Matthew 9:36
I Choose the Sheepfold
Did you know that sheep are mentioned more than 500 times in the
Bible. That is more than any other animal.
http://www.sheep101.info/sheepbible.html
Why does God mention sheep so often? I think it is because their
nature is so much like that of people. This morning, let us look
into the Bible for a few moments and see how sheep describe the human
race and its condition.
I. \\#Matt 9:36\\ Some sheep, like some people, have no shepherd.
A. Without a shepherd, the sheep will wander.
Eze 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the
mountains, and upon every high hill: yea,
my flock was scattered upon all the face of the
earth, and none did search or seek after them.
B. Sadly, wandering sheep do not live very long in the wild.
1. Sheep may be one of the best proofs that evolution is
false.
2. Evolution proclaims the survival of the fittest. Sheep
are certainly not fit for survival.
3. Sheep have absolutely no means of defense.
a. They lack both sharp teeth and claws.
b. They cannot run, swim, or fly.
c. They do not camouflage or in any way blend into
their surroundings.
d. To any and every other animal, sheep are dinner in
a to-go bag.
4. The truth is, God made sheep to be cared for. Without
a care-giver, their days are limited at best.
C. This is the condition of the lost world.
1. I have said many times before that man was not
designed to live as he lives.
a. Man was not built to withstand sin’s temptations.
(1) We do not see sin’s dangers, it’s traps, or
it’s consequences.
(2) To be blunt, we are too simple minded to deal
with sin.
b. Man was not built for to carry the consequences
of sin.
(1) He is miserable experiencing guilt, shame,
regret.
(2) Most if not all our emotional, psychological,
and behavior disorders are a result of
dealing with sin’s consequences.
2. Man, like sheep, need a Shepherd!
a. Jesus is our Shepherd.
b. Without Him, we are lost.
D. We must be careful not to confuse having no shepherd with
having no master.
1. It is sad but true. This world and all that is on it
belongs to the devil.
a. Ephesians calls him the prince of the power of the
air.
b. 2Corinthians calls him the god of this world.
c. The devil in Luke told Jesus that the kingdoms of
this world were his and he could give it to
whomever he wished.
2. The lost world does have a master, an owner, one to
whom they belong.
3. That is the devil, but the devil is no shepherd.
a. It takes more than ownership to be a shepherd.
b. Jesus gave us a parable to help us to see the
unique character of the shepherd.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the
shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth
the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and
fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an
hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am known of mine.
c. The nature of the shepherd is to know his sheep,
to love and to care for them, to even be willing
to lay down his life for them.
4. The devil may own the lost world but he does not love
the scattered sheep.
a. All of Ezekiel 34 describes how the devil treats
his sheep.
Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and
bring again that which was driven away, and will
bind up that which was broken, and will
strengthen that which was sick.
b. The devil drives his sheep, breaks them, leaves
them sick and dying.
II. Some sheep, like people, have a shepherd, the good Shepherd.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
A. Let there be no question, To belong to the good Shepherd
is the right move.
B. While there are some similarities between sheep and
people, there are some things that do exactly fit.
1. Sheep have no choice about what flock they belong to
but people do.
2. Sheep are born to a flock and typically live all of
their lives under the same shepherd.
3. People can decide to join Jesus’ flock!
4. If you join Jesus’ flock, you will know what it is to
be loved and protected.
C. But before we talk about that, let’s notice that being in
the good Shepherd’s flock does not mean there is no
danger to you.
1. There are those who want to steal Jesus’ sheep.
Joh 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same is a
thief and a robber.
a. Who would be foolish enough to try to steal one of
God’s sheep? That would be the devil.
b. Again, let me point out a difference between sheep
and people.
c. People have a choice and some people choose to go
with the thief.
(1) They get themselves stolen on purpose!
(2) We are talking about Christians now, those
who belong to God’s flock.
(3) Some, after they have joined God’s flock, let
the devil take them back out into the wild.
d. Christian, let’s not pretend we don’t understand
the devil’s temptations. We have all experienced
them!
(1) We have been tempted just like Eve was.
(2) He finds something we like, something we
think we might want, and then he offers it
to us with "strings attached."
(3) And if you have been saved for any length of
time, you too have taken the forbidden
fruit.
(4) The only difference between us and Eve is we
and our world were already ruined by sin and
she and her world were not.
2. But not only have some sheep been stolen, some have
wandered back into the wilderness on their own!
Ps 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost
sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget
thy commandments.
a. That Psalm was written by David.
b. He prayed to the Lord and confessed that he had
not been stolen by the devil; but rather, he had
wandered off on his own.
c. The difference between wandering off and being
stolen is really very minimal.
(1) In both cases, you are back out in the wild
again.
(2) In both cases, you are back under the domain
of the devil again.
(3) The only difference is that if you were
stolen the devil helped you get lost and if
not, you got lost all by yourself.
d. We Christians are notorious for inflicting ain and
suffering on ourselves!
(1) We get saved and start to enjoy the goodness
of having a Shepherd and we forget just how
miserable we were in the wilderness.
(2) We forget the freezing weather, the
blistering sun, the preditors and all of
those whom we knew that they devoured.
(3) All we remember was the great freedom we once
enjoyed—how we could do whatever we wanted.
(4) And BAM! We are back out in it again!
D. However, if we were ever part of God’s flock, we still
are and God does not give up on a lost sheep.
Matt 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an
hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray,
doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and
goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that
which is gone astray?
13 And if so be that he find it, verily I
say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep,
than of the ninety and nine which went not
astray.
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father
which is in heaven, that one of these little
ones should perish.
1. We are still talking about His sheep now.
a. I think this parable has an application to those
who have never been saved. It demonstrates how
much God loves the lost world.
b. However, in this parable, the sheep that was lost
BELONGED to the shepherd.
c. The story here is not about Jesus seeking the
unsaved. It is about Jesus seeking the saved!
2. If you are God’s sheep, whether you wander off on your
own are allow the devil to run off with you, Jesus
never writes you off.
3. He spends the rest of your days looking for you and
trying to bring you back into the fold!
4. The good news to any Christian is that just like you
chose to pull yourself out of the flock, so you can
choose to put yourself back into the flock.
a. The good Shepherd actually knows where you are.
b. He has been following you since the day you left
the fold.
c. He is just waiting for you to decide that you want
to come back.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
III. So what are the perks to being in God’s fold?
A. Believe it or not, Psalm 23 is one of the best passages
to describe the blessedness of being one of God’s sheep.
1. Most associate Psalm 23 as a "death" psalm.
2. There is only reference \\Psalm 23:4\\ to death in the
whole psalm. The remainder of the psalm talks about
the good life that God gives His sheep.
B. Psalm 23 then is a "life" psalm filled with God describing
the conditions of being one of His sheep!
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not
want.
1. God’s sheep have no needs. God provides for them.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters.
2. God’s sheep can lay down and rest. Sheep in the wild
can never lay down and sleep the good sleep for fear
that they would never awake again!
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
3. God’s sheep are lead.
a. That is, they do have boundaries.
b. These boundaries are not to keep us from enjoying
life’s pleasures. They are to keep us safe.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort
me.
4. Here is the one verse that mentions death.
a. Please notice that it is not even given to direct
our minds toward death.
b. It only states that when the worst thing that can
happen to one of God’s sheep does happen, it will
not be a bad thing for our Shepherd will go with
us even in death!
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head
with oil; my cup runneth over.
5. BUT UNTIL THEN….
a. We can enjoy a banquet table of food while the
good Shepherd deals with our enemies.
b. And instead of our Shepherd anointing our wounds
with oil (oil has healing properties) he will
pour the oil on our head (oil being poured on
one’s head is a the symbol of being extremely
blessed by God!)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the LORD for ever.
6. And our Shepherd will give us His good things and be
merciful to us all the days we live!
Several times in this message, I have pointed to the fact that sheep
and people are different in one respect. People have a choice.
Today you can choose to be one of Jesus’ sheep. I pray that you
will.
