November 15, 2009 - My Shepherd, My Goal

Key Focus:

• Time in the Word Focus

One thing that makes it hard is that in English, we make shepherd and pastor into two different words, when in the original New Testament, they are the same word!

If Jesus is our Shepherd, and shepherding or pastoring is our goal in the way we lead with others, then Jesus is our model and our goal.

• Not model in this sense: [Small Imitation of the Real Thing
• Model in this sense: we are looking for leadership models and are constantly taking what we have learned in business or school or seminars and trying to pull it over. But there is a clear mandate on how we are lead in God's family, how we are to grow people.

We try to get at it when we look at our mission statement:

We are God's Community Front Porch -- Matthew 28:18-20 Discipling

Inviting                                    -- Going
Including                                  -- Baptizing
Involving                                  -- Teaching to Obey

This is pastoring. It is the style of our teaching and leadership. Not all of us will be called to be pastors, shepherds (same term). But we will all be called to pastor others.

-- students
-- children or grandchildren
-- those we mentor
-- those in our groups

But this is even much more important when we are looking at adding Shepherds to lead the body of Christ. [President James Garfield was a minister and an elder for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), making him the first preacher to serve as President. He is also claimed as a member of the Church of Christ, as the different branches did not split until the 20th Century. When he left to take up the office it is said when he relinquished his Eldership, "I resign the highest office in the land to become President of the United States."

All who shepherd God's people do so in reflection of Jesus: His style, His focus, His ministry, His sacrifice.

And Jesus is the model of what every shepherd that leads God's people should be. Again, Jesus becomes the filter through which we understand what it means to be a pastor, a shepherd. John 10 is one of His clearest statements about shepherding or pastoring, but along with it must go the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:1-7; & Luke 19:1-10 as an example in real life.)

When we find general character qualities for Shepherds in Ephesus and Cyprus. These are ways of helping those people see qualities of Jesus in the lives of folks who would lead them with the needs and demands of their culture. The lists are very similar, but a bit different, reminding us of the call for character, but humbling us to not be pigheaded about certain qualities.

But we must remember, Jesus is the standard: He is the great Shepherd of the sheep ( -- those guidelines are the applications of those standards in a couple of regions. We must not lose our standard, Jesus, to the guidelines. And underneath, there has to be this question:

does this person display Christ?
does this person know Christ?
does this person follow Christ?
does this person minister with the style of Christ?
will this person move folks closer to Christ?

But more than just this, we must commit to live a pastoring life in our relationships. As we try to live with people in our lives in the ways Jesus displays, then we also begin to see more clearly what it means for someone to take this leadership role in the Lord's church, the one He shed His blood to purchase. And this is crucial because of the [Banyan Tree and Mesquite Tree principle -- from Lynn Anderon's The Smell Like Sheep #2]!

So notice again the key marks of a shepherd Jesus gives in John 10; 1 Peter 5; Psalm 23; Acts 20:

1. Leads by example, not by bossing or lording it over them
2. Knows names -- cares about people personally, spends time with them
3. Helps find nourishment and rest -- restores their strength (physically & spiritually)
4. Protects from danger, even at personal risk (physically & spiritually)
5. Finds lost ones and brings back with joy

Communion Focus:

• Communion Scripture: 1 Peter 2:21-25
• Might be good to do a little exercise and have folks share the following ideas in the offering plate early in the service.

Using Hebrews 13:20-21 and remembering 1 Peter 2:21-25, what qualities do I need to have to be a shepherding influence in the life of someone else?

Key Songs:

• Key Songs:

  • TBD

Key SoHills Emphasis:

• Elder Selection
• Building Progress

• John 10:1-30
• 1 Peter 5:1-5
• Hebrews 13:20-21
• Revelation 7:17
• Acts 20:16-38

Drama, Media, & Connecting Pieces:

• Pre-video:
• Video Piece:
  • TBD
• Scripture reading
  • Scripture Directions
    1. Day - Elder leads us in Psalm 23 KJV after reading Ezekiel 34:11-15 early in service
    2. Ref - Elder leads us in Psalm 23 KJV after reading Ezekiel 34:11-15 early in service

Daybreak Focus: (See emphasis above! Team Working on Planning Order - Names)

Refresh Focus: (See emphasis above! Team Working on Planning Order - Names)