Shepherds and Sheep – When Judgement is a Hope

Sermon Notes

Title: “Shepherds and Sheep – When Judgement is a Hope”

Text: Ezekiel 34:11-16  ¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³ I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ¹⁴ I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁶ I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

INTRODUCTION:

I. THE WAY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD WITH ABUSED SHEEP IS KINDNESS

II. THE WAY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD WITH THE WELL FED ABUSERS IS HARSH

III. THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE CALLS US TO A CONTINUAL RESPONSE TO GOD AND RENEWAL IN GOD

CONCLUSION:

Don’s Comment and Reflection….

Today, the idea of the prophetic and prophets is quite controversial in the Church. Some Christians reject the idea altogether, although the Scripture clearly talks about such things, and most believers hold to some form of the prophetic as important in the church. Yet, some Christians seem to go overboard with the idea, almost to an excess. This is a time when the Church needs the spiritual gift of discernment. One healthy approach comes from the words of Anglican David Watson (1933-1984).

“The tests are clear:

1. Is Jesus Lord of that person’s life? ‘No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit’ (1 Cor. 12:3);
2. Is Jesus Christ acknowledged as perfect man and perfect God? ‘By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God’ (1 John 4:2);
3. Is there a measure of true godliness and holiness about the person? ‘Every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit…Thus you will know them by their fruits’ (Matt. 7:15-20).”

QUOTES OF INTEREST:

If any prophet teaches the truth, yet does not practices what he teaches, he is a false prophet.

Didache 11:10

The entire Old Testament looks on prophecy as the chief activity of the Spirit among His people. Moses’ desire that all the Lord’s people would be prophets is conditioned by the Lord’s putting His Spirit upon them (Numbers 11:29).

Dr. Stanley Horton

The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.
Dr. Walter Brueggemann