September 18, 2022
Morning Service

Some attributes, characteristics of sheep

Sheep are meek animals. They are usually very quiet and gentle, holding themselves aloof from the world. In a herd, all the sheep tend to listen to their leaders and show esteem to them. Because of the obedient character, sheep are among the most popular animals beloved by mankind.

Sheep are described as;

1. Timid, fearful, gullible, easily panicked                                                                                                        

2. Stampede easily, vulnerable to mob psychology                                                                                              

3. Little or no means of self-defense; can only run                                                                                                                 

4. Easily killed by enemies                                                                                                                                             

5. Jealous, competitive for dominance                                                                                                                                                                          

6. Easily “cast” that is, flipped over on their back, sometimes from too much wool. Sheep are unable to right themselves and will die of starvation if not turned over by the shepherd.

7. Need the most care of all livestock                                                                                                                 

8. Recognize the Shepherd’s voice                                                                                                                                   

9. Sheep are valuable                                                                                                                             

10. Sheep go in flocks                                                                                                                                         

note: Sheep are mentioned 220 times the most mentioned animal in the Bible                         Doesn’t much of this remind us of we humans!

Psalms 100: 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

 Isaiah 53: 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 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. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

    Sheep don’t belong to the local shepherd they have an owner (great Shepherd) with whom the local shepherd is employed. Shepherds traveled with the sheep moving them to greener pastures, safer areas, better water sources and such. The shepherds slept with the sheep to be near them at night to protect. They would seek after straying sheep, care for injured sheep and new born lambs. The sheep were in his charge and he would surely be accountable for them.

    Not that Christians are lacking in smarts but just like sheep we don’t always make the right decisions. We can wander astray looking for what we think are greener pastures, be led astray following the crowd, be preyed upon by wolves in sheep’s clothing or even false shepherds, allow fears and ideas lead us down a wrong path and on and on. This is why sheep and Christians need a shepherd to hold the flock together and tend to their needs and feed them on rich grasses (word of God). Sheep need frequent attention. Their wool never stops growing and left unsheared infection can set in. Last year a sheep was found abandoned in the forest of Australia. Wool covered his eyes, impaired his vision, eyes had dirt and seeds in them and 78 lbs of wool sheared from him which left him underweight.  

 

Many think it’s not so important where they attend church but just that they do attend. Matt. 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

A good shepherd is responsible for the flock therefore a shepherd with his own interests in mind can be disastrous for the entire flock. The shepherd is representing the Master Shepherd, who is owner of the flock, and should have his interests in mind.

Once Jesus and his disciples had departed in a boat but a crowd followed on shore.

 Mark 6: 34 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.

     A flock without a shepherd will be in disarray, wandering to and fro with seemingly no direction. They will be unorganized, unstable and confused and very vulnerable to being led astray and/or destroyed. A good shepherd is vital to the wellbeing of the flock!

 

Each individual sheep in the flock is important. In the parable of the lost sheep Jesus says: Luke 15: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

If you are a part of the flock you are important! It’s easy to feel like you just fill an empty space in a pew. Each individual sheep is important to the flock. Shepherding a flock is a huge responsibility and just like their namesakes it’s a labor of love.

John 10: 1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 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. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Skipping down to vs. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

I read a story of someone visiting another country where flocks of sheep are common. They observed a lake and a shepherd came with a huge flock to water and the sheep of course fanned out to drink. Another shepherd approached with another large flock and they did the same. The shepherds stood aside talking and another approached with another flock and they did likewise. The observer thought to himself “how in the world are the sheep not getting all mixed up, how will the flocks rejoin the proper shepherd”. Well upon departure time each shepherd called to his flock and the flocks knowing their shepherd’s voice each rejoined his own and they went on their way!

     

     A thought: Just as in a flock of sheep it’s not the shepherd who gives birth to new sheep. The flock grows because the sheep are regenerating the flock by bringing in/birthing lambs.