Culture – Household of God Part 3

We've been talking about the culture of the household and this might be the last of the

series. I was listening to what was taught last week. I love the questions Jillian asked and the

stuff that Derek taught and so this might be the concluding part of this three-part series.

And so today we talk about, when we talk about the culture of this household,

or any church for that matter, but some things are specific to this church.

Today we look at what must we expect of shepherds? What must we expect of shepherds?

What must we, if you need to tilt that thingy Brandon so that they can see it, feel free.

What must we expect of shepherds?

Part of the reason we've kind of closed house churches now in this church for a month and a

half is so that we can get some things fresh, right and that we break from the old. One of

the things we have to examine is what are we to expect of shepherds?

And so we look at scriptures and see what is expected and then try and use that as a plumb line

to see how well we do in the future and it applies to me and to the ones that are in charge of house

churches. And one must use the plumb line of the scripture, of scriptures to evaluate how one is

doing. If you hold that plumb line, the only one who could match it perfectly was Christ. So you

won't find anyone else here on earth that matches it perfectly but Christ. But if I'm not changing,

then you can hold that plumb line and say, hey, you're the same as you were last year.

And so if that's the case, what's Christ's activity in you? Because if Christ lives in you,

you must change. How do you know something is alive? It's changing. How do you know something

is dead? It doesn't change. So there is an alive Christianity and a dead Christianity. Both will

go to heaven. One is changing, one is not. Yeah, so the same measure must be used for house church

shepherds, for Jacob who leads the church and for shepherds in general.

So we can start with the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. If you go to Ezekiel 34,

Ezekiel 34:16

verse 16, Ezekiel 34, verse 16,

Ezekiel 34:16

it says shepherds seek,

shepherds seek

for

strays

or the lost.

Shepherds

bind the injured.

Shepherds feed.

Shepherds carry the young.

And ultimately, shepherds lay their life on the ground.

And ultimately, shepherds lay their lives down

or pour out their lives.

Seek for strays or the lost. Guys, strays are those who lose their way.

And then there are ones that choose a different way. To lose one's way and to choose one's way

are two different things. Don't confuse it. Strays are those that lose their way and the shepherds

go, a shepherd goes and finds those that are lost. Then there are those that choose the way.

They don't lose their way, they choose a way. And when they choose a way and they go down that

contrary way, sometimes a shepherd can do nothing. You've got to let them go. To lose one's way is

different from choosing one's way. When you lose a way, you're supposed to go help the stray come

back. But when you choose to go a certain way, then it's different. There's a difference between

dogs and cats. Dogs lose their way, cats choose their way. So just remember that. It's the easiest

way to figure this out. Shepherds go after those that are stray. Shepherds must go out after those

that lose their way. But choosing their way is different. If I choose to go a certain way,

then what I'm saying is, I do not need you to come and look for me. I'm choosing this path.

That's different. Paul would say in 1 John 2.19, they weren't part of us and they left us.

He didn't go hunting after them. He said they weren't part of us, they left us. To begin with,

they were not part of us. You've got to make that distinction. So they seek for strays or the lost.

They bind the injured and there are different ways you bind the injured. Some injuries are very deep,

they are traumatic, they need counsel, they need sometimes medical help. They need a doctor,

sometimes they need psychological help. And to gloss over that by saying, hey, to get over this

clinical depression, just sing praise the Lord four times and you'll be fine is absurd. So we

can't go down that route either. So you bind the injured, you feed, as in take instruction from the

word and feed. You carry the young. Some will need more carrying than others. It doesn't matter,

it's not age related, it's just how fragile something is or someone is. And then the last

one is lay down their lives or pour out their lives. We may not have much opportunity to lay

down our lives, but we will have opportunity to pour out our lives. If you go to Acts chapter 6,

Acts 6:3

verse 3, or 1st Corinthians 2,

verse 3 and 4, you will find that shepherds were people who had not just the word

but the power of the Spirit.

The same guy Barnabas or Philip or others that you see in Acts chapter 6, verse 3, who were deacons

Acts 6:3

were full of the Holy Spirit and with power and later on they did become shepherds in different

places. 1st Corinthians 2, verse 3 and 4, Paul says, I did not come to you with oratorial skills,

but I came to you with the demonstration of the power of the Spirit. So it is important that

shepherds not just know how to teach the word, but the word must have the power of the Spirit

evident even while it is being taught. It must affect hearts, it must bring instruction, it must

bring conviction, it must immediately change because the Spirit of God wants to go somewhere else.

It must leave someone cut, not to injure, but to set apart that which is dark from that which is

light because that's what the word does.

Remember the other thing that I've said many times, God does not make leaders and followers,

God only makes sons and servants. So there's no special group of people in a church called leaders

and there are no special group of people called followers. God does not make them like that. Why?

Because he makes them in his image. If he's made them in his image, he only makes sons and servants,

which means there is nobody who cannot rise up to be a shepherd if he is shepherded. I mean,

I loved what Derek said last week. You cannot disciple unless you are discipled.

Would you trust me with your car, to fix your car?

If you want me to pray over your car, great, I can and it might work, but would you really

trust me before you go on a long trip to fix your car? Dead silence, huh?

Shepherds turn you, and now we look at 1st Thessalonians, these scriptures are from

1st Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 5 to 10. When you read it, you'll find that shepherds turn you

from idols to the living God. From idols to the living God. It is the job of a shepherd

to be able to spot the idols in a person's life. What are the idols in Mark's life? What are the

idols in Diana's life? I want you to spot these idols, to call them out and say, Mark, are you

going to let go of this idol? Diana, are you going to crush this idol so that it no longer

is something that makes you dance for it? Idols always have you dance for them, eh?

Anything I say to you, obviously applies to my life, but I'm not going to use the royal

V and say, oh, I'm like you and all this. That's taken for granted, so I'm going to point it to you.

Yeah? So I'm pointing at Diana, saying, can you get rid of the idols in your life? So that's part

of the job of a shepherd. Show people the idols in their life so that they can turn to the

living God. First Thessalonians 1, 5 to 10 talks about it. From there you go to

chapter 2, verse 7 to 12, and shepherds are supposed to be like nursing mothers, nursing mothers,

and charging fathers, nursing mothers, and charging fathers. Gentle among you like a nurse or a mother,

caring tenderly for children, and as a father, charging, urging, encouraging children to do what?

To live a life worthy of your calling.

Worthy of your calling.

That's what shepherds should do. This is required of me, this is required of every house church leader

in the future, and this is required of you as you begin to raise ones that are placed in your charge.

A shepherd is not measured by the number of sheep he has. A shepherd is measured

by the one or two that are put in his charge, whether he carries that heart to raise them.

And so, nursing mother and charging fathers. Nursing mother is the one that cuts the stake for a child.

Charging father is the one who takes a knife and stabs the stake and says,

learn how to cut it yourself. Both are necessary, can't opt for one or the other.

The problem is, churches are full of nursing mothers, very few urging charging fathers.

And churches and people have gotten so used to nursing mothers that when charging fathers,

urging fathers come along, they can't handle it. It's a culture that has been created.

It causes me to remember Paul's words, which he says, you've been drinking milk for so long,

you've been drinking milk for so long, when are you going to start chewing meat?

But for meat you need certain kind of teeth.

You have to be both, you can't be one or the other because God was both, Christ was both.

Shepherds appoint, next one is chapter three, verse one to three,

chapter three, verse one to three, shepherds appoint

timides and titans, and these are gender free terms, so don't think of it as only guides.

Shepherds appoint timides and titans who are like-minded

so that people can be strengthened,

so that people can be strengthened and so that nothing hinders, so that nothing hinders

I'm basically rewriting scripture, nothing hinders

establishment or discipleship. So yes,

Paul would appoint Timothy, he would say to the church in Thessalonica,

listen I'm sending you Timothy, I've been hindered by the enemy, he actually says I've been hindered

by Satan from coming to you, therefore I'm sending Timothy so that you may be established.

He appoints people and so are you ready to be appointed? How are you ready to be appointed?

Again, by change shown measured by the word of God and measured by discipleship and nothing

can stop you from being appointed when that's the case, nothing. Why? Because God as in Christ the

bridegroom is seriously interested in his bride and there's a lack of laborers.

And so one must appoint once it take over, one must be ready so that the drop of a hat

you can be appointed. The beauty about this process is that we're not looking for individuals

without flaws, we're looking for flawed individuals.

Treasure in jars of clay, always fractured flawed individuals and they have to be like-minded,

like-minded as in like-minded with Christ, like-minded with the vision of the church,

like-minded with the leader who's appointing them. Why would I appoint someone who is not

like-minded with Christ, the vision of the church and with me? Why would I? How absurd is this?

So that's one way of looking at it. The flip way of looking at it is,

Jacob will only appoint those that suck up to him. That's perspective, right? Potato, potato.

Like-minded is very simple, man. Why would you appoint someone to run something who is not

like-minded? Like-minded with Christ, like-minded with the leader who's appointing them.

Like-minded with what you're asking them to do.

On vision, no. No. Yeah.

Perspective on scriptures, yes. Perspective on methodology, yes. But on what?

On what? On what?

Perspective on scriptures, yes. Perspective on methodology, yes. But on vision, no. On mandate,

no. I'll give you a simple example. Let's say we start a healing room and let's say you and I

believe that healing is the will of God and Nick believes God sends sickness sometimes to teach

us a lesson. Is it even remotely possible to appoint him to lead that even though he's

compassionate? Even though he's a better man than us? Even though he knows the scripture better than

us? He knows scriptures by heart. Can you and I take a risk with Nick?

Nick? Because it completely-

Yeah, those things, in the things that are not major, yeah. But in the things that are major,

no. Yeah.

Yeah.

Methods can vary, guys. Form can vary. Methods can vary. But not the foundation and the substance.

Form can vary. I mean, you think I like what- you think I like the songs Toonie and Jane do?

They are new. Some of them I don't even know. I like the good old songs from the 70s and the 80s.

Any time I come up, what comes out of my mouth? Some song from the 80s.

So the point being, form and content- form and

the form doesn't matter. The content must serve the purpose that God has for any particular unit.

The form doesn't matter. And the method of- methods also don't matter as long as they are

not ungodly.

Okay. So, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is,

not ungodly. Okay. The next one is from 514. 514, first Thessalonians 514.

Shepherds are called to admonish

the idle and disruptive.

They're supposed to strengthen the weak. This is in scripture, just rewriting it, and encourage

the faint-hearted.

By the way, the word admonish, at least from a biblical standpoint, means to call to attention.

To rebuke

gently and to warn. That's the meaning of admonish.

So, shepherds are meant to admonish the ungodly.

Shepherds are meant to admonish the idle or the disruptive. So, when people are idle, as in,

are not moving, stagnant, lazy, a shepherd is supposed to admonish, as in rebuke, gently, warn,

call to attention. One who does not do it

is actually a lazy, idle shepherd.

Suppose they admonish the idle and the disruptive.

So, it disrupts that which is the order or the plumb line of how a unit must function. In this

case, the unit happens to be the bride of Christ, or disruptive, as in causing strife and discord.

But it must be done gently, and it must then, the next thing is to encourage the faint-hearted,

as in the ones who've been through situations which makes it very difficult for them to step out like

others may step out. Encourage them. It's like a little child who, I remember taking this little

boy into an elevator and I wasn't holding his hand and he got shut in the elevator and I was outside.

I panicked because it wasn't my child. And I'm running up and down. I've never run upstairs like

that, man. Finally found the child, but I think after that he must have had this thing about

elevators. So, every time I'd walk with him, I'd hold his hand, otherwise he wouldn't get into an

elevator. Encourage the faint-hearted. I'd tell him all kinds of stories about how wonderful the

elevator was before I could take him in. Encourage the faint-hearted.

Strengthen the weak. Strengthen the weakest, people who are just not able. This is not laziness.

This is not stagnancy. There is a deep bondage caused by it doesn't matter what. We don't even

know people's stories. Which brings me to another point. Shepherds are slow to judge.

Shepherds, which brings me to another point. Shepherds are slow to judge.

Shepherds are slow to judge.

How to be a, meant to be a nursing mother or a charging father.

I think that everyone should start as a nursing mother,

because most children start that way. And so I'm not saying one should look at someone as a child.

I'm saying the attitude, the relationship is that of someone with a child or with someone they're

raising. I'm not talking about child, like Phoebe. That should be the attitude. And so I think you

begin from the place of a nursing mother and as the person grows, you begin to give them things

you begin to give them things and hold them responsible to it. Instead of Kuchiku-ing them,

mollycoddling them, which is what we do. And part of the reason we do that is because we

are scared that people will leave. You can never serve those that you are in bondage to. You can

never serve freedom to those that you're in bondage to. You can never serve freedom to those that

you're in bondage to. You can never serve freedom to those that you're obliged to.

Anyone who you're obliged to either because of relationship, finances,

some past obligation, or even if they did something great for you and rescued you,

the moment there's a sense of obligation that requires a payment of due, you can never serve

them freedom.

So we start as nursing mothers and then at some point we need to flex between nursing mother and

charging father. And sometimes if your dominant mode is charging father, then have someone

alongside who can do the nursing mother thing. That's the beauty of a larger church. You have

more than one person. You have more than one person. So if Nick is someone who is like a nursing

mother and Mark is someone who's like a charging father, put them both in charge of Sheldon. Now

Sheldon gets both sides and he's taken care of from both sides. When you start initially,

it might be difficult. You might only have one dominant kind. There's a reason why there's a

two-parent system that got created. It helps. There's a reason why one's called a mother and

the other one's called a father. It helps. It is difficult for a single mother to be both. There's

reasons. Strengthen the weak and courage the faint-hearted. Even, I mean, you can literally

define weak and faint-hearted taking this different scriptures. What do you do with

Mefi Boshet, who is your enemy's son, who broke his leg and is lame and is not fully committed to

you? What do you do with him? Do you put him out or do you bring him to your table, cover his lameness

and feed him? What do you do? It differs. None of this is a blanket statement, but these are the

things that a shepherd must begin to form in his heart. This is how every house-church shepherd

and Jacob should be towards the church. This is how you measure. You don't measure to find fault.

You measure to see if the person is increasing.

And in doing that, you can find fault. In that, there is no change.

Yeah, so going back to that point, one of the things shepherds do, don't do, shepherds don't judge.

And that is something that I have to sometimes struggle with because it's so easy to look at

your past six months and judge you today based on the last six months when you could have changed

over the last four weeks. But I'm still holding on to how you were five months ago or to that

one incident that has happened 20 times, not realizing that the Spirit of God has worked a

marvelous miracle in you and you have changed. But I still judge you by that, by those 20 incidents.

Shepherds are slow to judge. That is something shepherds have to work at

because otherwise the person, the sheep you're dealing with, and I'm not trying to make a

distinction between shepherd and sheep because like Derek said, you have to be a disciple to disciple.

Otherwise, the people you are raising are already starting from not square one but minus two.

As in, instead of starting from this point, you're judging them here when they've already moved

here. That's something we do, eh? At least I do. When I was going through this, I was saying to myself,

got to see with the eyes of the Spirit to locate where a person really is right now.

So

in return, in the first, yeah, yeah, go ahead, Paon.

Yeah, yeah, I'm talking more in terms of someone who shepherds people in the church.

Yeah, so you can do the same thing outside but till the person is born again, the person has not

entered the kingdom and those that enter the kingdom constitute the church where they're now

being discipled or raised. So I'm talking in terms of that, the culture of the household.

But to answer your question, what if it's outside the church? Then you are trying to bring them to a

place where the first part applies, trying to convert them from their idols to the Lord,

causing them to throw away their idols and turn to the Lord. So conversion is actually a process

that is part of shepherding. We think conversion ends when a person gets born again.

That is part of conversion but the rest of the conversion is you causing people to throw away

their idols. It says in 512 that one of the things we must do and this is not from the

shepherds point of view but in terms of how we should deal with shepherds, we must respect them.

Why? Who should we respect? What kind of shepherds should we respect? We should respect shepherds who

labor amongst us, B, who are over us, C, who admonish us. What a litmus test, eh?

In 1st Thessalonians 512 it actually says this, respect those that labor among you,

who are over you and who admonish you. Respect them. So the question then becomes,

do I recognize those that are laboring amongst us? Two, do I acknowledge that they are over me?

Tough one, eh? And three, am I to respect them because they admonish me, rebuke me?

The Bible says yes in 1st Thessalonians 512.

All three are difficult. One, I got to recognize those that work amongst us.

Two, I've got to acknowledge that they are over me. Yikes! I thought this was Eden,

everything was equal. No, that was after the fall.

And three, I must respect them because they rebuke me.

Thank God this is scripture. Any questions before we move on?

Any questions? Cool. What else is expected of shepherds in this church?

They must follow. Let's put them on the spot. If you lead a house church or wali or anything of that sort, can you stand?

Okay, this is what is expected of these and anyone else who is missing. This is the measure.

And if they don't change six months from now, then you can begin to say, but I find fault based on this plumb line.

You can sit.

Shepherds, follow the example of the good shepherd.

Shepherds follow the example.

Follow the example of the good shepherd.

And if you want to find out what that looks like, read John 10 or Psalm 23 and you get a decent idea

where it all culminates with just one simple sentence.

A shepherd lays down his life for a sheep and in Jesus's case that was real.

In your case, it should be a shepherd pulls out his life for a sheep, pulls out his life.

And so do the ones that lead you pour out their lives for you.

What is pouring out their lives looks like?

It must inconvenience them and they must be depleted because of you.

They must have less power than you.

They must have less strength, less money, less time, less self-focus, less time for their families.

They must have less so that you have more.

Oh my God, yeah.

I feel embarrassed to read this because none of us measure up to it.

So, what is pouring out their lives for you?

It's a question of what is pouring out their lives for you.

What is pouring out their lives for you?

I feel embarrassed to read this because none of us measure up to it.

I mean, to begin with, he became poor so that we become rich.

And we think it's money and it is money, but it's more than money.

Let's go to this terrible passage.

Working together with him then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

For he says, in a favorable time I listen to you and in a day of salvation I've helped you.

Behold, now is a favorable time.

We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found with our ministry.

But as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way by great endurance in afflictions, hardships, calamities,

imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger, by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,

the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, power of God, weapons of righteousness on right hand and left.

Through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise, we are treated as imposters and yet are true.

As unknown, yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as punished and yet not killed,

as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you Corinthians. Our heart is wide open.

You are not restricted by us. You are restricted in your own affections.

In return, widen your hearts also.

This is Paul talking to the Corinthians, saying, this is what I'm doing for you so that you become rich and I become poor.

Later on he goes on to say that I'm going to pour out my life as an offering so that you increase and I decrease.

Later on in sarcasm he says in 1 Corinthians, we are the scum of the earth, but if you live as kings, so be it.

Time and time again Paul talks about how he was lessened so that his people may increase.

Oh sorry, 2 Corinthians 6.

The reason I don't read it is when you read this, it is definitely not the resume of anyone in this church.

Yeah, very good question because this happens often especially in Asia and South Asia in particular

where people turn their backs on their own families to serve the church and particularly their own spouses and children suffer a lot.

That is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about there is a sacrifice that comes with taking...

Let me put it this way. As parents, is there a sacrifice when your children arrive?

Is there a sacrifice of sleep? Is there a sacrifice of time with each other?

Is there a sacrifice of space? Is there a sacrifice of hours spent? Is there a sacrifice of staying up?

Is there a sacrifice? I mean is there a limit to the sacrifice your parents have for your children? No.

But it is willingly given. It's the same that is supposed to apply to the church.

Hopefully one of us will show how this is to be an example.

Yeah, just one sec, Mari. Where you go to an extent where you pour out your lives because you actually see the ones you're raising as your own.

When that happens, the ones that you're raising begin to actually take care of your family also.

It hasn't happened. That is why we see these terrible situations where a pastor ignores his wife and children and serves the church.

But the reality would be, can I take care of your family so intensely that as I raise your family, you begin to look after mine?

Because ideally, according to Christ, the church is supposed to be the family of families.

It is not supposed to be like a family. It is supposed to be the family.

Church is not supposed to be like your family. Church is to be your family.

And the reason we struggle with that is because we want it to happen to us first before we will reciprocate.

And you might have a measure that is completely skewed.

But the ideal thing would be, can Derek and Iris lay aside things that they would spend time on to take care of someone else

so that when it comes time to taking care of Iris, when Derek is in Dubai, let's assume the parents weren't here, his brother wasn't here,

would people just gather around her and do everything in their power without overcrowding to make sure that Derek doesn't have a thing to worry about?

When one of the young mothers in this church is struggling, can other people go around and do it as if it's the easiest thing in the world?

Can it even happen? We might think, but that's so unreal. Why is it unreal? Because no one's done it yet.

I have seen it in my life. I've seen what I did for Derek when Derek first came here. And I see how Derek takes care of me and it blows my mind.

I'm just giving you one example. I can pick others in this church.

I love how 2 Corinthians 6, that bit I read, end. It says, Corinthians, we've opened our hearts to you.

Open wide your hearts so that you can embrace us too. And I say to you, to many of us who are sitting here, I say to you,

some of your leaders have opened their hearts to you. You now, open your hearts so that you can embrace them.

Because if you're waiting for people to jump off the steeple to prove how much they love you, it ain't going to happen.

Because this is not a test. It's a relationship. A relationship does not happen unless it's two ways. Surely by now you know that.

How many?

Let me read it.

First, Timothy.

Yeah, if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

And so the way we look at it is, yes, you have to take care of your household, which is part of the larger household.

Or if this is your family, this is the family of families. If you take care of this well, you actually end up taking care of this well.

If you take care of this well, you actually end up taking care of this well. It goes both ways.

If I take care of the larger family well, my family is taken care of. If I take care of my family well, then I can take care of the larger family.

So let's assume these two are my family. If I take care of them well, I now set myself up to take care of you well.

But if I take care of you well, then you will take care of them for me. It works both ways.

But open wide your hearts to receive this. Often the restriction is, no, don't believe this. No, things will go wrong. No, it happened in the past. No, don't trust you.

And so there's always a hundred reasons why. There is a risk in relationship always, guys, always.

Don't stop. All I'm saying is don't stop. If you are not there, keep working towards it. Next year get there. But don't stop. Don't shut the heart off.

Let me read 2 Corinthians 6 again. 2 Corinthians 6.

Verse 11. We have spoken freely to you Corinthians. Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us. You're restricted in your own affections.

In return, I speak as to children, widen your heart also. Reading from the NLT.

Oh, dear Corinthian friends, we have spoken honestly with you and our hearts are open to you.

There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I'm asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us.

Message. Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter into this wide open spacious life.

We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.

I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively. Beautiful, eh?

Another thing that is expected of shepherds. Shepherds must display their lives. Shepherds must display lives.

Must display lives. Hebrews 13, verse 7. Hebrews 13, 7. They must display their lives.

Hebrews 13:7

So that others can so others can consider outcomes, can consider outcomes and imitate.

You can't have a life that you live as a shepherd, as a shepherd when you want to be a shepherd.

Not only do you lose your life, but also your life.

and imitate.

You can't have a life that you live as a shepherd and a life that you live privately.

Shepherds must display lives so that others can consider outcomes and imitate.

You can't have a private and public life.

I'm not saying you can't have private, your own secrets or your own thing between husband

and wife.

I'm not talking about that.

But try to live your life as openly as possible so that people can consider how you live,

see the outcomes and imitate or not imitate.

Next one.

They must admonish, must admonish, must rebuke, must warn, must correct with tears sometimes.

To some it will be life-giving, to others it will be controlling.

To some it will be life-giving, to others it will be controlling.

And there's nothing you can do about it.

Nothing.

Nothing.

To some it will be life-giving when you admonish them, when you rebuke them.

It will be life-giving.

To others you'll be someone who's trying to control their lives.

There's nothing you can do about it.

One of the things you must be willing to as a shepherd is understand that your reputation

may be sullied, that there might be accusations.

You have to take that as part of the job description.

It's like a patient going to the doctor and telling the doctor, I don't want to be a

shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

I don't want to be a shepherd.

It's like a patient going to the doctor and telling the doctor, I do not like that diagnosis

or that prescription.

I know what's good for me, so can you change it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Ripper strip would be not good in any circumstance, but rebuke and do the mother father thing

is important.

And this is the thing.

I want to be treated a certain way when you correct me.

And if it is not palatable, I find it offensive.

Little knowing perhaps that the way you are dealing with me is perhaps the only way that

will get me from point A to point B. And that if you're not here to cater to me, you're

here to raise me.

I mean, some of the people who kicked me in my pants, if they hadn't kicked me in my pants,

I would not have made it.

The husband was sitting and saying, don't say anything.

Poor guy.

He's on his own.

The wife was saying, I don't care if he's on his own.

He needs a kick in his pants.

Past a couple.

And thank God they did.

Okay.

So there's substance to what Jill is saying in terms of you cannot rip a strip of a person.

You have to be mindful of where the person is at.

You have to be mindful of how Mark responds the first two times you deal with him.

And perhaps there's a different stroke that has to be used so that the next time it's

more palatable.

But it does not mean that you end up playing Mark's tune because Mark's tune hasn't worked

for Mark.

It's time to play a different tune.

We are here to raise up warriors.

We are here to raise up people that measure up to the stature of Christ.

I don't know if Peter was particularly impressed with Get The Behind Me, Satan.

Said loudly enough to be recorded in all the gospels.

There must be a balance.

I think one of the things that will bring balance is if I do not prejudge you.

That's one thing that will be helpful.

Two, can I always keep in the back of my mind the fact that a shepherd is a parent?

This is a good side.

This is the heavenly side, by the way.

Go ahead.

Marco, if you want to change places, you're allowed to.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Yeah.

What's towards him?

But what did the father do?

Yeah.

Waited for him to?

You lose your way, go find the person.

You choose your way, wait for the person to come back.

The prodigal came back and the father was there waiting for him.

You come back, I'll embrace you and I'll cut the calf as many times you go and come back.

And have a party.

But you must choose to come back, just like George has now come back.

Lost your way, huh?

Shepherds must not covet, must not fleece the ones under their charge, must not ignore, must not be harsh.

All this is said in Ezekiel, and I'll tell you what I said.

Must not be harsh.

All this is said in Ezekiel 34, verse 2 to 5, where God is quite upset with shepherds that fleece their sheep, that covet what is their sheep, that ignore sheep, that favor certain sheep over the others, that are harsh with sheep.

Ezekiel 34:2–5

Actually the language used is pretty strong, so let me read from Ezekiel 34.

Ezekiel 34, verse 2.

Ezekiel 34:2

I'm reading from, let's read from the NIV.

You eat the curds, you clothe yourselves with wool and slaughter the choyed animals.

You do not take care of the flock.

You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.

You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.

You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, as surely as I live, because my flock lacks a shepherd and I have been plundered and I have become food for the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock or care for them.

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, I am against the shepherds.

I will hold them accountable for my flock.

I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves.

I will rescue my flock from their mouths and it will no longer be food for them.

Strong words.

As in, I take advantage of you, take your car, take your fleece and hoodie.

Basically, fleece the sheep.

But when it comes to you, I can't fleece you.

So, take.

I love what Paul says in Acts chapter 20, verse 35.

Acts 20:35

He says, go to Acts 20, 35.

Acts 20, 35.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak.

Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, it is more blessed to give than receive.

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

So the idea that shepherds must be crazy givers, crazy givers.

Not small-time givers, crazy givers.

Go to verse 26 and 27.

Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.

For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

That's another thing shepherds must do.

That I have done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you.

I've said this before and I say it again today.

I've never held back any Sunday at Acts 29.

Everything that God has for you or that I have in me from God to give you.

Not held back.

You've received only the best, always the best, entirely the best every Sunday since 2006.

You've not received anything less.

That I assure you and I say it with absolute humility, knowing that God is my witness.

And I am a super generous guy.

My left hand should not know what my right hand is giving.

But as it says in 2 Corinthians 12, let me boast a little like a fool.

Yeah.

When I look at some of the guys that stood up, I know their lives.

I know how much they've given.

I know how much they earn and how much they give.

It's stupid.

This is a decent church guys.

But all these guys I talked about including this wonderful guy is severely flawed and must be measured using this plumb line to see if it gets better.

They must get better.

How do you measure shepherds over a period of time?

One, fruitfulness.

Fruitfulness.

As in, are they Christ-like?

Are they Christ-like?

Every year, are they increasing in Christ-likeness?

How do they respond under pressure?

That's one of the measures I use to measure the ones that stand up.

I want to see how Dawn will react under pressure this year compared to last year.

I want to see how when Diana is put in situations, is her response the same as last year?

That's one of the ways I measure leaders here.

How are they responding?

Under the same circumstances, under increasing pressure, did they respond the same way as they did last year?

And Christ-likeness. Fruitfulness is Christ-likeness.

Do the same circumstances provoke the same response from me?

Or is it different now?

Is there a greater calmness? Is there a greater wisdom? Is there less fear? Is there less reaction?

Is there less defaulting to the same ways? I always react to a situation.

Am I holding on to the same things that I was gung-ho about two years ago or have I changed?

Is the heart kinder?

These are the things one must measure under the same responses.

I'm not just saying leaders. I would use the same measure to see if I put Pawan in a situation that I put him two years ago, how would he respond?

That's a good measure, isn't it?

Alrighty.

Why do we need shepherds?

Ah man, we won't be able to finish this today.

Before we go to why do we need shepherds, here are some things that we have to be careful of going forward.

Acts 20, verse 29.

Acts 20:29

Acts 20, verse 29.

Acts 20:29

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come among you. I will not spare the flock.

Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples.

So, be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all the saints.

He's talking to the ones he appointed. Verse 28.

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Crazy.

That is the thing that is most important. Listen, this was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ.

I have placed you as a shepherd over it. Guard it well because there will be savage wolves that attack from outside.

And there will be people that rise up from inside that distort the truth.

That is what we have to take a stand against. Those that distort the truth from inside and savage wolves that attack from outside.

And therefore you need shepherds.

You have Psalm 23. Your rod and your staff, they protect me.

The staff is instruction. The staff is used to draw in. The staff is used to protect.

The rod is a rod of authority and discipline, a casting out.

And a true shepherd who knows how to rise up and stand tall has the ability to use that rod of authority.

Powerfully.

Because battle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil forces using men and women.

Suddenly you don't want to be a shepherd.

Yep.

Yeah, their comfort. Because the sheep are comforted with the rod and the staff.

Their rod is used to chase away predators.

The shepherd, sometimes they use the same thing with a hook to draw the sheep into safety.

And then flip it around and then take it and whack the predator on the head.

So it brings comfort to the sheep, absolutely.

But it is the expense of a split skull to the predator.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The rod and the staff do comfort.

But to one it's comfort, to the other one it's a cracked skull.

Go ahead, Marco.

Yeah. Yeah. Shepherds, just like parents, have the ability to see in their children things that the child is good at before the child knows it.

And then find either people that can help them walk in it or encourage them in that without having them escape simple chores like washing the dishes, drying them, cleaning the toilets, etc.

Yeah.

Because otherwise you get so specialized that you won't do any of that.

Shepherds found the community.

They shape the community.

They stabilize the community.

Therefore, if anyone comes from the outside to shake the foundations, to distort the shape of the community, they are not going to be able to do anything.

If you want to shake the foundations, to distort the shape or destabilize that which is being stabilized with falsehoods or distorted teaching

or discord, then it is a job of a shepherd to stand against it despite accusations, threads, etc.

You're supposed to do that, man.

Wouldn't you do it as a dad over your house or as a mom over your children?

You would do that.

Do it for the church, too.

If someone has a different teaching, well, go start your own flock.

supposed to do that man. Wouldn't you do it as a dad over your house or as a mum over

your children? You would do that. Do it for the church too. If someone has a different

teaching, well go start your own flock. Don't come and destabilize some other one, someone

else's flock. Because if you do, shepherds in the flock, and thank God there are plenty

of them, should stand up and say, you have no authority here. We are creating a counter

culture guys, a community that is different from the communities of the world. And they

are so, this is important. Let me end with why do we need shepherds? I'll try and finish

in five minutes. Why do we need shepherds? Go to Matthew 9, 35 to 38. Matthew 9, 35 to

38. Jesus went through all towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming

the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowd,

he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without

a shepherd. Then he said to the disciples, the harvest is plentiful for the workers,

a few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into a harvest field. When you

read the full scripture, you realize that what Jesus is asking for there is shepherds.

We always say laborers are few, laborers are few, and we leave it as, oh maybe you need

some more people to arrange the chairs and to play music. No, he's asking for shepherds.

He saw them and he saw that there was sheep without a shepherd. And then he says, pray

to the Holy Spirit that there are more shepherds that are raised. It's a good thing to desire

because the Holy Spirit is looking for it too. Because there are many more flocks to

be built, many more sheep that have to be brought in, and sheep that have to be raised

so that sheep become shepherds. There's never going to be a time when you could say, oh

too many pastors. And the great thing is you don't even have to go to Bible college for

this. Acts 14, 21 to 23. Acts 14, 21 to 23. They preached the gospel in that city and

won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. We must

go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed

elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord in

whom they had put their trust. There was need for shepherds when sheep were gathered together.

So shepherds are critical to sheep. Let's change the word sheep to sons and daughters

because there's only one good shepherd being raised. John 10, 16. John 10, 16. I have other

sheep that are not of the sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my

voice. There shall be one flock and one shepherd. More sheep pens means that the good shepherd

needs more shepherds. Why do we need shepherds? Because shepherds that have the heart of a

father, shepherds that have the father's heart will raise churches that are not orphanages.

But homes where the solitary can be settled, you should read Psalm 68.

Verse 5 and 6, it talks about that. This is one of the difficult things if you're not

discipled. If you resist being discipled, then you do not end up being in a position to disciple.

A part of being discipled is very simple. I've said this before. What is a disciple?

A disciple is someone who understands divine sonship and divine ownership. Divine sonship,

divine ownership. That's a disciple. One who understands what it is to have a father and to

convey his attributes and to have a master and serve at his command. That's discipleship. It's

beautiful. Discipleship at the end of the day is divine sonship, divine ownership. One that knows

the father and is able to convey the attributes of the father to the ones that he's raising. One

that knows his master and serves at the pleasure of the master. Those are the two things. And so,

when one is not discipled, one does not get to a place where one can then raise a church

that is not an orphanage. Read Numbers 11, 10 to 15, and we'll close Numbers 11. Shepherding is a

difficult process. Shepherding is a very difficult process. Before you sign up,

it's not easy. Numbers 11, 10 to 15. Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance

to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord,

Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the

burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do

you tell me to carry them in my arms as a nurse carries an infant to the land you promised on

oath to the ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me,

give us meat to eat. I cannot carry all these people by myself. The burden is too heavy for me.

If this is how you're going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me. If I have found favor in

your eyes, do not let me face my own ruin. He was one of the first shepherds in the Bible. In the

matter of a few years, he wanted God to take his life. Smart guy, didn't want to commit suicide.

Take my life. Now go to Hebrews 13-7. Hebrews 13-7.

No, that's not the one I'm looking for. But it says, but it'll do for now. Remember your leaders

who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their

faith. There's another one which says, try not to be a burden to your leaders. Try not to be a

burden to your leaders. Oh, Hebrews 13-17, sorry. 17, not seven. Have confidence in your leaders.

Submit to their authority because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do

this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Occasionally, if you are able to walk with some of the guys who are shepherds and who lead,

they're able to draw on God and give you a destiny by the Spirit of God, reserved for you like nobody

else can. There's nothing that you have that does not come from God. I cannot give you anything.

But here are the things I can do for Mark. I can tell him what is reserved for him in heaven. I

can stir up that which is already in him. I can impart to him gifts that already exist. Paul says

that in Romans chapter. I can encourage him to see with clear eyes the destiny that he may not be

able to see with clarity. These things one can do for him. I can take that which is upon me that I

see in him and say, he run in this. Those are things that leaders can do for people. But it

all depends on whether Mark desires it, wants it, chooses it, runs after it. An opportunity must be

given. But the prerogative is mine to give an opportunity his to run in it. And a day will come

and you will have to do that for someone else. But you go and say to an Elisha who's waiting and you

say, here I'm throwing a mantle upon you. I want to give you this opportunity to grow in it, to rise

in it. I see what God has for you. I know you know it too. But perhaps you can't run in it. Let me help

you. Let me impart to you a gift that will help you. Let me stir up within you that which already

exists. Let me tell you what God has. Let me open your eyes so that you see with greater clarity

that which lies ahead of you. Let me paint an attainable milestone that you can walk towards.

Let me help your lame legs and your blurred vision. Am I special in doing that? No. But I've run this

before you and people did it for me. Let me pass on the gift. And now that it has been offered to

her, the question is, does she want to step into it? The prerogative to give it is mine. The prerogative

to pursue it is hers. This is why Elijah walks away after throwing the mantle. And then Elisha says,

I've got to say goodbye to my parents. Elijah says, what is it to me? It's deliberate. Numbers 11,

14-17. Numbers 11, 14-17. This is an Old Testament pattern. Please don't think that this is how it

happens now because the Holy Spirit is upon all of us. But there are traits in a church or in the

life of someone who is learning under the leader. There are traits that get transferred to the people

under that leader. Numbers 11, 14-17. Numbers 11, 14-17. So he says, I cannot carry all these people.

And he says, kill me. The Lord said to Moses, bring me 70 of Israel's elders who are known to you as

leaders and officials among them. Have them come to the tent of meeting that they may stand here

with you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the power of the spirit that

is on you and put it upon them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will

not have to carry it alone. Sometimes when I watch how things go on here when I'm not here,

you think it's not evident? You think a Tooney or a Remy or a Jane who do worship, they don't carry

the same genes? You think the ones who speak here don't carry the same genes? It's not Jacob's genes.

It's the spirit of God who gives certain places traits and those genes get transferred.

That's close. Father, thank you. Love this series, Culture of the Household. Thank you that there

are measures that you want us to aspire to attain. Thank you that it says in Ephesians 4, to be

conformed to the nature of Christ, to the stature of Christ. Thank you that you, Jesus, are the great

shepherd, the good shepherd. Thank you that you lived your life openly. Thank you that there is a

person to imitate, a person to model our lives after. Thank you for the writings and the letters

written by Paul, Peter, John that show us how shepherds should walk. Thank you that there's

nobody here who cannot one day walk in being shepherds and raising up others that in turn

can lead. Thank you. Our desire is to be able to continue towards this end where pouring out our

lives for the sake of others is most normal, natural thing to do. Once again, I pray that

starting with me, down to all the shepherds that are in this church right now, that self-preservation

will end, that self-preservation will end, that self-preservation will end. Thank you that we are

establishing a culture. Thank you that Acts 29 is going back to its core roots. Thank you that what

will emerge will be strong in 2024. I bless you, Father, for your kindness to us. And then finally,

this is your flock brought with your blood. You are the great shepherd. We acknowledge you.

Before we acknowledge man, we acknowledge you. We take our direction from you. These things that

we have talked about are things that you have said. We obey you. I obey you. But we will take

on our responsibility seriously and walk in it as shepherds because you've set a plumb line for us.

In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, Mike. Hi, Karen. We started five, but next week we are starting at three.