DCLM Daily Manna Saturday 7 Dec 2024
TOPIC: Duty Of Church Shepherds
TEXT: Ephesians 4:8-14 (KJV)
KEY VERSE
“And he gave some, Apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”
Ephesians 4:11
DCLM Daily Manna Saturday 7 Dec 2024 Message
The Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported that police “had to round up a flock of over 1,300 sheep “in the Spanish city of Huesca after their shepherd fell asleep. According to city authorities, the police were alerted to the huge flock attempting to negotiate the streets in the centre of Huesca at around 4.30 a.m.
On a Tuesday when a resident dialled Spain’s 112 emergency number. The police eventually found the herder, who was still peacefully slumbering. Together, the embarrassed shepherd and police officers finally extracted the sheep from the city and returned them to their pastures.”
The duties of church shepherds are fully outlined in the scriptures. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are responsible for maturing the flock of Christ. They are to guide them away from the danger of false teachers and their false doctrines, increase the congregation through evangelism and teach them the way of God.
READ DCLM Daily Manna Friday 6 December 2024 – Honoured In Death
The duties of church leaders require a lot of sacrifice. Shepherds do not give birth to sheep but provide the best pasture and nourishment, encouraging them to give birth, multiply and increase. Jesus’ command is ‘feed my sheep’, not ‘feed on my sheep’, as some ministers do today. The job of pastoring is not for the one with the best credentials but the one with the best character.
A lot must be done to keep the flock of Christ clean, pure and abiding till He returns. The world is becoming more and more hostile to the flock. Thus, those who are charged with this sacred duty of caring for the flock must wake up from their slumber to serve the Master with utmost zeal and commitment.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Lazy men cannot do the work of shepherds.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 22-25
