We Are Accounted As Sheep Rom 8:36 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

According to Paul we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  In many places in the Bible, people are compared to sheep.  This is very instructive and should help us have a better understanding of ourselves in our relationship to each other and the Lord.

Notice these similarities between sheep and people:

We need a shepherd – Mk 6:34; Heb 13:20; Jn 10:11, 14 – Jesus Christ is the great shepherd of the sheep.  He gives us care, rest and protection and he leads us.  You need to follow him.

We need a sheepfold – Jn 10:1; 2 Sam 7:8 – we need to stay together as a flock and the best place to do that is in a good church under the leadership of Jesus Christ.

We must be fed – Jn 21:16-17; Acts 20:28. 1 Pet 5:2 – you need the nourishment.  You need a good pastor who believes, preaches and teaches the words of God, Eph 4:11-12

We have a tendency to go astray – Is 53:6; 1 Pet 2:25 – we were astray before we were saved and we need to be careful not to wander from the shepherd and the flock after we get saved.

We are attacked by wolves – Matt 10:16; Matt 7:15; Jn 10:12 – the devil and the enemies of the Lord love to devour sheep [1 Pet 5:8].

We are harmed by a hireling – Jn 10:12 – a hireling is the wrong kind of pastor.  He is there for himself, not for the sheep.  He’ll stick around until the trouble comes.

We are slaughtered – Rom 8:36; Ps 44:22 – we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord and we are to die daily.  When we are truly godly, we are going to be persecuted [2 Tim 3:12].  You don’t see much of this today which is an indication of just how ungodly we truly are.

Conclusion: If you don’t have Jesus as your shepherd, you need to trust him today.  And if he is your shepherd, then you need to follow him, and get under a good pastor who will feed you and look out for you.