Pastor, Are You A Restorer?

Galatians 6:1-4

Please turn your Bibles to Galatians 6. We will be reading a few verses from that chapter beginning at verse 1:

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (New King James Version)

Welcome

I count it an honour and a privilege to be asked to speak at this conference again.

My previous experiences of the Grace Conference, whether I was speaking or just in attendance, were a great blessing to my soul. I have no doubt that this one will be no different. And also especially that I am sharing the pulpit with my brother Dr Barrett.

I have great respect and appreciation for him. The last time I heard him preach was in America, 2015, at the Puritan Conference. He preached only once and I felt he needed to have spoken some more! And I am glad that I have an opportunity once again to hear him in this conference.

The Ministry of Restoration

The subject that has been assigned to me is the ministry of restoration, and I propose to hinge my thoughts on Galatians 6 and verse 1 particularly.

There Paul says “if a man is overtaken in any trespass” – any trespass – “you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Introducing The Letter To The Galatians

To enclaves of young converts tucked away in the mountains of Asia Minor, Paul wrote what is perhaps the oldest document in the New Testament – namely the letter to the Galatians. Why did he write to them? Well he wrote this letter because the churches of that region were facing a theological crisis.

The Judaisers insisted on circumcision as a requirement for gentiles who wished to be saved.

The essential truth of justification by faith was being denied by the Judaisers. That is to say, legalistic Jews, who insisted that Christians must keep the law of Moses in order to be saved. In particular, the Judaisers insisted on circumcision as a requirement for gentiles who wished to be saved.

When Paul learnt that this heresy was being taught in the Galatian churches, he wrote this letter.

Reaffirming Salvation by Grace

He wrote it first to counter the perversion of the gospel that the Jusdaisers promoted, to reaffirm the doctrine of justification by faith, apart from the works of the law of Moses, and then finally to confirm them in the faith.

Salvation, according to Paul, did not come through works – through what you can do.

Salvation, according to Paul, did not come through works – through what you can do, through what you can achieve in your own power – it comes by the grace of God as we place our faith in the person and work of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

So How Do We Live Together?

If salvation is by grace, how then do we live together as sinners saved by that grace?

Well, in Galatians 5 he tells us of what things we can expect when the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives, and then in Galatians 6 he tells us how we should relate to one another, especially when we walk in step with the Holy Spirit.

The specific ‘how to live’ issue, is what I want to draw your attention to, particularly as we open up that subject on the ministry of reconciliation.

How Should We Relate to One Another?

Here in Galatians 6:1 Pauls says “if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”. That is an issue related to how we relate to one another; how we live. And Paul was persuaded that an issue such as this should not be overlooked.

Paul is saying if a Christian brother or sister is weighed down or menaced by a burden, or by a sin, or by a threat, you who are spiritual – particularly – should be alert and quick to do something about it.

We must be pastoral.

We mustn’t let such ones be crushed. We mustn’t let them be destroyed. We mustn’t be like the Pharisees who would look the other way – perhaps even bind heavier burdens on them!

We must be pastoral about it, and this is really the message I want to draw your attention to in this conference.

3 Elements of The Ministry of Reconciliation

And as we open up this ministry of reconciliation over the next couple of days, there are three elements I would like us to observe together. Namely, the restorers, the restored, and the restoration.

The Restorers’ Identity

In this session we will only have time to consider the restorers – that is you and I. And there are two things particularly I want us to observe about the restorers.

First of all, notice with me their identity. And if you take a careful look at Galatians 6:1 you will find that they are brethren, that is how he begins that chapter: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”.

The restorers are brethren; spiritual brothers.

And the word translated brethren, or brothers if you like, can be used to refer to both blood and spiritual brothers. Paul clearly uses it in the latter sense.

Now, that being the case he has in mind three things.

Who Are ‘The Brethren’ Here?

First, he has in mind Christian brethren: men who were regenerate and converted to Christ. There is no doubt that that is what he has in mind, for at the beginning of the letter he addresses them in these terms. Note, in Galatians 1:6, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel”.

They were called in the grace of Christ.

They did come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, to love the Lord Jesus Christ, to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Not because they could in their own power, but because God himself drew them to himself. And they were, I would like to suggest, living in the joy they should have been living in the joy of standing before God, and in the joy of being the children of God, in-dwelt by the spirit of sonship.

They Are Sons of God

In Galatians 4 he does say that they were sons of God. Note that in Galatians 4:6 he says, “because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

The spirit of sonship had come upon them, was living in them.

They didn’t just stand as sons in the legal sense of that word, the spirit of sonship had come upon them. The spirit of sonship was living in them. The spirit of sonship was testifying to their spirits, justifying to the fact that they were sons of God.

These were Christian brothers.

They Are Connected to The Church

Secondly, they were Christian brothers who were connected to the Church. In Galatians 1:2 we find that idea, don’t we? Because Paul writes to the brethren who were with him, rather, he writes along with the brethren who were with him to the churches of Galatia. And these men who are being called to participate in the ministry of reconciliation, were connected to these churches – they were connected to the Church.

They were connected to the Church. They are not freelance Christian practitioners.

They are not freelance Christian practitioners – and we have many such, don’t we? Scattered right across the world. Christian counsellors who have no connection to the Church – they are experts in their fields. And pastors tend to refer people they are supposed to be pastoring, people they are supposed to be restoring, to such men, who are not connected to the Church and have no interest in the Church. Who, when they have helped anybody, will not refer them back to the Church.

These are Christian brothers who are connected to the Church, who themselves are receiving their nurturing from the Church. They are in the Church! And just as they are seeking to impart something of their gifts, their skills upon the Church, they themselves are receiving and nurturing from that same Church.

They are connected to the Church.

They Are Leaders In The Church

You will notice also that these are Christian brothers who are leaders in the Church. Now all true believers are entitled to the title brethren, certainly. Paul is writing to the church of Galatia – he is writing to the Christians in the church in Galatia. But, the particular brethren Paul had in mind here in Galatians 6 were of the leading sort among the Galatians.

It was their responsibility to restore those who have fallen.

He is no doubt addressing people like you and I – pastors, leaders. He could also be addressing other mature Christians who did not necessarily occupy church office. But he seems to be saying to them all that it was their responsibility to restore those who have fallen. It was their responsibility. It is your responsibility.

Ministry At A Personal Level

I am certainly committed to the primacy of preaching – I spend most of my time preparing sermons and feeding the people of God. And I believe that as I preach the weak, the falling, and the fallen are helped.

Paul is not necessarily thinking in terms of the pulpit ministry here.

Paul is not necessarily thinking in terms of the pulpit ministry here. He is thinking of ministry at a personal level. And he is thinking of those of the leading sort in the Church and calling them – calling such ones – to get involved in the lives of those who are falling and perhaps have fallen, and restoring them back to the Lord.

What Are The Brethren’s Qualifications?

That’s their identity: they are brethren. But observe secondly, their qualifications. For we find Paul outlining their qualifications. And there a number of character traits Paul outlines regarding those who would restore others.

First, they must be spiritual. Note in Galatians 6:1 he says “you who are spiritual”. “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual”, restore them gently.

What He Does Not Mean By Spiritual

Now what does he not mean by spiritual? I think we need to begin there. And we must begin there because unfortunately there are many current ideas concerning what constitutes the spiritual that are alien to biblical understanding. And some of these ideas include, for example, those who equate the monastic and aesthetic life with spirituality.

Not Those Who Pull Away From The World

Many of these would be found in Roman Catholic circles. The spiritual, they seem to think, are those who pull away from the world and consecrate themselves to a life of holiness, because they consider life in the world corrupt. Wicked perhaps. Not conducive to the spiritual life. So they pull themselves away from this life and commit themselves to devotional activities prescribed by the church: to do’s and don’ts; to legalistic rules. And to the extent that they succeed in following those rules, to that extent they consider themselves spiritual.

Paul doesn’t have that in mind.

Not Those Who Kill The Body

There are also those, once again in Roman Catholic circles and others like them, who think that the spirit is superior to the body and so they must inflict pain to the body and kill the body – as it were – in order to give opportunity to the spirit to assert itself more. And the extent to which the body dies and the spirit is enlivened, is the extent to which they would consider themselves spiritual.

Not Those Who Possess Miraculous Gifts

And then you know about those who equate spirituality with the possession of miraculous gifts. There were some in the Corinthian church who would have fallen for this error. Because they were gifted – they could speak in tongues, they could perform miracles perhaps – they would have considered themselves spiritual.

And we have that sort of thinking reborn in our day and age. In some sections of the charismatic movement today there are people who think like this. If you are able to speak a multiplication of tongues and perform miracles and prophesy according to their definition of prophecy, you are considered to be spiritual.

Not The Witch Doctor

If you are able to receive revelation knowledge as opposed to sense knowledge you are spiritual. Here in Africa, I am sure this also happens in some sections of the Western world, if you can operate as something of a spiritual witch doctor, you are spiritual.

If you can see what is happening in the spiritual lives of people – you can see demons that are oppressing people and enslaving people and keeping them from prospering. If you can have that sort of discernment, you are spiritual.

Paul is not thinking about that kind of spirituality.

Understanding The Word ‘Spiritual’ Biblically

The word spiritual here is used in several other places in the Bible. It is employed in several senses in the Bible – each of which must be determined by the context. We were reminded about the importance of context earlier on [in the Grace Ministers Conference].

And some of these nuances include the following:

Spiritual may be used of that which is characterised by a non-material nature. You find that use in Ephesians 6 for example. It may suggest that which emanates from God. It may connote one who has accessed God’s knowledge, as it were. One who has an appreciation of God’s knowledge. It seems to be used in that sense in 1 Corinthians 2.

It can denote a quality that stands apart from the secular. It can be used in the sense of one who is mature in the Lord – as opposed to one who acts less responsibility. Some of these nuances of course may be included in the meaning of the word here in Galatians 6:1.

A Spiritual Person In Galatians 6

Now, if you look at the immediate context of Galatians 6:1, it presents a fairly comprehensive definition of the spiritual person. Paul pictures him under the following descriptions.

A spiritual person is one who lives in the Spirit.

A Spiritual Person Lives In The Spirit

First of all, a spiritual person is one who lives in the Spirit. He lives in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:25, “if we live in the Spirit”, that is certainly someone who is spiritual. He lives in the Spirit. He has spiritual life that is ascribed to the regenerating and indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.

He consequently is able to understand spiritual things, and loves spiritual things, and can make spiritual choices, and perform spiritual activity: He lives in the Spirit.

This Is Not An Out-of-Body Experience

Some sections of the charismatic movement would give you the impression that living in the Spirit is being in a kind of out of body experience. You are here, but you are not here. You are somewhere in the spirit world! That is living in the spirit!

Perhaps somewhere…! I remember hearing Kenneth Hagin saying he went somewhere in the Spirit and he could witness a young couple in the church having a sexual relationship! An immoral sexual relationship. God had removed him from the body, taken him to that place, and he could enjoy some pornography of sorts.

That’s not what Paul has in mind.

He has in mind one who has been made alive by the Spirit! Enabled to understand spiritual things, to love spiritual things, to make spiritual choices, to be a spiritual man or woman as it were!

He lives in the Spirit.

A Spiritual Person Is Led By The Spirit

Secondly, he is led by the Spirit. In Galatians 5:18 he says “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law”. And the leading of the Spirit is a reference to the work of the Spirit in sanctification. It is the constant, effective and beneficent influence which the Holy Spirit exercises within the hearts of God’s children.

We need to be enabled from within to crush the power of in-dwelling sin and to walk in the way of God’s commandments.

They are God’s children. They have been justified. They have been adopted into the family of God. But they need to be enabled from within to display something of their legal standing. They need to be enabled from within to crush the power of in-dwelling sin and to walk in the way of God’s commandments; to walk freely and cheerfully even as they obey God.

They are led by the Spirit.

How The Spirit Leads Them

And the Bible teaches us elsewhere that the Spirit leads the children of God by the truth (John 16:13). Furthermore that he leads them by laying hold of them – as it were. Bringing them under his power to the point that he has destined for them.

The Spirit sweetly draws them to do his will: He leads them by helping them and encouraging them.

Doesn’t lead them like robots, but he does lead them, he does control them, he does sweetly draw them to do his will. He leads them by helping them and encouraging them. He leads them by moving them to voluntarily submit to the truth of his word. He leads them to repentance when they do sin. And more importantly, he leads them to Christ.

The Spirit Leads Us To Christ

Isn’t it interesting that in a movement that claims to know so much about the Holy Spirit, there is so little of Christ it would seem?

Some people have the impression and the view that to be filled with the Holy Spirit – and to have the Holy Spirit – demands that we speak about the Holy Spirit a lot! And yet, he has made clear in his word that his ministry is about revealing Christ and holding Christ before the eyes of his people.

Are you conscious of a sweet, irresistible power working within you – drawing you away from sin unto Christ?

It’s about taking of what is Christ’s and making in known to them. He leads them to know Christ, to love Christ, to follow Christ, to imitate Christ, to be like Christ.

Are you led of the Spirit in that way? Are you conscious of a sweet, irresistible power working within you – drawing you away from sin unto Christ? To see his loveliness and his fairness – to love him, to follow him, to imitate him, to serve him? Are you being led in that way? For the Spirit leads us to that kind of destination.

A spiritual person walks by the Spirit. Note that language in Galatians 5:25: “If we live in the Spirit”, he goes on to say, “let us also walk in the Spirit.” In verse 16: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

What Is ‘Walking In The Spirit’?

What is to walk in the Spirit?

It means to be sensitive to the Spirit’s desires in all we do. It can also mean (because there are two Greek words used and translated as walk there) it can also mean to march, as in a military rank. And military people march in a straight line following the commands of their master. They keep in step with the commands of their master. They move in a straight line according to the commands of the commander.

Soberly Walking In A Straight Line

Even so, the idea here is that the Spirit – through his word, through the truth – is commanding the believer, commanding the spiritual person, and he is walking in a straight line. Because he is sober, you see? He is not drunk!

There are people who think when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you must behave like a drunken person!

There are people who think when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you must behave like a drunken person! Recently I was in West Africa and I had the privilege of ministering among Pentecostal and Charismatic pastors. And we were invited to attend a service which was about the ordination of one of the ministers to become an apostle. And the man who was ordaining him was supposedly filled with the Holy Spirit and he was literally staggering as he was making his way to the pulpit to take this man through the ordination vows. Literally staggering like a drunken man.

No, no. Paul didn’t have that sort of thing in mind.

Those who are led in the Holy Spirit and are walking by the Spirit are sober! They walk in a straight line, they understand the commands of God! They walk according to the Spirit.

This is another way of saying they conform to virtue and piety, because they are under the control of the Holy Spirit.

A Spiritual Person Produces The Fruit The Spirit

The fourth thing that we must observe about a spiritual man is that he produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 we are reminded about that fruit: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Do you wish to know who is filled with the Holy Spirit? It is not so much the man who prophesies or performs miracles or casts out demons. Because Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7 that you could have such abilities and not belong to the Lord! Because on that day he says, “many will come to me saying “Lord, Lord, in your name we prophesied, and in your name we performed miracles and cast out demons”. And he says ‘and I’ll say to them, “I never knew you”.’

The fruit of the Spirit is an expression of Christ-likeness.

But listen, he can never say such a thing to one who produces the fruit of the Spirit. Because, against the fruit of the Spirit there is no law. The fruit of the Spirit is an expression of the law; it is the fulfilment of the law!

The fruit of the Spirit is an expression of Christ-likeness.

Clearly then, a spiritual soul will acknowledge that he does not possess wisdom on his own. The Spirit gives him that wisdom. He therefore fervently seeks the mind of God. He consults the Scriptures.

Men of The Word Are Spiritual

There are people who think being spiritual and being a man of the Word is to live a contradictory life. Biblically speaking, men of the Word are the spiritual men. They consult the word for direction, they meditate on it day and night. They love the Lord, they are led of the Spirit, they walk by the Spirit: they are spiritual in that sense. For such are the men who will restore the falling and the fallen.

There are a few other character traits I want to address quickly.

The Concern of The Restorer

Secondly, they must be concerned about other people’s burdens. They must be concerned! That, of course, is the context of Paul’s teaching here in Galatians 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ”. That’s the general principle.

The more specific expression of that is when you see a man being “overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual” will be concerned and come alongside such a one with intention to restore them! That is how you will bear their burden.

Getting The Balance Right

Now brethren, this is an important aspect of our ministry as pastors. We can, especially in reformed circles, be too preoccupied with theological correctness. Now I am not saying that is wrong – it is very important. But too preoccupied with theological correctness that nothing else matters. Too preoccupied with orthodoxy, and care nothing for orthopraxy. Too preoccupied with expounding the word, with exposing the word, but doing nothing about bringing that word to bear upon the lives of those who are backsliding amongst us.

How much time do you commit to watching over the souls that God has put under your charge? Watching to see whether they are walking right, to see those who are stumbling and need your support? Those who are fallen and need to be lifted, Those who are struggling and need something of your support; need you to go and walk alongside them and help them overcome their burdens!

Do you spend time doing things like that?

Well Paul says you must. All believers need to be bearing one another’s burdens. It is certainly a command to all believers. But isn’t it specially applied to those of you who are spiritual, who are leaders? You must be concerned. You mustn’t have the spirit of the Pharisees who were not concerned.

The Lesson Of The Prodigal Son

Why did the Lord Jesus Christ tell the parable of the prodigal son? It was partly to teach that his disciples must not be like the Pharisees – who did not care about the falling, about the back-sliding, about people like the prodigal son.

If you would lift others up, you must be concerned about their burdens.

Rather, we must be like God – who has a burden and a passion for them, who is concerned about them, who even if they go away and squander the gifts and resources he has given to them, when they repent and come back, will receive them gladly and forgive them! And bless them some more!

If you would lift others up, you must be concerned about their burdens.

The Humility of The Restorer

Thirdly, those who would lift others must be humble.

This is certainly suggested in Galatians 6:1 as well as Galatians 6:3. “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” and then we find this line: “considering yourself lest you also be tempted”.

You may be justified, you may even be a leader, but you are only a man. You are prone to falling.

Even as you help, you must have a spirit that is mindful of the fact that you too are only a man. You may be justified, you may even be a leader, but you are only a man. You are prone to falling.

A Right View Of Yourself

Paul says “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). He goes on to say, “if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3). Well you certainly must think you are nothing. That’s another way of saying you must have a correct estimation of yourself.

When you think correctly of yourself you will know that you are a man saved by grace.

Don’t think too highly of yourself. Or Paul is not even saying you must think too lowly of yourself – you must just think correctly of yourself. And when you think correctly of yourself you will know that you are a man saved by grace.

But for the grace of God, you wouldn’t be what you are. But for the grace of God, you wouldn’t stand. But for the grace of God, you wouldn’t be there helping others! You must think of yourself in those terms to be helpful to others.

The Skills & Maturity of The Restorer

Fourthly, they must be mature and skilled at restoring the fallen.

Now this would seem to suggest that every man, every Christian, needs to be skilled. To have the skills of a trained pastor, for example, in order to help others. That only those who are highly trained in a very specialised way can help others. That is certainly not the point I am making here.

The point is that Paul clearly suggests that there are some in the Church who are mature – they are spiritual in this sense. They are mature, they are over others. “You who are spiritual”. You are not fallen, you are not overtaken, you are standing. You who are standing, who are mature, you are spiritual in this sense, “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.

Know & Believe The Scriptures

You must be mature. And as a leader you must be mature – you must be skilled in some way. You must be biblically and theologically mature. You must know the scriptures. You must know something of their sufficiency in restoring the fallen. You must believe what Psalm 19 teaches about the scriptures.

Let me remind you of those exalted things the Psalmist says about the scriptures. Psalm 19:7:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

You must believe that the scriptures can do this in the lives of men.

The Power of The Bible

When the saints backslide, bring the scriptures to bear upon their lives. Read the scriptures to them, teach the scriptures to them. We will go over that ground as we go along.

You must know the scriptures. You need to know where to take people who are struggling.

But the point is, you must know the scriptures. You need to know where to take people who are struggling; what to teach them from the Bible. If they need to be converted, you need to take them to the Bible! Because it has the power to convert the soul. Those who are backsliding and need revival, take the m to the scriptures! The Bible has the power to revive the soul. You must believe that! And you must have the ability to apply the scriptures in that way.

A System of Doctrine Is Also Necessary

And yes, you must have a theological grid, through which you will interpret scripture. You must have a systematised understanding of biblical truth. The Bible does contain a system of doctrine – and those who are falling, those who have fallen, need to be exposed to one or the other aspect of that system for them to be revived.

I can say more, but I must conclude.

The True Ministry of The Word

And what am I saying? Well I am saying first of all that the scriptures set forth a cause and effect relationship between what a servant of God is – what a leader is – as a man, as a Christian, and what he accomplishes as a minister of the word.

Now we understand these things particularly as they pertain to preaching. We know how to emphasise the fact that a preacher must be a true man of God, a holy man, a godly man. But we often forget that even dealing with people at a personal level: counselling them, restoring them, using the word, is the ministry of the word.

The ministry of the word isn’t just preaching from the pulpit. It’s applying the word to individual souls.

The ministry of the word is not just preaching from the pulpit. It’s applying the word to individual souls such as the man being referred to in Galatians 6:1 – bringing the word to bear upon his life. Now you must be living right, you must be spiritual, you must be humble – in order to be useful to this man.

And scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (and others), emphasise this cause and effect relationship.

Beware A Pharisaical Attitude Towards Sinners

The second thing I am saying is we must resist a Pharisaical attitude towards sinners.

We mustn’t ignore those who are falling; saints who are weak. The Church isn’t just about the strong, the Church is a collective of different types of Christians. Some are weak, others are strong. Some are poor, others are rich. Some are ignorant, others a knowledgeable. And we must look out for all these.

We must particularly look out for the weak. We must leave the 99 sheep that are well and go after the lost.

We must particularly look out for the weak. We mustn’t ignore them, we mustn’t be indifferent towards them, we mustn’t look the other way when there is a need there. We must leave the 99 sheep that are well and go after the lost and bear their burdens with them.

Have Compassion For The Weak

The third thing I want to say is we must be like Christ who had compassion for the weak, for the falling, for the fallen.

Look at his attitude towards Peter who had sinned in a grievous way. He had denied the Lord of glory. And yet, the Lord reached out to him, the Lord called him back. The Lord drew him back to himself.

The Lord tested him: “Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?” And Peter, with a repentant heart, said “Lord, yes I did wrong, yes I fell, yes I denied you, yes I turned my back on you, yes I was not there when you needed me! But yes Lord, you know, you know, that I love you.”

And the Lord was happy to say to him “I am willing to take you back. Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs.” Without compassion, the Lord would not have been able to do that. We must emulate him brothers. We must emulate him.

You Are The Shepherd Of Your Flock

And if you are a Christian – this is the last thing I am saying – and especially a Christian leader, you are expected to have some competency in helping those who are caught in a sin. We will be talking about that tomorrow – God willing.

Surely you don’t want to be directing people who are falling to psychologists, secular psychologists, and others because you are not an expert – you think. You cannot do such a specialised work? So, God has given you a flock and they are struggling, but he hasn’t given you the gifts, or the abilities, to help those you are supposed to be shepherding? Really?

You cannot allow that to continue. You must equip yourself to help your people. To help the falling. And you have an example in the master himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well we must stop here. May the Lord bless his word to our hearts. Amen.