Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 18. Matthew chapter 18. Our Lord just stated in the first
10 verses of this chapter his loving, watchful care over his
people. Verse six, he said, but whoso
shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it
were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and
that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Verse 10, he said,
take heed that you despise not one of these little ones, For
I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven." And now after saying that, he's
going to set forth a question illustrating his care for his
people. He declared his care for his
people, and now he's going to set forth an illustration illustrating
his care for his people, showing his care for his people. Verse
11, he said, for the son of man is come to save that which was
lost. They were lost sheep. And he said in verse 12, how
think ye? He said, you think about this
and answer this in your heart. How think ye? If a man have an
hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave
the ninety at nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh
that which is gone astray? 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. Even so, it is not the
will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish." Christ representing the shepherd,
being the shepherd. John 10 calls him the good shepherd. Hebrews 13 calls Him the Great
Shepherd. And 1 Peter 5 calls Him the Chief
Shepherd. And here in our text we can clearly
see why. Verse 12 says, How think ye if
a man have an hundred sheep? He owned the sheep. Alright,
they were His sheep. Verse 12 says, If a man having
a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray. Does he not leave
the ninety and nine and go with into the mountain? He is the
one who left all. He left all. Just how glorious
is that statement, he left all. And he went into the mountain. Verse 12 goes on to say, and
seeketh that which is gone astray. He's the one who sought. That's
what he did. He sought. Verse 13 says, and
if so be that he find it, he's the one who found. Verse 13 says, Verily I say unto
you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and
nine, which went not astray. He is the one who rejoiced. He
owned. He went. He sought. He found. He rejoiced. The sheep had one role in all
this. They went astray. That was it. They went astray. Prone to wander. Lord, I feel
it. Do you? Do you? Prone to leave the God I love. Before the service this morning,
I was talking to a brother in my study, and we were both saying,
this is our prayer. That our Lord would just keep
us. That's all we want. Lord, just
keep us. I know what I will do if you
lift your finger off of me. I know what I'll do. Prone to
wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. The God who made us. The God
who owns us like sheep going astray. We rebelled against him. That's what the flesh does. We
rejected him. That's what the flesh does. We
ran from him. Starting with our parents, Adam
and Eve, and we're just like them. We ran from them. But God,
but God, our shepherd. who is rich in mercy for His
great love wherewith He loved us. This whole story can be told
because of His great love wherewith He loved us. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love wherewith He loved us, He left heaven. He left heaven. which did not
go astray and did not need repentance. He left all and he went seeking,
seeking his lost sheep. And he sought them all the way
up to the top of Calvary's mountain. Up Calvary's mountain, one dreadful
morn. Walked Christ the Savior, the
Shepherd, weary and worn, facing for sinners, lost sheep, sinners,
facing for sinners, death on the cross, that he might save
them, find them, lay them on his shoulders and carry them
home rejoicing. That's why he did that. that
he might save them from endless loss. That is what the good,
great chief shepherd did. That's what he did. The blessed
redeemer, precious redeemer, seems now I see him on Calvary's
tree, wounded and bleeding for sinners, sinful sheep, sinful
sheep. pleading, sheep who were blind
and unheeding. He died for them. He died for
them. He died for them, bearing their
sin, paying their debt, redeeming them, bringing them back. He
died for them. That's what God the shepherd
did for his sheep. He died for them. Now, what I want to know this
morning is, am I one of them? That's what I want to know. That's
what I always want to know. Am I one of them? That's what the great shepherd
did for his sheep. I want to know, am I really one
of them? Am I really one of them? Because according to God, according
to this word, there are two types of people on this earth. There
are two types of people on this earth and they are represented
by these two animals. Sheep and goats. Sheep and goats. Which one am I? Which one am
I? This is so important and this
is something that we should not assume on. I want to really encourage
every soul in this room to not say, I'm a sheep. I know. Feel
sorry for the goats, but I'm a sheep. Let's not do that. This
is so important. So important. We should not assume
on this because our eternal state with God depends on it. And the
stark reality is going to be revealed. In that day it's going
to be revealed. Turn with me over to Matthew
25. Matthew 25 verse 31 says, When the son of man shall come
in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered
all nations. And he shall separate them one
from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king
say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. You come and inherit what God
chose you to, set you aside unto, and prepared for you before the
foundation of the world. Verse 41 says, Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed
in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. This is really going to happen.
This is really going to happen on that day, God is going to
divide his sheep from the goats. And on that day, it is going
to be revealed which one we are. When he tells us to go to the
right hand or the left, we will then know. We already know what's
going to happen to the ones on the right hand. We already know
what's going to happen to the ones on the left hand. I need to hear him say right
hand. You come stand with my right hand. On that day, it's going to be
revealed which ones we are. There have always been sheep
and goats living on the earth. It's kind of like some people
believe that there was a time back in the past when there was
goats. God was angry with certain nations and things like that.
But now everybody's sheep. There used to be goats, kind
of like dinosaurs. But now, there's just sheep. That's all there are. Everybody's
a sheep. There have always been sheep and goats standing on this
earth. And until the day he returns,
there will always be sheep and goats standing on this earth. I want to be a sheep. I want
you to be a sheep. How can we know if we are? Our
Lord told us how in John chapter 10, turn with me over there,
if you would. John chapter 10, in the days of our Lord and throughout
much of history, when there was a town or a village that had
shepherds and sheep. I don't believe we have any shepherds.
I don't know if we do or not anywhere around here. Back in
the day, many towns, many villages had shepherds and sheep. And usually they would have a
large pasture area, centrally located, that was commonly owned
by all the shepherds. You know, multiple shepherds
and they all had multiple flocks. And they all commonly owned this
pasture area in the middle, it would have a high wall around
it and it was large enough to hold all of the flocks of sheep. And the shepherds would put them
there over the nighttime for safekeeping so they could go
sleep. And they would hire a man to
watch the gate, stand guard keeping the gate. And that man was called
the porter. That was his job all night long. And every morning after the shepherds
had slept, they would come to the gate and the porter would
let them in. And they would call for their
sheep. And only their sheep would come running to them. That's
still how it is to this day. If we could be around sheep,
that's just the nature of that animal. That's the nature of
sheep. Whenever their shepherd calls, they come to their shepherd. When a shepherd would go into
this big, huge fold of all these sheep and would call, all the
sheep that belonged to another shepherd. Nothing would happen. They just
go about their business eating grass. They wouldn't, it affected
them not at all. It affected them not at all.
They just went on about their business. All right. But as soon
as their shepherd came through the gate and gave the call, they
went running. And that shepherd would lead
them out into their pasture, and they would follow him. Now
our Lord said in John 10 verse 1, 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. He said, there
is one way. There's one way. He said, if
any come to you saying that there is another way. Don't listen
to him, that is not your shepherd. That's a thief and a robber.
Verse two, but he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd
of the sheep, the one that comes to you lawfully. fulfilling the
law, rightly, in righteousness. He's your shepherd. Verse three,
to him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and
he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when
he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him for they know his voice. And a stranger will
they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the
voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto
them, but they understood not what things they were which he
spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All
that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find
pasture. The thief cometh not but for
to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have
life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are, seeth the wolf coming,
and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because
he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the
Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep, for the sheep, not the goats, the sheep. And other sheep
I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring
and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and
one shepherd. Therefore doth my father love
me because I lay down my life that I may take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment
have I received of my father. This is what he said. I am he. I am he. I am your shepherd. I am your door. I'm the way. I'm the way. I'm your pasture. I'm your rest. I'm your protector. I'm your
savior. I'm your life because I died. You live. I laid down my life
for the sheep. Come to me. Come to me. The porter has opened. The spirit has called. Come to
me. Verse 19 says, There was a division
therefore again among the Jews for these sayings, and many of
them said, He hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him? That's what the goat said. Why
hear ye him? I don't believe that. You want to hear what a goat
sounds like? I don't believe that. I know, but read it. Look, here it is right here.
You see what he said? I don't believe that. One way? What? One way? Only one way. You're saying there's
one truth. One life. There's just one life.
There's only one hope. I don't believe that. I won't
hear that. Don't say that to me again. I
ain't hearing it. Verse 19 says there was a division therefore
again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of them said,
he hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him? Others said,
these are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil
open the eyes of the blind? That division between goats and
sheep is no small division. The goats called him a devil.
The sheep called him God. Only God can do this. That's
what he said. Yes, sir. Amen. So be it. Verse 22, and it was at Jerusalem,
the feast of the dedication and it was winter. And Jesus walked
in the temple in Solomon's porch. Why is that significant? Who
was Solomon? Who was Solomon? He was the son
of David. Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? Sheep. Sheep, who is Jesus Christ? Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. Oh, have mercy on me. I believe
on you. I believe you. I believe you're the one. I believe
you're the way I believe I'm not the way I believe my will
is not the way I believe my works are not the way I believe my
everything is nothing and you are all. I believe you are salvation.
Not my decision to take it. You are salvation. I believe you are life. I look to you, I hear you, I
follow you. Verse 24, Then came the Jews
round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make
us to doubt? Goats doubt. Goats butt. That's what they do. They hear
the words of Jesus Christ the Shepherd, and they say, Hold
on. Now wait a minute now, bud. Verse 24, then came the Jews
round about him and said unto him, how long dost thou make
us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. That's what the goats say. You
know what the sheep say? When they hear the voice of the
shepherd, ask them, who do you say I am? Thou art the Christ, the son
of the living God. They cry, We believe and are
sure that thou art the Christ. Verse 24, Then came the Jews
round about him and said unto him, How long dost thou make
us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you
and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believed not because
you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." Let me just tell you
what that verse did not say. That verse did not say, you are
not my sheep because you didn't believe. This is important, isn't it?
That's not what that verse says. The verse says, you believe not
because you're not of my sheep. As I said unto you, what does
that mean? This tells us God is sovereign.
We're dealing with a sovereign, almighty God who does what he
wants with whom he wants. No one can stay his hand. No
one can question him. And his sheep won't. His sheep won't. They'll say,
I believe you. They don't say, but. They say, who am I to reply
against God? That's what the sheep say. Verse 27, he said, My sheep hear
my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto
them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. He said to my sheep, I am everything
to them. I'm the answer. Well, what about
this Christ? Well, yeah, but what about this
Christ? Well, what do you have to say about this Christ? To my sheep, I'm all to my sheep,
I'm all they need. I'm all they have. I'm all they
want. They hear my voice in my words,
say, come to me and I'll give you rest. They hear it. You come to me and I'll give
you rest. I'll give you rest from the law.
I'll give you rest from your guilt. I'll give you rest from
the bondage of your sin. You come to me and I'll give
you rest. And they come to me and I give
them rest. And I give to them eternal life.
And I give them the safety and the peace of knowing that they
will never perish and will never be plucked out of my hand. Never. Do we hear the voice of the shepherd? Do we hear the voice of the shepherd
saying, come to me? Not, come to your works. Now I'm telling you, you better
get to your decision. You hear me? You better make a decision.
Run to your decision. Get a decision. Straighten up
and fly right. Do we hear the voice of the shepherd
saying, come to me? Come to me. Follow me. I'm the way. I'm the way. Do we hear the voice of the shepherd?
And does his voice make us say? Does his voice make us say? I hope he's talking to me because
I'm going to come running. Does it make us say that? I really
hope he's talking to me because ready or not, here I come. I
need him. I need that. If it does, we're his sheep. If it makes you say, I really
hope he's talking to me because I'm about to come to him. If
it makes us say that we're His sheep, how do you know that?
How can you say that? Only His sheep hear His voice and come
to Him and follow Him. Only His sheep. All those who
are not His sheep will just continue on about their business eating
grass. They won't hear a thing. It'll go in one ear and out the
other. He ain't my shepherd. Here's another way of knowing
where his sheep and I'm done. This is not point number two.
I'm done. He said all of his sheep were lost sheep. Answer
this in your heart. Without him, are you lost? Tell you, I'm going to tell you,
this world is full of people who are not lost. Oh, no, I'm
found. I'm saved. I'm born again. I
got it. I got it. I'm not worried about anything.
You know what God's sheep say? Where are you? Where are you?
I don't. Where did you go? If I can't see you, I'm lost. Like Thomas, you know, we are
doubting Thomas. How can we know if I can't see
you, I don't know the way. Without him, are you lost without
him, are you? If so, if so, you're his sheep.
All you have to do is stand still and listen for the voice of the
shepherd. If you ever find yourself lost, which is going to be probably
in about 10 minutes. When you get in that position
and you feel I'm so lost, where are you? Where are you? All you
have to do is stand still and listen for the voice. Just listen for the voice of
the shepherd. He will come to you. He will seek you. He will find you. And when he
does, and you hear him say, come, go run into him. Go run into
him. Remember, as you run, sheep,
as you're running, you remember this promise. He said, every
sheep that my father has given to me shall come to me. And every
one of those sheep that come to me, hearing my voice, following
my voice, I will in no wise cast out. He said, it is not the will
of my father that one of my little sheep should perish. And they
are not going to. They're not going to. Now, in
closing, I just couldn't help but think about this. I had to
write this down. Don't turn back, but our text
said that when the Lord found us, found his sheep, he would
put that sheep on his shoulders and carry that sheep all the
way home. I couldn't help every time. There's multiple places
where that's mentioned. And every time I can't help but
envision that sheep laying there riding those shoulders all the
way home. Thinking to himself. The Lord
is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me
to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. This is him restoring my soul.
He leads me in paths of his own righteousness. We're in it right
now. For his namesake, he's my savior. Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. He's with me. His rod and his staff, oh, it
comforts me. He's prepared a table before
me in the presence of my enemies. He has anointed me with the oil
of joy and gladness. My cup runs over. That's what
I see that sheep saying, riding sideways, bouncing as he goes.
My cup is running over right now. Surely. Goodness, grace, listen
to this. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me. All because I follow him. Because
I've been caused to follow him. Goodness and mercy shall follow
me. All the days of my life. And
by his grace, I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I want to be a sheep. You want
that? Do you want that too? Do you
hear that? Lord, seek us, find us, save
us. Amen.