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THE LOST SHEEP

THAT HAVE

FORGOTTEN

THEIR

RESTING PLACE

By William T. Barrett

 2001

THE LOST SHEEP THAT HAVE

FORGOTTEN

THEIR RESTINGPLACE

JEREMIAH 50 

6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains : they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

QUESTIONS :

1 Who do the “sheep” represent ?

2 Who do the “shepherds” represent ?

3 What do the “mountains” and “hills” represent ?

4 What condition are the sheep in ?

5 Why are the sheep lost ?

6 What does it mean to “go astray” ?

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7 What is the “job” of a “shepherd” ?

8 How does a “shepherd” lead sheep ?

9 What have the shepherds done to the sheep ?

10 Where have the sheep gone ?

11 What have the sheep “forgotten” ?

12 What is the “restingplace” of the sheep ?

13 What does going from a high place (mountain) to a lower place (hill) represent ?






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1 Who do the “sheep” represent ?

THE “*****SHEEP*****” represent GOD’S PEOPLE

2 Who do the “shepherds” represent ?

THE “SHEPHERDS” represent the MINISTERS OR PASTORS

3 What do the “mountains” represent ?


THE “MOUNTAINS” represent the CHURCHES


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4 What condition are the sheep in ?

THE “SHEEP” ARE LOST !

JEREMIAH 50 : 6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray,…

MATTHEW 18 : 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12 How think ye ? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray ?

LUKE 15 : 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

II CORINTHIANS 4 : 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

THE (PHYSICAL) SHEEP ARE (PHYSICALLY) LOST.

THE (SPIRITUAL) “SHEEP” ARE (SPIRITUALLY) “LOST” !


GOD’S PEOPLE ARE SPIRITUALLY LOST AND NEED TO BE SPIRITUALLY SAVED !


5 Why are the sheep lost ?

THEIR “SHEPHERDS” HAVE CAUSED THEM TO BE “LOST” OR TO GO ASTRAY !

JEREMIAH 50 : 6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray,…



THE PASTORS AND MINISTERS HAVE CAUSED GOD’S PEOPLE (SHEEP) TO BE LOST !


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6 What does it mean to “go astray” ?

TO GO “ASTRAY” MEANS TO LEAVE THE RIGHT WAY OR THE “TRUTH” AND TO FOLLOW A PATH OF ERROR OR FALSE TEACHING THAT WILL RESULT IN BEING “LOST” !




7 What is the “job” of a “shepherd” ?


THE “JOB” OF A SHEPHERD IS TO LEAD THE SHEEP


PSALMS 23

THE LORD is my shepherd ; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures : he leadeth me beside the still waters.


THE “JOB” OF A (SPIRITUAL) “SHEPHERD” (PASTOR / MINISTER) IS TO LEAD THE PEOPLE (SHEEP) IN THE RIGHT “WAY” OR THE PATH OF TRUTH !


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8 How does a “shepherd” lead sheep ?


A “SHEPHERD LEADS HIS”SHEEP” WITH HIS VOICE. THE SHEEP FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THEIR SHEPHERDS.


JOHN 10 : 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice ; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him : for they know his voice.

THE (SPIRITUAL) “SHEEP” (GOD’S PEOPLE),

FOLLOW THE VOICE OF THEIR (SPIRITUAL)

“SHEPHERDS” (PASTORS). THE PEOPLE (SHEEP)

(FOLLOW) WHAT THEIR MINISTERS (SHEPHERDS)

TELL THEM (VOICE) TO DO !

9 What have the shepherds done to the sheep ?

THE “SHEPHERDS” HAVE :


1 CAUSED THE SHEEP TO GO ASTRAY !


2 TURNED THEM AWAY ON THE “MOUNTAINS” !


JEREMIAH 50 : 6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains.



THUS THE MINISTERS (SHEPHERDS) HAVE CAUSED THE PEOPLE (SHEEP) TO LEAVE THE TRUTH (GO ASTRAY) ! THEY HAVE TURNED PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, IN THE CHURCHES (MOUNTAINS) !!!


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10 Where have the sheep gone ?


THE “SHEEP” HAVE GONE FROM “MOUNTAIN” TO “HILL”. THE (PHYSICAL) SHEEP HAVE GONE FROM A (PHYSICALLY) HIGHER PLACE (MOUNTAIN) TO A (PHYSICALLY) LOWER PLACE (HILL).

THE (SPIRITUAL) “SHEEP” (GOD’S PEOPLE) HAVE GONE FROM A (SPIRITUALLY) HIGHER PLACE (SPIRITUAL MOUNTAIN), TO A (SPIRITUALLY) LOWER PLACE (SPIRITUAL HILL).

JEREMIAH 50 : 6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains : they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.



THE (SPIRITUAL) HIGH PLACE OR (SPIRITUAL) MOUNTAIN REPRESENTS GOD’S WORD (THE BIBLE).

THE (SPIRITUAL) LOW PLACE OR (SPIRITUAL) HILL REPRESENTS MAN’S WORD (THE MINISTERS WORD).

GOD’S PEOPLE (SHEEP) HAVE FOLLOWED WHAT THEIR MINISTERS (SHEPHERDS) HAVE SAID (HILL-MAN’S WORD) INSTEAD OF WHAT GOD HAS SAID (MOUNTAIN-GOD’S WORD, BIBLE) !


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11 What have the sheep “forgotten” ?


THE “SHEEP” (PEOPLE) HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR “RESTINGPLACE”.



JEREMIAH 50 : 6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains : they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.


THE (PHYSICAL) PLACE where the (PHYSICAL) SHEEP used to (PHYSICALLY) REST has been FORGOTTEN by them.


THE (SPIRITUAL) PLACE where the (SPIRITUAL) SHEEP used to (SPIRITUALLY) REST has been FORGOTTEN by them.


THE (SPIRITUAL) “PLACE” where GOD’S People (sheep) in the past found (SPIRITUAL) REST, has been FORGOTTEN by them.


They have “forgotten” their “restingplace” because their ministers “caused them” to forget it !!


ISAIAH 6 Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool : where is the house that ye build unto me ? And where is the place of my rest ?


ISAIAH 57 : 2 He shall enter into peace : they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.


LUKE 11 : 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not : the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed ; I cannot rise and give thee.


CONCLUSIONS


THUS, THE BIBLE USES A “BED” TO REPRESENT THE PLACE OF REST OR THE “RESTINGPLACE”.



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11 (CONT) What have the sheep “forgotten” ?

(…their restingplace)

We have just concluded that the BIBLE uses a “BED” to represent the “place” of REST or the “Restingplace”.


RESTINGPLACE

Let us see if we can discover Why.

A (PHYSICAL) BED PROVIDES (PHYSICAL) REST and a (PHYSICAL) BED PROVIDES a (PHYSICAL “PLACE”) for a (PHYSICAL) husband and (PHYSICAL) wife to have a (PHYSICAL) RELATIONSHIP.

Therefore ;

A (SPIRITUAL) BED will provide (SPIRITUAL) REST and A (SPIRITUAL) BED will provide a (SPIRITUAL “PLACE”) for a (SPIRITUAL) HUSBAND and a (SPIRITUAL) WIFE to have a (SPIRITUAL) RELATIONSHIP.

THE (SPIRITUAL) HUSBAND is the LORD.

THE (SPIRITUAL) WIFE is GOD’S PEOPLE (The Church).


ISAIAH 54 : 5,6 “Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name… the Lord hath called thee, as a woman… and a wife…”


REVELATION 19 : 7,8 “…the marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife… arrayed in fine linen, clean and white…”.

Thus, the “Restingplace” or (SPIRITUAL) “BED” represents “something” that will provide both (SPIRITUAL) “REST” and (SPIRITUAL) “RELATIONSHIP” between the LORD and HIS PEOPLE (the CHURCH).


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11 (CONT) What have the sheep “forgotten” ?

(…their restingplace)


If the “restingplace” or (SPIRITUAL) “BED” which provides both (SPIRITUAL) REST and (SPIRITUAL) RELATIONSHIP between the LORD and HIS PEOPLE (the CHURCH) has been “FORGOTTEN” by GOD’S People, then that means that they have NOT been having a (SPIRITUAL) RELATIONSHIP with the LORD, nor have they been able to enter into (SPIRITUAL) REST with HIM !!

What does the Bible say about “entering into (SPIRITUAL) REST with the LORD” ?

HEBREWS 4  3 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

5 And in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest.

6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief.

7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To-day, after so long a time ; as it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remainth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Thus, the Bible tells us, that if we want to “enter into His REST” we must “cease from our own works, as God did from His” and God ceased or RESTED on the 7 th day.


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11 (CONT) What have the sheep “forgotten” ?

(…their restingplace)

Thus, the (SPIRITUAL) “BED” or “restingplace” that allows us to “enter into REST and RELATIONSHIP with the LORD that has been”forgotten“, is the 7th day SABBATH”REST” of GOD !!



Hebrews 4 : 4, 5, 8-11

4 For he spake in a certain of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his work.

5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after same example of unbelief.






God rested from his work on the seventh day. If Jesus had given us another rest day, He would have told us. It remains therefore for the people of God to cease from their work as God did from His work, on the seventh day.

12 What is the “restingplace” of the sheep ?

The “restingplace” of God’s People (sheep) is the 7th day Sabbath “REST” of the Lord.


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13 What does going from a high place (mountain) to a lower place (hill) represent ?

THE (SPIRITUAL) HIGH PLACE OR (SPIRITUAL) MOUNTAIN represents GOD’S WORD (THE BIBLE).

THE (SPIRITUAL) LOW PLACE OR (SPIRITUAL) HILL represents Man’s Word (The Minister’s word).

GOD’S People (sheep) have followed what their Ministers (shepherds) have said (hill-man’s word) instead of what God has said (mountain-God’s Word, Bible)

HIGH PLACE

(MOUNTAIN)

GOD’S WORDS (Bible)

Exodus 20 : 8-10

8 Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. 9  Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work : 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work…

LOW PLACE

(HILL)

MAN’S WORDS (Sermons and books)

Forget[ the]{sty le=“font-weight: normal”}7thday[ (SATURDAY) and keep the]{sty le=“font-weight: normal”}1stday(SUNDAY) holy.



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NOTE :

On the following pages you will see statements made by the “shepherds” (Ministers), showing how they are causing the “sheep” (people), to “go astray” (be deceived), as they lead the people away from God’s Word (mountain) and cause them to follow their words (hill).

Popular Teaching (Methodist)


A Church Membership Manual

For Youth and Adults


A Brief Survey of the Faith of the Christian Church

For Methodist Christians


Compiled by :

Pastor, the Methodist Church

Lakemills-Milford

Wisconsin 1957


4. REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY…

In it thou shalt not do any work… This means that we are to Observe Sunday.



“Sabbath” means literally “seventh day” (Saturday). However, Christians worship on Sunday , which occurs every seven days but is actually the first day. This is because Christ arose from the dead on the first day of the week. In a literal sense, only Jews, Seventh Day Adventists, and Seventh Day Baptists observe the Sabbath (Friday evening through Saturday evening).

In the New Testament, the Sabbath is only the shadow of Eternal Rest which came through Christ’s resurrection. Col. 2 : 16,17. Thus for Christians the Sabbath means Sunday. Every day has been made holy by Christ’s victory over sin and death – not only Saturday or Sunday.




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POPULAR TEACHING (CHURCH OF CHRIST)

Dear Diane, May 31, 2000

Thanks for your continued and excellent work in your Bible Correspondence Courses. This letter is in response to your observation about the ten commandments. The following is sent for your consideration with hope it will be helpful.

The ten commandments are a part of the law of Moses which was God’s law for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament days. We find the ten commandments listed both in Exodus chapter 20 and in Deuteronomy chapter 5. A close reading of these passages will show that this law was between God and Israel. This is the law which Christ fulfilled (Matthew 5 : 17). He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross (Colossians 2 : 14-17).

It is often said that Jesus took only the ceremonial law away but left the moral part of the law. Of course, the Bible teaches just the contrary. He took all of the law out of the way and we are no longer under the law of Moses. In Romans chapter seven, Paul is discussing the fact that under Christ, we “become dead to the law by the body Christ” (Romans 7 : 3). In verse six he says “we are delivered from the law”. In verse seven he is very specific and identifies the law by one of its precepts namely “Thou shalt not covet”. Obviously, the ten commandments, of which “Thou shalt not covet” is one, are a part of that which we have been delivered from.

Well, does this mean that we can have other gods, or build idols, or take God’s name in vain, etc. Of course not. But the reason why is because the law of Christ, under which all people now live… forbids these things. In fact, some of the ten commandments are listed in Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 13 : 9). This makes them a part of the law of Christ. Some of the ten commandments have been made even stronger. For example, under the ten commandments, murder was condemned ; under the law of Christ, becoming angry which leads to murder is condemned (Matthew 5 : 21-22). Under the law of Christ adultery may be committed even in the heart (Matthew 5 : 27-28).

The one law of the ten commandments which is not part of the law of Christ is the Sabbath observance. Even those today who claim we ought to keep the Old Testament ten commandments do not keep the seventh day ; and those who do profess to keep the seventh day do not do so as the Old Testament teaches ; they have made new rules, which, of course, God prohibits.

I hope this will be of some assistance. I realize it sounds strange to many to say, we are not to keep the ten commandments today. However, once we see the true Bible teaching on the subject, we realize that we live under even a better law. The great principles which were so important to the nation of Israel have been made even greater for us under the law of Christ.

Thanks for studying. Please write again if further clarification is desired.

Sincerely, Jim Lewis CHURCH OF CHRIST CORRESPONDANCE COURSE



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THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC QUARTERLY REVIEW

Volume VIII

FROM JANUARY to OCTOBER, 1883

THE OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY AND CIVIL LAWS

FOR ITS ENFORCEMENT. 139

The Sunday, as a day of the week set apart for the obligatory public worship of Almighty God ; to be sanctified by a suspension of all servile labor, trade, and worldly avocations and by exercises of devotion, is purely a creation of the Catholic Church.

The Sunday laws are in their origin a part of the Catholic system enforced by the state when Europe was Catholic. The day and the regulations have no logical basis except the authority of the Catholic Church.

In the primitive days of fervor and piety all days were so consecrated by exercises of devotion that no special command for the sanctification of the first day is traced.

This became gradually obligatory, although the command was not at first peremptory. The Council of Laodicea, in 364 A.D, defines : “That Christians must not Judaize and refrain from manual labor on Saturday, but work on that day ; and that, preferring the Lord’s day, they must then rest, if this can be done, as becomes Christians”.

The Church thus began by calling her children to sanctify the first day of the week, that on which God the Son rose from the dead, that, on which God the Father began the creation of the world, and God the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles. She commanded a laying aside of business, a refraining from servile work, as a means to the end she had in view, the sanctification of the day.

Constantine lent the power of the state to enforce the regulations of the Church, and the civil law began to enforce the spiritual decrees. He commanded the Lord’s day to be observed by all as a festival and day of rest.

Protestantism, in discarding the authority of the Church, has no good reason for its Sunday theory, and ought, logically, to keep Saturday as the Sabbath, with the Jews and Seventh-Day Baptists.


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COMMENTS :


Thus, the Catholic Church is clearly responsible for accomplishing the change of the days of worship !

Men and women did not willingly change from the 7th day to 1st day.

They were forced by civil laws of the government, enforcing the decrees of the Catholic Church, to make the change or suffer the penalty of the law !

According to the Catholic Church, “nothing in Scripture requires the change or justifies it”.

Most of the Protestant world has accepted the change of worship days from the 7th to the 1st day without having a Biblical or Scriptural basis for the change.

What have the “Shepherds” done to the Sheep ?

THE “SHEPHERDS” HAVE :

1 CAUSED THE SHEEP TO GO ASTRAY !

2 TURNED THEM AWAY ON THE “MOUNTAINS” !

JEREMIAH 50 

6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains.


THUS, THE MINISTERS (SHEPHERDS) HAVE CAUSED THE PEOPLE (SHEEP) TO LEAVE THE TRUTH (GO ASTRAY) ! THEY HAVE TURNED PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, IN THE CHURCHES (MOUNTAINS) !!

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THE LOST SHEEP THAT HAVE

FORGOTTEN THEIR RESTINGPLACE



JEREMIAH 50 

6 My people hath been lost sheep : their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains : they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.


PARAPHRASE :

My people are lost people (sheep) !

Their Pastors and Ministers (Shepherds) have caused them to leave the truth and accept their false teachings (go astray).

They have misled them (turned them away) in the churches (mountains).

They have convinced the people to accept their words (hill) instead of God’s Word (mountain).

They have told them to forget the 7th day Sabbath (forgotten “restingplace”) of the LORD and to “remember” instead the 1st day SUNDAY !















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Other Bible Study Helps :

You will want to order “How to Study and Understand Your Bible” (104) for yourself or for friends or relatives. This book will simplify your study of the Bible using word pictures of real objects to explain the Spiritual meaning of Bible texts. (See Bible Word Pictures reference booklet described below). “How to Study and Understand Your Bible” is also available in Spanish : “Cómo Estudiar y Entender Su Biblia” (204).

Along with the “How to Study and Understand Your Bible” book, you will need to also order the “Bible Word Pictures” reference booklet (106). This booklet contains 240 Bible Word Pictures which can be used to study the Spiritual meaning of any Bible text. The Pictures and corresponding Bible texts identify the Spiritual meaning of objects and make it easy to visualize and remember them. The Bible Word Pictures will allow you to discover the”hidden treasure” of the Bible. Also available in Spanish : Illustraciones de la Biblia (206).

You can start a Bible Study Group using the “How to Study and Understand Your Bible” book (104) or the pamphlet lessons (105), along with the “Bible Word Pictures” ref. Booklet (106).

The books “Bible Parables Made Simple” (101) and (102) cover the Parables, which contain the Truths that Jesus felt were the most important for us to understand. You will be fascinated as you see how the Bible explains itself, as the “Bible Word Pictures” reveal the hidden meanings of the parables. Volume 1 explains 13 parables from the book of Matthew and Volume 2 explains parables from Matthew and other books of the Bible.

The booklet “Last Day Events” (103) will amaze you as you see all the major events foretold to happen to the church outlined in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

The book “Bible Concepts compared to Popular Beliefs” (107) will surprise you, as you compare the Scriptures and discover the Bible Concept of various subjects as compared to Popular Beliefs.

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