SHEEP AND GOATS BY SHANE ROESSIGER
We must know that not everyone next to us is a sheep of His pasture. Have your eyes open to recognize it and to see it so you won’t be deceived. First, make sure you can recognize a sheep. For example, there is one very important biblical characteristic: A sheep knows the shepherd’s voice and follows not the voice of the stranger. It does not mean that we won’t hear the voice of a stranger. There will be many strangers but they will not follow. The sheep always trust the shepherd. If we don’t, we trust our own feelings. Our ways are always messed up so that is why we need to trust His ways. Also, sheep will bear the fruit of the shepherd.
If you go through a wrong door, wrong doors will steal your destiny, peace, and joy. The good shepherd’s door will give you life and life more abundantly. The hireling will flee when he sees the wolf coming after the sheep, but the shepherd will go after them and will not go after the goats.
Anywhere you look, you see goats among the sheep, and God will open your eyes to see the difference. Sheep like to eat things that are on the ground, the tender grasses. The goats like to go up and get their own stuff up on the tree – the high places (prideful). Goats are naturally curious and independent. Sheep have a strong flock instinct. It is easier to keep a sheep inside the flock than a goat. They look to be with the flock all the time. Goats will rear up their heads trying to lord over others. They are prideful. Goats are bucking the whole system. They are mavericks and go rogue. God leaves the 99 for that one sheep, but not for the goat. He does not run after goats because sheep are part of the fold. Goats are just there and are not part of the fold.
God gave me two quick examples of His first fold. Think about Peter and Judas. Jesus had a house full of people, but they were not all sheep. Goats will stir up other people and try to lead them astray. If you know them by the Spirit, you will recognize them. Judas was looking at what was for him and his agenda. He had his eyes on that bag of money. Goats are religious. They don’t see what the Spirit is doing because they are carnal. The goats will say: “What are they doing? What are they saying? Why not do it this way?” Judas went to the chief priest and betrayed Jesus and went to get what was in it for him. Goats are among us, but they are not willing to follow the Holy Spirit. They will buck and try to fight the sheep and bully them. They use witchcraft, faults, and the imperfections of others to build their case as to why they should not listen and follow.
The sheep follow the pack and the goats are among them. They are for what you are for, but they are not for you. You are in unity with the Spirit but not to their agenda. There are specific characteristics in the goat. Make sure you can recognize them. The Bible says to know them who labor among you. Judas, the goat, went to set up the betrayal and came right back to fellowship. Now he was asking questions because he wanted to set Jesus up. Jesus already knew what he was doing. God was getting Jesus’ heart ready for that time of betrayal. And Judas called him “Master” but he was a liar because if Jesus was his master, he would have followed Him. Judas unworthily took communion with Him and that was a seal for his own damnation. Satan entered into him. Judas was a goat. But Peter had a different attitude. He promised never to deny Him. He broke his promise, but he was a sheep. What his flesh could not do, his heart wanted to do. So, Peter had the right spirit. He just did not have the courage to do what was right, but he was not evil. On the contrary, Jesus said to the goat, Judas, “Go do what you are going to do and do it quickly.” In other words, “Judas, get all done what you have been planning to do for quite some time. Now stop devising mischief. Get it done already because you are not of My fold. You were called, but you allowed Satan to get in your heart. Now you are the son of perdition.”
Then Jesus after the resurrection came to visit His sheep that were astray. The enemy can’t touch the sheep unless the sheep are away from the pasture. The goats always find other goats. His disciples ran off because they were afraid. Jesus was gone. They felt lost. But the shepherd came back for them. Peter was ashamed but he was still a sheep. Sheep don’t know what to do half the time, but they keep following the shepherd.
The sea became Peter’s fig leaves. The Holy Spirit revealed the need for repentance. The goodness of God is the Holy Spirit drawing people to repent. You can show people all their wretchedness but people may not feel the need for repentance. But the Spirit will draw them back to the fold if they are His sheep. Not perfect vessels, but not evil hearted.
The gospel is good news for the sheep but bad news for the goats. The sheep are always asking, “Lord, is that you,” because they want to make sure they don’t follow the voice of the stranger.
Jesus asked, “Do you love me more than these,” meaning “more than what I can give you, more than what I can do for you?” He was testing his heart and bringing conversion to him because he was the sheep of His pasture. So He left heaven and went after His scattered sheep, but not Judas. People are trying to run after everybody, but Jesus only goes after His sheep. We must listen to the shepherd and to His sheep only. Goats are always about themselves. They are not one in the Spirit. They don’t have one shepherd. Peter went astray. Judas went astray. But Jesus went only after Peter. Sheep that never let God heal them can become a goat.
Submission brings healing. Submission brings mercy, submission brings grace. Jesus found the sheep that were lost. He found Peter. God will find you again if you are a sheep. If you are a goat, someone else will find you, but it will not be the Good Shepherd. God restores His sheep. Rejoice with Him!
One sinner that repented, Peter repented. Judas did not. Judas was not sitting at the table because he wanted to be fed. He was there to collect information where He would be and so on so they could arrest Jesus. He was there for his own sake. You can sit among the sheep but be a goat. God will not allow that forever. Goats lie. Sheep never lie. Goats steal. Sheep give. Goats buck and fight. Sheep are teachable and reachable and always surrender. Sheep trust. Goats are always questioning things.
God will gather His sheep in from all the nations. He will, as a shepherd, separate the sheep and the goats. One from another! He shall set the sheep on the right hand and goats on His left. Everybody that picks up their cross will stay on His right hand. His sheep are not perfect but have decided to follow Him as their only shepherd. Sheep lay down their life for the shepherd. Sheep are all in. Sheep are lowly and humble, eating from the green pastures. Sheep fear the Lord. Goats live in fear.
Sheep forgive and are forgiven. Goats hold offenses and keep records of wrongs. Sheep follow the Spirit. Goats try to lead by their own spirit. Sheep follow God’s plans. Goats follow their own plans. Sheep are led to the slaughter (the cross). Goats find higher ground! Goats don’t get lost. They plan their way and look for higher ground that suits their agenda and their kingdom. God separates sheep with sheep and goats with goats! God runs after the lost sheep. You see the difference when a wolf tricks or deceives a sheep. God leaves the 99!
When you betray the sheep, you betray the shepherd because whatever you do to the least of these you do unto Him. Sheep and goats don’t make the same noise. They look alike but they are not the same. They are different and even make different sounds. Even if you are a black sheep you are still a sheep. You may look different but have the same DNA.
Who are you? A sheep or a goat? Alive or dead? Tares or wheat? Let the Spirit of Truth convince you of that. Be aware of them and don’t you become like the goats. Have your eyes open and recognize them all: Follow the narrow way, and you will surely be found worthy of His calling and be prepared for the glory to come.
“Father, guide us like sheep to the slaughter. Sheep are the ones that go to the cross. He went to the cross, and they follow the shepherd all the way to the cross. Father, shepherd, Lord, ruler of our lives, King of Kings, king of us, restore our hearts and minds. You loved Judas all the way to the end. Help us to love them all.” Sheep serve, serve without expecting anything back. Their shepherd is always serving. Sheep may not like what the shepherd says but there is no confusion in them. His sheep know His voice and the voice of the stranger it will not follow. Father, You always come after us. Help us never to betray one another or betray You. You are our good shepherd. And we are the sheep of Your pasture. Amen.”
Word: John 10:1-15, Matthew 26, John 13:21-30, John 21:1-17, Luke 15: 5-7, Matthew 25:31-33
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