The first scenario from Psalm 23:1–4 talks about the scenario of the shepherd –

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads 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 You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The nature and characteristics of the shepherd are very clear in the above passage. They reflect God and foreshadow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, Who gave His precious life for us. He died and rose again, so that we can be justified and live.
 

In John 10:11–15 –

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
12 But he who is a hireling and 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.
13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

The nature of God as represented by the shepherd is contrasted with the nature of the world as represented by the hireling. The world is not concerned about correcting your wrongs or about your life. But if a Christian commits a sin, the Lord will rebuke, so that the Christian can walk on the right path again. The shepherd cares, so he provides for the sheep. But the hireling does not care when things go wrong. It is the love of God which will compel a Christian to tell another Christian that he or she did wrong. Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep knows Him. That is why He laid down His life for them.

B) THE SHEPHERD TENDS TO THE SHEEP

In John 21:15–17 –

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”

Jesus tends to His flock and watches over it. What about you? If you are one of the shepherds that God has raised, will you say anything if you see something wrong in a church?

I was in a church two weeks ago, when the power of God came down and revealed all kinds of sins in the congregation. The pastor kneeled down, raised his hands and said, “Today is a day of visitation.” The service took longer than usual as God began to deal with His people. Almost half of the church congregation was on the floor. Would you have kept quiet and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay”? No, it is not okay. When something is wrong, something is wrong. I will not tell you otherwise.

As a shepherd, you have to tend to the sheep to remove their ticks and scabs which disfigure them. We must represent Christ. Read also Acts 20:28, Isaiah 40:11 and 1 Peter 5:1–4. As elders, we must be examples for the sheep in the way we speak and act. Do not serve by compulsion nor for dishonest gain.


C) THE SHEPHERD LEADS THE SHEEP TO STILL WATERS

The Lord leads you to still waters where you can drink, not to troubled waters where you will be swept away.


D) THE SHEPHERD SHOWS CONCERN

The Shepherd leads the sheep in order to show His concern for them. If you have a burning desire in your heart for the welfare of others, you will be quick to correct them to show your concern. But if you do not care, you will not correct anyone.


E) THE SHEPHERD PROTECTS THE SHEEP

As a shepherd, do you protect your sheep? Acts 20:29–32 tell us –

29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The Shepherd always protects His sheep so that they will not be deceived. As shepherds, we are to protect believers from wolves who come in to mislead them. We have to correct the unrighteous through the word of God.

 

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