Straying Sheep

Staying within limits, practicing obedience.

We will be safe and live the best life if they stay within Jesus’ limits. Sheep tend to wander off and how a shepherd sets limits. The result of staying within the limits is that we will be safe.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has set limits in the Bible to keep us from going astray.

Psalm 23, the straying sheep. Staying within limits, practicing obedience.
We will be safe and live the best life if we stay within Jesus' limits. Sheep tend to wander off even though a shepherd sets limits. The result of staying within the limits is that we will be safe.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has set limits in the Bible to keep us from going astray.
I wrote this many years ago as a Bible study for a young adults group.

Cast: 1

• (monolog/sermon/Bible study)

Bible Reference: Isaiah 53:6

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: toy lamb

Costumes: standard

Special Instructions: none

Time: 10

Sample of script:

actor comes onstage, yawning

Hey, that was a good night. Too bad I couldn’t sleep in a little longer. Now then, I gotta get ready for work. (picks up a small toy lamb) Man, you sheep, you don’t know how lucky you are! Lots to eat. No bills to pay. Don’t have to worry about going to work! And you’ve got a shepherd to look after you all day and night! Man, where do I go to sign up? If only I had it so lucky, no worries and a shepherd to look after me!

Somebody want to be my shepherd? Pay is poor and the hours are long! Who is my shepherd?

(pauses, thinks, remembers)

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Haven’t thought of that for years. Bible. Psalms.
Let’s see, Psalm 23. Memorized that back in Sunday School as a kid.

“The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Been a long time since I’ve thought of that! I remember my Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Adams tell us that this Psalm was written by King David, likely when David was a young shepherd, roaming the very hills where, 1,000 years later, angels would sing to other shepherds of the birth of the Jesus child.

OK, Mrs. Adams. I remember!

My shepherd! I always wondered why the psalm talked of us as sheep.

(looks in the mirror, smiles)

Probably a pretty good comparison! Mrs. Adams always told us how Psalm 23 was the testimony of someone who needed and found a shepherd.

I can just hear Mrs. Adams now.

(mimicking an older person)

"Don’t you children just see how the psalmist was so thoroughly thrilled with the sheep - shepherd relationship which he found. Listen, children, if we are to feel good about ourselves, we need to have a sheep image."

And, although us kids maybe didn’t listen as we should, I can remember her explaining to us how the sheep was looking to his shepherd for guidance and direction.

A healthy self image.

I wonder if a sheep image is what I need today?

I used to think it was wrong to refer to humans as sheep. Mrs. Adams, she had a good comeback on that one!
Look up Isaiah 53:6.
“We are sheep who have gone astray and have turned each to his own way”, she’d remind us.

As a kid I had a bit to do with sheep and I can tell you they are the most foolish animals I have ever known. I have seen sheep in a lush pasture with more than they can eat. Then one of them finds a hole in the fence and wanders away from the green pastures and out onto a busy highway. There, to a symphony of car horns and screeching brakes the sheep flirts with death.

I would have expected that the other sheep would shake their heads and make fun of the dumb sheep. But instead they all follow the wayward sheep into danger. There, in the middle of the road, any reasonable sheep would look around and say, "things were better in green pastures, let's go back". But all they did was to mill around until the shepherd and his dog come and almost force them back into green pastures.

We sure are like sheep, aren't we?

I guess I have a great tendency to leave my "green pastures" believing that the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence". By the time I get to the other side of the fence I also seem to find that the neighbor's water bill is also much higher!

The herd instinct is very strong in my life. Sometimes, I wonder whether mine is herd instinct or flock folly! At the drop of a hat I follow the charismatic leader without first checking out his agenda or qualifications. Seems like I am constantly looking for that "hole in the fence", the opportunity to go wrong. I seem to have a natural inclination to doing what I should not do. I wonder if this is what creates my bad self image? I really do need to come to terms with this "Sheep Syndrome", or I will continually be struggling with self image.

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