WHY SHEEP

WHY  SHEEP

 

Jesus refers to us as sheep, why? Is He telling us that we are helpless as sheep? We know sheep without a shepherd go astray, get lost, injured or die. Like sheep without a shepherd, we also will go astray in this world. We need a shepherd to guide us and give us instructions as we go through life or we’ll end up like that lost sheep.  

 

He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the

greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

PROVERBS 5:23

 

He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,

But he who refuses correction goes astray.

PROVERBS 10:17

 

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,

And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

PSALM 78:72

 

There are times a female sheep will reject its lamb, even kicking it away, becoming rejected and alone in this world. (These female sheep are the ones that represent a corrupt world, and the rejected baby lambs are believers this world rejects, because the world has turned against God. These are the ones the True Shepherd came to save.)

 

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

ISAIAH 40:11

 

As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered

sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the

places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

EZEKIEL 34:12

 

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

MATTHEW 18:11

 

These lambs without a shepherd to save them, they will surely die. (Like them without a Savior to save us, many will die going astray in their sins.) A good shepherd has compassion on God’s flock, and will care for them, feeding them with the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (There are many good shepherds that stand on God’s word leading His sheep, believers to Jesus, the True Savior.)

 

And I will give you shepherds according to My heart,

who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

JEREMIAH 3:15

 

I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them;

and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed,

nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord.

JEREMIAH 23:4

 

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude

and was moved with compassion for them, because

they were like sheep not having a shepherd.

So He began to teach them many things.

MARK 6:34

 

These rejected lambs started out looking lost and heartbroken, (They needed a Savior.) Thanks to Jesus, they have become members of His family, after being rejected by this world and loved ones. (God warns us that families will be divided for His name sake and we will be hated by the world, even by the ones we love.)

 

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

PSALM 34:18

 

⁵³ Father will be divided against son and son against father,

mother against daughter and daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law

against her mother-in-law.”

LUKE 12:53-55

 

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before

it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would

love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I

chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

JOHN 15:18-19

 

When these lambs (believers) are old enough, and learn of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ, they are sent back out into the herd (world,) telling others of God’s saving grace through repentance of sin and receiving Jesus who shed His blood and died for our sins, becoming our Lord and Savior. God will then send His Holy Spirit to live in them, making them a member of His family, and to be a witness of the True Shepherd (Jesus Christ) who saves (The lost and rejected people.) lambs.

 

²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,

“Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant,

which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

MATTHEW 26:27-28

 

¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel

of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the

Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the

redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

EPHESIANS 1:13-15

 

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

ROMANS 10:15

 

These lambs (believers) never forget their shepherd’s love or voice. They will hear Him, obey Him and follow Him. (Only believers, hear and follow the True Shepherd, Jesus Christ.)  (Yes, Jesus cares for all those in this world, but in the end, He will separate the goats from the sheep, for the goats do not know His voice or respond to Him.)

 

²⁶ But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep,

as I said to you. ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and

I know them, and they follow Me.

JOHN 10:26-27

 

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because

it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him,

for He dwells with you and will be in you.

JOHN 14:17

 

³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one

from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set

the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to

those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom

prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

MATTHEW 25:32-34

 

If one of these lambs (once saved) strays off its path (sins) or is attacked by an enemy, (Satan) they can cry out for their shepherd (Jesus Christ) to save them, knowing he will hear them.

 

In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out

to my God; He heard my voice from His temple,

And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

PSALM 18:6

 

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

PSALM 107:28

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive

us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 JOHN 1:9

 

When Jesus the True Shepherd calls us home, the only ones that will be going to heaven will be His sheep (Believers), for they know His voice. (Jesus knows each of us by name and we know His voice.) Jesus tells us He is the only way in.

 

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.

JOHN 10:3-4

 

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep,

and am known by My own.

JOHN 10:14

 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.

JOHN 14:6

 

Sheep without a true shepherd will follow anyone who leads. (Unfortunately many will follow these false shepherds, be it pastors, politicians or teachers) who tell them what they want to hear, rather than the truth, deceiving and being deceived themselves, denying God’s truth.

 

But evil men and impostors will grow worse

and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 TIMOTHY 3:13

 

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,

but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears,

they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their

ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4

 

They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being

abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

TITUS 1:16

 

Only God’s word can prepares us to go out into this world to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and stand strong in our daily life, but He also warns us that the enemy (Satan) is also out there trying to stop us, knowing his time is short.

 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks

about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 PETER 5:8

 

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able

to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

EPHESIANS 6:13

 

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the

devil has come down to you, having great wrath,

because he knows that he has a short time.”

REVELATION 12:12

 

My Prayer

I believe Jesus Christ die on the cross for my sins, I repent of my sins and ask   

forgiveness and Father I’m asking You to send Your Holy Spirit to come and

live in me, and I will follow Jesus Christ all the days of my life. Amen

 

Benediction, Final Exhortation, Farewell

²⁰ Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord

Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the everlasting covenant, ²¹ make

you complete in every good work to do His will, working

in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through

Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

HEBREWS 13:20-21