Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (3)
Message Ten
Shepherding According to God
THE EXTRACT OF THE OUTLINES
Scripture Reading:
John 21:15-17 Then when they had eaten 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, Feed 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 that 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, Feed My sheep.
I. Shepherding is the full and tender care given to the flock; shepherding refers to taking care of all the needs of the sheep—John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28. (Monday)
II. The two basic elements of shepherding are cherishing and feeding—Eph. 5:29:
A Shepherding is to comfort, console, nourish with tender love, and maintain with affectionate care.
B When we shepherd others, we should first cherish them to make them happy, and then we should feed them.
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III. In the Lord’s recovery today, there is an urgent need for shepherding—John 21:16; 1 Pet. 5:2, 4. (Tuesday, Wednesday)
A The greatest lack among us is the matter of shepherding.
B Shepherding the believers is extremely important for their growth in the divine life unto maturity for the building up of the Body of Christ—Eph. 4:13-16.
C The shepherding that builds up the Body of Christ is a mutual shepherding—1 Cor. 12:23-26.
D The more we are constituted with Christ, the more spontaneously we will live a shepherding life and have the burden to take care of others—Col. 1:27; 3:10-11.
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IV. Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and the Shepherd of our souls—John 10:9-17; Heb. 13:20-21; 1 Pet. 5:4. (Thursday)
A The Lord Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, came that we may have life and may have it more abundantly—John 10:10-11.
B God resurrected “the Great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus,” from the dead “by the blood of an eternal covenant”—Heb. 13:20.
C Christ, as the Chief Shepherd, shepherds His flock through the elders in the churches—1 Pet. 5:4.
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V. “Shepherd the flock of God among you, [according to God]”—1 Pet. 5:2. (Friday)
A To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to God’s nature, heart’s desire, way, and glory, not according to our preferences, interests, purposes, and personality.
B For us to shepherd according to God, we must become God in life, nature, expression, and function.
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VI. To shepherd according to God is to dispense God into others—2 Cor. 13:14. (Saturday)
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion but willingly, according to God; not by seeking gain through base means but eagerly; Nor as lording it over your allotments but by becoming patterns of the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.—1 Pet. 5:2-4.
I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep—John 10:11.
Word of Appetizer
What is shepherding according to God?
“According to God” means that we live God, and when we are one with God, we become God in life and nature but not in the Godhead, and when we shepherd others, we are God.
To shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to God’s nature, heart, way, and glory, and not according to our preferences, interests, purpose, and personality.
To shepherd according to God is to supply God to people; if we want to supply God to one another, we need to speak words of grace, truth, spirit, and life, supplying the processed God wrought into us.
Spiritual Burden
In the Lord’s recovery today, there is an urgent need for shepherding; the greatest lack among us is this matter of shepherding. The shepherding that builds up the Body of Christ is a mutual shepherding; we all need to be under Christ’s organic shepherding and be one with Him as we shepherd others.
“Shepherd the flock of God among you [according to God]”; to shepherd according to God is to shepherd according to God’s nature, heart, way, and glory, and not according to our preferences, interests, purpose, and personality.
If we want to supply God to one another, we need to speak words of grace, truth, spirit, and life, supplying the processed God wrought into us.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Shepherding is giving comprehensive and tender care to the flock; shepherding means caring for all the needs of the sheep.
The two basic elements of shepherding are cherishing and feeding.
In the Lord’s recovery today, there is an urgent need for shepherding.
Christ is the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, and the Shepherd of our souls.
“Shepherd the flock of God among you [according to God].”
The Experience of Life
The Lord Jesus as the good Shepherd comes to give us life and that more abundantly; Christ as the Spirit, the Shepherd of our souls, oversees our inward condition and cares for the state of our inner being; because our soul is complex, we need Christ as the life-giving Spirit in our spirit to shepherd us in our soul, to care for our mind, emotion, and will, and to care for our difficulties, needs, and wounds.
Practice and Application
When we shepherd others, we should first cherish them to make them happy, and then we should feed them.
We need to shepherd God’s flock according to the loving and tender heart of our God the Father, and according to the seeking and shepherding Spirit of our Savior Christ; we need to shepherd one another in love.
If we want to shepherd according to God, we must become God in life, nature, expression, and function; to shepherd according to God is to supply God to people; if we want to supply God to one another, we need to speak words of grace, truth, spirit, and life, supplying the processed God wrought into us.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 Nourishing is feeding, and cherishing is nurturing with tender love and maintaining with affectionate care (John 21:15-17).
( Please illustrate that when we go to home meetings to care for newly baptized ones, we are to nourish and cherish them.)
T2 Cherishing and nourishing the newly baptized ones is feeding the lambs (John 21:15-17).
( Please illustrate that John’s Gospel shows us two things: bearing fruit and feeding the lambs.)
Day 2
T1 Nothing is as demanding as shepherding; not even to preach the gospel is as demanding (1 Pet. 5:2).
( Please illustrate that some people mistakenly think that shepherding is not a gift that every brother or sister has.)
T2 The secret to contacting people is not to talk much, but to let them speak (1 Pet. 5:2-4).
( Please illustrate that we must learn to listen to others so as to understand their true needs and actual condition.)
Day 3
T1 We must learn to trust and rely on those under our care (1 Cor. 12:23-25).
( Please illustrate that we should show others that not only do they rely on us, but we also rely on them; what benefits does this mutual reliance produce?)
T2 From the beginning, God never forced man; instead, God allowed man free choice (Gen. 2:16-17).
( Please illustrate that we should never let those under our care feel that we are forcing them to do anything.)
Day 4
T1 The work of proper shepherding is to gather people together (John 10:11, 1 Pet. 2:25).
( Please illustrate that the Lord, the good Shepherd, made both Jewish and gentile believers into one flock to be shepherded by Him, the one Shepherd.)
T2 Christ as the Shepherd of our souls oversees the condition of our souls (John 10:11, 1 Pet. 2:25).
( Please illustrate that we need Christ to perfect our minds, adjust our emotions, and correct our wills.)
Day 5
T1 A gospel conference may have many people, but eventually not many are added to the church (Heb. 13:20-21).
( Please illustrate that to save people effectively, the way must be through vital groups; in these, everyone must be a shepherd.)
T2 We should learn to feed people, shepherd people, and make people into one flock (John 10:16).
( Please illustrate that in John 10 and 21, the Lord uses three terms concerning shepherding: “feed the sheep,” “shepherd,” and “become one flock.”)
Day 6
T1 Shepherd the flock of God according to God (1 Pet. 5:2).
( Please illustrate that what it means to shepherd according to God.)
T2 We may say we have seen the Body, yet have no reality (1 Pet. 5:2, 2 Pet. 1:4).
( Please illustrate that if we truly see the Body, we will care for the weaker ones.)
