Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

What comes picture comes to mind when you think about a great leader?

Maybe a visionary who knows where he is going and how he is going to get there.

Maybe a hard worker.

Someone who is willing to get his hands dirty and work.

Maybe a man who stands upon conviction.

A man who is not willing to comprise his beliefs no matter what the cost.

Maybe a entrepeneur.

Someone who is able to start his own business and run it well.

We were in Palm Springs and we visited a Toffee Shop where two young high school students started their own business and now is very successful with mass distribution centers.

Maybe a charismatic speaker.

Someone who is able to communicate his ideas and get others to follow.

Think about the speeches of Winston Churchill during WW II.

Or Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil rights movement.

But when it comes to the Bible and the church, what word do you think the Bible would give to describe a good leader.

A good leader is a faithful shepherd.

A Shepherd is a lowly profession in the ancient world because of its association with sheep.

A Shepherd is known by his work with the sheep.

And a shepherd is always around his sheep and cares for his sheep and guides his sheep and feeds his sheep.

He will even go after wandering sheep.

The title shepherd was even used of Kings of Israel, David, was a shepherd-king.

The OT even described God as the Shepherd of Israel.

In the NT, Jesus himself is called the Chief Shepherd in and .

Even our word pastor is derived from the word Shepherd.

And what we see today in our passage are three marks of a faithful shepherd.

I.

A Faithful Shepherd will know his sheep

II.

A Faithful Shepherd will care for his sheep

III.

A Faithful Shepherd will provide for his sheep

And who is the greatest shepherd and leader none other than Jesus Christ himself.

And we will see how these three characteristics our found in our Savior, and we would be wise to imitate our Savior’s example for those of us who lead, and these are the qualities you should look for in those who will lead you as we see in modeled in our Lord’s life.

Main Proposition: Three marks of a a faithful shepherd from , so that we know what to look for in faithful shepherds and what to aspire to for those desiring to be called into pastoral ministry.

Scripture Reading:

Mark 6:

Recap

You remember Jesus was extending his mission through the disciples by sending them out to the surrounding villages to the same work he was doing: preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing the sick and casting out demons.

We saw last week how John was executed at Herod’s feast because he was a man of conviction and was willing to pay the ultimate price for following Jesus.

And now the disciples return to the Lord and report to him all that they had done while being sent out.

I.

A Faithful Shepherd Knows His Sheep (vv.

30-33)

The Twelve return to Jesus and reported to Jesus all that they had done and taught.

And Jesus, knowing that the crowds and needs were increasing, knew that his disciples needed rest.

They may have even needed time to grieve because of the recent news of John’s beheading.

Jesus was not a tyrant of a authoritarian leader.

But he was a understanding leader and he knew that his disciples needed to retreat.

Mark

One writer said, “If you do not come apart and rest, you will eventually come apart.”

A desolate place is translated “desert place” KJV and “Lonely place” NASB “Quiet Place” NIV.

You remember Jesus would often would retreat back to the Father to pray and be in fellowship with Him even early in the morning.

And Jesus is teaching is disciples the need to retreat just like himself.

This verse has been particularly encouraging for me in this season of ministry.

I have been tired as a pastor and I feel like I’m running on fumes.

There is always a sermon to prepare, a family of six to care for, a email that needs to be answered, a person that needs to be prayed for, a person that needs comfort, a person that needs confronting, a person that needs encouragement, a person that needs counseling, a person that needs equipping, men who need to be trained and discipled, ministries that need to be organized.

This season has been non stop even as we have faced unexpected deaths in the congregation.

Jesus knew his disciples limitations.

The apostles had no leisure even to eat.

They were so busy that they could not even eat a meal together.

Ministry never ends because people’s needs never ends.

If you are involved in ministry and serving people you will understand this.

And many Christians who do not learn to rest eventually flame out or burn out.

How kind of the Savior to tell his disciples to “Come away by yourselves and rest for awhile.”

What comfort I have found in this verse.

I needed this.

And we come and redst in Jesus.

Jesus and the twelve are on a boat away from the crowds and they can just be with their Master and rest.

Jesus

What a kind Savior.

A Savior who knows we are weak and human and can’t always be “on”.

He knows that we need to rest.

Jesus took a nap on the boat remember?

He was human and he had needs.

What a kind Savior who knows our limitations and our weaknesses.

Rest

Christian, you need to learn to rest and retreat.

God even instituted the Sabbath to teach us the concept of rest.

There is a time where we need to shut off the phone, stop with the emails, cease from our work and rest.

There is nothing ungodly about resting because Jesus knows that if we do not come apart, we will eventually come apart.

One of my greatest fears as a pastor is to get disqualified.

God forbid it.

But it is possible.

And I wonder how many pastors lost their ministry because they were burnt out.

And I wonder how many pastors lost their families because they never learned to stop their work and never said no.

If you serve the Lord for awhile, you will understand what I am talking about.

Book Recommendations---Reset and Refresh by David and Shoana Murray.

Ask one of the elders to give you a copy.

Zeal without burnout.

Christopher Ash.

Retreat

And not only do we need to rest, but we need to learn to retreat.

Retreat would be an extended form of rest.

Maybe a day, or a couple of days, or even vacation.

Many of our people are on vacation, and that is ok.

It is completely fine to take a break from the routine of constantly running and working and just stop and enjoy what the Lord has given you.

I know many of our members are out of town and its ok.

I pray they come back refreshed to serve the Lord in their workplace and in the church.

Members

Faithful shepherd knows the needs and weakness of sheep.

And if we are going to minister to one another effectively, we need to know one another beyond a superficial understanding.