Jump Start # 3695

John 10:13 “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.”

The past two Saturday mornings found me teaching about shepherding and leading. Two Saturdays ago I was in Texas and the discussion was about Legacy in leadership. Love that topic. This past Saturday it was with several from my home congregation as we held a leadership workshop. One of the special things that comes out of that workshop are the breakout sessions between the lessons. The men are divided up and they go into different classrooms and I give them a scenario, most times, something that really happened. They have to discuss the matter, come up with a Biblical answer and then we share that among each other. This is a good exercise for those who are not shepherds to see some of the things that elders have come across their tables and it illustrates how we must work together. I might have an answer, but someone else brings up a perspective that I didn’t think about. Working together. Working as a team.

Saturdays mornings and leadership. I love it that more and more congregations are putting thought into things like this. For too long, the only time the discussion of elders came up was when there was a crisis. One of the elders moves or one passes away. All panic. The preacher preaches on the qualifications and a couple of names are put before the congregation. They are appointed and every breathes a giant sigh of relief and all is put back on the shelf until the next time a crisis arises. Not really a good plan and model to follow.

Getting disciples to see that all of us are leaders is important. You are the light of the world, Jesus said. Not, you ought to be. I hope you will be. But, rather, YOU ARE. And, every dad is a shepherd. His flock is his family. He does at home what the shepherds in the church do. He guides. He nourishes. He spiritually feeds. He sees that his little flock is Heaven bound. And, in time, if this man has made the right choices and grows, all God does is give him more children, the congregation.

Who are going to be the next shepherds? Has any thought been given to that? Has any steps been made to prepare for that? That’s the value of shepherding classes and workshops.

Our verse today shows the contrast from the hired hand and the good shepherd. The hired hand is in it for a paycheck. It’s all a job to him. He has no passion or skin in the game. When the wolf appears, as our verse indicates, the hired hand is gone. He’s not risking his neck for a bunch of sheep. He doesn’t care. The passage states plainly, “he is not concerned about the sheep.” The hired hand is only concerned about himself.

In contrast, the good shepherd loves the sheep. His heart is in what he does. When the wolf shows up, the good shepherd stands the ground between the wolf and the sheep. He’ll fight to the death because he wants no harm to come to the sheep. The sheep are safe with the good shepherd near by. The hired hand is a threat to the sheep. He’ll leave them when they need him the most.

Some thoughts for us:

First, you want someone watching you who will stay in the game. Does he get scared? Probably. Does he get tired? Certainly. But his heart is with those sheep. And, in God’s church, we need men who will stand up to wolves and fight for the safety of the sheep. David fought a lion and a bear while protecting his father’s sheep. And, shepherds today fight modern wolves who want to endanger the people of God.

Second, the revealing word in our passage today is “concerned.” The hired hand doesn’t care. Not his problem, he thinks. But, the good shepherd does care. He always cares. He’ll stay with the sheep until he is no longer needed. One can teach the basics of watching sheep. But this “heart” stuff, either you have it or you don’t. It is sad to appoint men as leaders who are not concerned. Some like the position, but not the work. Some believe it gives them power, which it really doesn’t. The shepherd didn’t begin to care when he picked up the staff and started watching sheep. It began long ago. He has always cared. He has gone out of his way to encourage. He has been a friend to the people of God. Appointing such a person is simple and easy. He cares and it shows.

Third, leaders must continue to grow and learn. In both Saturday morning sessions, in Texas and at home in Indiana, multiple shepherds were in the audience. They came. They took notes. They asked questions. They shared insights. Pity the man who thinks that he has learned all there is to know about leading just because long ago he was appointed a shepherd. Such a man becomes stale, stagnate and stuck. Growing shepherds will create a healthy culture in which others will want to lead as well.

Leading the people of God…what a privilege and an honor. Leading people all the way to Heaven. Maybe it’s time to get the men in your congregation together on a Saturday morning to talk about these things.

Roger