It's All About The Sheep

By: Bernard "Pappy" Malachias

With just a causal study of the bible's new testament, there can be no doubt that the central focus of our lord's earthly visit was to fulfill the old testament scriptures and redeem the world of sin. John 3:16

When the Jews as a nation rejected Him and His mission to come to them ( as prophesied ) revealing to them to be their messiah, it is plain to see that He then turned His ministry over to serving anyone/everyone else that would believe on Him. Psalm 22 | Isaiah 53 | Romans 1:16

And, SERVING is the key word here because as He himself said plainly He did not come to be served but to serve > Matthew 20:28 | John 10:11 | Luke 22:27

Today we often see that this is not always the same thought process with our churches and ministers. Whether intentionally or unintentionally we have in many cases slipped beyond merely honoring a man of God in the ministry (following their lead) but exalting them above the sheep ( saints/believers ). 

So much so that some seem to be falling away from the mindset and behavior of a servant and more in the way of a person or persons to be served.

Jesus told Peter ( after having him confess his love for Him three times ) that if he loved Him he was to feed His sheep. John 21:17 

If He stressed a plea for the Apostle Peter to serve the sheep by feeding them ( the gospel ), then wouldn't our ministers and staff be more inline with that same mentality of serving the Gospel as a type of soul food in the same manner?

I would offer up an analogy of a great divine kitchen of the King (God's Kitchen) where everyone that is called to work/serve there would take on the same mentality as say: Cooks, Dishwashers, Butlers and Maids?

All, working with just one purpose, to diligently serve the sheep (with kindness and thanksgiving).

There seems to be an innumerable amount of criticism today almost everywhere you turn, coming from men and women of God criticizing the church (sheep) because they are not living like or serving as they do.

The people (sheep) that ministers are called to serve the Gospel to, are not to be in the same place in their calling or faith as they are but to be fed by them, from out of their calling.

How many ministers do we know today that appear to serve with the same mindset as we see servant workers in kitchens and 5 star restaurants out in the world, serving?

Would servants of the wealthy, important people expect to be picked up by limousine and placed in a plush hotel suite during their city visit to a serve at a mega church?

Maybe I'm wrong and/or overthinking it but I don’t believe our ministers are placing the same emphasis and compassion Christ had for His sheep on the people sitting in the pews of their churches today.

Outside of a Pastor, whom God does indeed call to Pastor the sheep ( protect, guide and restrain from injury ), the rest of those called to serve have no need looking and talking down to those who are not in a formal ministry and simply just showing up in church every week.

It is all about the Sheep!

It is the common, everyday believers (and non believers) that Jesus directed His servants (disciples) to serve, not scold and debase. I believe that the correction and reproof mentioned in the New Testament scriptures was meant primarily for “Disciples” of the Gospel. Those serving and not the hearers.

Also, contrary to popular teachings He did not call EVERYONE to serve. We ARE all called to be witnesses and share in our own personal conversions to Christ with others we encounter daily, but not all of us are called to serve in a formal, ministerial church capacity.

It’s Okay To Be Sheep!

Not all are called to be teachers (disciples) but to be taught (discipled).  A disciple is a "disciplined" student of the Lord Jesus first, who is called, then expected to meet the criteria of of a disciple…

…a criteria that along with teaching has the faith to perform any/all of the same miracles that Christ himself performed while teaching and preaching the Gospel. Ephesians 4:11-12 | John 17:18-20 | Matthew 28:19

It is a special calling not asked of or given to all but a specific “some.” And given to them expressly for the purpose of feeding the sheep. Not for themselves and/or their own status among the sheep. 

There is good reason Christ first called fishermen and tax collectors to start His church. And brought all of Saul's (Apostle Paul’s former name) great scholastic and scriptural knowledge to naught, before He could place him as Paul into His ministry of serving rather than being served.

Paul had to be humbled and his mindset of being served changed to serving before he could rightly see* the use and purpose of his scriptural knowledge.