Like Sheep Without a Shepherd Mark 6

It’s always a joy to return to a place that was so formative for me. For those who do not know me, I attended and served here during the majority of my college years and was blessed by the teachings, friendships, mentors, discipleship, and everything else that came as being part of this church. I pray the same heartbeat, legacy, and reach would continue to extend from this church for many years to come.

If you would, open your Bible’s to Mark chapter 6.

We live in an increasingly crazy world.

sometimes it seems like the crazy gets taken to a whole new level each month, if not every week or even day.

we look around and see the emphasis on wokeness, or the lgbtqia+ community and there are more headlines, more stories, and more attempts to normalize the crazy that makes us feel like we’re being gaslit.

here we are at the end of the month of June. I don’t know what things have looked like for you out here, but in our small town of 50k people we had a pride festival at the beginning of the month. Included in this pride festival was a family zone where on local library sponsored story time and is a gold level sponsor of the entire event, a “family friendly” drag show, and then toward The end of the day there was a bedtime story read by a drag queen to send the kids off before the the adults had the after party. We set records for number of sponsors and attendance.

things like this go on and all the while we are expected to either fully embrace the agenda of the world or else oppose it in such a way that gets us labeled as bigots, haters, and phobic. the world is so polarized that for many people there only exist the poles. There only exist two paths. Join the world and their sin, or stand so far away as possible so as to avoid what they see as filth, occasionally lobbing grenade and making a lot of noise about how they are corrupting our children and ruining our country.

these Ideologies and agendas truly are damaging to our nation and communities, and our children are at genuine risk. But is there another way that we can approach how we think about those around us? Is there another way to view those who are choosing sin that doesn’t comprise truth, but can demonstrably prove that the charges of hatred and bigotry are false?

Can we proclaim the truth in on such a way that preserves what god has said without succumbing to the temptation to be the shrill talking heads who seems like they actually do hate others of differing viewpoints and lifestyles?

if so, what does that look like?

and I started talking about the craziness of the world, but this question must also apply to how we view others around who just don’t know Jesus Christ. How do we think about our neighbors who attends the Catholic Church and pray to Mary? How do we interact with our conservative coworker who seems like he loves president trump more than Jesus?

how do we think about and interact with the friend who has an understanding with the big man upstairs, so he doesn’t need to think about the gospel, the Bible, the church, or anything spiritual?

how we interact with people that we might think of as far left really shouldn’t be all that different for how we think about and interact with people who might be more like us in terms of being socially conservative, but they don’t know the lord.

we think we need a special strategy for what we would classify as the harder cases, but that just isn’t so, and id like to demonstrate that from the life of Jesus today.

you see, I believe that the answer to all this is to view the world through the eyes of Jesus Christ. Which is to say, he looked, he saw, and had compassion, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

P: Our disposition toward those around us who need Jesus Christ should mirror the heart of Christ for sinners.

Q: what is the heart of Christ for sinners? He sees, he has has compassion, he teaches them. Our Disposition should mirror that.

the context of our passage today has Jesus receiving back his disciples after sending them out for ministry. They were out preaching, healing, casting out demons, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of god.

they come back and are telling Jesus all about what wonderful things God was doing through them.

and Jesus calls them aside to rest.

Mark 6:30–34 ESV

The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

there is a lot that could be said about the lead up to verse 34. The priority of rest, and interruption of the crowd. I included it primarily to set our context. From here Jesus is going to feed the crowd. But I really want to focus our time on just vs 34.

first. If our disposition toward the lost is to be one that mirrors the heart of Christ, the first thing we notice is that the heart of Christ sees.

the heart of Christ sees.

the text says that Jesus saw the crowd.

Our Christ-like disposition toward the lost should begin with seeing them.

In the midst to moving to a time of rest, there is something that catches Jesus’ eye.

How often we do go through life and we don’t even see one another. And I’m not talking about physical sight here, exactly. We see people. But do we SEE people?

The word that Mark uses here is not a unique word for seeing, it really does just mean that he saw the crowd with his phyiscal eyes, but when you look at the context and what flows from that, Jesus doesn’t just see, but he sees. he see with perception. He looks around and notices something about them that leads him to react to what he sees.

The people that we interact with. They are people. They have lives. They have a story. They have a history.

Do you see that?

What you are having a Gospel conversation with someone, are you just itching so bad to get your points across that you are ignoring the things that they are communicating?

There is someone close to me to recently decided to “transition” from being a male to a female. I can react to that, I can scream about how God made humanity male and female, I can talk about how his choices are damaging to him and those around him…all those things are true!

But what if we started with seeing them? What’s his story? I recently learned of some difficult experiences he had as part of a local church. And its sad. That’s part of his story. So If I come ragging in about this that or something else, I will be playing into his perceptions borne out of his past experiences.

But if I see him. See him as a person. See him as someone created in the image of God. See him as someone who needs the love of God in his life.

Then my disposition is going to begin to mirror the heart of Christ.

Because what does the seeing produce?

Our Christ-like disposition toward the lost should be dominated by compassion.

Mark 6:34 “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”

Compassion. The word compassion comes from a word group that refers to inward parts of a person, or the bowels. There is a response within the very gut of a person who has compassion.

Our English word can be defined as a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Stated more simply, It’s seeing someone in need and having a deep desire to help.

That’s Jesus when he sees the crowd. He sees a people that are in need, and he wants to help them. And this isn’t limited to this passage of Scripture. All through the Gospels the response of compassion is a consistent theme, and he has that response to crowds like this, to children, to women, even to those caught in immorality! Compassion.

And brothers and sisters, I think this is where we so often can go wrong with our approach to the lost.

Our natural knee-jerk reaction to some groups who are abandoning God’s design for humanity is one of revulsion, anger, and disgust.

And I get it!

I’ve seen footage of what happens at the pride festivals. It’s not family friendly.

I’ve seen what happens in Christ-less socially conservative homes. It’s not pretty either, just in a different kind of way.

But if we are to mirror the heart of Christ in our disposition toward the lost, we have to get ourselves to a place where we see people with compassion.

Yes, there are people who are actively seeking to introduce levels of deviancy to our children. But they are people. They are people in need. And we must cultivate within our hearts the ability to have our reaction be one of compassion and not merely one revulsion and disgust.

Whatever sin we see that we react against is a symptom of the greater need. And it is because of that need that we must have compassion.

What is their need?

the text says they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Our Christ-like disposition toward the lost understands the peril of the lost.

Jesus had compassion on the crowd for a specific reason. He saw them, had compassion, why? They are like sheep without a shepherd.

Now, I’ve never worked with a sheep. Maybe some of you have. I had to do some research about what all can happen to a sheep without a shepherd. I had a few things in my mind that I thought I knew, but I learned so much more.

Sheep are easily mislead. This misleading can be of themselves or by other sheep

Sheep seem to be wired to follow each other around. The don’t often go in straight lines, but walk or run in winding paths so they can see in front and behind them. But because they are constantly looking around to see what their fellow sheep are doing, they aren’t the most careful about where they are going, and can be prone to simply run over the edge of a cliff for no apparent reason. But because sheep tend to follow each other, if one goes over, others will likely follow.

I read that and I went hmm. That kinda sounds like some people I know. They are just going with the flow of the people around them, following the foolish lead of those who also don’t know where they are going. The blind leading the blind.

I don’t know about you, but it’s easy for me to be tempted to mock them. We use words like “those sheeple” in a derogatory sense.

But I should have compassion. They are being led astray! Some are leading themselves astray! Isaiah actually say this is what we all naturally do.

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

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.

and if it isn’t the sheep leading itself astray, its following another sheep that is just as clueless as themselves!

And that’s sad!

The heart of compassion should have a desire to step in and show them the way! you don’t have to be mislead, there is a shepherd who will care for you!

2. Sheep cannot find food and water on their own.

They don’t have an internal GPS to find water or grazing pasture. Unless they are led there they won’t know how to get there.

I hear that and I go, hmm. I think of others I know. People searching for truth but have no idea where to look for it! People are starving for truth in our communities and don’t know where to find it!

They are looking for answers in the LGBTQ community! They are looking for answers in drugs and alcohol. They are looking for answers in politics! they are looking for answers on internet communities.

I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian home. I’m very grateful for the upbringing I had. But there were some questions that I had growing up that I did not feel the freedom to bring up and ask my parents. So I went to google. And I found answers. but they were all the wrong answers.

Parents, we must foster an environment in our home where our children will feel free to ask the awkward questions.

Church, we must foster an environment in the church were no questions off limits!

Truth never needs to be afraid of investigation, and if we believe that the Bible has answers, we need not be afraid of any question!

If we want people to find the food and sustenance that they are desperately searching for, we have to be open to the hard conversations!

People are desperate for truth, and they have no where to turn. They need our compassion. We must desire to give them the bread of life.

3. Sheep are defenseless.

Sheep are also defenseless creatures. If a predator comes to attack, they have no means of protecting themselves, and they fall prey to whatever predator comes along looking for a snack.

I hear that and I go, hmm. That sounds like people I know. People led astray by false gospels, false ideologies, false doctrines.

The Scripture talks often about the dangers of false teachers. The bible calls them wolves. Peter calls the devil a ravenous lion who prowls around seeking someone to devour. Unattended sheep become easy prey to those who would use and abuse them for their own selfish gain.

I hear that and I go, hmm. I know people who are being taken in by false teachers! they are being preyed upon and devoured! People in prosperity churches giving every dime they have hoping for a miracle or a breakthrough, cults that offer safety and security, and things like the pride festivals fall into this. A community promising freedom by embracing an identity rooted in sexuality, but in promising freedom they are only enslaved by their sin and used for their agendas.

The heart of compassion sees them being deceived and says, no! They need to be rescued! They need someone to help them see the error of their false teachers.

Jude puts it this way:

Jude 23 (ESV)

save others by snatching them out of the fire;

Sheep without a shepherd have no one to protect them from the false teachings, they have no one to lead them away from the dangerous ideas and toward what good and true and right and healthy.

Finally,

4. Un-sheered sheep live with parasites and disease.

If sheep are not tended, the their wool will become overgrown, which gets matted, heavy, and dirty. Diseases and parasites set in, and they will literally begin to die from the inside out because they are living in their own filth in their wool.

I hear that and I go, hmm. That sounds like some people I know.

Even if there are no outside influences that are dragging them down, they’ve been able to avoid the foolish sheep that would lead them over a cliff, they’ve managed to get enough food by stumbling upon grazing pasture by chance, have been able to avoid predators that would rip them apart, unshephered sheep will still die because they have no means to clear out the dirt and parasites that live in their wool. People are much the same. Even without false teachers, bad influences, and all the rest, apart from Jesus Christ we still make foolish choices, live in sin, and will die in our sin if the Gospel is never embraced.

How do we respond when we see people like this? Mock them? look upon them with disgust? A matted, unsheered sheep is not a pretty sight. The clean up process is long, messy, and can be painful depending on what all lies below the surface.

But it’s worth it.

Sometimes I get caught up watching these youtube videos of people seeking to rehabilitate neglected farm animals. Tending to horses’ hoofs that haven’t been trimmed, sheep that haven’t been sheered, etc.

It’s fascinating. To see the sheep get sheered, and they are initially resistant but then are visibly happier after the process is done, it’s amazing!

To see the same process work out in the lives of men and women as they come to faith in Christ and begin to order their lives according to a biblical worldview....It’s amazing.

Jesus looked on the crowd. He has compassion on them, because they are like sheep without a shepherd.

Sheep need a shepherd. That fact that Jesus views them as sheep without a shepherd is an indictment on the spiritual leadership of the day.

Where were the pharisees? Where were the scribes? Why weren’t they caring for the sheep? They are hungry! They are needy! And no one is tending to them.

Where are our pastors and churches today? Are we reaching out to the community? Do we view them as people in need? Or are we like the pharisees. sitting in our isolated echo chambers doing nothing to help anyone.

Sheep need a shepherd. Just as you and I need shepherd. the lost need a shepherd.

Jesus sees them in need, and moved with compassion, that desire to help, he takes action.

What does he do? look at the end of vs 34.

He teaches them. The text says he began to teach them many things.

Teaching. Instruction. He sees them as people with spiritual needs and he seeks to meet that need by teaching them truth.

Jesus is the great shepherd.

Living life on mission is going to give us eyes to see people and their spiritual needs. These people needed a shepherd. The people we encounter in life need a shepherd as well. Will you lead them to Jesus?

Will you lead people to Jesus, the great Shepherd, like a shepherd leads sheep to water.

We sang Psalm 23 earlier. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. That Psalm describes God’s love and care for his people. we have the opportunity to lead people to this shepherd. A life on mission sees people with their spiritual needs, has compassion on them, and teaches them the Word of God.

Our Christ-like disposition toward the lost should drive us to lead them to the Great Shepherd

what does this look like?

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be a systematic theology class. In fact it probably shouldn’t be.

Sometimes people express trouble that they’re having in life. Simply comments like “you know, I’m a Christian, and we can struggle with those things too. but in the Bible, God teaches us that we can deal with this problems in this way.”

Or “I’m sorry you are going through that. God’s design for the world was not to be so burdened with Sin. But did you know that the Bible says God is going to being perfect justice into the world one day? Have you ever thought about what would happen to you or me if he did?”

We can point people to great Shepherd. We can show them Jesus Christ.

A really simple way we can lead people to the Shepherd is through invited them to study the bible with you on a weekly basis. We have a couple copies of “one-to-one” bible reading on the table for anyone who might be interested in that approach. You might be surprised how many people would be willing to read the bible with out over lunch once a week.