I am the Good Shepherd
My Story
I have lived in five states during childhood, college, and work. I worked with pastors named Rowland, Hall, Jeremiah, Gould, Matthews, Ertle, Sickler, Payton, Krass, Mullins, Bezos, and Bennett.
None of these pastors are alike. They all have unique God-given gifts. They all have strengths and weaknesses. God’s plan is the local church… led by pastors to advance his kingdom.
The role of a local shepherd guided by the Good Shepherd is very important. We are blessed when our human shepherds closely follow the Good Shepherd. Those who have courage, conviction, competence and character are a blessing.
They provide:
Spiritual Guidance
Pastoral Care
Discipleship
Leadership
Administration
Community Engagement
Moral and Ethical Example
Question # 1 – Do you have a plan to pray for, support and encourage your pastors?
Answer: Engaging in ministry with them is vital
They face the same distractions that you do
They struggle with sin like you do
They need friends that are working in Classical Christian Schools
The need friends that are working with Charlie Kirk – Turning Point USA
The need friends that will organize trips to the Ark Encounter and The Creation Museum
They need various leaders taking people through 7Blades.com
Question # 2 – What truths about shepherding can we learn from the following six passages?
Answer:
John 10:11-15 “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 a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 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.”
Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Ezekiel 34:11-16 “‘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 clouds 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.’”
1 Peter 5:2-4 “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Question # 3 – How are you like a shepherd?
Answer: Nine things you can do to lead, protect, and serve.
A Disciple is willing to follow, willing to learn and willing to fish. His goal is to become like a good shepherd who came to serve rather than to be served.
1. You Become like Christ. (Galatians 5:22-23)
This is the direct result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
Love: Unconditional, selfless concern and care for others.
Joy: A deep and abiding sense of gladness and contentment, not dependent on external circumstances.
Peace: Inner calm and tranquility, as well as harmony with others.
Patience: The ability to endure difficulties and persevere with a gentle and understanding attitude.
Kindness: Acting with goodwill and compassion towards others.
Goodness: Moral and ethical excellence, doing what is right and just.
Faithfulness: Loyalty, trustworthiness, and commitment to one’s promises and relationships.
Gentleness: Considerate and mild in temperament, showing humility and grace.
Self-Control: Exercising restraint over one’s own impulses and desires.
2. You Grow in Courage
A soldier like a shepherd evokes qualities of leadership, protection, and courage, as he follows the captain of his salvation
Hebrews 2:9 -10 “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
2 Samuel 10:12 “Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
3. You understand how to live in a Warzone.
Most students are trapped in an anti-truth system. Since the religion of Secularism (the belief that we can live our lives without God) is like the tail wagging the culture, students need a WAG Strategy to stand and fight in the warzone.
Worldview Roadmap
Apologetics
the art and science of defending truth with good questions and answers. With good reasons and arguments to believe and advance.
Genesis – Answers
4. You understand three things about War
The War is Real
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage.”
Isaiah 45:5-7 “I have equipped you for battle, though you don’t even know me, so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times.”
Matthew 13 – “The evil one comes and snatches away… the one who has no root … the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
The Enemy is Real
2 Corinthians 10:3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh”
Ephesians 6:11-13 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness in this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
The Weapons are ReaL
1 Timothy 1:18 “I charge you, Timothy, …… wage the good warfare”
Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Good Teaching, Fellowship, and Prayers.
Galatians 6:9-10 “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
5. You focus on the N.E.E.D. in our times.
Networking with teams who impact the world
Evangelism efforts local and worldwide
Educational efforts that advance Christianity
Discipleship efforts that impact the culture for Christ.
6. You grow in your understanding of the competing worldviews.
Two basic assumptions hold up your worldview: God Exists and God Speaks
7. You share:
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- Call someone and ask, do you have ten meetings each week for seven weeks?
- Set a time.
- Send a link to Blades 1, etc.
- Send a text on the day of the call.
- Call them and review three questions in each of the 7 Blades.
These short weekly conversations build relationships. Often they ask questions that you have never heard. We can help you build a network of friends who provide good answers. I have hundreds of leaders who know things I do not know.
8. You introduce presentations like:
Battle for the American Mind Mis-Education of America
9. You protect, guide and encourage others as a servant leader.
God is The Good Shepherd. He came to serve. Philippians 2:7? – The word translated bond-servant is “doulos” which simply means “servant.” The scripture calls every believer a servant, but makes clear that there are faithful servants as well as unfaithful servants.
Worldview
Everyone has two assumptions that support their view of reality, truth and value.
We assume that
1. God is and that 2. He Spoke.
We discern their basic assumptions, and then Compare and Contrast those competing assumptions with
1. God and 2. His Word.
Apologetics
Providing good Reasons, Evidence, and Answers that Destroy false systems and that defend the Biblical worldview.
Genesis
The basic foundational doctrines of the Bible are found in the first book. That is why Genesis is so attacked.