The following sermon was preached at Redemption Baptist Church on Sunday, 17 May, 2015. We encourage you to look up the Scriptures that are referenced, and see the context for yourself. May the Lord speak to your heart as you study His Word. The Good Shepherd John 10:1-18 In this past month we have been studying John 10. In this chapter, Jesus is giving us a beautiful parable that involves a Shepherd and His sheep. In this parable, there is a Good Shepherd; and that Good Shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ. The sheep are people who have been saved from their sins by believing on Jesus Christ, and who have, after their salvation, become members of one of His churches by baptism. The sheepfold in which Christ gathers His sheep is the church (a local assembly of saved and biblically baptised believers). There is also a porter (door keeper) who opened the door of the sheepfold to the Good Shepherd. This porter is a picture of John the Baptist. His job was to prepare the people s hearts to believe on Jesus Christ. John also baptised Jesus Himself; and by doing this, He gave Jesus entrance into his own sheepfold, where He took His rightful place as Chief Shepherd. We also have seen that there are some enemies of the sheep. The thieves and robbers who try to get into the sheepfold by some other way are a picture of false messiahs and false prophets who have claimed to be able to provide salvation by their own false way. The wolves are people who sneak into churches, teach false doctrines, draw followers after themselves, and wreak havoc in the church. The hireling shepherds are pastors who look like Christians, but who are actually unsaved. Because they do not know God, they care only about making a living for themselves. They do not care about the spiritual welfare of the flock. When false teachers come along, the hireling shepherd does not chase them away; instead, he hides. Hirelings don t want to be controversial; they care only about promoting their own interests. So, we ve seen the meaning of all the parts of this parable. Now we will focus on the relationship of the Good Shepherd to His sheep. What has the Good Shepherd done for His sheep, and what does He still do for them? How should the sheep respond to the Good Shepherd? That is what we will talk about in today s message, which is entitled The Good Shepherd. Read John 10:1-18 I. What the Good Shepherd does In these verses there are several things that the Good Shepherd claims to do. First of all, He leads and feeds His sheep. (Read verses 3, 4, and 9 again.) By the way, this happens to be exactly what Jehovah, the Shepherd of Israel, does. That is because Jesus is Jehovah! Jesus is God; and as God, He leads His people. Read Psalm 23:1-6 [The LORD in all capital letters is the name Jehovah.] Christian, isn t it comforting to know that the God who created you the God who is absolutely infinite, and in whose sight we are absolutely nothing cares for us so much that He leads us as a shepherd does his sheep? Isn t it wonderful to know that despite our stubbornness, and despite our constant tendency to think that we know better than our
Shepherd, and to go our own way, He is still patient with us, and is willing to chastise us if necessary in order to draw our feet back from the thickets of evil and cliffs of spiritual danger? Isn t it comforting to know that our Shepherd loves us so much that He left His throne, wrapped Himself in human flesh, and became one of us, so that He could lay down His life for us, and purchase our salvation? Isn t it comforting to know that your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is perfectly sovereign and in control? Even in dark times like these, when godless politicians are pushing us to call sodomy marriage, and when dangerous enemies are all around us, and when genuine persecution of Christians is just over the horizon, our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is still in control. Even when you are going through a deep, dark valley of sorrow in your personal life, He is there to feed you with the nourishment of His Word, and to comfort and protect you. He leads you in paths of righteousness for His name s sake. Even when temptation is strong, and when living a holy life is hard, and when there is a huge price tag for living a life of sanctified service to God, He is still there to guide you. What else does the Good Shepherd do? He calls His own sheep by name. (Read verse 3 again.) Calling someone by his name indicates that you regard that person, doesn t it? (This is why, in prisons, people are called by numbers rather than names. It is meant to be a sign of disregard to the person.) Well, guess what, Christian? Not only does your Good Shepherd know your name, and know everything about you, and keep close account of you, but He has given you a new name! You don t know what your new name is yet; but one day, in heaven, you will know it, and will be called by it. Read Revelation 2:17 Think of this, Christian! Your relationship with God is so intimate and personal, that He has given you a new name that only He knows! It is an extremely special name a pet name. It is a sign of special favour from God. Just as a husband and wife have pet names for each other which no one else calls them, or which no one else even knows about, so God has given each believer a special name which is only between Christ and that person. Not only is the new name a sign of intimate relationship and special favour with God: it is also an indication of a new character that God intends to give to that person. You see, there are two Greek words for new. The word neos means new with regard to time ; but the word kainos means new with regard to character. That is the word that Christ used when He promised to give His people new names. Whatever name God has given you, Christian, will express some new purpose that God has for you, or some new character trait that will be perfected in you. Take Abram, for example. His birth name, Abram, means exalted father : but God later changed his name to Abraham, which means father of many nations. Abraham s new name reflected God s new purpose for his life. Through Abraham, many nations would arise (including Israel); and also, he would become the spiritual father of many people, in that through his example of faith in God many people from many nations would be saved. Remember Jacob? His name literally means heal-grabber, supplanter, or deceiver ; and, unfortunately, he lived up to his name. Lying was Jacob s biggest character flaw for much of his life even as a believer. But God did a work in Jacob s life, and taught him to live by faith instead of by deception and manipulation. God then changed Jacob s name to Israel, which means prince with God. Then there was Peter. His birth name, Simon, means hearing ; but Jesus changed his name to Peter, which means little stone. His new name reflected the purpose that God had for him. Peter was always talking tough, and bragging, and shooting off his mouth; but when the time came for him to really
stand up for Jesus, Peter denied that he even knew Him. Peter was weak; but Jesus changed him. He made him into a hard, unwavering man a man of strong character, like a little stone. So, the Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name. But that s not all He does. The Good Shepherd also gives salvation. (Read verses 9 and 10 again.) The whole reason that we are able to be His sheep is that Jesus has provided salvation for us. Now, in these verses, Jesus describes salvation in two different ways. First, He says that those who enter into the sheepfold by Him (in other words, those who believe on Him) shall be saved. Secondly, He says that He gives life to those who believe on Him. In fact, not only does He give them life : He gives them life more abundantly. These terms saved and life (or eternal life ) are just two of the ways that God describes the wonderful transaction that takes place when a person repents and turns to Jesus Christ. Sadly, most people in this land do not ever hear or use terms like saved or eternal life, nor do they have any real idea what they mean. When they hear someone using these words, they are sceptical. They think that these are words that only religious nuts use. Yet, these words saved, salvation, life, and eternal life are used hundreds of times throughout the New Testament. Paul said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). Paul wrote, This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24). Jesus came to save us. This does not mean to be saved from physical danger. This does not mean to be saved out of a bad situation or crisis in your life. When God talks about being saved, He means to be saved from sin. First, it means to be saved from the penalty of sin. The penalty of sin is spiritual death (spiritual separation from God); and, ultimately, it is eternal death (eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire). All of us are born into this world already separated from God because of our sin, and headed toward the Lake of Fire; but the good news is that all who put their faith in Christ are saved, or delivered, from this awful penalty, and are given the assurance of spending eternity with God in heaven. (See Romans 6:23.) Secondly, to be saved means to be saved from the power of sin. Christians still have a sin nature as long as they are in their mortal bodies; but they are no longer enslaved to sin. Through Christ, we have the power to overcome sin and live righteously. (See Romans 6:22.) Thirdly, to be saved means to be saved from the very presence of sin. On the Resurrection Day, every believer will receive a new body, in which there is no more sin nature. In 1 John 3:2 we are told that when we will see Christ at His coming, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. In Philippians 3:21 we are told that Christ shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Jesus also says that He came to give life. What is life? Again, we need to know what God means by life. Let s see how Jesus defined life. Read John 17:3 Jesus defines life as a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. Eternal life doesn t begin when a Christian gets to heaven; it begins the moment when a sinner repents and believes on Jesus Christ. The moment a person believes on the Son, he enters into
a personal relationship with the Father and the Son; and that relationship lasts throughout this mortal life, and throughout eternity. Do you want to have indescribable joy in your heart? There is only one way to have it: it is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gives life (a relationship with Himself and the Father); and it is abundant life. It is wonderful! I remember one time when an unsaved man to whom I was trying to give the Gospel said, Oh, Stephen, get a life. My response was, I do have a life! I have a wonderful new life that Jesus Christ has given me. Do you have this wonderful life? It doesn t come automatically. You must receive it by repenting of your sin and placing your faith in Jesus Christ. (See John 3:36 and 1 John 5:12-13.) Having eternal life is not a think so or hope so thing; it is a know so thing! If you don t know for sure that you are saved, I urge you to believe on Jesus today! What else does the Good Shepherd do? Jesus says that He knows His sheep. (Read verse 14 again.) Now, there are three Greek words that mean I know. Epistamai means I know for a fact. Oida means I know absolutely. But ginosko means I know personally, by experience. That is the word that Jesus is using here. He personally knows each one of His sheep. By the way, in the very next verse, Jesus uses this same word ginosko to say that He personally knows His Father. (Read verse 15 again.) Why did Jesus say that He knows His Father right after He had said that He knows His sheep? Because it s a three-way relationship. We who know Christ also know the Father; and Christ knows His Father and us; and the Father knows Christ and us. That is why John wrote, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full (1 John 1:3-4). Read John 17:25-26 What else does the Good Shepherd do (or rather, what has He done)? He has included Gentile believers in His sheepfold (the church). (Read verse 16 again.) Folks, do you realise that there was no such thing as a church with Gentiles in it until 10 years after Jesus had gone back to heaven? It wasn t until about A.D. 40 that God revealed to the Apostle Peter that Gentile believers were now allowed into His institution, the local church. In Acts 10, we are told of how God instructed Peter to preach the Gospel to a Roman named Cornelius, in the city of Joppa; and as he preached, all the non-jewish people in the room believed the Gospel. Then, the Holy Spirit came upon each of them, and indwelt their bodies; and to show that God had now accepted them as members of His churches, He caused them to speak in other languages, just as the Jews had done on the Day of Pentecost 10 years earlier. Peter got the message. He knew that God had accepted the Gentile believers into the church, and that they needed to be baptised. He baptised them all that day, and they became members of a brandnew church right there in the city of Joppa. But that wasn t all. God didn t want there to be Gentile churches over here, and Jewish churches over there. God has made it clear that during this New Testament age, there is no distinction between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Jews do not have a special place of privilege and service, as they did in the Old Testament. (See Galatians 3:28.) All who believe on Christ, whether they be Jewish by birth or Gentile by birth, are commanded to be
baptised and join themselves to a local church; and in that church, there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. God sees them as one unit. Read Ephesians 2:14-18 / 3:1-10 [The one new man in chapter 2 is the church. The same body in chapter 3 is also another way of saying the church. ] Now, there is one more thing that the Good Shepherd did. He laid down His life, and He took it back again. (Read verses 15, 17, and 18 again.) Brethren, this is powerful! The fact that Jesus laid down His own life and took it again proves two things. First of all, it proves His incredible love for us. We are nothing but wicked rebels against God, and we deserve nothing less than eternal death in hell; yet, Jesus Christ laid down His life on the cross in order that we might be saved. (See Romans 5:6-8.) But that isn t all that it proves. The fact that Jesus laid down His life and took it again proves that He is God. The Scripture makes it very clear that God holds the power of life and death. No one can even die without the express permission of God. The Scripture also makes it clear that only God has the power to raise anyone from the dead. In 1 Samuel 2:6 Hannah said, The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The power of death and resurrection belong only to God. Now, we know that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. In Acts 2:24 Peter wrote that God raised up Jesus from the dead. We also know that God the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. In 1 Peter 3:18 Peter wrote that Jesus was put to death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] by the Spirit. But here in John 10, Jesus says that He has the power to lay down His own life, and to take it again. Jesus raised Himself from the grave, by His own power. This can mean only one thing: He is equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit in being, power, and glory. All three members of the Trinity were involved in Jesus resurrection. Read Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. He has a wonderful relationship with His sheep. Are you one of His sheep? II. What the sheep do We ve seen what the Good Shepherd does. But we also need to know what the sheep do. Christians have a relationship with Jesus Christ; and in that relationship, they have responsibility toward their Shepherd. Let s see what those responsibilities are. First of all, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice. (Read verse 3 again.) What does Jesus mean when He says that His sheep hear His voice? Well, to hear doesn t mean for sound to go into your eardrum and register in your brain. To hear means to listen to Jesus words, with the resolve to obey His words. Every child of God has the responsibility to listen intently to Christ s words, and to respond in obedience and faith. And how do we hear His voice? We hear His voice as we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the written Word of God. Read 1 Corinthians 2:13-16
What does Paul mean when He says that the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God? What things is he talking about? He s talking about the words of God. In verse 13 Paul had just said, which things also we speak, not in the words which man s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost speaketh. Paul is claiming that the words that he and the other Apostles had delivered to the church of Corinth were not the words of men, but the words of the Holy Ghost! He s talking about the Scriptures. So, then, in verse 14, Paul is saying that the natural man (the unsaved man) does not receive the Scriptures. In other words, unsaved people don t understand God s Word, and have no real desire to heed or obey it. Christians, on the other hand, do have the ability to understand and heed God s Word. In verse 15 Paul says that he that is spiritual judgeth (discerns, understands) all things. In verse 16, he says that We [Christians] have the mind of Christ. We who know Christ as Saviour have the ability, through the Spirit of God, to understand Christ s words, and to obey His words. Christians hear Christ s voice. By the way, did you notice what else Paul said in verse 15? He said that the Christian himself is judged by no man. What does this mean? It means that unsaved people cannot rightly judge Christians, because they have no spiritual understanding. What this means, Christian, is that you can expect that unsaved people will wrongly accuse you. You can expect that as you strive to serve God and others, unsaved people around you will misunderstand you, and will wrongly accuse you of having selfish motivations and desires. Why? Because they cannot comprehend why anyone would willingly, cheerfully, voluntarily serve the Lord, with no ulterior, selfish motives. Just this past week, when I was handing out tracts with the folks from Arklow Baptist Church, a man looked at me with ridicule and said, Who s paying you to do this? I said, No one, sir. We are out here handing out tracts simply because we love God, and because we love you, and want you to know how you can be saved. He just shook his head sarcastically, walked away, and said, I don t get it. Lost people don t understand or heed God s words; and for the same reason, they don t understand Christians, who do understand and heed His words. Christians, on the other hand, have spiritual understanding. They have new desires, which God has placed in their hearts. And through the Spirit, they have the power to obey God. This brings me to the next thing that the sheep do. Christ s sheep follow Christ. (Read verse 4 again.) To follow Christ simply means to obey His leading. It means to obey his revealed will in the Scripture. It means to imitate His character. (See1 Peter 2:21.) To follow Christ also means to seek to know his personal will for you through prayer, and then to do what you know He wants you to do. For example, there may be a particular person that God wants you to witness to today; and you know that the Lord is prodding you to go talk to that person. You need to follow Him. The Lord may want you to give a certain amount of money each month to support the church s missionaries. There s no verse in the Bible that says, You must give x amount of euros to missions ; but you know, in your heart, that God is leading you to give that particular amount. You need to follow Him. Perhaps the Lord wants you to help someone who is in need, in a certain way. You need to follow Him. Then there are the long-term paths. The Good Shepherd may have a certain person for you to marry one day. You d better follow His leading precisely! He may a certain career path to follow, so that you may glorify God in that field. You d better follow Him. Perhaps God may even surprise you, and change your life s direction completely right in the middle of your life, too! I ve known a good number of people who were settled down in life, who had a decent job, who had children who were halfway grown, and who were content with where they
were; but then God called them to be a missionary in a foreign land. And what did they do? They actually quit their job, spent three or four years of their lives preparing to go overseas, moved to a foreign land, learned a new language and culture, and obeyed God! Would you obey Him if He called you to do such a thing? Christian, are you following Christ? Now, there is one more thing that Christ s sheep do: they know their Shepherd. They know Him in a real and personal way. Their driving desire, and their joy, is to know Jesus Christ more and more. (Read verse 14 again.) Read Philippians 3:7-10 Conclusion: Do you know Jesus Christ in a personal way? Or is He merely someone you know about? If you have never entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by faith, I urge you to do be saved today! If you know Christ as Saviour already, I would ask you: Are you heeding His voice all the time? Or do you frequently turn out of the way, and do your own thing? Are you following Him implicitly? Or do you tend to follow your own reason, and your own plans? Are you striving every day to know Him in a closer and more personal way? If not, why not talk to Him this morning, and ask Him to help you to remember that you are a sheep, and that He is your Shepherd? If you will humble yourself and ask Him, He will give you the power to obey.