Shepherding Fellowship

Last Friday night, we had a time of fellowship with a visiting brother and gave him a free hand to fellowship whatever he was burdened to fellowship with us, the saints in the church inGurugram. After a time of love-feast, the Lord gave him, our brother, the timely word that we need so much, on the line of shepherding.

After the disciples, especially Peter denied the Lord and backslide, the Lord came to recover him step by step unto the point he became an apostle who brought thousands to the Lord Jesus Christ through his gospel preaching as recorded in the book of Acts. This is how the Lord shepherded Peter despite his unstable testimony and unfaithfulness to his own word to the Lord Jesus.

Peter took the lead to go back to the world, his forsaken profession and took along with him six other disciples of the Lord Jesus.

Jn 21:1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And He manifested Himself in this way:

Jn 21:2 Simon Peter and Thomas, called Didymus, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two others of His disciples were there together.

Jn 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We also are coming with you. They went forth and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

Miracle #1

However, the Lord came and did miracle after miracle. Despite them being professional fishermen, and despite seven of them fishing the whole night, miraculously they caught nothing. Zero fish! 

They went forth and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

The Lord came in the morning to meet them and asked them a question He himself already knew.

Jn 21:4 Now as soon as the morning broke, Jesus stood on the shore; however the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Jn 21:5 Then Jesus said to them, Little children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you? They answered Him, No.

Miracle #2

The Lord instructed them in the morning to cast their net on the right side. The timing and the location of fishing was totally illogical. Nevertheless, he obeyed the Lord's word and did accordingly. Then, they caught an abundance of fish. The total number of large fish they caught was 153.

Jn 21:6 And He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. They cast therefore, and they were no longer able to haul it in because of the abundance of fish. 

Jn 21:11 Simon Peter therefore went up and hauled the net to the land full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.

Miracle #3

Though they caught an abundance of fish which was according to the Lord's word, still the Lord did not use even what He blessed them with. For, He wanted to show to them that they should not depend on even what He blessed them with, but they should solely and absolutely depend on the Lord Jesus alone. So, He did not feed them with the fish they caught, but He already prepared fish on the shore, readily cooked to be eaten for breakfast.

Jn 21:9 Then when they got out onto the land, they saw a fire of coals laid there, and fish lying on it and bread.

Jn 21:10 Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just now caught.

Jn 21:12 Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. But none of the disciples dared to inquire of Him, Who are you? knowing that it was the Lord.

Jn 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

The Lord Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" And each time, He charge him to shepherd his sheep.

Jn 21:15 Then when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs.

Jn 21:16 He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Shepherd My sheep.

Jn 21:17 He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was grieved that He said to him the third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.

In this way of shepherding, the Lord fully recovered Peter from his backsliding and the Lord established him to be a shepherd to shepherd the flock of God.

The Lord reckoned the believers as His sheep and Himself as the Shepherd. Sheep have many wonderful characteristics:

1. Always flock together
2. Cannot live alone, when being alone could not feed properly
3. Could survive alone for only upto seven days
4. Had dim eyes, so they used their ears to hear the ones next to them. They simply followed the ones nearest to them
5. Knows their shepherd and 
6. Follow their shepherd 
7. They are meek

These should be how we live our Christian life, like a sheep always following our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. And also function as a shepherd to shepherd our new ones, not to leave anyone unattended, but to visit them at least once a week.

I was so much shepherded by this fellowship. My daughter herself enjoyed this fellowship so much so that she shared it after the meeting and she also shared the same point of her enjoyment today in the church meeting today.

May all the lost sheep be recovered through the shepherding of us as the saints' shepherds.