20 March 2011
Ezekiel 34:11-17, 23-29
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 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.
17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.
23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.
25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. 28They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
1) The Problem - We are all sheep and we get lost; we are helpless and foolish and it's difficult to hand over authority to someone else.
2) The Inadequate Solution - Human shepherds like parents or church officials; bad leaders can be self-serving and selfish. Neglectfulness or abusiveness flows out of selfishness.
Good leader makes people see reality
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
Revelations 7:17 - The Shepherd becomes the Lamb.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’
Sin is the spiritual predator and it can destroy you.
Jesus is the ultimate shepherd because he has the ultimate servant's heart and ultimate leadership skills in truth in love.
1) Jesus as the shepherd radically critiques Western ideas of leadership in that we should give ultimate control and authority over to him.
2) We don't trust human shepherds enough; we should try to open ourselves to church leaders.
3) Trust Jesus as the shepherd comprehensively and give spiritual dependence over to him.
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