Joel 1
Prophetic message to Joel verse 1
The word of the LORD that came to Joel the son of Pethuel
Message to be given to future generations verse 2- 3
Hear this- you old men – and give ear
all you inhabitants of the land
Has this been in your days
or even in the days of your fathers?
Tell you your children of it
let your children tell their children
and their children another generation
Famine in the land verse 4
THAT which the palmerworm has left has the locust eaten
and THAT which the locust has left
has the cankerworm eaten
and THAT which the cankerworm has left
has the caterpillar eaten
Call to people regarding the famine verse 5- 7
Awake – you drunkards and weep
and howl – all you drinkers of wine
BECAUSE of the new wine
for it is cut off from your mouth
For a nation is come up upon MY land
strong – and without number
whose teeth are the teeth of a lion
and he has the cheek teeth of a great lion
He has laid MY vine waste – and barked MY fig tree
he has made it clean bare – and cast it away
the branches thereof are made white
Reaction of the ministers verse 8- 10
Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth
for the husband of her youth
the meat offering and the drink offering
is cut off from the
house of the LORD your God
the priests – the LORD’S ministers – mourn
The field is wasted – the land mourns
for the corn is wasted – the new wine is dried up
the oil languishes
Reaction of the farmers verse 11- 12
Be you ashamed – O you husbandmen
howl – O you vinedressers
for the wheat and for the barley
BECAUSE the harvest of the field
is perished
The vine is dried up – the fig tree languishes
the pomegranate tree – the palm tree also – and the apple tree
EVEN all the trees of the field – are withered
BECAUSE joy is withered away
from the sons of men
Ministers to announce a time of fasting and prayer verse 13- 15
Gird yourselves – and lament – you priests – howl
you ministers of the altar
come – lie all night in sackcloth
you ministers of my God
for the meat offering and the drink offering
is withheld from
the house of your God
Sanctify you a fast – call a solemn assembly
gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land
into the house of the LORD your God
and cry to the LORD
Alas for the day
FOR the day of the LORD is at hand
and as a destruction from the Almighty
shall it come
Hunger is griping man and animal verse 16- 18
Is not the meat cut off before our eyes – yea
joy and gladness from the house of our God?
The seed is rotten under their clods – the garners are laid desolate
the barns are broken down – for the corn is withered
How do the beasts groan
the herds of cattle are perplexed
BECAUSE they have no pasture
YEA – the flocks of sheep are made desolate
Cry for help verse 19- 20
O LORD – to YOU will I cry
for fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness
and the flame has burned all the trees of the field
The beasts of the field cry also unto YOU
for the rivers of waters are dried up
and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 5 Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and howl, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. (7910 “drunkards” [shikkowr] means intoxicated, drunken, drinkers of alcohol or drinking of strong drink.)
DEVOTION: This has been a issue since the beginning of time since the flood. Noah was said to be drunk in his tent when his son came in and did something that caused him to be cursed. The two daughters of Lot gave their father strong drink until he was drunk to have improper relationships with him.
Strong drink can be a problem for God’s people. Here we find that the children of Israel were more concerned over their strong drink than their relationship to the LORD. The land was experiencing a famine and their concern was for their strong drink.
The LORD advised them to stop drinking and call for a time of fasting and prayer. This should be the activity of the church. Too often today we are seeing churches that say they preach the gospel having parties where strong drink is served. Is this wrong? Is this sinful? The answer is YES if there are people getting drunk at these events. Should the church have a drinking party? NO! Why? The reason being is that we are to not to be a stumbling block to those who have a problem with drinking. But don’t all Christians have a choice regarding drinking strong drink? YES! The problem is that what an individual does and what the church does. Individuals have to answer to the LORD for their drinking. Churches have to answer for their teaching. If the church is teaching that strong drink is OK at church events than this is a stumbling block to those who come out of alcoholic families. Each individual has to answer to the LORD regarding this habit. Throughout Scripture there is a warning given to those who have a drinking problem.
The nation of Israel was too busy serving themselves rather than the LORD. If our habits interfere with our service to the LORD, the habit must go.
CHALLENGE: If strong drink is affecting your service to the LORD or your testimony to your family: STOP. Times of fasting and prayer can change your relationship to strong drink.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languishes; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men. (8342 “joy” [sasown] means gladness, cheerfulness, rejoicing, exaltation, state of happiness or mirth)
DEVOTION: Joel is given a vision from the LORD. There is a time of attack in the land by locust. They are eating all the food that would normally be harvested for people. There is sadness because there is going to be no harvest.
When harvest season comes there is usually great celebration. When a farmer brings in a good crop of grain it will feed his family and bring profit to the home. There would normally be times of gladness. There would be cheerfulness. There would be parties.
However, Joel is warning of a time of no harvest. It is a time of animals looking for food and drink and finding none. It is a time to cry unto the LORD for relief.
This day of the LORD that is coming will affect the land in the same way. It is a time of judgment. The people are not worshiping the LORD properly. They are commanded to fast. They are commanded to call a solemn assembly. They are to gather the elders together and pray to the LORD for help.
Is there coming a time of famine in our land? Are the locusts gathering? Is it a time to call for fasting and prayer? Listening to the news can sometimes take the gladness out of our lives. Should this be happening to us?
When the conditions around us are bad, we lose our gladness. Here we find that the people are sad and it affects the trees of the field. When we enter the house of the LORD this next week are we going to come with gladness on our faces? Are we going to allow the world to dictate our attitude in worship? Can we overcome the world? Should we overcome the world? Remember that we are to worship the LORD daily. How are you going to greet the LORD this morning?
CHALLENGE: When the joy is out of your life – turn to the LORD for wisdom and direction. HE promises that if we ask for wisdom from above HE will give it to us.
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: 12 …. And the people’s joy has dried up with them. (NLT)
DEVOTION: Have you ever had something happen that seems to suck all the life out of you? You thought everything was going OK but then something happened. You planned a party at your house and thought you would have a lot of friend come but no one showed up. You thought you had enough money for that special thing and when you got to the store the price had gone up.
Some of those receiving these devotionals grew up poor. There were times when there wasn’t enough food to go around. Your clothes were not as good as the other students. You couldn’t go on vacations like the other kids did during the summer vacation time. You saw everyone else seeming to have fun but you were stuck at home.
Here we have the LORD sending judgment on the children of Israel because of their sin. All of their crops failed because of a locust plague the LORD sent to get their attention. The animals were even crying out for food and drink.
This took all the joy out of the life of the people. If our joy is taken away from us, what should we do? The answer is found in the next verse.
Believers should turn to the LORD for a time of fasting and prayer to ask the LORD to help them in their situation. HE has promised to give us understanding regarding our next steps. HE has promised to provide for all the needs of those who are faithfully serving HIM.
CHALLENGE: So if you have all the joy out of your life there is a need to turn around and ask the LORD for help, so that, your joy can return.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Sanctify you a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry to the LORD. (6942 “sanctify” [qadash] means hallow, dedicate, prepare, consecrate, removed from common use, or keep sacred.)
DEVOTION: The LORD has a solution to every problem that we face in our lifetime. It is given to all the followers of the LORD when they are going through a hard time. It is given to those who find that they have strayed from the LORD.
What is the solution? This verse informs those who have a famine problem that they need to call for a fast. What is a fast? It is a time when God’s people stop eating food or drinking water to ask the LORD for cleansing and direction.
In the New Testament couples are told to fast and prayer if they are making a major decision. They are not to let it last too long or Satan will come and tempt them.
It was required of ministers in the Methodist church to fast two days a week. The Pharisees fasted to be seen of men. So there are good ways to fast and bad ways to fast. If you are doing it to be seen of the people around you, you are doing it wrong. If you are doing it to allow yourself no distractions so that you can go into the presence of God for instruction you are doing it for the right reason.
CHALLENGE: During times of fasting and prayer there is confession of sin and a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life. The children of Israel needed it and we need it too.
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: 19 O LORD, to YOU will I cry: for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame has burned all the trees of the field. (398 “devoured” [‘akal] means to destroy completely, to devour, consume, ruin, cause destruction of objects, or devastation of land)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were a farming community and they depended on the crops to help them have enough to eat and sell to others. Here we have the LORD judging the nation because of their worship of false gods. HE wanted to get their attention and it could only happen if they didn’t have enough to eat.
It is the same today in our world. The LORD wants to get our attention and it only happens, it seems, with bad times are around. If there were good times than people don’t seem to think about God and all HIS provision for us or in the case of the children of Israel in the Old Testament times.
We are supposed to be dependent on the LORD just like the children of Israel were supposed to be depend on HIM but too often they thought that they could worship false gods and the LORD would provide for them. They were wrong.
We are wrong today as we sometimes think that everything is going well because we have money in the bank and friends around to give us times of enjoyment. But if, we are not looking to the LORD for guidance those times will end and we will wonder what is happening in our lives.
The children of Israel had to face judgment regularly because of their lack of worship of the LORD. Today our nation seems to be going through times of judgment because of our not thinking too much of genuinely worshiping the LORD regularly.
If the LORD send judgement we wonder why but if we looked closely at our lives we would see that we are acting just like the children of Israel. We want the blessings of the LORD but at the same time we don’t want to worship HIM in spirit and in truth on a regular basis. We can’t have both.
The children of Israel didn’t have the blessings of the LORD because of their actions as a nation and we will not have HIS blessings if we practice the same.
CHALLENGE: Revival is necessary in the lives of believers. If we don’t do it on our own HE will send hard times our way to get our attention even today.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
God’s servants were to call for a fast verse 14
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayer for help verse 14, 19
cry to the LORD
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Meat offerings verse 9, 13
Drink offerings verse 9, 13
House of the LORD verse 9, 13, 14, 16
Gather the elders
Gather the inhabitants of the land
Joy and gladness taken from
LORD’S ministers verse 9
Priests mourn verse 9, 13
LORD’S ministers verse 9
Ministers of the altar verse 13
Gird yourselves
Lament
Howl
All night in sackcloth
Priests lament verse 13
Meat and drink offering withholden verse 13
Cry to the LORD verse 14, 19
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible
Word of the LORD verse 1
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 9, 14, 15, 19
Control of animal kingdom verse 4- 7
House of the LORD verse 9, 13, 14
LORD’S ministers verse 9
God verse 13
House of your God verse 13
House of the LORD your God verse 14
LORD your God verse 14
Cry unto the LORD verse 14
Day of the LORD is at hand verse 15
Almighty will bring destruction verse 15
House of our God verse 16
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 13, 14, 16
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nation verse 6
Joy is withered away from the sons of men verse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Drunkards verse 5
Drinkers of wine verse 5
Be ashamed verse 11
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Hear verse 2
Tell verse 3
Awake verse 5
Weep verse 5
Ministers verse 9, 13
Joy verse 12, 16
Lie all night in sackcloth verse 13
Sanctify a fast verse 14
Call a solemn assembly verse 14
Cry unto the LORD verse 14, 19, 20
Gladness verse 16
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Joel – the prophet verse 1
Pethuel – father of Joel verse 1
Fields wasted – land mourns verse 10
New wine is dried up verse 10
Oil languishes verse 10
Husbandmen ashamed verse 11
Vinedressers verse 11
Harvest of field perished verse 11
Vine dried up verse 12
Trees of the field dried up verse 12
Elders verse 14
Barns broken down – corn is withered verse 17
Beasts groan verse 18
Herds of cattle are perplexed verse 18
Flocks of sheep are made desolate verse 18
Fire has devoured the pastures verse 19
Flame has burned all the trees of the field verse 19
Beasts of the field cry to the LORD verse 20
Rivers of waters are dried up verse 20
Fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness verse 20
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Day of the LORD verse 15
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QUOTES regarding passage
1:14 Four elements of Hebrew spirituality appear here. The first is that the people fasted as a vivid demonstration of their grief and remorse. Second, they came together in a “sacred assembly” to show that their sorrow was common and not private. Third, in fulfillment of Solomon’s prayer of consecration for the temple (see especially 1 Kgs 8:37–40), they came to “the house of the Lord your God” to express their repentance. Fourth, they pleaded to the Lord to be their savior. Probably they chanted a psalm of community lamentation, such as Psalm 74, to voice their prayers.
For the modern “low church” evangelical, the lesson here is that liturgy is not necessarily artificial, that not all spirituality is private, and that repentance can be and often should be accompanied by outward signs of sorrow (such as fasting). It is clear from Isa 58:3–6 that the prophets did not regard fasts as sure proofs of piety or as automatically effective. On the other hand, this verse implies that they did not reject fasting as artificial but instead regarded it as a genuine expression of humiliation before God.
“Summon the elders and all who live in the land” balances the opening summons to “elders” and those “who live in the land” from v. 2 and thus provides closure for this section of prophecy. As such it has no value in determining whether the elders are leaders or older people. It does, however, set the boundary for this division of the text. With this Joel finished summoning the people to lament; in the verses that follow he gave them an example of repentant lamentation. (Garrett, D. A. (1997). Hosea, Joel (Vol. 19A, p. 327). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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Amos, Joel’s contemporary, viewed the situation in similar terms. He reported that certain “prophets” were under a strange misconception. The Day of the Lord was not to be one of vindication for Israel but was to signal its demise (Amos 5:16–20). Like Joel, Amos warned of judgment due to sin and moral decay (3:1–5:13), a condition that necessitated thorough repentance (5:17). Likewise Hosea’s constant message was one of rebuke for Israel’s spiritual and moral corruption and of warning of judgment for her spiritual infidelity and sins. Joel’s message was in accord with this same picture of life found in the early eighth century b.c.—a scene of spiritual bankruptcy, despite great political and economic assets. (Patterson, R. D. (1986). Joel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 243). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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To the priests: “Call a fast!” (Joel 1:13–20) Not only were the people in need, but so was the temple. Nobody could bring the proper sacrifices because no meal, wine, or animals were available. Joel called the priests to lament and pray, including those who worked “the night shift” (Ps. 134:1).
The Jews were required to observe only one fast, and that was on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29, 31). But the religious leaders could call a fast whenever the people faced and emergency and needed to humble themselves and seek God’s face (Jud. 20:26; 2 Chron. 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Neh. 9:1–3; Jer. 36:9). This was such an emergency. “Gird yourself” (Joel 1:13) means “Put on sackcloth!” (See Jer. 4:8 and 6:26). It was time for the people to humble themselves and pray (2 Chron. 7:14). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 52). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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1:14 Consecrate a fast. The prophet called the priests to take action, first by example (v. 13) and then by proclamation (v. 14). As the official leaders, it was their duty to proclaim a public fast so that the entire nation could repent and petition the Lord to forgive and restore. Here they were admonished to “consecrate” a fast, denoting its urgent, sacred character. Proclaim a solemn assembly. Directives for calling an assembly, generally for festive purposes (cf. 2Ch 7:9; Neh 8:18), are given in Nu 10:3. Parallel in thought to “consecrate a fast,” no work was permitted on such days (Lv 23:36; Nu 29:35; Dt 16:8). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Joe 1:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Like a virgin girded with sackcloth, lamenting the untimely death of her betrothed husband, they were called upon to mourn over the sins that had drawn down the judgment of God upon them. His house too was affected; for there that judgment must begin. The meat, or meal-offering, and the drink-offering were cut off, and the priests were left to mourn. When God’s people are in a famished condition, there is no real appreciation of Christ; hence the oblations cease to be offered. The meal-offering sets forth the manhood of the Lord Jesus. The drink-offering portrays His pouring out His soul unto death. But a spiritual famine dulls the perception and sensibilities of those indebted to His one offering for all their blessing; so the gifts of a worshiping people cease (vers. 8, 9).
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So he calls upon the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to sanctify a fast, and call a solemn assembly, that they may unitedly cry unto the Lord, owning before His face their common failure, and judging their evil ways (ver. 14). The approaching day of the Lord is mentioned as an incentive to this. Not that the day of the Lord (which, in its full, prophetic sense, refers to the revelation of Jesus Christ to usher in the kingdom) was really to occur in their time; but as that day will be for the manifestation of all that has been in accordance with the mind of God, they were called upon to act then in the light of the day that was coming (ver. 15). In like manner are Christians exhorted to walk now in view of the day of Christ, when all our works shall be examined at His judgment-seat. The all-displaying light of that hour of manifestation should ever be shining upon our pathway, that all our steps may be ordered in accord therewith. (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 118–119). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 14. Sanctify ye a fast, &c.] This is spoken to the priests, whose business it was to appoint a fast, as the Targum renders it; or to set apart a time for such religious service, as the word signifies; and to keep it holy themselves, and see that it was so kept by others: Kimchi interprets it, prepare the people for a fast; give them notice of it, that they may be prepared for it: call a solemn assembly; of all the people of the land after mentioned: or, proclaim a restraint; a time of ceasing, as a fast-day should be from all servile work, that attendance may be given to the duties of it, prayer and humiliation: gather the elders; meaning not those in age, but in office: and all the inhabitants of the land; not the magistrates only, though first and principally, as examples, who had been deeply concerned in guilt; but the common people also, even all of them: into the house of the Lord your God; the temple, the court of the Israelites, where they were to go and supplicate the Lord, when such a calamity as this of locusts and caterpillars were upon them; and where they might hope the Lord would hear them, and remove his judgments from them, 1 Kings 8:37: and cry unto the Lord; in prayer, with vehemence and earnestness of soul. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, p. 460). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.”—Charles Ryrie
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Theology is for everyone. Indeed, everyone needs to be a theologian. In reality, everyone is a theologian—of one sort or another. And therein lies the problem. There is nothing wrong with being an amateur theologian or a professional theologian, but there is everything wrong about being an ignorant or a sloppy theologian. Therefore, every Christian should read theology. Theology simply means thinking about God and expressing those thoughts in some way.” Charles Ryrie
Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth
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Godless Religion
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:5)
Included in Paul’s graphic description of the “perilous” characteristics of the “last days” (not the church age, since the prophesied last days were still future when he wrote of them in his last epistle, 2 Timothy 3:1-3) is this warning concerning the religious leaders of the last days. They would observe the outward form (church buildings, sacraments, religious services, etc.) of “godliness” (that is, “religion”), but would reject its supernatural aspects. They would desire the trappings of religious professionalism since they would be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (v. 4).
Such specifications aptly describe the modern world of scientism and liberal theology, which pervades practically all religious denominations and overlaps with all kinds of liberal social movements (women’s liberation, gay rights, “New Age” pantheism, and others). Although these are widely diverse in structure and purpose, they all share one vital feature in common: They reject supernatural Christianity, especially literal creationism. Many liberal preachers give nominal allegiance to the teachings of Christ and the Bible, but they invariably deny the mighty power of God in special creation, as well as the great worldwide miracles of the Bible—the Flood, the dispersion, etc.
This prophecy is not given in Scripture simply as a matter of information. It contains a warning urgently needed by Bible-believing Christians who are under pressure today to compromise with humanistic liberals on this great doctrine of God’s creative power. Many have accepted the evolutionary system of “ages geology,” and this is tragic and dangerous. Instead of compromising with evolutionary naturalists and religious liberals, as many evangelicals today are inclined to do, Paul warns:“From such turn away!” (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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A FALSE VIEW OF THE KINGDOM
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Luke 18:11
Let me touch on an aspect of a false view of the kingdom of God. I refer to those who confuse Christianity with a kind of morality only. There are so many people who think of Christianity as if it were but a collection of vetoes and prohibitions and restraints. That was the trouble there in Rome. You should not eat this, you should not eat that, and all those other observances. And there they were, experts about these particular things. “No,” says the apostle, “Christ did not come from heaven to earth for that reason; that’s not Christianity!”
And we can interpret that at the present time in this way: It is to think that you make yourself a Christian by the way in which you live; that if you do not do certain things you are a Christian, but that if you do them, then you are not. So you do not do these things, and then, of course, you can criticize others; you can feel that you are better than they are, and so you look down upon them.
That was the trouble with the Pharisee we read about in Luke 18: “I thank God I am not like other men. I fast twice in the week; I give a tenth of my goods to the poor. How good I am! Not like this miserable publican, this sinner fellow!” But that is not the kingdom of God; that is the precise opposite. But how common this idea is! How many people think of Christianity today as something that is purely negative, something that always makes demands of you, that tells you that if you are going to be a Christian you have got to stop this, that, and the other. And it goes no further and never tells you what Christianity gives you. So Christianity is confused with morality.
A Thought to Ponder: Christianity is confused with morality. (From The Kingdom of God, pp. 72-73, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Esther 1
Because Vashti refuses to dance for King Ahasuerus, she is removed as queen.
INSIGHT
In Ezra and Nehemiah, we learn how God watches over the Jews who return from captivity. Esther tells us how those who remain in exile—scattered through the East—are marvelously preserved. Though the name of God does not appear in the book, His hand is clearly manifest throughout. The significance of the “narrow escapes” cannot be dismissed as coincidental. Ahasuerus demands that his queen appear before the party. She refuses. The stage is now set for God’s miraculous plan of deliverance for His people. (Quiet Walk)
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(10 Power Principles for Christian Service by Warren W & David W. Wiersebe)
Ministers aren’t sinless, but they ought to be blameless and above reproach. (p. 32)
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Perhaps one reason some churches are in trouble today is their loss of the biblical concept of what they really are. In our noble attempt to be “relevant’ in a changing world, we’ve thoughtlessly abandoned the pastoral image of the shepherd and sheep, and have blindly adopted the corporate image of the pastor as CEO, the elders as a board of directors, and the church family as customers to serve. In so doing, we’ve quietly changed our expectations of what a minister and a church ought to be and do, which has often led to conflict and pain in churches. (p. 33)
Loving the people and maintaining the heart of a servant is the basis for all that the pastor does. (p. 33)
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The under-shepherd’s love for the Chief Shepherd is the most important part of ministry. If we love the Good Shepherd, we will love his sheep and minister to them in love. If we don’t truly love Jesus Christ, then we’ll love ourselves and become selfish shepherds who think only of what others can do for us, not what we can do for others. (p. 35)
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In time, of course, the critics and disgruntled member feel ill at ease in this climate of renewal and decide to find churches where the atmosphere is less threatening to their low level of impersonal Christian profession. Of course, when they leave their excuse is that “the church isn’t spiritual anymore”; but what they’re really saying is that the church is too spiritual for their brand of Christianity. They want to be spectators, not servants; they want to hold offices, but not use the offices to serve God and the people; they want to be important, but not involved. The shepherd gets the blame, of course, but no matter; the Spirit of God is at work. Jesus is being glorified, and that’s all that really counts. (p. 35-6)
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