Sermon on John 10,1-18 Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, This morning we are going to listen to what the Lord God teaches us about the church. Reason for this is that recently, as you know, a br and two srs have informed the consistory that they wish to withdraw from the church. We have prayed for them together in church, because we know that it is wrong to leave the church of Jesus Christ. But why is it wrong to withdraw from the church? Consistory appealed to the congregation, to you, via the announcements and our bulletin to speak to this br and these srs. But what do you say? It is not always easy to find words in these situations and often sensitive discussions. We learn a lot about the church in Catechism Class and through our Confessions. But when push comes to shove, can you explain to others what the church is, and why a Christian should be a member of the church? Mind you, these questions are not only relevant for discussions with brs and srs who are thinking about withdrawing from the church, they are also important for yourself and for your discussions with people outside the church. Often you hear people say: I believe in God; what do I need the church for? I can believe without the church. What do you say then? So what does the Bible say about these things? This morning we turn to John 10 to find answers to our questions. It is a well known text, the one about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It does, however, come with its own challenges. For instance, many call the story a parable. But a parable is a fictional story, and this picture of sheep, a sheepfold and a shepherd, is very realistic, it is taken out of every day life in the time of Jesus. Vs 6 explains says what kind of text it is. The NKJ says it is an illustration, which is not an entirely correct translation. The ESV comes closer. It says in vs 6 that Jesus used a figure of speech. Perhaps we would do best by calling it a comparable, as the text provides a symbolic meaning to the position and work of the Lord Jesus, as compared to a real-life situation. Now, when we read the text of John 10 carefully as a comparable we quickly find that the chapter can be roughly divided into three. Vss 1-5 introduce the picture of the shepherd and his sheepfold. Vss 7-10 give the explanation of one aspect of the story, and vss 11-18 give the explanation of a second aspect. These two explanations roughly form the two points of the sermon. But more about that later, because first of all we must make a crucial point: when we consider the existence and the place of the church of Jesus Christ in this world, we must make sure that we do not turn the church into a problem, an issue. The church is not an issue, she is a living and breathing body of Jesus Christ in this world. When we consider questions about the church we must always realise that it is a 1
privilege to be member of the church of Jesus Christ. It is a joy to have received a place in the midst of the communion of saints. We all know that the church is not perfect, because it is made up out of sinful people. But that does not change the fact, that the church is given to us as a safe haven, a place where we are built up in the Christian faith, a communion where we support and look after each other. The chapter ends with emphasising the great love of Jesus Christ for his flock. The love that Jesus has for us, his church, is of the same nature as the love that joins Father, Son and Spirit in the triune God. When you think about it, that is amazing and wonderful. Because of his love for the church our Lord Jesus even gave his life for her. The church is bought and paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. This wonderful fact must be the starting point of any discussion about the church. Our Lord Jesus, by his death on the cross, has given life to his church. That is our starting point and therefore also the theme for the sermon. Jesus Christ gives life to his church 1. In the church we find a safe life 2. in the church we find the everlasting life 1. In the church we find a safe life Now to the text of John 10. If you will pick up your Bibles and read with me, I will show you what are the two aspects of the comparable that I mentioned before. If you read through vss 1-5 you find that familiar picture of sheepfold, the shepherd, the gatekeeper and the shepherd who calls his sheep out of the fold. The story paints the picture of the love of the shepherd for his sheep, as opposed to thieves and robbers who do harm to the sheep. Vs 6 then says that the Pharisees who were listening to Jesus did not understand him. And that is why in what follows, from vs 7, Jesus explains the comparable. However, if we read from vs 7, we get a bit confused, because in vss 7 and 9 the Lord Jesus calls himself the Door. And a bit further on, in vss 11 and 13 he calls himself the Good Shepherd. That is a bit confusing. Why does the Lord Jesus identify himself with two different things in the same comparable? Well, our confusion is probably caused by the fact that when we read that Jesus is the Door in vss 7 and 9, we think that this is the Door to the sheepfold. This is confusing because in vs 2 we first read that Jesus himself enters through the door. So how can the Lord Jesus call himself Door and Shepherd in the same story? We understand why this is when we see that the Lord uses the one picture of the sheep and their shepherd, but uses it to emphasise two different aspects of his lifegiving work. In vss 7-10 the Lord explains that he is the Door which lead to everlasting life. Through his suffering and death he gives everlasting life to all who believe in him. And then in vs 11 the Lord picks up the same image again of the shepherd and his flock, but now he 2
underlines the relation between the shepherd and his flock, that is between him and his church, in this life. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name and he cares for his sheep. Even to the point where he is prepared to die for his sheep. So there are two aspects to the image of vss 1-5. There is the life that Jesus gives in the church, in this life, in vss 11-18, and the everlasting life that Jesus gives, in vss 7-10. And through it all runs the image of false teachers, bad shepherds, hired hands, who are out to kill, rob and destroy. Jesus does the exact opposite. He gives his life to give life to his church, now and forever. I hope that you now see the structure of the text and the over-arching theme of the Shepherd who gives life to his church. In this first point we will consider the life that the Good Shepherd gives in his church, in this life. So what is this life that the Good Shepherd gives to his sheep in the flock of the church? I think that is summarized in the words of vss 3 and 4 and 14 where it says that the Shepherd knows his sheep, he knows them all by name. And the sheep all know him. They recognize his voice and they follow him. And why? Because they know that with this Shepherd they are safe. This Good Shepherd will give them everything that they need. They will find food and drink and protection with the Shepherd who is willing and prepared to risk his life for them. In church, in the midst of the communion of saints, is where we are nourished in our souls with the preaching and teaching of the gospel of God. In the church of the Good Shepherd we are protected by church discipline, by the communion with brs and srs who look after each other and help each other. That is the safety you can only find in the church of Jesus Christ. That is why it is so dangerous to leave the church. When you withdraw from the church of Jesus Christ, you are denying yourself the food and drink you need to stay alive, that is to persevere in the Christian faith. Some people say that they can believe very well without the church: I don t need some kind of organisation to tell me what I believe. However, experience teaches us that when you take a glowing coal out of the fire, it will go out; when you take a fish out of the water, the water that is it s living-giving surroundings, it will die. We need the nourishment and protection of the church of the Lord Jesus to persevere in the faith. We will say more about that later. People who say or think that they can believe without the church, often have a wrong perception of the church. Often, maybe without realising it, they see the church as an organisation that provides a service. This service is the preaching and teaching and the nice and friendly contacts with like-minded people. However, the church is not an organisation. To explain this, please look up with me art 27 BC. We read the first paragraph (read first paragraph). Notice how art 27 begins: We believe and profess. I ask you, what is there to believe about an organisation? It s just there or it is not. Nothing to believe about it. The church, however, is not an organisation established by 3
men. The church (says the second paragraph of art 27 BC) has existed from the beginning of the world and will continue to exist till the end, when Jesus returns. The church is an assembly called together and gathered by God himself. Now that is something to believe. We must see not only a horizontal line of people who look each other up in an organisation, but even more the vertical line where God calls his children to himself in one church, the church of Jesus Christ. That is why the church is indeed an object of faith, something we have to believe. And when you realise that, when you realise that the church is a flock of sheep joined not by opinions or hobbies, but by God s call and faith and trust in one Good Shepherd, then you will think twice about withdrawing yourself from this holy congregation and assembly. Leaving the church of Jesus Christ is disobeying the call of the Good Shepherd. It is hearing his call but ignoring it. And ignoring the call of Jesus Christ, besides being disobedient, is also very dangerous. The Good Shepherd does not gather his church for nothing. There are thieves and robbers out there. The evil one goes around like a roaring lion seeking to kill and destroy. There are false teachers, there are worldly temptations. Christ calls us in the church to protect us. Like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus, there are powers at work in the world who seek to destroy the church and to kill the sheep. We must stay with our Shepherd. With him we are safe. In all this we realise that most people who leave the church, don t do that because they wilfully disobey the call of the Lord to join the church. People usually do not leave the church because of a doctrinal issue, but mostly because they feel that they are mistreated or misunderstood in the church. When this happens, we should not be quick to judge and say that all of that is unimportant or irrelevant. We should also have the courage to examine ourselves. The flock where Jesus is the Shepherd should be a place where the sheep are and feel safe. Do we give enough breathing space to each other, within the boundaries set by Scripture and Confession? Is there mutual trust? Do we believe that we all have each others best interests at heart? Or is there politics in church and manipulation? It is easy to say that the church is a safe place, we must also see it as a command to work at this safety. Do not judge or even condemn. We must love each other in church. Remember that Jesus Christ gave his life for his church. The Good Shepherd died for his sheep. Remember that we too must deny ourselves for the sake of our brs and srs. It hurts us to see brs and srs withdraw from the church, and sometimes even prefer the dangers of a false church or the world over being a member of the church of the Lord Jesus. So let us make sure that we ourselves will never be the reason why others feel that they must leave the church behind. In the church we must find safety. And we find everlasting life here as well. That brings us to our second point. 2. In the church we find the everlasting life 4
Invariably at this point the question comes up: but is the Free Reformed Church of Australia the only true church? Do only Free Reformed people go to heaven? What does it matter if you re a member of another church, as long as Jesus is preached there? This question brings us to vss 7-10 of the text. There the Lord Jesus identifies himself with the Door to everlasting life. Anyone who enters by him, says vs 9, will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The Lord Jesus laid down his life for all those who believe in him. There were others who came before the Lord Jesus who presented themselves as bringers of the good message. But they did not bring salvation or point in the right direction. They were false leaders, godless kings, false prophets and misleading Pharisees. In our time there are also people who promise happiness and even everlasting life. But Mohammed does not deliver, nor do the Hindu gods, nor do teachers and leaders who say that we can work our way up into heaven. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father than through him. Now we will all agree that Mohammed does not save. But in our time there are many other Christian and even Reformed churches, and they preach salvation through Jesus Christ as well. So if the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, then what is the problem with those other churches? Why not join them if they have better music or don t have as many unwritten rules like we do, or are closer to our homes? Well, quite intentionally this second point is called in church we find the everlasting life. The church does not give everlasting life. The church does not save you, nor does church membership. And yes, there may be true Christians in other churches. However, the church of Jesus Christ is an instrument in the hands of the Lord God to give everlasting life. Remember that we said in the first point that those who are not members of the church of Jesus Christ put themselves in danger. Here this becomes very clear. The church of Jesus Christ is the workplace of the Holy Spirit. We know that God works the faith in our hearts through the preaching of his Word and he strengthens it through the use of the sacraments. The Holy Spirit uses these means to give us faith and he does this in the church of Jesus Christ. That is why we must join the church of Jesus Christ if we want to receive everlasting life. Not because the church saves, but because the Spirit of God works in the church of Jesus Christ. This is also how we must read art 28 BC. If you would please look it up, then we will also read the first paragraph of this article (read first paragraph). Some read this paragraph and say that this holy assembly and congregation refers back to the last paragraph of art 27 where there is mention of the universal church which is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world. So, they say, the true church is everywhere around the world; anywhere where Christ is preached. Outside that universal church there is no salvation. So it does not matter of which church I am a member, as long as I believe in Christ, then I am 5
member of the universal church and I will be saved. We must, however, not forget that this article also uses the word congregation, where according to what follows in art 28 there is instruction and discipline, and a communion of saints where brs and srs build each other up. In other words, this art 28 does not speak about the universal church only but even more so about the local manifestation of that church in individual congregations. Think also of art 29 where it mentions the three marks of the true church. How are you going to apply these three marks to a universal church? So it does matter that you join a church and it does matter which church you join. We join the church where the full gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and where according to the command of Jesus himself and his apostles church discipline is exercised to safeguard the purity of the church. There can be good things in other churches, there are I m sure, but should you and would you not want to join the church where the full gospel is proclaimed? Will you find proper spiritual food and drink in a church where the forgiveness of sins is preached, but not, for instance, the faithfulness of God in the covenant? Or in a church where there is hardly any church discipline, or where any minister can say from the pulpit just about anything he wants? No, we must join the church where the fullness of the gospel is preached and taught, for our own safety s sake. So does this mean after all that, in the words of art 28 BC, there is no salvation outside of the Free Reformed Church? No, it doesn t. These few words from our confession must not be misunderstood. They are not an observation but a serious warning. Someone once compared those words to a mother who tells her child to wear a warm overcoat. She says: It s very cold outside. You must wear a coat, otherwise you will get sick! That is a warning, not a certainty. If the child does not wear a coat, it may nonetheless not get sick. But does that mean that the words of the mother were untrue? Of course not, they were a warning, and a very true one. That is why we say that outside the church of Jesus Christ there is no salvation. It does not mean that people who are not Free Reformed will not go to heaven, it does mean that you are putting yourself in danger and that you are also disobeying the call of the Good Shepherd to join his flock. So, not only Free Reformed people go to heaven. There are in fact more true churches in the world. In vs 16 the Lord Jesus says that he has more sheep not of the fold of Israel. The Gentiles are called by the Shepherd as well, and all his sheep will hear his voice and follow him. That is why there are more churches in this world, churches of Jesus Christ. That should, however, not make us hesitant to say, that in this part of the world, this part of Australia, the Free Reformed church is the true church of Christ. Here is where Jesus Christ gathers his sheep. That is not arrogant. And we do not take any pride in saying that. It is something we gratefully acknowledge. We do not say it to elevate ourselves above other people or churches. If and when we say it, we 6
say it only out of love for people outside, to invite them to come and join the flock of the Good Shepherd. And we should also realise, that, just like with the safety in the church that we discussed in our first point, it is also a command to be a true church. It is something we must guard and work for, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to say that we are a or the true church, that we have all the right doctrines, but at the same time not care for each other, for our neighbour, to always argue and fight. If fact, if everything in the church is about keeping our doctrine pure, there may come a time when the Lord Jesus says, like he said to the church in Ephesus (Rev 2): I know your works. You have tested those who call themselves apostles, and are not, and found them to be false. But I have against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Repent! If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. True doctrine is not your one and all. If the church of Jesus Christ does not practice what she preaches, if she knows no love for the members of the church and for the world outside, she can not remain church of Jesus Christ. I realise that in one sermon not all our questions about the church can be answered. But let us in all our discussions remember the words of our Lord Jesus, words we referred to in the beginning of the sermon, that the love our Lord has for his church is of the same nature as the love that joins Father, Son and Spirit in the triune God. Jesus was standing before the Pharisees when he said this. They accused him of disobeying their Sabbath laws. In response Jesus said that he was the Son of God. That his Father had sent him into this world to die for his sheep, the sheep whom the Father had given to him to care for. We are all, as individual sheep, known by name, members of this flock. We are bought and paid for. Let s always realise that this comes with a high calling. A calling that we deny ourselves and love our neighbour as ourselves, and God more than anything. This love of Christ which we reflect in the communion of saints, is what builds the church up. Conclusion If you still ask yourself what you should say to someone who wishes to withdraw from the church, just tell them that you miss them and perhaps also that you fear for them because it is dangerous outside of the flock of Jesus Christ. Try not to make a problem out of the church. The church is a beautiful institution, is a living body with a heart and a soul, and with a Lord in heaven. Deny yourself and give yourself to the church of Jesus Christ, because he has denied himself and given himself to you and his church. Then the church will truly be a safe haven where the sheep of the Good Shepherd are fed and find peace and rest and everlasting life. Amen. 7