We Need A Shepherd
(Mark 14:26-31)
1. A flock of sheep are grazing in a field, happily going "baa baa" to one another and discussing life as usual when suddenly they hear a "moo mooooooooooo!"
They look around &see only sheep. They carry on grazing as before. "Moo moo!"
One sheep can hear it all too clearly next to him. He shuffles away a little from his friend, a worried look on his face and then asks
"George, why are you mooing. You're a sheep. Sheep go baa!"
His friend replies gladly, "I know, I thought I would learn a foreign language!"
2. This should explain why sheep need a shepherd!
3. Mark 6:34, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd….”
4. Most people do not want Jesus to be their shepherd. Their shepherd might be Oprah, or a rock star, or a political activist, or a High Tech CEO, or their peers.
Main Idea: Sincerity is not enough: We need an active Shepherd to follow, One worthy of our allegiance.
I. This Shepherd SINGS With Us (26).
A. They were singing the later part of the HALLEL, Psalms 115-118. [Show photo 1]
At the end of the last Psalm, 118,:22-29 passim we read: “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the Lord’s doing…
This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it… Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar…”
B. The Son became incarnate as a Jewish MAN, our Brother as well as Master.
1. He participated in all the Jewish festivals, had sacrifices offered, blessings
2. He ate Kosher, memorize the Torah, and eke out a living as a teknon
3. He experienced life in a mortal body and was tempted in all ways as we
4. He identified with the human race in general & Jewish people in particular
C. Jesus promised His continued PRESENCE when we gather (Matthew 18:20).
Sincerity is not enough: We need an active Shepherd to follow, One worthy of our allegiance.
II. Our Faith is Built Around this Shepherd; We SCATTER Without Him (27).
A. Disciples were willing to FIGHT with Jesus, but not passively risk death with Him.
B. Without Jesus, His followers are left to SCATTER aimlessly. [Photo 2 Sheep]
Zechariah 13:7 [NASB], ““Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered…”
C. If your beliefs or life would not change much if Jesus were proved a fake, then you are not one of His DISCIPLES.
1. Many believe that God exists, but that is not the same as believing that God was incarnate specifically in Jesus Christ.
2. To most people, all religions are good and religion is about behaving
3. If I were not a follower of Jesus, I would probably believe there were many ways to God, support abortion, gay rights, marijuana, and probably would not support Israel. I would believe we evolved from lower forms and that situation ethics — rather than moral absolutes — were best. I would probably be an alcoholic like my father and both my grandfathers. I would be very different.
D. Nations and churches pretend to believe, but have often lost the foundation: God’s Written and Incarnate WORD.
Sincerity is not enough: We need an active Shepherd to follow, One worthy of our allegiance.
III. This Shepherd Must Be GRACIOUS Because We Falter (28).
A. His disciples would fail, but He would RESTORE them. [Photo 3 Restores]
• The Jews expected the Messiah to reign from Jerusalem, not Galilee.
• Expected all Israel to be resurrected before the Kingdom, not a specific resurrection of the Messiah.
• What Jesus said made no sense to them; the disciples could not hear Him.
B. Jesus would UNDO Peter’s trifold denial when Peter would confess there times that He loved Jesus (John 21:15-17).
1. Some things are hard to reverse. One blogger writes, “Today, 50,000 copies of the new edition of the town's phone book came out. I manage a pizza place and bought a full menu ad. Apparently the ad designer got confused, as they placed my cell phone number in huge bold letters at the bottom of the ad instead of the store's phone number.”
2. Jesus gave Peter a chance to “undo” his denials with 3 affirmations.
C. Jesus anticipates each one of us will sometimes FAIL Him.
Sincerity is not enough: We need an active Shepherd to follow, One worthy of our allegiance.
IV. This Shepherd Needs to CONFRONT and HUMBLE Us So That We Trust His Judgment Above Our Own (29-31).
A. Once again, Jesus words fell on DEAF ears.
B. We cannot get rid of pride, only CONTAIN it; but it likes to ooze back. [Photo 4]
1. Earlier, the disciples humbled themselves, asking, ‘Is it I?” But humility had given way to pride. They knew their hearts, or so they thought.
2. We, too, think we know our hearts. It is more accurate to say that we know a portion of our hearts. But our hearts can be fickle, and we may find ourselves compromising our convictions in different situations.
3. It is easy to trust God when our judgments are the same; but it is when they differ that our faith is revealed.
C. These men were SINCERE, but sincerity is not enough.
D. The crowing rooster was more dependable than Peter’s DETERMINATION (30-32). [Photo 5, Rooster]
• Romans named the watch of the night “rooster crow.” Roosters often crow at 12:30 AM, although they may crow at various times of night and day 2nd crowing morning.
1. Peter was not particularly WEAK.
2. He is a picture of human NATURE.
3. He would be TRANSFORMED and give his life 30 years later.
Luke 7:47, “ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
These eleven men would one day be brave, several of them laying down their lives for Jesus.
Sincerity is not enough: We need an active Shepherd to follow, One worthy of our allegiance.
