No Sheep Left Behind

Nikolle Bauder • July 21, 2021

Summary of sermon on Matthew 18:10-14 from Pastor Lance Shumake.

The gospels recount Jesus sharing the Parable of the Lost Sheep in both Matthew 18 and Luke 15. 


The version of the story told in Luke is perhaps more well known. In this telling, Jesus is sharing the parable to a crowd of tax collectors and sinners. His message to them is evangelistic in nature.


Even though it’s the same parable, the version shared in Matthew has a different purpose. In this telling, Jesus shares the parable with His disciples. His message to them is pastoral in nature. 


The central message here is that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the little ones are His sheep.


As evidenced earlier in Matthew 18, it is clear that the “little ones” Jesus is referring to are His followers.


Translated, that means: all of us. 


Christians =  sheep.


There is so much comfort and encouragement in us being the sheep and Jesus being our Good Shepherd… He leads us, He guides us, He gives us everything we need.


But...


We mustn’t forget what sheep are really like.


They’re not the smartest animals. They have a tendency to wander off. Our Good Shepherd has a lot of work to do.


In our text, Jesus tells His disciples not to “despise the sheep.” As Christians, this applies to us too. If anyone professes faith in Christ -- no matter what stage of their walk they’re on -- we must never look down on them.


We must not despise the sheep because…


… angels work on behalf of all the sheep (v 10)

… we are all sheep

... Jesus loves and cares for all His sheep


“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”


- Philippians 2:3 

Instead, if we see a sheep (a fellow Christian) that has gone astray, we must go after them!


This parable tells us...


  • Jesus values the one stray sheep!
  • Jesus pursues the stray sheep by sending His people


It should be hard at Crosspoint (or any church!) for a sheep to go astray. 


“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

 - James 5:19–20


Jesus is the Good Shepherd to us, so we can be good shepherds to others.


“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” - John 10:11


“Jesus is not trigger-happy. Not harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated. He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms.” 



- Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

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