The Sheep and the Shepard
This
morning lessons come from a section of scripture that even most of the world
knows about because it used at most funerals. In fact most of the people in
here can probably quote all or part of this Psalm.
Psalm 23:1-A Psalm
of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green
pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of
righteousness For His name's sake. 4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort
me. 5 You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup
runs over. 6 Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the
house of the LORD Forever.
The words found in this
Psalm are very comforting and most people can see how this passage relates to them. It from this passage
that we are going talking about the difference between a Shepard and a sheep. First I want to ask you a couple of questions. How
many of you in here have ever Shepard sheep? How many of you know someone who
have Shepard sheep?
It would be safe for me
to say that the majority of the people here don’t know a whole lot about
Shepards or sheep. The only thing we do know is what we have read about or
taught about by others. I would image all of have seen a picture of Jesus
holding a sheep. This is how many would visualize Psalm 23.
Psalm 100:3 …We are His people and the sheep of
His pasture.
Since the Bible teaches
that we are like sheep we need to explore sheep are all about.
First all being called a
sheep is not the most complementing term a person can have because sheep are
very dumb. The are probably one of the lest intelligent animals that God
created. Have you ever seen a trained sheep?
Little Boe peep has lost
her sheep
And doesn’t no where to
find them
Leave them alone and the
will never make there way home.
That is the way that poem
should read because they cannot find their home. Once they get outside their
group they are lost and they have no idea what to do. They are not smart they
have sense of direction and they will not find their way home.
Sheep are weak and helpless.
I am sure you have seen signs that say beware of Dog but have you ever seen a
sign beware of sheep? Of course not. I don’t think I have heard of
aggressive sheep. If you read hunting
magazines you run across stories how people have barely escaped with their
lives after encountering bears or lions but I don’t think you ever read an article about how some sheep
attacked someone.
Think about some of the
sayings that people use to indicate strength Some would say your as bold as
lion or you are strong as an Ox as far as I know I have never heard someone use
a sheep to indicate someone being strong.
One last one think about
a football coach trying to fire his team to win the game. Could you imaging him
saying were going to fight like sheep tonight. A coach would never say this
because sheep very vulnerable and defenseless.
Some animals are fast
while others have sharp claws but sheep don’t even have a good growl. They are
so helpless that they are at the mercy of any animal that comes along.
Mary had a little lamb
its fleece was white as snow
Again this is not true
not only are Sheep weak and helpless they are dirty. Their wool isn’t nice and
fluffy instead its greasy and every thing sticks to it. Other animals try to
clean themselves but not a sheep and because of this they stink and unless
someone washes them they will remain dirty. Now that I have described how sheep
is weak, helpless, dirty and stinky don’t you think that is good description of
us. No its not flattering but that’s the way humans are without the help of a
Shepard.
Isaiah 53: 3 He is despised and rejected by
men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our
faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and
afflicted. 5 But He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are
healed. 6 All we like sheep
have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has
laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
We are not smart to know
all the devils tricks were not even smart enough to know what is going to
happen tomorrow and were certainly not capable of directing our own steps.
Jeremiah 10:23 23 O LORD, I know the way of man is
not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Without Gods help we be
like the sheep we would remain dirty it
only through the help of the Shepard Jesus Christ that we could be made clean
because we cannot purify ourselves. You
see ever single person in this room and in the world needs help from the
Shepard. Notice what Paul tells Timothy.
2 Tim. 3:1 But
know this, that in the last days perilous
times will come: 2 For men
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control,
brutal, despisers of good, 4
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, 5 having a form of
godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Paul was talking about
what was happening then and is still happening today and if we just go about
like sheep without a Shepard we will find ourselves being one the type of
people that Paul had just described.
2 Timothy
The only way you and I can be safe or save today is through God help and no other way.
Isaiah 41:13 13 For I, the LORD your God, will
hold your right hand, Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'
Sheep can become
frightened really easy and if they don’t have Shepard when trouble comes they
will scatter. That is we being like sheep need to stay close to our Shepard and
allow him to comfort so that we don’t scatter and become lost.
Think about Job for a
minute. Here a man that everything a person could desire. He a good family he
had all the money he needed and he was well respected with those around him.
But in instant all that he has was taking from him. The same thing can happen
to us today because we just don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You could lose
job or even your family. How can we possible live not knowing what tomorrow may
bring? Its because we have Shepard we can trust in God knowing that in the end
all things will work out for the God. I really believe that Job probably would
had killed himself if didn’t have God as his Shepard.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and
Your staff, they comfort me.
This is the most
wonderful thing we can have as Christians know that we have a Shepard that will
comfort us no matter what we go through in this life. He will be there for us.
Another interesting Psalm
23 is where its says He leads me beside
the still waters. You have to understand that sheep are afraid of running
water and a Shepard has to lead them to quiet body of water so they will drink.
In similar manner God knows what we are afraid he knows our weaknesses and will
not allows us to be tempted beyond what we can handle.
Did you know that if a sheep
fall on his back that he cannot get up by himself. The Shepard has to help turn
him over and if he has been on his back for long while the Shepard will massage
his legs to help him stand up. In the same way God find us on our back
sometimes and it is only through his help that we can stand before him as we
should.
Now let talk about the Shepard. The Shepard is the
leader and the sheep will follow him. Another thing you need to know about
sheep is that they can driven like cattle however they will follow their
Shepard because they trust him and they know his voice.
John 10:1 "Most assuredly, I say
to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some
other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep. 3 "To him the
doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out. 4
"And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep
follow him, for they know his voice. 5
"Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for
they do not know the voice of strangers."
The
Shepard knows his sheep and the sheep know their Shepard and will not follow a
stranger. Today we should know our Shepard and pay attention to what he tells
us to do by reading and studying Gods word. Jesus loves us and knows what is
best for us but if we are going to be able to recognize his voice or his words
from a strangers then we must students of the Bible.
John 10: 11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the
sheep. 12 "But a
hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep,
sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the
sheep and scatters them. 13
"The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the
sheep. 14 "I am the good
shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 "As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
Without a doubt Jesus
Christ is our Shepard and we shall not want. You see the Shepard is willing to
give his life for his sheep and that is exactly what Jesus did for every single
one of us. Notice the difference between a hireling and Shepard The hireling would
be one who would be paid to watch the Shepards sheep for a short while but
since they were not his sheep if a wolf or some sort of enemy came along a
hireling would run away but as we pointed out the Shepard would fight for his
sheep until he died because the sheep belong to him and loves them very much.
As Christians today it should give us great joy and comfort know that Jesus is our Shepard and that he know
all of us by name and that he will always be there for us.
Matthew 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and spoke to
them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. 19 "Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20
"teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I
am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Luke 15:3 So He
spoke this parable to them, saying: 4
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does
not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost
until he finds it? 5
"And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing. 6 "And when
he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to
them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
The
Shepard is committed to all his sheep. He could just say ah who care I have 99
what is 1 sheep to me but instead he takes the time to go find the one sheep
because ever sheep is important to him. Ever lost soul is important to God and
he wants everyone to be saved. I also love how the Shepard doesn’t scold the
sheep when he finds it instead he comforts it and puts it over his shoulder. Etc
Invitation…
Matthew 11:28-30 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and
learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. 30 "For My
yoke is easy and My burden is light."