Sermon Tone Analysis

!Introduction:

/I exhort the elders among you … shepherd the flock of God … exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory./

1 Peter 5:1–4; NASB

Peter wrote those words to Christians living in a culture that was thoroughly familiar with sheep and shepherding.

Unfortunately, much of the rich meaning of his analogy is lost on those of us who live where flocks of sheep are an unfamiliar sight.

Perhaps a careful look at the role of shepherds and the nature of sheep will illuminate some helpful principles of church leadership for us.

My initial exposure to sheep came when I was in high school.

I took a summer job as a shepherd, which sparked my interest in sheep.

Throughout the years of my ministry I have studied shepherding, but my understanding of it greatly increased when I visited Australia and New Zealand in 1988.

In addition to spending time with some lifelong shepherds, I studied the writings of one of the foremost shepherds in New Zealand.

What I learned was enlightening.

Shepherds Are Rescuers

A sheep is a beautiful, gentle, humble, and—contrary to popular opinion—intelligent animal.

But unlike other animals, it has no sense of direction and no instinct for finding its way home.

A sheep can be totally lost within a few miles of its home.

Lost sheep usually will walk around in endless circles, in a state of confusion, unrest, and even panic.

Within its range of familiar territory, a sheep does fine.

It knows its own pasture and the place where it was born and suckled by its mother.

It will invariably rest in the same shade every day and sleep in the same fold.

It will stay in the home range more than any other grazing animal.

But if it wanders from familiar surroundings, the results can be disastrous.

When Jesus saw the spiritually disoriented, confused, and lost crowds, He likened them to sheep without a shepherd (Matt.

9:36).

The prophet Isaiah described lost men as those who, like sheep, have gone astray, each turning to his own way (Isa.

53:6).

Like lost sheep, lost people need a rescuer to lead them to the safety of the fold.

Shepherds Are Leaders

Sheep are innate followers and are easily led astray.

In New Zealand about forty million sheep are led to slaughter each year.

A specially selected castrated male sheep aptly called the “Judas” sheep leads the unwitting sheep to the killing floor.

Unaware of what is about to happen, the sheep blindly fall in behind the Judas sheep and follow him to their deaths.

Sadly, unfaithful or false shepherds can lead sheep astray as well.

In Jeremiah 23:1–2 the Lord pronounces judgment against the unrighteous rulers of Judah, whom He likened to unfaithful shepherds:

/Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture.…

You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds.

(NASB)/

Shepherds Are Guardians

OF THE SHEEP’S DIET

Sheep spend most of their lives eating and drinking, but they are indiscriminate about what they consume.

They don’t know the difference between poisonous.

and nonpoisonous plants.

Therefore their diet must be carefully guarded by the shepherd.

Once they graze through one range, they are unable to move to a new range on their own.

If not led to green pastures, they continue to eat the stubble of the old pasture until nothing remains but dirt.

Soon they run out of food altogether and starve to death.

Drinking presents other challenges.

Sheep must have clear water that is not stagnant or filled with potential disease.

It can’t be too cold, too hot, or too fast–flowing.

It must be nearby and easily accessible.

They must be led, as the psalmist said, beside still waters (Ps.

23:2).

Most animals are able to smell water at a distance, but not sheep.

If they wander too far from their own pasture, they can sense no water hole, though it may be near.

OF THE SHEEP’S PURITY

Young lambs are cuddly, soft, clean, white, wooly animals that are fun to hold and to feed from a bottle.

But that soon changes as they grow.

Older sheep are rarely white and almost never clean.

They are stained and greasy because their wool contains an immense amount of lanolin, which attracts and holds dirt, weeds, seeds, and almost everything else blowing around in their environment.

Because they have no capacity to clean themselves, they remain dirty until the shepherd shears them.

Also, if they feed on wet grass, they can develop severe diarrhea, which hardens as it mixes with the greasy wool.

That can kill the sheep by stopping the normal elimination process or by giving flies a place to lay their eggs, which hatch into maggots.

The shepherd must dip the sheep to keep them clean.

Sometimes he must shear the rear part of the sheep to clear away the matted wool and droppings.

Wet ground also poses a threat.

It must be fertile and productive, but not swampy.

If the sheep spend too much time in wet terrain, they can develop foot rot or dangerous abscesses under their hooves.

Most diseases that afflict sheep are highly contagious.

Parasites, infection, and other ailments spread quickly from sheep to sheep, making it urgent that the shepherd be on guard at all times so that he can diagnose and treat a sheep’s infirmities before an epidemic ravages the flock.

Shepherds Are Protectors

Sheep are almost entirely defenseless.

They can’t kick, scratch, bite, jump, or run.

They need a protective shepherd to be assured of survival.

When attacked by a predator, they huddle together rather than run away.

That makes them easy prey.

If a full-wooled sheep falls on its back, often it is unable to roll back onto its feet.

In most cases it will simply give up and die unless a shepherd comes to its aid.

When a sheep lies on its back for a long time, its circulation is cut off.

If the shepherd sets it back on its feet before circulation is restored, the sheep will fall over again.

The shepherd might have to carry it for an hour or more before it is able to walk again on its own.

Shepherds Are Comforters

Sheep lack the instinct for self-preservation.

They are so humble and meek that if you mistreat them, their spirit is crushed, and they may simply give up and die.

The shepherd must know his sheep’s individual temperaments and take care not to inflict excessive stress on them.

A Day In The Life Of A Shepherd

Such vulnerable animals require wise, sensitive, protective, and self–giving shepherds.

The following is a beautiful portrayal of one such shepherd:

With a spring in his step and an eye to the sky, at sunrise, he makes straight for the sheep fold.

As soon as he rattles the gate, he gives his morning call, greets the sheep, often by name, every sheep is on its feet.

They spring toward the gate, with expectancy written on their faces and in their eyes, another great day on the range with their loving shepherd leading the way to fresh grass and cool water.

How they eagerly bound through the gate, one after another, the younger lambs and yearlings with a skip and a bound of sheer joy, pleasure, and playfulness, the older sheep in a more sedate and dignified manner, as if reserving their energy for the demands of the long day ahead.

The sun peeps over the hilltop horizon to make jewels of the dew on the bushes, the ground grass and tussocks.

The air is clear, brisk, and bright.

The wind has not yet arrived and there is a sense of peace all around.

As the flock strings out, all is joy, abounding life, and togetherness.

The sheep follow after as the shepherd leads them along a different course in a new direction to feed on a fresh range that has not been grazed for months.

The leaders are at first unsettled and seem to want to return to the old paths and the well-trodden ways, but they reluctantly follow the lead of their shepherd as he directs them to fresh, clean pastures and sweet grazing.

As they enter this new range, all is action.

The flock comes alive.

Each of the sheep tries to outstep the others in a search of the first morsel—a sweet wildflower, a ripe seed head, a rich bottom clover, or a ground-hugging plant.

Each tender morsel is nipped off on the move, a bite at every stride.

What a joy to observe a flock of hungry sheep graze the fresh, sweet pastures.

It doesn’t last long.