Lamb Chops & Mutton Satay Lamb chops and mutton satay? Which one do you prefer? One is western and the other eastern. One most likely found in stylish restaurants. The other in hawker centres. Lamb chops are from sheep. Mutton satay from goats. Sheep and goats? Which do you prefer? If there are only two kinds of living mammals in the world - man included - which group would you prefer to belong to. One group - all sheep - whether white or black --- just sheep - the other just goats - all kinds of goats. Which would you prefer to belong to? But what do we mean by sheep and what do we mean by goats? What is the difference between the two categories? Who will be counted as sheep and who as goats? The Bible uses comparative terms- to compare - to contrast truths. Sheep and goats are one of those comparative terms. The Bible also mentions that when Jesus comes back again, He will divide all men from all nations - no one exempted - all included - divided into two groups - dividing them as a shepherd divides sheep and goats in the evening - keeping them away for the night. There will be no other classification. No geographical national distinctions - no racial distinctions - no ethnic distinction - except just these two. Just sheep and goats. Which group would you belong to? Would you be counted as a sheep? Or would you be counted as a goat? Who will be included in as sheep? Who will Jesus select to be goats? Today, we will see what sheep and goats are? The selection criteria which Jesus will use to divide people as sheep and as goats. Who will be a sheep and who will be a goat? We will also see the rewards of those selected as sheep and those who are selected as goats. We will then come to an understanding of what our responses should be knowing these selection criteria and the rewards that are attached. Will you be counted as a sheep? Or will you be counted as a goat? Let us turn to Matthew 25:31-46. MT 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. MT 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' MT 25:37 "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' MT 25:40 "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' MT 25:41 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' MT 25:44 "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' MT 25:45 "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' MT 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Like a shepherd separates sheep from goats before night fall. Just as he places them in different pens for the night. So will the great shepherd, Jesus. So, will He do so when night falls. At the end of time. When He returns the second time around. Jesus will separate those who are sheep from those who are goats. He will place them in different pens. These pens will be for eternity. It is our eternal home. Those who are sheep will be ushered into the eternal pen of heaven. They will be with God for all of eternity. Those who are goats will be directed into the eternal pen of hell. There they will be separated from God for eternity. What will you be counted as? Will you be counted as a sheep? Will you be counted as a goat? Will heaven be your eternal home? Or will hell be yours for eternity? But what is the difference between sheep and goats? Surely, we who have accepted Jesus as our Saviour should be counted as sheep? We have accepted Him into our lives We have responded to Him in faith. .That's what many of us think. But, have we really accepted Jesus with faith? Accepting Jesus as our Saviour and not our absolute Lord is not accepting Him with faith. Acknowledging that we are sinners, repenting and saying that we will follow God but on the next day continuing to live the way we want - in sin - exercising our own will and not His - that is not accepting Jesus with true faith. True faith is not just a mental assent - an emotion - a simple salvation prayer. True faith produces works of faith. James said that faith without work is dead. A faith without a corresponding work of faith is not the type of faith that God would accept. It is not the type of faith that will count us as sheep. It is faith that produces good works that counts. Just saying that we believe in tithing without actually doing so is not believing God with our tithes. It is believing in our money rather than believing in God. Just because we teach about tithing does nor count. It is when we actually do it that matters. So, let us examine ourselves this day. Are we sheep or are we goats? Are we doing deeds of faith that count. Is our faith in God's grace producing acts of faith? Today's passage in Matthew mentions six deeds -- examples of works of faith - feeding the hungry, giving drinks to the thirsty, playing host to strangers, clothing the naked, looking after the sick, visiting those in prison. These are works which sheep would gladly do. Goats would not. These are simple tasks. Not difficult ones requiring special skills. Not ones which requires great strength. Not ones that require special qualification. Not ones that need a lot of money. These are tasks which anyone can do. These are tasks any sheep can do. These are tasks that can be done when we care enough about people. They can be done when we love others as ourselves. When we are more others focused and not just self focused. These are tasks we will do when we have really accepted Jesus into our lives. Can we think of some simple tasks to do for others? Perhaps, a colleague may be looking sad - he is troubled - will you bring him out for lunch and talk things over? Can do? Or too difficult to do? Perhaps a classmate is never seen in the tuck-shop - you know that he comes from a poor family - can you buy him something - maybe just a drink? Simple? can be done? Perhaps it is your colleague's or classmate's birthday - you had found that out by chance - nobody else seems to care - nobody bothers - can you sms him and wish him a happy birthday - can you buy him a card - simple enough? Open our eyes and look around. There are people - many - lots of people - they are feeling lonely - they are feeling troubled - they are waiting for someone to show care. Will you show care? Will you show love - the love of God? Sheep will do these. Sheep cares for others. Sheep loves God completely and others compassionately. Not goats. Will Jesus say to you "well done, thou good and faithful servant?" when He returns? Will He find you to be a sheep? One summer when I was a student I went hitch-hiking with a friend around Europe. We took rides from many people. In cars, lorries, trucks, tractors. There were many people whom we met. However, 2 stood out. I can still remember them. But I cannot remember the rest. I remember them even to this day - 40 years on. There was this lady. She had been a Red Cross worker. She had worked in Asia. She not only gave us a ride in her car but she brought us to a restaurant, bought a simple meal plus ice-cream for us - I still remember the ice-cream. A simple task of feeding two young hungry men. It is a task anyone could do. It is a task that sheep would do. Not goats. Another case was a young man - I think he was just a couple of years older than us. We had reached a small town by nightfall that day. It was too late to continue to the next town. So, we had to look for somewhere we can stay the night. As we walked the streets we met this young man. He invited us to his house. Gave us supper. Made beds for us. Gave us breakfast the next morning. He had fed us. He had housed total strangers. A simple task. Can be done by anyone? A task that sheep would do. Not goats. But pastor - will there not be risks in housing total strangers? Or even befriending them? After all, our parents told us not to talk to strangers. Yes, there are dangers. However when we are doing these as directed by the Lord, do we not have faith that He will protect us. When we do deeds of faith do we have faith in God that He will give us wisdom as to what to do. I am not asking you to start by housing strangers. Start with something simple for your friends - for your colleagues - for your school mates - then when you are progressing well in it, do not be too surprised when God will ask you to house strangers. Both Sis Maggie and I have done so. Missionaries, pastors, evangelists from other countries whom we have never met before. Just simply because someone asked on their behalf. Just because they wrote in and asked. Total strangers whom we have not met before. Yes, these are simple tasks. Works of faith that anyone can do. That any sheep can do. Sheep will do these tasks. Not goats. Whether we will do certain things in life depends much on our motivation and motives in life. Many people only do things that interest them. Things which will meet their own personal needs. Perhaps the feelings of being accepted by others. By doing something for another, they want to be accepted by the other. However, what if you are to do something that you are not interested in? Something which you find a chore to do? Will you do it? Will you do something that does not benefit you at all? Something that is for the benefit of the other? Not yourself. Will you do it? Sheep have the philosophy that whatever they do in life is for Jesus. Not goats. The Holy Spirit is within them. He will spur them to do good works for the glory of Jesus. Sheep have no ulterior motives in doing these things. They just do so because they love God completely and they love others compassionately. So, friends, when you do something for someone -- he did not thank you for it - it is okay - you have done it for Jesus. When you pour in lots of time to counsel someone -- she did not flow with what you said -- she did the reverse - it is okay - you have done it for Jesus When you work hard - your boss does not appreciate you - it is okay - you have done it for Jesus When you studied hard - your friend did better than you - it is okay - you have done it for Jesus Whatever a Christian does, he must know that it is for Jesus. Not for self. Not for others. But for Jesus. Sheep does not do things like the rest of the world. They do not ask "what is in it for me" before they do it. Rather, they ask "will this glorify the Lord." They live for Jesus. They do things for Jesus. Not goats. When I felt the call of God to be the Principal of AGBC, I did not ask "what is in it for me?" I did not even ask "what is in it for The Harvest Force?" I just knew that God wanted me to do it. Is the job easy? By no means. Every other day I have to look at the cash flow and worry whether there is enough to pay the staff. The college is called Assemblies of God Bible College. We would have thought that AG churches would gladly support it. Not so. When the school hit into a major deficit of about S$60 thousand ,middle of last year, nobody seemed concerned. You appeal to the AG churches - nobody seems to care. All you have is God. I am glad that He is always faithful. The college has more or less broken even for 2006. So, when you do something for Jesus, just know that God is with you. Do it for Jesus. Sheep knows that. Goats don't. Will Jesus count you as a sheep when He returns? He will if you will take steps to do what sheep do. Accept Jesus with true faith. Respond to God's grace with acts of faith. A Genuine faith. Not just accepting Jesus with your mind alone. But accepting Jesus with your entire being. Love God completely and others as yourself. The greatest act of faith that we can do for people is to bring them to Jesus. Will you do acts of love for them? Will you touch them with God's love? Will you bring them to Jesus? Will you be counted as a sheep? You said "but pastor, I have tried and they don't respond." Well, don't give up. Continue to do acts of love for them. Continue to pray for them. Continue to share Jesus with them. Will you do so? Sheep will. Goats won't. Will you be counted as a sheep today? Introduction 1 The destiny of sheep and goats 2 Sheep accept Jesus with true faith a. Definition of true faith b. True faith in response to God's grace produces works of faith c. Works of faith are i. Simple ii. Done for Jesus irrespectively Conclusion

Close This Window