The Baaaaad Shepherds

Ezekiel 34:1-16 / 1 Peter 5:1-5

Good church leadership (shepherding) is godly, flock-focused, and selfless.

1. Bad shepherds serve themselves at their flock's expense.

• They use leadership to benefit themselves (Ez. 34:2-3).
• They neglect the health and safety of the flock (4).
• They oversee the ruin of the flock as is scatters for lack of leadership (5-6).

2. God is the good and true shepherd. He is our example and the one who truly
leads us.
• God is against and will remove bad shepherds (10).
• God will shepherd his people (11-16).
• God will feed his flock justice (16).

3. Good shepherds feed the flock just like God does. They emulate God.
• The search and find sheep (11-12, 16).
• They feed sheep (13-15).
• The take care of the sick and weak (16).
• They feed justice to the flock (16).

4. What good shepherds do (1 Peter 5:1-4).

• They care for the flock (2).
• They watch over the flock (oversight) (2).
• The lead by example (not by control, fear, intimidation, and coercion; 3).
• They lead and serve looking to Jesus' return and a desire to please him (4).

5. This is a warning both to established leaders...and to us all.

• We are all shepherds. We all shepherd other people in our lives because we
influence them.
• We are called to shepherd and influence them the way God shepherds us.
• Who are you shepherding...and how?

© 2010 Jeremy Hoover / www.jeremyhoover.com / jeremyhoover@gmail.com