Sheepish
Pt. 1 - Ewe View
I. Introduction
500 times. More than any other animal mentioned in Scripture. So engrained in the mindset and culture of the Bible that they instantly understood and comprehended the meaning associated with the comparison throughout the Old and then into the New Testament. Jesus, the Son of God, the King, the Messiah, is understandable to us as the Lion but to the people of His day the description made sense when He is described as the Lamb of God. The problem is we aren't as familiar with the idea of sheep and shepherds so we struggle to be as sheepish as we should be. And yet, for most of us the text today resonates at such a deep level that it is used at almost every funeral. However, I am convinced that although it resonates deep within us we don't really understand it and therefore we don't apply it to our daily walk and then we find ourselves in some wooly situations. We simply aren't sheepish enough. So over the next few weeks I want us to dive into this passage and learn to be sheepish again.
Text: Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The truth is this Psalm really isn't as much about us as it is about the Shepherd. So we will spend some time next week examining the Shepherd. However, I think it is important to start with ewe! Because until we get a ewe view we are unable to function sheepishly!
I want you to notice first the perspective of author. He begins by saying "The Lord is my shepherd!" There can be no doubt that the author absolutely sees himself as a sheep. His focus is rightfully on the shepherd but he could just as easily begun by saying "I am a sheep." Over the years we have spent extensive amounts of time addressing and in some cases attacking perspective. Perspective is paramount and until we have a ewe view our perspective is off. This Psalm begins with perspective.
If we don't see ourselves as sheep, then making it to green pastures is difficult and being overshadowed when in valley of death can't be a reality. The truth is you can find some green on your own, but it just doesn't seem to be as often or as long. The truth is that if you don't see yourself as a sheep you can make it out of the valley of shadow of death, but you will tend to stay there longer and bring some of the death out with you to the other side.
So my simple question to you is this . . . Do you see yourself as a sheep or as the shepherd? Why is that perspective so important? When sheep try to be shepherd we want and then our want leads to our wander. I want to say that again . . . When ewe try to shepherd ewe want and then your want leads to ewe wandering! How many of us have seen sheep wander into trouble, pain, brokenness and when you get to the bottom of it you uncover want was the cause of the wander. I wanted a different person as a spouse. I wanted more than I needed. I wanted out. I want, I want, I want and then I wander. I challenge you to be sheep-ish again. Let the Lord deal with your want!
Not only do sheep need a shepherd ... a shepherd needs sheep. The basic fundamental identity that is essential for us to embrace is that of sheep. We are the sheep of His field. We all seem to be ok with the Lord is OUR shepherd, but this must become personal. Until He becomes MY shepherd, I am not sheepish.
How do we know if we have a ewe view? How do we know the Lord is MY shepherd? We know we have the right perspective and that Jesus is Lord by what He can make us do. Obedience is the validation of Lordship. Not altar time and then I go out and do whatever I want to do. Not worship during singing. Not using the right words. No . . . He is my shepherd when I can say "He makes me". There are way too many of us that Jesus can't make us do anything. He can't make us serve, tithe, use our gift, raise our hands, lay down desires, go against impulses, etc. If He is my shepherd, then His yes is my yes. His no is my no. Even if I don't like it. So many of us reveal that we aren't sheepish because we follow as long as He takes us by green pastures but then when rod and staff come out we refuse to be shepherded. If you are being sheepish, then you will have some "He made me do it" moments.
I didn't want to forgive but He made me.
I didn't want to be nice but He made me.
I didn't want to wait but He made me.
I didn't want to give but He made me. Obedience is the validation of lordship/shepherd!
I just want to remind you that the shepherd owns the sheep not vice versa! Some of us struggle with perspective because we think we found Jesus and that we gave Him something. The truth is we love Him because He first loved us. He found us. He gave us life. He owns the sheep. We have been bought and purchased with His blood. How many of you know that the owner has rights? We are owned. That is why Jesus says in John that He is the shepherd and sheep hear His voice and follow. Notice He didn't say He follows the sheep. You don't drive sheep you lead them. Instead if we are not careful we lead and then call, for the shepherd to follow us. I am going to do this now bless it I pray. I am going to marry and then ask you to fix it. I am going to buy it and then ask you to pay for it.
If you don't have a ewe view, then your perspective is that you are shepherd. If you see yourself as the shepherd, then your perspective is that you are in charge/control and as a result you determine your path and you also become responsible for provision and protection. I see more and more people who can talk sheepishly but don't live sheepish. We choose our own way and then ask the Shepherd to join us. We take matters into our own hands and then ask for His blessing and company. Sheep don't lead . . . Shepherds do. Sheep don't decide . . . Shepherds do. Are you sheepish? Can you honestly say . . . The Lord is my shepherd? Are you following or leading?
Our contentedness is linked to our shepherdness.
The Lord is my Shepherd - I will not want is not about having all our our desires met it is about our contentment and fulfillment. Our own want reveals our lack of ewe view. Jeremiah 50:6 says "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray. They have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place." The very next verse says "everyone who met them took advantage of them. Their enemies had no qualms: fair game they said!" Notice that without the right shepherd the sheep lose their resting place and because the sheep didn't know a shepherd they become fair game. They want! I realize the writer is specifically talking about the Kings and priests of that day misleading the people. But I submit to you that the same statement can be said about us today and it is because we have tried to become our own shepherd. My truth, my opinion, my wants, my rights have caused us to go astray. Jesus ran into people like this in Matthew 9:36 and the Word says He saw the multitudes and was moved by compassion because they were faint and scattered like sheep with no shepherd.
Our lack of a ewe view causes us to wander, faint, lose rest, and scatter.
The key today is that You can only have a shepherd if you first choose to see you as a ewe! You can be your own shepherd or you can choose to be a sheep and you can let Jesus be who He says He is the Good Shepherd. Let's make sure today that we can honestly say, and our obedience will back up our claim, "The Lord is My shepherd!"
