It's Good to be a Sheep

Title:  It’s Good to be a Sheep By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text:   John 10: 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.

INTRODUCTION: My dear friends in Christ, One Sunday morning, following the church service, a layman accosted the pastor and said, “Pastor, this church has been insulting me for years, and I did not know it until this week.” The stunned pastor replied, “What on earth do you mean?” “Well,” said the layman, “Often I hear the phrase, ‘We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.’ And I have heard ministers over the years call the congregation, God’s flock.’ Then this past week I visited the Chicago stockyards. There I discovered that sheep are just about the dumbest animals God ever created. Why, they are so stupid that they even follow one another docilely into the slaughterhouse. Even pigs are smarter than sheep, and I would certainly be angry if my church called me a pig’ every Sunday morning. So I’m not at all sure I want to come to church and be called a sheep’ any longer...even God’s sheep’.”  The man had a point.

I. We’d rather be something other than a sheep. We would entertain a proud peacock perhaps, strutting its tail feathers for all the world to admire. Or a sleek cat, a loyal dog, a strong horse, a bull. Really, if you’re going to run with animal metaphors, let it be anything but a sheep. Maybe we’d even settle for a pig.

A. But I think it's a good thing that for God's people it was an abomination to eat pigs or even touch them, but there was no such law regarding sheep.

1. If it had been the other way around; if sheep had been considered unclean animals but the people of God were allowed to raise hogs, how different wouldn't things be for us!

a. Instead of Jesus holding a lamb like in the statue above our altar, He'd be holding a tiny pig.   b. The 23rd Psalm would begin, "The Lord is my Hog Farmer..." One of our favorite hymns would be, "I Am Jesus' Little Pig."    c. And every year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, instead of hearing a sermon about how we are sheep who love to stray, we'd hear about how we are vicious little pigs who bite and devour each other as we slop around in the mud.

2. But really it’s better to be a sheep than a pig.  The picture, for us, is one of which we are much more accepting.  But really pigs are much smarter than sheep.

a. Pigs are aggressive, sheep are followers.  Pigs can take care of themselves.  They are not easy prey for wild beasts.  They do not need someone constantly watching over them.  Sheep do.    b. If you were a pig then you would have no need for today's sermon, no need for the church, no need for a Shepherd.

B. But whether we like it or not, in the language of the Bible: both the Old and New Testaments we are called “God’s sheep.”

1. So why does Jesus choose to use a sheep to represent his disciples? Even in ancient society, sheep and shepherds did not garner the respect and admiration of the rich and famous. But Sheep have one particularly admirable quality. They will follow their shepherd wherever he leads them.

a. The people of God have been placed in a very large field that is often called the world. Many voices are calling us to come and join them. The voice of materialism wants us to deny our faith in the supernatural and believe only in the physical world. The voice of consumerism calls us to fulfill our envy by overspending on vacations, cars, clothing and a home. The voice of entertainment wants to fill our lives with media driven flashes that grab our attention, isolate us from our family and friends and then leave us with nothing but an oversized bill.   b. And out of all this noise God’s flock has been called to follow Him and trust him. And now because we follow Him we are not easily distracted by another shepherd.

c. Like this: A man in Australia was arrested sometime back and charged with stealing a sheep. But he protested that he owned the sheep and that it had been missing for many days. When the case went to court, the judge didn’t know how to decide the matter. Finally he asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom. Then he ordered the plaintiff, the man who had accused the man of stealing his sheep, to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened.   The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call the sheep. When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep ran toward the door and his voice. It was obvious that the sheep recognized the familiar voice of his master. “This sheep hears only him,” said the judge. “Case dismissed!”

II. So we are called sheep and here is what Jesus says of His sheep:  "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, ..."

A. There are four actions taking place here.  Two that we do; two that Jesus does.  We hear and follow.  Jesus knows and gives.

1. Now sheep become confused quite often, and being sheep, this happens with us.

a. We have the tendency to turn these actions around. In our sinful confusion we see ourselves as the ones who know and give, and Jesus as the one who hears and follows. To be a sheep, we think, all it takes is for us to know who Jesus is and to give Him some of our time and money once in a while.  He is the one who hears and follows.  He hears us when we pray to Him now and then, and He follows us around to pull us out of trouble when we need help.  But that's utter confusion!   b. We are Jesus' sheep not because we know Him, but because He knows us; not because of what we give to Him, but because of what He gives to us.  We are Jesus' sheep because we hear His voice and follow Him, not the other way around.

2. Now on the surface it appears that these four actions follow in order.  First we hear Jesus' voice.  Then He knows us.  Next we follow Him.  And finally He gives us eternal life.  But this is not so.  All four actions are simultaneous.  As we hear and follow He knows us and gives life to us.

a. When a baby is at his mother's breast the mother speaks softly to her child while nursing.  The infant hears his mother's voice.  The mother knows her child as her very own.  The child follows her leading to find milk.  Drinking of that milk the mother is giving life to her child.    b. All four actions, really, happen at the same time.  And so with us.  Jesus' sheep hear His voice.  We follow that voice.  And all the while He knows us as His dear sheep and from Him we are receiving life.

B. Now again, because sheep are often confused, so let's understand clearly something about these four actions.  They are in the present tense.  Jesus' sheep always are hearing His voice.  Always He knows His sheep.  Always they follow Him.  Always He is giving life to them.

1. But as confused sheep, we have the tendency to put these actions in the past tense and to say, "I heard Jesus' voice in the past, in Sunday School, Confirmation Class, in church a few times.  And so even though I don't hear His voice in the present much today, because I heard His voice in the past I am His sheep."  "And I followed Him for a while in the past, back when I was not as busy, and so even though I'm not much of a follower today in the present, I am His sheep."    2. But this is utter confusion.  "My sheep," says Jesus, "did not just hear in the past and follow in the past...but they are always, in the present, hearing My voice and following Me."

III. You are Jesus' sheep and it is no accident that you are here today.  Where the Shepherd is, that's where the sheep are found.

A. Jesus made you His sheep in the waters of your baptism.  He washed you and cleansed you, sins and all.

1. Why? Because you are precious to Him; because He is merciful; because He died for you and chose you for His very own.   2. But your Shepherd did not stop with your baptism.  Through Christian parents, teachers, and pastors He taught you of His love and His truth.

a. Through such people, sinners though all of us are, He brought, and brings, His voice to your ears.    b. So when you heard mom and dad reading to you an Arch Book about Abraham, or your Sunday School teacher reading a lesson about King David, or when you hear Pastor preaching to you from the pulpit about sin and grace, you recognize the voice of your Shepherd.

3. You also recognize your Shepherd’s voice in the Words of Institution – and you can see His Hand feeding you with His Body and Blood for the strengthening of Your faith.

B. You never stop being a sheep, and so Jesus never stops knowing you as His own and giving life to you.  He never tires of leading you with His voice.  He never ceases to care for you.

1. Are we perfect contented sheep like the sheep in the statue above our altar--no spots, or wrinkles, or unholy things about us?

a. Not at all.  We're picky sheep, critical sheep, judgmental sheep, lazy sheep, lustful and greedy sheep.  We are sheep with an attitude.  We are sheep with problems.    b. But because you are Jesus' sheep, you are more than anything, forgiven sheep, holy sheep, sheep with hope, sheep who know where you are going--to heaven through Jesus.

2. And so that perfect little sheep above the altar is how Jesus sees you. Not without problems, but problems that vanish in His love.  Not without sin, but completely forgiven, innocent and blameless in His eyes.  You are not a sheep without worries and concerns, but you are happy and content because He is your Shepherd.

CONCLUSION: No pig ever had it so good.  All this is yours, friend, because you are Jesus' sheep.  Amen.