WEEK 7 | SHEPHERD
For this final session, we have two goals: to be reminded of our identity as both sheep and shepherds, and to allow those identities to sink in and shape our daily lives.
By this point, you are very familiar with the imagery of Ezekiel 34, where God rebukes the poor shepherds of Israel through the prophet Ezekiel. As you begin this final session, read through this chapter one last time. As you read, imagine yourself as one of the sheep in the passage. What would it be like to experience shepherds like these? How would the promises that God makes in this passage affect you? What longings and hopes and disappointments and fears would you experience if you were one of these sheep?
>> TAKE A MINUTE RIGHT NOW TO READ EZEKIEL 34 SLOWLY AND REFLECTIVELY. <<
Being a Sheep
Ever since Psalm 23, we have known that God is our Good Shepherd, and that we are his sheep. By the time Ezekiel prophesied (some 400–500 years later), we find that the people to whom God had entrusted the task of shepherding his sheep were grossly neglecting their role as shepherds, so much so that they had turned into predators. In this setting, God’s people—his sheep—were being attacked on all sides, scattered far and wide, utterly uncared for.
It is into this situation that God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel. God himself will oppose the wicked shepherds, he will find and gather the flock, he himself will be the Good Shepherd of his people. Interestingly, God promises to send “his servant David” to be “the one shepherd” over them, to feed and care for them. After another 500–600 years of waiting, Jesus finally came as this “Davidic” figure. Jesus was the “son” or descendant of David, and he announced his arrival as the Good Shepherd.
In light of all of this, read John 10:1–18 and consider the full significance of Jesus’ proclamation that he is the Good Shepherd.
>> PAUSE RIGHT NOW TO READ JOHN 10:1–18 SLOWLY AND REFLECTIVELY. <<
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION:
1. Based on John 10, what does it mean to be a sheep following the Good Shepherd? Why is this essential to our identity?
2. Why do you think that for a thousand years from Psalm 23 to Ezekiel 34 to John 10 God chose to keep emphasizing this identity of his people as sheep and himself as the Good Shepherd?
3. What practices can you put into place that will help ensure that being a sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd will remain your primary identity?
No matter what roles you take on in pursing the mission God has given you, be sure that these words stay in the forefront of your mind and shape your identity: “You are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD” (Ezek. 34:31).
Being a Shepherd
While we must always maintain our identity as God’s sheep, Ezekiel 34 also highlights the importance of the human shepherds that God uses to care for his flock. In rebuking the bad shepherds of Israel, God says,
“[My sheep] 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…my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd…” (Ezekiel 34:5–8)
This is a reminder of the importance of our role as shepherds. The sheep were starving, scattered, and endangered because there was no shepherd! The “shepherds” of Israel were so bad that they were essentially non-existent. With no one functioning as a shepherd, the people stood no chance of thriving.
By this point we have established that you have been called to shepherd some portion of God’s flock. God has brought you to this point and given you this challenge. In launching the church, Jesus charged Peter: “Tend my sheep” (John 21:16). Peter later turned to the elders in the church and gave them the same charge: “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Pet. 5:2). In the great line of church history, this charge has come down from the Good Shepherd to his under-shepherds for millennia, and it now comes to you: Tend the sheep! Shepherd the flock! If you are not present, this portion of God’s flock—however big or small—will be lacking a shepherd. They will be scattered, attacked, starved—because sheep cannot thrive without a shepherd. The call you must answer is to shepherd.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION:
4. Are you seeing the importance of your role as a shepherd within the church? How so?
5. How would the church be different if there were no shepherds to care for the sheep?
Raising Up Other Shepherds
As important as it is for you to shepherd the flock God has put under your care, it’s not enough for you alone to shepherd people. For one thing, we are all in this together, so we all share the burden of shepherding and supporting one another while doing so. But there’s also an added dimension that is not present in the literal shepherding of literal sheep: we are also called to turn sheep into shepherds.
Remember that this is who we are. We are sheep who have been given the privilege and responsibility of shepherding other sheep. And as we care for the people God has placed around us, we need to be challenging them to grow, to step up, to lead and serve the people around them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
>> READ EPHESIAN 4:11–16 <<
If you were asked the question, “Who does the work of ministry?” you might be tempted to say, “the ministers.” That’s an obvious answer because, well: lawyers do law, bakers do baking, and plumbers do plumbing, so don’t ministers do ministry?
Yes and no. Ministers minister, of course, but Paul insists that the purpose of church leaders—the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry. “Saint” is a general term for everyone who has been made holy in Christ, which is all of us who cling to him in faith (see Eph. 1:1–11). So a minister is not just someone who “does ministry.” A minister is a person who helps other Christians do the ministry that needs doing.
To be a shepherd, then, includes a call to help others grow, develop, and serve, even to the point of becoming shepherd-producing shepherds themselves.
This might seem daunting. But it’s not as difficult as it might seem. As you care for the needs of the sheep, you will find individuals with an aptitude for shepherding. These will be humble people who naturally take an interest in the people around them. You will notice them serving others without being asked to do so. They may not bear the title of “shepherd,” but you will recognize the heart of a shepherd in them.
As you identify these shepherds, you can begin to challenge them to more. At first you might invite them to share some of your shepherding tasks. They might observe you at first, then you might observe them as they teach a small group or help bear some burden in the group. You will want to be careful not to dump too much responsibility on them too soon, but through gradually drawing them into your shepherding duties, you will know when these people are ready to shepherd a group. When that’s the case, you can lead them through this same study you have been going through. And when you send them out to shepherd on their own, be sure you are there to support them and connect them to any resources they need. God’s intention has always been that his church would expand as one shepherd trains another shepherd to train other shepherds, and on and on and on (see 2 Tim. 2:1–2).
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION:
6. Why is important for you to be raising up other shepherds?
7. How can you do this in the context of your regular shepherding responsibilities?
8. As you raise up these other shepherds, how can you continue to support them in their calling?
9. As you think about your ministry, are there specific people who come to mind as potential shepherds? Who are they and how can you support them in answering this calling?
The Problem: Neglect & Control
We will know that we have failed as shepherds if we look at the sheep under our care and realize that we have neglected them. If they’re not being fed, if they’re left to fend for themselves, if they’re not being gathered together—these are all signs that we have been missing in action as shepherds. Not only will these sheep starve or live in weakness, sickness, or injury, we will also find in such cases that we have not raised up any other shepherds. If we function as neglectful shepherds, the flock cannot be all that God wants it to be.
But there is a balance on the other side as well. Some shepherds grow too fond of the power associated with their role. A shepherd is meant to serve, but as we have seen, many shepherds become domineering, exercising power over the sheep, rather than serving them in love. Ezekiel had to rebuke the “shepherds” of Israel for this (Ezek. 34:4: “with force and harshness you have ruled them”) and Peter had to warn the elders of the church against it (1 Pet. 5:3: “not domineering over those in your charge”). When we become power-hungry and try to maintain control over every aspect of the flock, the sheep will not thrive, and we will not be raising up other shepherds. Cultivating shepherds requires that we give up control. It takes service rather than domination.
If we are going to be good shepherds following the Good Shepherd, we must attend to our flocks and renounce any impulse to be domineering over the flock.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTION:
10. Which side do you tend towards in your shepherding: neglecting the flock or trying to maintain too much control? How can you fight against this tendency?
The Solution: Following the Good Shepherd
The way to stay on the proper path as a shepherd is to always be following the Good Shepherd closely. Here we have arrived at the point from which we started. Being a good shepherd is all about being a good sheep. We need to keep the model of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, in sight at all times. When we veer off into poor shepherding practices, we can be sure that we have not been following the Good Shepherd closely enough. We will also know just what to do when we are purposefully imitating him, following closely in his footsteps.
If you ever feel lost as a shepherd, re-align yourself by reading Psalm 23 slowly and reflectively. This will remind you that you are a sheep and that the Lord is your shepherd. His shepherding is your only hope of thriving in this life. And because he is the Good Shepherd, you will be cared for, you will not want, you will know his presence even in the valley of the shadow of death, and you will dwell in his presence forever.