Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical

Even though the Reformation occurred almost 500 years ago, we still see unbiblical divisions in the Church today. One of those is the distinction between clergy and laity.

Clergy comes from a Latin word, meaning clerk. It’s used today to refer to the body of people ordained for religious service. It refers to those who are ordained religious practitioners, such as priests, ministers, pastors, bishops, cardinals, chaplains, or any prelates ruling in the Church.

For those who recognize this as a separate class of Christian people, all those who are not clergy are referred to as laity. The word laity refers to members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy.

We don’t find these terms clergy and laity in the Bible, nor do we find the distinction between two such classes.

Overseers and Elders
In God’s Word, we do find that the Lord gave gifts to the Church, for the purpose of building up and equipping the Church. According to the apostle Paul, these are called apostles, teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists (Eph 4:20). These people are supposed to be equipping God’s people for works of service, so that they too can serve.

The New Testament Bible also refers to elders or overseers. The apostle Paul said that if any man desires to be an overseer, it is a fine work he desires (1 Tim 3:1). This word overseer comes from the Greek word episkopos, which means one who oversees. Paul described the qualifications for overseers in this same third chapter of his letter to Timothy.

Another term for overseer is an elder. Elder comes from the Greek word presbuteros, which means older, senior, or simply elder. In the context of Paul’s writings, it is clear that elders and overseers are two words for the same function. They simply describe different aspects of the same role. Peter wrote to the elders, referring to himself as a fellow elder (1 Pet 5:1). So he considered himself an elder also, even though he was also an apostle. He states that an elder should “shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight.” (1 Pet 5:2). Since an elder shepherds the flock and provides oversight, it is obvious that he is an overseer by definition.

So when we read the New Testament in context, we see that elders or overseers are either pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, or evangelists. The head is our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Peter wrote to the elders saying, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1Pe 5:4) 

Reasons Why Clergy is an unbiblical term

There are three basic reasons why the concept of clergy must be dismissed as unbiblical.

1. First, all disciples in the kingdom of God are priests. A priest, according to the Word of God, is one who represents men before Almighty God and performs a holy service in God’s house. In John’s Revelation, he wrote: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6).

The apostle Peter agreed with this when he wrote: “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 2:5). Peter went on to write: “But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10).

So Scripture teaches that all believers are priests and are part of God’s holy priesthood. The spiritual sacrifice we offer is our own body, and the service we perform is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. The term priest is not reserved for a select few individuals, but is used for all disciples in the kingdom of God.

2. Secondly, we have only One Leader, and His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught us not to use titles like “Father,” “Leader,” or “Rabbi” to distinguish ourselves or set ourselves apart from other believers. He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). So we should not use the titles “Father,” "Teacher," or "Leader," when addressing those who serve in equipping ministries, since we are all brothers. We shouldn’t let anyone address us with titles and we should not address anyone with titles. Rather, we must walk in humility.

You will not find one single instance in the Bible where any of the apostles put the word "apostle" in front of their name as a title. Peter was simply called "Peter" by others, and that is what he called himself. Likewise, Paul was called "Paul" by others, and that is what he called himself. He was "Paul, an apostle", not "Apostle Paul." The same was true of James, John, and all the other apostles. Moreover, there is not one instance in Scripture where someone was called with the title "Pastor" in front of his name. It does not exist. The same is true of other big titles like "Bishop," "Archbishop," "Reverend," "Right Reverend," etc. Therefore, anyone who uses titles like this has no biblical basis for it. In fact, they are disobeying the Lord's command not to use titles.

3. Thirdly, according to the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit has given gifts to the Church. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” (1Co 12:4-14).

He teaches in this passage that the Body is not made up of just one member who does everything. Yet many churches operate like this where everything depends on the pastor. Paul taught that there are a variety of gifts given for the common good. They are distributed to the various members of the Body as He wills, so they can use them in their priestly service.

Functional differences
Naturally there are functional differences. Not everyone in the Body of Christ is an elder. But all are priests. Not every elder is a pastor either. But some elders are pastors, some are teachers, some are apostles, etc. While there are clearly functional differences, the Lord taught us not to set ourselves apart or distinguish ourselves with titles or class distinctions.

The apostle Paul affirmed this also. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Co 1:10).

Yet how many times do you see in a Christian gathering that the clergy get front row seats? Or there is special reserved seating for clergy. Why do men do this?

James taught us not to make distinctions among ourselves when he wrote: “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (Jam 2:1-4). One might consider that if an elder is supposed to be functioning in oversight, he is better positioned to do so while seated among the people, rather than from the front in a seat of honor, as though he were above everyone else.

If a man is serving as an elder in the role of a pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet or evangelist, then others will know it. He does not need to wear a title to let everyone know. The key is that he must be serving. This is what Jesus taught.

Putting it All Together
While many people today still make a distinction among Christians between clergy and laity, it’s unbiblical. If we claim to follow the Word of God as our sole rule of faith, then we should do away with such distinctions. They only serve to create divisions and exalt men above others.

Instead we should exalt our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body, the Chief Shepherd of the flock. Let’s humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God and repent of this practice. Let's restore Jesus Christ to His rightful place in the Church as our One Leader.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading The Priesthood of All Believers and How to Treat Leaders. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Our Senior Pastor

There’s a lot of controversy regarding the identity of the angels of the churches in the book of Revelation. And it’s important that we understand this passage of Scripture correctly, since it affects some very practical areas of life.

First, let’s look at the passage in context. The apostle John was banished to the isle of Patmos, where the Lord gave him a great revelation through His angel. Jesus sent and communicated the revelation by His angel to John (Rev 1:1). John wrote:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (Rev 1:10-16)

So the Lord’s instructions to John were clear. He was to write what he saw in a book and send it to the seven churches. These were seven specific churches located in seven cities – Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Centrality of Christ
Immediately following these instructions, as John looked toward the voice speaking to him, he saw the Lord standing in the middle of seven lampstands, holding seven stars in his right hand. Jesus revealed to John the identity of the seven stars in the Lord’s hand and the seven lampstands. He said, "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” (Rev 1:20).

So from the very beginning we see that Jesus is central among the churches. He stands in the middle and the lampstands representing the churches surround Him. We would do well to get back to the place once again where Jesus is central in the church, rather than having a man-centered church.

Messengers of the Churches
And the seven stars in the Lord’s right hand are the angels of the seven churches. That’s explicitly stated in the text. But who are the angels? Are they men or spiritual beings? This is where the disagreement arises among Christians. So let’s focus on this and take a closer look at it.

The Greek word for angels in the biblical text is angelos. It is usually interpreted with the English word “angel”. But it literally means “messenger”. Obviously men are often used by God as messengers as well. For example, an evangelist is a messenger. I mentioned this in my blog on being a witness for Christ. The word "evangelist" comes from the Greek "euaggelistes". It comes from the word for the “gospel,” which in Greek is "euaggelion" -- "eu" meaning good and "angelion" meaning news or message. An evangelist is one who proclaims the good news to others, a preacher of the gospel.

So when the Lord told John that the seven stars in His right hand were the angels of the churches, there are two possibilities – the angels were either human messengers or heavenly angels.

Communicating to the Church through heavenly angels
If these were heavenly angels, then here is how you have to interpret the words of Jesus to John. When He instructed John to write what he saw in a book and give it to the angels of the seven churches, that would mean He was telling him to write these things to heavenly angels. That would be inconsistent with the rest of Scripture. No place in God’s Word do we see the Lord instructing us to write to angels, and He never condones such activities. So this interpretation is very weak.

Secondly, if they were heavenly angels, then that means that the Lord wanted to communicate his instructions to these angels through the human agency of the apostle John. Again, this is inconsistent with the ways of God as seen throughout Scripture. God never communicates to His holy angels through men. If He wants to tell them something, He communicates with them directly. Angels do the Lord’s bidding, as taught in the Word of God.

Lastly, if they were heavenly angels, that means the Lord Jesus chose to communicate to the seven churches through the agency of non-human, spiritual beings. The message would be given to John, so that he could send it in writing to the heavenly angels, so that the angels could proclaim the revelation to the churches they were responsible for. I’m not sure what address John would send it to, in order to get the book to the angels. This is obviously ridiculous and not consistent with the way God operates. So it is a very weak interpretation of this passage. That leaves one other possibility.

Angels of the churches are human messengers
The easiest way to understand this passage is that the angels of the churches were human messengers. This is very consistent with Scripture for many reasons.

First, the Lord Jesus used human beings to carry the message of the gospel, when He sent out His disciples to preach. Secondly, we know that the Lord gave gifts when He ascended, which are human beings known as apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists (Eph 4:20). These gifts build up the church and prepare God’s people for works of service. So in the New Testament, God’s primary way of communicating to the church is through human beings by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, when we understand the angels as men in this passage, we encounter none of the same issues as when we view them as heavenly angels.

Fourthly, the message the Lord Jesus had for most of these angels involved repentance on their part. For example, part of the message to the angel of the church in Ephesus was, “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.” (Rev 2:5). If they were holy angels, it would be unnecessary for them to repent, since holy angels do not sin. The passage makes sense when we understand the angels to be men, and this interpretation is the stronger of the two. The angels of the seven churches are human messengers.

So this means that each of the seven churches, in fact, had a human messenger. This person was the primary individual whom God was using to speak to that particular church. That does not mean that this was the only person who ever spoke in the church. It simply means that this person was the main speaker or the one who spoke God’s Word to the church most often.

It's important to mention here that while young churches may have one man who is the primary messenger, he and others should be equipping the saints for works of service. As they do and the Body of Christ matures, then more and more the Lord will speak through other members of the Body. As this happens, and as the church grows up into the full stature of Christ, then the prominence of the primary messenger fades, as he becomes less and Christ becomes greater in a corporate sense.

Faulty Assumptions
Others have come to the same conclusion I have that the angels of the churches were men. So this viewpoint is not unique to me. The problem is that people have made some faulty assumptions about these human messengers. Many who believe that the angels of the seven churches were humans incorrectly believe that these angels were the senior pastors of the churches. This is a faulty assumption; because no place in Scripture do we read that a man is supposed to be the senior pastor. According to Scripture, the only senior pastor of the church is Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter wrote, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1Pe 5:4). The Greek word for Chief Shepherd is archipoimen and is never used for anyone but Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

So if each of these angels were a human messenger to their respective churches, and if they were not the senior pastor of their respective churches, then what was their function? What are the implications? The implication is that while they may have been the primary speaker or messenger in their church, nothing from this passage indicates that they were the sole leader, CEO or head leader. Jesus taught that we have only One Leader, when He said, “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” (Mat 23:10). And we consistently read in Scripture that a group of elders exercised oversight in each of the churches, not a single pastor. For example, James teaches that if anyone is sick, he should call upon the elders of the church to anoint him with oil and pray for him (James 5:14).

Likewise, the apostle Peter considered himself an elder and addressed other elders as co-elders, not underlings or subordinates (1 Pe 5:1). And young men are to be subject to their elders, which is a plural word (1 Pe 5:5). This pattern is seen throughout the New Testament, and is completely consistent with this understanding of the seven angels of the seven churches in Revelation. While there was one primary messenger to each church, this person was not the primary ruler in the church, except in start-up churches. In mature local churches, other elders functioned together with the messenger as co-elders exercising the same authority of oversight in the churches, even if they were not the primary speakers. So I think this interpretation is still the best and does not in any way support the wrong view that churches must be led by a Senior Pastor or “number one man.”

Putting it All Together
The Greek word for pastor is only used once in the New Testament as a noun.  In all other instances, shepherding is used as a verb to describe the function of an elder.

In God’s Word, we find only one person who is ever referred to as Senior Pastor, and that is Jesus Christ. Through His angel, He communicated to John a revelation intended for the churches. He instructed John to write down the revelation and give it to the seven churches. In the revelation, John saw Jesus standing in the middle of seven golden lampstands, which were the seven churches. So Jesus was central in the church, not man.

Each time the Lord have John a message for one of the churches, it was addressed to the angel of that church. The angels were depicted as seven stars in the right hand of Jesus Christ. For many different reasons, it makes sense to understand that these angels were human messengers to these churches. Yet many people have used this interpretation to support their false belief that every church’s angel is the Senior Pastor or number one man. This is inconsistent with the rest of Scripture. It does not square with the New Testament practice where groups of elders exercise oversight in the churches as co-equals under the headship of the one and only Head pastor, Jesus.

The correct way to understand this is that the angel of a church is its primary messenger. This is a human being, who is most often or primarily used by the Lord to communicate to the church. And while this person may speak more often than others, he is not the only speaker. It’s also wrong to assume that he is the chief leader or number one man in the church. The New Testament teaches us that the church is Christ centered, not man-centered. The Lord uses His multifaceted Body made up of many members to speak to the Church, not just the main messenger. And He uses more than one elder to provide oversight in each church, rather than a single man.

This should be an admonition to the 21st century Church to return to Jesus, our first love, and once again make Him the center, all things being from Him, through Him, and to Him. He alone is worthy of that honor, and He alone is capable of fulfilling that role.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  For a much more in-depth and scholarly treatment of this topic, please read the article by my dear friend, James Garrett, called New Testament Leadership in the Local Church.  It's an excellent resource leaders to read and put into practice.  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Lord, Our Shepherd

Why is a shepherd important? I mean, you've got your iPhone in your pocket and you're just a touch away from internet access at all times. You can call or email anyone you want from anywhere there's cell phone access. You've got your wireless laptop and your GPS to guide you to any point on the planet. Aren't shepherds sort of obsolete? These days, it's hard to see why we need one when we're all so self-sufficient and hi-tech.

I'd like to show you in God's Word exactly why a shepherd is so important. Specifically, let's look at the difference between the shepherd's role and the sheep's role.

The Good Shepherd’s Role
First let's look at the role of the good shepherd.

He is the Door we must enter through
"But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.” (Joh 10:2)

So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” (Joh 10:7)

He saves the sheep
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Joh 10:9)

He calls his own sheep by name
"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Joh 10:3)

He goes ahead of his sheep and leads them
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (Joh 10:4)

He puts forth his own
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (Joh 10:4)

He lays down His life for His sheep
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (Joh 10:11)

"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (Joh 10:17-18)

He knows His own sheep
"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” (Joh 10:14)

He searches for the lost and seeks them out
For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. (Eze 34:11)

He cares for the sheep and delivers them
"As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.” (Eze 34:12)

"Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.” (Eze 34:27)

He restores the sheep
“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.” (Psa 23:3)

He feeds the flock
"I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord GOD. “ (Eze 34:13-15)

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. “ (Psa 23:2)

He seeks the lost sheep
"I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.” (Eze 34:16)

He provides an abundant life for His sheep
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Joh 10:10)

He gives His sheep eternal life
“I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Joh 10:28)

The Sheep’s Role
Now that we've looked at the shepherd's role, let's see what the sheep's role is. Notice how simple it is. There's nothing complicated about it.

The sheep must know the shepherd
"I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” (Joh 10:14)

The sheep must hear the voice of their shepherd
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (Joh 10:27)

"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Joh 10:3)

The sheep must not only hear but know the shepherd’s voice
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (Joh 10:4)

The sheep must enter through the door
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (Joh 10:9)

The sheep must find pasture
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (Joh 10:9)

So there was not much to the sheep's role, was there! That's because sheep are rather simple and can't handle anything too complicated.

The Nature of a Bad Shepherd
Now let's explore the nature of a bad shepherd. By doing this, it really helps emphasize how good the Good Shepherd really is. We need to see this, because we often take for granted what Jesus does for the sheep. Here are some aspects of a bad shepherd.

He feeds only himself
Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?” (Eze 34:1-2)

He uses the sheep for his own gain
"You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.” (Eze 34:3)

He does not care for the sheep
"Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.” (Eze 34:4)

There is a lot in these verses. The bad shepherd feeds only himself, rather than the sheep. He uses the sheep for his own gain. He does not care for the sheep. He does not strengthen the sickly sheep, he does not heal the sick ones, he does not bind up the broken ones, he does not bring back the ones that are scattered, he does not seek the lost ones, and he dominates the sheep with severity.

Putting it All Together
There are many godly pastors who serve like the Good Shepherd. Thank the Lord for them. Unfortunately, some pastors of churches operate like bad shepherds. For many people, this is all they have ever seen or known in a shepherd. This has caused a lot of damage to people around the world. As a result, many of them refuse to ever go back to a church again. Others have found a safe place, where they are being cared for and getting healed.

But Jesus is good all the time. He strengthens the sickly sheep, He heals the sick ones, He binds up the broken ones, He brings back the ones that are scattered, and He seeks the lost ones. He saves the sheep from perishing. He knows His sheep and calls his own sheep by name, because He has a loving relationship with them. He goes ahead of his sheep and leads them, rather than driving them along. He puts forth his own. He has lain down His life for His sheep. He provides an abundant life for His sheep, and gives them eternal life.

This figure of speech using the shepherd and the sheep is used often in Scripture to show the relationship between God and His people. The prophet Ezekiel wrote: "As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God," declares the Lord GOD. (Eze 34:31)

So what is our role as sheep? It’s not complicated, as some would try to make it. First of all the sheep must enter through Jesus, the Door. There is no other way to enter the fold. The sheep must know Jesus, the Good Shepherd. It’s a relationship with Him, not a set of religious ceremonies and rituals. The sheep must hear the voice of Jesus and know His voice. This can only happen when you spend time with Him and get to know Him through His Word and prayer, listening for His still, small voice inside your heart speaking to you. The sheep must find pasture. The Lord will lead us to green pastures, but we need to then find the pasture He has led us to and we must feed in that place – not the place of our own choosing. When we do, we experience the abundant life He gives.

Maybe you are reading this and you do not know Him well. You don’t really hear His voice, because you have never come to know His voice. You have been trained to hear man’s voice. As a result, you’ve not been following Him like you should. He’s calling you to Himself today. He’s calling you to a place of intimacy with Him, where you are close to Him and know Him well. But you need to respond and draw near to Him.

Do you want to have that abundant life? Do you want to be healed from your sickness and brokenness? Do you want to be rescued from the dangerous place you are in and delivered from your life of slavery? Do you want to be brought home to your own land from the place where you have been scattered and lost? Do you want to hear God call you by your own name? Do you want to be fed well? If you want any of these things, Jesus is the answer.

He is the Door and you need to begin by entering through Him. Have you done that? If you have, but you’ve left the fold, come back today. If you have never entered the Door, you can enter today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do you want to know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.


Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.