Gentle and Lowly- How to Minister

 Gentle and Lowly shows us as minister of the gospel how to interact with Dane Ortland's intended audience of sinners.   It shows us how to love people in their sin and show them mercy.   This book gives us a clear picture of the mercy of Jesus Christ and how we should embody that in ministry.     Ortland clearly defines how to take on the heart of Christ and how he is gentle and lowly toward us.   This book of Jesus Christ's tender and lowliness towards us while we were still sinners shows me how I need to remember Jesus' love towards us when ministering to the broken and outcast. 

Also,  it shows as ministers of the gospel how our hearts should move towards those in sinner.   We should embody Christ in ministry in moving toward the broken and outcast.   Jesus moved toward the lepers, hurting,  destitute, and demon-possessed.   He had compassion on them in their sin and desperate situation.   It is this compassion that we should have to specific sinners we are ministering to.  

In minister, it is important we take on the mercy of Jesus Christ.   Orland uses the verse Exodus 34:6-7 to exemplify this point.   It says "God is compassion and merciful, slow to anger."    As ministers of the gospel,  we should model the mercy of God.   His mercy was so endless he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.   This shows us in ministry,  the amount he calls us to show mercy to the sinners. 

Lastly,  in ministry in order to take on the heart of Jesus Christ it is important we rely on his Spirit.   When we rely on the Holy Spirit: he uses us to convict sinners of their need for him,  teach others,  and guide others in truth.   Also,  in ministry when we rely on the Holy Spirit he leads us to those he wants us to share the gospel with.   Similarly,  the Holy Spirit shows us the true heart of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit shows Jesus' heart and love for sinners to know him.   

God is our good shepherd. He leads his flock

 God showed me of this theme all throughout Scripture.   This terminology starts in Ezekiel 34:10 and lasts until verse 34.   The theme of God being our good shepherd relates back to Jeremiah 23:5-6,  which gives us a sense of intertextuality in regards to the passage.   This concept of God being a shepherd goes back to John 10:11-18.  This passage Jesus is portrayed as our "good shepherd" in how he leads us.  

Ezekiel 34:1-8,  Ezekiel prophesies against the leaders to Israel.   Shepherd terminology is used to show the significance of how the leaders of Israel lead the people astray.   In verse ten,  we can see how God puts himself in place of the shepherds to show how leads his people.     In the preceding verses, 11-20 God gives us a picture on how he leads us people when they are lead astray.    While in verse 22,  God details his saving work for his people.    God is jealous for his people to know him and he desires to lead them.

In the conclusion to this section of verses,  starts in verse 24 with Jesus portrayed as our good shepherd and servant king.   When we interpret this passage in terms of biblical interpretation in how in relates back to this foretelling in Jeremiah 23:5-6.   The preceding verses in Jeremiah give us the shepherd metaphor.  This shows us how Jesus is our good shepherd that serves us and leads us in a righteous manner.   Lastly,  a New Testament passage that gives us a depiction of God as a good shepherd is John 10:11-18.