Separating Sheep from the Goats

We are to be Jesus' hands, His feet and His voice..

Now you may feel this is a funny title but did you know that the Bible speaks often about sheep and goats?  In Matthew 25:33 we are told, "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  What this is talking about is our Judgment day before the Lord. 

Matthew 7:22-23.. (22) Many will call upon the Lord and say, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (23) "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

If anything this should most definitely serve as a wake-up call for those who are in Christ.  We should be checking ourselves daily, repenting daily and glorifying God through our appearance of our daily living and lifestyle practices.  Wouldn't it be terrible if we thought that by being a "good person" and calling ourselves "Christian" to others and using it as a title and as a means of the professing of our faith, would get us to heaven?  Well sadly enough that's what a lot of people believe and they are sorely mistaken.  If you want to know the truth, it's all laid out for you. All you have to do is open the living Word of God and let Him speak to you through the words on the page.  Those words are the breath of God.  They give us life that you cannot find anywhere in this world.  It is only through the Son of God, Jesus, that we have eternal life.  Life with God is not to be put off for when we get to heaven. Oh no.. we have a duty, a responsibility and a calling to live the word of God while we have the time to here on earth. We are to go and be doers of the Word.  We are to make His word come alive to and in other people for we are a direct reflection of whom we have chosen to serve.  I think I need to say that again.. We are a direct reflection of whom we have chosen, pledged our allegiance to and believe in and people need to see the God who lives in us.

If you are living a life that is pleasing to God, then you reflect Him.  If you are living in the ways of the world then point blank you have not chosen to serve the living God, your creator.  If you are a Christian and are living in the ways of the world, you are not representing God the Father.  You cannot serve two masters.  If you are not living in a way that is pleasing to God then you are not serving Him and have not truly chosen Him as Lord over your life. 

I'm going to take this in a direction that is taboo for many to speak about. But I am not here to please anyone on this earth.  I live to take a stand for the Lord.. to please God and it is Him alone that I serve. That being said.. here we go!  What you choose to vote for is a direct reflection of whom you believe in.  If you choose to vote for someone who accepts that abortion is a choice, then you have not honored God.  If you choose anything that God says is an abomination to Him like that of homosexuality, then you have not honored God. In all actionality, if you choose anything or anyone that goes against the word of God, you have not honored the Lord.

We can take this a step further and include the way we speak, the things we do in secret and in public, the way we treat family, friends, loved ones, strangers, co-workers and yes, even other Christians. Now when we are living the life God intends for us to live that is both honoring and pleasing to Him, should we treat differently those that aren't? Absolutely not!  To do so would be placing judgement upon them.  However, (and you knew this was coming).. we have a duty as Christians to reach out to our brothers and sisters and help point them in the right direction ie plant seeds that will help them to choose the right way vs. choosing the wrong.

If you are wondering how this all ties into the topic, well it does.  See.. the Christians are the Sheep (calm and obedient) and those that are not serving and honoring God are the Goats (rebellious and disobedient).  Now read that scripture above in Matthew again.  Kinda scary when it's all put into perspective like this huh? I use to wish that God would not have chosen me to deliver such hard messages, but then I thought one day how selfish I was being.  If God didn't use me to tell you how it is, we would all be Goats!  Having the truth and then choosing that Truth by honoring God in our words, actions, lifestyle and choices, are what take us all from being that of Goats to washing us clean, setting us apart and transforming us into His Sheep.  One day the Goats will be separated from the Sheep in heaven.  Goats will not enter the Kingdom of God, only His Sheep will enter and be placed at His right hand.

So what can we do to go from a "goat" status and move forward into a "Sheep ie Christian" status?  We can read the Bible to see what God says a Christian is to be like. A Christian will keep His commandments and statutes.  We are to be His hands, His feet and His voice.  Do you remember the little kiddies song that goes, "be careful little eyes what you see, ears what you hear, little feet where you go, little mouth what you say?" There is so much truth in that little song that we've probably never thought about before. We as Christians need to be careful what we see, what we hear, what we do, what we say and where we go. Just last week a Pastor friend of mine said that I was the MM&F (mind, mouth and feet) of God and that I was on a man-date with God.  He laid out the man-date statutes of God for me and I want to lay them out for you now so that you too can become the MM&F of God.

Psalm 19:7-10

(7) The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

(8) The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

(9) The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

(10) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  The Lord promises to help the simple, those who rejoice, and obey His man-date.

My questions for you tonight are these.. are you on a man-date with God?  What would God say about the way you treat others?  How about the choices you make and the things you vote for?  Do they line up with the word of God..are they pleasing to and do your choices honor God? 

To know God is to love Him.  If we love Him, we will obey Him.  Knowing "of" Him is not enough to establish a relationship and build a foundation that will separate us from the goats. As Christians we are called to set ourselves apart.  God will separate the Sheep from the Goats one day in heaven. We have the chance to separate ourselves now and become righteous in His eyes so that when that day comes, we will not hear the words "depart from me for I never knew you".