the church

pastor peteInsights on church life

by Pastor Pete Beck III

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the ministry of a shepherd 

 

Indeed, I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not take heed to the sheep headed to slaughter, will not seek the scattered, and will not heal the injured. Moreover, he will not nourish the one that is healthy but instead will eat the meat of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. Zechariah 11:16 (NET1)

 

It is not usually a great idea to get a job description from a rebuke, but in this case it works. From the verse above, we can extract four qualities that God is looking for in those who minister to people in His name. These principles work inside and outside the church body. We are learning that it is possible to minister pastorally to those who are unchurched and do not yet know Christ. This is the underlying idea behind Mobile Ministry. Here are the the four things we need to do in order to be the kind of shepherds God wants. The first two are paired together.

 

Caring for those who are lost and heading for destruction and seeking the scattered - Jesus taught that a good shepherd will leave the ninety-nine sheep who are already safely in the herd to go after the one who is in danger. This means we must always have an eye for those who are struggling, wavering, drifting or otherwise in danger. This is the heart behind taking time to visit those in Town and Country or other neighborhoods who do not yet know Christ or who are not part of a church body that will take care of them.

Healing the broken and injured - All of us are broken in some way, but some of us are severely injured by sin and its consequences and need urgent care, and, perhaps, long-term rehabilitation. God wants his people to be healers and restorers, using the authority and truth of God's Word and the power of the Spirit in an atmosphere of love. We minister healing so that those receiving help can later become ministers themselves.

Sustaining, nourishing and feeding the healthy - If all we do is help the sick, the healthy may not stay well. A very important part of the church's responsibility is to minister to those who are already able to stand so that they will not fall. An army has to feed its soldiers if it want to win the war. Likewise, the church needs a healthy force of pastors and evangelists to reach the world for Christ, one person, one family and one neighborhood at a time.

 

Ask our Lord to give you His shepherd's heart for people so we can maximize the harvest in 2010.

 

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:36-38 (NET1)

 

 

 

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