The servant model addresses the potential problem of pride in a leader by the call to humble service. And the shepherd model addresses the potential problem of angry impatience by the call to loving, pastoral care. Throughout Scripture, sinners in general, and God’s people in particular, are described as sheep, and those God sends to lead them are equally frequently called shepherds. We will look first at the character of the sheep and then at the character of the shepherd. We will start with the sheep, because the key to leading as a shepherd is in understanding the nature of sheep. I pastored for twelve years in the Scottish Highlands, and during that time I was surrounded by sheep. There were sheep on the roads, sheep on the mountains, sheep on the beaches, sheep in my yard, and sometimes sheep in the fields! My study was right beside a field full of sheep. Sometimes at night I would look up from my computer and see many pairs of luminous green eyes staring at me through my window. I got to know sheep pretty well! So what did I learn?

The Sheep⤒🔗

Foolish←↰⤒🔗

One: I learned that sheep are foolish. I don’t know what sheep would score in an animal IQ test, but I think they would be close to the bottom of the scale. They seem to know only how to do two things well: eat grass, and produce more grass-eating sheep! It is possible to know little and yet not be foolish, but not if you are a sheep. They are so irrational! You watch them as they maybe pause in front of a stream. They know they can’t jump it or swim it, so what do they do? They jump in any way! They are foolish.

Slow to Learn←↰⤒🔗

Two: sheep are slow to learn. Every shepherd will tell you countless stories about how sheep can be taught a very painful lesson and yet fail to learn the painful lesson. A sheep may get caught in barbed wire trying to break through a fence, and the next day it will try it again, and again. They are slow to learn.

Unattractive←↰⤒🔗

Three: sheep are unattractive. Some animals may not be very bright, but make up for it with grace and elegance in their movement and actions. Sheep are so awkward, so lacking in agility and dignity. Although some shepherds may tell you differently, to most observers sheep are dirty, smelly and ugly. Sheep are unattractive.

Demanding←↰⤒🔗

Four: sheep are demanding. Have you ever watched a lamb suckle its mother? Almost as soon as it is born it is violently sucking its mother’s udders, and that insatiable demand never leaves them. They demand grass, grass and more grass, day after day and night after night. Do they ever sleep? When there is snow on the ground, they demand food from the shepherd. Just listen to them bleat if their troughs are empty, even for a short time, and watch the stampede when the shepherd appears with food. Sheep are demanding.

Stubborn←↰⤒🔗

Five: sheep are stubborn. Have you ever tried to move a sheep? It is like trying to move an elephant! Have you ever watched a shepherd trying to maneuver a sheep into a fold or a dip tank? It is like trying to wrestle with the devil! Half a dozen sheep once invaded my garden. I thought it would be quite easy to hustle them out the wide gate again, but it was as if an electric shield (visible only to sheep) stretched across the gap. I could get them to go anywhere and everywhere but through that gate! Sheep are stubborn.

Strong←↰⤒🔗

Six: sheep are strong. I have watched the most macho of men beaten by sheep. You look at their skinny arms and legs and think, “Easy!” Next thing you know, you are flat on your back or face down in the dirt. I have been flattened by running sheep; it was like getting run over by a tank! Sheep are strong.

Straying←↰⤒🔗

Seven: sheep are straying. Perhaps the main reason Scripture uses sheep to characterize us more than any other animal is because of its well-deserved reputation for straying (Isaiah 53:6) and getting lost (Luke 15:3ff). So many times I was out in the middle of nowhere when I would come across a sheep, miles from anyone and anything and totally unconcerned. I would look up at a cliff and there was a sheep out on a lethal edge. Other times I would come across ditches and bogs with the decaying remains of a wandering sheep, and I would think, “How did that get out here?” Sheep are straying.

Unpredictable←↰⤒🔗

Eight: sheep are unpredictable. When you travel along the roads of the Scottish Highlands, you will soon learn to expect the unexpected. You look ahead on a quiet piece of long, straight road with no cars, and you spy sheep in the distance on the side of the road. They watch you driving along towards them. Hundreds of yards pass and you are almost level. You think, “Well, they aren’t going to cross the road now, are they?” Well what do you know, they do! Sheep are unpredictable.

Copycats←↰⤒🔗

Nine: sheep are copycats. A bit of a mix of metaphors here, but I think you get my point. When one sheep decides to start running, they all decide to start running. If you were able to ask them, “Why did you start running?” they would say, “Well, because he started running!” And when you go to the last sheep in the chain and ask him, “Why did you start running?” he would just say, “I don’t know!” Sheep are copycats.

Restless←↰⤒🔗

Ten: sheep are restless. It always puzzled me how little sheep slept. I would maybe be in my study at midnight and look out, and there they were, still eating grass. No matter what time I rose in the morning—whether it be 3 or 5 or 7 a.m., they would still be eating grass! Other times there would be a beautiful summer evening when everything was still and quiet, and you would come across a field full of sprinting sheep (and that was usually due to the Scottish midge). I once heard that for sheep to lie down, they need freedom from fear, freedom from friction with others, freedom from hunger, and freedom from pests and parasites. And from what I have seen, that combination is very rare.

Dependent←↰⤒🔗

Eleven: sheep are dependent. Some animals can cope and even thrive without any close supervision. Not sheep. They are very dependent on their shepherd. They cannot live without him or her. Sheep are dependent.

The Same Everywhere←↰⤒🔗

Twelve: sheep are the same everywhere. I have been in a number of different countries in my life and enjoyed the many cultural differences, but sheep are the one constant. American sheep is the same as the African sheep, which is the same as the Asian sheep, which is the same as the Scottish sheep. Sheep are the same everywhere.

The Shepherd←⤒🔗

Now of course, this is not a zoology lecture, nor an agricultural seminar. The sheep metaphor reveals the nature of the sinner—even the saved sinner. Hence, the difficulty of the task facing the shepherd. And the greatest difficulty of all stems from the fact that the shepherd is also a sheep! It may be easy for pastors to hear this and say, “Hey! That sounds like my congregation!” But pastors, it also sounds uncomfortably too much like you and me as well, doesn’t it? Go through the list—the twelve marks of sheep—and see yourself in the mirror. So how does a sheep-like shepherd shepherd sheep? That brings us on, then, to the shepherd.

Patient←↰⤒🔗

One: the shepherd is patient with his sheep. The shepherds and crofters in my congregation would sometimes encourage me to get some sheep. Even my wife, who is from the Scottish Highlands, urged me to do so. However, as a city boy I knew I simply did not have the patience required. In the Scottish Highlands there are many single track roads. They only allow one car at a time. Every hundred yards or so you can find little passing places where two cars can squeeze by. There was a time I ended up on one of these single track roads behind a bunch of sheep, slowly moseying along. Initially, I would toot my horn, rev my engine, and shout out of the window, all to no avail! I learned to simply wait until they decided to saunter of the road and back into their fields again. Nothing would rush them. So when you are about to blow a gasket with someone in your congregation, remind yourself: they are only sheep, and so am I. What is the point of hooting your horn and revving up your engine? Be patient.

Knows His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Two: the shepherd knows his sheep. I have to be honest with you, despite years of looking at sheep, they still all look the same to me. Yet I could walk through a field with a shepherd and he would know the names, and even the characters, of each one. He would know their ewe, their ram, and their lambs! He knew the scrapes they had been in and the number of times he had to rescue them.

So while the pastor should study and know the nature of sheep in general—sinner sheep—he should study and know his own sheep in particular. The first priority in going to a new congregation should be to get to know everyone’s names, from oldest to youngest, as quickly as possible. I will discuss some techniques for doing this in a later lecture. But that really has to be number one priority. It means a lot to people that you have taken the time to learn their names. Also, without coming across as a detective, you should be growing in knowledge about each individual’s life and character. I used to keep a small notebook and pen with me at the church door when I was visiting, so that I could jot down anything I was told about sick people or other problems so I could follow up with that. It is just about gathering knowledge about your sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep.

Values His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Three: the shepherd values his sheep. I have often been amazed at the misty and dreamy expressions that come across shepherds’ faces as they talk about their sheep or point them out. They seem to say, “Well, they may be only sheep, but they are my sheep!” They care for them and think about them constantly. One shepherd who moved to the city for a while told me that he once woke up in the night with a dream about one of his sheep back in the country. He phoned his mother in the country to check up on it, and sure enough the sheep was in need of medical attention. Explain that if you can!

Well, the pastor should value each and every sheep as highly as possible, whatever their physical, spiritual, or financial health. Statistics mean little to the pastor. Ninety-nine may be doing well, but if one is missing, he will move heaven and earth to find it. When I first moved to the Scottish Highlands, in the course of pastoral visitation I used to innocently ask, “How many sheep do you have?” I could never figure out why the answers were so vague, until my Scottish Highland wife told me, “David, that is like asking how much money you have in the bank!” Well, I stopped asking! So why do we always ask other pastors, “How many are in your congregation?” Like the shepherd, the pastor values each sheep as of infinite worth. So whether he has ten or a thousand, the value is the same—infinite.

Loves His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Four: the shepherd loves his sheep. The shepherd does not value his sheep as if they were units of economic production. In fact, most Scottish shepherds I know made a financial loss on most of their sheep. No, the shepherd loves them not just as a collective, but as individuals. It is not just to have loving feelings, but takes loving action. The pastor will find it easy to love some of his sheep, but there are others. Pray over the particularly unlovable ones. Ask God to help you find something to love in them, or to help you to love them even if there is nothing lovable about them. After all, that is what the great and good Shepherd does daily for you, isn’t it?

Observes His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Five: the shepherd observes his sheep. No matter what day I looked out at the sheep, they all looked the same and all did the same. However, a shepherd can detect the smallest difference. He can sense problems long before they fully develop. He sees a sheep in an unusual spot in the field, or he see a change in its posture or eating habits, and he takes action. The good pastor will also develop these powers of acute and careful observation. He will develop an instinct for problems in his sheep’s lives. He senses a different expression on the face, a different posture in worship, or a change in vocal tone. He may not be able to put his finger upon it, but senses something is wrong. And often a few wise questions reveal well-founded fears.

Feeds His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Six: the shepherd feeds his sheep. Hungry sheep are unhappy sheep and noisy sheep. The shepherd knows the best fields to take his sheep at different times of the year. He knows when they need particular kinds of grass. He knows when they need water to refresh and reinvigorate his flock. The apostle Peter had a passion for feeding the flock of God, and we know where he got that from (John 21:15-22; 1 Peter 5:2). When I started out in the ministry, a senior minister told me, “If you keep their bellies full, you won’t hear any bleating.” It takes a wise shepherd to know what kind and amounts of food each sheep needs. May God help us to feed the right kind of food in the right amounts at the right times. And may He help us not to starve or overfeed our sheep, nor give them indigestion. The shepherd feeds his sheep.

Leads His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Seven: the shepherd leads his sheep. In western cultures the shepherd follows behind the sheep and directs the sheep with dogs, but in the East it was the custom for shepherds to go before the sheep to break up the way, to clear paths of danger, and to take the safest path. He leads them beside the still waters in straight paths through the darkest valley. Too many western pastors have embraced the western model of shepherding when it comes to leadership—they follow the sheep rather than lead them. The pastor should be out in front of his sheep in his theological knowledge and his spiritual experience and his awareness of danger and his plotting of the course, and so on. The shepherd leads his sheep.

Speaks Well of His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Eight: the shepherd speaks well of his sheep. I eventually learned not to criticize or mock sheep, especially if they belonged to that shepherd. It is rather a sensitive topic. I also learned to listen to wonderful long descriptions about individual sheep as the shepherd brought out the strengths of each member of his flock. The pastor should make it a policy to speak well of his congregation as a whole and of its individual members. If someone criticizes one of his sheep, he leaps to his or her defense and brings out the good. When he travels to other places and is asked about his sheep, he replies with words of affection and appreciation, and not just because words of criticism will almost always get back to the sheep.

Pursues His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Nine: the shepherd pursues his sheep. When a sheep is missing or straying, the shepherd does not say, “Oh well, I have ninety-nine left!” No, he seeks until he finds it (Luke 15:3ff). No matter how far away, no matter how foolish the sheep has been, no matter how frequent his straying, the shepherd goes after it. When a person is missing from public worship, the pastor enquires after him or her. When a person is missing a few weeks in a row, the pastor is getting ready to leave the ninety-nine and go after the straying soul. When the pastor hears that a member has been involved in a heated public argument or started dating a non-believer, a non-Christian, or has been saying inappropriate things on Facebook, and so on, his cloak is on, his staff is in his hand, and he is on his way to recover the stray. My brother-in-law once so spent himself hunting for three lost sheep in a Scottish moor that he just about died with exhaustion. He would not give up. And neither should the pastor.

Rests His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Ten: the shepherd rests his sheep. In Scotland, just before the winter started, the shepherds would go out into the moors and mountains to gather their flocks that had been enjoying the summer pastures. Sometimes it would take a few days to drive them to their winter shelter. They never chased them or pushed them beyond their limits. He knew when they needed a rest and a breather. There are times in congregational life when a pastor must pressure the sheep to move on. Maybe there is a building program to be undertaken, or an outreach campaign that needs all hands on deck. However, the wise shepherd knows when he has driven the sheep far enough and long enough. He knows here are seasons of rest and refreshment needed as well. The shepherd rests his sheep.

Perseveres with His Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Eleven: the shepherd perseveres with his sheep. There are days when the shepherd feels exhausted, discouraged, frustrated and unappreciated. He is tempted to give up. “Why do I get up every day and give myself to such ungrateful creatures?” However, the good shepherd patiently perseveres. This is not to say that the spiritual shepherd never leaves a flock and moves on to take care of another. It is simply to say that he does not do so when the first problems appear. And when he does sense the great Shepherd’s call to move on, he may leave the sheep, but the sheep never leave his heart. Oh, that the Lord would make us and give us such shepherds today according to his promise: “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will lead you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).

Knows He is a Sheep←↰⤒🔗

Twelve: the shepherd knows he is a sheep. I suppose this is where the metaphor finally breaks down. The ordinary shepherd will never be a sheep. However, the spiritual shepherd is continually remembering that he too is a sheep, and that he too needs shepherding—by the Lord, but also by fellow shepherds.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Let me conclude this by underlining what an awesome task shepherding the church of God is. Joel Beeke puts it this way:

We need a shepherd’s heart that beats with unconditional love toward the flock of God. We need a shepherd’s hand to guide God’s sheep in paths of righteousness and to steer them away from sin. We need a shepherd’s eye to keep our sheep from predators and to detect their backslidings. We need a shepherd’s ear to hear their cries of distress. We need a shepherd’s knowledge to know their diseases, joys, sorrows, strengths and weaknesses. We need a shepherd’s skill to lead them to pastures that meet their needs and give them the right medicine for their ailments. We need a shepherd’s faithfulness to stay with them in time of need. We need a shepherd’s strength to use the rod of God’s word to beat them back to the right paths and to use the staff to lift them up in difficulties. And we have none of these qualities in our own strength. For every one of them we must point to the good, great and chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.Joel Beeke, Overcoming the World, 2005