Lessons From The Chicken Pen

LESSONS FROM THE CHICKEN PEN

TEXT: Matt 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

INTRODUCTION:

A. THE LORD CARES ABOUT US

1. The Lord’s care is compared to that of a Mother hen for her young chicks when they are in danger.

2. Chickens are not very smart.

3. Some will go hide under the mother’s wings and others will not.

4. Lost people are not very smart either.

5. Some will go hide under the shadow of the Almighty, and others will not

6. Psalms 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

B. CHICKENS

1. A chicken is a farm bird raised primarily for eggs and meat

2. I have heard that all Preachers love to eat chicken.

3. They say it is because a rooster "told on" Simon Peter, and preachers have been trying to get even ever since.

4. Preachers are such famous chicken eaters, that it is said that a Preacher’s belt is nothing but a leather fence around a chicken grave yard.

5. Pastor Doug Jones (formerly of NM) once jokingly said he knew at an early age that he was called to preach because he had a taste for chicken.

C. LESSONS FROM THE CHICKEN PEN

1. We raised chickens when I was growing up.

2. You can learn a lot about people by watching the chicken pen.

I. CHICKENS ARE FORMED DIFFERENTLY

1Cor 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another?

A. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHICKENS

1. There are over 50 different standard breeds of Chickens.

2. There are Rhode Island Reds, Black Minorcas, White Plymouth Rocks, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Silver-gray Dorkings, White Wyandottes, White Leghorns, Bannies, and many more...

3. We raised White Plymouth Rocks (White Rocks) and White Leghorns.

4. There are also many different types of sinners.

a) tall sinners or short sinners.

b) skinny sinners or fat sinners

c) rich sinners or poor sinners

d) red, brown, yellow, black, or white sinners

B. DIFFERENT TYPES BUT SAME IN NATURE

1. I wanted to eat a banny rooster because I wanted to know what he would taste like.

2. I found out, it’s all JUST CHICKEN once it’s in the DUMPLINGS.

3. All chickens taste the same.

4. Before God, all people are the same.

5. We are all just SINNERS (Rom. 3:23 "All have sinned...")

II. CHICKENS "FOLLOW THE CROWD"

Matt 15:14 "...if the blind lead the blind, both... fall into the ditch."

A. CHICKENS FOLLOW MOTION

1. If a chicken sees another chicken running across the yard, he will go follow him.

2. He thinks that chicken must know something he doesn’t, so he follows.

3. People will follow someone with zeal and energy, regardless of where he is headed.

4. That’s why people followed Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Sun Moon and David Koresh.

5. Some people will follow anyone who is moving.

B. CHICKENS FOLLOW THE MAJORITY

1. If a chicken sees a bunch of chickens go a certain direction, he will go follow them.

2. My grampa had two or three pet chickens that he would hand feed. He never would eat them. We have the girl’s pictures with one of his pet chickens. When he would come out in the yard, they would come running to him. Then the ones he wanted to butcher were easy prey.

3. The rest of those chickens thought this little group knew something they didn’t know. So they would run to go follow the crowd.

4. People are JUST LIKE CHICKENS in this ASPECT.

5. They will follow the crowd.

6. That’s why you hear such commercials as:

a) "MOST dentists prefer..."

b) "MOST doctors recommend..."

c) "MOST people are using..."

7. Christians should follow the BOOK, not the CROWD! (Can I have an Amen?)

8. Matt 7:13-14

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (NIV)

III. CHICKENS FIGHT OVER THINGS

Ecc 6:7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

A. THEY FIGHT OVER FOOD

1. If a grasshopper accidentally jumps into a pen of hungry chickens, they are liable to kill 2 or 3 chickens trying to get to that grasshopper.

2. They will jerk it right out of each other’s mouths.

3. They will jump up and peck each other on the head and sometimes in the eye.