•The elders have been discussing their role as shepherds of this congregation.•They desire to fill the role of elders to the greatest glory of God.•So, they are implementing a few changes.•These changes have one goal in mind: to provide faithful shepherds to the flock at Southside.

•When they are selfish (verse 2)

•“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not the shepherds take care of the flock?”

•Verse 3: “You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.”

Verse 4: “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.”

Verse 4: “You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.”

•Verse 4: “You have ruled them harshly and brutally.”

Verse 5-6:

So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

•When they search for scattered sheep

•Verse 11-12 – “'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep.

•Verses 12-13 – “I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land.

•Verses 13-14 – “I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land.

•There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.”

Verse 15 – “I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Heals Hurting SheepHeals Hurting Sheep:Verse 16 -- I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…

 Verse 16 – “…but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.”

•By understanding their charge:

•Acts 20:28 – “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

•Hebrews 13:17 -- Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

•The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

•Our elders need to be about the spiritual strengthening and pasturing of this flock.•The preacher is not to be seen as the pastor – the elders are.•They will be assuming some roles that have in the past been handled by the preacher.•They will begin to take all prayer requests.•They will baptize, depending on the request of the candidate for baptism.•They will feed, serve and mend the flock.•May God bless them in their labors.