Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word. (Ephesians 5:25-26)
Dr. Henry Halley points to seven images the Bible portrays of how Jesus interacts with His saints.
“1. The Shepherd and the sheep emphasizes both the warm leadership and protection of Christ and the helplessness and dependency of believers (John 10:1-18).
2. The vine and the branches points out the necessity for Christians to depend on Christ’s sustaining strength for growth (John 15:1-8).
4. The cornerstone and building stones (Matthew 21:42) accents the foundational value of Christ to everything the church is and does, as well as Christ’s value to the unity of believers. Love is to be the mortar which solidly holds the living stones together (1 Corinthians 3:9; 13:1-13; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5).
5. The head and many-membered body, the church, is a vibrant organism, not merely an organization; it draws its vitality and direction from Christ, the Head, and each believer has a unique and necessary place in its growth (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27; Ephesians 4:4).
6. The last Adam and new creation presents Christ as the initiator of a new creation of believers as Adam was of the old creation (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
7. The bridegroom and bride beautifully emphasizes the intimate fellowship and co-ownership existing between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25-33; Revelation 19:7-8; 21:9).”
You can read all of the Bible verses listed in this post by clicking here.
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In my book When Sheep Bite, I not only wrote about biting sheep, but I also wrote about wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, and wolves who aren’t trying to hide themselves at all! How are shepherd leaders to deal with these folks?
That was one of the topics I addressed on the Leading From Alignment podcast with John Opalewski and Jim Wiegand.
In the chapter of my book called ‘Driving Away the Wolves,’ I wrote:
Loving shepherds are constantly among their sheep so that the sheep can know their voice and so the shepherd can know the voice of each individual sheep. This has the two-fold benefit of the sheep knowing which voice is trustworthy, and for you as the shepherd to spot the off-key voice of the “meaningless talk and deception” of those wolves who are hiding out among the sheep.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
In John 10:1-18, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and He refers to those who follow Him as His sheep.
Anyone who has ever seen a shepherd interact with his sheep knows that the sheep are listening for their shepherd’s voice to give them direction, but they will ignore or run away from a stranger’s voice.
This requires two-way communication. The shepherd must speak tenderly and convincingly, and the sheep must remain tuned in to their shepherd’s voice with an ear to follow.
This requires proximity. The shepherd cannot speak from a distance without raising his voice, and sheep will never be attracted to someone who yells at them.
This requires consistency. The shepherd needs to continually speak life-giving words, and the sheep need to consistently obey the shepherd’s words in order to reap the benefits.
This requires discernment. The sheep have to be able to know the difference between their shepherd’s voice and a stranger’s voice. The shepherd needs to speak “words of eternal life” (see John 6:68-69).
This requires patience. A shepherd’s directions really “get through” the first time, so the message needs to be patiently, lovingly, and creatively repeated.
This requires abiding. The shepherd needs to show himself trustworthy, and the sheep need to show themselves faithful in their abiding with their shepherd.
Jesus is the good and perfect Shepherd. There is no one else to whom I should be trusting, abiding with, listening to, and obeying.
The Good Shepherd will call some of His sheep to serve as His under-shepherds for other sheep. Those under-shepherds bring the Good Shepherd glory by shepherding just as Jesus models for them.
When shepherds and sheep remain in constant communication, there is a vitality and maturity that is readily apparent. And when the communication breaks down, the health of the sheep quickly deteriorates.
If you have been called to be an under-shepherd, please check out my books Shepherd Leadership and When Sheep Bite that will give you practical, biblical guidelines for you to thrive in this beautiful ministry.
After I wrote the best-selling book Shepherd Leadership, I started naturally gravitating toward anything shepherd related. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 was the perfect fit for me! But I think anyone will enjoy these beautiful insights on Psalm 23. Check out my full book review here.
Here are some quotes that especially caught my eye—
“Sheep do not ‘just take care of themselves’ as some might suppose. They require, more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care. … From early dawn until late at night this utterly selfless Shepherd is alert to the welfare of His flock. … Above all, He is very jealous of His name and high reputation as the Good Shepherd. He is the Owner who delights in His flock. For Him there is no greater reward, no deeper satisfaction, than that of seeing His sheep contented, well fed, safe, and flourishing under His care. This is indeed His very ‘life.’ He gives all He has to it. He literally lays Himself out for those who are His. He will go to no end of trouble and labor to supply them with the finest grazing, the richest pasturage, ample winter feed, and clean water. He will spare Himself no pains to provide shelter from storms, protection from ruthless enemies and the diseases and parasites to which sheep are so susceptible.”
“A flock that is restless, discontented, always agitated and disturbed never does well. … When one startled sheep runs in fright, a dozen others will bolt with it in blind fear, not waiting to see what frightened them.”
“In the course of time I came to realize that nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector put them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applied day and night. … When my eyes are on my Master they are not on those around me. This is the place of peace.”
“Only those intimately acquainted with sheep and their habits understand the significance of a ‘cast’ sheep or a ‘cast down’ sheep. This is an old English shepherd’s term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself.”
“Sheep are notorious creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts; graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites. … No other class of livestock requires more careful handling, more detail direction, than do sheep.”
My Patreon supporters had early access to these quotes, plus I have shared many more quotes from this book with these friends.
My newest book When Sheep Bite is releasing soon. You can pre-order a copy for yourself here.
When I wrote my first book, my publisher asked me to write on “servant leadership,” but the more I dove into the topic, the more I kept coming back to Jesus as the ultimate example. But then I noticed that Jesus not only called Himself a shepherd, but many of the Old Testament prophecies foretelling His arrival also used shepherding terms. It was then that I pivoted to entitle my book Shepherd Leadership.
Ever since I immersed myself in the research for that book, I’ve been especially attentive to all things related to shepherding. In going through books from my Mom’s library, I stumbled upon A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller.
Oh my! I wish I would have discovered this amazing little book while I was writing my book! What a depth of insight I have gleaned from someone who looks after actual sheep!
As the title denotes, Keller uses the well-known Psalm 23 to give us so many eye-opening insights into our Good Shepherd. He goes phrase by phrase—“the Lord is my Shepherd,” “I shall not want,” “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” and so on—with each phrase adding a new level of intimacy with this One who cares for us so profoundly.
And as an added bonus for me, it was so sweet to see the highlights and notations my Mom had made as she read this book. This made A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 a double blessing for me.
(P.S. Check out some quotes I’ve shared from this book here.)
The Holy Spirit can speak to us through other people. Be sure to check out all of my videos on my YouTube channel.
“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.” —Charles Spurgeon
“It is possible to adopt an outward demeanor of great meekness, while inside our appetite for applause is insatiable. . . . Oh, what a constant companion, what a tyrannical commander, what a sly, subtle and insinuating enemy is this sin of pride!” —John Stott
“Every word from God comes with the power to make that word happen.” —Kevin Berry
“The question is not, ‘Should we pray for the lost people of our community?’ The question is, ‘Will we?’ Will we pray for our neighbors, our community, our nation, and our world? Will we seek the peace of the world and the wellbeing of all our fellow humans before the Lord in prayer? [Jeremiah 29:7]
“If we will not, then we must face up to the fact that we are disobeying a divine mandate, abandoning our neighbors to their folly, and stoking the fires of indifference—if not outright scorn—for the unbelieving world around. But if we will pray, who knows what God might be willing to do?
“Those prayers may be prayers of anguish and anger at times; but they must also be prayers for God to work in the hard hearts of our unsaved neighbors, just as He has worked in ours, to bring new life, forgiveness, and hope to those who now live apart from God in a world full of rebellion and sin.” —T.M. Moore
Axis is a great resource to help parents communicate effectively with their pre-teen and teenage children. In the wake of the school shooting in Nashville, Axis posted this: “We have created resources to help parents and caring adults have conversations about violence and school shootings. Consider our Conversation Kit on Violence, our Parent’s Guide to School Shootings, our Parent’s Guide to Talking About Violence, and our Parent’s Guide to Anxiety, for starters.”
“Failure is a part of success. There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your life. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it.” —Hank Aaron
This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Charles Spurgeon. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Spurgeon” in the search box to read more entries.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.
Wart Warning
At the instigation of his wife, Abraham adopted means that were not justifiable in order that he might obtain the promised heir [see Genesis 16]. He used means that may not be so vicious to him as they would be in men of modern times, but that were suggested by an unbelieving policy and were fraught with evil. He takes Hager to wife. He could not leave it to God to give him the promised seed. He could not leave it with God to fulfill His promise in His own time and justifies himself in turning aside from the narrow path of faith to accomplish, by doubtful methods, the end that God Himself had promised and undertaken to accomplish! How shorn of splendor is Abraham seen when we read, ‘And Abraham heeded the voice of Sarah’ (Genesis 16:2). That business of Hagar is to the patriarch’s deep discredit and reflects no honor at all upon either him or his faith.
Look at the consequences of his unbelieving! Misery soon followed. Hager despises her mistress. Sarah throws all the blame on her husband. The poor bondwoman is so harshly dealt with that she flees from the household. … One marvels that such a man as Abraham allowed one who had been brought into such a relationship with him to be heedlessly chased from his house while in a condition requiring care and kindness!
We admire the truthfulness of the Holy Spirit that He has been pleased to record the faults of the saints without extenuating them. Biographies of good men in Scripture are written with unflinching integrity—their evil recorded as well as their good. These faults are not written that we may say, ‘Abraham did so-and-so; therefore we may do it.’ No, brothers and sisters, the lives of these good men are warnings to us as well as examples, and we are to judge them as we should judge ourselves—by the laws of right and wrong.
From Consecration To God
In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, I also talk about the faults that we see in God’s leaders. In looking at David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba, Elijah’s slide into depression, and Peter’s denial of Jesus, I see something similar: They were alone.
David stayed in Jerusalem while his army went to fight, Elijah left his servant behind and went into the wilderness alone, and Peter was separated from his fellow disciples. Just like with Abraham, all of these other men were brought back into close fellowship with God. But all of these men now have a “wart” on their biography.
“God designed us to be in relationship with others. His statement to Adam in some of the earliest words of the Bible—‘It is not good for you to be alone’—are words for us still today. As I mentioned earlier [in my book], you will not find the word ‘saints’ in the singular in the New Testament. Instead, you will find such phrases as ‘one another,’ ‘each other,’ and ‘all together’ prominently displayed throughout the New Testament church. Let me say it again: God designed us to be in relationship with others. If you want to go far in your shepherding, you cannot try to go alone.” —from the chapter in Shepherd Leadership called‘Going Farther’
Let’s be forewarned by these examples. Stay close to God, but also stay close to godly friends that will help you in the hard times. Don’t let a wart blemish your record.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? (Psalm 82:2)
It’s been said that those who attain a position of authority or leadership will make it their sole focus to retain that position of leadership, even to the point of judging unjustly or showing partiality to the wicked.
In my book Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, I wrote, “When God uses the word ‘Woe!’ we should definitely take that seriously. He uses that very word to warn shepherd leaders who were shirking their responsibility when He said, ‘Woe to those shepherds who only take care of themselves’ (Ezekiel 34:2).”
God is the Ultimate Judge, yet while we are here on earth He chooses to allow men and women to be leaders and judges. We can do this in a God-honoring way only when we lead and judge like God.
In this psalm, God Himself calls out the ungodly practices that self-serving leaders employ to keep themselves popular and in their positions of leadership:
partiality = wickedness
biases = wickedness
apathy = wickedness
injustice = wickedness
ignoring = wickedness
seeking earthly applause = wickedness
taking advantage of others = wickedness
Instead, God calls on leaders to lead according to the principles He both exhibits Himself and lists for us in the Bible. Things like…
defending the poor
serving as a father to the fatherless
dispensing justice to the disempowered
speaking up for the voiceless
standing up to the wicked
and doing all of these things in a way that God is glorified
I must always remember why I am in any position of leadership: God chose me for that position and placed me there to do His justice in the world.
A mark of a godly leader is one who is doing God’s justice in God’s way.
This is part 57 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.
I have known Greg Heeres for almost 30 years. During that time we have grown as close as brothers, partnering on numerous projects, both personally and professionally. One of our shared passions is developing leaders. Out of this passion we began a video and audio podcast called The Craig And Greg Show.
I was also thrilled to receive an endorsement from another church leadership blogger that I greatly admire:
“In his new book, Shepherd Leadership, Craig T. Owens gets to the heart of pastoral ministry and caring about people with great wisdom. Jesus sets the example for us as the good shepherd, and Craig delivers practical principles for healthy leadership that allows you the opportunity for freedom as God intended, joy in serving, and ultimately experiencing the full blessing of God.” —Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, GA
You may listen to the audio-version of Greg’s interview of me on the player below, and I’ve also shared the link to watch the video of this interview.
A mark of a godly leader is one who leads with God’s moral authority.
Samuel had always been a public person: accessible and visible to all. Now he calls all Israel together to challenge them to point out where he may have taken a bribe or used his position to his own advantage. All Israel was silent on this—no one could speak a word against him (v. 4). This gave him the moral authority to speak a hard word to the people.
Samuel reminds Israel that God is sovereign:
God appoints leaders
God overrules evil plans
God fulfills all His purposes
Samuel had to “confront [them] with evidence” (v. 7) that they had not acted like those things were true about God. A prophet frequently has to say, “Here is God’s standard, and here is where you are falling short of His standard.” But a shepherd’s voice quickly adds, “Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right” (v. 23).
This prophet-shepherd is attested to by God Himself. God will sometimes thunder His thunder (vv. 17-18), but God will always make sure that none of His servant’s words fall to the ground (3:19). This moral authority is gained by both fearing God and delighting in Him.
Fear of God brings the prophet’s voice forward. Delighting in God brings the shepherd’s voice forward. God’s effective leader needs both voices to lead with moral authority.
This is part 47 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.
Craig T. Owens 