<TITLE>12. Par 35-37</TITLE>L-35 Now, there's something that God always likened people unto sheep, did you ever notice? "You're the sheep of the pasture, the sheep of one fold. Other sheep have I," and so forth, likening people unto sheep. You know why He likened us to sheep? Did you ever--did you ever fool with sheep any? They're certainly educational, and a Divine education to--to learn of sheep. I've raised them and shepherded them around, and the little fellows.
But when a sheep is lost, he's absolutely helpless. I picked up sheep, not standing maybe three hundred yards from the sheepfold, and--where all the other sheep was. And that sheep when he's lost he can't help himself; he just stands there and bleats and bleats until the wolf gets him or something takes place. He--he just can't find his way back. He's totally helpless without a shepherd.

L-36 And that's the way the human race is, we are absolutely, totally, helpless without the Shepherd of the fold. We can't find our way back. We tried to educate our way back; we've tried to reform our way back; but we'll never be able. Education will never do it. Reformation will never do it. We're not reformers. The police out here are reformers. We're preachers of the Gospel, not to try to put people on penalty and crawl on your knees and so forth, but to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: deliverance to the people. That's what the shepherds are supposed to do, to feed the sheep. You know He said to Peter, "Love me, Peter, more than these?"
"Yes."
"Feed My sheep." Now, He never said, "Drive My sheep." He never said, "Kick My sheep." He said, "Feed My sheep." That's what the sheep needs, is some sheep food, don't you think so? And you know the best sheep food I know of for you sick sheep and all kinds of sheep? Here it is. That's right. In this great big bread basket of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That's what the Holy Spirit lives on, that's in you, lives on the Word of God. That connection of shepherd and sheep...

L-37 I... One time when I was over in the orient, I learned a great lesson about... I seen in Saint John, I believe the 10th chapter, where He said, "I am the--the gate to the sheepfold," or the door to the sheepfold. I often wondered how could He, being a man, be a door? But then when I was over there I learned what it meant. The shepherds drive their sheep into the sheepfold, and they got a--a arch that they go in at, and when he drives them all in there, then after they're all in, then he counts them, and ev... If there's one lacking, he will go out and get it. He has to bring it in. Every sheep has to be accounted for every hour of the day.
Oh, what a Shepherd He is. He had--gives an account for every sheep every hour of the day. No matter where you're at, He knows where you're at. He knows all about you. That's the reason He can stand here at the platform through yielded people and reveal and tell and talk; He knows. He knows where you was at a year ago. He knows where you was at--at all the time. He has to give an account for His sheep, ever--and especially they're all renumbered again after they're gathered into the fold. I thought, "What a beautiful picture, gathering them into the fold and numbering them."


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