To the Shepherds

intro

Out of every sermon:

Encourage you to walk in the ways of the Lord.

Encourage you to not walk in the ways of the world.

Proclaim the good news that Jesus is here and wants to fill us with Joy, Peace, and Love.

Proclaim the bad news that when you do not follow Jesus, the blessings we are supposed to be walking in - are missed.

I want to inspire you onto good works.

At the very least, I want you to stay awake.

exp

Sometimes messages seem to always be about how you are behaving wrong and you should just get better.

This particular message is actually more pointed towards me.. and to a certain extent those who want to be leaders in His kingdom.

ps

ps

I am going to describe for leaders the warning, the answer, and the right way to walk in the answer.

Jeremiah 23:1–8 NIV

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord. “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior. “So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

Jeremiah 23:1–8 ESV

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 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. 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. 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. “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. 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.’ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

The Warning

Jeremiah 23:1–2 ESV

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 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.

jer 23:1-2

Jeremiah 23:1–2 NIV

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.

Woe - expression of grief, regret or distress.

Context of the prophet

Prophet during the last 5 kings of Israel and was proclaiming a coming judgement and the release from that judgment

In this particular passage the prophet would have meant the kings

The extended message would be to any leader of Gods People

They drove and scattered the sheep

How - the things they did - sacrificing to false Gods, allowing blending of God’s way with the world’s way....

v 20 “You have not attended them”

Did not count them as important.

They were under your care and you didn’t notice.

the word “care” (v.1,4)

mentions twice - the first time as a you were supposed to care in this fasion

the second as the right way...

the shepherds will be dealt with according to the evil that was done.

Gad is going to visit upon the shepherd for their evil deeds

The Answer

Jeremiah 23:5–8 ESV

“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. 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.’ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

jer 23:

God will bring back the remnant

In all actuality He scattered them (in response to the evil being done

He will set new shepherds (we’ll get to that in a few)

No more fear

no more dismayment

nothing missing (you will have everything you nee.

This will begin when

The righteous (capital B) Branch comes

This king will reign wisely

justice and righteousness will reign

God’s people will be rescued

His name is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

The current rescue pales in compares to the eternal rescue

He didn’t just break our current chains,

He is bringing us to a place where there is not chains.

The Way to Think.

Jeremiah 23:7–8 ESV

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

Jeremiah

We are all on a journey to future glory

That glory is so amazing that it makes our great victories here look so small. (Egypt vs final glory)

Care

friend, groomsmen

a shepherds job is to prepare you for the great wedding.

Conclusion

when I got married i asked a friend to be my best man. That guy’s job is to make sure I don’t blow it on the greatest day of my life. he holds the ring so I don’t lose it. He makes sure my tuxedo is on right. He is a help… not because he is better, but because that's his role. He’s supposed to talk you off the ledge if you feel like quitting before the good stuff really starts.

As your pastor this passage is telling me that’s my job and gives me a stern warning if I don’t pay attention to it.

Let me tell you then that there is a wedding coming. And it is going to be glorious. It’s the beginning of the rest of eternity. And that eternity has nothing but joy, nothing but peace, nothing but love. Whatever confusion or hurt or fear you might currently have or may have had, It’s not worth running from the wedding… no matter how much you want to. Lets get you dressed right. This clothing can me difficult and uncomfortable but we got this… look mine is almost just like yours. Lets get you dusted off and allow be to pick the lint off and straighten your bow tie. Look we got this. We’ll get there together. How glorious it is going to be.

Now I don’t want to let this message go without giving some action steps. I want to spend some time with you.....