Not Finished Yet - I Am a Work In Progress - Be Patient With Me

{jcomments on}"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep". ~ John 10:11

The word pastor is rooted in the Bible. "The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word רעה (ra'ah). It is mentioned 173 times and describes the feeding of sheep, as in Genesis 29:7, or the spiritual feeding of human beings, as in Jeremiah 3:15, "Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding" (NASB).

Now in the New Testament, the Greek noun ποιμήν (poimēn) and verb ποιμαινω (poimaino) are usually translated shepherd or to shepherd. The two words are used a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example, Jesus called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. The same words are used in familiar Christmas story (Luke 2) referring to literal shepherds." ~ from Wikipedia

The pastor is the leading person who leads the sheep to good pastures. The pastor's responsibilities are to feed, care and protect the sheep.

In the lost sheep we can see the qualities and responsibilities of a good pastor.

Luke 15:4 Says "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what he will do?"

Matthew 18:12 "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what he will do?"

If a church pastor has a congregation of a hundred (or more) and one of them, gets lost, wanders away what the will the pastor do?

Great question: Jesus here describes himself as the good Shepherd.  Jesus sets up the standard for leaders, pastors. The lost sheep is not a lost sheep outside his flock. As follows the lost is not someone out in the word. It is not the unsaved. It is your own sheep. It is your own congregation. It is about the people you are pasturing. People whom the pastor as leader is responsible for their guidance, food, care and protection. When you are a leader- you are responsible for those people. This is a BIG responsibility. So how do you do that?

Both Luke and Matthew follow: "Won't he leave the ninety-nine?" what a question. It's so natural that he will leave and go to find the lost one. When someone from your church congregation wonders away, gets lost do you see that your pastor, church leaders' first natural respond is to go and find the lost?

Matthew Says "Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out and search for the one that is lost?

Luke says "Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it."

Go out and search...this is work, this is effort, this might take time....because the shepherd doesn't give up searching, he is not returning until he finds the lost.

When someone in your church wonders away, is your main focus as a pastor/leader to get out (out of your comfort zone) to find the one lost?

Unfortunately, my personal experience is the opposite what I see Jesus representing here. In my experience when someone wanders away, sins and gets lost in its own sins, leaders don't want those in their flock. Many of today's pastors don't have time for the ones who wander away; they are too busy with programs – they have no time for lost people.

I am 36 years old and over the years I been attending different churches in different parts of the world in different denominations but I personally never saw Jesus' standard lived out in any of my pastors. I never saw a pastors going out of their comfort zone, going out and investing time and effort to bring the one lost home. This breaks my heart. So many people had negative experiences and don't go to church because they had been hurt by the pastor or someone from the leadership team.

Is the "church as institution" following Jesus' example or do church pastors, leaders want a flock of sheep that just follows them, their agenda, their goals, their vision, which in many cases reflects the Pastor's kingdom.

We as sheep don't just need a leader to follow, but someone who cares, someone who notices if we are missing. I wonder how often people don't show up at the church and nobody misses them. If they do take notice that someone is not there they're too busy going with their agenda, their programs that they have no time for the lost ones.

Wow....What a standard Jesus left. It's not easy to measure up against that standard.

Why is this little One so important for Jesus? And in the next paragraph Jesus tells us why. This is what the "church" is missing.

Matthew 18:13-14 "I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away. In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish"

Luke 15:7 " In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God, than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!"

This is what the pastors and the church is missing when a pastor is too busy with his agenda that he doesn't have time to go after the ONE lost.

1. First of all the Pastor just doesn't follow God's will! The Father's will is that any of those should not perish. This is the pastor's responsibility.

2. We miss the out the wonderful joy. As church it is a joy when a sinner gets back. Why? Why is it that God cares more about the one who wanders away? Why is more joy over the ONE lost then the ninety-nine who didn't wander away?

Because God wants all of us home, he wants all of us and when those who are responsible for the lost ones don't care it just breaks God's heart.

I have three children and love them the same way. If one of them wanders away it is my responsibility to go and search and bring the lost one home. Jesus is the one who came to bring us home. When someone answers the call of their life to be a pastor, a leader that is a huge responsibility. I believe one day pastors will have to stand in front of God and respond for each and every one of those little ones who wandered away, who get lost and they didn't go out to find them. Because in God's economy every little one matters. In fact Jesus died for that little one on the cross and the question will be did you as a church pastor, leader go out after him/ her.

Jesus left heaven and gave his life for that little one, are we too busy with our vision and church agenda to go after the ones who wander away?

Some of you might say that we tried but they didn't want to come back? Really?

Often if someone sins then the pastor and church gives them an ultimatum. You have to repent, you have to do this and this and you have two months, six months or whatever the timeframe is, and if the sinner doesn't go with the Pastor/church leadership's will then they terminate the sinner. They make sure the sinner leaves because they make his/her life hell in church.

With broken heart I can tell you that in my 36 years I never been part of any church where I would of seen Jesus' example to be followed as a guide in these situations. I never saw a pastor put his agenda, plans on hold and go after that one and really work hard to bring that one home.

The big question for me remains who will go out, out of the comfort zone, out of the personal and/or church schedule, out of the personal/church will and search for the lost one? How can the "church" even mention to go out in the world to reach the lost one, when they don't go after their own lost ones?

How can we love the outsider sinners when we don't love our own sinners? Like how can someone even say that? How can a church plan to reach out to addicts, homosexuals, strippers, outsider "nobodies" if they can reach out for the lost within the church?

My Prayer: God please come and strip down everything what is not your way. Lord we are sorry that our leaders are far, really far from your standards. Holy Spirit come and revive the "church" as institution, that leaders will not assign our lost ones but go and search and bring them home. Father help us to go and bring them home. Jesus you came to bring your lost children home. Jesus you gave your life for your children. Oh Lord have mercy on our leaders. Have mercy on our Christian leaders. Lord we are sorry that they mock your name by disobeying your will. Your will is to bring them home. Jesus please, please revive this church generation. Fill us with your love and mercy to be able to extend your love and mercy. And Lord help me to cry out when I see the pain around me, Lord help me to cry our for my Pastor, our church leaders...Oh Lord please move and Holy Spirit open our hearts so we will see the lost the way you see them. In Jesus name please I ask all this. Amen.