Will ALL Of The REAL Pastors PLEASE Stand Up! - PART THREE

Will All of The REAL Pastors

PLEASE Stand Up! PART THREE

20.Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron (Psalms77:20).

With the passing of the ministry of Joseph & the subsequent enslavement of Israel, God chose Himself another Shepherd to be appointed over His flock. This man came from the most unlikely of sources & yet was taken right from under Pharaoh’s nose. That man was Moses. People may often forget that Moses’ illustrious & potentially lucrative career in Egypt was ended prematurely but nevertheless providentially.

Killing another man unnecessarily, in a fit of rage, isn’t the wisest of moves when your adopted grandfather is Pharaoh, but somehow God looked at the scenario & perhaps thought to Himself, now there’s a bloke that I can use. Given the circumstances, Moses was forced to run for his life.

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well (Exodus2:11-15).

In order to escape the wrath of the king & its obvious penalty, he ran away to Midian. There, he became a keeper of sheep [just like Abel], taking the role on from the seven daughters of Reuel (Jethro) whom he had defended against other Shepherds [this is another Pastoral trait] when they came to water their flock. Moses faithfully executed this duty until the day The Angel of The Lord called to him out of the bush that burned, but was not consumed of the flames (Exodus3:2).

*Let me say something important. Moses’ act of murder, although wrong, reveals something Pastoral in his nature. A true Shepherd protects his flock & is prepared to lay his life down for them. Instinctively, when he saw an Israelite being mistreated, he killed the abuser. In any reasonable context it’s plain that Moses [given his position in Egypt] possessed enough authority to stop the abuse with a simple command. Yet he didn’t. He killed the Egyptian & hid his body. However, a day later he sees two Hebrews arguing & steps in to find out why they’re in dispute. Rightly or wrongly, a bonafide Shepherd will deal with a wolf severely, however, he’ll approach & treat the flock very differently. Moses definitely possessed a Pastor’s heart.

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today? And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter (Exodus2:16-21).

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb (Exodus3:1).

God looks at the heart of a man. Given the task ahead, The Lord decided that Moses was the one for the job & as stated previously, Moses proved that he was more prepared to protect & defend the flock of God under any & every circumstance than many who are occupying pulpits [I use the word occupy deliberately because these men act like dictators] today. Just like Pharaoh, some leaders in The Church rule their congregations with force & cruelty. They abuse the flock biblically, financially, mentally, emotionally & even sexually. This is heartbreaking to witness, but I have seen it happen many, many times.

Being a Shepherd is a full-time requirement & as with any place of service, when the master calls, you answer. Yet The Church has happily accepted the cart being before the horse in this matter & continues to fund, follow & feed men who have no right to be where they are. It seems to me that certain parts of The Church, as well as the men who claim to be its leaders, have forgotten the example of the One Who said that He was The Good Shepherd & that He laid His life down for the sheep. It’s impossible to sincerely hold Christ as the head of The Church whilst systematically abusing His flock.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of things with my own eyes & heard a lot of things with my own ears. In the midst of it all I’ve come to realise that The Lord has allowed me to witness everything to one end; I learned how not to do particular things. I’ve seen ministry with little or no accountability, yet incredibly gifted spiritually, become a law unto itself. I’ve known men personally who were genuinely called of God & anointed by Him, succumb to the love of money & were subsequently seduced by it. I’ve seen Pastoral care sold out in favour of psycho-babble & cheap motivational talk in order to get bums on seats. I’ve known ministers who were Shepherds in name only & wolves by nature. I’ve seen all of these things happen in ONE fellowship & much more besides.

Anyone who is talented as a speaker, or storyteller, who preaches a popular message & has the right image, can carve out a lucrative career for themselves & become immensely prosperous by shamelessly abusing the sheep ad infinitum. So it is. Where are those like Abel, who are prepared to lay their lives down in order to execute their office righteously? Where are those like Joseph, who think more of others than themselves & who give far more than they take? Where are men like Moses, who loved God’s people more than they loved him? Truly Paul states to The Church at Corinth, ‘And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved’ (2^ndCorinthians12:15). I tell you, men like these are few & far between because real Pastoral ministry is hard work. It is often lonely. It is often thankless. Yet God rewards His truly faithful Shepherds with an unfading crown of glory (1Peter5:4).

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward (Hebrews11:24-26).

Moses’ calling wasn’t about him; it was about God’s people. It was about the sheep. He didn’t ask for the job & when The Lord offered it to him he didn’t want the job. There were no benefits. There was no salary. There was no compensation package. God was asking this man, who had spent many years tending his father-in-law’s sheep, to Shepherd His people Israel. Moses loved his brethren enough to commit murder. He loved them enough to turn his back on Egypt. He loved them enough to obey The Lord & return to lead them out. These are qualities every Shepherd ought to have.

However, when Moses went to the elders & took them with him to see Pharaoh, the ruler refused their request & did not rightfully acknowledge The Lord as God. He increased their workload & the children of Israel were not happy about it at all. ‘And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us’(Exodus5:20-21). Under his leadership, Israel was miraculously delivered from Egypt & after they passed through the parted waters of The Red Sea, they sang the song of Moses (Exodus15:1-21). Moses was the man. ‘And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.’(Exodus14:31). Moses is continually called God’s servant throughout scripture & The Lord held him in regard.

When Israel came to Marah & the waters were too bitter for them to drink, they were thirsty, so they murmured against Moses. Moses cried out to God & he was shown a tree that made the water drinkable when it was cast in. They entered the wilderness of Sin & the people were hungry, so they murmured against Moses & Aaron. The Lord provided them with Quail in the evening & Manna in the morning.

They came & pitched at Rephidim [where they fought the Amalekites] & again the people were thirsty, so they chided Moses & murmured against him. Again, Moses cried out to God on their behalf & The Lord provided water for them out of the rock. When Moses was with God in Sinai, receiving the Ten Commandments, the children of Israel erected a golden calf. This angered The Lord to the point that He wanted to wipe Israel out completely. Once again, Moses intercedes. ‘And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.’ (Exodus32:11-12). Moses went as far as to say that if God was not able to forgive Israel’s sin, that He should blot his name out from before Him. This is a Pastor’s heart.

Miriam & Aaron murmured against Moses & this angered The Lord. He affectionately defends the man He calls His servant. As soon as The Lord’s presence leaves, Miriam is struck with leprosy and Aaron repents. What does Moses do? He prays for her. He intercedes, just as he had done whenever Israel spoke against him. This is a man who loved God’s people more than they loved him. Like all true Shepherds, Moses cried out to God on Israel’s behalf even when they sinned against God by speaking evil of him. Time after time, Moses’ first response is to intercede on behalf of the flock of God & The Lord responds in kind according to his request. A true Shepherd does this on behalf of God’s people, even when they murmur & rebel.

This humble servant of The Lord was spoken to intimately by God, as a man to a friend & yet for all of his access to The Lord he was described as the meekest man on the face of the earth. In Moses we see a Pastor who pleads with The Lord on behalf of his congregation, not for himself, but for them & for The Lord’s Names sake.

And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd (Numbers27:15-17).

A true Shepherd will desire everything for the sheep that The Lord desires and he will do everything he can to see that they receive it, even beyond his tenure. Lord Jesus give us men like this man. Give us Pastors after your own heart.

End Of Part Three

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