GENERATION OF LOST SHEEP

1. The Good Shepherd LOVES His Sheep and gave His LIFE for her, “I am the good shepherd: the GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE for the sheep” [John 1o:11] Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who gave His LIFE for all men to be joined in ONE FOLD, “… I LAY DOWN MY LIFE for the SHEEP. And OTHER SHEEP I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall HEAR MY VOICE; and there shall be ONE FOLD, and ONE SHEPHERD” [John 10:15-16] He came first to Israel but she was BLIND and LOST, that the purpose of SALVATION to ALL men by GRACE through FAITH in His NAME might be fulfilled, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that BLINDNESS in part is happened to Israel, until the FULNESS of the GENTILES be come in” [Romans 11:25] We are the OTHER SHEEP whose “FULNESS” loom over this GENERATION. The error of Israel is fallen on us and we are in jeopardy of His prophetic lamentation, “… Nevertheless when the SON OF MAN COMETH, SHALL HE FIND FAITH on the earth?” [Luke 18:8] We are the GENERATION OF LOST SHEEP, famished and scattered, who the Good Shepherd is calling to return, “For if God SPARED NOT the natural branches, take heed lest he also SPARE NOT THEE” [Romans 11:21]
2. FULNESS of the GENTILES is the time allotted to prepare the Church, as BRIDE, for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb [Revelation 19:7-9] As wedding bells ring a mixed multitude of goats and sundry beasts scramble for seats reserved for Sheep, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS. And, Let every one that nameth the NAME of Christ depart from iniquity” [2 Timothy 2:19] We are the GENERATION that fill the pews every Sunday crying Lord, Lord but neither know His VOICE nor FOLLOW His precepts, as it is written: “My SHEEP hear MY VOICE, and I KNOW THEM, and they FOLLOW ME: And I give unto them ETERNAL LIFE …” [John 10:27-28] We are His Sheep not by regular Church attendance but by HEARING Him REVEAL the MYSTERY of the Father in the Son and REDEEMED by GRACE through FAITH in His NAME, “… no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the SON WILL REVEAL HIM” [Luke 10:22] We are Sheep of His pasture who  enter by the DOOR of revelation of God in Jesus Christ; if any man enter through any other, he is a Goat LOST among Sheep, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the DOOR OF THE SHEEP. … I am the door: BY ME if any man ENTER in, he shall BE SAVED, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” [John 10:7,9] The DOOR is open today for the repentant Goat, tomorrow may be too late.
3. We are His Sheep and of His own made us Shepherds, CALLED according to His purpose, saying to Peter; “… LOVEST THOU ME? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, FEED MY SHEEP” [John 21:17] I speak to Minsters and I am one, CALLED to FEED HIS SHEEP not to “EAT” or SCATTER but to LEAD and GUIDE them to still waters and green pastures. Are we better than the Pharisees, who “… bind HEAVY BURDEN and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” [Matthew 23:4] Have we not departed from the SIMPLICITY that is Christ and descended to laying heavy burdens on His Sheep in pursuit of fleeting shadows terrestrial glory? But I fear, lest by any means, as the SERPENT BEGUILED Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST” [2 Corinthians 11:3] If the Shepherds be BLIND and LOST in the labyrinth of self-centeredness, it is no surprise the Lord is grieved with the Shepherds. We are the GENERATION to who so much was committed but fell short of expectation, “But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever MUCH IS GIVEN, of him shall be MUCH REQUIRED: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more” [Luke 12:48]
4. The Good Shepherd sorrows for His LOST SHEEP, “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” [Revelation 18:4] Let the Goat in Sheep clothing REPENT and return through the DOOR, JUDGMENT is at hand when Sheep and Goat shall be separated by the Lord, “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a SHEPHERD DIVIDETH HIS SHEEP FROM THE GOATS: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” [Matthew 25:32-33] To everyone favoured to be CALLED into the ministry of Shepherd, let us examine ourselves, redress our deficiencies and do away with all “… hidden things of DISHONESTY, not walking in CRAFTINESS, nor handling the word of God DECEITFULLY; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” [2 Corinthians 4:2] To the flocks, LOST and FAMISHED, return to your first LOVE, the Shepherd of your soul, “For ye were as SHEEP GOING ASTRAY; but are now returned unto the SHEPHERD and BISHOP OF YOUR SOULS” [1 Peter 2:25] If you have not done so, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today, AMEN