Church Abuse, Part 7

The Good Shepherd

7^th September 2013

Let's conclude our look at the rather disressing topic of church abuse by considering Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13v20). He is the example that all His shepherds (pastors, church leaders, elders, ministers, whatever) should seek to emulate. He said:

John 10v1-5
-Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger-s voice.-

Jesus is talking about Himself, but we can obtain from his words insights that help us to understand the nature of a true pastor of Jesus's church:

• Some pastors did not enter the sheep pen by the gate. They didn't become part of the church through faith in Jesus. That is, they're not Christians - they've never been born again. But they're employed as pastors of the church. How can a non-Christian lead God's people? It's impossible! Whether they realise it or not, they're thieves and robbers of God's flock.
• A true Chrisian shepherd leads by walking ahead of his church. If he's called by God to lead, then God's people will follow him. A true Christian shepherd doesn't lead from behind - harrying the sheep into going in the direction he wants. Instead, he goes himself, and trusts God and the people that they'll be behind him. If they're not, it's because he wasn't called to be their shepherd.
• God's people will recognise and trust the voice of their pastor. If they don't recognise or trust the person employed to lead, it's either because he's not called by God to be their pastor or because he hasn't yet won their trust.
• Some pastors seem like strangers to their people. This is (probably) not the people's fault; it's probably the pastor's fault. Maybe he's aloof, remote, too busy. Or maybe he's just strange.

Then we read:

John 10v7-10
Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, -Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

No matter how wonderful a pastor may be, no-one can be saved by believing in their pastor. We can only be saved by believing in Jesus. Jesus gives us eternal life. The role of a church leader is to keep pointing us to Jesus - not to himself.

And Jesus continued:

John 10v11-13
-I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Jesus is faithful, even to the point of His own death. It scares me to say this but it's true: a true pastor will be willing to lay down his life for the people in his church. In some countries where persecution is severe, pastors have had to do exactly that.

Then Jesus said:

John 10v14-15
-I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

Jesus says that He knows every one of us, and every one of us knows Him. In the same way, a pastor needs to know every individual in his care, and they need to know him. If your church is so big that you don't know everyone in it, you may be serving a useful function, but how can you function as a pastor? How can you tend people (sheep) you don't know? Will you lay down your life for people you don't know? Or are you serving church growth (which can tun into serving your own self-esteem) rather than people. If so, you're more of an evangelist than a pastor.

Every Christian has a personal relationship with Jesus. We're His children, His friends, His followers, his slaves, his sheep. And this relationship will never die. Only Christians - his sheep - have this relationship with Him. He was willing to die for us. We can trust our Good Shepherd absolutely. And it's the business of every pastor to prove himself to be trustworthy.

John 10v17
-I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. -

Ultimately, the leader of my church is not my shepherd - Jesus is my shepherd. And every church leader must remember that we work for Him, tending His sheep, and strive to tend them as He would tend them. And if the situation ever arises when I mst choose between following Jesus and following my church leader, I must follow Jesus.

John 10v18
-The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.-

Jesus always obeyed God the Father. And so should we. And so should our leaders. The first priority of a leader of Christians must be to obey God's word.

I'm so grateful to God for saving me through the death of the Good Shepherd, for sending His Holy Spirit to me to teach me and change me for the better. I'm so grateful for Jesus's perfect care for me. No pastor can ever compare to Jesus, but we can try to love more, care more, sacrifice more, and we can refuse to abuse the people we're responsible for. Jesus will never abuse us.