The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep

The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep:
Presented at the Seal Beach Military Christian Community on
July 13, 2008 by Bob Koehler

Scripture - Luke 15: 3-7:
So He spoke this parable to them, saying: “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? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep - Introduction:
Dozens of times in the Bible, the people of God are referred to as sheep. A few of the more notable passages that come to mind are: Psalms 79:1 – “…we thy people and sheep of thy pasture…”
Psalms 95:6-7 – “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…”
Psalms 100:3 – “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Isa. 53:6 – “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.”
In John Chapter 9 Jesus opens the eyes of a man who was born blind. The Pharisees (who think they have a monopoly on God’s truth) can’t figure out how it is possible for Jesus to do this. Jesus says that they are blind but think they can see. Then in John Chapter 10 Jesus uses the pictures of sheep, a shepherd and the sheepfold to describe to these religious leaders what God’s family of believers looks like.

Then, of course, there is probably the most beloved Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 23, where David says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
There are many good reasons why we are called sheep in the Bible and one of them is because of the basic character of the sheep. From a military standpoint the closest parallel I can think of is that sheep are about on the level of a recruit on his or her first day at boot camp. By nature, sheep already have 3 strikes against them.
Let’s turn to our outlines and you can fill in the blanks as we go along.

1st … Sheep are Dumb - In other words, they are not the smartest animals in the world. As a result, they are constantly getting into terrible situations. People are exactly the same way! People who are away from the Lord live lives that are often just plain dumb.
The prophet Jeremiah describes those who do not know the Lord. In Jer. 5:4 he says: Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.”
Unfortunately, even after a person is saved, there is still a lack of understanding about how to live an abundant, victorious Christian life among many of the Lord's sheep. Next…

2. Sheep are Directionless - If a sheep wanders off from the rest of the flock, it will have a hard, if not impossible time, finding its way back. Sheep have no sense of direction. So it is with those who do not know Jesus and who do not belong the God’s family, there is simply no sense of spiritual direction in their lives. They cannot find their way to the Lord by themselves. Number...

3. Sheep are Defenseless - Lions have teeth and claws, bears have the same. Snakes have fangs, even the birds of the air have some type of defensive mechanism. Not so with sheep. They have absolutely no means of protecting themselves from danger. If they are attacked, they are simply helpless! Again, people are the same way. Whether we want to admit it or not we are constantly under spiritual attack. There is no way that anyone can protect himself or herself against the fiery darts of the evil one. We need someone else to protect us and that someone is Jesus.

By their very nature, sheep need a shepherd and I suppose this is another reason why the figure of sheep is used to describe the people of God. No analogy is perfect but just take a moment and transport yourself back to your first day in the military. As a new recruit, how much progress would you have made without some kind of experienced leader (a sergeant or petty officer) to show you to right way to go? In the person of the shepherd in this parable, we see many characteristics that speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it becomes clear that this idea of the shepherd and his sheep is a good way to describe the relationship between the Lord and His people.

In our Scripture passage for today from Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke we are given a picture of a shepherd who has lost a sheep. He does everything in his power to find it and when he does, he returns home with it rejoicing that he has recovered that sheep that was missing. In these verses, there is a clear and wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. I would like for us to see this picture as we think together about the thought of The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep. First let’s look at…

I. THE SHEPHERD'S SORROW
The shepherd is sorrowful because His sheep are…

A. A Personal Possession - This sheep belonged to the shepherd, he had paid a personal price to own it and wasn't going to stand idly by while it was lost. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us that (as believers in Jesus) we “were bought at a price.” What was the price that was paid for you and for me? Peter tells us that the price was “the precious blood of Christ” shed for each one of us by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Even If a person is not yet a believer in Jesus – his or her sins have already been paid for by Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God to each one of us – but we need to make a conscious decision to receive that gift.
The shepherd is also sorrowful because each one of His sheep is…

B. A Prized Possession - This particular sheep may have been no different from any other ordinary sheep, but it was special to the shepherd. To him, it was a prized possession. Each one of us is special to the Lord! He died for the individual! He died for you and for me. If you were the only person who would have responded in faith in Christ, Jesus would still have gone to Calvary and shed His blood on the cross just for you!
The shepherd is also sorrowful because this sheep is…

C. A Precious Possession - To this shepherd, there were no big sheep and no little sheep. Every sheep he had was precious in his eyes. So it is with the Lord. He loves all His sheep equally. All are precious in His sight. You and I can never begin to understand the value of the human soul. We are so precious to the Lord that He willingly gave up His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We are precious in His sight.
So there we have the first part of the picture – The Shepherd's Sorrow. Next let’s look at…

II. THE SHEPHERD'S SEARCH
What was the Shepherd’s motive that caused Him to go looking for one lost sheep?

A. His Motive - Unlike our drill sergeant analogy is not in anger to punish, but in love to rescue. The shepherd in the parable doesn't go after the sheep in an effort to beat it for going astray. His motive is to find the sheep and restore it to its proper place in the fold. So it is with the Lord. He doesn't go after the lost ones so that He can give them a “time out” them for their sins. He pursues them in order that He might prove His love for them and that they might be restored to a right relationship with the Lord. His motive is to deliver them from punishment not inflict punishment upon them.
So how does the Shepherd conduct His search?

B. His Method is:
1. He Initiates The Search - The sheep is powerless to find its way back to the flock or to the shepherd. If the shepherd waited on the sheep to return of its own accord, then it would die in the wilderness. Instead of waiting, the shepherd goes after the sheep. He is the One who begins the process. It is the same thing with salvation! The lost ones do not make the first moves toward God. They cannot, because (as Ephesians 2:1 tells us) they are “dead in trespasses and sins.” It is the Good Shepherd who makes the first move toward the sinner. In John 6:44 Jesus says: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and (a fantastic promise) I will raise him up at the last day.” But according to Scripture, no one can ever be saved unless they are first approached by the Lord. He comes looking for us, it is never the other way around! We don’t find Him … He finds us!
So the Shepherd has initiated the search and next…

(2.) He Intensifies The Search - Luke 15:4 says that the shepherd searches “until he finds” the sheep. He doesn't give up after just a few minutes or hours of searching, but he stays on the job until the sheep has been recovered. So it is with the Lord. He never gives up on the lost sheep. He keeps calling and knocking and waiting, hoping that they will come to Him before it is too late. I am thankful and grateful that the Lord didn't give up on me! I am glad that He kept knocking and kept calling until I answered – (Rev. 3:20) I shouldn't be surprised though, after all, that is His business – (Luke 19:10). And we should not give up praying for our friends and family who need Jesus. Jesus wants us to partner with Him in the salvation process. My sister and her husband prayed for me for years before I came to know Christ. I’m glad they did not give up.
OK, we have looked at The Shepherd's Sorrow and The Shepherd's Search. Let’s now turn to:

III. THE SHEPHERD'S SUCCESS

A. He Locates The Sheep - He finds the sheep. God already knows where every lost sheep is. He doesn't have to seek, He knows where you are right now! Remember back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis Chapter 3? God told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, Eve got deceived, ate the fruit, gave some to Adam, He ate some too. So they both were disobedient to God. They had sinned. God asks Adam in Genesis 3:9 “Where are you?” Now do you really think that God did not know Adam’s location? God has 100% complete and perfect knowledge. Adam was hiding from God because he knew he was guilty of sin. God was opening a conversation with Adam and giving him an opportunity to confess and repent. So God locates us in the same sense. He opens doors of opportunity for confession and repentance. What does the shepherd to next?

B. He Lays Hands On The Sheep - The shepherd reaches out to the sheep in its need. He doesn't turn away from it and leave it to languish in it dangerous place. He loving lays his hands upon it bringing comfort and hope to the wayward sheep. When the Lord comes to a lost sheep, He too lays His hands upon it. He reaches right into the midst of the mess we find ourselves in and by doing so shows us that there is hope and that there is a God in Heaven who loves us. Now this does not mean that God forces us to do something against our will. We are free moral agents. He respects our decisions. If we choose to remain in hiding (so to speak) He will patiently wait until we decide to accept His loving offer of assistance.

Here is a little insight into how God the Son (Jesus Christ) deals with lost sheep. The prophet Isaiah tells us: “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench;” (Is. 42:3) Thank God that He doesn't condemn us when He comes alongside us. I am grateful that He comes to us in grace and mercy offering hope, forgiveness and a new beginning to everyone who will place their faith in the shed blood of Christ. After the shepherd has located and laid hands on the sheep …

C. He Lifts The Sheep - This shepherd doesn't stop with a mere touch. He reaches down and lifts the willing, repentant sheep out of the place where he finds it. He removes it from the place of danger. Jesus Christ, out Good Shepherd does the same for those He finds wandering the dark valleys of sin. He comes alongside them, reaches out to them and when they respond to His touch (when they choose to place their faith and trust in Him), He lifts them out of their sin and removes them from the danger they were in. Thank God, when Jesus comes into a heart and life, He delivers us. The 23rd Psalm tells us: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Now Jesus does not promise us a life with no problems. Sometimes in the short term we may feel like God is not solving our situation the way we think it should be solved. But in the long term eternal perspective we need to trust God’s Word that promises us: “…that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
So the Good Shepherd locates His sheep, lays hands on them, lifts them up and…

D. He Lugs The Sheep Home - the Bible says that this shepherd lifts the sheep and lays it upon his shoulders. I can picture him taking the front feet in one hand and the hind feet in another. This way, the sheep is draped around the neck of the shepherd and is absolutely safe and secure! Next, the Bible teaches us that the shepherd carries the sheep home. Notice that the sheep is not required to get there under its own power, but it goes there under the power of the shepherd. This is a picture of our salvation. When Jesus comes to where we are and finds us in our sins, He places us securely in Himself and carries us home. Jesus tells us in John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” None of us are going to get to Heaven in our own power, but if we go, we will go through Jesus and Him alone! This is also a picture of how Jesus is available to help each and every believer every single day if we will only turn to Him and decide to rely wholly on His love, His care, his provision. He won’t force us to get our marriage back on track. He won’t force us to throw away that bottle of Scotch or toss that little plastic bag of weed. But if we will make the decision to open our Bibles, study God’s Word, do what God wants us to do and seek support and strength from the Lord in prayer … He WILL answer!!!
OK - We have looked at The Shepherd's Sorrow, The Shepherd's Search, The Shepherd's Success and now we come to…

IV. THE SHEPHERD'S SATISFACTION

A. There Is Rejoicing - When the shepherd returns home, he calls all the neighbors together and they all rejoice in the fact that the shepherd has had his sheep restored to the fold. Again, this is a picture of what happens when a lost sheep comes into the fold of the Lord. According to Luke 15 verse 10 there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels. Apparently, God the Father gets excited when a lost sheep is rescued. There is rejoicing in Heaven an there ought to be rejoicing in the earth. If there was ever anything to get excited over it is the redemption of souls.

B. There Is A Reason for this rejoicing - The Sheep has been saved from:
1. Disuse - As long as it was lost, it was of no benefit to the shepherd. The Lord cannot use a wayward life. He wants us to be available to Him and obedient to His wishes. When we are obedient, when we become doers of the Word and not hearers only, God can use us in a mighty way for His Kingdom purposes. So the sheep has been saved from disuse and the sheep has also been saved from…

2. Danger - Unless the shepherd had intervened this sheep would have remained in serious danger. It could never have defended itself or rescued itself. As long as you of I are apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in serious danger. Hell and judgment are out there in front of anyone who is not saved. If you are saved but are not presently being obedient to God you will face earthly consequences for your sins and a possible loss of rewards in heaven. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ saves us from the penalty for sin. Only the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life pleasing to God. Finally the sheep has been saved from…

3. Death - If the shepherd had not come looking for the sheep, it would have most certainly died out there in the wilderness. But now, it lives all because the shepherd came looking to save a wayward sheep.
Back to Isaiah 53:6 - “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way …”
Now what does gone astray mean? In Romans 3:23 Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” OK so all of us have sinned but what is sin? James tells us that “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Have you ever known deep down inside that there was something you should do and you deliberately decided not to do it? I know I have! So I have sinned … and you have sinned and the Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death." Without the intervention of the Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ) the lost sinner has no hope and will eventually wind up in Hell. We need to understand very clearly that there is only one means of salvation for all men and that is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Any other religion, any other method, any other system of belief, no matter how good it looks by human standards, is doomed to fail.

Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Speaking of Jesus Christ Peter tells us in Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

And then there is one of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible, John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Whoever believes in Him, not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Ted Turner, not Oprah Winfrey. Only Jesus saves a person from eternal separation from God and everlasting torment and, instead of spiritual death, gives them the free gift of an abundant life both now and forever.

Let’s Review what we have covered so far:
Sheep are Dumb
Sheep are Directionless
Sheep are Defenseless
The Shepherd’s has Sorrow because the sheep is
A Personal Possession
A Prized Possession and
A Precious Possession
The Shepherd’s Search begins with
His Motive – loves rescue & restoration
His Method
He Initiates the search and then
He Intensifies the search
The Shepherd’s Success (we know God cannot fail)
He Locates the sheep
He Lays hands on the sheep
He Lifts the sheep
He Lugs the sheep home on His shoulders
The Shepherd’s Satisfaction
There is Rejoicing in heaven
There is a Reason – the sheep has been saved from
Disuse; Danger and Death

We have just one more point to cover and it’s not on your outline. Let’s look for just a moment at the last verse of our Scripture passage for today, Luke 15:7: “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Is the Bible saying that some of us are in such good standing with God that we do not need to repent? Heaven’s standard is perfection. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Are you perfect? Is any human being perfect? I know I’m not perfect. John tells us in 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” So what is this verse saying?

Our Scripture for today begins with these words: “So He spoke this parable to them…” Who is them? An important principle of Bible interpretation is that we must know not only who is speaking but to whom the text is addressesd. If we go back to Luke 15:2 we discover that Jesus is giving this parable to the scribes and the Pharisees. These are the guys who thought they knew it all. These are the guys who thought they could enter the Kingdom by obeying the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. Jesus is pointing the finger of God’s truth at them. They complained about Jesus even talking to the tax collectors and the people they saw as “sinners.” They thought they were righteous. They thought they did not need to repent. Jesus is telling them that heaven rejoices when someone is convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit, repents of their sin, agrees with God that nothing they can do on their own will get them into heaven and believes that faith Jesus Christ alone is the only way to a personal relationship with God Himself.

John tells us how we dumb, directionless, defenseless and, yes, dirty sheep can be cleansed of our sin and really know God. In 1 John 1:7 he says: “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son (that’s God’s Son or God the Son) cleanses us from all sin.” Then he goes on to say in verse 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That’s the ticket. That’s the way to heaven. It’s Jesus. His death on the cross, His blood, His resurrection from the dead. And our part? It’s faith! We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

Conclusion:
So … How about you? … where are you today?
Are you in the sheepfold? Are you safe and secure in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Or, are you wandering about in the wilderness of sin in danger of death and damnation and living a life without purpose, a life of disuse apart from the Lord?
Maybe at some time in the past you were walking closely with Jesus and something happened in your life that made you feel distant from God. You know there’s got to be more to life and you just can’t figure out what you’re missing.
Or maybe you are struggling with some personal sin, difficult relationships in your family or a bad habit you would like to break away from?
If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, then I would like to invite you to come to Him now. If your relationship with God needs to be restored or strengthened or if you are struggling with family issues, sin or addiction I invite you to trust Jesus Christ to place you on His strong shoulders and bring you back home to a life of purpose and meaning.



Let’s go to the Lord in prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you so much for all of your blessings. You are awesome and gracious and merciful. Thank you that Heaven and Eternal Life is a free gift. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for my sins and purchase a place in heaven for me. Thank you that He rose from the dead to prepare that place reserved just for me. I know that your standard is perfection and I know I have missed the mark. I am a sinner and I confess that now. Lord I turn away from my sins and I turn to you. I ask you to forgive me and to accept me into your family or return me to a close personal relationship with you. Lord, I want to live a life of purpose and meaning but I need your help. Please show me how you can restore the damaged relationships in my life. Lord please fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to see the way out you have promised to show me so that I can live a life that is pleasing to you. Help me break the chains of sin and bad habits. Deliver me from the evil one. Count me worthy by the blood of Jesus Christ to spend eternity in Heaven with you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Based on a message by Alan Carr from: http://www.higherpraise.com/outlines/newtestament/Luke 15_3-7.htm