3 John 1:1-8
“The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.”
“Are there any dumb questions”? I have always and will continue to answer this question with a resounding, “Of course not”. But now, having been a preacher for nearly ten years, I will admit I have been asked my fair share of, lets just say, not the most intelligent questions. I’m not just talking about the occasional “Did Adam have a belly button?” or “Are there aliens in the Bible?”. I’m referring to the questions that the devil uses to make us doubt our place and purpose in Gods will.
Allow me illustrate…a few short years ago, I was preaching away from my home church. After talking and eating for a while after the service, like all good Baptists do, I was walking to my car when another preacher, who is an assistant pastor at another church, stopped me. As soon as he began to speak, I quickly realized that he did not want to just reflect on the awesome service we had just experienced, but rather he wanted to spiritually arm wrestle me. What I mean to say is he wanted to show me how much more spiritual he was than me. Let me confess right here that is not hard to do to me! I learned a long time ago that most folks who act super spiritual are just that… actors. This feigned holiness and a lack of realness is why the church is having problems evangelizing the lost. God save me from this religious crowd and give me the real crowd! Anyway, he proceeded to complain to me that he was tired of being an assistant pastor and having to do all of the work and not getting the credit he thought he deserved. Then he turned and looked me straight in the eye and asked, “What about you bro …Do you think this is all God has for you…What even is your ministry”? I must admit this question caught me off guard and to this day I can’t remember exactly how I answered or how I was able to finally convince him that I was spiritual enough to exit the conversation.
That question, that I originally brushed off, annoyingly started to echo in my mind. What was my ministry? Did I even have a ministry? Was this all I will ever be? Is this God’s will? Am I in God’s will? Am I even making a difference? Many folks in the Lords work are bothered by these questions. These questions bothered me until I read 3 John and was introduced to a man named Gaius. Not much is know about Gaius’ background or even his ministry. Many speculate that he was one of John’s many converts. He may also have been an assistant preacher that became a Pastor of a church that John started. I will not disagree with any of those ideas but I believe, without speculating, that Gaius was a great man with just what we read about him in the Bible. John, the man of God, tells us in this letter that he loved Gaius. He tells us that Gaius walks in the truth and that he deals faithfully with all men. John even says that stories of Gaius’ love for the work echoed throughout all of the churches. Now remember, Gaius did not perform any miracles or preach any great sermons that we know of . He was just a helper. Just a person that felt it was Gods will for his life to simply be available to lend a hand. For the sake of argument lets say Gaius was not a pastor, preacher, deacon or even the sunday school chariot driver. Just a Christian with no title, no ego, no agenda. Just a servant’s heart. I believe what John wanted us to know about brother Gaius was that he was just as valuable in the ministry as anyone with a title because John could count on him.
Gaius’ testimony reminded me of a documentary that I watched on sheepdogs and shepherds not long ago. I never realized how much a sheepdog meant to a shepherd. The shepherd being interviewed told how the dog made his life so much easier. He talked about the dog’s faithfulness and watchfulness to care for the flock and the shepherds. He spoke about how the dog’s purpose was to keep the flock together and to steer them in the direction the shepherd wanted them to go. He said the dog never asks for a thank you and in fact sometimes the shepherd felt as if the dog would thank him for allowing him to be a service. I have read many books and heard many sermons on the shepherd but not much is ever said about the sheep dogs.
The book of Job, which many scholars agree, is the oldest book in the Bible, makes mention of the sheep dog in chapter thirty. So as far back as shepherds and sheep go in history so do sheep dogs. These dogs tirelessly give their time, energy and life to their calling. When we look at the stories of Men of God who were shepherds to Gods flock, we can’t help but see some sheep dogs. When reading about that great shepherd Moses, who led the flock of Israel out of Egypt, one finds Caleb and Joshua by his side. An interesting point is that Caleb’s name means “dog”. When we read about David and his mighty men or Elijah and Elisha, we see sheepdogs. For how great would the work of Paul been if it were not but for Luke, Timothy and Titus? Why even our Lord Jesus had twelve disciples to help His earthly ministry. You see, we all cannot be the shepherd or be in the forefront but we all can be sheepdogs. I’m talking about the servants who are in the shadows and are behind the scenes working to keep the flock together and headed in the direction of the shepherd. All of the Sunday school teachers, preachers, cleaners, bus workers, deacons, ushers, nursery workers, singers, choir leaders, sound men, and many others who give themselves wholeheartedly to the church and to the pastor without needing a thank you or even an “attaboy”. Sometimes the devil can make you question your purpose or the value of your ministry but I’m here to tell you that your service, though maybe unnoticed, is never unneeded! If we would realize the value of the sheepdog, we would understand the need for our churches to have folks with the heart of the sheepdog. There is no good flock without a good shepherd and no good shepherd without a good sheepdog. Lord make me a Sheepdog!
1. THE SERVICE OF THE SHEEPDOG (ACTS 20:28“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
The main job of the sheepdog is to take stress off of the sheep and in turn take stress off of the shepherd. No matter what challenges or obstacles he faces his primary objective is to serve the needs of the flock and the shepherd. How much better would our churches be if our attitude or mindset was to always help the church and in turn help the Pastor? I have preached in churches where you could feel the attitude of the members was to tear down one another and criticize the Pastor. That is never the attitude of the sheepdog for his duty and mindset is to lift up the flock and the shepherd.
A Pastor friend told me that more than seventy-five percent of Pastors battle depression at some point in their ministry. Many Pastors feel alone and burnt-out. They study to preach three to four times a week without a break. They visit the sick, dying and the lost. They perform marriages and funerals. They counsel the young, the old, and the couples. All while having a family of their own and, in some cases, working a second job. Because of the burdens that they bear many Pastors have a strained relationship with their wife and their children. They are constantly pulled in every direction yet are expected to find the time to pray, read their Bible and prepare sermons. A pastor or shepherd’s endless work is why the sheepdog’s service is so important. He must be a servant to the shepherd. A willing tool, that in the hand of a wise shepherd, can be used to make life easier for him and the flock. A sheep dog is always eager to help the shepherd in even the most menial tasks. Don’t complain the next time your pastor asks you to do something you feel is unimportant but know that you are helping the shepherd! The sheepdog serves as worker and friend to the shepherd. The shepherd trusts and depends on his sheepdog to be a faithful companion. Loyalty in churches today can be as hard to find as a white cat in a snowstorm. A loyal sheepdog never undermines the work of the shepherd but always helps the work. I wouldn’t give you a wooden nickel for a church member that will run down his Pastor and his church. If he’s willing to betray the trust of a shepherd and a flock then he’s willing to betray a lot more than that!
Being a help to the shepherd is important because it achieves the main goal which is helping the flock. The church or the bride of Christ is the most important work on the face of the earth. And no, the church is not a building or a structure but a living, breathing, body of believers that needs to be cared for. The church is where sinners hear about salvation and where the believer receives the reproof, rebuke and exhortation he needs to be a better Christian fit for God’s use. The reason there are not more sheepdogs in churches is because folks do not realize the importance of the work. Souls hang in the balance between Heaven and Hell. Every service maybe your only opportunity of saving that lost boy or girl or that back-slid mom or dad. That is why the sheepdog does his best to keep the flock together. He realizes that if everyone is headed in a different direction then no one will get fed and one may even get hurt. He does everything in his power to get them to listen to the shepherds calls and his warnings!
As the shepherd leads the flock to the green pastures, the sheepdog follows behind the flock using its speed and its nose to keep the flock together. If some start to sway to the left he quickly puts his nose in the way and promotes them to stay together and keep following the shepherd. If one strays from being faithful to the things of God then our duty as sheepdogs is to put ourselves in between them and the world in love! Remember the sheepdog is never there to bite or growl at the sheep. The rod is not a tool for the sheepdog but is only to be used by the shepherd. Hey, young preacher, maybe the reason you do not get the opportunities to preach that you want is because you spend too much time biting and not enough time helping! Gal 6:1 says “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Oh how churches would flourish if church members would remember there is a big difference between demolition and restoration. “Ye which are spiritual” is not a recommendation but a commandment from Paul. If you are ever going to help your church you must first be right with God! We must understand that our service as a sheepdog is to be a constant help to our shepherd and the flock!
2. THE SECURITY OF THE SHEEPDOG (IS 56:10) “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.”
The second job of the sheepdog is to provide security to the sheep and shepherd. Although I believe this is the most important service that the sheep dog provides, churches today are full of “dumb dogs” that “cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.” As Christians, we need stand up for our church, pastor and Bible. Because of previous generations refusing to stand and bark for what is right, marriage is now undefined, prayer and Bible have been removed from our children’s schools and the sermons are as watered down and confusing as they have ever been. Oh, that the sheep dogs everywhere would wake up, stand up, bark and even bite back at this modern-day, mealy-mouthed, cold, dead, dry form of religion that refuses to denounce sin, promote righteousness and even preach the grace of God in salvation, plus nothing minus nothing! Its time that our sheepdogs quit yapping like little Chihuahuas and start barking like German shepherds at that crowd that wants to damage our flock, deceive our shepherd and decimate our little lambs! There are three quick things that a good sheepdog must bark at…
A. We must bark at the Wolves (ACTS 20:29) “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Paul’s biggest fear in Acts 20:29 was that after his departure the wolves would enter into the flock. Without having the protection of a sheepdog, many churches have been decimated by the wolves! These “grievous wolves” prey on the sheep by sowing jealousy, envy and hatred into the flock. They lead the sheep down the path of destruction by causing division and devaluing their shepherds authority. Wolves, in the wild, look like most sheep dogs and sometimes will even attempt to mimic a sheepdog’s movements. But the wolves do not know the calls of the shepherd and they certainly do not care for the flock! Sadly, it is the new Christians or the baby lambs that are the most vulnerable to the attacks of a wolf. Sheep are instinctively terrified of wolves and will “freeze” when a wolf approaches sealing its fate. But a good sheep dog lives for the day that they can defend the flock against the wolves! If we are ever going to be a good sheep dog we must learn to bark at the wolves.
B. We must bark at the Wounded Sheep (1 John 3:17) “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” A sheepdog also has to be vigilant in spotting any hurt sheep. If he observes a wounded sheep, he will quickly bark alerting the shepherd that help is needed right away. Remember the wolves are waiting to prey on the young and the wounded! We cannot not afford to be so selfish that we only care for ourselves and not for others in our flock. 1 John says there is no way we can possess the love of God and not help our wounded brothers and sisters. Every day fellow brothers and sisters in Christ face a myriad of struggles and challenges that require not only our help but also our shepherd’s help! God help us to stop caring so much for ourselves and so little for our brethren!
C. We must bark at the Wandering Sheep (Jude 22-23) “And of some have compassion, making a difference:And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” It is truly sad that these verses in Jude are as true today as they have ever been. There are only some with enough compassion to make a difference and bark at those sheep that our wandering to their destruction. Folks leave the church for some of the worst reasons and usually never make it back to the fold! In studying for this message, I read countless stories of sheepdogs who tirelessly stayed on the trail of a lost sheep until he led the shepherd to the place where he could help. We must constantly be on the watch for that sheep that is preparing to stray from the flock and we must have compassion on them to keep them from the wolves. Aren’t you thankful that when you back-slid and left the fold there was some sheepdogs that were on your trail, praying that you would be kept safe and spared from the wolves. As sheepdogs we must posses a burning passion for finding lost sheep and keeping them in the flock. This compassion must not only be for church folks that have left but for our lost loved ones who are not sheep but strangers to the blessings of God. We need to sniff them out as well and lead them to the Good Shepherd that they can be marvelously saved by the grace of God. As your reading this, I pray your thinking of specific people that your going to try to sniff out and pull “out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
3. THE SACRIFICE OF THE SHEEPDOG (ACTS 20:31) “Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Paul could have been a lot of things besides a preacher. His intelligence could have made him a very successful businessmen. His astounding communication, language and writing skills could have made Paul a prominent political figure. His unwavering zeal would have made him a natural-born military leader. But he gave up all those things, for what he counted a privilege, to be called a preacher. I would argue that Paul did not just spend three years but his whole ministry warning “everyone night and day with tears.” Paul’s sacrifice was not just with his time but with his life because that was his calling. That sacrifice allowed Paul to have the power of God on his life. That power allowed Paul to be the effective preacher and soul winner that he was. If you want Gods power in your life and on you ministry it will take sacrifice! You must lay your wants and desires on the altar of enduement if you really want God to fill you and use you for His purpose! God’s power is the missing ingredient in the recipe for success in each of our own lives and ministries. Henry Varley, a friend of D.L. Moody, once said: “It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up wholly unto Him.” When Mr. Henry Varley said that, Mr. Moody said to himself: “Well I will be that man.” We too can be “that man” if we are willing to sacrifice and dedicate ourselves for the work of God!
The sheep dog may not get all of the credit or rewards but that is his calling and it is what he lives for! His sacrifice is so that the flock can thrive and the shepherd can minister. I thank God for those who have sacrificed their entire lives for their church and their pastor in the hopes that someone might be saved! Your sacrifice may not result in earthly rewards but one day the good shepherd will pat you on your head and say well done my good and faithful servant! My friend, God’s approval is the only reward that we need or that counts. The next time the devil uses someone to question what my ministry is or its value. I pray God gives me the wisdom to answer that my calling, wherever it takes me, is to be a sheepdog. And if there is any value in it, I pray God would use it for His honor and glory! Lord make me a Sheepdog!
