Hambol for Stap Anda Long Olketa Shepherd wea Lovem Iumi
“Obeyim olketa wea leadim iufala and stap anda long olketa.”—HEBREWS 13:17.
1, 2. Olketa wanem scripture nao showimaot Jehovah and Jesus olketa Shepherd wea showimaot love?
JEHOVAH GOD and Son bilong hem Jesus Christ olketa Shepherd wea lovem iumi. Isaiah hem profesi olsem: “Sovereign Lord Jehovah bae kam olsem wanfala strong man, and hand bilong hem bae rul for hem. . . . Olsem wanfala shepherd hem bae shepherdim olketa sheepsheep bilong hem. Hem bae tekem olketa pikinini sheepsheep long hand bilong hem; and hem bae karem olketa klosap long heart bilong hem. Hem bae lukaftarem gud olketa mere sheepsheep.”—Isaiah 40:10, 11.
2 Datfala profesi wea sei evri samting bae kamap gud moa hem fulfill firstaem long 537 B.C.E., taem smol sekson bilong olketa Jew go bak long Judah. (2 Chronicles 36:22, 23) Hem fulfill mek-tu taem long 1919 taem Jesus Christ, Bigfala Cyrus, sevem olketa anointed Christian from “Bigfala Babylon.” (Revelation 18:2; Isaiah 44:28) Jehovah hem iusim Jesus for rul long wei for hipimap olketa sheepsheep and shepherdim olketa long kaenfala wei. Jesus tu hem sei: “Mi nao gudfala shepherd, and mi savve long olketa sheepsheep bilong mi and olketa sheepsheep bilong mi savve long mi tu.”—John 10:14.
3. Wanem nao Jehovah duim wea showimaot hem barava tingim olketa sheepsheep bilong hem?
3 Datfala profesi long Isaiah 40:10, 11 hem mekhae long wei wea Jehovah hem shepherdim pipol bilong hem long kaenfala wei. (Psalm 23:1-6) Taem Jesus duim ministry bilong hem long earth, hem tu showimaot kaenfala fasin long olketa disaepol bilong hem and long nara pipol. (Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 6:34) Jehovah and Jesus barava heitim raf wei bilong olketa shepherd long Israel wea spoelem and barava nating lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep bilong olketa. (Ezekiel 34:2-10; Matthew 23:3, 4, 15) Jehovah talem disfala promis: “Bae mi sevem olketa sheepsheep bilong mi, and no eniwan bae spoelem olketa; and bae mi judgem olketa gudfala sheepsheep and nogud sheepsheep. And mi bae markem wanfala shepherd for lukaftarem olketa, and hem mas feedim olketa olsem servant bilong mi David. Hem bae feedim olketa, and kamap shepherd bilong olketa.” (Ezekiel 34:22, 23) Long taem bilong end distaem, Jehovah markem Jesus Christ, datfala Bigfala David, wea hem datfala “wanfala shepherd,” for lukaftarem evri servant bilong Hem long earth, wea hem nao olketa anointed Christian and olketa “nara sheep.”—John 10:16.
Olketa Present From Jehovah for Olketa Kongregeson
4, 5. (a) Wanem spesol present nao Jehovah givim for pipol bilong hem long earth? (b) Wanem present nao Jesus givim for olketa kongregeson bilong hem?
4 Jehovah givim wanfala spesol present long olketa Christian kongregeson long wei for markem datfala “wanfala shepherd,” Jesus Christ, for lukaftarem olketa servant bilong Hem long earth. Profesi long Isaiah 55:4 storyim hao Jehovah bae givim wanfala Leader long heven olsem present. Hem sei: “Mi givim hem olsem wanfala witness for olketa nation, olsem wanfala leader and komanda long olketa nation.” Olketa anointed Christian and olketa member bilong “big crowd” kamaot from evri nation, tribe, pipol, and languis. (Revelation 5:9, 10; 7:9) Evriwan hia wanfala big kongregeson raonem world wea kamap “wanfala sekson bilong sheep” wea garem “wanfala shepherd” for leadim olketa, Christ Jesus.
5 Jesus tu givim wanfala spesol present long olketa kongregeson bilong hem long earth. Hem givim olketa faithful shepherd wea serve anda long lead bilong hem and wea shepherdim olketa sheepsheep long kaenfala wei, olsem Jehovah and Jesus duim. Aposol Paul storyim disfala spesol present insaed leta bilong hem for olketa Christian long Ephesus. Hem raet: “ ‘Taem hem go antap hem tekem olketa prisoner; hem givim olketa man wea olsem olketa present.’ . . . Hem markem samfala for kamap olketa aposol, olketa profet, samfala for talemaot gud nius, samfala for kamap olketa shepherd and teacher, for stretem olketa holy wan, for duim waka bilong minister, for buildimap body bilong Christ.”—Ephesians 4:8, 11, 12.
6. Wanem nao Revelation 1:16, 20 kolem olketa anointed overseer wea serve long body of elders, and waswe olketa elder wea olketa nao nara sheep?
6 “Olketa man wea olsem olketa present,” hem olketa elder wea Jehovah and Son bilong hem markem thru long holy spirit for shepherdim olketa sheepsheep long kaenfala wei. (Acts 20:28, 29) Long first century, evri overseer olketa anointed Christian. Revelation 1:16, 20 kolem olketa elder hia insaed long anointed kongregeson “olketa star” and “olketa angel” wea stap long raet hand bilong Christ, wea minim hem nao leadim olketa. Bat long distaem, from namba bilong olketa anointed overseer long earth hem gogo daon, plande long olketa Christian elder insaed long olketa kongregeson olketa nara sheep. From olketa wea Governing Body markem nao appointim olketa elder hia thru long holy spirit, hem stret for sei olketa tu stap anda long raet hand (wea minim anda long lead) bilong Gudfala Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 61:5, 6) From olketa elder insaed long olketa kongregeson bilong iumi stap anda long Christ, Hed bilong kongregeson, hem fitim for iumi barava waka tugeta witim olketa.—Colossians 1:18.
Stap Anda and Obeyim Olketa
7. Wanem kaonsel nao aposol Paul givim saed long tingting bilong iumi abaotem olketa Christian overseer?
7 Olketa Shepherd bilong iumi long heven, Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, laekem for iumi mas stap anda and obeyim olketa shepherd wea garem olketa responsibility insaed long kongregeson. (1 Peter 5:5) Holy spirit muvim aposol Paul for raet olsem: “Tingim olketa wea leadim iufala, wea talem toktok bilong God long iufala, and taem iufala lukluk gud long fasin bilong olketa, followim faith bilong olketa. Obeyim olketa wea leadim iufala and stap anda long olketa, from olketa bae ansa for wei wea olketa gardim iufala; mekem olketa duim diswan witim hapi and no witim sorre, from datwan bae spoelem iufala.”—Hebrews 13:7, 17.
8. Paul talem iumi for “lukluk gud” long wanem samting, and hao nao iumi showimaot iumi ‘obey’?
8 Lukim hao Paul talem iumi for “lukluk gud” long wanem hem kamaot from faithful fasin bilong olketa elder and for followim example bilong olketa. And tu, hem kaonselem iumi for obeyim and followim lead bilong olketa man hia. Bible savveman Richard T. France talem hao long Greek languis bifor, word wea hia iumi transleitim ‘obey,’ plande taem hem minim “willing for followim lead.” Iumi obeyim olketa elder bikos Word bilong God talem iumi for duim datwan, and tu, bikos iumi biliv hao olketa evritaem tingim olketa samting saed long Kingdom and physical and spiritual saed bilong iumi. Sapos iumi willing for followim lead bilong olketa bae iumi barava hapi.
9. Why nao iumi mas “stap anda” and obey?
9 Bat wanem nao iumi shud duim sapos iumi tingse direction bilong olketa elder long wanfala samting hem no best samting for duim? Long taem olsem nao iumi barava need for stap anda. Hem isi for obeyim direction wea olketa elder givim wea iumi barava minim and agree witim. Bat, iumi bae showimaot iumi barava stap anda taem iumi willing for followim direction, nomata taem iumi no barava minim datwan. Peter wea kamap wanfala aposol bihaen showimaot kaen wei for stap anda olsem.—Luke 5:4, 5.
Fofala Reason for Willing for Waka Tugeta
10, 11. Long wanem wei nao olketa overseer “talem toktok bilong God” long olketa Christian brata long first century and distaem?
10 Long Hebrews 13:7, 17 wea iumi readim finis, aposol Paul talem fofala reason why iumi shud obeyim and stap anda long olketa Christian overseer. First reason hem from olketa “talem toktok bilong God” long iumi. Tingim hao Jesus givim “olketa man wea olsem olketa present” long olketa kongregeson for “stretem olketa holy wan.” (Ephesians 4:11, 12) Long first century, Jesus iusim olketa shepherd wea serve anda long lead bilong hem for stretem tingting and fasin bilong olketa Christian. God iusim samfala long olketa shepherd hia for raetem olketa leta long olketa kongregeson. Hem iusim olketa overseer hia for leadim and strongim olketa Christian long taem bifor.—1 Corinthians 16:15-18; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5.
11 Distaem, Jesus iusim “faithful and wise slave” thru long Governing Body and olketa elder for leadim iumi. (Matthew 24:45) From iumi respectim “datfala chief shepherd” Jesus Christ, iumi followim disfala kaonsel bilong Paul: “Tingim olketa wea waka hard midolwan long iufala and wea Lord markem olketa for lukaftarem and kaonselem iufala.”—1 Peter 5:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 5:17.
12. Long wanem wei nao olketa overseer “gardim [iumi]”?
12 Mek-tu reason iumi waka tugeta witim olketa Christian overseer hem bikos “olketa gardim [iumi].” Sapos olketa lukim tingting or fasin bilong iumi change and hao datwan maet spoelem spiritual saed bilong iumi, olketa kwiktaem givim kaonsel wea iumi needim for stretem iumi. (Galatians 6:1) Greek word wea iumi transleitim “gardim” hem really minim “no sleep” olsem wanfala security. Olsem wanfala Bible savveman sei, wei for “gardim” hem minim “wei wea wanfala shepherd hem evritaem lukluk gud long olketa sheepsheep bilong hem.” Olketa elder tingim spiritual samting evritaem, and tu, maet samfala taem olketa no savve sleep gud long naet from olketa tingim spiritual saed bilong iumi. Iumi shud willing for waka tugeta witim olketa kaenfala shepherd olsem wea trae hard for showimaot semkaen fasin for kea olsem Jesus Christ, datfala “nambawan shepherd bilong olketa sheepsheep.”—Hebrews 13:20.
13. Olketa overseer and evri Christian mas givim ansa long hu, and for olketa wanem samting?
13 Mek-thri reason iumi willing for waka tugeta witim olketa overseer hem bikos olketa “bae ansa” for wei wea olketa gardim iumi. Olketa overseer no forgetim hao olketa serve anda long lead bilong olketa Shepherd long heven, Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. (Ezekiel 34:22-24) Jehovah nao Man wea ownim olketa sheepsheep, wea “hem baem witim blood bilong Son bilong hem,” and olketa overseer mas lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep bilong Hem “long kaenfala wei” and givim ansa for wei wea olketa duim diswan. (Acts 20:28, 29) So iumi evriwan mas ansa long Jehovah for wei wea iumi followim direction bilong hem. (Romans 14:10-12) Wei wea iumi obeyim olketa elder hem showimaot tu hao iumi stap anda long Christ, wea hem Hed bilong kongregeson.—Colossians 2:19.
14. Wanem nao maet savve mekem olketa Christian overseer “sorre,” and wanem nao savve kamaot from datwan?
14 Mek-foa reason why Paul talem iumi for hambol for stap anda long olketa Christian overseer hem bikos datwan bae “mekem olketa duim diswan witim hapi and no witim sorre, from datwan bae spoelem [iumi].” (Hebrews 13:17) Olketa Christian elder garem olketa bigfala responsibility. Olketa mas teachim iumi, shepherdim kongregeson, lead long preaching waka, lukaftarem famili bilong olketa, and deal witim olketa problem insaed long kongregeson tu. (2 Corinthians 11:28, 29) Sapos iumi no waka tugeta witim olketa, olketa bae waka hard go moa, and diswan bae mekem olketa feel “sorre.” Wei for duim olsem bae mekem Jehovah no hapi and datwan savve spoelem iumi. Bat taem iumi showimaot respect and waka tugeta witim olketa elder, olketa savve duim waka bilong olketa witim hapi, and diswan hem mekem wan mind kamap and evriwan hapi for waka tugeta for preach abaotem Kingdom.—Romans 15:5, 6.
Showimaot Iumi Stap Anda
15. Long wanem wei nao iumi savve showimaot iumi stap anda and obeyim olketa overseer?
15 Iumi savve waka tugeta witim olketa overseer long plande gudfala wei. From living bilong pipol long territory hem savve change, waswe, olketa elder changem olketa day and taem for olketa meeting for field service wea minim iumi mas changem schedule bilong iumi for fitim datwan? Iumi mas trae hard for sapotim olketa niu arrangement. Maet iumi kasem olketa blessing wea iumi no expectim. Waswe, bae service overseer visitim Kongregeson Buk Study bilong iumi? Traem best for sapotim evri arrangement for duim preaching waka for datfala week. Waswe, iumi kasem wanfala assignment long Theocratic Ministry Skul? Iumi shud mek sure iumi kam long datfala meeting and duim assignment bilong iumi. Waswe, Kongregeson Buk Study overseer hem announcem hao hem week for grup bilong iumi klinim Kingdom Hall? Hem gud for iumi sapotim hem fitim health and strong bilong iumi. Long olketa wei hia and plande nara wei, iumi showimaot iumi stap anda long olketa man wea Jehovah and Son bilong hem markem for lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep.
16. Sapos wanfala elder no duim olketa samting followim direction wea hem kasem, why nao diswan hem no excuse for iumi no obey?
16 Maet samfala taem, wanfala elder no duim olketa samting long wei wea followim direction bilong faithful slave and Governing Body bilong hem. Sapos hem gohed for duim olsem, hem mas givim ansa long Jehovah, datfala “shepherd and overseer bilong soul bilong [iumi].” (1 Peter 2:25) Bat wei wea samfala elder duim mistek or fail for duim samting hem no excuse for iumi no obey. Jehovah no blessim olketa wea no obey and go againstim olketa wea garem paoa.—Numbers 12:1, 2, 9-11.
Jehovah Blessim Olketa wea Willing for Waka Tugeta
17. Wanem tingting nao iumi shud garem abaotem olketa overseer bilong iumi?
17 Jehovah God hem savve hao evri man wea hem markem olsem olketa overseer, olketa no perfect. Nomata olsem, hem iusim olketa and hem shepherdim pipol bilong hem long earth thru long spirit bilong hem. Hem barava tru, datfala “paoa wea winim wanem iumi garem” wea olketa elder and iumi evriwan kasem, “hem bilong God and no bilong iumiseleva.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) So iumi shud thankiu long Jehovah for olketa samting wea hem duim thru long olketa faithful overseer, and iumi shud showimaot iumi willing for waka tugeta witim olketa.
18. Hu nao iumi really stap anda long hem taem iumi stap anda long olketa overseer?
18 Olketa overseer trae hard for kamap olsem olketa shepherd wea Jehovah storyim long Jeremiah 3:15 wea lukaftarem olketa sheepsheep bilong hem long olketa last day. Hem sei: “Bae mi givim iufala olketa shepherd wea mi hapi long hem, and olketa bae feedim iufala savve and fasin for luksavve.” For sure, olketa elder midolwan long iumi duim gudfala waka for teachim and protectim olketa sheepsheep bilong Jehovah. Iumi laek for gohed showimaot iumi tinghae long hard waka bilong olketa long wei for willing for waka tugeta witim olketa, obeyim olketa, and stap anda long olketa. Taem iumi duim olsem, iumi bae showimaot iumi tinghae long olketa Shepherd bilong iumi wea stap long heven, Jehovah God and Jesus Christ.
Review
• Wanem nao Jehovah and Jesus Christ duim wea showimaot olketa nao olketa Shepherd wea showimaot love?
• Why nao iumi need for obey and stap anda?
• Wanem nao olketa gudfala wei iumi savve showimaot iumi stap anda?
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Olketa Christian elder followim lead bilong Christ
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Iumi savve showimaot iumi stap anda long olketa shepherd wea Jehovah markem long plande difren wei