Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. It is quite unnecessary
to use the lash of the law which was given to Moses to hedge about
the Church of God in demand of them carnal fealty to enumerated
commandments. To be sure, the sons of God are
instructed by the law given to Moses and confess with the Apostle
Paul, the law is holy, the commandment holy, and just, and good. Should
they disregard that law or count it an unholy thing? Well, God
forbid. Being made aware of the killing
nature of that law, they rejoice that they have been set free
from its demands, and along with Paul recognize that they are
indeed dead to sin and alive unto God. But now we are delivered
from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we
should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the
letter. who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament,
not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth,
but the Spirit giveth life. Thus we are led to understand
that those who are given the office of ruling in the New Testament
church must do so with a completely different mindset than those
who were declaring the law written in tables of stone. For as much
as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered
by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living
God, not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the
heart, the Scriptures tell us of one who has come not only
as the sin-bearer and redeemer of his people, but as their example
in all things. For even here unto where ye called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
He alone is the shepherd of his flock. He does not turn it over
to others, but rather directs the keeping of his sheep to those
who are not instructed to be lords over his heritage, but
rather examples to them in both word and deed. He directed his
apostles in this work and most famously committed such into
the hands of Peter, saying, Feed my sheep. When we look at the
word which is translated as shepherd in 1 Peter 2.25, we discover
that it is only translated once in the New Testament out of 18
occurrences as pastors, and even then it is plural. Yet there
is almost a cottage industry of men who claim to be the pastor
of their church and who generally relish the thought of being addressed
by some title befitting their supposed status. Such a consideration
is built out of tradition rather than the Holy Scriptures. Christ
is the shepherd of his sheep and the door by whom they go
in and out, finding pasture as he sees fit to give them. Both
the fold and the sheep belong to him. Christ said, I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. No sacrifice was too great, for he determined
to lay down his life in order to preserve that of his flock.
He contrasts the good shepherd with those who are but hirelings,
or those appointed to tend the flock while he is away. To a
man they will fail the flock, apart from their preservation
by the good shepherd. Paul wept bitter tears in reminding
the Ephesian elders of this very fact. Christ is the Great Shepherd. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.
Those priests which ministered under the old covenant could
not continue their ministry by reason of death. Yet this One,
who is the Great Shepherd, ever liveth to make intercession for
His sheep, having triumphed over death, and led captivity captive. For Christ is not entered into
the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. nor yet that he should offer
himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with the blood of others. For then must he often
have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself." He is the Chief Shepherd, and when
the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away. Christ told his disciples that
if he went away, that he would come again and receive them unto
himself. Upon this testimony hangs all
of our hope for the future. He is the Bishop, that is, the
overseer of their souls. Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in
thee. Diotrephes seeks such titles
as bishop, elder, reverend, or pastor. Christ, however, is the
minister of righteousness to the sons of God, and he will
lose none of those for whom he has come to call. Have you heard
the shepherd's voice? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.