Shepherding and Leading

SHEPHERDING AND LEADING IN THE CHURCH

• We want to provide teaching to help the Christians grow stronger in their faith and knowledge of God that equips them for their relationships.

 

 

I.​Moses as Shepherd

(Exodus 3:1-2a) 

God led his people but he did it by the hand of Moses.  

Moses was the extension of God's rule in their life.                                                                     Do we truly believe God is leading us? 

 

(Ex 17)  Moses struck the rock but it was God who caused the water to flow.

(Ex 33:11)  "The Lord would speak to Moses as one that speaks to a friend".  Intercede for people praying for them.  

(Exodus 20:19)  Moses on Mt. Sinai to receive the law.

(Hosea 12:13)  The Lord used Moses to lead the people out of Egypt.  

II.​Moses as Prophet

(Ex 32:31)  These people… (Exodus 17:4)  what to do with these people…

(Ex 34:9)  Us…and ours… Transition in Moses' heart toward identifying with the people.  

(Mark 6:34)  Perhaps this was in Jesus' mind when he said the people were like sheep without a shepherd.  (Numbers 27:15-20)  

 

III.​Moses as Leader

Leadership was the particular aspect of shepherding noted here-leading them out & bringing them in.  (Numbers 27:15-20)

Joshua was noted as having the spirit of leadership.

Moses was to invest some of his authority in Joshua so that the people would follow him.

We aren't to lord over people-yet the people are to be willing to be led.

 

IV.​David as Shepherd

(1 Samuel 16:11, 17:14-15, 31-37)

David called the people not to lose heart on account of the Philistine…

Sometimes we must fight battles for people- some are bruised reeds.  David protected the flock as a shepherd from the lion and the bear.  

David was actively shepherding the flock before he became the shepherd of God' s people.

Characteristics of David as a Shepherd

Protector, courageous, seeker of the lost (v 34-35).

David gives the credit to God.  Our confidence must also be in God.  

God is committed to his own glory.  We must be a guardian of God's name and honor, not because he can't defend himself but because it's a matter of our hearts.

V.​David as Ruler 

The Kings of Israel weren't like the Pharaohs and the Caesars that had absolute power-their rule would be more like stewards from among the people.

(2 Samuel 5:1-2)  Choose the Kings to "rule".  The Hebrew word for rule is 'Nagid' (like a prince) to mean their authority is derived not inherited.  There is another source of authority, which we know is God.

Examples of God guarding his Authority

David wanted to transport the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem on an oxcart, which

seemed sensible, yet this was against God's prescribed manner for how the Ark should be carried.  (2 Samuel 6)

"Melek'  The King.  God is the 'Melek' and David was the 'Nagid' The Prince.

David wanted to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7:7).  This idea seems like a good idea but God objects; he is the one that determines the terms.  

God is loving but not sentimental.

 

We must remind people of the Sovereign command of God, God holds his shepherd accountable by equipping them, blessing them and disciplining them when needed.  This makes for a spiritually minded community.  Whenever we begin to lead in any way that is contrary to the word or authority of God, he will deal with us.

 

(Psalm 78:70-72)  

Reference to David's shepherd leadership

David led with integrity of heart and skillful hands.

 

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One month to live!

One month to live!

What if that was your reality? What would you worry about? What would your priorities be? How would you view God? What would you do? How much clarity and purpose would you have?

John 2:18-22

Jesus new that he was dying. He knew the date and the hour was coming. With one month to live, how did he live? As Jesus approaches the end of his life a very distinct line is drawn. He starts to focus more and more on the disciples and apostles. One month to live...

John 12:23-33

Jesus came to give his life. Jesus came to die. From the moment he was born his whole life was pointing towards his death. Jesus life on earth was not just a great example of how to live but it was a complete representation of God in the flesh! The whole motivation for his ministry was to save the world through his death and honor Gods will for eternal salvation!

Jesus life demands a response from us! Mary responded when she anointed him with oil. The disciples responded by dropping everything and following him. The poor widow in the temple responded by giving the last thing she had. Martha responded when she seeped over Jesus feet and washed them with her tears. What response have you had? How has the life of Jesus changed your life?

One month to live, how would you be? What would you be willing to sacrifice? How much love would you want to impart to your love ones? How would you serve God?




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Teach Us To Pray

Teach Us To Pray

Growth is the most important thing in a relationship with God and it starts with prayer. How do we grow and learn to pray like Jesus? Are you willing to learn? Prayer is usually the area we need to grow in the most!

Luke 11:1 the disciples saw the power that Jesus received through prayer and they wanted to learn! How hunger are you to learn? To know God deeper, to learn something from Jesus? Too many people rely on past events to validate their spirituality. Are you growing more now than you did before?

We need to be hungry for growth. Jesus is our standard and to be like him requires an intense hunger to grow. We have to have a heart to grow.

Why did the disciples want to learn to pray like Jesus?

Look at Jesus example of prayer:

Luke 9:18; John 17:1; Matthew 19:13; Luke 22:32; Matthew 14:23; Luke 6:2; Mark 6:41; Mark 7:34; Luke 10:21; Matthew 26:36-38; Luke 9:28-29; Luke 9:51

Jesus prayed in private and in public. Do you pray equally in public and private when no one is looking? Jesus prayed for others. How large of a circle is my others? How many people do you pray for? Jesus prayed outside and all night. Prayer was more important to Jesus than sleep or food. Jesus fed people and healed them through prayer. Jesus used the full range of human emotions when he prayed. There was no emotion that Jesus did not take to God in prayer! Everything needs to be taken to God in prayer. Jesus depended on prayer! Jesus set his face to Jerusalem to go and die. He was able to do this because of prayer!

Prayer should be priority in our lives! Prayer should be the most frequent thing in our lives. We should not be devoted to anything more often than to prayer!

Luke 3:21-22 Jesus began his ministry on this earth with prayer. Luke 23:46 Jesus ended his ministry on this earth with prayer!




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Marriage Counseling

Base scripture:

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!"
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:1-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬


Probing Questions:

What are two things you need pray for the most in your marriage?

What area do you think you personally need to grow in the most in being a better spouse?

If you could ask your spouse to change one thing this week what would it be?

What is your love language? List them 1-5 in order of priority: Gifts, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Physical Touch?

In what practical ways can you meet your spouse's needs in their love language?

(For Him) In what ways do you need to grow in leading your family? Being considerate? Being compassionate?
In what ways can you grow in meeting your wife's emotional needs?

(For Her) in what ways do you need to grow in submitting? Being respectful? Being encouraging?
In what ways can you grow in meeting your husbands physical needs?

Friendship

Friendship

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All five things mentioned in this scripture have to do with one person to another. They were meant to be relational and used in a health spiritual relationship in Gods church. Sure you can learn on your own and correct your own ways...etc but it is more effective when used from one brother to another!

Men have some great qualities in how they build friendships. Men are loyal. Lighthearted. We bond easily and make life long friendships. Men also have huge weaknesses in how we build our friendships. We are naturally superficial. We have a hard time expressing our feelings...etc.

One another relationships in the church matter to God. His plan for us has always been to build deep life long friendships that call us higher spiritually! There are things that come natural to us in friendships and there are things that don't. The five things in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 can feel unnatural sometimes in a friendship but they are important in Gods plan!

How to create a strong friendship?

1 Samuel 20:41-42 Jonathan and David made a covenant together. There friendship was reinforced with spoke word.

Proverbs 17:17 as men we don't like to be called needy but we need to be willing to need each other. Brothers are made through adversity.

Proverbs 12:26 we need to chose our friends wisely.

Proverbs 22:11 pure heat and giving grace creates strong friendships.

Proverbs 27:6 true friends care about each other and are willing to speak up when they see something wrong in our character.

Matthew 11:19




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Lazarus

John 11:1-44

Jesus knows what we are going though. He knows the deliverance he is going to give us. Nothing is too big for Jesus to solve.

Jesus timing is perfect! Everything happens when it happens for a reason. Jesus showed up four days late for a reason. It didn't make sense to the disciples to go to Judaea.

Jesus wept for Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Jesus deeply cares for us and wants to be intimately involved in our lives!

Our story is part of Gods bigger story. Lazarus life was apart of a bigger story that God was using to impact the people around him. Even 2000 years latter we are still talk about this story.

There is nothing that we will ever face in our lives that God cannot overcome! There is nothing too small and nothing too big. God cares and wants to heal us!




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Saving

SAVING

◦ A penny saved... is a penny earned!
◦ People will save if they care about it.
0. The wisdom of saving
◦ Prov. 6:1-11 Go to the point of exhaustion, work hard and pay off any debt.
◦ He who will not work, will not eat.
◦ Prov. 30:24-25 An ant is wise because they store up food in the summer.

◦ Genesis Joseph had a savings plan. He saved during the time of ABUNDANCE! Because the famine would be worse.
◦ What do I do with years of abundance? When there's more than enough?
◦ Prov.21:20 we devour the entire paycheck, it's a foolish way to live.
◦ Prov. 21:5 Living Bible (TLB)
5 Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty.
◦ Save 1,000
◦ Pay off debt
◦ Then save three months of salary
◦ PRACTICAL TIPS
• Spouse's Bday $10
• Xmas $250
• Vacation $500
• Church event $750
• Special Missions $2000
• New tires $400
WHY SAVE?
◦ We save so we can be good stewards. To help others. To give to others. Joseph was able to reunite with his brothers because he had saved and planned ahead of time.
◦ He knew that God had allowed him to be sold into slavery so good could happen.
◦ Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good
◦ He used Joseph's sacrifice to accomplish it.
◦ The verse written about Joseph echoes the life of Christ.
◦ God used the betrayal of Jesus.


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Is money good or evil?

Is money good or evil?

Money has no ability to have moral character! It is just an object.

Luke 16:10-12

Jesus equates money and riches as a "little things". To God how we handle money is extremely important in how we will handle any other blessing he gives us. Everything we own is Gods. Do we look into scriptures and search to find out what God wants us to do with his stuff? It's not just about giving back to him.

Money was the 2nd most talked about topic in the new testimate. We need to find out what God wants us to do with the things he has blessed us with.

Proverbs 22:7 -- slave to the lender. Debt is destructive. It can destroy people's lives!
Proverbs 22:26-27 -- debt is dangerous.
Proverbs 11:15

God gives ample warning against debt but never says that it is a sin. In fact God gives instructions on how to lend money. God understands that there are circumstances where someone would need debt.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 -- this scriptures is the key to financial management! Being content with what you have is the counter action to greed! We don't want to admit that we are greedy. If your not content then you are greedy. Without contentment it is never enough. Most debt comes from greed. Not from basic needs but because of bad choices and greedy desires.

Debt is just a means to feed our materialism.

SOLUTIONS:

Step 1 -- stop adding more debt
Step 2 -- save a thousand dollars
Step 3 -- payoff the debt
Romans 13:7-8 -- God says pay it all back! God says let no debt stay outstanding.
Step 4 -- live with in your means








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The discipline of deep friendships!

"Discipline of Friendships"

10% of all mean have no intimate friendships. Men do no value deep friendships. Why are men prone to having superficial friendships? Male companionship in biblical times was considered more important in many ways than any relationship with a woman for many reasons.

Fast forward to today and it has become culturally unacceptable to have a close endearing relationship with another man that is not viewed as homosexual. In the 20th and 21st century the male relationships are built around sports and activities instead of emotional bonds. For this reason men do not typically build deep intimate relationships with one another.

What can the bible teach us about building better relationships with each other? God's plan for man was always for us to be connected to a brotherhood that would create strong bonds!

1 Samuel 14:6;13-14 Jonathan and his armor barer had this type of relationship!

1 Samuel 17:1-11;45-47 where was Jonathan during this time? Why wasn't Jonathan standing up to Goliath? Where was his courage that he showed just a few chapters earlier? Was his faith weakened by the philistine like the rest of Israel? Have you ever been discouraged spiritually and another brother lifted you up?

1 Samuel 18:1 Jonathan and David became one in spirit. David inspired Jonathan! When searching for a male friendship, what are you looking for? Are you looking for worldly values? Jonathan and David came from two different back grounds. Jonathan was a kings son and David grew up in the country. Deep spiritual bonds transcend cultures, social status, financial status...etc

Our ability to have deep spiritual male friendships we have to get past the superficial conversations about sports and other things. We have to be willing to ask each other the tough questions that lead to an intimate relationships. We have to confess our sins to each other. We have to ask how we are doing spiritually and hold each other accountable.






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