Fat Sheep and Dead Goats

This came in our October church newsletter at Eagan Hills.

Fat Sheep and Dead Goats
by Pastor Bruce Konold

I became a Christian in January 1984 while serving in the Navy, and had the huge advantage of being trained every day by a spiritually mature believer named Eddie. Daily we prayed together, read and studied the Word together, and witnessed to others. Only those who have served in the military, understand the pressure-cooker of living and working so closely with a group of other people. As a Christian, any slip up, even the slightest failure, was used by the unbelievers against us. In a sense, the "persecution" we Christians faced onboard ship held us extra accoutable and forced us to live for Christ. As a result, my first year and a half as a believer felt like "Believer-Boot-Camp." Not surprisingly, God used our little group that was totally devoted to Him to make a huge impact! Dozens came to faith in Jesus, and several of us are in ministry today.

In August of 1985 I recieved an honorable discharge from the Navy and moved back to Minnesota. I got invoved in a church, but the accountability to live for Christ I had experienced in the close knit environment of the Navy was gone. The result--while my Biblical and theological knowledge increased, my prayer life waned, my witnessing became less frequent, and I slowly drifted into comprimise and sin.

Eventually I went to a new church on the East Side of St. Paul where Biblical and theological knowledge was king! Our pastor (or should I say professor), had a PhD, and we called him Dr. So-and-so. Our services (or should I say classes), were all about learning more and more, and we thought we were growing in the faith. Everyone in this Church came with their Bible's (many brought their Greek NT as well), knew doctorine, were devoted Christians, and epitomized being "fat sheep."

Week after week we attended Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and midweek Bible studies. We got so fat in God's green pasture, that we became arm-chair shepherds, "experts," able to explain all things Christian. Prayer and witnessing were no longer a vital part of my life. I was a fat sheep, content to mock sinful, dying goats.

Beloved, while Eagan Hills is a church that emphasizes learning Biblical and theological truth, we must always remember that the goal of our learning is living. [emphasis mine] When the goal is learning, sheep get fat and goats die. when we learn to live the truth, we become active sheep, reaching out to goats, and heling them, well, to become sheep.

Are you a fat sheep? Then put your learning into living and love someone by sharing the gospel with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Share with someone you personally know, and are in relationship with now. Take the risk, move out in faith. Maybe you need to skip a class and service in a ministry. Step out of the holy sheep-pen and rub some of your precious wool on needy goats. Or will goats needlessly die because you are too fat to move?