He Leadeth Me
Isaiah 40:11
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
Most of you are familiar with the old television series Candid Camera. Warren Wiersbe reminds us of an episode of Candid Camera that was conducted on the campus of a prep school. This prep school was an all male campus, and all of these young men were just way above the average person. There were no average students here. These where young men who were sharp and had everything on the ball. The day that the Candid Camera crew came in, they were going to evaluate these young men. The young men thought that they were going to be interviewed and take some tests. The Candid Camera crew were posing as career counselors, and they were going to give these interviews and tests and recommend to theses men what career field might be best for them.
So the time came for the final recommendation and everyone was all excited about it. In one instance, the young man was sitting in the office waiting for the career counselors with a great deal of anticipation, excited about his prospects. He, no doubt, was thinking that the counselor would recommend him to be the Dean of a College, or the President of a bank, or a research scientist. So there is this excitement and anticipation when the counselor comes in and sits across the table from him and says, "Son, after carefully reviewing the interview and the examination that you have taken, it is my considered opinion that you should seek a career as a . . . shepherd!"
Now, you can picture for yourself the expression on this young fellow’s face. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. But I’m sure this thought came to his mind, "Who in the world would want to spend the rest of their life being a shepherd?" Why would anyone want to tend a creature that is so dumb that it can’t even find it’s own way home? But, friends, we need to recognize that is exactly what the God of all creation, the Sovereign God of all the universe, did. God became a man. God condescended to become a man and identifies Himself, not just with man, but as a Shepherd for man.
I think that one of the most beautiful pictures that we see, as I recall from my days as a child in Sunday School, is that picture of a shepherd who is standing in the field with his flock, sort of up on a knoll, and he is watching his flock. And as he looks out over the field you can see on his face a concern and a compassion for his sheep. But at the same time you can see a keenness in his eye. He is alert and watching for any danger that may come to his flock.The Bible gives us a picture of Jesus just like that; as a Shepherd who is desirous and willing to attend to His flock, and we are His sheep.
I want us to talk this morning about the work of the Shepherd. But before we talk about the work of the Shepherd, I believe it is important for us to consider the Shepherd Himself. This passage of scripture, verse number eleven, says, "He," speaking about God, "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd." So let’s think about the shepherd for just a moment.
I. THE SHEPHERD
The scripture give us the clear indication that Jesus Christ identified Himself as a Shepherd. In the New Testament, John 10, Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine," (John 10:11-14).
A. The Good Shepherd
Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd, the One who was willing to give His own life to protect the sheep. Then He goes on to explain that there are other types of shepherds. Jesus said the hireling, the one who is not an owner, but a hired man who doesn’t own the sheep himself, doesn’t really care for the sheep. He says the hireling, who doesn’t own the sheep and can’t relate to the sheep, instead, when he sees danger, when he sees the wolf, he runs to protect himself. The wolf comes and catches the sheep and scatters the sheep. But Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd, and I give my life for the sheep." Jesus said "the good shepherd." The word good means someone that is noble. He shows himself to be a cut above the religious leaders of the time. He said you are letting these men stand before you like they are shepherds, like they are you leaders, but watch out when it gets tight, when it gets thick, when things don’t go like they want it, they are going to be the first ones to leave. When there is a little bit of pressure put on, they are going to be the first ones to go. When the sheep are in danger, these hirelings are going to run. But Jesus said, "I give my life for the sheep." So the Scripture shows us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It is good for us to know that there is One who stands before us who is noble. One who watches over us who is willing to protect us and willing to defend us from whatever may come our way. Also, in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is identified as . . .
B. The Great Shepherd
Shall we make a distinction between the Good Shepherd and the Great Shepherd? Since the Bible does, we might as well. If Jesus is identified in one place as the Good Shepherd and in another place as the Great Shepherd, we should examine what the difference is. And as you read the book of Hebrews, the writer gives us a beautiful benediction in Hebrews 13 verses 20 and 21. "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen," (Hebrews 13:20, 21).
He is praying, he is invoking the blessings of God on the readers of that great letter, but inside that invocation of blessings, he points out that Jesus is the Great Shepherd and he tells us clearly why Jesus is the Great Shepherd. We see that Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He laid down His life, He was willing to die, He possesses, He owns the sheep because He gave the ultimate sacrifice for them. But here we are told Jesus is the Great Shepherd, not because He died for the sheep, but because God raised Him from the dead again.
It is one thing for the Shepherd to die for His sheep, but it is something else for Him to be raised back to life again! Put yourself in the position of the wolf for just a moment. The wolf is watching the flock and he is looking, and he sees the shepherd standing guard over the sheep. Now, as long as the shepherd is in place, the wolf doesn’t dare attack the sheep. The wolf doesn’t try to bother them because he knows that he will be ran off or that he’ll be injured, or worse, killed by the shepherd. But suddenly, something happens to the shepherd, and he is no longer there. The shepherd dies and it appears as if all the sheep are helpless before the wolf. The writer to the Hebrews warns, no, don’t think that for a minute. Because the Shepherd that died, the Good Shepherd is now the Great Shepherd because He has been raised back to life again!
And this Great Shepherd, what is He going to do? What is His task now? Is His job over because He died for the sheep? Is He through? Is it time for Him to rest? That’s not what the Bible teaches! The Bible teaches that now, more than ever, even more diligent than before, this Shepherd is watching over this flock. He is doing it from a different perspective now. Now, He doesn’t stand on the knoll at the edge of the field, but, now He watches over the flock seated at the right hand of God. His new perspective shows Him everything. And He is able to continue to do the work of the Shepherd because now He doesn’t have to worry about death; now He doesn’t have to worry about worldly things; now He doesn’t have to worry about anything that may hinder Him. He has transcended all that. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He died for His sheep. Jesus is the Great Shepherd because God raised Him back to life and set Him at point-guard again.Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:1 - 4 that Jesus is
C. The Chief Shepherd
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away," (1 Peter 5:1-4).
Now this title carries a very special meaning with it. Because a Chief Shepherd is not necessarily what we would think of as a shepherd. We think of the shepherd as the man who is out in the field. We think of the shepherd as the one who, day in and day out, rain, sleet, or snow, is out tending to the sheep. And as he pastures them he goes with them. As he waters them he stands watch over them. As he beds them down at night, he finds a tree to lean against, wraps his cloak around himself, and stays with the sheep.
But Jesus, as the Chief Shepherd, is the One who supervises all the shepherds of the field. He is the one who watches them to ensure they are doing their job properly. It’s not that He is not concerned about the sheep -- He’s more concerned than ever -- and He places other shepherds over them to help watch them, to help provide for them, to help protect them. And He wants to make sure that He has the best shepherds in place.
How do you get the best people for a task? When our school system wants the best teachers how do they get the best teachers to teach our children? Do they set a standard and a criterion that’s way up here? Do they say we’re not satisfied with just a Bachelor’s Degree, we’re not satisfied with just a Masters Degree, we want teachers who have their Doctor’s Degree. Do they set the education high? No, that’s not really how you get the best. Do you know how you get the best in any field, whether it’s teaching or scientific discovery or business management, or anything else? Come on folks, you know how you get the very best -- you pay them! And you pay them better than anyone else can pay them! And the Chief Shepherd, who has under shepherds working for Him, offers them a payment, a benefit, that they can not get anywhere else. And Peter says there is coming a day when the Chief Shepherd will return to make payment to all those who are serving as under shepherds.
I know, typically we like to narrow this down and say that this verse is just talking about preachers, well, listen folks, when you see a passage of scripture that deals with preachers, the work of preachers, the calling of preachers, the day-to-day activities of preachers, or what you think is for preachers, you just scratch out the word preacher and write in your own name, and you will see that God’s word applies to all believers in every aspect.
So when the Chief Shepherd comes back He will bring reward to all of us, depending on how well we did the task that was set before us.
So now we know who the Shepherd is. We see that Jesus is the Shepherd. And we see that He has different offices, different capacities as Shepherd. But now I want us to take just a few moments and consider . . .
II. THE WORK OF THE SHEPHERD
As we look in this passage of Scripture once again, it says, "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd." What do you think of? The first thing that pops into your mind? The 23rd Psalm, isn’t it? "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake, " (Psalm 23:1-3).Isn’t that the image you get in your mind? God has condescended. God, in our mind now, is not sitting on the throne; He’s not an untouchable God; He’s not a power so awesome that we cannot begin to image it; He’s a Man. He’s a Man who cares. He’s a Man who has taken upon Himself the task, the function, the obligation to provide for those that cannot fend for themselves; that cannot tend themselves, that can’t feed themselves, that can’t seek out a place to rest, that can’t look for a place to get a simple drink. And God has assigned Himself the task of doing that. So we see that the work of the Shepherd is . . .
A. The Shepherd Feeds The Flock
"He shall feed His flock like a shepherd." When we see the word feed, we need to understand that there is more involved than just providing physical nourishment. The work of the Shepherd requires not just providing physical nourishment. Sure, the shepherd will want to know the terrain, he’ll want to know the land. He’ll want to know where the best grass is growing. He’ll want to know where there has been a recent rain. He’ll want to know where every brook and river is. He’ll want to know a place of safety that he can take his sheep to. He wants to feed them. And as they go through an area, and they feed of an area, and they draw that nourishment from the land, there comes a time when they have to move on. And the shepherd is willing to do that. He steps out before the flock. He looks ahead and finds the place for them; the place where they can feed, the place where they can find plenty to drink, the place where they can be nourished. I think spiritually we see that Jesus Christ is at work in our own lives, and in our church, doing just this. What good would it do us if we, spiritually, came to one field, if we, spiritually, came to one place in our life and we feed, and we feed, and we feed until there was nothing more we could receive from that field? Much like Bible study -- sometime you can open your Bible and find a passage of Scripture and it just fill you, it just speaks to you, it just enriches you, it just, well, it just makes a new person out of you. And you keep going back and you keep going back, but what happens after a while? After a while you’re just not getting enough out of it. Oh, it’s still good, you still enjoy it, but you’re just not getting enough out of it. What does that tell you? It’s time to move on. It’s time to go to another field. It’s time to go to another passage of Scripture. We don’t build our whole Christian life, our whole spiritual realm, on one passage of Scripture, but we continue to feed off the Word of God and we continue to grow. And that’s the Shepherd’s job because He knows what we need in our life.One of the reasons the Shepherd is able to do that is because He knows His sheep. Jesus said in the 10th chapter of John, the 14th verse, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." And it is important for us to understand what He meant when He said "I know my sheep."
A young pastor and his wife were called to a large church in Tennessee, and it was quite a bit bigger than any church they had ever served at, and the different departments and classes within the church were inviting them over for dinner in order to meet him and his wife, so they could get acquainted. After returning home, after meeting with one of the Senior Adult Men’s classes, the wife said to her husband, the new pastor, "I don’t think I will ever be able to know those men that are in that class." And he asked her, "What do you mean?" The wife, opening the church directory to that particular class, handed the photo directory to here husband and said, "Well, just look at them. They all look alike!" And sure enough, they all had gray hair, or were receding, and they all had glasses, and they all had that, you know, what was the term we learned the other night, that "ancient men" look. They all had that ancient men look to them and she thought she would never get to know them.The church had a social about a year later, and the pastor and wife were together, and (I don’t know if you all know this or not, but one of the most important functions for the pastor’s wife is to tell the pastor who everybody is), and this pastor was depending on his wife as people would come through and speak she’d remind him who they were. After a while he said, "You really have picked up on who these folks are." And she said, "Yes, I quit looking at the things that made them alike, the glasses, the gray hair, and I started to focus on the things that made them different." He asked her to explain, so she named off one man who’s wife had died within the past year, and she named off another man who walked with a limp, so when she saw a man coming with a limp she identified him.
Folks, that’s the way Jesus, the Shepherd, identifies His sheep. He knows us, not by what makes us the same, not by what makes us a church, not by what makes us Christians, collectively, but He knows us in greater detail than that. He knows us by what makes us different. He knows us by our infirmities and by our weaknesses because those are the very areas in our life in which He can be glorified; because He exhibits, He demonstrates, He pours out His strength into our weaknesses. So it is essential for the Shepherd to be able to know His sheep because when He knows them, He can feed them. One brother may not need the same Scriptural food that I need. One sister many need strengthening in another area. And the Shepherd knows what we need, and He directs us to that field, to that pasture, to that place in the Word where we can receive it. So, the first work of the Shepherd is that He feeds His flock. The second work of the Shepherd is . .
B. The Shepherd Guards The Flock
This is important. This afternoon, I know you won’t be doing anything this afternoon, you’ll go home and have a big lunch and you’ll have fifteen or twenty minutes before you fall off into your nap, so during that time I want you to just read the rest of this chapter. Read the first part of this chapter and you will see that Isaiah, he’s not introducing this chapter talking about a servant, he’s not introducing this chapter talking about a shepherd, he’s not telling us about someone whose task is work, work, work. He’s talking about the God of all creation. He identifies and he adores God for His greatness and His majesty. And then after the 11th verse, as soon as you get out of the 11th verse, once again we see the majesty of God. We see that He is the great architect. He is the one who set this universe and measured it out and staked out the corners and built it Himself! But in between, he says, don’t think of yourself as being small and insignificant because this great God of power and might, this great one who created it all desires nothing more than to be with you and to protect you! And look how He does it. It says, "He shall gather the lambs with His arm." Now that is significant because "with His arm" literally means "by His own strength." By His own power. By His own might. God doesn’t need any help to gather His sheep; He doesn’t need any help to guard His sheep. In the real world, the shepherd may need to bring some help along. If he is going to take the sheep through dangerous territory, through a place where there is a lot of wolves, coyotes, or something, he may have to call in some help. But Isaiah said God doesn’t need any help. He can do it by His own arm, by His own strength. He doesn’t have to bring in outside help. He doesn’t have to recruit anyone to help Him. He doesn’t have to sell them on the idea or teach them of the need. God is able to take care of us by Himself.That’s a lesson we should all learn. I know that we have problems in our day to day life. I know that there are areas in our life that we are pressed down and we are torn apart and we are trying to endure by our own strength and by our own power. But we don’t have to! We have the Shepherd! And by His own arm He is able to protect us, to guard us from whatever threat is around.
Picture David. Now we think of David as a shepherd boy, as a soldier, as a king. And we like to identify with David. David stood before king Saul one day and, if I may be allowed to paraphrase, said, "I just cannot believe that your soldiers, your warriors will permit this loud-mouthed, braggart, Philistine to say these things about God. And I intend to do something about it." Saul looked at David and said, "You’re a kid! What can you do?" And David said, "I’ve tended sheep for my father, and once a bear, and another time a lion came out and took a lamb. And I chased it down. And I got the lamb from the bear and I got the lamb from the lion. And when they raised up against me, I slew them."
The New Testament paints a very similar picture for us. See, we are the sheep. We’ve got the Shepherd. And we’ve got a warning, as well. Remember what the new testament says? "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour," (1 Peter 5:8).
There is a lion that is after us. Picture this lion. Here are the sheep out in the field. The shepherd is out of sight, for what ever reason. And there is a lion out there and you can picture him. He’s laying low in the grass and he’s studying the flock trying to decide where he should attack, which lamb should be the first one that he pounces on. And he looks at the strong ones and ignores them. But he looks to the feeble ones, to the slow ones, to the immature ones, and he looks at those who’ve been injured, and he sees the newborn lambs and begins to lick his lips.
And Satan is no different. When he looks at the body of Christ, and he sees one of God’s lambs, one of the sheep of Jesus Christ who has allowed himself to get away from the Shepherd, has strayed from the Shepherd, he becomes a prime target. And when Satan sees a new lamb, a new Christian who is not strong and not able to defend himself in the word, he considers him a prime target. When he sees the feeble sheep that have slowed down and as the Shepherd continued on they have fallen farther and farther behind, he considers them a prime target. So all he has to do is look around to which one he wants, chooses it to devour.
But God’s Word says that God, as our Shepherd, is able to gather us with His arm, the power of His strength, the might that He possesses, and look what He does when He gathers us. He draws us up to His bosom, close to His heart. Anything that wants to get to us now must destroy Him first. He holds us. He holds us.
Think about your children. Think about the little ones when the’ve been sick. Think about the little ones when there has been a near calamity, and how you are just overwhelmed with compassion for them. And what do you do? You grab them and hold them close to protect them, to defend them, to comfort them. And that is what God is doing to us. That’s the work of the Shepherd: to feed His flock and to guard His flock. But also we see in here that there is another work for the shepherd.
C. The Shepherd Leads The Flock
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
"He leadeth me! O blessed tho’t! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
What-e’er I do, wher-e’er I be, Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me!
You know, it’s hard to lead when those you are leading won’t follow. Still, that’s His work. Sometimes our Shepherd may have to walk backwards to ensure that we are all still following along. Sometimes He may have to redirect us to make sure the are we are going through is not too dangerous, too steep for us. But He is diligent and He keeps working.
Where does He lead us? Where did David say? David said, "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness." In the way that is right; in the areas that are good; in the places that glorify God. If you are following that Shepherd, you are going places for God. If you are following that Good Shepherd, you are going through some things that may be difficult, but you’ve got your eye on Him, because He is right there with you. If you are following that Great Shepherd, He’s taking you to places that are good for you. If you end up in a place that’s not good for you, if you end up doing things that aren’t good for you, if you end up doing things that are against Scripture and against the direction of God, then you have separated yourself from the Shepherd; you’ve allowed yourself to drift away from the One who wants to defend you and protect you. He leads us in the paths of righteousness--for His name’s sake. To glorify Him and honor Him. I don’t know about you, but this morning I praise God that I’ve got a Shepherd to watch out for me. I thank God that I’ve got a Shepherd who is feeding me, taking me where I need to go, teaching me what I need to be taught. Feeding me the Word that builds and nourishes and strengthens and encourages me through my day. I thank God that I have a Shepherd that guards me, that keeps Satan and his dominions at bay, that watches over me while I do His work. I thank God that I have a Shepherd that leads me.I don’t know about you, and I don’t know about your life, but I do know this about me: when I chose where I would go it was wrong. Because when I went on my own, I went to places that were unsafe, I went to places that were ungodly, I did things that did not glorify God. But when He leads me, He leads me on those paths of righteousness, so that through my life, and through my lips, I can glorify Him for His name’s sake.
I praise God that there is a Good Shepherd, that there is a Great Shepherd, that there is a Chief Shepherd. And I praise God that He is the Shepherd of my life. Is He your Shepherd?
