Red Letters: Healthy Shepherds - Pastor Josiah Elias

It has been two years since Pastors Josiah and Ashley have been serving as lead pastors at Faith Chapel. Some of the staff surrounded them on stage. Pastor Michel shared how being under their leadership has grown him as a man of God, and Britnee Lacuesta explained how their godly leadership has blessed and shaped her. Then they prayed for Pastors Josiah and Ashley. Pastor Josiah responded, ”We want Him to be glorified.” The Lord Jesus Christ is being glorified as we travel this faith journey together of loving God and loving people. Hallelujah.

Our mission is to culture like Christ, and our vision is Jesus. Last week in John 9, we saw how the man blind from birth was healed as Jesus added His spit to dirt to make mud, which He applied to the man’s unseeing eyes. After the Pharisees kicked the healed man out of the synagogue, Jesus searched, found him, and asked if he believed in the Son of Man. The man questioned who the Son of Man was, and Jesus revealed,

”'You have seen now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking 

to you.’

Then the man said, ’Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.’”

John 9:37-38 (NIV)

The contrast between the judgmental, harsh religious leaders and the healing, saving Jesus is incredible. Hallelujah.

Continuing in John 9, Jesus confronted the Pharisees,

“‘I entered the world to render judgment-to give sight to the 

blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.’

Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and

asked, ’Are you saying we’re blind?’

‘If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,’ Jesus replied. ‘But

you remain guilty because you claim you can see.’”

John 9:39-41 (NLT)

Physical blindness and spiritual blindness are two different conditions. You can tell when someone is physically blind but only through watching one’s actions can you see if someone is spiritually blind. The Pharisees pushed the letter of the law for everyone but did not always practice the spirit of the law. How easy it is to see the sliver in the other person’s eye but not the log in your own. That is spiritual blindness.

Jesus then began teaching about the shepherd. How do the blind and shepherd fit together? The religious leaders were to lead the people to God; their actions were to exemplify godly lives; however, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their spiritual blindness. “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of the sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber.” John 10:1 (NLT) The sheepfold of those days looked like a stone-walled corral. The only way a thief could steal the sheep was climbing the wall since the shepherd guarded the gate.

In Ephesians Paul listed many positions such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. “pastors-Grk. poimen-herdsmen, shepherd.” In seventeen verses, Jesus used the term “poimen” eighteen times. Of the eighteen times, He used the title the shepherd seventeen times and pastor only one time. Pastors are to shepherd us. 

In John 10, Jesus explained the qualities of a good, healthy shepherd. First, the healthy shepherd has access to the sheep. “But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” John 10:2 (NLT) The author of Hebrews indicated that Jesus was our shepherd. “Now may the God of peace-who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep….” Hebrews 13:20 (NLT) The Great Shepherd title is reiterated in 1 Peter 5:4. “And when the great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” (NLT)  

Pastor Josiah emphasized that God is both the shepherd and the gate. In addition, gatekeepers are under-shepherds. Pastor Josiah and the other pastors are under-shepherds. Jesus leads them, and they lead us. He protects them, and they protect us.

Second, under-shepherds open the door to the Chief Shepherd. “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice.” John 10:3 (NLT) The goal is to bring the sheep to the Great Shepherd. The under-shepherds are to watch, listen to, learn from the Great Shepherd. We need to identify under-shepherds who point us to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29 (NLT) When we become more like Jesus, we are blessed with the love of the Father, and we have a future and a hope as Jeremiah 29:11 indicates.

In addition, the sheep recognize his voice. How do we learn to recognize His voice? We spend time with Him, and that speaks of relationship. We are not to idolize the under-shepherd which can be a natural reaction, but we are to make Jesus our Lord and Savior, and He alone. When we begin to idolize the under-shepherd, we get in trouble. It is good to honor but not good to idolize another human being. If the sheep are only familiar with your voice but cannot recognize the voice of God speaking to them, we’re not doing our job right.

The next quality of a healthy shepherd is the sheep come to Him. When someone is your advocate, supports you, you naturally go to her/him. Jesus is for you and not against you. You are safe with the Lord Jesus. Pastor Josiah emphasized,”We can point.” The under-shepherd points us to the Lord; for everything about Jesus is magnetic. We are attracted to His love, mercy, grace, surrender, and humility. “There is none like You” says the old song.

The fifth quality is He knows them intimately. “He calls his own by name…” John 10:3 (NLT) When I think about the fact that the Creator of the World, the Master of the Universe knows my name, I am in awe. Out of the millions and billions of people, He knows me and even knew me before I was conceived. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you….” Jeremiah 1:5 How precious is that? Each of us matter to our Abba Father.

Also the good Shepherd leads them. In John 10:3 “He leads them out.” (NLT) The good shepherd walks ahead of them to check for the enemies that try to steal the sheep. He knows what is out there. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 said “ Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” (NKJV) Or as Pastor Josiah stated,”Follow me as I follow Him.” However, may we not attribute failures of man to the perfect Lord, for people are not God. How many times have you heard someone say,”I don’t go to church because of those hypocrites that go there.” Of course, hypocrites attend church. We are all broken people. We are flawed, but praise the Lord, He is perfect.

The final quality is He keeps talking to His sheep.  “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (NLT) He knows what I need to hear. He cares about my needs and guides me with His rod and staff. I love that ”The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 I have His presence, His leading, His voice, His love.

In contrast the false shepherd’s (thief’s) purposes are to steal, kill and destroy as evidenced in John 10:10. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NKJV)

The Paramount Point is The shepherd, willing to lay his life down for the sheep, is the model Jesus left for us.  Jesus said,”I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15 (NLT) What a sacrifice! What a Savior!

May we learn from Him to be salt and light in this troubled world.

Calendar:

8/23 Women’s Ministry Bruch at 11:00

8/29 Men of God Movement 6-7

9/7 Prayer night 6-7

9/12 LB potluck, worship and Meet to Swap at 6:00. This is a date change because of a conflict. It is in the Activity Center. Proceeds are to go to the Young Adults and the FC Youth.  

Submitted by

Larry and Annette Linthicum