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“Irresponsible Shepherds (Pastors)” by Rev Samuel Mametsa, Sunday Service, the 15th April 2012, TEMBISA.
Scripture reading: Ezekiel 34:
Nowadays we find a lot of irresponsible shepherds. In verse 1-2 the bible tells us
we find a lot of people who go into ministry because they are after the worldly wealth, they are after feeding their own stomachs.
That is why God spoke to Ezekiel to tell the people that there are a number of irresponsible shepherds who feed themselves with the fat of the lamb and they feed their sheep with lame meat. When they see an ailing sheep they say, “Let us slaughter it because it is sickly.” God doesn’t want this. If you see an ailing sheep you rather send the sheep to the hospital instead of killing it.
The job of the church is to win souls. We need quality people: not just people who move up and down, who are selfish, self centered and do not care about God’s people.
“The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” Ezek 34:4, NKJV. This means that in the church God will bring weak people, don’t kill them but comfort them, empower them, strengthen them.
“5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.” Ezek 34:5, NKJV. A shepherd who doesn’t understand his calling will finish people.
“and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.” Ezek 34:5, NKJV. If the sheep do not have a shepherd they go everywhere and become the prey of wild animals. We want a responsible shepherd, who has the spirit of compassion, who will not back-bite people in the church. People mock God; Christians are backbiters and are liars, whilst carrying the bible and still saying “We are Christians”. That is why other people can’t come to church, they say “If these who are called Christians are backbiting each other, how can we go to church?” This makes the people not to come to church. The bible says we need to be blameless.
Some Christians are well known for telling lies. Some of the churches are growing because of the lies.
“6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them."” Ezek 34:6, NKJV.
There are a lot of people here in Tembisa, scattered, some are in the hills, some in the mountains. Go out and look for them. I am not saying go and fish those who have already been caught. They will give you a lot of problems. You need to be careful about them. When they come from another church they will gossip about the other pastor with you and when they leave you they will also go and gossip about you. The will do it as this is a demon that is operating in them. Most of them are “angels”, as if they have not made any mistakes or error in that other church.
The problem is that the devil is happy when these people are moving up and down the different churches, gossiping.
“10 Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them." God, the True Shepherd 11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” Ezek 34:10-11, NKJV. I don’t want God to require the blood of the sheep from you. It is important to have quality people in church and not look on quantity: quality people are people who have compassion for others, who will not demoralize other people.
“11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” Ezek 34:11, NKJV. If God goes out to look for the sheep, it means that you are no longer His shepherd. There are people who have been cut off by God as they refuse to repent and they are not even aware of it. Repentance is when you talk to yourself about changing your life. It is not about somebody else but it must start with you.
In Ezekiel 18:23 “23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord God, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” Ezek 18:23, NKJV. God means what He says in this Scripture reading: and He will never change it.
God says go and look for my sheep. Don’t eat the food of the sheep. God wants His flock. The shepherds called by God will look for His flock and if they are sick, will heal them not to kill them.
A shepherd will not leave a hurt sheep in the field without assisting it. Why is it when your leg is broken the doctors don’t say we must kill you, they will put your leg in a cast so your leg can heal. The same goes for God’s sheep.
When a pastor is annointed, he or she is not annointed by the pastor but by God. This means that the junior pastor must serve God and not his or her senior pastor. He or she must serve God not his leader. There are situations where you find bishops planting churches and then manipulating those pastors. This is wrong. This means that the pastor has not been called by God but by that bishop. When the flock in that church has a problem they must go to their pastor and not to the senior pastor (bishop). They must develop good and healthy relations with their pastor. If God has agreed that a pastor must be annointed as such, God can deal with him or her when he is out of line. He must work and function in the name of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need the senior pastor to come and discipline him.
A pastor must read the word of God. Paul said to Timothy study the word to shew thyself approved. We don’t want people who will tear the word of God into pieces. A pastor must be led by the Holy Spirit and listen to the Holy Spirit and must follow what the Holy Spirit instructs him or her. We don’t want reckless pastors who just say whatever they fell like speaking.
If Jesus Christ had not died on the cross, we would not have been saved. Nobody spotted any sin on Jesus Christ, but He died, after being sentenced to death.
Go and search your life, “Is my life pleasing God?” “Can God speak to me if I am living this kind of life?” Remember God is not stranded. Even if your pastor can push you against the will of God, you will fall. What defeats everything is humility before the Lord so that He may lift you up.
Nowadays we find a lot of irresponsible shepherds. In verse 1-2 the bible tells us
we find a lot of people who go into ministry because they are after the worldly wealth, they are after feeding their own stomachs.
That is why God spoke to Ezekiel to tell the people that there are a number of irresponsible shepherds who feed themselves with the fat of the lamb and they feed their sheep with lame meat. When they see an ailing sheep they say, “Let us slaughter it because it is sickly.” God doesn’t want this. If you see an ailing sheep you rather send the sheep to the hospital instead of killing it.
The job of the church is to win souls. We need quality people: not just people who move up and down, who are selfish, self centered and do not care about God’s people.
“The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” Ezek 34:4, NKJV. This means that in the church God will bring weak people, don’t kill them but comfort them, empower them, strengthen them.
“5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.” Ezek 34:5, NKJV. A shepherd who doesn’t understand his calling will finish people.
“and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.” Ezek 34:5, NKJV. If the sheep do not have a shepherd they go everywhere and become the prey of wild animals. We want a responsible shepherd, who has the spirit of compassion, who will not back-bite people in the church. People mock God; Christians are backbiters and are liars, whilst carrying the bible and still saying “We are Christians”. That is why other people can’t come to church, they say “If these who are called Christians are backbiting each other, how can we go to church?” This makes the people not to come to church. The bible says we need to be blameless.
Some Christians are well known for telling lies. Some of the churches are growing because of the lies.
“6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them."” Ezek 34:6, NKJV.
There are a lot of people here in Tembisa, scattered, some are in the hills, some in the mountains. Go out and look for them. I am not saying go and fish those who have already been caught. They will give you a lot of problems. You need to be careful about them. When they come from another church they will gossip about the other pastor with you and when they leave you they will also go and gossip about you. The will do it as this is a demon that is operating in them. Most of them are “angels”, as if they have not made any mistakes or error in that other church.
The problem is that the devil is happy when these people are moving up and down the different churches, gossiping.
“10 Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them." God, the True Shepherd 11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” Ezek 34:10-11, NKJV. I don’t want God to require the blood of the sheep from you. It is important to have quality people in church and not look on quantity: quality people are people who have compassion for others, who will not demoralize other people.
“11 'For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.” Ezek 34:11, NKJV. If God goes out to look for the sheep, it means that you are no longer His shepherd. There are people who have been cut off by God as they refuse to repent and they are not even aware of it. Repentance is when you talk to yourself about changing your life. It is not about somebody else but it must start with you.
In Ezekiel 18:23 “23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord God, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?” Ezek 18:23, NKJV. God means what He says in this Scripture reading: and He will never change it.
God says go and look for my sheep. Don’t eat the food of the sheep. God wants His flock. The shepherds called by God will look for His flock and if they are sick, will heal them not to kill them.
A shepherd will not leave a hurt sheep in the field without assisting it. Why is it when your leg is broken the doctors don’t say we must kill you, they will put your leg in a cast so your leg can heal. The same goes for God’s sheep.
When a pastor is annointed, he or she is not annointed by the pastor but by God. This means that the junior pastor must serve God and not his or her senior pastor. He or she must serve God not his leader. There are situations where you find bishops planting churches and then manipulating those pastors. This is wrong. This means that the pastor has not been called by God but by that bishop. When the flock in that church has a problem they must go to their pastor and not to the senior pastor (bishop). They must develop good and healthy relations with their pastor. If God has agreed that a pastor must be annointed as such, God can deal with him or her when he is out of line. He must work and function in the name of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t need the senior pastor to come and discipline him.
A pastor must read the word of God. Paul said to Timothy study the word to shew thyself approved. We don’t want people who will tear the word of God into pieces. A pastor must be led by the Holy Spirit and listen to the Holy Spirit and must follow what the Holy Spirit instructs him or her. We don’t want reckless pastors who just say whatever they fell like speaking.
If Jesus Christ had not died on the cross, we would not have been saved. Nobody spotted any sin on Jesus Christ, but He died, after being sentenced to death.
Go and search your life, “Is my life pleasing God?” “Can God speak to me if I am living this kind of life?” Remember God is not stranded. Even if your pastor can push you against the will of God, you will fall. What defeats everything is humility before the Lord so that He may lift you up.