WARNING TO PASTOR’S or LEADER’S

Ezekiel 34:1-10 is a strong word. The prophet does not criticise the leaders for shortage of anointing, or lack of vision or inadequate leadership and organisation skills. His concern is that the following things are not being done.

• Caring for the flock
• Strengthening the weak
• Healing the sick
• Bringing back the weak
• Searching for the lost

These are the tasks that Peter and Paul challenged elders to do. Ezekiel’s warning may be relevant to pastors/leaders in the modern church.

Ezekial 34:1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Ezekial 34:2 Son of man, be a prophet against the keepers of the flock of Israel, and say to them, O keepers of the sheep! this is the word of the Lord: A curse is on the keepers of the flock of Israel who take the food for themselves! is it not right for the keepers to give the food to the sheep?

Ezekial 34:3 You take the milk and are clothed with the wool, you put the fat beasts to death, but you give the sheep no food.

Ezekial 34:4 You have not made the diseased ones strong or made well that which was ill; you have not put bands on the broken or got back that which had been sent away or made search for the wandering ones; and the strong you have been ruling cruelly.

Ezekial 34:5 And they were wandering in every direction because there was no keeper: and they became food for all the beasts of the field.

Ezekial 34:6 And my sheep went out of the way, wandering through all the mountains and on every high hill: my sheep went here and there over all the face of the earth; and no one was troubled about them or went in search of them.

Ezekial 34:7 For this cause, O keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord:

Ezekial 34:8 By my life, says the Lord, truly, because my sheep have been taken away, and my sheep became food for all the beasts of the field, because there was no keeper, and my keepers did not go in search of the sheep, but the keepers took food for themselves and gave my sheep no food;

Ezekial 34:9 For this reason, O you keepers of the flock, give ear to the word of the Lord;

Ezekial 34:10 This is what the Lord has said: See I am against the keepers of the flock, and I will make search and see what they have done with my sheep, and will let them be keepers of my sheep no longer; and the keepers will no longer get food for themselves; I will take my sheep out of their mouths so that they may not be food for them.

      The greatest irony of the church is that, although there are pastors everywhere, the greatest problem is inadequate pastoring. The modern church is full of immature Christians. The reason is that only a faction of new Christians are fully discipled. Many remain immature, entrapped in problems, and only a few move into a ministry. Most churches are full of half-done Christians. This problem is the consequence of inadequate pastoring. Many voices are saying that God is restoring the apostolic and prophetic ministries. That may be true, but I believe that the greatest need is for the restoration of a true pastoral ministry to the church. Considering the large numbers of Christian who remain immature, and the equally large number who fall from the faith, we urgently need God to restore the ministry of the pastor.

Yes God will do it…

Ezekial 34:11 For this is what the Lord has said: Truly, I, even I, will go searching and looking for my sheep.

Ezekial 34:12 As the keeper goes looking for his flock when he is among his wandering sheep, so I will go looking for my sheep, and will get them safely out of all the places where they have been sent wandering in the day of clouds and black night.

Ezekial 34:13 And I will take them out from among the peoples, and get them together from the countries, and will take them into their land; and I will give them food on the mountains of Israel by the water-streams and wherever men are living in the country.

Ezekial 34:14 I will give them good grass-land for their food, and their safe place will be the mountains of the high place of Israel: there theywill take their rest in a good place, and on fat grass-land they will take their food on the mountains of Israel.

Ezekial 34:15 I myself will give food to my flock, and I will give them rest, says the Lord.