TOPIC: FEED THE SHEEP
MEMORISE: 2 Corinthians 12:15
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”
READ: 2 Corinthians 12:14-18 (KJV)
14. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be
burdensome to you; for I seek not your’s but you; for the children ought not to
lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
15. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more
abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
16. But be it so, I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I
caught you with guile.
17. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?
18. I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 13-17
MESSAGE:
“Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” – (2 Corinthians 12:14)
It is very sad that these days, many
pastors are not after souls, but rather, what is in the possession of these
souls. Jesus instruction is “Feed my sheep” not “Get fed off my sheep”. We
should all learn from the example of Apostle Paul. He was a man who was willing
to spend and be spent for the sake of the flock. Even when they didn’t seem to
be reciprocating his love for them, he loved them even more. As a Pastor, Head
of department or leader in whatever capacity, you need to check your
motivations from time to time. Are you more interested in what the people have
or in the prosperity of their souls? When you are more interested in what they
have, you will find yourself excusing the sin of one fellow because he is rich
while you condemn the same when committed by someone poor. You would find
yourself visiting only the rich members of the Church or your department/unit
as the case may be, while you hardly check on the poorer ones. Indeed, the
Church needs money to do a lot of things, but are we supposed to look to human
beings instead of God to sponsor His work? Apostle James warned against this
preferential treatment in the house of God in James 2:2-4 which says:
“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”
God sent us out to bring souls into His kingdom, not money. Dont leave the most important for the least important.
This charge is to every Christian and
not just pastors and leaders in the Church alone. Ensure you bring the word of
God to the fore in every situation or gathering you find yourself in. God is
relying on you to feed His sheep and bring the lost ones into the fold.
KEY POINT:
Pursue souls, not what they have.
0 Comments