Rejoice:

Read:

Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

What is your relationship with your pastor like? So many people think that he is supposed to just be a teacher who brings you some sort of prepared word on Sunday morning… Yet Scripture tells the elders (pastors) to be shepherding the flock. A shepherd does far more than feeding the sheep. He keeps watch over them to assure safety, he helps them when they are entangled, he helps to lift them out of the traps they find themselves in. In moments where the lamb is entangled and can’t seem to find the power to break free the shepherd helps and then cares for their wounds.

Christ should be your ultimate shepherd and hopefully your pastor is pointing you in that direction. However, many of the Church has poor doctrine and cannot fully look towards the Lord because they have so many lies they have built which hinder them. This is the purpose of discipleship… to help you get rid of those issues. However, you have a shepherd (hopefully) who has laid down his life to help you in every one of those moments where it seems you’ve been pressing in but there’s no freedom.

Are you truly using the body of Christ the way it is supposed to work? Or are you to proud to open up and connect with your pastor to ask for help? If you’re working in the later option it is because the enemy has deceived you into thinking that is the right path. Perhaps it is partially done by the shepherd himself, leading you to think he is perfect and will judge you. Let me be clear: message me… period. I am faulty, I make mistakes, I will not judge you. I will direct you to God’s Word. I want to offer specific application of God’s Word to your situation. I want to cry with you when you cry, praise with you when you praise, pray with you when you pray, and teach you when you need taught.

Let me be clear: I am not a liar. Trust what I just said… Do not let the enemy lead you to believe you do not need a shepherd, that’s a lie. No lamb can healthily live without a shepherd. That is why the Lord compares us so often to sheep. We can do nothing apart from Him and He has placed shepherds on earth to be His vessels of help as well. STOP BEING ANTIBIBLICAL. If you are struggling through things alone and not working with someone who is discipling you or your shepherd, you’re walking in sin. This. Is. Sin. You. Are. Wrong. STOP!

God has blessed us with people who have committed their lives fully to the Lord. They wake and pray- all day, literally. They study. They apply. They talk to others. They focus only on the Lord. They partner with the Lord to be an example as best as possible. That is the blessing! They can help us sift through the lies that are “our theology” and show us truth. Now that doesn’t mean you have to go unload everything to them before developing trust, but if you aren’t starting to learn to trust them then what are you waiting for? Do you think you are going to supernaturally rise above God’s creation and plan? I venture to say… you wont. So, as I said yesterday, stop being disobedient (please).

I dunno how many more times I can say this but… stop being disobedient to the Lord and then praying for help. He’s already told you how to get help. You are doing the same thing the Israelites did in Exodus 32. Moses left, and they didn’t turn to God’s spoken Word for truth but instead trusted their old ways and old desires. Here you are, hitting walls, and trusting your old ways. God tells us to go through life together. You are trusting God to do something supernaturally different in your life while simultaneously not trusting the very Word He has already given you. God has likely already spoken about how to help you in this time. So do it.

Respond:

Spend 1 minute thanking the Lord that you have been blessed with a church family, or asking Him to lead you to one. Then spend 2-3 minutes asking God to break down the pride in your heart that thinks “no one would relate to this” or “they will only judge me”. If your shepherd just judges you when you share with him… then join a different church.

Relate:

Probably obvious… reach out to your shepherd and start developing a relationship that is trusting and healthy so that you can actually get help!!!

P.s. If you don’t feel comfortable talking with your pastor (or me specifically for our church) there are other deacons in our church who you may feel comfortable with. So at least make an effort and reach out. You can simply say: I want someone to talk with and to help me, maybe not you, can you lead me in the right direction. I’d prefer a man/woman/dog/lizard, whatever your cup of tea is. Also, I am here to be a shepherd for whoever desires. You don’t have to be in Grass Lake or attend our weekly worship service to reach out.