Sent to Shepherd: Leading in Church PlantingSample

Sheep Not of the Fold

In the preceding chapters to the parable of the Good Shepherd Jesus has been facing a growing chorus of threats against him. Those in leadership have deemed Jesus so dangerous that he must be eliminated.

Jesus now shows that these death threats aren’t just a dangerous part of his job as a prophet and teacher. As the true Shepherd, it is his job to lay down his life. It is in this obedience that Jesus especially feels the love of his Father (10:17).

Again, Jesus is explaining how we can sift false shepherds from the good. False leaders run at the first sign of danger at the expense of the sheep. They are driven by their own self-interest and desire to preserve their reputation. Not so for Jesus, he could not be clearer in this parable. He is willingly going to lay down what no one could take from him—his very life.

Perhaps the most difficult thing about Jesus' words is the truth that we are far more capable of falling into all the same traps as the spiritual leaders in Jesus’ day. Our nature drives us to the opposite of what Jesus’ nature did. We must learn to understand we can become the leaders we never intended to be. One defined by what others think of us, driven by success as the world defines it, and ultimately one that uses the sheep for our benefit rather than the other way round.

With God’s help, the reverse can be true. If we’re honest and open about our mixed motives, there is ample room and opportunity for the work of God’s Spirit. Which can lead to a rich life of church leadership that reaps harvest after harvest of fruit for the Kingdom.