God's Calling for Us to Be Shepherds — Sanjay Poonen

The Older Brother and the Call to Shepherd Others

How many of you are oldest brothers in your family or oldest siblings in the family? I know Sandeep wasn't speaking at me, but all of you can can relate if you are an oldest brother how easy it is to be a Pharisee and How much it's so easy for us to Lord it over the others and it doesn't have to be just physically the older when the Lord gives us a little bit of Wisdom and a little bit of blessing like he has given us in the fellowship here.

We can act like an older brother to so many around us who are growing in our younger sheep and The burden the Lord has for us is what Sunday was speaking at the end to shepherd his sheep and I Want you to imagine if you were driving this morning? To the meeting and you saw just as you came up near the entrance of cooktown a big Advertisement who's that said wanted new young men to play for the Indian cricket team and only boys from CFC can apply.

Or you saw another ad that said Whipro emphasis is hiring only sisters from CFC. Well, you have to go to a certain place at 930 in the morning on Sunday, and then I wonder how many of you will come here.

What the Lord has has put a big ad is He is looking for shepherds. He is looking and at the ad says wanted shepherds for the kingdom and today There are so many Who live either as sheep who are wandering around and never have a calling to be a shepherd?

We've heard about the oldest brother the tragedy of that whole story and it's so fresh. It came this morning is he should have been a shepherd to the younger brother. He shouldn't have waited for the younger brother to have gotten lost and then come back and then continue to be a Pharisee.

Even after the younger brother came back. If you turn in your Bibles to to Zechariah and chapter 10 and verse 2 or 10 chapter 1 Here it says ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain the Lord who makes the storm clouds and He will give them showers of rain vegetation in the field to each man.

But they go to the diviners who speak iniquity and Lying visions and tell false dreams they comfort in vain. The people wander like sheep and are afflicted because they have no shepherd and the first challenge often for those of us is We have no shepherd who we can look up to.

Submission to a Shepherd and Spiritual Direction

If we want to be if the Lord has called us to be a shepherd. Lord has called every one of us when we think About a shepherd the natural reaction is oh, it's brother Ian. It's brother Newton. It's brother Zach.

They are the shepherd and we are the sheep. And the Lord is calling us all to be shepherds in our sphere of influence. It may be in our family where we have a younger sibling or it may be we now for a wife or a child or for a small group of Children in the Sunday school you're in or the music or the singing.

Though it's called us to be a shepherd and the first thing we have to do is we have to have a shepherd that we submit to and so often today I find that So many of the Christians who grow up are aimless.

They're walking without a shepherd who can give them Counsel. They're going often as it says here in verse 2 to the diviners to the psychologists to the people who Worldly books maybe even Christian preachers on on television, but they have no shepherd in their own life that can give them Counsel and who can rebuke them.

They grow up and they become aimless. They're like a sheep without a shepherd and The first thing that the Lord wants to do to us if he wants to make us a shepherd is we need a shepherd in our life. That we can submit to.

Even if we're not physically living here in Bangalore the Lord we have to pray that the Lord puts a shepherd in our life. Who can who can can guide us? The second challenge is often most of Of us don't have a compassion and now let's say that the Lord has given us a shepherd.

Compassion for the Needy

We still feel that our burden is just for ourselves. The Lord has not given us a compassion to go beyond just what is our own selfish interest. To be a shepherd to somebody else like the oldest brother should have been to his youngest brother.

It says about Jesus and you know this verse very well in Matthew 9 36. Seeing the people he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and Just and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd and Jesus ministry was always about looking for the needy.

He was searching out those who were needy in The ones that if he was ministering to he didn't come for the wealthy for the rich for the for the those who were In good condition. He came for the sick and for the needy and he was always seeking out Compassionately for those he could help.

The heart of a shepherd is number one. They have a shepherd they can look up to a number two they have a compassion for those under the oldest brother should have had that for his youngest brother and Number three is when the Lord gives them responsibility for sheep they shun it and.

The Good Shepherd Versus the Hired Hand

And those of us who know the wonderful chapter in John chapter 10 and verse 12 where it talks about the Good Shepherd and John chapter 10 in Verse 12 in the message translation. It says I am the Good Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself. Sacrifices himself if necessary. A Hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf coming and he runs for. Runs for it leaves the sheep's to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf.

He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. So one the Lord gives us a shepherd. We look up to a shepherd number two. He gives us compassion. But unfortunately number three if we don't have a heart of a shepherd.

That Jesus had which is not I'm in it for myself. I'm in it for the money or I'm in it for something else. These are hired hands and the next page in Zechariah 11 verse 17 It has a curse to such shepherds who are hired hands.

Woe to the worthless shepherds. It says who leave the flock a Sword will be on his arm and on his right eye. His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind and There are many shepherds even some among us that we've known who have had in their mind selfish motive and The Lord has to humble us completely.

So that we shed all the selfish motives when the Lord gives us sheep. So that we have pure motives in our heart completely for the sheep the way Jesus had compassionate not a hired hand. Somebody who whenever the wolves come in the wolves today could be anything that distract us.

It doesn't have to be the devil. It could be our work. It could be our jobs. It could be a lot of different pressures that come to distract us. And what do we find if we leave the sheep alone? That is the Heart and spirit of a hired hand who leaves the sheep.

Leaving leaving them alone when the Lord has asked us To tend to them and to look after them who knows what type of shepherd the the the eldest brother was. He was one of those three. He either did not have a shepherd that he looked up to his father.

Whoever was that the Lord he didn't have compassion or he was just in it for himself. And I want to just share four examples. We will look more at some of these examples during And during the the youth camp, but I thought to just share a few of these examples that the Lord has blessed me from the Bible of Shepherds.

David: Submission Before Leadership

Who had a heart for the Lord for sheep from the time they were young. And as the Lord grew them into more and more responsibility. That heart of the shepherd just grew. The first obviously is the one that we know who's written.

The Lord is my shepherd and that's David. And if you think back to his story He was submissive. Even when he was not the king to an evil king to Saul God put him under Saul and He was submissive for years.

He was he was anointed and he knew in his heart of hearts he was going to be the king and the shepherd for all of Israel, but the time hadn't come he was submissive and There's a point in all our lives where there will be years and years where we have to learn to be submissive to the authority God has put in our lives and That's very important.

David learned that yet when he was submissive He still had a passion for the heart of God's people when he saw Goliath that was rebuking God's people he went himself and He slayed Goliath as we know and It's said about him we can look more about the story of David many of us know about this.

But imagine that it could be said when Saul died in first current Chronicles in 11 and verse 2 and this is when Saul died the people of Israel, so the sheep came to David and said In the past yet, even while Saul was king you were the true leader.

Because God told you you will shepherd my people. You are the ruler of my people. Imagine that when the Lord was about to anoint him the people already knew that he was a shepherd he was already the ruler because he had acted in a way that was a shepherd even though he wasn't yet the king and That's a tremendous part of what the Lord wants to do in our hearts as he prepares us to be a shepherd.

To maybe even just a very very small set. That the Lord may give us sheep for and the sheep may be only our family. Or the sheep may be only a small or smaller group of for some who have a ministry for a larger Fellowship that may be a much larger setting, but it starts with submission like David learned.

Even before he was officially the king. The second example is Joseph and We know the story very well. He probably was not very submissive. When he shared his dream with his brothers saying all of you will bow down to me.

Joseph: Seeing God's Sovereignty Through Suffering

But he learned it. He learned it because as soon as he was sent to Egypt He was sent as a slave. All through his 20s. He was in prison and He learned the sovereignty of God even through that circumstance and Imagine now when he in Genesis 45 if we turn to Genesis 45 and verse 5 Where years later to all these brothers who had treated him in hostility and he knew That they had wrecked his life.

But later on the Lord had restored it. Imagine that when you see those who have treated you unkindly and maybe they're your own family. That you could have a response the way Joseph did and I'm reading again from the message Bible in Genesis 45 verse 5 I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt.

But don't feel badly. Don't blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. There's been a famine for two years and the famine will continue. God sent me on ahead to pave the way so there'd be a remnant in the land.

So you see it wasn't you who sent me here, but it was God. He sent me in a place to be a father to Pharaoh. Put me in charge of his personal affairs. Imagine that you could have that heart. That even when someone has treated you badly from your own family.

You're able to see God's hand in it and then save them eventually. The passion that Joseph had as a shepherd Was always for the kingdom of God even though he was in Egypt his heart was for his family in Israel a Third example and I've got just two more.

That I want to share and we'll for those of you are the young people who are going to be coming to the camp next weekend. We'll look more at the lives of some of these great saints of God who the Lord gave them a shepherding heart.

They were not some of them were youngest in the family or middle in the family as we know from David and from Joseph. But it God is no respecter where you are in your family. You could be the oldest you could be the youngest.

Nehemiah: Grieving Over God's Kingdom

The Lord's given you a heart to be a shepherd. And you're able to live the life like some of these great men of God did. There's a tremendous tremendous Blessing ahead. The third example is Nehemiah and many of us don't know the story as much because it's not but he was The number two person so think about being the chief of staff to to the Prime Minister of India yet when one of his brothers physically came to him in Nehemiah chapter 1 and verse 3 and Told him about what was going on.

He basically it says He wept and they said to me. The remnant there in In in the province who survived are in great distress and reports the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned. With fire and came about when I heard these words I sat down and I wept and mourned for days.

Lord had given him a passion for the kingdom. Where his heart even though he was in a position he was not Ezra who was called to be the priest and actually the person who was the Minister of God. He was a full-time.

He had a full-time job job an important job in the government yet the Lord given a passion where when The walls of Jerusalem were broken. He wept for days and as you know the rest of the story He was a 40 year old man.

He helped build the walls and then later on if you fast-forward through his life. In Nehemiah 13, he went back. And came back at the age of 63. We believe and he found again when he came back that there was all kinds of desecration going on in Jerusalem.

And there's in Nehemiah 13 and verse 25 picture now this man as a 63 year old man. He had so much passion. He had so much of a shepherd's heart for God. When he saw that all these mixed marriages were going on all the desecration was going on in the temple of God.

Here is the 63 year old man. I contended with them. I beat them and I pulled their hair out. Saying you shall not give your daughters to the sons nor take your daughters for your sons for yourselves. He had such a passion for God's kingdom.

And he had a shepherd's heart that he was willing to pull the hair out at age 63. Tremendous example of a shepherd of God. Even though he was not a full-time Worker he was not he didn't know it wasn't called to a public ministry.

He was called a full-time job. His heart was for building the temple and the fourth example is one we also know very well in the New Testament, and that's Peter and. And we know the story of Peter. He could have thought he was the first disciple To be be chosen and he was the eldest of all the disciples.

He was the one who Jesus had chosen first. He was always the one that when Jesus said if anybody even if everybody forsakes you I will follow you and He was the first to deny Jesus, and he had to learn through humility.

What it meant to be the elder shepherd for the church? And he was anointed the day of Pentecost and here was this man who was the the chief denier of Jesus. The probably one of the the proudest people maybe because of that.

But he had a heart that was willing to learn from mistakes humility. It was anointed the day of Pentecost and he was a different man completely different man, and he was able to write as we know in first Peter 5 we know this this.

This this chapter very well in verse 1 through 7. I'll read it again from the message. I have a special concern for you church leaders. I Know what it's like to be a leader In on Christ's sufferings as well as the coming glory.

Here is my concern. That you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it. But acting spontaneously not bossily telling other people what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.

When God who is the best shepherd of all comes? Out in the open with his rule. He'll see what you've done it right and commend you lavishly and You who are younger must follow your your your leaders, but all of you leaders and followers alike Are to be down to earth with each other.

For God has had it with the proud people, but he takes delight in just simple plain people. Be content with who you are and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you, and he will promote you at the right time.

And where do we think? Peter learned What it meant in that first few verses? With all diligence of a shepherd we know the story he was having breakfast with Jesus right after Jesus was crucified and risen and Jesus told him phrase that's on the shared Shepherd my sheep tend my lambs.

He learned through mistakes how what it meant to humble himself. To the point where even after he had denied Jesus three times He bounced back up, and he became that that amazing apostle that we knew no one on the day of Pentecost who Was completely transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Shepherding as Servanthood in Everyday Life

So the Lord is calling every one of us. I have a tremendous burden in my heart. Many of us are not called to be in a ministry where we're preaching every Sunday morning. We have a job the Lord has called me in a full-time job and The Lord has put People in my life.

It may be just my family. It may be just my wife and my children. Or it may be more than that. It may be a small fellowship group. That the Lord opens for you in your place of work or in your school or in your home.

Many many of us know that that CFC started In 75 as a small group of families in a home and many of the first century Christians met In that fashion every day the Lord has put that big Advertisement out there, and it says wanted shepherds.

He's looking for shepherds today and May the Lord give us that burden. First off finding shepherds in our life that we can submit to. Second having a compassion for those that we he sees around us that are needy that are sheep and Third when he gives us sheep not to be like hired.

Hands hired people who just when the wolves of any kind come they leave the sheep alone. I mean just read this last verse in Philippians 2 and verse 3 how can we learn then to be the shepherd and it's through being a servant.

Doing nothing Philippians 2 verse 3 doing nothing from selfish or empty conceit with humility. Regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but for the interests of others.

Have this attitude himself who was also in Christ Jesus. Who although existed in form did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped emptied himself taking the form of a bondservant and Being made in the likeness of men.

And found an appearance and as a man he humbled himself by obedient to the point of death. Lord is calling every one of us every one of us. You don't have to be in a position where You may be an eloquent speaker or You might be in a place where the Lord has given you a public ministry.

A Shepherd's Calling for Every Believer

I want to encourage every one of you, especially those of you are young pray for the Lord's Burden in your heart to be a shepherd. Be a shepherd to those around you. Be a shepherd to those in the church who are younger to you.

If you live your life where all you do is come in on Sunday morning to be fed. You will be like sheep. Who come in the Lord never is able to use you. The Lord may use you in your setting of work where you have a full-time job and Be alert to the Holy Spirit.

Be anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit so the Lord can use us. To be whether you're the oldest brother or the youngest brother in the family in that story. The Lord's got a plan for our lives and may it be fulfilled.