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All right, well we're there in Ezekiel chapter number 34 we of course are studying through the book of Ezekiel on Wednesday nights and We find ourselves here in chapter 34, and there's three major themes that we see in this chapter, and they're all Kind of connected and I'll like to like to show those to you tonight and point this out for you We'll start there and of course in verse number one is equal 34 verse 1 says and the word of the Lord came unto me saying son of man Prophesy against the shepherds now when you see the word Shepherds there, and I don't have time because we have a lot of things to look at tonight But when you see the word shepherds there, I want you to notice that That could be referring to like spiritual leadership that could be referring to political leadership The word shepherd is used throughout the Old Testament for just in general Leadership of the children of Israel of God's people of things like that I don't have time to give you to go to go through all those cross references if you want to write some down Maybe in the margin of your Bible you can write down numbers 27 17 2nd Samuel 5 2 those are Examples of how that term is used but here he's talking about these shepherds these spiritual leaders or the political leaders of the children of Israel and he says prophesy and say unto them thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds, so he's Telling Ezekiel to prophesy against the shepherds, and we're gonna make the application here that these is this is spiritual leadership Although it would apply to any type of leadership But he's talking about today you and I as New Testament believers would say the pastors, right? That's what a shepherd is the pastor of people and and he begins by talking about the bad shepherds He's saying that he's preaching against the bad shepherds He says thus saith the Lord unto the shepherds woe be to the shepherds of Israel and what he does is that he begins to? Give us some characteristics of a bad shepherd, and here's what you need to understand not every pastor is a good pastor Not every Shepherd is a good Shepherd. There are some false prophets. There are some evil and wicked men Out there and any and God is telling Ezekiel to preach against these men and he gives us some characteristics So what are they the first one is this they feed themselves is what he says He says, you know a bad Shepherd, you know a false prophet because they are concerned with feeding themselves notice again They're verse 2 woe be to the shepherds of Israel. Notice what he says that do feed themselves Should not the shepherds feed the flock and here's what he's saying He's saying look the job of a shepherd is to feed the flock, but these bad shepherds they are concerned with feeding themselves They are concerned with taking care of themselves. Look at verse 3 you eat the fat. He's talking to the shepherds You eat the fat you clothe you with the wool you kill them that are fed But you feed not the flock and I want you to notice the problem is not that they are taking care of Themselves because the Bible actually teaches that a pastor should be paid but for the work that he does so the the issue is not that they Eat the fat and that they clothe themselves and that they they do those things The problem is that they do those things and yet they feed not the flock. They don't take care of the flock They don't feed the flock now. Go ahead and keep your finger there and And In Ezekiel 34 go me to 1st Peter chapter 5 1st Peter chapter 5 and let's run some verses and I'll show you this to You from Scripture if you start at the end of the New Testament the book of Revelation and you head back You're gonna have Jude 3rd 2nd and 1st John 2nd and 1st Peter 1st Peter chapter 5 and when you get to 1st Peter we're gonna leave it and come back to it a few times So just put your bulletin or ribbon or something there in 1st 2nd Peter. We're gonna be going back and forth Let Me show you how this is a theme throughout the Bible That you know that a shepherd is a bad shepherd. You say is he a bad shepherd when he gets paid? I'm gonna prove to you from the Bible that he's not a bad shepherd if he gets paid He's a bad shepherd if he gets paid and he doesn't feed the flock He's a bad shepherd if he gets paid and the flock or the congregation isn't being taken care of 1st Peter chapter 5 look at verse 1 notice what the Bible says 1st Peter 5 1 the elders which are among you I exhort who also am an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also partake of the glory that shall be revealed verse 2 so notice in verse 1 Peter says I'm Exhorting the elders and he says I also am an elder Peter says I'm a pastor and I'm exhorting the pastors So he's giving encouragement to the pastors Here's what he tells them verse 2 feed the flock of God, which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint But willingly not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind He says look your job is to feed the flock. Your job is to take the oversight Your job is to do these things not by constraint but willingly and he says don't do it for filthy lucre Don't do it what you're where your number one goal where your number one Emphasis is just money and your clothes and being taken care of For yourself go to 2nd Peter chapter number 2 you're there in 1st Peter just flip over to 2nd Peter chapter 2 2nd Peter chapter 2 and look at verse number 1 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 1 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 1 notice what the Bible says But there were false prophets also among you so notice the context says that these are bad preachers These are bad pastors. They're bad shepherds, but there were false prophets also among you Excuse me among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you So he's talking to New Testament believers About the Old Testament Saints and he says look there was false prophets among the Old Testament Saints in the same way There's gonna be false prophets among the local New Testament Church today He says but there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who? privately shall bring in damnable heresy even denying the Lord that bought them and bring unto themselves with destruction and many shall follow their Pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of he says they're gonna make it so that people speak evil of The things of God verse 3 and through notice the emphasis covetousness Shall they with fain words make merchandise of you Now the Bible tells us that the house of God should not be a house of merchandise, but he says these false prophets They're just in it for the money. They're they're making merchandise of you. They are selling you everything They're trying to get you to buy everything you ever watch these TV preachers I mean at the end of the of their of their 30-minute slot It's all about buy this and buy that and we'll send you this book and send us this money and when you go to most Churches today, I mean every service doesn't go by where they're not talking about money preaching about money trying to get you To get money now. Look, I'm all for giving the Bible talks about giving the Bible talks about tithing But you know something we try to do here at very Baptist Church is we try to approach we try to emphasize what the Bible Emphasizes which is why we don't talk a lot about money now. Look when it comes to talking about it. We'll talk about it, but You realize when you preach through books of the Bible that God just doesn't care that much about money And money should never be something that we fight about that we argue about but here he tells us that these preachers they are Motivated by money through covetousness shall they with pain words make merchandise of you now go to 1st Timothy Chapter number 5 1st Timothy chapter 5 and let me show you something just real quickly Because and if you find the tea books, they're all clustered together first second Thessalonians for a second Timothy Titus 1st Timothy chapter 5 and look at verse number 17 because I I want you to understand this because today there are people and there's a Whole movement of people out there who will teach that any any pastor that gets paid That's a false prophet any pastor that gets paid. That's a bad person. Well, you know what people who believe that have not read the Bible Because the Bible teaches something completely different than that first Timothy chapter 5 verse 17 notice what the Bible says let the elders Okay, remember also we just read about in 1st Peter the elders the pastors right let the elders that rule well They're doing a good job taking the oversight administering the church ruling Well, let the elders that rule well notice what he says be counted worthy of double honor Especially they who labor in the word and doctrine, you know if there are elders that are laboring in the word They're laboring in the doctrine there. You're coming to church every week. You're coming to church twice a week You're coming to church three times a week and you're learning and you're growing and and you're being fed then look There's nothing wrong with with that pastor being paid if you're being fed if you're learning if you're growing He says look let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor Especially they who labor in the word and doctrine verse 18 for the scripture saith Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn and the labor is worthy of his reward He's saying look it's work to get up look And I don't know if you understand this and and and maybe it seems a little self-serving for me to preach this But I figure if I don't preach it, you know, who's going to write who's gonna feed you if I don't I don't know if you really realize this but it's a lot of work to prepare sermons It's all work to prepare three sermons a week, right and they all better be good, right? And we all better be learning something We better not be bored and it better be something worth coming up for on a Wednesday night when it's raining when we're tired And I get that and look I get all of that and I and I appreciate that We've all you've always had a spirit of of encouragement But understand this he said when it comes to learning and studying the Bible prayer. He says that's work And here's the truth. You can tell when preachers put work into their sermons I mean you can tell when people take the time to study to learn to think to try to prepare things To be able to feed the flock and here's what he's saying. He's saying if he's working He says muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn if he's working you say How do you know if he's working? Are you being fed spiritually? Are you learning? Are you growing? Are you understanding? He says if he's being paid being paid if he's working then give him double honor Then then don't muzzle the ox that treads out the corn So the problem is not with paying a preacher The problem is with paying a preacher that is not feeding the flock go to 1st Corinthians chapter 9 1st Corinthians chapter 9 you got Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Romans for 2nd Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 9 and Look at verse number and I write my note down Look at verse number 7 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 7 Because people will look at these passages say oh, it's wrong for a preacher to get paid No It's wrong for a preacher to get paid that isn't feeding the flock 1st Corinthians 9 verse 7 who goeth a warfare Anytime at His own charges. So notice the illustration that he's giving he's saying look a soldier doesn't go they don't go fight a war and They got to buy their ticket and they got to purchase their weapons and they got to buy their uniform He does who's to go with a warfare anytime at his own charges He's a look when you when we commissioned a soldier to go out and onto a battlefield to fight for us. We pay his way We put him on a ship we put him on a plane we give him the the tools that he needs we give him The things that he needs he says who goes to war for any time At his own charges who planted the vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof He says who goes out and plants a vineyard and you say well, yeah, but you're gonna sell that you're gonna use it for other things Yeah, but you know what the people that are doing the work to plant they're gonna eat from that vineyard as well He says or who feedeth a flock and he does not the milk of the flock Say I these things as a man or sayeth not the law the same also He's saying look. I'm not just saying this as a person. I'm telling you. This is what the Word of God teaches This is what he's telling them verse 9. He says for it is written in the law of Moses This just sound familiar We just read it in 1st Timothy thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn the God take care of peroxid he's saying look God said don't muscle the mouth of the ox if he's working and then he says God didn't say this for the sake of the oxen. Okay. This is an illustration that if someone is working They should get paid that if someone is working you should take it If someone's gonna go fight a battle for you, you should pay the expenses if someone's gonna plant the vineyard They should be able to eat from the vineyard look verse 10 or say it here it all together for our sakes For our sakes no doubt is written that he that ploweth Should plow in hope and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope if we have sown Here's what he says notice what he said if we have sown Unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your coral things I mean look this is what he's literally saying you think if we're sowing and investing in your life Spiritually if we're feeding and helping you grow and learn and understand the Bible and helping you grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord He says is it that big of a deal that then you take care of our physical needs That's what he's saying look at verse 12 If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this power But suffer all things lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things? Live of the things of the temple and we're gonna talk about more about this as we get further into the work of Ezekiel But he says look in the Old Testament the Old Testament priests who labored about holy things when they when those Sacrifices were brought and they went through and sacrificed He said do you know that they were laboring and holy things, but they also ate those sacrifices That's how they that the sacrifices took care of their them and their families and their children Financially, that's how they ate. That's how they were fed He says verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things? Live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar and by the way Here's what he's saying. He's saying well, let me just show it to you verse 14 even so you see the words there even so In verse 13, he says don't you know that the Old Testament priests? were financially taken care of By the giving of the congregation. How how did the Old Testament priests live? It's really easy to prove You can look it up. You can read it all throughout the Old Testament. You know how they lived They lived off the tithe The congregation would tithe and then the Old Testament priests would live off that type then he says in verse 14 Even so what does even so mean? It means in the same way hath the Lord ordained that they would preach the gospel should live up the gospel What's he saying? He says look the same way that the Old Testament priests Were taken care of financially is the same way that the New Testament preacher should be taken care of financially You say how was that done? It was done through the time So don't let people tell you off the New Testament teaches that we don't need to tithe. Well, nobody gave that newsflash to Paul Because Paul Paul apparently didn't get the memo that the tithe has been done away with because he says you know What in the Old Testament the tithe took care of the priests and in the New Testament even so? Have the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel The problem is not the preacher getting paid the problem is the preacher getting paid who's not feeding the flock The problem is not the the the preacher, you know When we talk about these false prophets and you can go back to Ezekiel 34 and people talk about oh They're nice vehicles or they're nice house or they're nice clothes and look honestly Hey, I've made a decision that no matter how successful that our ministry ever is No matter how big our church ever gets I'm you know what I'm always gonna live in a house. That's not impressive I'm always gonna drive vehicles that are not impressive. I'm always gonna this is the nicest I'm gonna get as far as clothes because I just don't I don't want to I don't need it number one I don't want to live a life where I Need to have nice things to be content or I have to live in a certain neighborhood to be happy I don't want to live a life that way but just because I'm a pastor I realize that we are even more under scrutiny But I'll be honest with you I don't begrudge the false preacher The nice house. I don't begrudge the false preacher the nice car I don't begrudge the nice preacher the nice clothes. Honestly the Bible says that if they're doing a good job They should get double honor. The problem is not with the false preacher. The problem is not that he's getting paid Well, the problem is that he's getting paid. Well and everyone in his church. Their life is a mess Everyone in his church isn't saved Everyone is church they go there for years and years and years and they don't know anything about the Bible because they're not getting fed The problem is not that he's getting paid. Well the problem that he's getting paid. Well, and he's not doing the work That's the problem. The problem is that thing. He's not feeding the people. So understand the issue with and look obviously there's extremes. Okay? No, Kenneth Colvin doesn't need a jet. All right, we understand that that's bad But I'm telling you the problem with bad preachers is not that they're getting paid Well is that they're getting paid. Well, and they're not working They're not feeding the flock. They're not studying. They're not teaching. They're not preaching Look if they were if they were getting paid well, and they were just ripping it up Scripturally if they were feeding their people teaching their people helping their people grow, you know what more power to them. Praise the Lord Go for it. It's great. Let them live in a nice house. Let them drive a nice vehicle pay them Well if they're working The problem with the false preacher if you look at Ezekiel 34 2 is that they feed themselves But they don't feed the flock You eat the fat verse 3 and you clothe you with the wool You kill them that are fed, but you feed not the flock So notice we're talking about the characteristics of a false preacher. One is that they feed themselves They're in it for their own financial benefit they get paid well, but they don't feed the flock They don't teach the flock. They don't help the flock grow. Here's another characteristic number two. They only focus on the healthy Notice what he says in verse 4 the disease have they not strengthened Neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither Have ye bought again that which was driven away Neither have you sought That which was lost but with force and with cruelty Have you ruled them? He says look Another problem with these false preachers and if you've ever gone to one of these mega churches, you know, it's true The Pat, you know, they only return your phone call if you're a big giver You only get to meet with the pastor if you if you you know, give a lot of money There's only certain people that the pastor associates with and it's the big givers. It's the big financers It's the people that make a lot of money and God has an issue with that He says look these people you they're in it for themselves. So therefore they only focus on rich people They only focus on people that can do something for them They don't they don't spend time with those that that need help that can't be a blessing to them that can't Help them. He says the disease have you not strengthened neither have you healed that which was sick neither Have you bound up that which was broken neither have you bought again that which was driven away neither Have you sought that which was lost go to James? James chapter number two James chapter two if you've got your place there in first like a Peter just right right before that. You've got the book of James James chapter number two and look as Christians we should never take this approach to life That oh, well, we're just gonna we're just gonna focus on On the people that that have it all put together. We're just gonna focus on the wealthy. We're just gonna focus on on People that that that have it all put together and then you know The poor and the needy and the sick and just forget those people James chapter 2 look at verse 1 notice What notice what James tells New Testament believers? He says my brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with respect of persons He says don't live your life being a respecter of persons Well, I talked to certain people. I associated with certain people. I'm friends with certain people. All right, but I'm not friends with that person because they're poor because they've got issues because they've got problems because they're they've got They they've got sin issues You know what? The Bible says that we should not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect to persons verse 2 for if they're come unto your Assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel and they're coming also a poor man in Vile raiment and he have respect to him that wears the gay clothing and say unto him sit thou here in a good place And say to the poor stand now there or sit here under my footstool Are ye not then partial in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts? He says look we should as local New Testament believers We should welcome everyone no matter how they're dressed no matter what they drove no matter what side of of town They live in and if anything honestly Jesus spent his time with the publicans and the harlots You know today people have this idea. Well, I'm just gonna focus on the rich. I'm just gonna focus on the wealthy Well, then you're not right with God. You're a respecter of persons You know what? Everyone ought to be welcome that that you say well, they're poor they can't help us They can't do anything for us they can't you know what then you have become judges of evil things Look at verse 5 Harken my beloved brethren have not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom Which he had promised to them that loved him But ye have despised the poor do not rich men oppress you and draw you before their judgment seats Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called if you fulfill the royal law According to the scripture thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself you do well And here's what he's saying. You should treat everybody the way you'd like to be treated And you shouldn't judge people based on how much money they have or how nice their clothes are or any of those things You know what? We should just love her but you know what the false preacher does he just focuses in Only the rich people only the people that can help us financially only the people you know what I've learned at Verity Baptist Church And you can go back to Ezekiel 34 you know because our church obviously, we're not a big church and Obviously, we're not it's not like we have tons and tons of money But you know the Lord has always taken care of our church financially and I thank God for that You know, we've always been able to pay our bills. We've always been able to have big events We've all we just threw this huge ladies tea. We've always been able to do stuff like that You know a lot of churches aren't able to Do the things that we do and the projects that we do and things like that and there's no I'm not saying that against those Churches I'm just telling you this that the Lord has blessed our church But you know there has never been a focused attempt from this pastor to just focus in on the rich people if anything I spend More time during my week with people that can't do anything for our church That can't help us that that that are having issues that are having problems I spend more time with people that are just sick and they're discouraged and they're just going through things We spend more time with those people than we do with the healthy people You know what? I've learned I've learned that the more time we and we focus on the poor and the needy God just seems to take care of the rest You know all the I don't know where all these smart people show up from. I mean we got people in our church that are They're educated and they've got businesses and they've got degrees and they've got this and they've got that and they take care you guys are Generous you take care of the fight and I just thought we just focus on the poor We just help the poor we just love the poor and this is how it should be see the false Shepherds the false Preachers they just focus on the rich They're not they're not trying to help anybody They're not trying to be a blessing to anybody They're only gonna help you if they think that you can do something for them go back to Ezekiel 34 Notice the third characteristic of a false preacher Not only do they feed themselves not only do they only focus on the healthy But they're also demanding and difficult These are your cult leaders Verse 4 says this look the last part of verse 4 it says this but with force and with cruelty have ye Ruled them you know what they are they they they use pressure tactics they use Manipulation tactics they try to manipulate you and to giving more money they try to Manipulate you into doing more things for them and God says look This is not the way that Christians leaders should leave live their lives go to 1st Peter chapter 5 You were already there go back to it. Just real quickly 1st Peter chapter 5 and look at verse number 2 Notice what he says feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint Like he says not by constraint, but willingly He's saying look you we should not as leaders and and and look I've tried to do this at Verity Baptist Church As far as I can tell this is our church has always been if I've failed at some point Then then I don't know it because I can tell you this I've never attempted to use Manipulation tactics to get you out soul-winning To pressure you and to get you out so yeah, I mean I mean literally there are soul-winning. I mean there are churches That they'll have Thursday soul-winning and the pastor will get up on Wednesday night who's playing or going slowly on Thursday raise your hand That's a manipulation tactic That's a shame you tactic Everybody's playing going so we don't start to erase you we've never done anything like that you say well pastor you preach about hell Yeah, you know what I'm gonna preach about hell I'm gonna preach about what God I'm gonna. I'm gonna preach the Word of God to you, but at the end of day Whatever you decide that's between you and God They don't use manipulations actually you say oh well you have a vision offering I spent most of my vision offering giving you reasons not to give You say why? Because look it's not of constraint, but willingly Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind verse 3 neither as being Lord's over God tell you you say well. I there's a church, and I just feel like they got all this manipulation It's difficult, and it's demanding and I feel pressure to have to do this and to do that look you're probably about yes You're you're following a bad Shepherd When they're demanding and they're difficult When they're focused on the healthy and because you're broke you can't get a call back When they feed themselves But they don't feed the flock these are the characteristics of a bad Shepherd go back to Ezekiel 34 And you say what's the result of a bad Shepherd's ministry the result is this that the sheep suffer verse 5 and? They were scattered talking about the sheep Because there was no Shepherd and they became meat to all the beasts of the field and when they were scattered notice verse 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill yay My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth and none did search or seek after them He said they weren't interested in trying to help them. They weren't interested in getting involved in their lives They weren't interested in trying to get them back when they're back for them when they're not doing well They weren't interested in searching and seeking after them verse 7 therefore Ye shepherds hear the word of the Lord as I live saith the Lord God surely because my flock Became a prey and my flock became me to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd neither Did I did my shepherd search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not the flock now. Here's what happens between verses 8 and 9 We have this compare and cut and and and and contrast because we've been talking about the bad shepherds now We're gonna start talking about the good Shepherd now. Here's what's interesting Ezekiel chapter 34 verses 9 through let me see here 9 through 16 is actually a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ because the truth is this that We who hold the positions of spiritual leaders as pastors We are shepherds, but we are really the under shepherds and there is a chief shepherd or he's also called the good shepherd And let me just let's run some verses and look at it go to 1st Peter chapter 2 Alright, so we're gonna be going back and forth to 1st Peter a lot. So hopefully you kept your place there 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 25 Notice what the Bible says 1st Peter 2 25 says this for ye were as sheep going astray But are now returned unto the shepherd knows what it says But are now returned unto the shepherd and the bishop of your soul. So that's not the pastor That's the Lord Jesus Christ The shepherd and the bishop of your souls and when the chief Shepherd shall appear Ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. So notice Jesus is called the shepherd the bishop He's called the chief Shepherd go to Hebrews chapter 13. You're there in 1st Peter He's gonna go pass the book of James into the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 13. Look at verse 20 Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 20 says this now the God of peace That Brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Notice what it says. He brought again our Lord Jesus and then he says that The word that there's referring to the Lord Jesus gonna tell us something about the Lord Jesus the Lord Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep Through the blood of the everlasting covenant. So notice here. He's called the great shepherd of the sheep in 1st Peter He's called the bishop of your souls the shepherd He's called the chief Shepherd and of course, he's called the good Shepherd Jesus called himself the good Shepherd in John chapter 10 We're gonna look at that in a minute, but go back to Ezekiel 34 just real quickly And let me show you there's a comparing content and contrast between the bad shepherds and the good shepherds, right? So the bad shepherds fed themselves they were in it for their own financial gain, which is fine Nothing wrong with paying the pastor if he's feeding the flock, but they were feeding themselves and not feeding the flock They only focus on the healthy. They don't focus on the poor the sick or the needy. They're only They're not leading by example They're not leading by by inspiring people to want to do more and get involved and and do those things they lead by Pressure and manipulation tactics by trying to get people to feel guilty about not getting involved or not giving more or not doing things Here's the contrast with the good Shepherd the good Shepherd protects the sheep. Look at verse 9 Ezekiel 34 verse 9 Therefore o ye shepherds hear the word of the Lord thus saith the Lord God because behold notice what he says I am against the shepherds and I will require my flock at their hands and cause them to cease from feeding the flock Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore for I will deliver and I want you to notice he's already been doing this throughout the verses But he says my flock from their mouth that they may be that they may not be me for them He says they are my flock. He says That I will cause them to cease from feeding from from hurting my flock. He refers them as his flock He said you say why because the Lord and look at Ezekiel 34. We're talking about God. It's God speed God is the Good Shepherd then in the New Testament. We're told Jesus is the Good Shepherd You said was it Jesus or is it God what Jesus is God Go to John chapter 10. Let's look at the famous Good Shepherd passage John chapter 10 verse 11. You have Matthew Mark Luke John John chapter 10 verse 11 John 10 11 knows what Jesus said. I am the Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep But he that is in hireling so he said look there's a difference between a shepherd and In hireling what's in a hireling a hireling is someone who just got hired Who's just there for the money and people will use these verses to try to say? Oh, there's a problem with feeding a pastor. No, look, there's nothing wrong with paying the Shepherd But the problem with the hireling is that he's the false prophet you say well, what do you mean? Look at verse 12, but he that is in hireling and not the Shepherd whose own the sheep are not See it the wolf coming and leave it the sheep and flee it You say what's the problem with the false prophet the false prophet never preaches against the wolf Never preaches against the lion or the bear you say what is a real preacher? Do a real preacher gets up and warns you and tells you the truth even when you don't want to hear it a Good preacher gets up and says look you're gonna ruin your life if you keep going on that road You're gonna destroy your marriage if you keep going on that road You're gonna destroy your kid a good Shepherd will try to help you not get destroyed by the light of the wolf What does the hireling do he gets his paycheck and he lets you get devoured by the line? Gets you let devoured by the wolf we verse 12 But he that is in hireling and not the Shepherd whose own sheep whose own the sheep or not see it the wolf coming and leave it the sheep and play it not and play it and The wolf catches them and scatters them in the sheep Verse 13 the hireling fleeth because he's in hireling and cares not for the sheep see the false prophet doesn't care for the sheep He just cares about getting paid verse 14. I am the good Shepherd I know my sheep and am known of mine go back go back keep your finger there right there in John We're gonna come right back to it, but go back to Ezekiel 34 What's the good Shepherd the good Shepherd protects the sheep? Secondly the good Shepherd seeks the sheep He's equal 34 11 for that's safe the Lord God behold I even I notice these words This is God speaking the Lord capital L capital O capital R capital D in the Old Testament Jehovah God says I even I will both search my sheep and seek them out as A shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered So will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day and I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and will bring them to their own land and Feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country go to Luke chapter 19 if you kept your place there in John just Right before John you got Luke Matthew Mark Luke John Luke chapter 19. Here's here's what Ezekiel says Ezekiel 34 says the Lord's God Though this says the Lord God behold I even I will both search my sheep and seek them out He says so will I seek out my sheep? Jesus shows up says I am the Good Shepherd and then Jesus says this in Luke 1910 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost You say why because the Good Shepherd not only protects the sheep the Good Shepherd seeks for the sheep, but thirdly The Good Shepherd and keep your place there in Luke We're gonna come right back to it. Go go to Ezekiel 34 thirdly the Good Shepherd feeds the sheep Right the the false prophets. They don't feed the sheep. What does the Good Shepherd do? He feeds the sheep Ezekiel 34 14. I will feed them in a good pasture And upon the high mountains of Israel show their fold be There shall they lie in a good fold and in a fat pasture that they feed upon the mountains of Israel verse 15 I will feed my flock and I will cause them to that lie down sayeth the Lord God What does a Good Shepherd do he feeds the sheep? Fourthly the Good Shepherd focuses on the sick remember the the bad shepherds only focus on the healthy the Good Shepherd Focuses on the on the sick of looking verse 16 I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that Which was broken and I will strengthen that which was sick But I will destroy the fat and the strong I will feed them with judgment He says look I'm gonna search for them and I'm gonna search for that which was lost I'm gonna bring again that which was driven away I'm gonna bind up that which was broken and I'm gonna strengthen that which was weak. Here's what's interesting Jesus basically said all of those things about his own ministry go to Luke chapter 4 You were just in Luke 19 go to Luke chapter 4 look at verse 16 Luke chapter 4 and verse 16 Luke chapter 4 verse 16 says this and he talked about Jesus Came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his custom was he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood Up for to read and there was delivered unto him a book of the prophet Isaiah's and when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written notice what it says Luke 4 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me Because he had anointed me. That's what Jesus said. This is at the beginning of his ministry It's how he kicked off his ministry He got baptized and then he and then he starts his ministry right here by reading from Isaiah And he says the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set out liberty them that are bruised and Then he goes on and he says today. This is fulfilled in your sight Why because this is what Jesus did go to mark chapter 2 Mark chapter 2 you're there in Luke. Just just flip one book before that mark chapter 2 Look at verse 17 mark chapter 2 verse 17 says this when Jesus heard it he saith unto them Because they're accusing Jesus saying oh you're spending too much time with with the publicans and the harlots. You're spending too much time with the sinners And this is what Jesus said this is how he answered they that are whole have no need have no need of the physician But they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners To repentance why because the Good Shepherd focuses on the sick He focuses on the needy he focuses on those that need him go back to Ezekiel 34. I Want to show you one more truth from this chapter But I want to show you just a couple of things first of all, let me just say this versus 22 through 30 we're not going to cover tonight and the reason for that is because Ezekiel 34 verses 22 through 30 are Actually a millennial rain passage that we're gonna that is actually brought up again in Ezekiel 44 and in Ezekiel 44, there's not a lot to talk about So we're gonna talk about this with that chapter because they're connected together and we're gonna talk about The prince that is referred there, but I want you to notice that We begin the chapter by talking about the bad shepherds, right the bad leaders They feed themselves, but they don't feed the flock. They focus on the healthy, but they don't care about the sick. They are Demanding and they're difficult they use pressure and manipulation to try to get what they want Then we compared in contrast of that with the Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd which is really a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ but those of us that are under shepherds out to learn how to be a good shepherd from the Good Shepherd from the Bishop of our souls from the chief shepherd and we saw that the Good Shepherd protects the sheep He seeks for the sheep. He feeds the sheep. He focuses on the needs of The sheep in verse 17 though. There's a shift Now we stopped talking about the shepherds and we start talking about the flock notice verse 17 Ezekiel 34 verse 17 and as for you Right because he's been talking He's been pretty sick has been preaching to these people and he's been telling them about their leaders the shepherds But now he says I'm gonna stop talking to you about your leaders and I'm gonna start talking to you about you and as for you Oh my flock. So now he's talking to the sheep He's talking about the sheep within the flock and let me show you that The Bible is its own commentary. It tells us who the flock is. Look at verse 31. He's equal 34 verse 31 and He my flock the flock of my pasture notice he says our Man, and I am your God sayeth the Lord God So he said okay when he's talking about the flock is he talking about literal physical, you know, like bah sheep No, he says I'm talking about the men Talking about the people he says you are my flock So notice what he says verse 17, and here's what he talked about. He talked about the bad Shepherd He talked about the good Shepherd then he talks about the bad flock members The bad church members knows what he says and as for you. Oh my flock Thus saith the Lord God behold I judge between cattle and cattle. He said I'm not talking about shepherds anymore Now I'm talking about the sheep talking about the followers He says I'm gonna judge between cattle and cattle and between the rams and the he goes Seameth it a small thing unto you notice what he says because like this whole time It's it's been a guilt-free sermon for you, right? Yeah preach against those shepherds Those bad shepherds won't return my calls, you know preaching off the good Shepherd that great Shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ But now he says, okay, let me talk to you flock, let me talk to you Church, let me talk to you congregation Seameth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture But ye must shred down with your feet the residue of the pasture. He says look when you came into the flock You were welcomed We we put out the grass for you we made sure you were fed we you were weak you were sick You were struggling you weren't even saved you showed up to church. We got you saved you showed up to church We started feeding you and helping you started helping your marriage helping your children Then God started blessing you then God started prospering you then your job got better your business got better Your house got better your car got better And then he says this Seameth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture but ye tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture and To have drunk the deep waters But ye must foul the residue with your feet. He's like, what's the point? He said you drink out of the water, then you put your stinking feet and the drinking water So that nobody else will drink from it and he's talking about bad church members you say pastor How do I know if I'm a bad church member? Here's how you know if you're a bad church member when you use up the resources and you don't pay it forward When you showed up a mess and people loved you and people Accepted you and people with their arms around you and they prayed for you and they were patient with you And they loved you and you ate the grass you drank the water you got fed But now when people show up you look down on them You judge them you criticize them you drink the water and then you put your stinking feet in the water so they can't drink You ate the grass you ate the pasture you got fed and then you try to all over it so they look if This church has been a blessing to you. You know what you ought to pay that forward to the next guy Quit judging the next guy for what he's driving or what addiction he's struggling with or what clothes his wife is wearing and pay it forward Say I showed up a mess. I showed up to you say well, I showed up to a very bad You know what? You were a mess at some point You did not get to where you were on your own somebody invested in you somebody loved you somebody helped you Somebody was there for you someone fed you and you need to pay that forward But what does a bad church member do here's what they do. They use up the resources and then they don't pay it forward Well, I got fed and nuts to the rest of you. I Was welcomed I had friends, but I'm gonna isolate you. I'm gonna make you feel bad. I'm gonna make sure no one talks to you Hey, that's not what we should be doing. You know what? I've been blessed So be a blessing Look verse 19 and as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet and They drink that which ye have fouled with your feet Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them behold. I even I would judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle You say what makes a bad church member. Here's what makes a bad church member. They use up the resources and they don't pay it forward They take the blessing and they're not a blessing They they allowed people to help them along the way and then they become a hindrance for others who are coming down the same way Notice secondly what makes a bad church member a bad church member They intimidate and irritate people and run them off. Look at verse 21 Because ye have thrust remember he's talking to the sheep He says here's what you've done because ye have thrust With the side and with the shoulder and Pushed all the disease with your horns till you have scattered them abroad Say what is a bad church member do here's what about you remember do he thrust? she pushes She intimidates he irritates they push people away the people they should be a blessing to The people that are weak new young the people that they should be loving on and saying man I used to be where you are and someone was a blessing to me and someone was a help to me and someone prayed for me and if you would have known the Mess when I first got into Christianity the mess that was my life and someone was patient with me But now that I'm righteous and holy and fatted and I'm grown. I don't have any time for you No, you know what? That's a bad church member That has been blessed and will not bless that Intimidates and irritates and you run off more people than you brought You offend more people than you've helped He says and ye my flock the flock of my pasture are men and I am your God sayeth the Lord God you say pastor man is what can we learn from this passage? Here's what we can learn from this passage I need to be a good shepherd Now I'm not Jesus Christ He's the perfect Shepherd But I should be able to look at the Lord Jesus Christ and say you know what I need to focus on the poor and the needy I need to search and seek and attempt to save those that are wandering off I need to try to bring people back and help them when they're struggling I need to make sure that we are feeding them and we are loving them and we're helping I need to make sure that I'm Protecting the flock and the interest of the flock. I need to be a good Shepherd You say well, what can I learn from it? You need to be a good flock member? You need to take the blessing and bless it forward You need to not only drink the water make sure it's there for the next guy Make sure it's there for the next person. Make sure you're not running people off. You're befriending people Don't be expect don't expect people the new church members to minister to you. You go minister to them. Oh People say oh so I'm sorry to shake my hand. Oh, did you shake their hand, you know, it goes both ways So didn't greet me did you greet them? Oh They didn't do what did you Who's mature? Who's spiritual Who's the one? That's been blessed. I Need to be a good pastor You need to be a good churchman. That's why I had to not board a prayer Heavenly Father. Thank you Lord for your word Thank you for the Bible Thank you for these great passages in Scripture that are so applicable to mankind They're not just applicable in our church They're applicable in every church that has ever existed every congregation every group of people that has ever existed. This is applicable And Lord I pray that you would bless our church Lord, I pray that you would help our church I pray that you would help us to always be a church that is welcoming to those in need And Welcoming to those who need help You know what? I pray that you would help all of us who've been blessed To pay that forward not to make it more difficult for people coming behind us But to be a blessing to them to watch for them to minister to them to love them In the matchless name of Christ we pray Amen. I want to remind you just real quickly We're gonna have brother Matt come up and lead us on a final song But I want to remind you that we are starting a brand new series on Sunday morning And I've said this to you already But I just want to say it one more time the best time to invite a friend to church is at the beginning of a series So use the card invite someone with you bring someone with you and make sure we are here on Sunday to get ready to learn about cultivating a culture of contentment