We are looking at the five-fold Ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11 And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
pastor G4166 ποιμήν poimēn Thayer Definition:
1) a herdsman, especially a shepherd
1a) in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow
2) metaphorically
2a) the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church
2a1) of the overseers of the Christian assemblies
2a2) of kings and princes
Webster’s Dictionary: Pastor:
1. A shepherd; one that has the care of flocks and herds.
2. A minister of the gospel who has the charge of a church and congregation, whose duty is to watch over the people of his charge, and instruct them in the sacred doctrines of the christian religion.
Have you seen a shepherd with his sheep. They really know how to manage the sheep and provide and protect them. What a lesson for Pastors.
Look at these verses about Jesus the Shepherd
Mat 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mat 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
Mat 9:38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
But when he saw the multitudes - That followed him from place to place. When he saw their anxiety to be instructed and saved.
He was moved with compassion on them - He pitied them.
Because they fainted - The word used here refers to the weariness and fatigue which results from labor and being burdened. He saw the people burdened with the rites of religion and the doctrines of the Pharisees; sinking down under their ignorance and the weight of their traditions; neglected by those who ought to have been enlightened teachers; and scattered and driven out without care and attention. With great beauty he compares them to sheep wandering without a shepherd. Judea was a land of flocks and herds. The faithful shepherd, by day and night, was with his flock. He defended it, made it to lie down in green pastures, and led it beside the still waters, Psa_23:2. Without his care the sheep would stray away. They were in danger of wild beasts. Barnes Notes
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| Sheep without a Shepherd |
Mat 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
Mat 25:32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Mat 25:33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
The Good Shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats
As the shepherd separates (hōsper ho poimēn aphorizei). A common figure in Palestine. The sheep are usually white and the goats black. There are kids (eriphōn, eriphia) which have grazed together. The goats devastate a field of all herbage. “Indeed they have extirpated many species of trees which once covered the hills” (Tristram, Natural History of the Bible, pp. 89f.). The shepherd stands at the gate and taps the sheep to go to the right and the goats to the left.RWP So there will be a separation of the Sheep and Goat nations.
Ps 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd.
When David was watching his sheep on the hillsides of Bethlehem a long time ago he learned how like sheep we are. He also realised that Someone was looking after him who was deeply concerned for His welfare. God was watching over him just as he was taking care of his own sheep. The Lord is my shepherd. Are you conscious of His Care and protection right now?
Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12 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.
Joh 10:13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Jesus is all that a good shepherd should be.
Heb 13:20-21 He is the Great Shepherd who rose from death to continue caring for us.
Heb 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,
Heb 13:21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Application. Perhaps you are harassed and distressed and need the faithful leading and provision of the Good Shepherd right now.
Pray out to Him the words of this wonderful Hymn:
Gentle Shepherd, Come and lead us,
For we need you to help us find our way.
Gentle Shepherd, Come and lead us,
For we need your strength from day to day.
There’s no other, we can turn to;
Who can help us face another day,
Gentle Shepherd, Come and lead us,
For we need you help to find our way
Watch theses young people sing on YouTube. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxcZqbsswNE> and the heritage singers in <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Cj1VtHlbA>
The Ministry of Shepherd/Pastor is as an Under-shepherd under Christ.
1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God among you, taking the oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor for base gain, but readily;
1Pe 5:3 nor as lording it over those allotted to you by God, but becoming examples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory.
Feed the flock of God - Discharge the duties of a shepherd toward the flock. On the word “feed,” see the notes at Joh_21:15. It is a word which Peter would be likely to remember, from the solemn manner in which the injunction to perform the duty was laid on him by the Saviour. The direction means to take such an oversight of the church as a shepherd is accustomed to take of his flock. See the notes at John 10:1-16.
being lords — Greek, “lording it”: implying pride and oppression. “Not that we have dominion over your faith.”
God’s heritage — Greek, “the inheritances,” that is, the portions of the Church committed severally to your pastoral charge [Bengel]. It is explained by “the flock” in the next clause. However, in 1Pe_5:2, “flock of God which is among you,” answering to “(God’s) heritages” (plural to express the sheep who are God’s portion and inheritance, Deu_32:9) committed to you, favors English Version. The flock, as one whole, is God’s heritage, or flock in the singular. JFB
The Millers in their Enclyclopedia of Bible Life describe the feeding work of the Oriental Shepherd in this way:
“[The Shepherd] … knew the ‘green pastures’, every one of them, below the terraced farms of Bethlehem. He knew how to walk at the head of every ‘flock of sheep’, leading them - not following them as the western shepherds do- to rest beside “still waters”. He stayed away from the torrential streams rushing to join the …..Jordan or the Orontes rivers. The still waters known to the Psalmist were the wells, pools and quiet rivulets….. The “paths of the Righteousness” were age-old sheep- walks used since the beginning of the Hebrew people. p.34.
Feeding a flock is like feeding a family. You need to set before them various nutritious foods and dissuade them from eating junk food. To feed a congregation each week will involve likes and dislikes but unless the sheep are fed properly they’ll become weak and ill. I remember my son in law who didn’t like vegetables and he became sick. A balanced diet from God’s Word is what s needed spiritually. Sometimes pastures are hard to find especially in drought. The Shepherd has to forage to get extra sources of food. Farmers here were recently feeding their cattle cotton seed and molasses.
The pastor must choose portions of the Word of God that will cause the flock to grow in Grace and the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.
What do healthy Sheep look like? Your Pastor/ Your Shepherd by James Lee Beall When a Shepherd checks his sheep he looks for the Following:
(1) Healthy sheep look alert with a clear bold eye and with constantly pricked ears.
(2) Healthy sheep have good appetites.
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| Girls checking sheep in Kyrgystan |
(3) Healthy sheep walk with coordination, holding their heads and necks upright.
(4) Healthy sheep have a firm and unbroken fleece.
(5) Healthy sheep keep within the flock.
(6) Healthy sheep have sound hooves.
(7) Healthy Sheep have sound, unbroken teeth.
Shepherds check their sheep by picking them up and handling them.. They check for pest infestations, scabs or listlessness. When they find something they apply the right medication.
That is why sheep need to stay close to the shepherd.
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