Lessons About Sheeps and Goats

You'll be happy to know that this message is not only going to be spoken, but we also have a PowerPoint presentation to go along with it. As you know, about two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attend a seminar on the Bible dealing with Sheperdine. We had about five speakers that gave their different classes throughout those three days. I gleaned quite a bit from it. This is one of the sermons based on what I've learned, because you never quit learning as far as the Bible is concerned.

And so I want to start with what got my attention the most in this seminar, which were the different characteristics of sheep and goats. For a good reason, God has in the Bible a lot about sheep. Actually, he mentions it around 180 times in the Bible. Now, it's interesting that goats are not mentioned very much. I guess that's not exactly the example God wants us to follow, so he talks a lot about sheep, not as much about goats as we will see.

And, brethren, we all want to make it into the kingdom, and God is the one that set up the conditions to enter the kingdom of God. And we need to look at God's word for guidance. Not what man says, but what God's word says about entering the kingdom. And we know that He does use this analogy between the sheep and the goats, and how He's going to separate one from the other.

And so we know that we are human beings. There's a lot that's different from sheep and human beings, but there are also a lot of things that are similar. And so God uses it to teach us certain lessons. So we're going to learn lessons from the Bible about sheep and goats. First of all, God the Father describes Himself as a shepherd of His sheep, and He has placed under Him Christ as the one who takes care of His sheep. He is the good shepherd.

But notice in Psalms 100, verse 3, let's start in verse 1. Psalms 100, 1 through 3. Notice this isn't talking about Christ. It's talking about God the Father. Psalm 100, verse 1, it says, Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who made us and not we ourselves. So this goes against evolution that says that we just sort of descended from lower beings.

No, we did make ourselves. God's the one that made us. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. And so God is in charge of everything. And we are the sheep of His pasture. Now, Christ has been placed under everything as the head of the church.

And Christ is called the great shepherd of the sheep. Notice in Hebrews 13, we know God the Father has placed Him in this position. Hebrews 13, verse 20, it says, Now may the God of peace, talking about God the Father, who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, He resurrected Him, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you, what is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

And so we see that Christ is named here as the chief, the great shepherd of the sheep. There's another scripture that describes Jesus Christ as the great and chief shepherd. First Peter, chapter 5. This is actually such an important chapter on shepherding that I'm going to read, starting from verse one through verse 11. This is the apostle Peter speaking. He says, The elders who are among you I exhort. I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.

He's talking to here the elders who he is exhorting. He says, Shepherd, the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, not something that they it's imposed on them. And it's something they want to do. They have a shepherd's heart, not for dishonest gain, not to make merchandise of people, but eagerly serving God, not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. So again, it's not our flock. It's God the Father's who has placed Christ over us.

And we are just what is called the under shepherds. We take instructions from Jesus Christ, our chief shepherd. And that's one thing we learned that when the flocks were larger, the shepherd would hire people to help out and they would divide the flock into three or four different flocks. And of course, the owner was the one that oversaw everything. But he had under shepherds. He had those under him that did a lot of the pastoring. So ministers are under shepherds. They're not lords over those entrusted to you, but examples.

It says, and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. So again, he's directing his view to the elders that are taking care. And of course, you always have to remember that Peter had Jesus Christ ask him three times, Do you love me above everything else?

And then Peter would answer and then Christ would say, Feed my flock, feed my sheep, feed my lambs. And so here we have Peter at the end of his life, and he's telling the elders, Feed the flock, feed the lambs, because he never forgot that lesson of putting Christ first, and from being a fisherman, he became a shepherd of God's flock. And so we see here, we have very fine under shepherds in this congregation. We have Dan Salcedo, he's one of the elders. He's an under shepherd. We have Homer Moore, he's an under shepherd. We have Roy Tower, who's an under shepherd. And we have Lincoln Marini, who is there. And I'm an under shepherd as well. We're just dividing and taking care of the flocks, according to the area that we're dealing with. But it is God the Father's flock that Christ has been set over. Let's continue. So what is he saying now to the congregation? He says, therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. That's one thing you learn.

Now shepherds aren't fancy businessmen. They're not with this real high title, high sounding title. No, shepherds were not really looked on as great role models in Jesus' day.

As a matter of fact, the rabbis looked down on the shepherds. They considered them not worthy of representing Israel because they thought they were stealers because they would go and take their pastures and basically eat the grass in other people's yards.

And they considered them also unclean because they had to deal with a lot of blood and animals and how could they be ritually pure. And finally, they also considered they were not trustworthy because a lot would take sheep from this land or the other one. And so the rabbis had it that shepherds could not serve as witnesses in any type of court case.

So they were looked down upon, but guess what? God the Father did not consider them that way.

He actually sent the angels to announce the birth of Christ, not to the high priests in Jerusalem, not to the high and mighty. He sent that announcement to humble, simple shepherds.

They got the good news before anybody else did. That's the way God works. And then he says, so let's humble yourselves because as God's sheep, that's one of the characteristics.

Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. So that's one of the characteristics of sheep.

They look to their shepherd to help and provide for them. And then he goes on to say, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Just like in the flock. He's always seeing which little sheep strays off or is not together or is weak. So a shepherd always has to be vigilant.

Says, resist them steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. We're all going through trials. Nobody's exempt. If I took a survey, everybody, what is your pain? What is your trial? What are you going through? Sometimes, be good to just write it out. And we would be more aware of those needs. If you ever want to send a little note saying, this is what I'm concerned about, we can pray about it. We can do our part. He goes on to say, but may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, established, strengthened, and settle you. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

So here we have Peter very transformed into a great shepherd of God's sheep.

And he was faithful. So we see here that God the Father is the one in charge of everything. And he has placed Christ as the chief shepherd. And we are under shepherds taking care of God's flock. Now, one thing that you realize is shepherding is a full-time job. If somebody has to take care of sheep, you can't just take off and think, well, yeah, it's an eight to five job. Sheep always have needs. The shepherds have a very full life because of all the needs of the sheep.

Notice in Isaiah chapter 40, the description of when Christ comes back in his kingdom, how he will treat those inhabitants of the earth. Isaiah 40 verse 10, he says, Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.

Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young. So we have a very gentle and loving shepherd in Jesus Christ. It's a full-time job.

God does not sleep, nor does Jesus Christ. He's aware of all of our needs, and there's nothing more important for him than those that God has called. He says, the Father calls, and I'm the one that takes care of them. So God uses this analogy in Matthew 25 in verse 11, which is kind of a central scripture of this message. Matthew 25 in verse 31. He says, When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats, and he will set the sheep on the right hand, but the goats on the left. So he's using some of these characteristics to say these are the two ways, and we're going to separate people in this way. So why does God do this? What is the difference between sheep and goats? Well, first of all, we can see four characteristics of sheep that are shown in the Bible, which help us understand our nature as well.

First of all, sheep are dependent on a shepherd to survive. They don't have the same defenses as other animals. Most sheep don't have horns, and those that do, they're not pointy. They're just around the side, so they don't offer any type of attack mode at all. So when the sheep are not with their shepherd, they're exposed to all the dangers. That's why in Psalms 23, verse 1, it says, the Lord is my shepherd. I will not want.

He says, I've got a good shepherd. He's going to provide all my needs. First of all, God the Father, Jesus Christ. They're the ones that are there for us day and night, and they protect us.

The sheep and the shepherd were made for each other because sheep really can't protect themselves from wolves or bears or lions or hyenas, which were some of the predators in the Holy Land during the time of Israel.

What happened when there wasn't a shepherd? Well, the sheep would be scattered. Notice Ezekiel 34 describes this situation. Ezekiel 34 starting in verse 5.

It says, so they were scattered, talking about Israel, because there was no shepherd and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill. Yes, my flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth and no one was seeking or searching for them. So there have been times and there were evil kings in Israel that didn't take care of God's people. They let them go astray. There wasn't anybody there to really defend them, and so they were devoured. They were taken advantage of. When a sheep is lost, it doesn't go on the offensive. Basically, it goes into a place under a rock or some dark place, and they hide and they start bleeding.

And hopefully, some shepherd will come before a predator comes. They're just that helpless.

And God describes us that we sometimes think we can handle everything that comes our way. We forget how fragile, how vulnerable we really are, that He wants us to depend on Him, to trust Him as sheep do.

Notice Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5. Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5.

Do we rely on God? We have a part to do, but do we depend on God for the other part? Do we walk by faith?

It says in Proverbs 3 verse 5, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes.

Fear the Lord and depart from evil. So that's something that we start developing a nature of depending on God more, of not being proud and thinking that we don't need to submit to God.

We don't need to surrender to God at all. Well, that's one of the characteristics of the goat, as we will see. No, sheep are submissive. They obey. They trust.

The second characteristic of the sheep, they're not only dependent on a shepherd, they can be careless. Unfortunately, Christ had not used the example there in Matthew 10, Be as wise as shepherds or as sheep. Be as wise as sheep. No, He couldn't do that because He knows sheep are careless. They're not known for thinking through things. They are unwary of the dangers, and they're getting themselves constantly into trouble.

They're not aware of their environs. They think, well, the shepherd will take care of me.

I don't have to worry about that. But then they get themselves. Sometimes they get too close to the water, and the wool and the sheep, they need to be sheared about once a year. But before that shearing, that wool just grows and grows. And the thickest wool is between the throat and the front legs. And so when they lean over to drink water, if they get some of their wool wet, it acts just like a sponge. And all of a sudden, it just starts pushing them forward and forward into the head. And they can't lift their head. Their front legs are quite weak. And so they sometimes just go right into the water. So they're very scared of running water, of ripples, because of all this wool they have in their system. And so they can be quite careless.

They can, if you just keep your eye off of them for a while, pretty soon, where's that sheep? He's going downstream. And he's like this huge sponge just drops like lead into the water.

They didn't know any better. They're also careless about what they eat.

They have a delicate stomach. It's not like goats. Goats can eat anything. But sheep have delicate stomachs. All they see is green grass. They'll eat poison grass. They'll eat weeds. They cause them to puff up and just get gases all over their system. They just don't know how to discriminate and separate. They look at it, hey, that looks good to me. And it can be poison grass. And they just eat it like everything else. So they're constantly getting into problems. The shepherd has to know what type of pasture they are in.

A shepherd has to keep an eye on what sheep eat because they don't know any better.

So when it says in Psalms 23, the shepherd leads me to green pastures. It means the type of food that is not going to upset them, that is going to be healthy for them. Sheep can eat all day long.

They're just like little digestive machines. They're just there. And if the grass is green, they'll be like a lawnmower and just cut it down because they need a lot of energy.

They're not meat eaters. Remember, years ago in England and other places, they started feeding sheep with some type of meat to build them up. And they had also the cows and some of the sheep started getting all sick over that because that's not their natural diet. And so they have delicate stomachs. They have their nose closed to the ground. They're called grazers. They graze the land. So you don't ever see the sheep looking around. Oh yeah, look at the nice sky up there. No, what are they looking at? I'm looking for more green stuff to eat. They're like little lawnmowers that just to go through. And that's another problem. They don't know when to stop. And so the shepherd has to be moving them sometimes several times a day because if they don't leave the whole thing stripped barren, they don't know when to stop. Also, since they're got their nose closed to the ground, they can get parasites, ticks, all kinds of insects that get into their noses and into their stomachs. They even get leeches down their throats because when they're drinking water, they don't think anything. They're just slurping along. And so they have to be examined and one of the disagreeable things that a shepherd has to do is he's got to poke some type of a cloth into their nostrils to get some of the parasites out because that'll cause them disturbed feelings and irritable and so they won't go to sleep.

Notice in Ezekiel 34 verse 13. Ezekiel 34 and verse 13, talking about the sheep of his flock. Let me let's start in verse 12. It says, So again, a good shepherd has to know what kind of food. He has to be an agronomist. He has to be a botanist.

Botany is a study of plant life. Agronomist is a study of agricultural life.

So he says, I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel.

There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock and I will make them lie down. That's when they're satisfied.

And so here we see all this tender care that sheep need that goats don't.

In Jeremiah chapter 3, this is another prophetic scripture. Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 13.

He says, only, let's see, chapter Jeremiah 3.13. I think...

Yeah, he's talking about backsliding Israel. He says, only acknowledge your iniquity that you have transgressed against the Lord your God, talking about Israel, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says the Lord. Return, O backsliding children, says the Lord, for I am married to you. I will take you one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. So he says that this is going to happen. That's talking about all of us, brethren, in his kingdom. People that have learned how to follow his laws, his loving laws, and have applied them. We are all going to be these future shepherds. And what are they going to do? What are they going to feed the people in the millennium?

This is what it says. Feed you with knowledge and with understanding. That's what people need today.

They've got physical food. They don't have good spiritual food.

They need knowledge and understanding of his word, what it means, how to apply it in our lives.

In Ezekiel chapter 37 verse 24, also talking about the shepherds there, Ezekiel 37 verse 24, it says, David, my servant, shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.

They shall all also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them.

This is why David is so beloved by God, because he applied God's laws. The people of Israel followed the instructions properly of God's word. That was when they had this golden age in Israel.

And it was because God could trust David to teach knowledge and understanding to the people about God's laws. That's what makes this a great shepherd. Yes, we're not physical shepherds, but we're spiritual shepherds. We're dealing with the spiritual food that people need to understand God's word and to apply it properly.

So, some people think David is this romantic character. No, he was actually the one who submitted to God, was a great shepherd to Israel, and taught them God's way of life.

So let's go to the third point. Sheep are generally submissive. They're one of the most submissive animals. You have a little lamb on your arms. You know, they're very tender, very trusting, very loving.

They're gentle and have a yielded spirit. That can be good or that can be bad, because they can be submissive to the wrong things as well. Sheep are more followers.

They follow the shepherd, and they follow tail to nose. See, they hardly ever raise their heads.

They just, the nose following the tail, and they just go mowing the lawn, right? They just keep looking for food. Unfortunately, some sheep, following other sheep, don't see where they're headed, and the first one goes off a cliff, and the following goes off, and they go, and they go, and they've had up to a hundred sheep go off a cliff. Where the shepherd was, it was nowhere to be found, because sheep are natural followers. Notice in Hosea, chapter 4, verse 16, I'm going to read this from the Amplified Bible.

It has the gist, a little clearer than New King James. It says, For Israel has behaved stubbornly like a stubborn heifer. How then should he expect to be fed and treated by the Lord like a lamb in a large pasture? You see the difference. Other animals can be quite stubborn, rebellious, but sheep, they can be very docile, and that is a characteristic. We have to learn to be more docile. We can't have that other nature that is always pushing and fighting and being raucous and belligerent. That's not the nature of sheep. That doesn't mean you become a doormat, either, but you do have to have that humble and gentle spirit.

In Revelation, chapter 7, again, Jesus Christ and his nature, how he's going to deal with us in the future kingdom.

Revelation 7, verse 15, it says, Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple. He's talking about the innumerable multitudes. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. You know, that's only going to happen when God the Father comes back.

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat. For the lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. So that's the future, but it's because we're willing to follow, to yield to God, to go his way, to do things in his manner. We're not bucking and all the time being contentious, which leads us to the fourth characteristic, which is that some sheep are resistant to guidance. Some don't have that nature. Even among the sheep, not all are humble and submissive. And the Bible talks about them. If you are bully sheep, they're the ones that are pushing and trying to get at the first place and trying to do what they can to muddy up the waters for others.

The Bible mentions them in Ezekiel chapter 20.

Again, we can't glorify or think all the sheep are just this wonderful meek. No, there are different natures among the sheep themselves. Ezekiel chapter 20 verse 37. It says, God says, I will make you pass under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.

I will purge you the rebels from among you and those who transgress against me, I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel.

Then you will know that I am the Lord.

And so the sheep and the goats all had to be counted when they went inside the pen.

That's the way the pastor knew when there were some that were missing. And so it says here that well, we're going to pass under that rod and he says I'm going to bring you into the bond of the covenant and I will purge the rebels from among you. Notice in Ezekiel chapter 34 verse 17.

There's a section here talking about the bad shepherds, but then it talks about the bad sheep. Ezekiel 34 verse 17.

And we are all part of the sheep. We know we have in our nature some sheep and some goat.

It doesn't matter which is growing more. Is the sheep part growing more or is the goat part growing more? Ezekiel 34 verse 17. It says, and as for you, O my flock, thus says the Lord God, behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Rams are the male sheep and goats, of course, are different from sheep. It says, is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture, and to have drunk off the clear water, that you must foul the residue with your feet? And as for you, my flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with their feet. They make it more difficult for people. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, to them, behold, I myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep, because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad. Therefore, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be a prey, and I will judge between sheep and sheep, and I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them. My servant David, he shall feed them, and be their shepherd. And verse 30, it says, Thus they shall know that I am the Lord, their God, am with them. And they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God, you are my flock, the flock of my pasture, you are men, and I am your God, says the Lord God. So that will happen in the future. But again, we know we're all human. We're still overcoming the human nature, and these are some things that we need to be aware of, that sometimes we can become bully sheep. We can push and shove and not treat those that are weaker, that have more issues, and try to get the best. So what are the characteristics of goats? There are four characteristics, main ones here. We have six in this slide, but I want to focus on four of them. Sheep are grazers. They will just follow and eat in a certain area. They prefer forbs or grass easily to contain infencing. They don't go around butting and breaking down fences. Usually don't have horns, although some do have smaller ones.

They are aloof, reserved, and gregarious. Gregarious is they're sociable. They like to be together. That's another fine characteristic of sheep.

They're better adapted to the climate, and they're easier to handle and to manage.

But what's the problem with goats? They're intermediate grazers. They prefer browsing.

They'll go any which way. Look at this picture.

He actually climbed a palm tree to try to get to some of those branches.

I mean, do you see sheep doing that? No. Goats, they will do it. Here's another one.

This is the way they are. They think, oh, I can do everything here. I'm so balanced and strong and independent. Do you see any sheep doing these type of things?

Trying to climb rocks that way? No. So they're harder to contain in fences. They're always checking and budding. It's almost they're pushing the boundaries. See where the weakness is. See where I can get away because they're very independent minded.

They have horns. Those horns are sharp, so they can go on the offensive. There's a picture here.

I want to show you. Look at that. There's a mountain lion and the goat. Look at those sharp horns they have.

They're going to defend themselves. They're not like the sheep. They just sort of let themselves be eaten.

They're curious, independent, so they're on their own, and they're less adapted to the climate.

You look here. Goats don't follow. The goat heard her. He follows them. He has to be in the back because if he goes forward, pretty soon you'll look and all the goats are going their own way.

So he's got to be goading them and pushing them forward.

So the first characteristics of goat, they are independent minded. Nobody's going to tell them what to do. So the goat herder hopes they go the right way, but he's behind them.

Paul talks about independent minded in the wrong way. We all want to have our own thinking, and we all want to put God's word first, not follow man's ideas, but again with a submissive, not this independent minded, that you're always butting against others. Now my view is the right one. Now my way or the highway type of mentality. In Titus chapter 1, Paul had to deal with a couple of these goat-like people. Titus chapter 1 verse 7. It says here, talking about a bishop, again the term has to do with an overseer of a flock. So it doesn't, it's a pastor, but this is a kind of a regional pastor. The bishop must be blameless as a steward of God, taking good care of God's material or physical goods, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, which means not given to too much wine, not violent, not somebody beating in the family, not greedy for money, not there that the first thing he's thinking about, well how can I bet this? How can I make it multiply? Let me go and risk all of this. No, you can't be that way but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast a faithful word, as he has been taught. So you don't have the right to have your own pet ideas and be preaching them.

No, as you have been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who contradict, who are just pushing and going their own way.

It says, for there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouth must be stopped, who subvert whole households. And by the way, those of the circumcision is dealing with that that insisted that the Gentiles had to be circumcised. So again, we're talking about these that wanted to impose a ceremonial law upon the Gentiles. That was a big issue in that first century, whose mouth must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain.

So they want to have their own congregations. They want to have their own incomes.

So goats will go to many dangerous places for a bite.

That leads us to the second characteristic. Goats are indiscriminate in what they eat.

They will eat almost anything. Newspapers, rags, you name it, they'll try it out and eat it.

They don't pay attention to others' warnings because they have strong stomachs. They think they can eat anything that tastes okay. In one of the slides that we had in the seminar, it showed all of these nice sheep together walking in front of the pasture, the shepherd, and then you had this goat. He was way out and he was eating a cement bag. He had a cement bag coming out of his mouth. He was just eating this junk. They're not very careful because they think they can take anything. Sometimes you can go off in a tangent and start getting into all kinds of strange ideas and doctrines. Before you know it, boy, you start going off on a tangent. I've seen that more than once. The third and last character... well, third characteristics, goats are unreliable. You never know what guides them. They just are going to have their own notion of what to do, when to do it. You never know exactly what they end up doing. That's why goat herders just have such big headaches, because that goat will go off and he can't be careless because they're just not in the herd. They don't really like to be together. They think they can go off on their own and they'll be perfectly fine. And the last one is that goats are disobedient by nature. They just can't handle receiving orders from God, from someone else. They have a hard time. Now, they might put up for a while, but they have their own ideas on how to follow, on how to obey.

So those are the four characteristics. Let's go to Matthew chapter 24. Now that we've studied a little bit about shepherding, let's go back to that separation between the sheep and the goats.

Matthew 24, because some people start with Matthew 25 about the sheeps and the goats, but they don't realize what came before that. And Matthew 24, as we know, were the prophecies of Christ's coming, and he wanted to know how well his servants were prepared when he comes.

That's why he says in Matthew 24 verse 45, he says, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food and do season? Not talking about physical food, talking about spiritual food.

Are we giving spiritual food and do season in our household? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing, faithfully keeping the feasts, keeping the Sabbaths, following God in this way. And surely I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. This is for men and women. They're all going to be shepherd kings when Christ comes back. They're all going to be shepherd rulers, men and women.

But in that sense, these are the sheep. What about the goats? But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkards. In other words, going back to the world, the master of that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of and will cut him into and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. People will be in that judgment. Why? Because they weren't shepherd-hearted.

They didn't have that type of care and submissive and docile nature to God to just follow what God says. I don't mind following nose to tail. If somebody's headed toward that kingdom, if he's showing me the right way, I'm going to follow nose to tail. I'm not interested in coming up with my own paths. I'm trying to do it my own way. I think all of you feel the same way.

So then in Matthew 25, he's still teaching about the faithful and the unfaithful servant.

He says, Then the kingdom of heaven will be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And so here again there's a separation. Some are faithful. They're continuing. They're not letting their spiritual oil deplete itself. They're constantly getting close to God. That shepherd, they're following. Others become blacks. They quit praying. They quit doing any type of fellowship and just start getting colder and colder. That lukewarm. That God detests. And this is the same thing.

Goats. Maybe if you're prodding them on, yeah, they'll go that way. You quit prodding them.

That's their natural tendency to go off on their own. Oh, yeah, this is better over here.

I'm going to find something better to eat. And so here's another division.

And then he comes to the parable of the talents. Verse 14, for the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a foreign country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

And then he gives the different talents. And what do we have? We also have a separation.

Those that were faithful. Remember, talents has to do with the God-given abilities through God's Spirit that he provides, that he expects us to develop and multiply in whatever way we can.

But the person who says, no, I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to hide it. I'm not going to develop myself. Again, that's a goat mentality. Nobody's going to tell me how to run my life.

Nobody's going to tell me what I need to do. And so you have that independence setting in.

And finally, we come to verse 31.

Christ is separating the faithful servants from the unfaithful. Verse 31, When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them, one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from his goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand. Now, this is all these judgments. This is the final aspect of the judgment, because all of these people have been had the opportunity to either change or not change. That's explained in Revelation 20. But now is this final judgment, where you have the lake of fire and the second death. And so he says, and he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the king will say to those of the right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry, and you gave me food, and I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, and I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the king will answer and say to them, Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren. These are people that are converted, my brethren, you did it to me. Notice in Matthew 12, the same gospel, Matthew 12, verse 47, he defines who are my brethren.

In verse 47, Then one said to him, Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you. But he answered and said to the one who told them, Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, Here are my mother and my brothers, for whosoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. So first we focus on the household of faith. Yes, we should help in the world as we can, but here we're talking about how we treated each other and how we cared for those in need that were brethren, the little lambs, those that are hurting, that are in pain in the congregation, and that we're praying for them and that we're considerate toward them. And so with the goats, let's go to Matthew 25 again. Verse 41 of Matthew 25, Then he will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. Just like the goats, they were thinking about their own selves. They were thinking they're not there to help one another. Goats are very independent. I was a stranger, and you did not take me in naked, and you did not clothe me sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. We have in the book of Acts, when Paul and others were in jail, the brethren were the ones that were there. When Paul was going to different places, the brethren were helping. They were helping each other, comforting each other, going through different things. That's what the example that we have.

Verse 44, Then they will also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment. The term everlasting means it's going to last until it consumes completely. There is no shutting this midway. It's the everlasting. The term in the Greek means until it is completely done. It's not going to be shortened or limited. These will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. And that's the way things are set up, right? As Christ judges everybody, and then the New Jerusalem comes down, that where God, the chief of the shepherds, will come down and dwell with all of us. So I hope the analogy of sheep and goats helps.

And brethren, we know we have a kingdom coming, where the wolf is going to dwell with the lamb. We're not going to have this doggy dog world, wolf eat lamb world. That's what we're looking forward to, a coming kingdom, where we can learn to be shepherd kings under Jesus Christ, doing it his way, because we've learned to be sheep instead of goats.