WEEK 4 | STRENGTHEN
As a shepherd, you are given the task of caring for the sheep. This will mean different things at different times. In the previous session, we looked at what it means to feed the sheep. Feeding is a task that needs to be done for all of the sheep regularly—a sheep never outgrows the need for food. But there are other shepherding tasks that are more individualized. That is, some sheep have needs that other sheep don’t. One of your jobs as a shepherd is to know your flock well enough to identify the needs of specific sheep as they arise.
In this session, we will continue to explore God’s rebuke of the bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34. Specifically, we will examine the failure of these shepherds to strengthen the weak sheep. Begin by reading through this passage (again) with an eye for what it says about the weak sheep.
>> TAKE A MINUTE RIGHT NOW TO READ EZEKIEL 34:1–24 SLOWLY AND REFLECTIVELY. <<
The Weak Sheep
In Ezekiel 34, the leaders of Israel, who are supposed to be shepherding these sheep, have been devouring the sheep rather than feeding them. They’ve been neglecting their duties. And one significant aspect of this neglect involves those sheep who are weak.
At that moment in the history of Israel, God’s people were in exile. Ever since God used Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt (an event we refer to as the Exodus), God had promised Israel that if they obeyed his commands and followed him, they would be blessed in the Promised Land he was giving them. But there was also a warning: if they rebelled and rejected him, they would be cursed by being carried into exile. That is where Israel now found themselves. In that setting, many of the sheep must have been weak. They had been taken from their homes, exposed to widespread devastation, and exiled to a foreign land. Their entire world was crumbling.
But it was not just the invading Babylonian forces that made these sheep weak. For one thing, Ezekiel was specifically rebuking the “shepherds” of Israel for not strengthening those who were weak. Not only that, Ezekiel also turned to the sheep themselves and confronted the “fat sheep” for bullying the “lean sheep” (see verses 20–24). In other words, some of the sheep had turned on their brothers and sisters—they were “pushing with side and shoulder” and “thrusting at all the weak with their horns.” The result was a scattered, weakened flock. These were not healthy sheep. The problem had only festered and intensified due to the shepherds’ refusal to strengthen the weak.
Unfortunately, we can easily relate to this situation today. Although we like to think of churchgoers as strong, loving, mature, healthy people, our churches are actually full of weak, injured, exhausted people. Life itself is exhausting. The pace of modern life wears us down. The world simultaneously attacks us and lures us in—doing everything it can to distract us from Christ and lull us into worldly living. Perhaps worst of all, Christians sometimes turn on each other: bringing judgment, criticizing, gossiping, heaping up unbiblical expectations, inflicting wounds, fighting for power, etc. Many of our sheep are weak in one way or another. They need loving shepherds who will come alongside and help them strengthen what is weak. Many slide through years of weakness because, like the sheep of Israel, they have never received the shepherding they need. Our goal, of course, is to fill that shepherding gap.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION
1. What sorts of spiritual weakness do you think exist in the church today? (These can be examples from your own life or from people you’ve interacted with.)
The Problem: Weakness Has Been Normalized
We have grown so accustomed to weakness in the church today that most of us have normalized it. We read the New Testament and see examples of Christians following Jesus, being filled with the Spirit, and doing amazing things in the name of God. We see these stories of Christians sacrificing for one another, sharing with those in need, praying boldly for God to work, putting themselves in uncomfortable and dangerous situations for the sake of the gospel, giving up their own rights so that other people can come to know Jesus and begin following him as well.
But these stories often seem so distant, so unattainable. When we read about Peter or Paul boldly proclaiming freedom in Jesus, we feel inadequate because we are so defeated by our own temptations. When we read about the disciples selling their possessions to care for others in need, we move quickly along because we can’t imagine parting with any of our stuff. Somewhere along the way, it became acceptable to sit in church for years and never share your faith with someone else. We settled into a rhythm of church life where we can hear sermons and discuss them, but never be expected to apply God’s truth to our own lives.
The goal is not to minimize our struggles. Our struggles are real. Our pain can be overwhelming. Temptation can be all but irresistible. But rather than striking a compromise because life is difficult, we need good shepherds who will help us move beyond spiritual weakness. When one of our sisters is paralyzed by fear, we should see shepherds coming alongside her and carrying the burden. When one of our brothers lacks the confidence to use his gifts, we should see shepherds offering encouragement and support. When a long-time churchgoer suddenly finds herself plagued by doubts, a shepherd ought to be there to help her process the situation. But let’s be honest: if you can avoid a handful of “major sins,” you can pretty much get by in most churches.
It’s not about demanding that everyone be perfect. It’s about maintaining a vision of something greater. It’s about seeing weakness as temporary. It’s about creatively, lovingly, and persistently helping a fellow Christian exercise his spiritual muscles and turn a weakness into a strength through the power of the Spirit. Weakness will always be common, and we will all encounter various areas of weaknesses in our own lives. But weakness does not have to be treated as normal. That’s what exercise is for.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION
2. Do you agree that we tend to be okay with people remaining spiritually weak? Why or why not?
3. What factors do you think make it easy for someone to remain spiritually weak in a church setting?
Identifying Spiritual Weakness
So how do we identify spiritual weakness in the flock? Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes a glaring sin issue will show itself—whether it be pride or anger or jealousy or slander or lust. In such cases, the weakness has come to the surface and we can begin working with that person on a plan to address it. But other times weakness is more subtle. Perhaps you’ll ask a longtime church member to pray, and discover that she’s terrified to pray in front of a group. That’s no sin, but it may be an opportunity for growth. In those cases, the Spirit may prompt you to have a series of conversations, to be a source of support, and perhaps to offer a few carefully chosen challenges.
>> TAKE A MINUTE RIGHT NOW TO READ GALATIANS 6:1–2. <<
In Galatians 6:1–2, Paul calls upon normal Christians (he was not writing only to the leaders of the church) to help restore those who were struggling in sin. In this context, he calls us to bear one another’s burdens. In order to do this, we need to know what burdens the people around us are carrying. It’s impossible to be a good shepherd if you don’t know your sheep.
What are they struggling with right now?
What needs do they have?
How could they be more effectively pursuing God and his mission?
As you look at the sheep God has placed in your care, which ones would you say have cut their spiritual growth short and in what areas?
Which ones have begun to atrophy spiritually?
Which ones have been riding the coattails of stronger sheep and choosing not to exercise their spiritual muscles?
If you find that you aren’t able to answer these questions, then you need to get to know your sheep better. You cannot strengthen the sheep if you are unaware of their weaknesses.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION
4. In your opinion, what are some red flags that might indicate spiritual weakness?
5. What can you be doing as a shepherd to watch for these signs of weakness?
The Call: Be a Personal Trainer
On a few occasions, Paul compared the Christian life to physical training. He said, “Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim. 4:7–8). Paul validated the benefit of physical exercise, but also calls us to employ the same level of diligent training in our spiritual lives.
The only way to grow physically stronger is to exercise. And exercise is painful. When we work out our muscles, we are literally tearing apart the old muscles so that our muscles can expand. Growth doesn’t happen without pushing. Weakness must be fought.
This is true of our spiritual lives as well. Complacency is easy. Immaturity is the default. Apathy requires no effort. If we are going to grow spiritually, we need to put in work. We need to push ourselves and be pushed by others. It’s not too much, then, to compare a shepherd in the church to a personal trainer in a gym. You will be challenging people to work harder than they want to. You will be calling attention to areas in their lives they try to ignore. You will be calling them to something they may consider impossible. And you will always have to be mindful that true growth is impossible apart from God’s grace. But, through the power of the Spirit, that’s how growth happens. That’s part of what it means to be a shepherd. You are a trainer: get the out-of-shape sweating and the weak growing.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION
6. Read 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. What can we glean from this passage about what our role as shepherds might entail?
7. What does it look like to lovingly pull a weak sheep aside and work with him or her to gain strength?
8. What resources can you identify that could help you and/or your sheep in developing a “personal training” regimen?
9. How will you know when each sheep is sufficiently strengthened?