The Ministry of the Shepherd

The Ministry of the Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-4 Amplified Bible
1 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
3 He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [sunless] [valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.

The Shepherd feeds, guides and protects the flock.

Jeremiah 3:15 Amplified Bible
15 “Then [in the final time] I will give you [spiritual] shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and [true] understanding.

The healthiest amongst the sheep in a sheepfold are the ones that follow the Shepherd well, they feed well, drink well, bath well – responding well to the ministry of the Shepherd.

God gives a Shepherd to lead the Sheep. God equips His shepherds with Grace and Anointing to provide Divine sustenance for the sheep.

Hebrews 13:17 Amplified Bible
Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you.

The shepherd is accountable to God and the sheep benefits by correctly responding to the Shepherd’s care that comes with a sacred accountability.

There are different characters within a Sheepfold that are present at one time or the other:

A. The Permanent Characters are the ones that make up the sheepfold instituted by God:

1. The Shepherd (Psalms 23, Jeremiah 3:15, …). The Shepherding ministry is from the Lord. He sets the Shepherd over the sheep within the sheepfold.

Jeremiah 23:3‭-‬4 AMP
“Then I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries to which I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and pastures; and they will be fruitful and multiply. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them. And they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” says the Lord .

2. The Sheep:
John 10:27-28 King James Version
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

John 10:4-5 King James Version
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

The qualities of a true sheep:
– They know the Shepherd and can distinguish between his voice and that of a stranger
– They know the verbal and non verbal commands of the Shepherd
– They follow the Shepherd and follow his instructions

3. The leader Sheep (Sheep dog): the Sheep who are joined in spirit to the Shepherd.

Philippians 2:20 Amplified Bible
For I have no one else [like him who is] so kindred a spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your [spiritual] welfare.

B. Temporary Characters, are the attack of satan against they Sheepfold: discover them, deal with them in the Power and Wisdom of the Holy Spirit:

– The wolf
Acts 20:29 King James Version
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

The wolf always seek to get into the place of influence in the sheepfold. When they grasp a bit of authority they seek out the goats and join forces to separate to themselves naive sheep. A sheep separated from the Shepherd is always in grave danger – but the ministry of the Shepherd may still deliver such a sheep.

– The goat (looks like the sheep but does not have any of the qualities of sheep). They by practice go willfully against the leading of the Shepherd.

Anyone in the sheepfold who is not following the leading of the Shepherd willingly or has to be dragged forcefully to ensure that he or she is following is a goat.

2 Timothy 3:7 Amplified Bible
Always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

– The snake
Genesis 49:17 Expanded Bible
Dan will be like a snake by the side of the road, a ·dangerous snake [viper] lying near the path.
That snake bites a horse’s ·leg [heel; hoof], and the rider is thrown off backward.

The snake is the spiritual leader of the wolf and goat. All they desire is the fall of the sheep at all cost.
The snake even works through the wolf and goat to attack the Shepherding ministry.

The Shepherd deals with these temporary Characters by Working with the Sheep dog (Leader sheep):
Sheep dogs know the goal of the Shepherd and work with the Shepherd to achieve his goal (to protectively and proactively nurture and mature the sheep). They have earned the trust of the Shepherd. They would serve the other sheep even when it is inconvenient and stand out from amongst others supernaturally not by seeking a title. They maintain order, and sustain structure…they would when necessary chase off the goat and fight off the wolf.
They are the leader-sheep. The Shepherd blesses them and the Chief Shepherd always rewards their labour of love.

The Shepherd and leader sheep regularly engage in Spiritual warfare through prayer, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and with divine communication through the Word of God against negative spiritual forces – snakes. There are negative spiritual forces that collude with the wolf and the goat to lure the sheep away from the protection of the Shepherd.

1. Dealing with wolf
The Shepherd protects the sheep against the the wolf – those who in alliance with the adversary come to devour (still, kill and destroy) the sheep. They lurk amongst the sheep. The wolf pretends and try to act like the leadersheep but never gaining the trust of the Shepherd rather they work up caution in the heart of the Shepherd. The Shepherd keeps a watchful eye on them and never allows the sheep near them.

2. Dealing with the goat
Matthew 25:32 Expanded Bible
All the nations of the world will be gathered before him, and he will separate them ·into two groups [one from another] as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

The Shepherd separates the goat from the sheep. Goats are those who resist and fight the ministry of the Shepherd. The goats believe that they know more than the shepherd. They assume they know the method and lack understanding of the principles. They follow when it is convenient to their nature. They try to hide within the sheepfold so that no one can recognise them not to be a true sheep. The Shepherds ministry separates such out. The goats have chosen not to be shepherded and they must not be allowed to pollute the flock.

3. Dealing with the snake
The Shepherd in alliance with the Divine trinity and supported by the leader sheep (sheep dog) must always create both a physical protection and a spiritually fortified fence around the sheepfold. Binding the operation of the snake, praying for the exposure and displacement of the wolf, and the separating out of the goats…casting them out of the sheepfold.

The Shepherd and the leader sheep seek after the well-being of the sheepfold as one who will give account to the Chief Shepherd.

Obligations of the Shepherd:
The Shepherd must necessarily lead with grace and anointing if the sheep is to remain in saftety, as they are nurtured and mature. The Sheep must truly follow the Shepherd if he/she is to absolutely enjoy the full Divine ministry of Shepherd.

A Warning to the sheep:
Precious Sheep stay with the Shepherd. The goat, the wolf and the snake do hide within the sheepfold but God has given the divine staff to the Shepherd to guide you away from them and he has the anointed rod to protect you- troubling anyone who dare trouble you. The ministry of the Shepherd is for your safety, protection, growth, for the fulfilment of your Divine purpose.

What happens to the Goat and Wolf?

The goat and wolf when discovered under the direction of the snake (the voice of a stranger) usually move into another sheepfold until they are discovered again. They will never settle (the rebellious cannot settle), they will never grow, even when it seems like they are growing it would be a stunted growth.

Psalm 68:6 King James Version
God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Isaiah 40:24 King James Version
Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

The Message Bearer
Cornelius Bella