Sermonette: Knowing a True Shepherd

Sermonette: Knowing a True Shepherd

#102s
Mike Ford (1955-2021)
Given 20-Nov-93; 14 minutes

listen:

description: (hide) Mike Ford, observing that sheep have a natural inclination to assemble in flocks, applies this insight to metaphors describing God’s people as sheep and the ministry as shepherds. Sheep require constant care, needing fresh pasture to keep them from overgrazing and polluting themselves. Overseers or shepherds are instructed to protect the sheep against noxious, poisonous doctrines spread by false teachers sometimes emerging from the midst of the flock. It is important to recognize the true shepherd’s voice. Sheep instinctively follow their shepherd’s voice, but will not follow the voice of strangers. From a massive flock of 5000 sheep, individual shepherds can disentangle their flock from the larger group by talking to them with his distinctive voice. The true shepherd will be preaching a message which the true sheep will follow. As metaphorical sheep we are cautioned to try and test the spirits contained in the message to see whether they come from God. The world is not able to understand this message.