Viewpoint
By Randy Cole
Making Disciples by Shepherding
Feed Your Sheep
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep". John 21:17 (NIV)
When we started this series in January of this year, I introduced the concept of every believer's calling. As a review let's look at these two passages of scripture:
Matthew 28:18-20. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (NASB)
John 21:15-17. So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep. " He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep." (NASB)
Combining these two passages, every believer is called by Jesus to do the following:
1. As you go, make disciples.
2. How? Be a shepherd.
This month, we'll try to unpack the concept of "feeding the sheep". As a shepherd of my fold, what does this mean for me? What does the Word tell us about this?
- Shepherds must feed their sheep steady doses of Jesus. Jesus is the Word. He is also the Bread of Life:
- John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 6:32-35. Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
As shepherds, how can we put this into practice?
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