<TITLE>05. Par 16-19</TITLE>L-16 I guess you've heard the story of the shepherd that broke his sheep's leg one time. Many little stories has been told about it. And was asked this shepherd, "Did the sheep fall off of a mountain and do this?"
He said, "No."
Said, "What happened?"
He said, "I broke its leg."
Said, "Why did you break its leg? Are you a cruel shepherd?"
He said, "No, I love the sheep. But the sheep got to running away from me. And he kept straying out to itself. And I know the nature of sheep. And I know if they stray too far away, the wolf will get them. So I had to break the sheep's leg to keep it with me, to draw it to my bosom, to give it a little special food. And I'll be so kind to it, that when its leg gets well, it'll never leave me any more."

L-17 And sometimes God has to strike us down with sickness, diseases, and affliction, that He might just woo us to His bosom and give us a little special touch of His Divine resurrected power to prove that He's still the Lord Jesus. And a man that's ever been healed of God knows what God is. He won't want to stray. James made that clear; he said, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick; God shall raise them up; and if they have committed sins, it shall be forgiven them." God's Shepherd knows how to take care of His sheep.
You wonder sometimes, mother, when that little baby was snatched out of your arms in death. Little story goes that that was sheep. There was a--a picture of the Lord Jesus that was drawn by an artist. I do not know his name. But He's holding the sheep, little lamb, in His arm. And the mother was looking up, going along, keeping her eye on Him. And the shepherd that was seen in this particular time, the man, the painter, passing by said to the shepherd, packing the little lamb, said, "Why are you packing that lamb? Is it crippled?"
"No."
Said, "What is the matter with the lamb?"

L-18 Said, "There is nothing wrong with the lamb; the wrong is with the ewe, the mother." Said, "She got so she wouldn't listen to me any more. And she wouldn't hear me any more. So I just had to reach down and pick up her lamb, and now she looks at me all day long."
Sometime God has to do that. These poor little straying mothers, running out to cocktail parties, and running around, and go to raise that little baby up in the wrong way, sometimes Jesus might have to take that lamb to get you to look up. And then if you don't hear that, the wolf will get you. Then you're gone. Oh, we could learn so much about the sheep.
And another thing about the shepherd. The shepherd is always on duty. Did you know the shepherd of the sheep is with them both day and night?

L-19 Sometime ago up in Colorado where I hunt at, I was noticing the--they'd permitted some sheep grazing over on the other side of what we call Sheep Mountain. And I noticed those shepherds back there, those feeder of the sheep, some of them young men with great long beard. They was with those sheep day and night. They was always on duty.
Do they know the shepherds that were watching their flock by night when Jesus was born, a lamb was born down there, and the shepherds took right off to find it. You know what I mean? The shepherds were hunting lambs. And any... Might be sheep men setting here. And you know that when your--your ewes are lambing, it's more particular then ever. The shepherd can hardly get away from his sheep. He takes his camp-bag and lays right among them when they're bringing in the young, for they have to have special attention.


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