REAL 42 - There will be one Shepherd and One Flock: A long conversation on pastors, churches and flock abuse!

There will be one Shepherd and One Flock: A long conversation on pastors, churches and flock abuse!

MJ =  You are right, there is also a conflict between young leaders and those old Pastors!  Many Pastors when they see a young leader growing they become jealous and they fear that they may replace them. Sometimes they can stop a young leader from going to study theology or leadership in America or Europe thinking that when he comes back he will replace them. And that is a big challenge for the spiritual growth of those young leaders here and you imagine how the church will look like tomorrow.

Paul Taylor = Amen!  Let me say this. We have the same problems in the US. When I was a young man my Pastor tried everything to discourage me from going into the ministry. When God began to bless me he became jealous. 

Pastors say they want unity, but they refuse to unite because of fear of losing their sheep.  The problem is two fold. One they do not believe in the Kingdom of God. Two they are afraid of losing their income and have become hirelings. 

It is very sad, but I have been there. Only revelation will set them free from fear of being replaced.

J Salum = There are no senior pastors in the NT not even many churches in a city much less denominations! To be a pastor "a solely" monarch of a "church" is a sin! The existing situation is not so simple! The church systems of today promote this kind of reality!

Paul Taylor = It is a system that is broken. I have no issue with someone being paid to Pastor or preach. That is not the issue. The apostle Paul taught that a man is worthy of his hire. It is when they control people in fear of losing their income that causes the problem.  If a pastor knows that God is his provider and he works to build the kingdom of God, discipling the people to use their gifts, I have no problem with what he is doing. Where you worship is not important!  May God raise up men and women who are true pastors and care for people.

JSalum = Yes but if a pastor is hired he is a professional of the faith! If you preach the Gospel you can live by the Gospel! Yes, you may have a salary, but in the NT there were not employees of the Church! But the system has individual pastors pastoring specifics churches who are not the CHURCH OF GOD in a city Because there is only one Flock and one SHEPHERD! 

Individual pastors. Who are they today? Pastor Joe is a pastor of the Church  of God! Pastor Brain is a pastor of Fire of God Church and pastor Moses is the pastor of Church of Saint John! These are all sin! And they hate each other and fight each other! 

Let us read some Scriptures:

 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— TO ALL IN ROME  who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:1, 7 NIV

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, TO THE CHURCH of God IN CORINTH , to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:”

1 Corinthians 1:1-2 NIV

“Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers and sisters with me, TO THE CHURCHES  in Galatia:”

Galatians 1:1-2 NIV

GALATIA was a region with many cities!

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, TO THE SAINTS which are IN EPHESUS, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:”

Ephesians 1:1 KJV

“Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto THE CHURCH of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 1:1 KJV

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;”

Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18 KJV

The word Church is Singular, in Ephesus!

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders (presbyters, the pastor)  of the church.” Not of the churches of Ephesus

Acts 20:17 KJV

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Acts 20:28 NIV

There is just a flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. (With S plural) BE SHEPHERDS  (plural) in one city, together, one Presbytery ONLY ONE of the CHURCH of GOD not churches 

The churches are not part the Body of Christ! The Church is the Body of Christ! 

Mathematically is like this: Ephesus  = 1 = Church = Rome = 1 = Church = 3 gathered in the farm around Rome = 1 = Church = The Church! 

And we went far away from THE CHURCH to become what Christians are today! Fragmented! And if they are not ONE they are not the Church!

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:2-6 NIV

There are many men of God pastoring the flock of God but a large number of them are wolves.

“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”

Acts 20:29-30 NIV

“In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”

2 Peter 2:3 NIV

There is a version that says "these will make merchandise of you!"

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

1 Peter 5:1-4 KJV

The flock of God! Pastors have no sheep! We have no disciples! JESUS SAID: FEED MY SHEEP! 

We make disciples for JESUS! 

“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.”

John 21:15-17 KJV

Feed MY sheep! Jesus said three times! FEED THE FLOCK OF GOD!

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Let me challenge you all to look at John 10! And you will see how John 10 is related to what we are talking here!

We have learnt that the devil came to kill, steal and destroy! 

But did you notice that in John chapter 10 Jesus does not mention the devil even once? 

Did you notice that according to Jesus who came to kill, to steal and to destroy are the mercenaries that came before HIM? 

““Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 

But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 

Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. (JESUS was talking to the Pharisees indeed!!!)

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 

All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. (THOSE PHARISEES WERE BEING CALLED BY JESUS AS THIEVES AND ROBBERS AND THE SHEEP DID NOT LISTEN TO THEM)  

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “

(The thief - who is the thief? The thief! So obvious the answer!!!)

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. 

(THE HIRED HAND IS NOT THE SHEPHERD) 

So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 

The man (not the devil) runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. 

They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. THERE SHALL BE ONE FLOCK AND ONE SHEPHERD!

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.””

John 10:1-18, 25, 27-30 NIV

I can go on, I humble myself before the Lord, I will tell you that you will not find anyone on the NY That is named a Pastor! You find apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers but not one pastor! 

And you shall know Jesus (THE TRUTH) and THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE! 

PS: When in the NT the words church, pastors, overseers, bishops, presbyters, elders and others related words were used what the people who received the letters from Paul, John, Peter and others did understand? Not what Calvin, Luther, Strong, Pope Francis and others understood! Here is the key for extending the conversation!

Do you really want to change?