THE NATURE OF THE SHEEP
The Shepherd and the Sheep • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Of all the animals created why God calls His people sheep. Here are few scritures that alludes to God’s people as sheep (Psalm 23, Isaiah 53:6, St. John 10)
Of all the animals created why God calls His people sheep. Here are few scritures that alludes to God’s people as sheep (Psalm 23, Isaiah 53:6, St. John 10)
THE SHEEP IS VERY UNINTELLIGENT
Sheep are not known to be smart or cunning animals when it comes to safety; rather, they are susceptible and tend to wander away from the protection of the shepherd. Compared to the wisdom of God, all knowing, all loving, human intelligence doesn't compare. (1 Corin 3:19).
LETS THINK!!!!!!!!!!! IS MAN REALLY UNINTELLIGENT LIKE SHEEP TOUGH? What ab out the greatest scientist who ever lived like Albert Eisntein, Isaach Netwon, Elon Musk. So is it fair to say that man is unintelligent????
This is not about human intelligence. It is about having spiritual insight. We are in a spiritual wolrd. We are fools to the Spiritual world without Godly insight!
For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
WITHOUT GOD WE ACT LIKE FOOLS!!!!!!!
Fools do not acknowledge God (Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
Fools do not know God (Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Fools invite their own destruction (Proverbs 10:14)
Fools enjoy evil (Proverbs 10:23)
THE SHEEP IS PRONE TO WANDER
People tend to wander away from God, from everything that is right and holy.
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.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.
“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
THE SHEEP IS DEPENDENT ON THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE
The voice of the Shepherd is everything to the sheep
St. John 10:1-5
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
St.John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
The voice of the shepherd brings comfort, security, Provision, Peace, Protection as laid out in Psalm 23 .
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even 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.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
PSALM 23 Ps 23:1–6. Under a metaphor borrowed from scenes of pastoral life, with which David was familiar, he describes God’s providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and so affording grounds of confidence in His perpetual favor. 1. Christ’s relation to His people is often represented by the figure of a shepherd (Jn 10:14; Heb 13:20; 1 Pe 2:25; 5:4), and therefore the opinion that He is the Lord here so described, and in Ge 48:15; Ps 80:1; Is 40:11, is not without some good reason.
2. green pastures—or, “pastures of tender grass,” are mentioned, not in respect to food, but as places of cool and refreshing rest. the still waters—are, literally, “waters of “stillness,” whose quiet flow invites to repose. They are contrasted with boisterous streams on the one hand, and stagnant, offensive pools on the other.
3. To restore the soul is to revive or quicken it (Ps 19:7), or relieve it (La 1:11, 19). paths of righteousness—those of safety, as directed by God, and pleasing to Him. for his name’s sake—or, regard for His perfections, pledged for His people’s welfare.
4. In the darkest and most trying hour God is near. the valley of the shadow of death—is a ravine overhung by high precipitous cliffs, filled with dense forests, and well calculated to inspire dread to the timid, and afford a covert to beasts of prey. While expressive of any great danger or cause of terror, it does not exclude the greatest of all, to which it is most popularly applied, and which its terms suggest. thy rod and thy staff—are symbols of a shepherd’s office. By them he guides his sheep. 5,
6. Another figure expresses God’s provided care. “Thou preparest a table before me....”—or, “food.”
“Thou anointest my head with oil!” oil—anointing oil, the symbol of gladness. cup (which represents abundance)—are prepared for the child of God, who may feast in spite of his enemies, confident that this favor will ever attend him. This beautiful Psalm most admirably sets before us, in its chief figure, that of a shepherd, the gentle, kind, and sure care extended to God’s people, who, as a shepherd, both rules and feeds them. The closing verse shows that the blessings mentioned are spiritual. PSALM 24
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 354.
Sheep are Directionless - Sheep get lost easily. Individual sheep easily wander away from the flock while they graze. When even one sheep goes astray, the shepherd goes after it and restores it to the flock. As Isaiah 53:6 indicates, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” . If a sheep wanders off from the rest of the herd, it will have a hard, if not impossible time, finding its way back. They have no sense of direction. So it is with those outside the Lord, there is simply no sense of spiritual direction in their lives. They cannot find their way to the Lord by themselves.
*Sheep are weak and need a shepherd/people are spiritually weak and need THE Shepherd. . In a human's unsaved, deprived mind, humans are always weak, foolish and ignorant. That is why they always need the shepherd to care for them. Sheep need someone to protect them. Ever seen a “Beware of Sheep” sign posted on someone’s gate? Have you ever seen a wide-eyed animal fleeing for its life from a bleating lamb? Never! Sheep aren’t dangerous they’re virtually defenseless. All they can do is freeze in their tracks, or at best run. Without claws, sharp teeth, speed, or a resounding roar to make predators think twice before pouncing, sheep are easy prey. They can’t scamper up a tree, camouflage their color, or even swim. When they sense danger, the poor, timid sheep panic. Jesus disciples must have shuddered with fear when He told them, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matt.10:16a). A sheep’s best defense is to stay close to the shepherd and remain with the herd. The same is true with us, isn’t it? When we’re out of fellowship with God and isolated from other Christians, we’re most vulnerable. We need the Shepherd’s wisdom and strength to survive, as well as the comfort and encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Sheep become restless. There are two major reasons why sheep become restless: hunger and bugs. Hunger: Sheep can graze peacefully for hours, but they become restless when food is scarce. Spiritual hunger occurs when the word of God is lacking. The Bible tells us that the Good Shepherd, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:2). * A well fed sheep will not quickly feed at a stranger's hand, but hungry sheep will eat anything. (Stay full on God’s word). Bugs: There is in the Middle East a bug that torments sheep by landing and nesting on their heads. If the bug remains undetected by the shepherd, it will multiply and eventually blind the sheep. Shepherds in the Middle East routinely rub olive oil on sheeps' heads to prevent the bug from landing on them, thereby eliminating the problem. In Scripture, the devil is called Beelzebub (the lord of the flies). In the Spirit realm, therefore, bugs are symbolic of demons. The anointing of the Holy Spirit protects us from being harassed by demons.
*A Sheep is a Personal, a Prized and a Precious Possession- This sheep belonged to the shepherd, he had paid a personal price to own it and wasn't going to stand idly by while it was lost. (Ill. The price Jesus paid for the sheep - Ill. Calvary - 1 Cor. 6:19-20) - This sheep may have been no different from any other ordinary sheep, but it was special to the shepherd. To him, it was a prized possession. - To this shepherd, there were no big sheep and little sheep. Every sheep he had was precious in his eyes. So it is with the Lord. He loves all His sheep equally.
*Sheep need plenty of water. In the Bible regions, the shepherds had to get their sheep to water very regularly. As Christians, we need the living water of the Holy Spirit continually. We cannot go without it. John 7:38 says: "He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water; In dry spells they may not go to get water. They will mob round a tree in a dry paddock or an empty water trough until they die of thirst. They need someone to lead them beside still water. People are often helpless, easily intimidated and will head away from help when it is offered. They need a shepherd to guide them.
*Sheep follow the voice of their own Shepherd (no other shepherd). The Bible says the sheep know the voice of the shepherd. They are not without understanding! They follow the One whom they know. You may never have a complete understanding of your circumstances with all the answers to the questions of life, but you will understand the love of God and the importance of following the Lord to the green pastures and living water. The shepherd is at the front of the sheep and leads the sheep. The sheep know their shepherd, the sound of his voice and follow him. This is also the way that the sheep are separated into separate herds after grazing or sleeping together. The shepherd calls the sheep and they come. They need no markings to distinguish them - all they need is the sound of the shepherd's voice.
*Sheep can not get up on their own. If they fall down (“cast down”), they must have a shepherd to lift them up or they will die. 'Cast down' sheep. . . .This is an old English shepherd's term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. A 'cast' sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back,
its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success..
*Sheep must be sheared for its own good. (We don’t like when “bad” things happen to us, but we must trust that it is for our own good). Whenever a shepherd finds that a sheep was cast down because it had too long and heavy a fleece, he soon took swift steps to remedy the situation. In short order he would shear it clean and so forestall the danger of having the ewe lose her life. This was not always a pleasant process. Sheep do not really enjoy being sheared and it represents some hard work for the shepherd, but it must be done. Actually when it is all over both sheep and owner are relieved. There is no longer the threat of being cast down, while for the sheep there is the pleasure of being set free from a hot, heavy coat. Often the fleece is clogged with filthy manure, mud, burrs, sticks and ticks. What a relief to be rid of it all!
*Sheep must be lead to grass/just as the Holy Spirit leads us to what we need/God. If left to themselves they will graze in the same place until all the grass is gone. A good shepherd leads them to the best places to graze to keep them healthy. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
*Sheep remain dirty until someone cleans them. Sheepskin is full of an oil called lanolin. Lanolin comes through the skin and coats the wool. It conditions the wool so that the animal will stay warm in cold weather, but the oily wool is one of the most effective dirt-catching devices known to man. Every time a sheep lies down, grass, dirt, burrs, dust, and everything imaginable clings to its coat. Sheep are huge walking Velcro strips.
Our shepherd-Jesus.
*Shepherds protect: With the whole flock examined and bedded down, finally, the shepherd himself would lie down, stretching his body across the opening. So, the shepherd literally, physically became the door! His body kept the sheep in and the dangers of the night out. No sheep could wander into danger because the shepherd’s body held them in. Wolves and robbers could enter to harm the flock only over the dead body of the shepherd. Some claim that, even in modern times, morning will occasionally find scattered sheep, without a shepherd. Upon investigation, a bleeding, battle-worn shepherd will often be found somewhere nearby—sometimes even a dead one. The shepherd would literally lay "down his life for the sheep."
*A shepherd lives with his sheep/ Jesus left heaven to live with us. A shepherd, in order to know his sheep and care for them, has to live among them. He has to be close to them. Jesus came from heaven to Earth to be close to His sheep.
*A shepherd will use suffering as a last resort to get the sheep’s obedience in order that the sheep doesn’t loose it’s life. A woman visiting Switzerland came to a sheepfold on one of her daily walks. Venturing in, she saw the shepherd seated on the ground with his flock around him. Nearby, on a pile of straw lay a single sheep, which seemed to be suffering. Looking closely, the woman saw that its leg was broken. Her sympathy went out to the suffering sheep, and she looked up inquiringly to the shepherd as she asked what happened. "I broke it myself," said the shepherd sadly and then explained. "Of all the sheep in my flock, this was the most wayward. It would not obey my voice and would not follow when I was leading the flock. On more than one occasion, it wandered off to the edge of the cliff and not only was it disobedient; it was leading other sheep astray. Based on my experience with this kind of sheep, I knew I had no choice, so I broke its leg. The next day I tried to bring food, but it tried to bite me. After letting it lie alone for a couple of days, I went back and it not only eagerly took the food, but also licked my hand and showed every sign of submission and affection. And now let me say this. When this sheep is well, it will be a model sheep of my entire flock. No sheep will hear my voice or follow closely. Instead of leading the others away, it will be an example of devotion and obedience. In short a complete change will come into the life of this wayward sheep. It will learn obedience through its suffering."Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.”
*The shepherd’s Motive - Not in anger to punish, but in love to rescue. The shepherd doesn't go after the sheep in an effort to punish it for going astray. His motive is to find the sheep and restore it to its proper place in the fold. So it is with the Lord. He doesn't go after the lost ones so that He can punish them for their sins. He pursues them in order that He might prove His love for them and that they might be restored to a right relationship with the Lord. His motive is to deliver them from punishment not inflict punishment upon them.
*The Shepherd Intensifies The Search- This verse says that the shepherd searches until he finds the sheep. He doesn't give up after just a few minutes or hours of searching, but he stays on the job until the sheep has been recovered. So it is with the Lord. H never gives up on the lost sheep. He keeps calling and knocking and waiting, hoping that they will come to Him before it is too late. (Ill. I am thankful and grateful that the Lord didn't give up on me! I am glad that He kept knocking and kept calling until I answered - Rev. 3:20 I shouldn't be surprised though, after all, that is His business - Luke 19:10)
*The Shepherd Lifts The Sheep - This shepherd doesn't stop with a mere touch. He reaches down and lifts the sheep out of the place where he finds it. He removes it from the place of danger. (Ill. The Good Shepherd does the same for those He finds wandering the dark hills of sin. He comes alongside them, reaches out to them and when they respond to His touch, He lifts them out of their sin and removes them from the danger they were in. Thank God, when Jesus comes into a heart and life, He delivers us from all danger, Rom. 5:9.)
*The Shepherd wants to find the sheep to1. use it- As long as it was lost, it was of no benefit to the shepherd. (Ill. The Lord cannot use a wayward life. He demands holy vessels.) 2.rescue it from Danger - Unless the shepherd had intervened this sheep would have remained in serious danger. It could never have defended itself or rescued itself. (Ill. As long as men are apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, they are in serious danger. Hell and judgment are out there in front of them and they need desperately to be delivered. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ saved from the penalty of sin.) 3. Rescue it from Death - If the shepherd had not come looking for the sheep, it would have most certainly died out there in the wilderness. But now, it lives all because the shepherd came looking to save a wayward sheep. (Ill. The Bible tells us that "the wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23. Without the intervention of the Good Shepherd the lost sinner has no hope and will eventually wind up in Hell. . Only Jesus saves the human soul - Acts 4:12; John 14:6;
*A shepherd uses a rod. A rod was used by shepherds to defend his sheep against wild animal attacks, and the staff was used to gently guide the sheep or to rescue them from danger when they fell. The staff was also used to pull a sheep near to the shepherd to be comforted by him. Our Good Shepherd has given each of us a Rod too. The Bible teaches us how to defend ourselves from Satan's attacks. And the Holy Spirit, is our Staff to guide us and pull us closer to God. When we face the unknown time of our deaths (only God knows this), the Holy Spirit will be there to lead us and guide us through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and into God the Father's presence in Heaven. The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep in the way in which they should go, and, in the case of a wandering nosey sheep, to pull it back into line[1]. Again, there is comfort in the fact that God directs us and even discipline from the Lord (pulling us back into line!) can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6) The staff is lso used for guiding sheep. . . . The tip of the long slender stick is laid gently against the animal's side and the pressure applied guides the sheep in the way the owner wants it to go. Thus the sheep is reassured of its proper path. In Psalm 23: 3, David goes beyond the shepherd analogy and speaks of how God leads him in the “paths of righteousness for his name's sake”. And though he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, he fears no evil (v4). The reason for this is that His rod and staff are a comfort, so here David is placing his trust in God as sheep do in their shepherd. The sheep don't know what their master's plans are for them, but follow him believing he will look after them. In the same way David had his problems in walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but had faith in the protective ability of God. In particular, the staff and rod, the Armour of the shepherd are a comfort. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." The straight path is not always the easiest; round about you may wander in sunny glades, while the straight path is through the defile, a dark and dangerous way. Nevertheless it is the road, and the best road, to the place where you fain would be. To take easier journeys would mean that you
would be overtaken by the night before the sheepfold could be reached. Wherefore the shepherd in his wisdom leads to the threatening valley; but he keeps close to the sheep, with his rod (his weapon of offense) and his staff (his weapon of guidance) ready, so that when darkness comes, the shepherd and his sheep are home. It is a lovely little picture of the God
Adopted from: article entitled ‘Why does God call us sheep?
- April 16, 2011