The Shepherd Motif (2 of 2)

I. What is a Shepherd?

• Shepherds were a group of men who were for the most part rejected in the society of that day
  • classified with thieves although they were hardworking and worthy of respect
  • pious Jews would not do business with them
  • their testimony is not acceptable in court
• When Jesus called Himself a Shepherd, he identified Himself with these ‘outcasts’
• There are three shepherding ministries of Christ as a shepherd:
  • As the Good Shepherd, Jesus died for the sheep
  • As the Great Shepherd, Jesus lives for the sheep to perfect them
  • As the Chief Shepherd, Jesus will return to gather His sheep and take them to Heaven
• Hence, a shepherd is someone who cares, protects, and guides His sheep

In contemporary times a shepherd is:

1. A Spiritual Mentor or Coach
   • In times of old, shepherding was very hard work, with shepherds living a sheep’s lifetime in the pasture with the flock.
   • The shepherd protected the lambs, talked to them, caressed them, led them to fresh pools and luxuriant pastures day and night.
   • Jesus shepherded His twelve, and took them with Him everywhere He went; day in and day out, they heard His voice way down in their souls.
2. A Very Good Friend
   • Good spiritual shepherds care for their flocks through loving service and authentic relationships.
   • They offer support in times of need
     • A listening ear
     • Bible guided advice
     • Outlet for reflection
     • Encouragement with prayers

II. The Benefits of Shepherding

1. Ensures that every member receives local church covering
   • Spiritual covering comes from submitting ourselves under diving authority
   • This is administered through the shepherding system
   • As sheep, we account to a more spiritually matured Christian (our shepherd), seeking guidance and advice in all areas of our lives
   • Blessings come when we choose to obey God
2. Ensures that everybody is being cared for
   • Especially true in a growing church, it is easy for a person to be overlooked or neglected in a crowd
   • Since every member will have a personal shepherd to care for their needs, the level of care will not be affected adversely by the growth of the church.
3. Ensures that everybody is being discipled
   • Shepherding is our basic system of discipleship where we help our sheep acquire the foundational spiritual habits, and attain the fullness of Christ
     • through the feeding of the Word
     • sharing of struggles together
     • prayer support
   • The best discipleship occurs in the context of deep, trusting, and genuine relationship between disciple and discipler
4. Ensures that every member is given an opportunity to participate in disciple-making, which is the crux of Christianity
   • It is the duty of Christians to go and make disciples of all nations, and the shepherding system provides each of the church members a chance to fulfill Christ’s command.
   • The criteria for being a shepherd can be found in 1 Peter 5:2-3.
5. Ensures that every member has access to the pastoral team
   • Shepherds serve as the first level of pastoral ministers, handling simple pastoral duties and bringing the more demanding cases to the higher levels of pastoral care givers.