Sheep will let you lead them if you first love and feed them. This lesson is crucial for task-oriented pastors like me. This was Peter’s blind spot also, which is why his post-resurrection restoration was such a pivotal moment in his life and ministry.
In Jesus’ third and last interaction with His disciples after the resurrection, they grilled out for breakfast. Then Jesus took Peter on a life-changing walk on the beach (John 21:15-17):
Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Feed My lambs,” He told him.
A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
“Shepherd My sheep,” He told him.
He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.”
“Feed My sheep,” Jesus said.
Peter was like most action-biased leaders I know: “Charge!”
Jesus leveraged Peter’s latest failure not only to restore him, but to also reset his ministry trajectory with these two simple directives.
‘Feed My lambs’
Hungry sheep are never happy sheep, so make sure their souls are full from your preaching.
Soon after his restoration, Peter and his friends would face the challenge of prioritizing their prayer and preaching ministry (Acts 6:4). Immediate ministry demands distracted them from their preparations, which led to the spiritual and numerical stagnation of Christianity’s first church in Jerusalem.
The most effective way to prioritize preaching is to consistently start preparing your sermons early in the week. Unless you are preaching on Sunday nights, this ideally could begin on Sunday afternoon (after your nap). If you balk at studying on the sabbath, you should relax and enjoy the sabbath on another day, because Sunday is probably the worst time to rest for a pastor.
‘Shepherd my sheep’
Good preaching won’t make up for bad pastoring. How we treat people offstage is more important than how you teach them onstage. Yes, even those members who are resisting all of your initiatives. Most church conflict is the result of slow, relational erosion, not any one issue.
“We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us (1 Thessalonians 2:8).
That doesn’t sound very professional, does it? Almost sappy in fact. It took a while to learn that my sheep needed me to be personal more than they needed me to be professional. Pastor, your people are longing to be genuinely loved by you.
I believe gradual relationship erosion sneaks up on a lot of pastors, which is why so many are surprised when their sheep dig in their hooves in response to their vision and initiatives. Perhaps they are not so much opposed to advancing the gospel as they are opposed being pushed or shoved.
If you try to lead or feed them without loving them first, you may get bit—or worse—ignored.
