GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP
Thursday – August 16, 2018, Elul 5, 5778
Greetings and welcome back to this faith building Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. As those of you who are following the teaching know we very near the end of Hebrews. When it is finished I will move to another Book for our education and build faith. The featured picture is of the harbor in Boothbay Maine on a recent visit. Very picturesque, typical Maine coast, beautiful. Now, let’s turn our attention to our primary text reading it aloud.
Hebrews 13:20-22 (KJV)
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
Today I will start with talking about the “great shepherd of the sheep”. I hope we all know that Jesus is the “great shepherd”. There are many under shepherds in the earth like those in the Five-Fold Ministry. We are all sheep whether in the Five-Fold Ministry or not. I have heard it said that sheep are among the dumbest of animals. I never found that particularly encouraging. We live in a day when the sheep are scattered and the shepherds are weak and contribute to the scattering. If you don’t think so just look at all of the different brands of Christianity within ten miles of your home, say nothing of the city, state, country, or world. We will go to three different references concerning the sheep and the great Shepherd. First to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 23:1-4 (KJV)
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
As we look at this passage I think we all instinctively understand that “woe” is not something good. We see the LORD referring to the scattering of the sheep by the pastors or leaders, in this case Israel, but it is ongoing in the Church today. The LORD assures us He will raise up Pastors who will care for the sheep and the sheep will return to their proper fold. In that place with these new shepherds the LORD is raising up they will receive the proper feed (Word of God). With good feed the LORD says they can be fruitful and increase. This is hard to find fruitfulness and increase in the Church today, look at your own Church. He goes on to say that the feed given (Word of God) will also remove fear, dismay, and lack. As you will recall, fear is the opposite of love. Godly love at its core is doing the Word of God with a willing heart. Fear is not believing that God will keep His end of the bargain so to speak. The root of fear is unbelief, resulting in a lack of love, we turn inward instead of outward and the manifestation is fear. It is everywhere in and out of the Church. Faith and love grow together you cannot have one without the other. The same is true of unbelief and fear you cannot have one without the other. Next, we see that the sheep will no longer be dismayed which is confusion. The opposite of dismay, confusion, is knowledge and faith. So rather than statements like “I just don’t know” and “I don’t understand” we must decree the Word of God concerning any and all situations. Finally, the rising Church will not be in lack. Today there is nothing but lack in the Church except among a few. Poverty has almost been memorialized in the Church and nothing could be further from the will of God, the Truth. In summary, the great Shepherd is raising up a Church that is fruitful, increasing, walking in love, walking in knowledge with faith, and overflowing abundance. Next, I will go to a very familiar portion of Scripture and pick up with this theme again tomorrow Lord willing.
Psalm 23:1-6 (KJV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
This is the work of the great Shepherd, you will find this flock being fruitful, increasing, walking in love, walking in knowledge with faith, and overflowing abundance. O what a Shepherd!
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 3:14-17 (KJV)
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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