Feed My Sheep

"But many people saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and met them as they landed.  A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  So he taught them many things." Mark 6:33-34 (NLT).

A good shepherd feeds his sheep.  Jesus fed his.  The text specifically says that he "taught them many things."  This is a large part of tending sheep in the flock of God - - feeding them with God's teachings.

Sadly, the philosophy in many churches today is that the local shepherds, paid or volunteer, are not responsible for feeding the sheep.  They tell the members of their flock that they don't come to church to be fed, but to serve.  

While it is true that the church's primary purpose is to reach lost souls, and Christians shouldn't see the church as existing solely to meet their needs, it is equally true that good leaders feed their sheep.

Three times after his resurrection Jesus asked Peter if he loved him (Jesus).  Three times Peter said yes.  And three times Jesus responded with "Feed (tend) my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

It is the task of a pastor to feed his sheep a steady, healthy diet of God's Word.  True, a pastor is to equip his flock to do the work of service (See Eph. 4:11-13).  No flock should become so inwardly focused that they fail to focus on reaching  lost people as their primary mission or come to church only to receive.  When Christians see the church as existing to meet their needs they have lost sight of why Jesus came in the first place - - to seek and save that which is lost (See Luke 19:10).  Church leaders at all levels must relentlessly and consistently teach their flock that, like Jesus, they are here to serve, not be served.

However, this does not absolve leaders from fulfilling one of the most central tasks of a shepherd:  to feed the sheep.

This means that sermons and lessons cannot be for unbelievers only.  They must also be fashioned with the believer in mind.  All Christians, especially leaders, must "handle accurately the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15) and faithfully teach the flock the "whole counsel of God" (See Acts 18:26).  Otherwise the flock will starve to death.  And a starving flock will not be effective in reaching others for Christ.

Paul wrote to Timothy, "Focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them" (1 Timothy 4:13).  A good church is one that not only reaches lost people but focuses on Scripture in such a way so as to encourage and teach Christians.

A good way to do this is for a pastor to preach through an entire gospel or book of the Bible.  Bob Russell, the pastor of the great Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky did this by taking an entire year once to preach through the gospel of Luke.  Topical sermons are great too, but there is no substitute for a careful walk through an entire book of the Bible, especially the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

Similarly, small groups led by various people in a church need to study whole books of the Bible, not just selected topics all the time.  By doing this, the flock will receive feeding on topics otherwise missed or ignored.  Such feeding produces a deeply mature Christian who is confident of his or her faith and is therefore more apt to be an effective and capable (and hopefully more loving) witness to unbelievers.

Jesus had compassion for his sheep, so he taught them.  If we are a shepherd and wish to show compassion for our sheep, we must teach them too.  And finally, if any follower of Christ wishes to show compassion to others, whether believers or unbelievers, he or she will also break open the bread of life to them - the Bible.

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