Why do the Sheep Keep Leaving?

by Sisterlisa

I thought I'd take a little break from home the other day and stop in at a local restaurant for a quick bite to eat. It's not often at all that I dine alone, and it was actually quite nice. The place I chose had beautiful inspirational music playing and I had some quiet time to worship our Lord at that tiny table. I was reading a print out of an article from the internet about the Church and what she suffers from today with abusive leaders. While enjoying the warmth of my creamy cup of caffeine and presence of our Lord, some men were seated in the booth behind me. Their conversation intrigued me, because they were discussing ministry work. Hoping to glean some insight to ministry I eavesdropped, but in a matter of just a few minutes my heart sank in utter despair. Men who claim to be in ministry discussed when a sheep leaves the flock and one shared such a nonchalant lack of compassion with no desire whatsoever to win the lamb back.

How are we to attempt to win them back?

Luke 4:23, "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

Where are the sheep going? Why are they leaving?

Jeremiah 50:6, "My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace"

What are we supposed to do with the lost sheep?

Matthew 10:6-8, "⁶But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.⁷And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.⁸Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."

What do we do when the sheep leave?

Luke 15:4, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?"

And when we find them and bring them back?

Luke 15:6, "And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

So what kind of leader scatters the sheep like this?

Acts 20:29, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."

What is going to happen to these leaders?

Ezekiel 34:10, " ¹⁰Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them."

The next question is this, how do you convince the sheep to come back to the fold if the fold is lead by a wolf? The answer is clear, you don't go back to where there is a wolf in leadership. You flee.

The sheep know the voice of their Great Shepherd and He will guide them to where they need to go. He guides us all and we're never alone.