The Good Shepherd feeds hungry souls.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Intro
Have you ever been so hungry you get hangery? Your angry cuz your hungry?
You are not you when your hungry
Snickers
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Passage: Ezekiel 34:1–16 “The word of the Lord came to me: “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? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 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. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 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. “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 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.”
Transition:
Main Exposition
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Main Point: Ezekiel 34 is a direct prophecy against the Pharisees and all corrupt religious leaders yet God in His mercy feeds His sheep.
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The Pharisees are the Bad Shepherds in Ezekiel 34
This chapter of Ezekiel is a section of scripture called prophecy which means a message from the Lord that may announce future events, convey divine warnings, or communicate important teachings God intends to impart.
Scripture holds out that the office of the prophet ended with the canonization of Scripture.
Jesus in the New Testament refers to The Pharisees as the blind, wicked and bad Shepherds of Isreal fleecing the sheep and weakening the flock.
in Matthew Jesus gives a massive 7 “woe to you statements.”
Matthew 23:27–28 ““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
The pharisees prioritized ceremonial observance over moral responsibility. Despite their meticulous attention to clean cups and dishes and tithing obligations to the minute level of herbs and spices, the Pharisees remained motivated by “greed and wickedness” to the neglect of core virtues of “justice and … love”
They preached doctrines they failed to embody and imposed demanding religous requirements that crushed the backs of the people without offering any grace or assistance.
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The Pharisees starved the Lord’s flock
Ezekiel 34:4 “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.”
The leaders in Jesus day cared more about what they could get out of the people instead of what they could give.
They starved the people of God and did not provide healing, rest or strength.
They starved the people of God by trading relationships for rules, rest for rath, forgiveness for failure.
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Souls starve without a savior.
The pharisees taught not to edify or help the believer but to lift themselves up by pushing other people down.
They reminded everyone how good they were and how everyone else was beneath them.
Religious pride puffed them up and their pride pounded the heads and hearts of everyone around them.
They thought because of their age, status, schooling that they were better and they neglected to treat the people around them with love.
The result was a broken, scattered and starving people.
Ezekiel 34:5–6 “My sheep were scattered; 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.”
They were starving.
Yet God, the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
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The Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd who feeds his sheep.
Ezekiel 34:11–16 ““For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 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.”
Jesus is the good shepherd in E 34. J fed the 5k, healed the lame, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead.
Throughout his ministry he was calling out to the people, calling them to repentance.
Jesus is the good shepherd who seeks out his sheep and feeds them through his word.
See, how are we fed? We are fed by God’s word that provides nourishment to our hungry souls.
If your not reading your bible consistently you will starve.
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
We need to bend our knee to Jesus and follow our shepherd.
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We are called to feed the flock of God with the Bible.
While we are not the Shepherd we have been placed in charge of the sheep.
We as believers have been given responsibility to care for God’s flock until he returns.
In John 21 Jesus tells Peter 3 times if you love me then feed my sheep.
If we love Jesus we are called to feed his flock with the word of God.
How?
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Establish, Edify and Empower
Establish a relationship with His word by studying the word. You can’t give until you receive.
Edify (means build up) the body of believers - study, serve and sacrifice with the local church.
Empower others with the word of God.
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Psalm 23:1–3 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.”
Outline
Main Point: Ezekiel 34 is a direct prophecy against the Pharisees and all corrupt religious leaders yet God in His mercy feeds His sheep.
The Pharisees are the Bad Shepherds in Ezekiel 34
2. The Pharisees starved the Lord’s flock
3. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who feeds his sheep.
We are called to feed the flock of God with the Bible.
Action Steps:
1. Establish a relationship with His word by studying the word.
2. Edify (means build up) the body of believers.
3. Empower others with the word of God.
Small Group Questions
Who were the pharisees and how did they starve God’s flock?
How did the religious leaders in Jesus day lift themselves up by putting other people down? How do we potentially do the same today?
How does pride damage relationships and the church?
The bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34 were starving God’s flock. How do we risk starving God’s flock today?
Take a moment to read John 10:14-18 Why is Jesus the Good Shepherd?
How do you establish a relationship with your Bible?
What does edify mean? How do believers edify the church family and why do they need to do this regularly?
What does it mean to empower others with the Word of God? Why is the Bible empowering?
Take a moment to read Psalm 23. What connections are there between the Psalm and John 10?
10. How can we use Psalm 23 in our prayer for one another tonight?
