Christ the Shepherd of Your Soul

8/9/2019 Christ the Shepherd of Your Soul

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Christ The Shepherd Of Your Soul.

The imagery of a shepherd was used in many of the ancient

writings of the mid-east. The kings of the ancients viewed

themselves as the shepherd of the people. This is not only a Jewishthought many Egyptian, Assyrian, and Persian kings also referred

to themselves as the shepherd of the people. Many of these kings

proved to be cruel shepherds. When the Jesus came during his

earthly ministry he came as the true shepherd, the Jewish people

for centuries had been under the rule of two religious extremes the

Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees were a group of

priests who were aristocrats who believed in the literal

interpretation of the Torah (Old Testament Bible) they rejected thebelief in the afterlife they were equivalent of todays liberals. The

Pharisees would be equivalent of todays conservatives. Neither

of these religious groups were meeting the needs of the average

person. Jesus came to offer true religious experience to the average

man.

Psalms 23:1-3 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me

beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of

righteousness for his names sake.

Jesus came to restore the souls of men. To offer spiritually green

pastures and still waters, a place where people could find peace for

the soul. Our next scripture is a prophecy of what Jesus would do

during his earthly ministry.

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather

the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, andshall

gently lead those that are with young.


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Jesus the good shepherd, shall feed, gather, carry, and gently lead.

What a beautiful picture of who and what the Lord is. Our next

scripture is a description of the failure of the shepherds of Israel

(the religious leaders).

Ezekiel 34:1-12 And the word of the LORD came unto me,

saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy,

and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds;

Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should

not the shepherds feed the flocks?

3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that

are fed: butye feed not the flock.4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed

that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was

broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away,

neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with

cruelty have ye ruled them.

5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they

became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were

scattered.

6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every

high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth,

and none did search or seekafter them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;

8As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a

prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field,

because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search

for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my

flock;9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;


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10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds;

and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease

from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves

any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they

may not be meat for them.11 Forthus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both

search my sheep, and seek them out.

12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among

his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will

deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the

cloudy and dark day.

Jeremiah 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherdshave caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the

mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have

forgotten their restingplace.The shepherds of Israel where not shepherds at all, they were

hirelings. The word pastors also means shepherds. Oddly, found

seven times in the First Testament but found only once in the

Second or New Testament.

John 10:1-15 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not

by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,

the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he

calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,

and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for

they know not the voice of strangers.

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not

what things they were which he spake unto them.


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7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I

am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the

sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, andshall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to

destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might

have itmore abundantly.

11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for

the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the

sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, andfleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for

the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know mysheep, and am known of

mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay

down my life for the sheep.

What a wonderful shepherd we have in Christ.

Ezekiel 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he

shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he

shall be their shepherd.

When the book of Ezekiel was written David had long been dead

so it is not speaking of the man David but of the true shepherd

Jesus Christ.

Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servantshall be king over them; and

they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my

judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.


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Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and

was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as

sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many

things.

Matthew 18:10-14 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little

ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always

behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of

them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and

goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoicethmore of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not

astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that

one of these little ones should perish.

What a great Shepherd, He is concerned for lease little ones. Learn

of HIM.

Mt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

andI will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and

lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Study of the word of God is so important for us.

Ecclesiastes 12:11 The words of the wiseare as goads, and as nails

fastened by the masters of assemblies, whichare given from one

shepherd.

Psalms 78:52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and

guided them in the wilderness like a flock.


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Heb 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the

dead ourLord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through

the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in

you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; towhom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherdshall appear, ye shall

receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now

returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Return, O ye of the flock.

Copyright 2010 J. Wilder & The Wilder Family Trust dated 2/13/04

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by anymeans, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,

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Christ the Shepherd of Your Soul

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