Olketa Shepherd wea Showimaot ‘Example Long Olketa Sheep’
“Shepherdim olketa sheep bilong God wea iufala lukaftarem . . . long willing wei . . . , from iufala barava want for duim . . . , [and] long wei for kamap example for olketa sheep.”—1 PETER 5:2, 3.
1, 2. (a) Wanem privilege nao Jesus givim long aposol Peter, and why nao Jesus garem gudfala reason for trustim hem? (b) Hao nao feeling bilong Jehovah for olketa shepherd wea hem appointim?
LONG wanfala morning bifor Pentecost 33 C.E., Peter and nara sixfala disaepol kaikaim kaikai wea Jesus redyim long saedsea long Sea bilong Galilee. Diswan hem no firstaem wea Peter lukim Jesus bihaen Hem resurrect, and for sure, hem barava hapi for savve Jesus hem laef bak nao. Bat maet Peter wari tu bikos tu-thri day wea go pas finis, hem talemaot long pablik hao hem nating savve long Jesus. (Luke 22:55-60; 24:34; John 18:25-27; 21:1-14) Waswe, Jesus tok strong long Peter wea feel sorre tumas bikos hem short long faith? Nomoa. Jesus givim Peter privilege for feedim and shepherdim “olketa smol sheep” bilong hem. (John 21:15-17) History bilong Christian kongregeson long first century wea Bible storyim, hem showimaot Jesus garem gudfala reason for trustim Peter. Peter and olketa nara aposol and older man long Jerusalem gohed for shepherdim Christian kongregeson long taem bilong bigfala persecution, and tu, long taem wea waka kwiktaem for kamap big.—Acts 1:15-26; 2:14; 15:6-9.
2 Distaem, thru long Jesus Christ, Jehovah appointim olketa man wea fit for waka olsem olketa spiritual shepherd, for leadim olketa sheep bilong Hem insaed long disfala hard taem wea winim eni narataem long history bilong olketa man. (Ephesians 4:11, 12; 2 Timothy 3:1) Waswe, Jehovah garem gudfala reason for trustim olketa man hia? Wei wea peace hem stap midolwan long olketa Christian brata raonem full world pruvim hao Jehovah fit for trustim olketa man hia. Hem tru, olsem Peter, olketa shepherd hia man nomoa wea savve mistek. (Galatians 2:11-14; James 3:2) Nomata olsem, Jehovah trustim olketa for lukaftarem olketa sheep wea “hem baem witim blood bilong Son bilong hem.” (Acts 20:28) Jehovah barava lovem olketa man hia, and ting long olketa olsem olketa wea ‘fit for kasem dabol honor.’—1 Timothy 5:17.
3. Hao nao olketa spiritual shepherd savve gohed for showimaot willing fasin?
3 Hao nao olketa spiritual shepherd savve gohed for showimaot willing fasin, and long wei olsem kamap example long olketa sheep? Olsem Peter and olketa shepherd long first century, olketa depend long holy spirit bilong God, wea givim strong long olketa for duim waka bilong olketa. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Holy spirit hem mekem olketa garem olketa frut bilong spirit tu, olsem “love, hapi, peace, long-safaring, kaenfala fasin, gudfala fasin, faith, kwaet fasin, [and] fasin for kontrolem seleva.” (Galatians 5:22, 23) Iumi bae story raonem samfala wei wea olketa shepherd savve kamap example long wei for showimaot olketa frut hia, taem olketa shepherdim olketa sheep bilong God.
Lovem Full Sekson Bilong Sheep, and Tu, Olketa Sheep Wanwan
4, 5. (a) Hao nao Jehovah and Jesus showimaot love for olketa sheep? (b) Wanem nao samfala wei wea olketa spiritual shepherd showimaot love for olketa sheep?
4 Love nao main frut bilong spirit bilong God. Jehovah showimaot love wea hem garem for full sekson bilong sheep taem hem provaedem staka spiritual kaikai. (Isaiah 65:13, 14; Matthew 24:45-47) Bat, hem no feedim olketa sheep nomoa. Hem barava kea for each sheep. (1 Peter 5:6, 7) Jesus tu lovem olketa sheep hia. Hem givim soul bilong hem for olketa, and hem savve long “nem” bilong each sheep.—John 10:3, 14-16.
5 Olketa spiritual shepherd followim example bilong Jehovah and Jesus. Olketa showimaot love for full sekson bilong sheep bilong God taem olketa ‘waka hard for teachim’ kongregeson. Olketa Bible tok wea olketa givim hem feedim and protectim olketa sheep, and evriwan lukim wei wea olketa waka hard for duim diswan. (1 Timothy 4:13, 16) Bat, maet no evriwan lukim staka taem wea olketa iusim for raetem olketa kongregeson record, deal witim and raetem olketa leta, wakem olketa schedule, and duim staka nara samting for mek sure olketa meeting bilong kongregeson and nara waka “followim stretfala wei and order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40) Olketa narawan insaed kongregeson maet no lukim bigfala waka hia and maet no tinghae long diswan tu. Tru tumas, love nao muvim olketa shepherd for duim disfala waka.—Galatians 5:13.
6, 7. (a) Wanem nao wanfala wei wea olketa shepherd bae savve gud long olketa sheep? (b) Why nao samfala taem hem gud for talemaot feeling bilong iumi long wanfala elder?
6 Olketa Christian shepherd wea garem love traem best for showimaot interest long each sheep insaed long kongregeson. (Philippians 2:4) Wanfala wei wea olketa shepherd bae savve gud long olketa sheep wanwan, hem for waka tugeta witim olketa long preaching waka. Plande taem Jesus tekem olketa follower bilong hem long preaching waka and hem iusim datfala taem for encouragem olketa. (Luke 8:1) Wanfala Christian shepherd wea garem savve hem sei: “Mi faendem best wei for encouragem and savve long wanfala brata or sista hem for waka witim hem long field ministry.” Sapos iu no garem chance for waka witim wanfala elder long field ministry, hem gud for mekem arrangement distaem for duim datwan.
7 Love muvim Jesus for sorre witim olketa follower bilong hem taem olketa feel sorre and for hapi witim olketa taem olketa hapi. Olsem example, taem 70 disaepol bilong Jesus kam bak from preaching waka and hapi tumas, hem “hapi tumas” witim olketa tu. (Luke 10:17-21) Bat, taem hem lukim Mary and olketa famili member and fren bilong hem barava sorre taem Lazarus hem dae, “Jesus start for krae nao.” (John 11:33-35) Olsem tu distaem, olketa shepherd wea garem love showimaot feeling for olketa sheep. Love muvim olketa for “hapi witim pipol wea hapi” and for “krae witim pipol wea krae.” (Romans 12:15) Nomata taem iu hapi or sorre, no hol bak for talemaot feeling bilong iu long olketa Christian shepherd. Taem olketa herem iu hapi, diswan bae encouragem olketa. (Romans 1:11, 12) Taem olketa elder savve long olketa hard taem wea iu kasem, diswan bae mekem olketa savve strongim and comfortim iu.—1 Thessalonians 1:6; 3:1-3.
8, 9. (a) Hao nao wanfala elder hem showimaot love for waef bilong hem? (b) Why nao hem important for wanfala shepherd showimaot love for famili bilong hem?
8 Wei wea wanfala shepherd showimaot love for famili bilong hemseleva bae barava pruvim sapos hem garem love for olketa sheep. (1 Timothy 3:1, 4) Sapos hem marit, love and honor wea hem showimaot long waef bilong hem bae olsem wanfala example for olketa nara hasband followim. (Ephesians 5:25; 1 Peter 3:7) Tingim toktok bilong wanfala Christian woman wea nem bilong hem Linda. Hasband bilong hem waka olsem wanfala overseer for winim 20 year bifor hem dae. Linda sei olsem: “Hasband bilong mi hem evritaem busy for lukaftarem kongregeson. Bat long semtaem hem mekem mi feel olsem mi helpem hem. Staka taem hem talemaot hem tinghae long wei wea mi sapotim hem. Mitufala enjoyim tugeta olketa taem wea hem no busy for duim waka bilong kongregeson. From datwan, mi feel hem lovem mi and mi no jealous long taem wea hem iusim for servem kongregeson.”
9 Sapos wanfala Christian shepherd garem olketa pikinini, wei wea hem disciplinem olketa long loving wei, and tu, praisem olketa smol wan hia evritaem, hem showimaot example for olketa nara parents for followim. (Ephesians 6:4) Tru nao, datfala love wea hem showimaot for famili bilong hem barava important. Datwan gohed for pruvim hao hem fit for garem datfala responsibility olsem wanfala shepherd wea holy spirit appointim.—1 Timothy 3:4, 5.
Wei for Story Tugeta Mekem Hapi and Peace Kamap
10. (a) Wanem nao savve spoelem hapi and peace insaed long kongregeson? (b) Wanem kwestin nao kamap wea luk olsem bae spoelem peace insaed long kongregeson long first century, and hao nao olketa stretem datwan?
10 Holy spirit savve mekem hapi and peace kamap insaed heart bilong wanfala Christian, midolwan long body of elders, and insaed long full kongregeson. Nomata olsem, wei for no story gud tugeta savve spoelem disfala hapi and peace. King Solomon luksavve long diswan taem hem sei: “Olketa plan savve kamap nogud sapos wei for story gud tugeta hem nomoa.” (Proverbs 15:22) Long narasaed, wei for tok stret witim respect savve mekem hapi and peace kamap. Olsem example, taem kwestin kamap abaotem wei for circumcise long first century and luk olsem diswan bae spoelem peace bilong kongregeson, governing body long Jerusalem lukaotem direction bilong holy spirit. And tu, olketa story tugeta abaotem tingting bilong olketa abaotem datfala topic. Bihaen olketa barava story gud tugeta, olketa mekem wanfala disison. Taem olketa talem disison wea evriwan agree long hem for olketa kongregeson, olketa brata “hapi tumas long datfala encouragement.” (Acts 15:6-23, 25, 31; 16:4, 5) Diswan mekem hapi and peace kamap.
11. Hao nao olketa elder savve mekem hapi and peace kamap insaed long kongregeson?
11 Long sem wei tu distaem, olketa shepherd mekem hapi and peace kamap insaed long kongregeson taem olketa garem gudfala wei for story tugeta. Taem olketa problem spoelem peace bilong kongregeson, olketa meet tugeta and talemaot feeling bilong olketa. Olketa showimaot respect taem olketa lisin long tingting bilong olketa nara shepherd tu. (Proverbs 13:10; 18:13) Bihaen olketa prea for holy spirit, olketa disaedem samting wea garem faondeson long olketa Bible principle and long olketa instruction from “faithful and wise slave.” (Matthew 24:45-47; 1 Corinthians 4:6) Taem body of elders disaedem samting, each elder acceptim direction bilong holy spirit long wei for sapotim datfala disison nomata maet datwan hem no followim wanem hemseleva tingim. Wei for hambol olsem hem mekem hapi and peace kamap, and hem showimaot gudfala example for olketa sheep saed long wei for wakabaot witim God. (Micah 6:8) Waswe, iu garem hambol fasin taem iu sapotim olketa disison bilong olketa shepherd insaed kongregeson, wea garem faondeson long Bible?
Showimaot Kaenfala Fasin and Long-Safaring
12. Why nao Jesus mas showimaot kaenfala fasin and long-safaring taem hem deal witim olketa aposol?
12 Jesus hem kaen and showimaot long-safaring taem hem deal witim olketa aposol, nomata olketa foldaon staka taem. Olsem example, staka taem Jesus strongim wei wea olketa need for hambol. (Matthew 18:1-4; 20:25-27) Nomata olsem, long lastfala naet wea Jesus laef long earth, bihaen hem showimaot example bilong hambol fasin taem hem wasim leg bilong olketa, “wanfala big raoa kamap tu midolwan long olketa abaotem hu nao nambawan.” (Luke 22:24; John 13:1-5) Waswe, Jesus hotem olketa aposol? Nomoa, long kaenfala wei hem story gud witim olketa and hem sei: “Hu nao hem nambawan, man wea sidaon long tebol or man wea serve? Hem man wea sidaon long tebol, iaman? Bat mi stap midolwan long iufala olsem man wea serve.” (Luke 22:27) Gogo, gudfala example wea Jesus showimaot, and tu, long-safaring and kaenfala fasin bilong hem muvim heart bilong olketa aposol.
13, 14. Long wanem taem nao olketa shepherd mas showimaot kaenfala fasin?
13 Olsem tu, wanfala spiritual shepherd maet need for givim kaonsel plande taem long samwan saed long wanfala wik point bilong hem. Shepherd hia maet feel kros long datfala man. Bat, sapos hem rememberim olketa wik point bilong hemseleva taem hem ‘kaonselem datwan wea go rong,’ hem savve showimaot long-safaring and kaenfala fasin long brata bilong hem. Taem hem duim datwan, hem followim example bilong Jesus and Jehovah, wea showimaot olketa fasin hia long evri Christian, and long olketa shepherd tu.—1 Thessalonians 5:14; James 2:13.
14 Samfala taem olketa shepherd maet need for givim strongfala kaonsel long samwan wea duim bigfala sin. Sapos man hia no repent, olketa shepherd mas aotem hem from kongregeson. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13) Nomata olsem, wei wea olketa deal witim hem showimaot olketa heitim datfala sin, and no datfala man wea duim sin. (Jude 23) Sapos olketa shepherd deal witim man wea go difren long kaenfala wei, maet datwan savve mekem hem moa isi for man hia kam bak long kongregeson.—Luke 15:11-24.
Faith Muvim Olketa for Duim Gud Samting
15. Wanem nao wanfala wei wea olketa shepherd savve followim gudfala fasin bilong Jehovah, and wanem nao muvim olketa for duim datwan?
15 “Jehovah hem showimaot gudfala fasin long evriwan,” nomata long olketa wea no tinghae long samting wea hem duim for olketa tu. (Psalm 145:9; Matthew 5:45) Gudfala fasin bilong Jehovah hem barava showaot klia long wei wea hem sendem pipol bilong hem for preachim ‘gud nius abaotem kingdom.’ (Matthew 24:14) Olketa shepherd showimaot gudfala fasin bilong God taem olketa lead long disfala waka for preach. Wanem nao muvim olketa for waka hard olsem? Olketa garem strongfala faith long Jehovah and olketa promis bilong hem.—Romans 10:10, 13, 14.
16. Hao nao olketa shepherd savve “duim gud samting” for olketa sheep?
16 Olketa shepherd “duim gud samting long evriwan” taem olketa preach, bat, olketa garem responsibility tu for duim gud samting ‘especially long olketa wea garem sem faith olsem olketa.’ (Galatians 6:10) Wanfala wei wea olketa savve duim diswan hem for duim shepherding kol for encouragem narawan. Wanfala elder hem sei: “Mi enjoyim wei for duim shepherding kol. Diswan givim mi chance for praisem olketa brata and sista for samting wea olketa duim and for helpem olketa luksavve hao mifala tinghae long hard waka bilong olketa.” Samfala taem, maet olketa shepherd givim samfala idea wea savve helpem datwan wea olketa visitim for kamap moabeta long service bilong hem for Jehovah. Taem olketa shepherd duim olsem, olketa followim example bilong aposol Paul. Tingim wei wea hem talem diswan long olketa brata long Thessalonica: “Mifala barava sure long Lord abaotem iufala, hao iufala duim and bae gohed for duim olketa samting wea mifala talem.” (2 Thessalonians 3:4) Olketa toktok olsem savve encouragem olketa sheep and mekem hem moa isi for olketa “obeyim olketa wea leadim [olketa].” (Hebrews 13:17) Taem olketa elder visitim iu for encouragem iu, hem barava gud for talemaot wei wea iu tinghae long datwan!
For Kontrolem Seleva Man Mas Garem Kwaet Fasin
17. Wanem samting nao Peter lanem from Jesus?
17 Jesus hem garem kwaet fasin nomata taem pipol spoelem hem. (Matthew 11:29) Taem olketa givim hem go long enemy and pipol arrestim hem, Jesus showimaot kwaet fasin and hem barava kontrolem hemseleva. Peter duim samting kwiktaem followim feeling bilong hem for pei bak. Bat Jesus talem hem moa: “Waswe, iu tingse mi kanduit askem Dadi bilong mi for sendem kam winim twelvfala bigfala army bilong angel distaem?” (Matthew 26:51-53; John 18:10) Peter lane from datwan and hem sei olsem long olketa Christian bihaen: “Christ hem safa for iufala, and leavim wanfala example for iufala followim long klos wei. . . . Taem pipol tok spoelem hem, hem no tok spoelem olketa. Taem hem safa, hem no trae for changem bak.”—1 Peter 2:21-23.
18, 19. (a) Long wanem taem nao olketa shepherd mas barava showimaot kwaet fasin and fasin for kontrolem seleva? (b) Wanem nao olketa kwestin wea iumi bae story raonem long next article?
18 Long sem wei, for olketa shepherd duim gudfala waka, olketa mas garem kwaet fasin nomata taem pipol deal witim olketa long nogud wei. Olsem example, samfala wea olketa trae for helpem insaed long kongregeson maet no acceptim datwan. Sapos man wea needim help hem wik or sik long spiritual wei, maet taem hem kasem kaonsel hem ‘talem toktok bat no tingting gud firstaem,’ so toktok bilong hem “olsem sword wea katem man.” (Proverbs 12:18) Nomata olsem, olketa shepherd followim Jesus long wei for no changem bak datwan witim toktok wea savve katem man or duim samting for pei bak. Bat, olketa showimaot wei for kontrolem seleva and minim feeling bilong narawan, wea maet hem savve really helpem datwan wea needim help. (1 Peter 3:8, 9) Waswe, iu lane from example bilong olketa elder and showimaot kwaet fasin and fasin for kontrolem iuseleva taem iu kasem kaonsel?
19 For sure, Jehovah and Jesus tinghae long hard waka bilong plande thousand shepherd wea willing for lukaftarem olketa sheep evriwea long world. Tufala barava lovem tu plande thousand ministerial servant wea sapotim olketa elder for “servem olketa holy wan.” (Hebrews 6:10) So, why nao maet samfala brata wea baptaes hol bak for trae for kasem disfala “gudfala waka”? (1 Timothy 3:1) And hao nao Jehovah trainim olketa wea hem appointim olsem olketa shepherd? Bae iumi story raonem olketa kwestin hia insaed long next article.
Waswe, Iu Remember?
• Wanem nao samfala wei wea olketa shepherd showimaot love for olketa sheep?
• Hao nao evriwan insaed long kongregeson savve mekem hapi and peace kamap?
• Why nao olketa shepherd showimaot kaenfala fasin and long-safaring taem olketa givim kaonsel?
• Hao nao olketa elder showimaot gudfala fasin and faith?
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Love nao muvim olketa elder for servem kongregeson
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Olketa iusim taem witim famili bilong olketa long hapitaem . . .
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. . . and long ministry
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Taem olketa elder story gud tugeta, diswan mekem hapi and peace kamap insaed long kongregeson