Jeremiah 23:1
The Bible says
in Jeremiah 23:1-2, Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pastor! Saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the
pastors that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away,
and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your
doings, saith the Lord. There is nothing worse than a bad pastor. The word pastor means
shepherd. There are several things that a good pastor does: he guides the
sheep, he protects the sheep, and he feeds the sheep.
Not only did
these bad pastors not lead the sheep in the right direction, and not only did
the bad pastors not protect the people, but the bad pastors were the ones who
were destroying the people. God said to the bad pastors in Jeremiah 23:2, Ye have
scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them. People get
destroyed by false teachings. The number one responsibility of a pastor is to
learn the truth from Gods Word, and then communicate that truth. That is why
the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in Second Timothy 4:1-4, I charge
thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick
and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables. In order to preach the Word, you must know the Word. That
is why the Apostle Paul also wrote in Second Timothy 2:14-15, Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them
before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the
subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The importance
of pastors feeding Gods people the Word of God cannot be underestimated. After
Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus emphasized the importance of this truth to the
Apostle Peter. It says in John 21:15-17, So when they had dined, Jesus saith
to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith
unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my
lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou
me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto
him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas,
lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time,
Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou
knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
O, the terrible damage that bad pastors have caused because they did not teach
the Word of God. They did not feed Gods people. What can keep a pastor from
teaching Gods Word properly? There are several things that can contribute to
this problem. First of all some pastors are not even true believers. They are
wolves in sheeps clothing. Jesus spoke of this problem in Matthew 7:15, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. The Apostle Paul also
wrote in Acts 20:29-31, For I know this, that
after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the
flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to
draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the
space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
If you are a
pastor who is born-again, you do not want to make the mistake of neglecting to
teach the Word of God because instead you give out your own wisdom. Some people
have so many stories to tell, or they spend so much time talking about
themselves, that they do not have enough time left over to actually teach the
Word. Of course, a pastor must believe that the Bible is the Word of God. In
this world where modern textual criticism has taken over so many seminaries and
pulpits, there are many pastors who have had their own faith in the written
Word torn down, so how can they feed the sheep? The message from God is also
weakened and watered down because of pastors having a translation philosophy
that keeps them from the Word of God. Using a translation such as the King
James version of the Bible that is based upon the Textus Receptus would keep
pastors from using poorly translated versions, versions that are not based upon
a literal translation method, or even versions that have removed part of the
Word of God. This ever-changing landscape in regards to translations becomes a
greater and greater impediment to feeding Gods sheep the Word of God. The King
James Version (translation) of the Bible has not changed in 400 years, and will
still be the same in another 400 years. That is a very faithful and consistent
situation that fits very into the teaching of Jesus about the immutability and
unchanging character of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. This is the
doctrine of the preservation of the Holy Scriptures. God not only gave His Word
originally through the doctrine of inspiration, but He also has preserved His
Word. Anyone who thinks that the Word of God is partially missing is has errors
that need to be corrected by theologians, is denying the truth that God has
preserved His Word for every generation. It says in Psalm 100:5, For the Lord
is good: his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth to all generations. The idea
that the truth has somehow been lost, and is still to be discovered in some
long-lost manuscripts is both false and dangerous. Such a concept will
eventually have the effect of ruining the faith of the sheep. If you cannot
trust every word of the book that is in your hands as being the truth from God,
then you cannot trust any of it.
Where man has
failed, God will succeed. Once everything is over and done, this truth will be
the final analysis of the human race. Man failed to obey God, man sinned, and
man cannot save himself; but Jesus did obey the Father, Jesus did not sin, and
Jesus purchased our salvation by dying for us on the cross of Calvary. The
pastors that God raised up failed to feed the sheep, failed to guide the sheep,
and failed to protect the sheep. Notice what the Lord says He will do to fix
the failures of the pastors of the Old Testament. The Lord said in Jeremiah
23:3-4, And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries
whiter I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds: and they
shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them: and they
shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall be lacking, saith the Lord.
Notice all of
the good results when the Lord fixes the problem caused by the bad pastors. God
says concerning the believers that He will bring them again to their
folds. If you are in the fold, then you are safe and secure. You want
to make sure that you are rightly-related to Jesus, and that you are where He
wants you to be. The safest place in this world for you is wherever Jesus wants
you to be. Be willing to go where He wants you to go, but stay right where you
are unless you know for certain that He wants you to go someplace else. Jesus
also referred to being safe in the sheepfold in His teachings. Jesus said in
John 10:1-9, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door
into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To
him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own
sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep,
he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a
stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the
voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not
what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them
again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that
ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I
am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture.
If you are in
Gods fold, not only are you protected, but you will also bear fruit. In other
words something will be produced by your life that will honor the name of
Christ. This fruit may not be the kinds of things for which human beings praise
each other, and some of the fruit may not even be known about until the
judgment, but nevertheless it will definitely be there. With God and with
Christ your life will count for something. In Jeremiah 23:3 the Lord promised
about those who are in His fold, they shall be fruitful and increase. Jesus gave
us more information about how the spiritual process of bearing fruit for His
glory takes place. Jesus said in John 15:1-5, I am the true vine, and my
Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh
away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring
forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the
vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same
bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Concerning the
need for His sheep to have shepherds, the Lord said in Jeremiah 23:4, And I will
set up shepherds over them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,
neither shall be lacking, saith the Lord. God said that He will set up
shepherds. God knows that His sheep need shepherds, and so God sets them up.
That is one way of describing a church. A church is a flock of sheep with a
shepherd. In order to set up shepherds for the sheep, The Lord Jesus does at
least two important things. Jesus gives the necessary spiritual gifts to a man
so that he might be able to perform the responsibilities of a shepherd, and the
Lord calls that man to be a shepherd. Concerning the spiritual gifts, it says
in Ephesians 4:7-8, But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure
of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. The spiritual gift that is most
important in being a pastor is the gift to teach because by teaching the Word
of God, the sheep are fed spiritually. Jesus was a teacher. Jesus was the
greatest of all teachers. There are many verses in the gospels that tell us that
Jesus was a teacher. For example, it says about Jesus n Mark 6:2, And he
marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. Jesus said
in Mark 14:49, I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took
me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew
28:19-20, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
In Jeremiah
23:4 there are two great results from getting the proper teachings from the
Word of God. The first result is the casting out of fear. It says, they shall fear
no more, nor be dismayed. Human beings are so often controlled by fear or even devastated
and paralyzed by fear. Confidence in the Word of God that tells us about the
Lords forgiveness, promises, and protection will always cast away fear. When
you are properly in Jesus fold, one of the reasons that you will be brave and
strong is because it says in Jeremiah 23:4 that you will not be lacking. You know
that God will always take care of you, no matter what happens.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2012 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved