I would like to tell you a story.
Once upon a time there was a flock of sheep. They were a pretty good bunch of sheep as sheep go. One day they found themselves in need of a new shepherd. Lo and behold a new shepherd was quickly found and they all settled in and the flock started to grow.
Now don't get me wrong. There were things that the shepherd did that the flock was not too happy about. There were plenty of things that he did right but some of the sheep still complained.
Sometimes they would complain, "Our last shepherd ALWAYS let us eat out in the fields over the small mountains in the valley" he really had not done that. Or they would say "Our last shepherd ALWAYS let us sleep in and get up and moving at our own pace. He never got us up and moving when we didn't want too," that was not true either. And sometimes it was, "I don't like the way this Shepherd plays his harp. Our old shepherd played his a lot different." That was true. He did play different songs but that was because he did not know any new songs.
But honestly most of the sheep were starting to come around. Except for a few of them. They were never happy. And as it sometimes happens, a new sheep showed up and joined the flock.
He thought he was baaaaad and he was not afraid to let all the rest of the sheep know it. He listened to the complaints of the few sheep that were complaining the loudest and decided that he should be in charge of the sheep. So he got these few sheep that were still complaining or at least the ones complaining the loudest about the shepherd and decided that something had to be done.
These few decided that they would make the rules and the shepherd would have to comply with what they said.
They called a meeting with the shepherd and laid out their demands.
The shepherd could no longer get them up if they did not want to get up.
He could no longer play his harp the way he was playing it. He would have to learn the songs that the old shepherd had played and play only those songs.
And if they wanted to eat in the fields over the small mountains then he had to let them.
The shepherd was beside himself. He looked at the sheep and told them, "First off, I don't know where you got the idea that you would not have to get up and get moving when I said you had to but you will. Secondly, I like the songs that I play and if you don't then you need to learn how to, they are good songs and I am trying to teach you a new thing. Thirdly, there is not always food over the small mountains and even if there was you would be more open to dangers that I am trying to protect you from."
"We want a new leader," the new sheep baaaad.
"Well you are not getting one," the shepherd told them.
"We want to be in charge," baaaad another sheep.
"That is not going to happen either. Why are you acting like this," he asked them?
They looked to the new sheep for guidance. He started to back away from them as they pointed to him.
"I was only doing what they asked," he bleated.
As he turned to run all of a sudden his fur fell off and everyone saw that he had not been a sheep at all but a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The shepherd looked at the remaining sheep and told them, "Do you not know that I was put in charge of you to lead you and guide you into all good things. I have your best interest at heart. I always have and I always will. The sheep do not lead the shepherd."
Most of the sheep were happy with the shepherd, except for the few that had been the loudest at the beginning and so it was decided that they would have to be sheared and put in their place. They were not happy with this decision so they ran away.
The shepherd did not have time to go after them before the wolf that had been hiding just on the other side of the small mountains got a hold of them and devoured them.
Sometimes you will find in a church that the flock aren't always happy with the new shepherd that is set over them. But God is the one that sets things in order.
Don't get me wrong. Sometimes the shepherd is not a good shepherd. He might be the wolf in sheep's clothing. But if you have a shepherd that has been put in charge of a congregation and he is preaching and teaching the word of God, and it has been ordained that he be there, then the congregation had better get behind him and let him lead them the way God wants him to.
If you don't like how this particular shepherd leads then go to another church. There are plenty of them out there.
I would venture to say that there are quite a few people out there that are never going to be happy with any shepherd that they come under. If that is the case, then maybe it isn't the shepherd that is the problem maybe it is the sheep. But none the less, the sheep do not lead the shepherd!
