Good Shepherding

Matthew 18:12-14, John 10:1-18

Good morning!  Today’s parables lead us into familiar territory.  I think both of these parables are some of the best known and most often cited.  In fact, in an email to Carl, I described these as “cush” passages to deliver a message on.

Before we start talking about shepherding, it probably makes sense to take a look at sheep.  Does anyone have experience with sheep or sheep raising?  No?  Neither do I.  I know of one pastor out west who raised a few sheep.  I’m not sure if that was to learn more about them or because that’s just what he had experience with.  

Here’s a picture of a rather unusual sheep.  His name is Shrek, and we’ll come back to him in a minute.

Sheep are raised for their wool, for their milk, and for their meat.  If you’re a sheep in America, you’re probably pretty safe.  Americans eat on average more than 80 pounds of chicken an 60 pounds of beef a year, but barely more than one pound of lamb.  There are approximately 1 billion sheep in the world, only about 5 million in the US.  So, that’s probably why they’re not so familiar to us.  Even in the sheep capital of New Zealand the numbers are down.  There are now “only” seven sheep per resident of New Zealand compared to 22 sheep per resident in 1982.

Wool is a valuable commodity.  One sheep produces 2-30 pounds of wool a year.  Wool is bringing a price of more than a dollar a pound in the US.  Due to the availability of artificial fibers (polyester, nylon and acrylics), the demand for wool has declined.

Agricultural researchers apparently study sheep psychology.  Sheep have good memories and can remember up to 50 other sheep for more than two years.  I took that info from a PBS documentary, but I don’t know how they got that info from the sheep.  Interestingly, sheep can distinguish human faces, also.  So, we can’t say that sheep are dumb.

Sheep can be trained follow a food bucket when you feed them grain out of it.  Goats will do the same.  Then, once they learn the bucket, they’ll follow you just about anywhere as long as you carry the same bucket.

Physiologically, sheep have an interesting distinctive.  They have rectangular pupils and their eyes are placed far on the sides of their head.  They can see a field of view of around 320 degrees without turning their heads.

They don’t sleep much.  Sheep sleep about 3-4 hours a day, but they can lay down at other times for just a rest.  Lambs on the other hand sleep 8-12 hours a day.  That is interesting when you think about how Jacob answered Esau when he had returned to Canaan.  Jacob told Esau to go ahead because of the lambs and little ones.

Sheep like to eat.  If a sheep doesn’t exhibit any appetite, that is a concern.  They should just about always be eating or chewing their cud.

Aside from rams just before and during mating season, sheep are pretty easy to get along with.  Before the mating season is rutting season where the rams butt heads to show who’s in charge, and to show off to the ladies, I guess.

Sheep don’t have any strong defensive skills.  Their only protective tactic is their flocking behavior.  Sheep like to keep in a crowd.  In fact, to keep them comfortable and reduce stress, sheep should not be separated individually.  They need to see other sheep.  The rule of thumb is keep about 5-6 sheep together.  (Because there is a strong sense of follow the leader, it is easier for sheep to get into danger if the leaders get in trouble.)

We’re going to read about the lost sheep, so I was wondering why sheep would get lost when they have such a strong tendency for staying together.  It seems a couple of the most likely reasons are 1) youthful curiosity and 2) sickness.  If an adult sheep is wandering alone, the initial suspicion is that the sheep must be injured or ill.  Even if a sheep is lagging behind in the flock when it is normally one that tends to be near the front, this can be a cause for concern for a shepherd.  Young sheep are like I was when I was young, but I’ve told that story before.

They’ll stick their heads in places they can’t get themselves out of.  They’ll lean down into holes for one more bite just out of reach and then fall in.  They can poke their way into a thorny area and then get tangled up in their wool without a way to get out.

Then, there are just renegade sheep like depicted in the Pixar short “Boundin’.”  Here’s a real life example, the world’s wooliest sheep: 

“A renegade New Zealand sheep managed to evade shearers for six years. Dubbed "Shrek," the Merino sheep was shorn live on television by top shearers David Fagan and Peter Casserly. The 10-year old sheep managed to roam freely on New Zealand's South Island for more than six years before being rounded up. Shrek's 60-pound fleece, enough to make 20 large men's suits, was auctioned off over the internet for the benefit of children's medical charities. Shrek [lived to be 17 years old.  A healthy sheep’s lifespan is usually 10-12 years.]

“Shrek 2 bested Shrek 1 by avoiding shearing for 7 years. His fleece was removed in April 2005. It weighed 68.2 pounds and measured three meters in length. Shrek 2 was approximately 11 years old. In 2014, Shaun the Sheep fell short of the record. After six years on the run, Shaun yielded at 59.4 lb. fleece.”

Sheep need looking after.  They need help.  Even our independent renegade sheep needed shearing.  They had a hard time just getting around.  Sheep aren’t glamorous, for sure.  And yet, God has chosen to compare us to and even call us, His people, sheep and not something more elegant, more powerful, or more independent.

Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Psalm 100:3

He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care.  Today, if you hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts … Psalm 95:7-8

Let’s pray and ask the Lord to speak to us from these passages on shepherding.

Lord Jesus, I pray that You would give us humility to depend on You.  We each have our own desires to be independent.  We all have tendencies to seek our own way.  Open our eyes to Your perfect provision as our Shepherd.  Teach us too how to think about, care for, and love others as You think about, care for, and love us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Matthew 18:12-14:

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Matthew 18:12-14

Well, what do you think?  What would you do?  Would you leave the ninety and nine to go and look for the one?  Would you think, “Well, ninety-nine is almost 100.  Close enough?”

Who is the owner of the sheep?  The lost sheep is his sheep.  The owner will nearly always care more than a hired shepherd because they are his.

Have you ever had a hard time looking for something?  It doesn’t seem that uncommon around our house that we lose things.  Sometimes, we find them again.  Sometimes, they are lost permanently.  When you find something unexpectedly, there is a special rejoicing, isn’t there.

What about the happiness thing?  Does the owner love the one sheep more than the ninety-nine?

Sometimes, I have tended to think that way.  We think because the owner goes after the one and leaves the ninety-nine, he loves the lost one more than the other ones.  To my own embarrassment, I have been jealous or bitter when someone else gets “recognized” for what seemed to me as some kind of “special” attention.

Charles Spurgeon preached on this passage.  You can find a link to his sermon here: ONE LOST SHEEP, NO. 2083, APRIL 28, 1889, C. H. SPURGEON

I think Spurgeon's example brings some clarity.  He compared the lost sheep to a sick child.  If a child became severely ill but then recovered, the entire family would rejoice.  If you happened to come into such a scene at that moment, it might appear to you that this child was loved more than the others.   But if you knew what had taken place, you would likewise understand the situation, have compassion, and rejoice.  “His sheep are each one equally precious to Him. We must not suppose that He looks upon any one soul of His redeemed with a tenderness ninety-nine times greater than He gives to another.”

We can think too about the actions of the owner.  Is it fun or even pleasant to go looking for lost sheep?

Here is a picture of some hills in Israel south of Jerusalem.  Can you see the sheep?  (Okay, I can’t say for sure if the sheep are actually in this picture.)

How about in this next picture?  Are all the blobs sheep?  No, some are bushes.

How about this last picture?  Okay, you can see them now, right?

It would not be an easy task to find a sheep lost in those hills, would it?  Isn’t that a powerful example of God’s love for us.  He is going to find the lost sheep, the one which is actively causing Him pain.  Even that redeemed sheep who is in the middle of the act of sinning, Jesus is going to going to look for it, to rescue it and bring it back.

We should do likewise in valuing souls.  (Jesus gave up everything to be a man to save us.)  It is “how we ought to love sinners, since Jesus loved us and died for us while we were yet sinners.”

Do you ever set standards on who you will associate with and when or how much?  I’m not talking about setting boundaries in codependent situations or managing abuse risks.  I’m just asking if you’ve ever thought, “I’m not talking to him or her or them.”  Or, “I talked to them before, and so I don’t need to talk to them now.”

I’ll close my eyes and raise my hand if I’ve ever done that.

I never had a WWJD bracelet, but that’s a “what would Jesus do” type of question.  He will go into the hills looking for the one.  Jesus is deeply interested in us as individuals.  Yes, He died once for all, but He seeks after each one of us, not by mass media or corporately.  Jesus is concerned with one lost soul.  He will give special exertion to rescue the one.  And there will be special rejoicing at restoration of that one.

I have one last question before we move to the second parable for today.  Have any of you heard it said that a shepherd will take a wayward sheep and break its leg and then nurse it back to health so that it won’t wander away in the future?

No?  Good.  That is not what shepherds do.  It would be cruel.

Yes?  Me, too.  It is told as an example sometimes of why God allows difficult things in our lives.  But such a practice cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.  It has not been practiced throughout the history of sheep raising.  Breaking limbs is serious and dangerous business.  The sheep could end up lame or even die as a result.

It’s also extremely painful.  Has anyone had a broken bone?  Was the pain more or less severe than a spanking?  There’s no comparison, right.  Broken bones can be excruciatingly painful.  What would you call someone who broke bones as a form of discipline?  They’d be a criminal abuser even if it was to animals.

God disciplines.  He doesn’t abuse.  Sickness and illness came about as a result of sin.  Romans 3:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.”  [Not even transactional or cause and effect.] Hebrews 12:7 says, “Endure hardship as discipline.”  It may seem like splitting hairs, but it does not say hardship is discipline.  James 1:2 say, “Consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds …” because perseverance and endurance under suffering produces maturity.  Even in the midst of the hardships God is able to work through those to our good.  (Romans 8:28) The evil is not perpetrated by God, but He has allowed it for a time.  We can’t see or understand it in full.  I certainly can’t explain it to your satisfaction or even my own.

But, know this:  “Salvation belongs to our God.”  (Revelation 7:10)  Jesus did come.  He will save.  We need only to come to Him and ask.  We need to tell Jesus that we need Him to save us.  We need to repent and turn away from our sin, our disobedience, and follow Him.

For those who know Jesus, death is a departure from this world ravaged by sin.  We are escaping from the evils and going to a place of joy and peace.  Isaiah 57:1 even says, “the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.”  Death is a tragic but temporary separation from one another as believers because of what Jesus has done for us. 

Let’s go to the second parable:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.—John 10:1-6

“Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”—John 10:7-10

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” –John 10:11-13

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” –John 10:14-18

I don’t know how to make a quick comparison among our messages at Clemson Community Church, but I think this passage has to rank up among one of the most often cited.  If found it referred to in at least ten messages over the last eight years since the archive was set up.  We had an entire message on chapter 10 when we studied through the book of John in 2012 and 2013.

You’ve got to admit this is a wonderful passage chockfull of precious promises in Jesus own words.  How many of you have memorized parts of it?  Has anyone memorized all of it?

Jesus is the gate … He is the way to safety. (v.7, 9)

Jesus has come that we may have life and have it to the full or have it abundantly. (v.10)

Jesus is the good shepherd. (v.11, 14)

Jesus laid down his life for us. (v. 11)

Jesus knows his sheep.  We as His sheep know Him.  Just like Jesus knows His Father and His Father knows Him! (v. 14-15)

Jesus will establish one flock of Jewish and Gentile sheep.  There is only one shepherd:  Jesus. (v.16)

God the Father loves Jesus because Jesus died for our sins, because Jesus loves us. (v.17)

Jesus has the authority or power to lay down his life and to rise from the dead. (v.18)

If we go on to include verses 28-30,

Jesus gives us, His sheep, eternal life, and we shall never perish. (v.28)

No one can snatch us out of Jesus’ hand. (v.28)

God the Father has given us to Jesus.  He is greater than all.  No one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. (v.29)

Jesus and the Father are one. (v.30)

Woohoo!  I’ve told you that I like southern gospel music.  In particular, I like the old group called the Cathedrals.  Their bass singer and chief spokesman was George Younce.  He and two of the members have died now and gone to be with Jesus.  You can watch his last public appearance on YouTube.  I’ve seen it more than once, and it’s beautiful.

Anyway, once George said, “You know how you sometimes your hair stands up and you get those little bumps on your arm.  Some people call ‘em chill bumps.  I like to call ‘em glory bumps.”  When you read John 10, I hope you get some “glory bumps.”

What amazing promises we find in John 10.  We are held in Jesus’ hand.  AND, we are held in the Father’s had.  Both of them have a hold of us together.  No one can snatch us out of their hand.  You and I who believe are doubly secure.  Well, glory!  That is worth rejoicing about!

Taken in large part from the message, I am the Gate:

“In John 10, Jesus is continuing his answer to the Pharisees from John chapter 9, and the Pharisees had just showed their quality in how they had handled the blind man.  Effectively, they were behaving as thieves and robbers.  They did not rejoice that the man was healed.  They questioned him repeatedly how he received his sight.  They accused the man of not being blind in the first place.  They hurled insults at him.  And finally, they threw him out.  They did not have an attitude you would expect from a spiritual leader or a shepherd.

“Jesus speaks about a sheepfold or a sheep pen here in this first section.  The sheep for a town or village were often kept in a common pen, so all the different sheep from different flocks of that village would be together in the protection of the pen.  Sheep belonging to different owners would be all together in the pen.  The pen would have only one entrance to keep the sheep safe from wandering off and from wild animals.

“The watchman opens the gate, but it is the shepherd who leads out the sheep.  How do they know their shepherd?  By his voice.  First, he calls them out.  He calls them by name.  The shepherd knows all his sheep individually.  Then, once he has brought them out, he leads them.  The sheep don’t follow a stranger because they recognize the stranger and do not trust him.

“Jesus’ explanation apparently was not clear for them.  They could not get the drift of what he meant by thieves and robbers in comparison to the good shepherd.  This is a decision point for us as well.  Do we recognize Jesus as the good shepherd?  Do we believe that thieves and robbers exist? 

“Jesus takes the explanation a step further.  He switches from third person narrative to first person.  “I am.”  Not only is Jesus the good shepherd, he is also the gate.  It was not uncommon for sheep pens not to have a gate at all.  A pen away from a town or village closer to pasture sometimes had no gate.  The shepherd would lead the sheep into the pen and then he would lay down, himself as the gate.  That way the shepherd could rest, but the sheep would be protected and they couldn’t get out without the shepherd’s notice.

“Whoever enters through Jesus will be saved.

“The thief is not coming to take sheep home to his own flock.  Instead, the thief is coming to steal the sheep, kill it, and eat it.  Jesus isn’t a shepherd for the purpose of “consuming” the sheep.  Jesus came to give us life and not just survival.  Eternal, abundant life even though it cost him his own life.  [The thief comes to take, Jesus comes to give.]”

Taken from the message, My Rights:

“The Greek word translated “to the full” and “more abundantly” is perisso, and its meanings include “over and above, more than is necessary, super-added, exceedingly abundantly, supremely, superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon.” It describes a happy life, one with joy, blessing, overflowing with goodness.  So there is your “life” and “pursuit of happiness.”

Taken from the message, Overcoming Greed:

“Our hearts should be motivated to live beyond the cares of this world. From Patrick Morley,

“All the benefits of prosperity are temporal. All the risks of prosperity are eternal. No matter how affluent or influential we become in the prosperous, material world, we will not find eternal profit from temporal kingdoms. Despite all our prosperity, we must still come daily to the foot of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ to inherit an eternal kingdom. … The only profit that matters is an eternal one.”

Taken from the message, I am the Gate:

“[A different contrast than thief to shepherd, now hireling to owner.]  Those hired hands while they are not thieves or robbers, they are looking for what they can get out of “shepherding.”  It is a means or a form of income for them.  The last phrase makes it clear.  They care nothing for the sheep.  They’re in it for themselves not for the good of the sheep.  As such, they don’t have the willingness to sacrifice in the face of danger.”

Taken from the message, Our Glorious Captain:

“… often we are really like helpless sheep. Jesus doesn’t abandon us because of this; instead He does quite the opposite: He protects us with His own life, giving everything to save us.”

Taken from the message, I am the Gate:

“There is only one perfectly good shepherd, and that is Jesus.  There is also a relationship promise for us.  We can know Jesus in the same way that He knows the Father.  If you do not feel close to Jesus, this is a good verse to pray over.  You can take Jesus at his word and pray something like this, “Jesus, you said that you are the good shepherd.  You also said that I can know you just as you know the Father.  You are true, so I pray that you will help me know you more and more.”  Of course, if you want to know someone better or get closer to them, it’s a pretty good idea to spend time with them.  That time can be spent in prayer, reading the word, singing songs of praise, and just listening.

“There is not only one sheep pen.  Jesus did not just come for the Jews only.  He came for all those who belong to him.  Colossians 3:11 says, “… there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”  Ultimately, there will be only one flock.  Revelation 5:9 speaks of Jesus, saying, “you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”  No one is excluded from the invitation to hear his voice and respond to him.  [Without the missing or lost sheep, the flock is incomplete.]

“Jesus pleased the Father by sacrificing his life for us.  Jesus was not killed unexpectedly.  Nothing that happened in Jesus’ life was a surprise to him.  He could see it all coming.  If he did not want to lay down his life, he could have stopped coming back to Jerusalem.  How many times already have they tried to kill him?”

Taken from the message, Lay Down Your Life:

“… no one is taking it away from Him. It is His own initiative – His own decision. His sacrifice is meant to be an example for us to follow. In the same way, we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Taken from the message, I am the Gate:

“This word authority can also be translated power.  It is interesting to see that it takes Jesus’ authority or power to both lay down and take up his life.  Taking up his life will mean that he comes back from the dead.  That obviously takes power.  However, it may seem a bit strange that it takes power to lay down his life.

“And yet, have you ever been offended or insulted?  Have you ever been taken advantage of?  It is really difficult to be imposed upon without getting just a little bit miffed deep down in a corner somewhere.  It takes power and authority to lay down a life.  People put their lives on the line both in the military and police and fire departments, but at the end of the day, the expectation is that everyone will come back alive.  What immense power did it take for the Son of God to choose to endure it all and take every insult and condemnation, to literally become “sin” so that we could be saved. (II Corinthians 5:21)  That we might become the righteousness of God.

“Jesus death on the cross was part of God’s plan.  Jesus received this command from His Father.”

Taken from the message, Jesus, Risen One:

“The Bible is absolutely clear that it is not enough to just believe the story is true. You must enter into a personal relationship with the Good Shepherd. You do this by talking to Him. You tell Him that you agree that you are Edmund; you are a sinner, a betrayer; indeed justice demands that you pay with your life. And then you tell Him thank You for laying down His life for you. And then you tell Him that, by faith, You will follow Him. You will be a sheep that listens to His voice, and, by faith (which means that you need a lot of help, but you trust Him to help you), you will make Him Lord of your life. As it says in the book of Romans,

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. – Rom. 10:9”

Lord Jesus, we thank You that You are the Good Shepherd.  Thank You that You come looking for us whenever we go astray.  Help us not to be wayward but to follow You diligently.  Give us hearts like You to seek after others and let us love one another sacrificially.  We ask and pray all this in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.