We Be Sheep-herds
6 min read
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me.”
— 1 Kings 22:13-14
No doubt, the messenger felt that his advice to Micaiah was what was best for everyone, including Micaiah. Within the kingdom of God, unity (agreement in purpose and vision) is one of the primary keys to success for any church. Without it, no church is going to last.
Outside the kingdom of God, agreement is only a key to success if the vision and purpose agree with God’s sovereign will.
In fact, the very definition of “success” is revealed in the difference between being “in the kingdom of God” or outside of it. Ahab and Israel abided “outside the kingdom of God” because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” (verse 17).
As king, Ahab was supposed to be both a sheep following God and a shepherd leading people to God. First and foremost, however, he was to be a sheep. No person can be a shepherd without first living a life as a sheep following Jesus the Shepherd. “Success” in the kingdom of God is simply to follow our Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Ahab was without a shepherd, not because God was an absent Shepherd, but because Ahab himself didn’t want to be be a sheep.
We too are all called to be both sheep and shepherds in the kingdom of God. And personally, it’s easier for me to be a sheep than it is to be a shepherd. But what Jesus has taught me about being a sheep is that I can only follow Him if I know what it means to follow human leaders—to do so with a humble and discerning spirit.
And this is a tough lesson because all human leaders are imperfect. The closer we get to them, the more imperfection we see. But as sheep, we have to be able to discern whether our leaders are doing their best to follow Christ in good faith—whether that is their primary motivation. It is those aspects of leadership that we follow.
The other day, I was visited by my old pastor from years ago. We had been through a lot together. He was and is an imperfect human being, but his heart to follow Jesus is genuine. In His sovereign grace, God placed me under his shepherding, and it was under his shepherding that God called me into ministry.
I straight-up asked him if I was a good follower to him. Of course, I realize that I could only ask him that question if I expected that he was going to say, Yes :). But in my heart, I was prepared to accept a negative response, as well. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) If he had said, No, I was prepared to repent and apologize to him.
As a sheep, I know I have many faults. As a shepherd, I know I have many faults. But my “success” will be found in Christ and Christ alone.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
Father, I pray for Your sanctification of me and this Canvas family. Make us into sheep and shepherds who know what it means to follow Christ and Christ alone. In Jesus’s name. Amen.