Stop herding sheep!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  Psalm 23:1

The analogy of a shepherd providing for the sheep works well when describing the role of a pastor among new converts or wounded saints.  However, it is time for ministers to move away from this approach when ministering to established believers.

The Twenty-third Psalm provides us with an intimate picture of God’s love for us.  He anticipates and supplies for our needs.  He leads us and protects us from all harm.  He strengthens us when we are weary and fills our life with abundant blessings.  This picture is accurate for all believers, new and old.

However, it is time for pastors and ministers to reexamine a Scriptural vision for the Church and her members. It is time to have a renewed concept of discipleship and spiritual warfare. We are living in evil times. It is time for church members to realize their divine calling to be a light in the darkness.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”  Psalm 23:2
“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”  John 4:35

Jesus called us to gather the harvest at hand.  He has called some to plant, some to water and others to reap the harvest. We are His workers in a field of souls in need of salvation. We are to spread the Word of His love and hope of saving grace. We are to reap a harvest. However, sheep do not reap a harvest; they consume it. We have trained generations of Christians to sit quietly in the pews and absorb everything for themselves because that is what sheep are supposed to do. Unfortunately, Christians are NOT sheep. So, stop telling them they are!

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  Matthew 16:18
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”  Ephesians 6:11

As Christians, we are called to be on the offense against evil.  So often we think of ourselves as being attacked within the protection of walls and the gates of heaven.  However, our protection comes from God and His armor. The walls and gates are not from heaven; they belong to hell. We are not being attacked safely in God’s heavenly abode; we are attacking the enemies’ strongholds in this world. We are marching straight up the middle of Satan’s domain to take the fight to him. Unfortunately, we are failing in our mission. Most Christians remain within the safety of familiar confines grazing on the pastures of comfort and complacency, after all, that is what sheep do.

It is time for a new vision of Christianity. This worn out view of herding sheep has left the Church weak and ineffective for Christ and is contrary to Christ’s commands for His Church. Sheep are selfish, fragile, fearful, and for the most part stupid. Pastors should be training spiritual warriors for Christ, not grazing herds. The Church should be on the offense for Jesus, not passively consuming without sharing. It is time for a renewal of Christianity, and it begins with the leaders of the church.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”  Joel 2:28

If we are to experience the revival God is wanting and waiting to pour out on His Church, it is time for action from all Christians. For too long we have allowed ourselves to plateau within Christianity without consequences. We have become satisfied with complacency and stagnant spiritually.

When we see the level of sin rising around us, remember this: evil is the absence of God.  We are God’s ambassadors on this earth. If wickedness is increasing, we have failed in our tasks at hand. God is ready to accomplish mighty things. He is searching for those Christians who want to commit entirely to His will.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14

Far too often we read this verse and hang our heads and say, “If only the sinners of this world would heed this verse and repent, God could move in a mighty way.” Please recognize this verse was written to God’s people, not the heathen. It is our wicked ways that have allowed the sinfulness to spread, not the heathen. It is time for the Church to awaken from the slumber of pasture grazing. It is time to become spiritual warriors for Christ, not sheep.