PREACH AND REACH OUT

Read John 10:1-14

MEMORISE: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11)

EXPOSITION

Our general belief is that the preacher's duty starts and ends on the pulpit. However, the preacher's duty begins from the time he puts the homily together (preparation), continues when he delivers it, and ends when he gets the feedback from the pews. The church sermon can be likened to the communication process which is incomplete until positive feedback is received. When you preach and fail to reach out, it is as if nothing has been done at all. Follow-up is a complementary effort on your post preaching. Learn lessons from the follow up steps of Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:13-15; Jn. 9:34,35).

You reach out when you do the post-pulpit works. You do not depend on their physical regular appearances every Sunday or worship days to adjudge the congregation's spiritual and physical well-being. It is incumbent on the preacher, who may be a Pastor, Sunday School teacher, evangelist, elder, etc., to go down to the pews, by visiting, calling, or messaging them. When a preacher does not know much about the people he preaches to, he cannot be adjudged to be a man who has the shepherd's heart (Jn. 10:11). Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd, cared and cares not only for His sheep's spiritual needs, but also physical ones (cf. Jn. 10:14).

Why do some church members continue to suffer for things the church can readily make available (cf. Acts 6:1)? The church must be active in this regard as the preachers alone cannot do it all. We need to be very sensitive to the needs of our members, whether implicitly or explicitly made known. Preachers should not wait until the sheep come to them. Today, as you go out, replicate Jesus's skills in shepherding the fold, now and always.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Holy Spirit, give me the heart of the true Shepherd of our soul, in whatever capacity You have programmed me to serve and lead, for You.

2. O Lord, help Your Church to reach out in various ways, so that the Kingdom of God will be populated the more.

3. O God, expose the hirelings who parade themselves as shepherds among Your people, today, in Jesus' name.

EXTRA READING: Deuteronomy 28 & Acts 1

Remain blessed!