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Church Abuse, Part 6

The Shepherds of Israel

31st August 2013

Jeremiah prophesied:

Jeremiah 23v1-2
-Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!- declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: -Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil yo have done,- declares the Lord.

In recent years, the church in the UK has lost a great deal of credibility amongst its countrymen. This is surely because God is disciplining us for behaving in ungodly ways.

We've strayed from His precepts, partly because much of the church no longer acknowledges the Bible as the infallible, inerrant word of God. Much of the church is willing to compromise with worldly thinking and behaviour - our theology is being informed by the culture, when the culture should be informed by our theology.

And many of our shepherds - our pastors - our church leaders - have betrayed God by failing in their duty of care towards Gods people. In God's words, They have scattered my flock and driven them away. All pastors are called by God to bestow care on their flock - the people in their church. But many pastors hurt the people, manipulate them, and even drive some of them away.

Why?

Because the shepherds - pastos - care more for themselves than they do for the people they lead. Because they're so convinced by their own theology, they abuse anybody who disagrees with them. Because they're so intent on increasing the size of their "flock" - their church - they're willing to manipulate people who don't fit in with their plan. For lots of reasons, in fact. But fundamentally, it's because they forget that the primary purpose of a pastor is to tend God's people. The pastor is called to serve the people, but some pastors seem to think the people are called to serve the pastor and fulfil his vision.

But this world is God's pasture, and every Christian is God's sheep, and every church is part of God's flock. No pastor is a shepherd of his own flock - we can only be under-shepherds of God's flock. And God will punish all the under-shepherds who've hurt His people.

Jeremiah went on to say:

Jeremiah 23v3-2
-I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of al the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,- declares the Lord.

Many, many British Christians no longer have any real involvement with the church, because they've been hurt by the church. But God promises that I will gather the remnant of my flock from wherever they are, geographically or spiritually. He promises He will bring them back to their pasture, the church. He promises he will place shepherds over them who will tend them. And he promises all the Christians who have been hurt by the church, they will no longer be afraid or terrified.

There are good, safe, loving churches around. There's one for you. Can you believe that some churches, and some pastors, will not hurt you? Do you have the courage to find one? God wants to bring you bck, and He says nor will any be missing. God's desire is for all His people to be in churches that will love them and care for them.

Including you.

Ezekiel prophesied:

Ezekiel 34v2-16
-Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: -This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over thewhole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

--Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

--For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of cluds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.