All We Like Sheep
Greetings!!!
Isaiah 53:6 says this,
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – everyone – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:6
It is thought-provoking to consider ourselves as sheep. Well, perhaps not exactly interesting, but undoubtedly humbling. Sheep are known to be unintelligent and vulnerable creatures. They lack discernment and are defenseless. Once they fall onto their side, they cannot rise without assistance. They blindly follow one another, even towards imminent danger, like willingly marching towards slaughter or unknowingly venturing off a cliff. They are without hope and utterly dependent. Consequently, it is not difficult to imagine the dire predicament of a sheep that has strayed away on its own. The desperate state of a lost sheep is not hard to fathom.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD.”
Matthew 9:36
“And YOU were dead in the trespasses and sins in which YOU once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom WE ALL ONCE LIVED…”
Ephesians 2:1-3a
Let us not forget that as God’s people, those who have been saved and have confessed Jesus as the Lord of our lives, we are now secure sheep in the pasture. We are protected and being prepared for glory. However, there was a time when we were lost, wandering in the world, blindly following its deceptive lies. We were like sheep led astray, heading towards our own destruction. But then, at one point, our great Shepherd sought after us. He found us, lovingly lifted us up, and carried us home, rejoicing! This redemption was entirely by His power and not our own. Hallelujah!
Lately, I have been reflecting on the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7. It has come to my attention that this passage has been misused and taken out of its proper context by well-meaning individuals. Thus, for the sake of my own peace and understanding, I wanted to think aloud through this powerful scripture. I have caught myself feeling angry about recent events and allowing my thoughts to veer in the wrong direction, getting caught up in emotions instead of keeping my focus on Christ. How frustrating! It’s a reminder that even after being saved, we can still be influenced or tempted by the forces at work in this world system. However, we should remember that while we may be tempted or manipulated, we are never defeated.
This is why immersing ourselves in the Word of God is crucial. It is through God’s Word that we find our solid ground. Properly studying and interpreting God’s Word provides us with a firm foundation. However, we must approach it with the right perspective. We should view the world through the lens of Scripture, rather than twisting Scripture to fit our own agendas. We must employ a proper hermeneutic, the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts. This process should not involve injecting personal opinions or agendas to manipulate the meaning of a passage, in order to sway our fellow Christians to think as we want them to think.
“Parables are not free-floating stories that can be attached in any time or place or culture. Whatever it meant, exactly, no less and no more, to the people to whom Jesus said it, is exactly what he intended it to mean to us and to every generation and every language and every culture since and until Jesus comes.”
John MacArthur
“One of the great losses in the evangelical church today is indifference toward historical context.”
John MacArthur
The theme of Luke chapter 15:1-7 and Luke chapter 15 as a whole is repentance.
“In the context of Luke 15:1-3, the parable is in fact a call for “the righteous” to repent by sharing God’s joy in the salvation of “sinners”. Most probably one should not press this detail in the parable and seek meaning with respect to who the ninety-nine represent. The basic reality to which this parable points is God’s great joy over the repentance of the lost as they receive life.”
Robert H. Stein
What was once lost has now been found. The story of the lost sheep exemplifies our great Shepherd, Jesus, who seeks and saves the lost. These three stories in Luke 15 portray the restoration to the Father. They beautifully illustrate who we were and what we were before our Savior graciously intervened to retrieve us. We were all like lost sheep in need of a shepherd. We have all experienced being the lost coin, and even now, at times, we may still act like the prodigal son (you know who you are… LOL).
These stories highlight the profound need for the gospel, which is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16). Presently, just as always, the world is in desperate need of the gospel. People are crying out for it, and it is our responsibility as Christians to bring them the gospel. We must convey the truth that…
“Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
1 Timothy 1:15b
Our duty is not to promote or push a social agenda. That is not our mission. It is not the essence of the great commission. Even if certain social objectives are accomplished (which would indeed be commendable), we must remember that we are all still lost, bound for eternal damnation without the gospel. Our true need is Jesus. We are like aimless sheep, desperately and helplessly searching for purpose. We are in dire need of a Shepherd.
Never forget….
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
Matthew 28:19a
That is our goal as Christians. That is our mission. To bring the gospel to those who so desperately need it and right now;
“…the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…pray earnestly to the Lord…to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38
“…Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
John 4:35b
And never, never forget….
“…a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
James 3:18
Righteousness flourishes in a climate of spiritual peace.
And never, never, never forget…
“…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Luke 15:17
What a beautiful truth. The all mighty, the all powerful creator of everything, God of Gods, Lord of Lords, rejoices in the salvation of one lost sheep. He rejoices as each and every one of his sheep are restored to him.
Love you, miss you, thinking of you,
mike
