Which Shepherd Do You Follow?

Jeremiah 23:1-4
Gregory Perry | Sunday, September 20, 2020
Copyright © 2020, Gregory Perry

The word tonight is, “Which Shepherd Do You Follow?” We will try to look at many verses throughout Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah 23:1–4 says:

 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

            Perhaps being compared to a sheep is offensive to you. Nevertheless, the truth remains: We are all sheep following a shepherd. But not all shepherds are the same. And they are not all leading to the same destination. Many will lead you on a path of wickedness that leads to destruction, while only a few will lead you on a path of righteousness that leads to eternal life.

So in Jeremiah 23:1–4 we are challenged to ask ourselves, “Which shepherd am I following?” In this text, we see, first of all, false shepherds in verses 1–2; then we see the true shepherd in verse 3; then we see the undershepherds of the true shepherd in verse 4. So that makes up our three points, and I will close each point with a practical application.

False Shepherds (vv. 1–2)

The first thing we see about these false shepherds is that they are for the destruction of the Lord’s sheep. So verse 1 says, “‘Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord.” Notice that they lead astray “the sheep of my pasture.” This means that they lead astray those who make some sort of profession of faith in Christ. In other words, we are speaking here about false shepherds not in the world, but false shepherds in the church.

These false shepherds destroy and scatter the sheep of the Lord’s pasture, especially through their false teaching. We see their false teaching spoken of later in this chapter. In Jeremiah 23, starting with verse 16, it says this: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, “The Lord says: You will have peace.” And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, “No harm will come to you”’” (Jer. 23:16–17).

These false shepherds fill the lost with false hope. False shepherds offer false assurance. They lie by giving assurance of salvation to those who stand condemned. They tell the cursed that they are blessed. They tell those who are dead in their transgressions and sins that they are actually alive.

These false shepherds tell those who despise God that they will have peace. In other words, they tell those who refuse to repent of their sins that they can keep their sin and still go to heaven. They are antinomians. They comfort those who live in their sins by saying that they will not have to give an account to the holy God for their sins.

There are many such false shepherds—antinomian pastors—in the church today. They say that you can have both Christ and your sin. It is a very attractive teaching. These false shepherds promise that there will be no final judgment. They say that God would never do that; he would never send anyone to hell. He is too kind to do that. He is too much of a gentleman to do that. In telling their comforting lies, they embolden the people to have no fear of God nor any fear that he will judge them for their sins.

Where do these false shepherds get such lies? In verse 16 of Jeremiah 23 it tells us that “they speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” They do not teach and counsel according to God’s revealed word.

In Jeremiah 23:26 the Lord says, “How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?” They just make up their own truths. Their words are a product of their own wish fulfillment.  They speak of God in the way they want him to be, not in the way that he has revealed himself to be. And the truth that they make up, not coincidentally, happens to be flattering to itching ears who just want to be left to their own devices.

Not only do these false shepherds tell lies, but even worse, they tell lies in God’s name. In Jeremiah 23:25 the Lord says, “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’” In doing this, they break the third commandment by dragging God’s name into their lies. There is perhaps no more clear example of what it means to use the Lord’s name in vain.

Jeremiah 23:31 says, “‘Yes,’ declares the Lord. ‘I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, “The Lord declares.”’” God does not appreciate being misquoted. None of us do. Think about it. A child who says to his siblings, “Dad said,” when Dad did not say—that child will rightly get in trouble.

We all get angry when someone says that we said something that we did not say. When we say that the Lord says, we had better be careful that it is actually what he says. To attribute something to him that he has not said is a great affront to him. So Jeremiah 23:36 says, “But you must not mention ‘the oracle of the Lord’ again, because every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.”

He is the living God who has spoken and speaks to his people today. When we speak in his name, we had better be sure that we are actually speaking his words and not just wagging our tongues and speaking delusions of our own minds.

Moreover, when we ask where these false shepherds get their lies, we cannot just end with talking about their own minds being the source, though that is the emphasis here in Jeremiah 23. False shepherds ultimately are acting as spokesmen of the devil. They are false shepherds who shepherd synagogues of Satan. What they speak are lies, and Jesus taught us in John 8 that Satan is the father of all lies.

And these shepherds are false, not only because of their false teaching, but also because of their false lives. In fact, some even teach something in accordance with truth, but they are false shepherds because they have false lives. Their lives are not in keeping with the word that they are preaching. They walk in darkness and hypocrisy. They lead people astray, both by their teaching and by their life examples. We see this in Jeremiah 23:11: “Both prophet and priest are godless.” They are supposed to be godly. They are supposed to represent God. But he says they are godless. “‘Even in my temple, I find their wickedness,’ declares the Lord.”

The wicked lives of the false shepherds encourage the sheep to follow in their wicked ways. In Jeremiah 23:14 we read, “And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness.”

Sadly, the examples in the evangelical church today of pastors who have led wicked lives before their people are legion. One of many such false shepherds is the popular Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of the famous evangelist Billy Graham and the author of the antinomian bestseller, One Way Love. In 2015, he was forced to resign as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a church that was once pastored by a godly pastor named D. James Kennedy. And yet Tullian Tchividjian was forced to resign after he was caught in an extramarital affair. Almost immediately he was hired by another nearby church, though was soon fired after the discovery of a second extramarital affair surfaced. Apparently unfazed and unashamed, Tchividjian today pastors a church called “The Sanctuary” that he founded in Palm Beach, Florida.

Such false shepherds may be exalted in this world, but they will be judged by God most severely. We see this in our text in verse 2: “Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds [these are the false shepherds] who tend my people: ‘Because you have scattered my flock and have driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,’ declares the Lord.” And God speaks of his serious condemnation of these false shepherds throughout Jeremiah 23. I won’t read every verse, but you can see it in verse 12, in verse 15, in verse 19, in verse 34. And then I will read one in verses 39 and 40. The Lord says, “Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

But not only should we take warning here, and not only are false shepherds condemned, but those who follow them will also share in their condemnation. In Jeremiah 14:15–16 we read this, “Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the [false] prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine.” So the prophets will perish, and then it says in verse 16, “And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword.”

What is the application of this first point about the false shepherds? It is important for us to identify and reject false shepherds. We do this as a church from time to time. Some think we should always be positive and not speak against anyone, especially by name. But a true church of God has a serious duty to expose false shepherds in order to protect the flock. This is called polemics, which is speaking or writing against a false teacher or a false doctrine.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in particular often emphasized the importance of polemical preaching. When there is a liar out there, call out the liar. When there is a false shepherd out there, call out the false shepherd. He is dangerous. And not only is he dangerous to himself and his family, but he is also dangerous to those he is preaching to.

We must be careful and realize that none of us are beyond temptation here. False shepherds have big followings because they are attractive. And they do not advertise themselves as false shepherds. You see, Tullian Tchividjian did not name his church, “The Church of the False Shepherd,” right? He called it “The Sanctuary.” That sounds very holy, a place for all sinners to come and continue in their sins.

False shepherds are more subtle than that. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing that are set on devouring the sheep. Over the years, we have seen sheep even from this flock led astray by false shepherds. So we must all be on guard and be careful that none of us becomes or follows or supports false shepherds who flatter us and compromise God’s word in order to advance their own standing.

The True Shepherd (v. 3)

Our passage in Jeremiah 23 then goes on to speak of the true shepherd. In verse 3, God says, “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.”

First of all, the text tells us that the Lord himself will gather his flock. We heard this morning about God’s elect. He gathers his flock. God himself saves his remnant people. We do not save ourselves, nor can we be saved by another. The Lord alone works salvation. To God alone be the glory for the salvation that he brings.

This is also telling us that the true shepherd is God himself. Elsewhere in Scripture, God is referred to as the shepherd, most famously in Psalm 23 where we read, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me [as a shepherd guides] in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

This establishment of the true shepherd as being God himself is important to the revelation in John 10 of Jesus Christ as being the good shepherd. Even what we learn here in Jeremiah 23—we see that when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd,” he is declaring himself to be the Lord. He is declaring himself to be God.

Jeremiah 23 also identifies this true shepherd as being the coming Messiah, the Son of David. So in Jeremiah 23:5–6 the prophecy says this: “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch [this is the true shepherd], a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’”

This shepherd is the Messiah who will not only be righteous, but he will be our righteousness. He will put his righteousness into our account. We heard Pastor Mathew this morning quote from 2 Corinthians 5:21 about the double transaction: “God made him”—speaking about Jesus Christ—“who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus is this righteous Branch, the Son of David, the messianic King. He is the Lord Our Righteousness. He is this true shepherd.

Jesus told a parable in Luke 15 about a shepherd who seeks after the one lost sheep until it is found. Jesus is the shepherd. He came to seek and to save his lost sheep. And how did Jesus save his sheep? He is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. This is the very heart of the gospel: Christ died for our sins. (GWP) He was without sin, but he took our sins upon himself and died the death that we deserved. Christ died for us. He died in our place. He died instead of us.

And the lost sheep could only be saved through Christ’s atoning death. He is the one mediator between God and man. Being truly man, only he could be our representative head and pay the price that men deserved. You see, man sinned; therefore, justice demands that a man must die. Being truly God also, only he could make the infinite sacrifice that had to be paid.

Jesus is the good shepherd. He is the true shepherd. And his remnant sheep listen to his voice and they follow him.

Jesus also asserts that his true sheep will not follow false shepherds. In John 10:5 Jesus says, “But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” When we follow false shepherds, it is because we ourselves are false sheep.

Unlike the good shepherd, false shepherds do not love the sheep. In fact, they are hired hands who look to scatter and ruin the sheep. They do not lay down their lives for the sheep. Instead, they look to use the sheep to enhance themselves, to line their pockets with money, or to say that they have a big church so that they can gain personal prestige and influence in the world.

Our passage tells us that the true shepherd gathers his flock out of all the countries where he has driven them and will bring them back to their pasture. This tells us how God’s plan has always been to save for himself a people, not just from Israel but from all over the world, Jews and Gentiles alike. Salvation begins in Israel with the death, burial, and resurrection of the Jewish Messiah. But then the Lord sends the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. We see this beginning to be fulfilled in the book of Acts, and we are still seeing this promise fulfilled today. In fact, we are a fulfillment of this promise.

The application from this point is this: We must examine ourselves and each must be sure that the Lord, the true shepherd, is “my shepherd.” Martin Luther famously pointed out that the most important word in Psalm 23 is the personal pronoun “my.” In other words, the Lord is my shepherd. There is no comfort in knowing that the Lord is the shepherd, or even that he is the good shepherd. But he must be my shepherd, if that is going to have any comfort to you.

And if the Lord is your shepherd, then you need to have your ears attuned to his voice and your heart must be set on following him. In your heart, you must truly set apart this Lord, this shepherd, as your Lord. He is Lord over your thoughts, your words, your actions, and your emotions. There are no limits. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In other words, you must take captive not only every thought, but every word, every action, and even every emotion, and you make them all obedient to this true shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This true shepherd demands our exclusive and entire devotion. We cannot follow Christ and something else. He alone is Lord.

The True Undershepherds (v. 4)

This leads us to the role of the true undershepherds, which we read about in verse 4 of our passage: “‘I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid of terrified, nor will any be missing,’ declares the Lord.”

If Christ is truly your shepherd, then you will be led by his called, equipped, and sent undershepherds. The true shepherd, the good shepherd, “will place shepherds over them.” If we listen to and follow the true shepherd, we will listen to and follow the undershepherds that he has set over us. That is very important to realize. If we listen to the true shepherd, we listen to his undershepherds. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:40 before he sent his disciples out, “He who receives you receives me.”

Many mistakenly believe that if Christ is their shepherd, then they do not need to have any other shepherds. They say proudly, “I don’t need a pastor. I follow Christ.” This may even sound somewhat spiritual to the ignorant, but this is all a license to justify rank autonomy. People imagine that they can do their own thing and then just claim, “I follow Christ.”

We may not think that we need undershepherds to direct us. We may think that we are above that. But clearly God has a different idea. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways.

I will give you a few examples. In Jeremiah 3:15 God says, “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” So you say that you do not need those shepherds. But God is saying, “No, I am giving you these shepherds to lead you in knowledge and understanding.” God’s plan is for his people to be led by shepherds, to be led by pastors that he sends.

In Hosea 12:13 we read, “The Lord used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him.” God could have cared for his people without a prophet, but he chose to use a prophet, one that he sent, a human being—a fallible, fallen human being—not an angel, but a prophet—a fallible man. God cares for his people through those he sends to speak in his behalf.

Most importantly, Acts 20:28 says it very clearly. The apostle Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders. He says, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” Think about that. The Holy Spirit made them overseers. But you are saying, “I don’t need to be overseen.” Well, the Holy Spirit is saying, “No, you do. That is why I am sending these people I have set up to oversee you for your good, to care for you.” He goes on to say, “Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” You see, you do not think you need an overseer, but God sees things differently. So which one do you think is right, you or God?

True undershepherds, God’s sent prophets, stand in the Lord’s council to receive God’s word. And then they proclaim that word to God’s people. They warn the people of judgment to come, and they look to turn them from their evil ways. They do this by forthrightly confronting people in their sins and calling them to repent of their wicked ways. It is repentance unto life. It is a gracious word to speak to people about their sins and to run to God in repentance and saving faith.

And true undershepherds tend the sheep. They love and care for them. They feed them with the word of God. They protect them from ravenous wolves. They protect them from the false shepherds. And they look out for their real good—not just what they think their good is, but what God says is their good. They don’t look to flatter the people by telling them pleasant things that are not true, what their itching ears want to hear. Remember the prophet Micaiah? He was being a true pastor to King Ahab when he counseled him about Ramoth Gilead. There were four hundred false shepherds present to tell the wicked king the lies that he wanted to hear. But it was Micaiah who actually loved Ahab the most. Though Ahab hated Micaiah for never having anything good to say about him, Micaiah loved Ahab by speaking to him God’s truth.

True undershepherds who care for us will tell us the truth that we need to hear; not necessarily what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. They will warn us from danger and turn us from the destructive path of sin, or from the wayward path that is leading to sin. They will rebuke and correct us when we are going astray.

So the final application is this: Thank God, thank God, thank God. He has put us in a church where we can be overseen by true undershepherds. They have been tested and approved over time, and this is truly a rare privilege. God called, sent, and equipped our pastor and brought him here, and we are so thankful for what God has provided us.

But the challenging question is this: What have you done with this great privilege? Have you taken full advantage of this privilege and received the blessing by coming under God’s delegated overseers? Or have you taken it for granted and kicked under God’s established rule?

Ask yourself: Which shepherd am I truly following? You can be here; there are not false shepherds here, but you can be here and not follow the true shepherds, the undershepherds.

In light of this, know that we are to obey our true undershepherds and submit to their authority. In doing this, we will be a joy and not a burden to them. So do as God says in his word, and hold the true undershepherds, your pastors, in the highest regard in love. Commit to praying faithfully for them and strive to become in the power of the Holy Spirit a fellow worker with them in this great work of building up the kingdom of God.