"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know my Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." John 10:14-15
Time and time again Jesus compares his relationship with his followers as being like his relationship with his Father. As connected as Jesus is to the Father is as connected as he is to us. As much as Jesus loves the Father is as much as he loves us. And here as much as Jesus knows and is known by the Father is as much as he knows and is known by us. That, my friends, is heady stuff if you sit back and think about it. In essence what Jesus is saying to us is that we who choose him here below are not followers, not friends, not family, but one and the same as Jesus, one and the same as God. Obviously this does not make us gods, but it makes us as connected to our creator as we can possibly be this side of breathing.
Now, let's once again think about what we talked about yesterday, a pastor/volunteer and the church he/she serves. Jesus is a good shepherd and lays down his life for his sheep, because he knows them as well as he knows himself. If we desire to be shepherds instead of hirelings we will lay our lives down for our sheep as well, in addition we should work to know them as well as we know ourselves. Their dreams. Their fears. Their successes. Their failures. The way they see the world. The way they interact with the world. We should be walking with them in every moment, from the mountaintop to the shadow of death. If we are not getting to know our sheep, laying down our lives will be irrelevant.
Laying down our lives for the sheep will also be irrelevant if we are not sharing ourselves with the community. The good shepherd not only knows his sheep, but is known by them as well. This requires a deep honesty between a pastor/volunteer and the people they serve. Honesty in conversations, honesty in Bible Studies and Sunday School classes, honesty in small groups, and honesty from the pulpit. If we carry ourselves to be one way in our public settings, but are another way in reality, we are not known, we are fakes.
+ How do you feel/think about your connectedness with God?
+ If you are a pastor/volunteer how do you get to know the people you are serving? Do you? Do you also let them know you?
+ If you are not, how does the pastor/volunteer get to know you? Do they? Are you open to them? Are they open to you?
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