My Dear Friend,

In Phillip Keller's classic book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he describes a "cast" sheep and his experience shepherding them.

Unless employed on sheep farms, most Americans have never heard of a "cast" sheep - one that is cast down. This happens when a sheep, usually very heavy with wool, has rolled over on its back and cannot right itself - until a good shepherd comes to roll it over, rub its legs (restoring circulation), and gently lift it back on its feet. More than a nuisance to its shepherd, a cast sheep is in mortal danger.

When cast, a sheep quickly develops gases in its rumen (stomach). This cuts off the circulation in its extremities and legs. Utterly helpless, the sheep can only lie there, bleating and kicking its legs. If this occurs in hot, sunny weather, it will die within a few hours. If it is cool and rainy, it may survive several days. But not always.

If ground or airborne predators arrive before the shepherd, well, they will lunch on lamb! And the shepherd will lose a sheep, its wooly fleece, and (if a ewe) any lambs it had, or would have. Therefore, wise sheep herders are very vigilant, regularly counting their sheep to see if any are missing and, if so, quickly searching and retrieving them.

Two things generally cause sheep to become cast: heaviness caused by overweight or pregnant sheep, or dirty, matted, heavy fleeces; and lying down in comfortable depressions or hollows. When heavy sheep lie down in hollows, they can easily roll over too far and, with their hoofs unable to touch ground, become cast.

Born into a pastural culture, Jesus knew all about cast sheep. And He thought they were important enough to be the subject of one of His parables (The Lost Sheep, Luke 15:3-7). Furthermore, as the self-professed Good Shepherd of David's 23rd Psalm (John 10:11, 14), Jesus often demonstrated the meaning of "He restoreth my soul" (Psalm 23:3) in His ministry.

Repeatedly, Scripture portrays Jesus restoring Jewish, and even Gentile, souls cast down by some sort of sin, infirmity, oppression, or adversity:

• Before His earthly ministry, the Good Shepherd restored David when cast by adultery, murder, and deceit.

• During His ministry, He restored a Gentile man in Gadara cast by demonic possession; a Jew by the pool of Bethesda cast by physical infirmity; Zacchaeus in Jericho cast by his greed, lying, and thefts; a woman by a well near Sychar cast by living immorally; Thomas when cast by his disbelieving rationalism; and Peter when cast by his fear-driven, heart-breaking denial of Jesus.

• After His Ascension, Jesus continued this practice, restoring John Mark when cast by unfaithfully abandoning Paul and Barnabas' missionary team.

Why study this subject?

Jesus used sheep as a metaphor for believers. Three times He charged Peter to feed, guide, and care for His "sheep." "Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). Cast sheep, therefore, symbolically teach us three crucial lessons: first, stay on your feet spiritually, so you won't become cast; second, if you are cast seek restoration immediately from the Good Shepherd; third, help restore other cast Christians whenever you encounter them.

We stay on our feet spiritually by studying and avoiding the things that lead to a "cast" condition. A short list of such things are: spiritual or physical heaviness, excessive comfort, and unconfessed sins:

• Spiritual or physical heaviness. Practicing any sin - slander, complaining, immorality, rebellion against authority, worry over problems, fretfulness at evil people, fear of failure or of the future, unbelief, envy, greed (idolatry), lying, hatred, discontent, offense at God, to name a few - will cause spiritual heaviness of soul, because it severs our elevating spiritual life-flow from Christ. This is also true of spiritual "heavy wool," such as: prideful, independent living; serving self-will first, not Christ's will; or excessive good activities that, though good, are not God's will for us, weigh us down by usurping our time, resources, and energy, and by hindering our intimate fellowship with Christ. Physical heaviness also causes soul heaviness. By overindulging bodily appetites, we blunt our spiritual senses. If continued, this will destroy our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Jesus explicitly warned us to not be overcome by excessive eating and drinking (Luke 21:34-36). The Lord's sheep must eat to live, not live to eat.

• Excessive comfort. Physical comforts, ease, and leisure are a God-ordained part of our work-rest-work cycle. But seeking comfort too much creates subtle spiritual "hollows." Continually seeking easy ways leads to neglectfulness, unfaithfulness, excessive temptations to sin (2 Samuel 11:1-3), and increased chances of becoming cast. Our aim should be rest to work, not live to rest, so that we may seek Christ and faithfully discharge His will more fruitfully daily. For the present, Christians should not be avid pleasure-seekers: we have a gospel to share, disciples to train, and missions to fulfill, and the time is short.

• Unconfessed sins. Whenever we disobey God's Word, and do not quickly confess sin as we are urged to do in 1 John 1:9, and return to obedience, we become cast - unable to rise and walk and work in close union with Christ.

These things, and other forms of disobedience or unbelief, require the Good Shepherd to expend extra time and effort just to help us get back on our spiritual feet again. He has to send His Spirit with conviction, His pastors with correction, and, if necessary, His angels with chastening. What happens if we stubbornly remain cast?

It's lamb lunch time! God's "hedge" of angelic protection is lifted and we quickly become vulnerable to our adversary, the Devil, who, "as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8), and give him yet another Christian life to harm and waste and Jesus yet another deep cause of grief.

We also foolishly forfeit future usefulness to Christ in this world. Cast Christians who remain stubborn and willful risk becoming castaways: "If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth [cast away] as a branch, and is withered" (John 15:6). For godly fear, or a healthy sense of caution concerning such a dreadful divine judgment, the apostle Paul kept his lamb-life, soul and body, under the close, constant, obedient control of the Good Shepherd (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Additionally, stubbornly cast Christians will not be taken in the rapture, because they are ignoring Jesus' spiritual readiness warnings and thus dishonoring Him. Rather, they will be left behind to endure at least part of the Tribulation.

It is wrong for us to shift all the responsibility to help cast Christians on to ministers. Not only ministers but also all Christians are in a sense undershepherds of our fellow sheep. As such, we should all help cast Christians recover themselves. How?

Immediate, incessant intercession! We should pray with faith, fervor, and persistence the moment we see another Christian cast down by sin, discouragement, heaviness, offense at God over some painful adversity; or by seeking riches, comforts, and pleasure excessively. Such intercessions enable the Good Shepherd to draw near them by His Spirit to convict, correct, and restore their souls. And we must not stop short, but persist in this vital intercession until we see them restored.

We must also respond practically. Whenever possible, we must speak "the truth in love" to restore cast Christians (Ephesians 4:15). It is our sacred, lifesaving duty to "exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13). Then, though cast down, our fellow believers will not remain down.

And, then, we may be humbly thankful that we have had a part in helping rescue them from the dark predator, Satan, and that now, back on their feet, they may bear the Good Shepherd much more fruit and joy.

Helping His cast sheep,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES