1/9/12 RAISE RESPONSIBLE SHEPHERDS
1/9/12 RAISE RESPONSIBLE SHEPHERDS
Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Monday, January 9, 2012
Numbers 27:12-23 Key Verse: 27:16-17
“ May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Dear Lord heavenly Father thank you for helping us to have good spiritual fellowship with the members of Chicago UBF. Thank you for putting people in my life who care for my spiritual needs. I pray that beautiful Christian fellowship may grow up among us and we may co-work together in the work of God. I thank you also for the privilege to serve you through preaching and song at the Presbyterian church. It was a blessing to do so. Help me to build many Gospel alliances in DeKalb and in the surrounding communities. I also discovered that my highschool grades were worse than my kids and yet I come down on my son’s for low grades. I repent of my gross hypocrisy. Please help to illuminate my heart with your word. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. Sheep without a shepherd (12-17).
Verses 12-17 read, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) 15 Moses said to the LORD, 16 “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community 17 to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Moses had shepherded the Israelites for 40 years. He had once lost his temper and failed to honor God as holy in the sight of the people. God allowed him to see the promised land, but he was not allowed to enter it. Moses would not be leading his people in the conquest of Canaan. Moses knew his people very well. Without a leader, they were like sheep without a shepherd. They would be led astray by evil influences from within and without. Moses asked God to appoint a leader.
The people definitely need shepherds. But how people lead and shepherd others changes with each generation. I pray that I can be a good shepherd for the young people of my generation. Not too many people know how to shepherd the young people of this generation, but I pray for God’s grace and wisdom on how to do so.
So many people think that they don’t need any human shepherd. They say that Jesus is their shepherd is Jesus. That is true, but we need human shepherds in our lives. I thank God for human shepherds, like Pastors Teddy and Liz and Pastors at the Chicago center. There are many human shepherds in my life I am so blesses by them, I pray that human shepherds may be raised to serve the young people on every campus in the USA and Canada.
2. Joshua appointed as the next leader (18-23).
Verses 18-23, “So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership and lay your hand on him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20 Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.21 He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.” 22 Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses”
The Lord told Moses to take Joshua and appoint him as the next leader. He was to stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire Israelite community to be commissioned in their presence. God would give Joshua authority so that the people would obey him. Joshua was not a priest and would need to co-work with Eleazar. Their co-working would be very important in leading the people.
I was commissioned once by the Winnipeg missionaries to take over the Winnipeg UBF ministry. I thank God for his hope and vision in me. But leadership in Winnipeg did not come to pass…at least for now. I pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit so that I could be a shepherd of God’s flock for this generation. I need God’s authority to go forth and shepherd and lead. God has commissioned me. I must tale it seriously and lead with faith and God’s word in my heart. I pray that shepherds with God’s authority can be raised up here on this mission field who can have the wisdom and the authority to lead the young people of this generation.
Prayer: Lord, please raise up spiritual leaders who can lead people to Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
One Word: We need good shepherds
.
Interact with us using Facebook