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Post by edith on Feb 28, 2018 10:08:07 GMT 2
Jesus, comparing humans to lost sheep, gives us this illustration: “Suppose has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, . . . he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep” (Luke 15:4–6).
Shepherds counted their sheep to make sure every one was accounted for. In the same way, Jesus, who likens himself to that shepherd, values each of us, young and old. When we’re wandering in life, searching, wondering about our purpose, it’s never too late to turn to Christ. God wants us to experience His love and blessings.
Shepperds who are paid and the sheep are not theirs, run away when the atack comes and the wolf comes and scatters the flock. (John 10: 12).
how can we tell the diference?
- Jesus does not abandon the children of God who have backslidden, but He goes and seraches for them, He helps them get back up, takes them on His shoulder and brings them back to the flock.
- The fake shepperds run away from lost sheep, they do not help them, but abandon them, they do not care about the lost fallen ones. They run and abandon the flock when hard times come.
Amazing grace! . . . I once was lost, but now am found. John Newton
We all have been lost at one point, and the fact that we came back to the lord is not our merrit, but His. God made a way that we hear the word, listen to it and our hearts were starled by the fact that Jesus came to the world to save us from the pit. Romans 3: 23 - 25 (23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;)
In the Bible the word ,"shepherd" not only applies to the occupation of shepherd (Genesis 29:3; 46:32) but is also used to indicate a leader (2 Samuel 5:2; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Jeremiah 3:15) or spiritual overseer (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). Being a shepherd of sheep required bravery, steadfast watchfulness, and tender care. Sheep are helpless without a shepherd and need guidance to food and water as well as protection from the elements and wild beasts (1 Samuel 17:34–36; Psalm 23; Luke 2:8).
Leading people is far more difficult! Thankfully Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for us so much that He “[lay] down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11–14). He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9) and rejoices over each lost person who repents and is found (Luke 15:3–7).
Given the nature of sheep, they simply have to have a shepherd. They are not very discriminating and will have any shepherd, good or bad. We are like that too…latching on to anyone.
We are that way about God. Someone said, “When people stop believing in the real God, they don’t then believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” That’s true. Because of our nature, we must have a shepherd and if there isn’t a good one around, we will follow a bad one.
NOt everyone who leads is a shepperd, In John 10 we are told the difference between Jesus and those who lead "for pay" Jesus sais we KNOW His voice, (John 10: 4, 5) and follow Him. How do we know His voice? By reading the word, and puting it in our hearts, when we listen to someone preaching and it's not coming in alignment with the word we know that leader is not from the Lord.
in verses 11 - 13 sais : “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own 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. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."
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