Leading Like A Shepherd

A man may have tremendous charisma that can be easily mistaken for spiritual power. He may even do miracles in the name of the Lord, but Jesus said:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. In that day will they not say unto me have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)

The men and women who God sets in the forefront of these end times will be people of character and integrity as described in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3. They will have come under the end-time prayer anointing and have a supernatural ability from God to accomplish the task.

The greatest example of leadership is the Lord Jesus Christ who established two tremendous patterns for Godly leadership: Leading like a shepherd and leading like a servant.

In the spiritual world, people are compared to sheep — either sheep who have gone astray spiritually (Isaiah 53:6) or who have become part of the flock of the Lord.

Jesus referred to Himself as the “Good Shepherd” and explained in detail in John 10 what shepherding involves. The first principle is that there is only one fold and one shepherd. The “fold” is the Church which is composed of all born again believers. The “shepherd” is Jesus Christ. There is only one way into the fold, and that is through Jesus (John 10:8 and 10:16). The divisions of denomination, organization, and local church fellowships are man-made and exist only to permit personal care and practical organization. In reality, there is only one fold.

Good shepherds also care for their sheep. God is raising up men and women of compassion who will care for His flock. Caring for sheep includes comforting them in times of sorrow and disciplining them when it is needed. Caring also involves directing people to the Good Shepherd who is able to provide all of their needs (Psalm 23:1). God is seeking those who will serve as examples to the flock rather than lording it over them (1 Peter 5:3).

God seeks those who, like Jesus, are willing to die for the sheep (John 10:11). Jesus was the only sacrifice necessary for the sins of mankind, but to be in the flow of the River of God’s power you must give your life in other ways. You must sacrifice your own desires and selfish ambitions. You must be willing to move out of your comfort zone and sacrifice your time, talents, and resources.

Make this declaration:

I will yield my own desires and selfish ambitions. I will move out of my comfort zone and sacrifice my time, talents, and resources in order to fulfill God’s plan for me. Matthew 7:21-27