Wounded Sheep in the House of God
by Rev. Kenneth Swett

As an Assistant Pastor, my Senior Pastor taught me to look out for the congregation. He would show me examples and tell me of people who would join a church simply to meet people and “network.” These people view the population of a large church as a business opportunity, and each individual as a possible client.

Their goal was not to draw closer to the Lord, or even to be saved. Their goal is to find people, befriend them, and milk them for every penny they can. These “wolves in sheep’s clothing” were not allowed to stalk freely in our church. As an Assistant Pastor, my responsibility was to help watch the sheep, and guard them from this threat.

Recently though, I have been led to ask, are we missing the bigger threat to the people God has placed in our care? The threat? “Wool thieves.”

The Apostle Peter clearly states that we as church leaders are responsible to shepherd the flock that God had given us.

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock, and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. (I Peter 5:2-4)

What a blessing to be chosen to work in ministry, and to serve the Chief Shepherd. It is a calling that is an honor to receive. I have been called alongside many other under-shepherds serving the Chief Shepherd, who is tending these sheep for His Father.

My responsibility is to care for the portion of the flock that He has allotted into my care. I have been given the awesome responsibility to feed them, watch over them, and assist them in bringing new lambs into the fold. I am also responsible to fleece the sheep at sheering time and present those fleeces to the owner.

Over the past several years, I have noticed more and more wounded sheep in the flock. Sheep that seem to have been cut and pierced. The wounds caused not by wolves, but by sheers that have cut too closely. These sheep have been pierced by their own shepherds. These wounded sheep are now skittish around other shepherds, running to other flocks, or leaving the fold all together.

My heart breaks with the view of these sheep. These precious people trusted the Lord to place them in the hands of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, Deacons, Elders and other leaders in the church, for the purpose of strengthening and building them up. Instead they find themselves wounded, frustrated, and disillusioned.

Why are they hurt? Why are they disillusioned? Why are they leaving? The reason? Their shepherds have lost focus of why they were called into ministry. The under-shepherds have lost focus that the Chief Shepherd shall supply for every need. Instead these under-shepherds see the congregation as the means to meet their need.

The shepherds no longer see the people in their congregations as people who need the spiritual food that has been placed within them. Instead they see the congregation as a gold mine, a people who have what they need. They say, “If everyone will give ‘X’ number of dollars the need will be met!” They see the finances, the fleeces of their sheep, as their ministry’s source. They pray to the Chief Shepherd, “God make the sheep give more so we can meet our needs.” All the while, the Chief Shepherd is waiting to be asked, “Lord, give me what I need to meet the needs of the sheep.”

The desire of these under-shepherds is to see their visions come to pass, their ministries grow, and for God to meet their needs.

They become so hungry to see the vision that God has given them be fulfilled, that they are willing to sheer the sheep a little closer, just to get a little more. Just a little more here, a little more there, only to get closer to the dream.

When Christ stood on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias and spoke to Peter, His command was not “Fleece the Sheep.” Instead he told Peter to “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my Sheep,” and lastly “Feed my Sheep.”
(John 21:15-17)

If our focus is on feeding the lambs, tending the sheep and feeding the sheep, then our flock will automatically grow. It isn’t necessary to fleece the sheep more often, or more deeply. If our focus is on raising the flock, the quantity of fleeces will increase because the sheep have grown, matured and multiplied.

People know when we are genuinely concerned for their welfare. They know when we care about their families, their hurts, and their tragedies. They will also eventually see when we are just draining them to see our vision come to pass. We can invest in our sheep, or we can invest in our vision. If we invest in our vision, we will build monuments to ourselves, on the backs of bruised and bloodied congregation members. If we focus on growing our sheep, God will bring the vision to pass, and we will have congregations who can enjoy the wonder with us.

My heart breaks both for the shepherds and the sheep. I weep for both. The shepherds, ignorant of the fact that their motives have shifted, their vision changed. The sheep innocent, injured for no reason.

God give us a revival of healing. Heal the eyes and hearts of your shepherds. Heal our motives and our behaviors. Then, Lord, place healing in our hands that we can touch the wounded sheep, and bring healing to the wounds we caused.