THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP

Read Luke 15:1-7

I. The Shepherd seeks and finds the sheep.

1. The salvation referred to in the context of this parable is personnel and individual, not national (as is the case in some passages). Jesus was directly answering the self-righteous Pharisees who murmured because He received sinners; that is individual sinners of the Jewish people in particular.

2. It is clear from this passage that it is the Shepherd that does seeking of the sheep. Even if the sheep were to seek the Shepherd, because they are helpless creatures, all their seeking would be vain. Salvation is by sovereign grace because the lost sheep are totally powerless to aid the Shepherd in saving their souls.

3. The Shepherd seeks His sheep in the most destitute and desolate places. We want to travel with the Shepherd this evening to some of these lower parts of the earth where He typically finds His lost sheep.

A. The land of sensual pleasure.

The woman of Samaria- John 4:4-26

The woman caught in adultery- John 8:1-11

The sinner woman- Luke 7:36-39

B. The land of political corruption.

Levi (Matthew) and his friends- Mark 2:14-17

Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-8

C. The land of infirmity.

The woman with the issue of blood- Matt 9:20-22

The Nobleman- John 4:46-53

D. The land of the Godless heathen.

The Syrophenician woman- Mark 7:24-30

E. The land of demonic possession.

Mary Magdalene- Mark 5:1-20

F. The land of Religious darkness.

Nicodemus- John 3:1-5

Saul of Tarsus- Acts 9:1-6

II. The Shepherd carries the sheep.

Luke 15:5

The sheep doesn't carry the Shepherd, as the Arminians believe.

He caries the sheep all the way to the fold.

III. There is great rejoicing over one sheep that is rescued.

Luke 15:6-7

-The sheep rejoices.

-The Shepherd rejoices.

-The saints rejoice.

-The angels in heaven rejoice.

(Sermon Preached by Pastor Burke at the Faith Baptist Church of Lawtey, Fl)