Article: Feed My Sheep (Part One) – The Need to Feed

FEED MY SHEEP 1

The Need to Feed

In this four part series, Evangelist John Cawray examine the basic concept in Shepherding and Jesus examples. Ideal for Ministry leaders and Elders, part one focuses on the Need to Feed.

THE CONCEPT OF SHEPHERDING

In bible times shepherds were leaders. Shepherds were known for leading, caring and owning animal. The people know their leaders as shepherds.

Their role is that of parenting.

3 levels of the shepherds in Bible times: (1) political leaders (2) religious leaders (3) parents

Some prominent men or leaders in Bible times were physically shepherds:

 

Abel- Gen.4:2B

Abraham Gen12:16

Jacob Gen.30:29

Moses Exo.3:1

David 1 Samuel16:11

Shepherding in the sense of the church family is mostly about spiritually parenting.

Who is a parent?

A parent is one who cares, disciplines, sets good examples, loves, serves, provides, protects, guides, instructs, sacrifices, comforts etc…

John 21:15-18

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (NIV)

In a sense Jesus’ death on the cross was a sign of a job completed (it is finished…)

The apostles were to carry on the job entrusted them. Sadly, they abandoned their role of a shepherds and there movement stood still. Jesus had to come again and restored the shepherds.

To Jesus feeding the sheep is as important as loving him. If we love Jesus we show it by feeing the sheep. Remember that we too are part of the flock. We need to eat so that we can be healthy. We need to take feeding the church as an issue that is central on the heart of Jesus

Acts 20:25-31

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.   27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 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. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (NIV)

Putting it in other words this was what Paul said to the Elders of Ephesus:

I have not hesitated to feed you with the will of God (the gospel truth)

Take care of yourselves, be your brother’s/ sister’s keeper. Take care of the flock too that you have been called to lead. Do the work of a shepherd over the church. Remember he bought the church with his blood. The enemy will come after the flock when I (Paul) am gone. They will come to destroy the flock. He even said that the enemy will certainly come from within the church. These disciples with wrong motives will come to build up a fan base that will look up to them rather than God.

Watch out! For 3 years I have not stopped warning you about this issue.

Acts 6:1-4

6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. (NIV)

As the apostles saw the need for the mission this was what they proposed to the church:

Let spiritual men replace us (apostles) in the service of food so we (apostles) can feed the sheep. The apostles saw the need to feed the sheep.

*It is a bad example to not be fed spiritually. We must set good examples in wanting to be fed.

Who are you feeding?

It is very common these days for disciples of Jesus to lose their faith.

This is so mostly because they are spiritually starved. When you don’t eat then you stand a chance to die easily.  The church is hungry spiritually. The bible says that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be full. The church is not hungry and it is not thirsty for the word. The material greed and longing is what has taken over the church.

This is the call of Jesus; see the need to feed self and others. “FEED MY SHEEP!”

Memory verse John21:15

 

John Cawray

Egbeda Region