge against an elder unless it is serious and you have the necessary evidence and scriptural basis to make a claim.
The way you can protect your elders, Church, is to not beat them over the head with every little issue in the Church.
We must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves as we approach claims against those who are caring for souls.
It is easier to scrutinize your pastors than it is to encourage them.
We have to work hard to encourage and protect our pastors from an unnecessary claims.
It is good for the minister and his family, and it is good for the Church and its witness to the community.
Hebrews 13:17 says it this way…
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.
Transition: Confronting your elders.
But when an elder persists in sin and we have the scriptural bases to make the claim with the evidence of two or three witnesses, we must rebuke and confront the sinful elder.
To not confront an elder in sin and persisting in sin is to disobey God’s command.
It’s a sin to not confront sin!
This verses implies that there must be clear evidence of sin and a lack of repentance.
When there is clear evidence of sin and a lack of repentance we must take Matthew 18:17 and rebuke that elder before the Church.
We don’t use this word rebuke much these days.
This word rebuke in the greek means to correct and expose an error for the purposes of repentance, and restoration, and if the elder continues in unrepentance, removing them from the congregation and handing them over to satan.
It is the job of the Church to not only keep the elders accountable but to call elders out when in sin.
The reason we do this is that the congregation would know that no one is exempt from being confronted about sin.
Not the elders, not the deacons, not anyone!
The lord desires that His church be holy as he is holy.
It is a good and godly thing that the people of God know that sin is not only unacceptable in the life of a profession christian, but that it is destructive.
Sin does not just affect the life of an individual it always affects everyone around you.
This is partially why sin must be brought before the congregation.
Because when you are in sin you don’t realize how far and wide it has gone.
But sin must be addressed, confronted, and then brought before the Church so that we can know how serious sin really is and how Holy God really is.
The goal of confronting sin is fear.
Fear means that we orient our lives and our hearts around an object.
Sin desires that you orient your heart and life around your sin, but what God desires for you is that you orient your heart and life around him!
God has created you to revolve your life around him.
We thrive and flourish when our lives revolve around him.
But the minute our lives focus on something other than God, we sin, and that sin becomes our idle.
We all have experienced this haven’t we?
We start dabbling in things we shouldn't, then that thing starts to take up our time and it becomes our treasure.
Then next thing you know, our whole life is oriented toward that thing.
And maybe you have felt this before: the feeling that you are in to deep to get out.
That’s a lie from satan, friend.
As long as your breathing, Jesus offers you a way of escape!
Jesus offers a way of escape from shame, from guilt, from your sin, and from eternal judgment today.
That is why he instructs the disciples to pray this way at the end of the Lord’s prayer “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.
That’s what Jesus came to do for you. Deliver you.
What the Lord desires most for your life is that you fear him.
Every other fear will destroy you, bring you shame, and ultimately it will bring you eternal condemnation from our righteous Judge.
But the fear of the Lord will free you to be who God made you to be.
The fear of the Lord will save you from eternal punishment.
In the words of Paul to the corinthians as he prepares them to partake in the Lord’s supper:
But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
That is why we confront sin here at RCS.
Whether your a pastor or a deacon or a regular attender under covenant membership- We confront sin so that you may not be condemned along with the world.
We love you too much in Christ!
Transition
In verse 21 Paul zooms out to show us the seriousness of this task of confronting sin.
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.
This is a solemn warning to Ephesus and to us here at RCS.
When we confront sin and we are casting judgment on unrepentant sinners, we are not just doing this in front of our Church but before God and the host of heaven.
Paul wants us to feel the weight of confronting sin here.
When we confront sin and perform church discipline we are doing this with the authority of God, Christ Jesus, and with the witness of the elect angels.
This is a serious matter that requires careful and prayerful attention.
So he gives us two ways to guard ourselves from making improper judgement.
Don’t prejudge- This means to avoid making assumptions before evidence is presented.
And do nothing from partiality- This means discipline must be impartial, free from bias or preferential treatment.
Favoritism or bias in discipline could erode the church’s credibility and fairness.
We must do nothing from partiality.
Partiality is antithetical to the gospel.
The gospel has broken down the wall of hostility and partiality.
The point of Paul’s charge here is not only solemn warning but it is a serious reminder that when we prejudge or show partiality and falsely accuse an elder, a leader, or anyone for that matter in the Church, we can comprise our witness of the gospel.
The gravity of this is that the gospel is on the line.
We must tred with much prayer and scriptural diligence.
We have seen this play out horribly over the last few years.
The Churches witness has been greatly damaged because of it.
I’m thankful that it is Christ that builds his church and keeps her.
It’s in moments that we fail in these area of discipline and confronting sin, and we have failed, and we will fail, that we look to Christ.
And we hold to the promise of the benediction in Jude 24 that Jesus is the one who ultimately will keep us from stumbling and will present us, His blood bought bride, blames before the presence of Gods glory with great joy.
Transition:
The seriousness of this cannot be overstated.
And I believe that is exactly why Paul closes this passage in the way he does.
Paul closes with emphasizing the importance of discerning the appointed.
This is my third and final point.
3. Discerning the Appointed (vv.22-25)
Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)
The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
Francis Bacon once said..
“Time is the wisest counselor of all.”
We will avoid much of what we heard today in our text, if we are careful to appoint people to leadership-especially elders.
The french Jean de La Fontaine poet once said..
“Time discovers truth.”
We will never go wrong in the Church if we give people more time to prove themselves as approved workers.
This is why our elder process here in our Church is a minimum of a year long. But typically we finish the process within 1 1/2 to 2 years.
Time reveals character and it reveals what we truly say we believe and who we truly are.
They say it takes anywhere between 11-15 years before becoming a doctor. (undergrad, medical school, residency, optional fellowship)
That is to care for the flesh!
How much more for those who care for your souls?!
This is Paul’s point here in these remaining four verses.
Exegesis:
The laying on of hands in scripture either refers to healing or for appointing people to the office of elder of deacon as it’s seen throughout the book of Acts.
In this case it’s referring to the appointing of elders.
Paul commands us to not be “hasty” or quick or hurried to appoint people to leadership.
It is unwise and unbiblical to do so.
When the church makes a hurried decision on appointing elders we risk putting a man in place that is unqualified for the task.
And that responsibility falls on the existing elders.
That’s why Paul warns Timothy, “Do not share in the sins of others.”
In other words, if you ordain an unqualified elder, you bear responsibility for their actions.
Their sin becomes, in a sense, your sin because you approved their leadership.
Even more, by endorsing such a person, you risk leading the entire church into sin!
This is serious business—a sobering reminder of the weight and responsibility of appointing leaders in God’s church.
Paul then Couple vv22-23 by saying to Timothy and every other elder proceeding him to stay pure.
In other words, fight for holiness.
Create environments where holiness thrives.
How do we do that?
Choke out sin anywhere you can.
Don’t give sin any room to breath!
In verse 23 Paul provides a personal explanation to timothy on how to stay pure.
And He connects purity with health.
This is one of those sins that go under the radar at church.
We will call out money, we will call out behavior, our speech, or clothing, but rarely our weight (or diet/Exercise)!
Paul says give no room for sin to thrive, and he connects that Holiness (purity) with health.
He connect our spiritual health with our physical health.
Paul suggest Timothy to drink wine, not because he condones drinking alcohol but this was a medicinal remedy to help Timothy stomach issues and frequent illness.
Paul wants young timothy to be strong and ready to lead with optimal health.
Paul was worried for his spiritual sons health and his frequent ailments.
To be able to lead well, and fight the good fight, Paul understood by experience, that would require a solemn commitment to looking after his physical health.
*Example of this year with my health.
How are your habits?
Do you have holy habits (help you stay pure?)/ or unhealthy habits (that draw you away from purity?
This is a huge issue in the Church at large, especially among leadership.
I will say it again: Our spiritual health is tied to our physical health.
Then in verse 24-25 he makes a very important point to close his argument about purity and discerning the appointed.
The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
In other words, it is easy to spot someone who might be overweight or under weight but there may be other sins that might not be as visible!
And Paul closes with a very important observation as we prayerfully consider who we appoint as elders.
There will be people in our pastoral residency that we clearly know that need work in certain areas of their lives.
But there will be others that conceal there sin very well and we will never know what they were struggling with until their sin comes to light.
This is where we take great comfort this Advent, in know that Christ is the great ruler of His Church.
Every sin will come to light!
It will either come out in this life or it will be exposed in the face of our great Judge, Jesus Christ.
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
As Paul goes on to say in 1 Timothy 4:1, Jesus will judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing and His Kingdom!
Here is how King Solemn says it..
For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
But the end of verse 25 is just as important.
He says..
1 Timothy 5:25 (ESV)
So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
In other words, There will be some elders that our Church will appoint that will be so obvious!
When you see a brother in a small group, on Sunday, in a hospital room, it will be very apparent that this person should be an elder.
BUT there will be other brothers in our midst that might be more discreet and behind the scenes with the way they serve Lord and His Church.
Maybe these brothers makes frequent hospital visits and brings the word to those who are sick.
May the brother makes trips to homeless camps and sits with people and counsels them with the word.
Maybe the brother writes and send out scriptural encouragement to individuals in the body but not to the whole congregation.
What God is saying here is that just as sin cannot stay hidden, good works also cannot stay hidden.
The point is this:
Before we appoint an elder we must be prayerfully careful to give them time to see there character and to ensure that that person is qualified for the office.
Whether it is to reveal hidden sin in their life or to allow time for their good works to emerge, demonstrating their qualification for the role of pastor.
The command is clear:
Do not appoint people too quickly, and do not dismiss them too hastily.
This is a call to be wise and prayerful about every decision in the Church.
For it not only impacts the Church but it’s witness of Christ.
Conclusion:
If we are to shepherd Christ’s church honorably, we must commit ourselves as a church to honoring the faithful, confronting sin, and discerning those who are appointed to lead.
However, especially during this Christmas season, we must also acknowledge that we will fall short in fulfilling this calling.
In those moments, we must lean on Christ.
We must encourage one another to find comfort in knowing that Christ loves His church and values His glory far more than we ever could.
As Paul David Tripp so beautifully reminds us from day, 13 of our devotional:
"It is a good thing that our lives are controlled not by failed human shepherds, but by the good shepherd, who will never fail."
Ezekiel’s prophecy points us to this Good Shepherd: the one from David’s royal line who will rescue His flock and shepherd them faithfully.
Matthew opens his Gospel with this truth, declaring Jesus Christ as the Son of David and the fulfillment of all God’s promises to His people.
Jesus Himself proclaims in John 10: ‘
“"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
What Israel of old needed, what we need today, is not merely better human leaders but the Good Shepherd—Jesus Christ, who laid down His life so that we might have life.
Be glad today that we are His sheep and the object of His shepherding care forever.
If you are tired of failed leadership, if you are weary of trying to lead yourself, turn today to King Jesus, the perfect Lord and Shepherd.
He can lead you beside still waters, into green pastures, and restore your soul today.
We have a Good Shepherd who will rule us well unto eternity, ruling us with truth, grace, and the wonders of His love.
Under Christ’s shepherding care, we have a bright and eternal future—a future free from sin, sorrow, and the curse of the fall.
It is this glorious hope that inspired the hymn writer to proclaim with such profound JOY as he looked to the second coming of Jesus:
Joy to the world; the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King;
Let ev'ry Heart prepare him room,
And Heav'n and nature sing.
3. No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love.
PRAY
