Soul Shift: Sheep to Shepherd / Message #7

September 23, 2012

Soul Shift:  Sheep to Shepherd  /  Message #7

Mark 1:15-20

Scott Howard

 

“’The time has come,’ he [Jesus] said, ‘The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!’  As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’  At once they left their nets and followed him.  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”   --Mark 1:15-20

·         Embedded in the Call to follow Christ is the call to enlist.  To get involved in His ministry.

Jesus was on a mission to find fishermen to become fishers of men, and to find sheep to become shepherds.  He preached the Gospel, healed the sick, and delivered the oppressed from evil.

·         He commissioned them to do ministry among the people.  To meet the needs of the people.

·         Jesus looked at the crowd like they were “sheep without a shepherd.”  Mark 6:30-34

·         Jesus did not come simply to save us but to recruit us.  He wants us to be a part of this journey and gives us the authority.

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.  He appointed twelve---designating them apostles---that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”  Mark 3:13-15

Ø  Shepherds have Internal Qualities:

·         Shepherds have compassion towards their sheep

·         Shepherds are not Critical because they know the limitations of their sheep

·         Shepherds can Empathize with those under their care, they can relate to them.

·         Shepherds know their sheep by name, they spend time with them to build relationships

·         Shepherds are self-forgetful---they think of their sheep First

·         Shepherds don’t care about who gets the glory; they care that God gets all the glory

In order to Shift from the sheep mentality to the shepherd mentality we must:

·        shift from wanting only to receive things from God to being a part of the ministry and giving the Gospel, blessings, and compassion back to others.

 

Ø  Jesus wants us to Engage in three activities:

1.       Preach the Gospel --- through our experiences.  Share our story of what God has done in our lives.

2.       Heal the sick---emotinally, spiritually, psychologically.  A word of encouragement can do this.

3.       Deliver people from their evil---help them disentangle themselves from sin.  From the things that keep them trapped, such as habits, and addictions.  But do this in a loving, caring manner.

Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to help guide us in becoming a shepherd.  Think of ways to get involved in people’s lives in a good, loving way.  Just be there for them.  Let’s “Reach out and Shepherd someone!”