Scripture: John 10:11-18
What is the real work of a pastor? Some would call them the shepherd of the church, but I do not fully agree. As a pastor I do not really want to be the shepherd. I do have a role to play as does everyone else in the church. But to be honest all of us are just the help. I cannot save anyone, I cannot forgive anyone, to be honest I can only pray for other and direct them to deepen their own relationship with Christ.
Some may say that I am wrong and that’s ok. Just think it through for a moment. Who is the one we follow? If we are followers of Christ we cannot follow anyone else but Christ. If a pastor takes the role of Christ then we do not follow Christ but that person. The pastor may be a really go person, but Christ is greater.
I love being a pastor. I love to encourage people, I love to teach about Christ, I love to assist people in their times of need. I love to tend the “sheep” but I as a pastor must remember that they are not my sheep, I am the help. If trouble comes to the Meeting that I am a pastor of, I can leave, and where would all the people be? I could go across the country enter into ministry in another Meeting but the people of the current Meeting I am at will remain where they are. I am the help, I can only encourage people to listen to the Shepherd.
I need to remember this as a pastor and a follower of Christ because it is important to be honest. Honesty is important to the Christian faith. It is important to realize that we are sheep in need of help. Wolves will come into our lives and we will be left vulnerable, unless we trust the shepherd.
As we pray today interact with Jesus. Imagine the scene that He is setting up. Imagine yourself as a sheep wondering around the wide medow. Who are you hearing? Is He calling to you to follow? As you wonder farther away in the medow you hear a noise and smell something different something sinister. What will you do, where do you turn? Who is there to help you?
The people around us can help to a point, but only to a point. Even the best pastor in the world can only do so much, because they too are sheep needing help. Prayer is where we interact with Christ, hear his voice, and can respond.
Discussion
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