The Prophecies of Jesus as Shepherd, 12/21/25

Today we look at another prophecy or prophecies

from the Old Testament. Focusing on the prophecies

of Jesus as a shepherd. Jesus as shepherd. We're

going to look first of all to Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 40:9–11

40 verses 9 through 11. And then John chapter

John 10:1–18

10 verses 1 through 18 for our text. And there

will be a number of other scriptures as well.

So first of all, let's look at Isaiah chapter

Isaiah 40:9–11

40, verses 9 through 11. O Zion, you who bring

good tidings, get up into the high mountain,

O Jerusalem. You who bring good tidings, lift

up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not

afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, behold your

God. Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong

hand and his arms shall rule for him. Behold,

his reward is with him and his work before him.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will

gather the lambs with his arm and carry them

in his bosom and gently lead those who are with

young. Let's turn now to the book of John. Chapter

John 10 · chapter mention

10. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does

not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs

up some other way, the same is a thief and a

robber. But he who enters by the door is the

shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper

opens, and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls

his own sheep by name and leads them out. And

when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before

them, and the sheep follow him, for they know

his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a

stranger, but will flee from him, for they do

not know the voice of strangers. Jesus used this

illustration, but they did not understand the

things which he spoke to them. Then Jesus said

to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I

am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before

me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did

not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters

by me, he will be saved and will go in and out

and find pasture. The thief does not come except

to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come

that they might have life and that they might

have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one

who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming

and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf

catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling

flees because he is a hireling and does not care

about the sheep. I am the good shepherd and I

know my sheep and am known by my own. As the

father knows me, even so I know the father and

I lay down my life. For the sheep and other sheep

I have, which are not of this fold, them also

I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and

there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore

my Father loves me, because I lay down my life,

that I may take it again. No one takes it from

me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power

to lay it down, and have power to take it again.

This command I have received from my father.

Let's pray. Father, we ask today that you would

illuminate these passages of scripture to us,

Lord. We pray that you would open our eyes that

we might see this great theme of how you are

our shepherd in the Bible. As we look at these

verses. and other passages as well. Please open

them up to us, Lord. Illuminate us, Lord. Grant

us light. Help us, Lord, to love you as our shepherd

and to walk in your ways. Please grant the unction

of your Holy Spirit as we preach your word today.

We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. One of the significant

metaphors in the Bible Now, despite the hatred

of Idaho cattlemen for sheep, many of them, or

what they call them as meadow maggots, sometimes

they're derisively called, there really are a

lot of similarities between people and sheep.

Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in Psalm

23, which we have just read in our responsive

reading. The Lord is my shepherd. Therefore,

I shall not want. I shall be led to green pastures

and still waters. And I am sustained by the great

shepherd who provides, protects, shelters, and

comforts me. Jesus also uses this metaphor extensively.

In the book of John chapter 10, which we just

John 10 · chapter mention

read, as he said in verse 14, I am the good shepherd

and I know my sheep and am known by my own. But

today my main subject is not to expound on all

the ways that people are like sheep, but rather

that Jesus is the good shepherd. The one who

loves, who cares for, who tends and protects

and saves and even has given his life for the

sheep. Now, I also know that there's some people

in here who have sheep. So please don't take

offense by how Idaho cattlemen view them. We're

grateful for wool and all of the other good things

as well. But yet David says in Psalm 119 verse

Psalms 119:176

176, he says, I have gone astray like a lost

sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget

your commandments. Isaiah testifies that all

we like sheep have gone astray. Because of our

many sheep -like tendencies, and that by our

very nature we go astray, apart from the paths

of righteousness, we need a shepherd. We need

a shepherd. Ezekiel declares the words of God,

saying, For thus says the Lord God, Indeed, I

myself will search for my sheep and seek them

out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the

day he is among his scattered sheep, so will

I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all

the places where they were scattered on a cloudy

and a dark day. And I will bring them out from

the peoples and gather them from the countries

and will bring them to their own land. I will

feed them on the mountains of Israel and the

valleys and in all the inhabited places of the

country. I will feed them in good pasture. fold

shall be in the high mountains of Israel there

they shall lie in a good fold and feed in rich

pasture on the mountains of Israel I will feed

my flock and will make them lie down says the

Lord God I will seek what was lost and bring

back what was driven away bind up the broken

and strengthen what was sick I will establish

one shepherd over them and he shall feed them

my servant David He shall feed them and be their

shepherd. This is from Ezekiel chapter 34 verses

Ezekiel 34:11–16

11 through 16 and verse 23. So one of the ways

that God shepherds his people is through his

appointed under shepherds. That is men that God

gifts with the ability to lead and care for his

people. Now one can immediately ask how can fallen

men who needs to be shepherded. Shepherd others.

And yet it is so. God calls faithful men to know

him and to lead his people well, caring for them,

loving them, protecting them from savage wolves

that seek to tear and to destroy. And one of

the problems has been that not all appointed

men have done so. Some do not know how. Some

have not been equipped or fitted for their office.

Others, Jesus calls hirelings, like we read in

John 10 and verse 12. A hireling, he who is not

the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep,

sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and

flees. And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters

them. God deals with this several times in the

Old Testament, and it actually is what sets the

stage for the cry and the prophecy that there

needs to be a shepherd, a good shepherd. Again,

we go to Ezekiel 34, just before the great and

precious promises that I read. Hear these words.

And the word of God came to me, saying, Son of

man, prophesy against. the shepherds of Israel.

Prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord

God to the shepherds, Woe to the shepherds of

Israel who feed themselves. Should not the shepherds

feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourself

with the wool. You slaughter the fatlings, but

you do not feed the flock. The weak you have

not strengthened, nor have you healed those who

were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought

back what was driven away, nor sought what was

lost. But with force and cruelty you have ruled

them. So they were scattered. Because there was

no shepherd and they became food for all the

beasts of the field where they were scattered.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains and

on every high hill. Yes, my flock was scattered

over the whole face of the earth and no one was

seeking or searching for them. He then goes on

and he says, therefore, you shepherds hear the

word of the Lord. As I live, says the Lord God,

surely because my flock became a prey and my

flock became food for every beast of the field,

because there was no shepherd, nor did my shepherd

search for my flock. Therefore, O shepherds,

hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord

God, behold, I am against the shepherds and will

require my flock at their hand. I will cause

them to cease feeding the sheep and the shepherds

shall feed themselves no more. For I will deliver

my flock from their mouths that they may no longer

be food for them. Now I give all of this in the

introduction to show how great of a need we have

as the people of God for good shepherds and for

the chief shepherd. The chief shepherd. Jeremiah

also speaks of this, and I'm not going to read

it, but it's in Jeremiah chapter 23. He prophesies

Jeremiah 23 · chapter mention

a great woe to the shepherds who destroy and

scatter the sheep. Now, we have just looked at

the prophecies about Jesus being a prophet and

then a priest. and then also a king. And as king,

he rules over all, which means that all whom

Jesus calls are under his authority. And even

more so, those who are appointed to any position

of leadership must also be under his authority,

thus called under shepherds. Jesus was prophesied

to set things in order. To set them in order.

So to be that chief shepherd and pastor. That

one who will be established. And he will feed

his flock. And then his followers are called

to imitate him. And to love like he loved. Even

as Jesus himself said in John 13 verse 34. A

John 13:34

new commandment I give unto you. That you love

one another as I have loved you. that you also

love one another. Now we are going to look at

a few of the Old Testament passages that prophesy

this about Jesus and then see how he fulfilled

them. Our first one is what I've already read

from Isaiah chapter 40, verse 9 to 11, so I'm

Isaiah 40:9–11

not going to read it again. But in this passage

of Isaiah 9, Isaiah chapter 40. The coming one

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

is recognized, first of all, as God. The one

to come is God. He says, behold your God. And

this just shows again, it's one of the passages

of scripture in which we understand that Jesus,

the coming Messiah, the coming shepherd is God.

And then this one who comes is set to rule. But

his reign over his people is not like that of

a conqueror over vanquished subjects, but it's

rather like that of a shepherd, of a pastor.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd, providing

them with good and nourishing food that will

sustain and keep them, making them healthy and

strong. Let's unpack the word feed a little bit.

As Barnes says, the word translated to feed denotes

more than our word feed at present. It refers

to all the care of a shepherd over his flock.

It means, the word feed means to tend, to guard,

to govern, to provide pasture, to defend from

danger as a shepherd does his flock. It is often

applied in the scriptures to God represented

as the tender shepherd and especially to the

Redeemer, Jesus Christ. This coming shepherd

will be very careful, Isaiah says, with the little

ones, the lambs, even gathering them with his

arm and carrying them in his bosom. This means

also taking great care of the pregnant ewes.

And this is all a most beautiful and descriptive...

passage and picture showing the tender care of

the shepherd who is to come and how he loves

his people even the little ones and the pregnant

ones and them all he cares for them just like

The shepherds in the Middle East who moved their

large flocks from place to place, and they had

to move them often because the amount of sheep

would quickly decimate the pasturage that was

there. So often they had to move them sometimes

even twice a day, where they would graze, lay

down, and then have rest, and then move on to

another place. then graze again. And of course,

that can be very stressful for little lambs as

they're just getting on their feet. And it can

also be stressful for those who are pregnant.

And so this whole imagery that is given to us

is that Jesus cares for the little ones, for

the young ones, for the weak ones, for those

who are trouble making it. He cares for each

one. Jesus loves and cares for the lambs. Make

sure that they're not pushed too hard, loving

the weakest and the most feeble of his people.

The next prophecy we want to look at is in Ezekiel

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

chapter 34, three verses, verses 22 to 24. Ezekiel

34 is describing the abuse of the false shepherds.

And then he goes on to say in verse 22, therefore,

I will save my flock. and they shall no longer

be a prey, and I will judge between sheep and

sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them,

and he shall feed them, my servant David. He

shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I

the Lord will be their God, and my servant David

a prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.

So now Ezekiel is writing this prophecy. He's

referring to the fact that This one is coming,

he's going to establish this, and it's going

to be his servant David. So remember now that

Ezekiel is prophesying around, roughly around

400 years after the reign of David. So of whom

is he speaking? We must understand that Ezekiel's

references to my servant David are referring

to none other than The Messiah. He is the one

to come. He would be of the line of David. That

is the greater David. Remember the angel Gabriel's

declaration to Mary? He will be great, will be

called the son of the highest, and the Lord God

will give him what? The throne of his father

David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob

forever, and of his kingdom there will be no

end. So it's very clear that we understand this

is a prophecy of Christ. as a shepherd, and he

shall feed them. Now, all the realities that

I just spoke of from the passage in Isaiah are

also fitting here, but this one, this passage,

also ties him being a shepherd to his reign.

That is, his reign as a king or a prince. And

even so, Christ shall reign in this way. Now

we also know from Psalm 2 and many others that

Christ also rules with a rod of iron. He will

smash like those who rebel against him, like

they shall be dashed to pieces like a potter's

vessel, you know, like clay pots, so they can

be smashed. So as we look at this, and Christ

as king and shepherd, we must differentiate between

the rod of iron that God... that Jesus wields,

and the shepherd's staff that he holds. Both

are true, but he does not use his rod of iron

against his beloved sheep. He uses his staff

and leads them as a shepherd. To those who rebel,

he uses his rod to crush, to smash, and to destroy.

The shepherd, however, goes after the wolf, the

bear, or the lion who comes to destroy his flock.

And in that, he uses a rod. He chases them away.

He seeks to kill them, to destroy them. The wolf,

the bear, the lion, the predator. But to those

who are his people, he loves them. He draws them

near. He protects them. And this is our Lord

Jesus Christ. He is the righteous king, the anointed

prince, the son and the Lord of David. The third

prophecy is from the book of Micah, chapter five,

verses two through five, the beginning part.

This is one more. The scripture prophesies of

the location of his birth. He begins, but you,

Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among

the thousands of Judah, yet out of you, shall

come forth to me the one to be a ruler in Israel,

whose going forth are from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time

that she who is in labor has given birth. Then

the remnant of his brethren shall return to the

children of Israel. and he shall stand and feed

his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the

majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And

they shall abide, for now he shall be great to

the ends of the earth, and this one shall. Now

the word shepherd is not in here, but the actions

of a shepherd are. And so this is also speaking

of Jesus, how he will stand and feed his flock

in the strength of the Lord. Now, but this passage

also shows the global reach of the shepherd to

come. He would be a ruler who would be born in

Bethlehem, but his shepherding reign would be

to the ends of the earth. All the way over the

globe. Not just to a small country in the heart

of the Middle East. But rather that his blessings

would flow. As Isaiah puts it in joy to the world.

As far as the curse is found. This also shows

how shepherds need to be strong. And have much

endurance. We see this here in how that he would

be a shepherd who will stand and feed his flock

in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of

the name of the Lord his God. His strength will

be enough. Why is this? Because he does this,

he leads and he feeds in the strength and the

majesty of the Lord. He is able to do this. Remember

how Hebrews describes Jesus in chapter 7 and

verse 24 saying, Therefore he is able to save

to the uttermost those who come to God. So dear

brother and sister, do not think that there is

anything too hard for him or that you are beyond

the scope and the reach of his mercy and his

grace. He is able, he has the ability to lead

and to shepherd you. I tell you, he is able to

succor. He is able to sustain you through the

greatest trials. Do not shortchange him because,

He comes in the strength of the Lord and in the

majesty of his name. I tell you, you can trust

him. You can cast your care upon him for he cares

for you. He is the great shepherd of the sheep.

Let's move now to point number two and consider

the New Testament fulfillments of these prophecies.

Obviously, one of the greatest ones is the one

that I already read in John chapter 10, verses

John 10:1–18

1 through 18. So let's speak a little more about

this passage. The fulfillment begins with Jesus

himself. He proclaims in this passage that he

is the good shepherd. But he is also the door

of the sheepfold. And he is the shepherd who

enters in. Three times in this passage, he makes

this assertion. I am the good shepherd. And thus,

he fulfills all of the passages that we have

just read. Now, let me explain this a little

more. A sheepfold is an enclosure where the sheep

were collected by night to defend them from robbers

and predators. And Jesus is the door to that

sheepfold. He says this several times. And how

is this? Well, in John 14, which is a little

later, Jesus says these astounding words. I am

the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes

to the Father except through me. And this is

the same. He's enlarging on this fact that he's

the door to the sheepfold. Now, the flock in

the sheepfold is the church of God. That is his

people. Initially, this was mostly the Jews.

But in Christ, that flock has become throughout

the whole world, Jew and Gentile. Jesus refers

to this in chapter 10, verse 16. And other sheep

I have, he says, which are not of this fold,

them also I must bring, and they will hear my

voice, and there will be one flock. and one shepherd,

Jew and Gentile together, in the fold, in the

sheepfold of Jesus Christ, in the church of Christ,

and they will all be saved. Together they will

be united. There are not many ways to God. All

must come through Jesus Christ. He says again,

verse 9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me,

he will be saved. and will go in and out and

find pasture. How then is Jesus the good shepherd?

Jesus answers this by saying, verse 11, I am

the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his

life for the sheep. Jesus is that good shepherd

because he was willing to give his life in the

defense and the protection of his flock. which

consists indeed of guarding against predators

and hirelings, but even more, he gave his life

so that his people might be saved from the wrath

of God against sin. He protected his people by

giving his own life as an atonement for sin,

thus saving and sanctifying them. Truly, he is

the good shepherd. He protects from the predators,

but in the same way, he gave his life for an

atonement. Jesus, as the good shepherd who guards

his sheep, speaks then of two men, two types

of men, who create problems. One is the thief

and the robber. That is those who come to steal,

to kill, and to destroy. This is the enemy who

comes from without as a frontal assault upon

God's people. We think, for example, of some

of the notable ones in history, of Nero roaring

against the people of God, burning them, killing

them. We think of Chairman Mao in China destroying

them by the millions. We think of Stalin and

Lenin and all that they perpetrated in the Soviet

Empire against the people of God. We think of

even right now as it's happening to our dear

beloved brothers and sisters in Nigeria where

the Muslim hordes keep coming against them and

persecuting them, stealing children, kidnapping

them, where they're gone from their parents forever,

where they're burning down church houses and

they're doing everything they can to destroy.

This is the thief, it's the robber, and we call

it out as such. It is wrong, and they must be

called to repentance and to the justice of God.

Thieves and robbers, they are a frontal assault

against God's people. We think of this as a lion

coming to devour or a wolf that rips and tears

and to destroy. Now sheep might readily identify

these and flee from them, although the scripture

does also speak of wolves who come by stealth

and deception by being in sheep's clothing, but

inwardly they're ravening wolves. Jesus speaks

of that in Matthew 7, verse 15. The other type

Matthew 7:15

of people that Jesus talks about is the hireling.

That is, one who appears to be like the children

of God and identifies with them, but he does

so under false or wrong motivations. This is

one who might do it for the money or for the

prestige or maybe for the love of authority,

but he is not vested. He does not own the sheep,

nor does he have a shepherd's heart and motivation.

And what happens when danger comes? He flees.

He abandons the sheep. At the time of danger,

he does not risk his life or reputation in the

care for the flock of God. This is why the Apostle

Peter so earnestly and strongly exhorts. the

elders to whom he is writing in chapter 5 and

verse 1 of 1 Peter, he says, the elders who are

among you, I exhort, I who am a fellow elder

and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and

also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed,

shepherd the flock of God which is among you.

serving as overseers not by compulsion but willingly

and not for dishonest gain but eagerly not as

being lords 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 does not fade away. Peter's call to all

elders everywhere at all times is to love the

people of God. It is to feed them, to care for

them, to not drive people away, and not to do

it by compulsion, but willingly, not to do it

for dishonest gain, but eagerly, and to not act

as a lord. That is to be a lord over those who

are entrusted to their king. but lead by example,

lead by example. This is his exhortation. We

follow Jesus as that shepherd. And we also see

that in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20, Jesus

Hebrews 13 · chapter mention

here is called the great shepherd. It's a wonderful

benediction. He says, now may the God of peace

who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead,

that great shepherd of the sheep, Through the

blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete

in every good work to do his will, working in

you what is well -pleasing in his sight through

Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. It is this chief shepherd, Jesus, who brings

to maturity and brings us to the finish line.

He will make you perfect. He will make you complete.

And he will equip you so that you may do his

will and those things which are pleasing to him.

It should be your goal to grow in Christ, to

be mature, and to think about how you may please

him. And as we submit to this great shepherd,

to the one who cares for us, we then will be

able to go through the trials of life knowing

that he cares for us. We can trust him with our

lives, with our temptations, with the trials

that come our way, knowing that the testing of

our faith produces patience. He is the good and

chief shepherd, the great one. Then there's 1

1 Peter 2:25

Peter 2 verse 25. Here Jesus is shown to be the

shepherd and the overseer. Of your souls. I'm

not going to comment much on this. I'll just

read it. bore our own sins in his body on the

tree, that we, having died to sin, might live

for righteousness, by whose stripes you were

healed. For you were like sheep going astray,

but have now returned to the shepherd and the

overseer of your souls. Jesus shepherds your

souls and keeps you. And then Revelation 7 and

verse 17 speaks again of the lamb, those whose

robes were made white in the blood of the lamb.

And what happens there? The lamb who is in the

midst of the throne, he says, will shepherd them

and lead them to living fountains of waters and

God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.

How fitting then is it? That Jesus, the chief

shepherd, would first be announced to shepherds

on the hillside. They would be the first to run

to him and to come and bow down and to worship

him in a manger as a newborn. Well, how do we

apply this, brothers and sisters? What do we

take away from all of this? let's consider a

few things. The first one is a great theme of

this time of this season is comfort and joy.

Comfort and joy. Comfort and joy. And all of

this about Jesus as our shepherd is a great comfort

in times of distress and difficulty and danger.

We have great comfort because we know he cares

for us. Even in the hardships of life as we understand

that in God's providence he is shepherding us

and caring for us in these difficult circumstances.

And this should give us great comfort. Maybe

we need comfort because of a great loss. And

we can look to him and he will shepherd us through

this great loss. Whatever it is, whatever difficulty

or trial or temptation. Jesus will comfort us

through his word and spirit. So we have great

comfort, but we also have great joy because of

Christ as our shepherd, because of all that he

has done, because he did come. He did make atonement

for our sins. He did come to live a godly life.

He is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

What is he doing? Well, he's ruling, he's reigning,

but he's also making intercession for us. He's

making intercession for us. Now to those who

have had bad experiences, perhaps with your father,

or maybe with abusive so -called shepherds, or

perhaps you have been ravaged by wolves, I invite

you. Come to the chief shepherd. Cast your care,

your hurts, your difficulties, all of the things,

the baggage that comes with the hurts. Come to

him. Cast your care on him and learn of him.

He says, he invites you. He calls to you. Matthew

Matthew 11:28

chapter 11, verse 28. Come to me, all you who

labor and are heavy laden. And I will give you

rest. Take my yoke upon you. And learn of me.

For I am gentle. And lowly in heart. And you

will find rest. For your souls. For my yoke is

easy. And my burden is light. This is Jesus invitation.

Number three, how do we apply this? We also must

learn the attributes of a shepherd and imitate

Christ. We practice them in whatever sphere and

calling that we are given as parents or as civil

magistrates or as pastors and overseers or elders.

As parents, you are a father or a mother. You

have been given children. God has given you those

children. And as parents, you are called to shepherd

your children. Learn of Jesus and see how he

shepherds. And then apply that to the shepherding

of your children. Welcome the little ones. Do

not tie heavy burdens on them. Your burden, remember

Jesus, how my burden is light, my yoke is easy,

and so, but yet we guide our children, we love

them, we pick them up when they're weak and they're

tired. We care for them, we love them, we provide

for them, we protect them. We do all that we

can to ensure their growth and their stability,

knowing that they belong to Christ. We shepherd

them. Study and learn how to shepherd them well.

to bring them up in the training and the admonition

of the Lord, not by either being lazy or by being

a harsh taskmaster. Teach them God's word, for

these are the lambs. This is to parents. Civil

magistrates also are to be foster fathers to

Christ's church, seeking their good and welfare.

They should not persecute or hinder the church,

but rather protect them. They should promote

good and know what evil is. We read that in Romans

13 this morning. They're to punish the evil and

they're to protect the good. And in order for

that to happen, they need to understand their

calling before God and understand the standards

of truth and the standards of God for their role.

They should punish evil appropriately. And in

this way, They are also a type of shepherd. I

love how the Westminster Confession in the American

Revision writes of this in chapter 23. Civil

magistrates may not assume to themselves the

administration of the word and sacraments or

the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven

or in the least interfere in matters of faith.

Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil

magistrates to protect the church of our common

Lord without giving the preference to any denomination

of Christians above the rest. In such a manner,

that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall

enjoy the full, the free, and the unquestioned

liberty of discharging every part of their sacred

functions without violence or danger. And as

Jesus Christ has appointed a regular government

to discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth

should interfere with or hinder the due exercise

thereof among the voluntary members of any denomination

of Christians according to their own profession.

It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect

the person and good name of all their people

in such an effectual manner so that no person

should be suffered upon pretense of religion

or of infidelity to offer any indignity, violence,

abuse, or injury to any person whatsoever and

to take order. that all religious assemblies

be held without molestation or disturbance. This

is the role of the civil magistrate as a shepherd

to care for those who are in them so that there

would be great freedom. And then we also look

for pastor shepherds in the congregation. Now,

this certainly applies to the office of elder

or overseer or pastor. And it applies to us.

As we lead in the congregation, we are to lead

well. We are to be faithful. This is why Peter's...

those words that I read out of 1 Peter 5 are

so urgent to us and they should burn in our hearts

that we do not act as a lord or throw our weight

around or act as a tyrant, but rather that we

lead by example and live faithful lives, but

nonetheless that we lead. But it does not only

refer to the office of pastor, but I just encourage

everyone as they seek to bless others, that they

bless them, they lead in the ways of God, they

impart the knowledge that you have to others,

and they prepare for life. Who might you be able

to bless or to minister to? Who might you as

a person of God be able to share with others?

Perhaps your mother and your children are already

gone and so you're able to share with the younger

women tips of how you were able to bless others

or to bring your children up or mistakes that

you've made and you're able to share that. Perhaps

we have a wonderful marriage and we can share

with others who are going through it. difficult

time about how to work through times of great

difficulty you might have great examples that

you can share we should take on a shepherding

mindset where we love each other and we look

out for each other and we care for one another

it applies not only to those who are overseers

but really to all be strong and faithful members

of christ church bear with the weak and strengthen

them And men, lead your families as a good shepherd.

Give them the word of God. Teach them. Even as

Ephesians 6 commands you, do not drive your children

away with, I forget exactly how it puts it, but

with anger. You don't want to create in them

anger, but rather you nourish them, you build

them up in the faith. To us all then, I say,

Submit to Christ as the chief shepherd. Submit

to him. Be willing to be led by him and trust

your life to him above all else. In the name

of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's pray.