MEMORY SCRIPTURE
And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 3:15
The one with the gift of shepherding/pastoring is a believer specially endowed by the Holy Spirit to feed and tend both the lambs and sheep in the flock of Christ.
DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS
Mon. 17: Barnabas: Generous Motivator (Acts 4:37)
Tue. 18: Barnabas: Faithful Shepherd (Acts 9:26-27)
Wed. 19: Barnabas: Committed Encourager (Acts 11:22-26)
Thur. 20: Barnabas: Forgiving Brother (Acts 15:36-41)
Fri. 21: Barnabas: Commissioned And Approved Worker (Acts 13:1-3)
Sat. 22: Barnabas: Man Of genuine Love And Faith (Acts 11 :24)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT
A person with the gift of shepherding is someone who is committed to exhorting, strengthening, and encouraging others in their faith.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCE: EPHESIANS 4:11; 1 PETER 5:1-4; ROMANS 12:8A; PSALM 23:1; 2
We thank God for the previous lesson that better exposed us to the Gift Of Teaching. God has seriously helped us to have full
knowledge, among others, of how important the gift of teaching is, in the body of Christ. Glory be to God. Thank God for another week. We shall be examining: THE GIFTS OF SHEPHERDING AND ENCOURAGEMENT. The Gift of Shepherding/ Pastoring is to be responsible for caring, guiding and feeding a group of believers entrusted to one’s care while the Gift of Encouragement is a gift to strengthen and encourage those who are wavering in their faith and to foster their spiritual growth. May God help us as we learn under His feet, to meet with the divine expectation of our various gifts and ministries in Jesus’ name. Amen.
LESSON OUTLINE
- THE GIFT OF SHEPHERDING
- THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
LESSON EXPOSITION
THE GIFT OF SHEPHERDING (Ezk. 34:23; Jn. 10:15; 21:15-19; Act 20:28; Eph. 4:11)
I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:23
A) Eph. 4:11: Pastoring is found on the list of Christ’s gifts to His body. It is the gift of mentoring and providing spiritual guidance to others to help them develop in discipleship and faith formation. It is associated with the LORD Himself (Isa. 40: 11). Spiritual Power And Gifts For The Body Of Christ
B) Ezk. 34:23: God promises to establish a shepherd over His people. This immediately suggests the idea of one gifted along the line of feeding and guiding the people.
C) Jn. 10:15: Jesus is our perfect example of shepherding. Those with this gift contribute from their own religious journeys to ease others’ paths and show an active and individual concern in their faith lives.
D) 21:15-19: Jesus spoke to Peter as one with the gift. Gifted shepherds give God’s lambs food, …take care of His sheep, and give His sheep food (BBE). They care for both the lambs (young ones) and the sheep (older ones).
E) Acts 20:28: The gifted have the ability to tend the flock of Christ over which they have been made overseers. They are empowered to feed and guide the Church aright (1 Pet. 5:1-4; cf. Psa. 23:1ff).
F) But they have to be very careful, lest they degenerate into hirelings who have chosen not to follow the leading of our Great Shepherd (Matt. 7:15; Jn. 10:12, 13; Acts 20:29)
THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT (Acts 4:36-37; Rom. 1:11-12; 12:8; Jude 3)
he who exhorts, in exhortation”.
Romans 12 :8a
A) Rom. 12:8: Paul lists encouragement (exhortation) as a spiritual gift. It is translated from Grk. parakletos (to exhort, comfort, or encourage) (cf. Jn. 14:16; 1 Thess. 5:11).
B) Jude 3: The gift enables one to encourage others to become mature in Christ, and attempts to bring the best out in believers as it brings them to spiritual maturity. Jude exercised this gift, exhorting the people to
contend earnestly for the faith.
C) Acts 4:36-37: Joses was exceptionally gifted in ‘encouragement’ that he was named Barnabas by the apostles ( …Son of Encouragement)! His life dedicated to serving Christ revealed this gift. Look at the way he helped Saul (Paul) (9:26ff; cf. Deut. 1:38).
D) Rom. 1:11-12: Paul severally showed this gift in his visits, epistles to, and prayers for God’s people (cf. 1 Thess. 4:18).
E) Encouragers give others hope, support, and the knowledge that they are capable of fulfilling their calling from God. They are also exhorters who help others to apply biblical life values, directing and rebuking them with a sense of urgency.
LESSONS DERIVED
- The gift of shepherding is God’s way to cater for His people.
- Exhortation addresses a person’s individual situation, challenging them to do what is right in the Lord always.
QUESTIONS
- Those gifted as shepherds have a variety of obligations to their flocks and ultimately to the sheep’s Owner. Enumerate some of these.
- Exhortation is one of the spiritual gifts for encouragement and rebuke in order to foster spiritual growth and action. Discuss.
