Assemblies of God Empowered Magazine LEADING WITH A SHEPHERDS HEART | Page 5

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touch of the Holy Spirit. It’s all there,
spiritual expectation, political complexity,
frustration, fiercely defended views of the
past, and superlative visions of the future.
Did I find Jesus at Jerusalem? I did,
albeit not in a physical sense. After
an exhausting flight, I arrived late at
night. Next morning I went down to
breakfast, sat with a stranger, and to
my surprise, he prophesied over me.
This set the tone for my visit to Israel
with supernatural appointments and
connections with people I had hoped to
see. I did the tour, walked the city walls,
rode the bus up the Mount of Olives,
visited the Garden of Gethsemane and
prayed at the Wailing Wall, it was great!
It wasn’t, however, until we were driving to
the Jordan River, that I saw the bleakness
of Israel’s desert conditions, the lack of
vegetation, the stark rolling hills, and
valleys of nothingness. However, around
the lakes, rivers, and cultivated areas
there was pastoral greenery. I was struck
by the thought that any sheep in these
diverse lands would certainly need
considerable care; shepherds were
essential. Also, I was taken by the thought
that it was upon these barren Judean hills
that the great shepherd of men’s souls
had once walked and led His disciples. I
loved my visit to the Holy Land, but was
reminded again that Jesus shepherd’s
his flock in the spiritual wastelands of
the earth. Ever watchful, He still lovingly
broods over His sheep, saying:

“I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep”
- John 10:11
From the earliest days of the
church, the image of Jesus as our Good
Shepherd has been one of the most
enduring. Importantly for this current
magazine issue, is the shepherding
aspect of Jesus’s ministry. It serves as
a model for those who would minister
in His name. Artwork of Jesus, found in
early catacombs, portrayed Jesus as a
loving, caring, nurturing, and protective

shepherd. This image of Jesus as ‘the
Good Shepherd’ is still found in Israel
today and encapsulates much of His life
and ministry.

We are called
to minister and
lead the church
with the great
shepherd’s heart.
Leadership is
important, and
at times, strong
and decisive
leadership must
take place. All
of us, however,
whether in lay
leadership or
full time ministry,
should lead while
emulating the
ministry of Jesus
our shepherd.
There is much
sermonizing
about heroically
giving our lives for
God’s great plans,
that is good, but
it is important to
note that Jesus
laid down His
life for us!

standard of ministry, it’s not about us, it’s
about others, and ultimately it’s for the
Glory of God.
Jesus warned us that unless we carry
on His role and heart for shepherding,
we are nothing more than untrustworthy
hired workers. He warned:

“A hired man, who is not a
shepherd and whose sheep
are not his own, sees a wolf
coming and leaves the sheep
and runs away, and the wolf
catches and scatters them”
- John 10:12
Regrettably, there are sometimes
leaders and lay people who act more
like the hired hands Jesus spoke of. They
don’t protect or feed God’s sheep in a
way that is glorifying to God. Occasionally,
there are those who not only fail to
protect those under their charge, but
abuse their position of trust. They behave
like wolves, and damage those they were
meant to lovingly shepherd. They will one
day have to explain their actions to the
Head Shepherd.
Thankfully, thousands of Pastors
and lay ministers serve God with great
passion and zeal. They model the
Good Shepherd in exemplary ways. We
appreciate and honour these servants
of God who labour among us, truly
they are worthy of double honour. As a
movement, we are blessed with many
such dedicated and caring Pastors who
labour selflessly in our towns and cities.
Keep leading and lead with a shepherd’s
heart!

So the shepherding aspect of
leadership also requires us to lay down
our lives for others. This is the gold
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