John 10:11 - Jesus is the good shepherd.

The relationship is directly between Jesus and His sheep.

God has also provided for a congregational arrangement in which elders act as shepherd of the congregation. The sheep are still directly subject to the chief shepherd, which is Jesus. They have an additional relationship to the elders of the local congregation. (Acts 20:28

Each congregation is always to be independent. If a local church is not developed such that is has elders, it should still be independent.

Shepherds are to feed, lead, and oversee the flock.

Each congregation is to have a plurality of elders if men are qualified. Elders are always spoken of in the plural in the Bible (Titus 1:6.

Paul used “flock” to teach that a congregation is to support the preaching of the gospel.

As relates to the local flock:

Shepherds are to lead in the will of the Chief Shepherd.

Sheep are to follow the shepherds when they follow the Chief Shepherd.

Sheep are to recognize the necessity of staying with the flock.

• I John 3:18 - Love is an action.
• He took the first step.
  • I John 4:19
  • Romans 5:6-8
• He worked a plan (I Peter 1:10
• He gave His Son! (I John 4:9-10
• He makes us His children (I John 3:1

• God loves you and you need to love Him back!
  • Hosea 11:1-8
  • Hebrews 6:4-6
  • I John 4:20-5:3
  • Luke 15:8-10 - parable of the lost coin

“Moses … struck the rock”

Numbers 20:7-13 - Moses and Aaron sinned by not treating God as holy. Because of this, they were not allowed to enter the promised land.

Numbers 20:24 - Moses did not “almost:” follow God’s ommand. God called his act rebellion.

Deuteronomy 3:24-29 - Moses pleads with God to allow him to enter the promised land.

Deuteronomy 34:1-6 - God did not relent and let Moses enter the promised land.

Moses was not held to a higher standard. God commands all men to live to His standard. See II Samuel 6:1-7.

What lessons do we learn from Moses in this story?

We can never be so right with God that we cannot fall.

We must always watch ourselves and show humility before God.

Do what God says like God says!