Sermon: “From Sheep to Shepherds”

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Sermon Notes
Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-16

 

“From Sheep to Shepherds”

How foolish and defenseless will we choose to be? Will we follow the great Shepherd and His appointed shepherds in this life?Bible Study:

  1. All these teachings are God’s Word. (Ezekiel 34:11)
  2. I will search and look after my sheep. (Ezekiel 34:11)
  3. I will look after them as their shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:12)
  4. I will rescue them from the darkness. (Ezekiel 34:12)
  5. I will bring them out; bring them to. I will pasture them. I will tend them. (Ezekiel 34:13-14)
  6. They will lie down; they will feed. (Ezekiel 34:14)
  7. I, myself, God will tend my sheep. (Ezekiel 34:15)
  8. I will search for the lost, bring back strays, bind up injured and strengthen the weak. (Ezekiel 34:16)
  9. The sleek and strong I will destroy. (Ezekiel 34:16)
    • Responsibility and accountability to lead by example as God’s shepherd.
    • Misdirecting, misunderstanding and massaging God’s Word is disobedience with our choices.
    • Taking stands not aligned with God’s word will lead others astray and glorifies only ourselves, not God.
  10. “I will shepherd them with justice”, not mercy and grace. (Ezekiel 34:16)
    We are all called to be shepherds to lead God’s sheep through the “narrow gate”. (Luke 13:24-25)

God’s appointed shepherds lead the sheep through the narrow gates of life but will the sheep follow? We must put our individual likes, desires, beliefs, social indoctrinations and social teachings aside and realize that God’s plan for us is perfect, complete and total. There is nothing missing for us to fix. It is complete. For us to add to it changes God’s plan for us. To subtract from it changes his plan as well. We are called to the narrow gate but many refuse to follow because the wide gate is easier and more appealing. It is easier because it has been changed. It is the world’s plan, Satan’s plan, but NOT God’s plan!

Follow the wide gate and God will not know us. Follow the narrow gate and we will have a special place in God’s eternal kingdom. Which will we, as God’s sheep, choose?