Welcome back to our 5th week in the I am: Discovering who Jesus says he is series. So far we have covered Jesus as the Great I am. He is the timeless God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the one who was and is and is to come. Jesus as Bread of Life…by eating of him, we join him in his death and resurrection. He is the light of the world…the ever present help in time of trouble. He brings light to our path and heals our spiritual blindness. Jesus as the Door of the sheep, leading us to the love of the Father and bringing us life to fullest both here on earth and what is to come.
This week we will look at yet another e?? e?µ?: I, I am phrase. Discovering the character of God through these 7 statements made by Jesus. Last week we talked about Jesus as the door to the sheep, this week we will look at the other half of that passage: The Good Shepherd. Turn with me to John 10:11
Read Verses 11-30
When Jesus is the door, he leads us to the Father, when is cares for us he is the shepherd. There are many things listed here that the Good Shepherd does. Jesus starts here the previous passage, what we studied last week by talking about False Shepherd—Thieves and Robbers who wish to exploit the sheep, but now he brings up the new concept that He is the Good Shepherd. The Greek word here is ?a??? which translates better as Noble. Jesus is the Noble, Genuine shepherd. He loves and cares for his Sheep. He will do anything to protect us from harm. The first thing we learn about Jesus as the Good Shepherd is that He protects us!
1. The Good Shepherd Protects and Provides for His sheep
The Good Shepherd leads us and cares for us, last week we looked at how Jesus as the Door from the sheep keeps out the enemy when they are in the fold, but what about when they go to the pasture—the times when we go out into the world, the door is not going to protect us because it is back in the fold. It like the fold is the place of worship where we come, but there is more than just the fold in life…Jesus as the Good Shepherd will not give up protecting us. He will not run away from the dangers but will fight for us. Our Lord is willing to fight for our Love! He wants us to spend time with him and wants to call us his flock.
Turn with me to Psalm 23 (Read the whole chapter)
He leads us to Both places of relaxation and safety…Green Pastures and calm, still waters and the Valley of the Shadow of death. He leads us through the tribulations…through the trials, through evil times, but even when we walk through those evil, hard times. John 10:12 talks about wovles coming…wolves want to eat the sheep…it is the shadow of death when the wolf walks up behind you, but even when we are in danger: vs Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil. Why can we fear no evil: Because You are with me. Because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is by our side. Jesus is going to take care of the wolf, he is going to fight for us—we don’t need to!
Charles Spurgeon says this about the Great Shepherd:
What is there in you, dear friend, more than there is in any other professor, why you should not prove an apostate after all? What is there about me that I should stand where so many others have fallen?
There is nothing to hold me up if I am left to myself; but if, confessing my liability to fall, confessing my liability to be seized by the lion, and the bear, and the wolf, I can still say, "The Lord is my Shepherd," I am safe!
The sheep is not safe because it says, "I am stronger than the lion;" or, "I am able to escape from the bear;" or, "I shall always be able to avoid the wolf." Silly sheep, what canst thou do to protect thyself from thy foes*.
On RightNow media, under the Tok Assembly of God page you will see “Pastor’s Picks.” I’ve been listening to Matt Chandler’s talk on Psalm 119. After looking at David saying in verse 164: Nothing causes them to stumble, He compares that to Romans 8…Look at Romans 8:14-15,
I have talked before how this word Abba Father is the term of endearing that we get to call him Daddy God, but Paul is brining even further. Did you ever boast on your dads in Grade school, saying things like “Well my Daddy can beat up your dad?” That is what Paul is saying here look at what my Heavenly Daddy can do! Verse 31-36. When we have God protecting us, nothing can happen that he doesn’t allow—and even when he does allow it…He is still the Good shepherd and vs 28. He uses it to do great things within us…In Romans 53 Paul says that we should Glory and Rejoice in our tribulations for tribulations produce perseverance and perseverance, Character and character Hope in the salvation we have and in the Love of God.
Psalm 23 doesn’t say that we walk through the Valley of the shadow of death unscathed, but that the Good Shepherd is with us and we do not have to fear evil. But during those times in the Valley we can grow in God. Also, God does not leave us in the valley of the shadow of death, but rather leads us through the valley to green Pastures. Everything with God has a season and we must walk thought that with our heads held high! Because we are following the shepherd. We are the sheep, but it doesn’t say we have a sheep dog who nips at our feet to bring us into obedience, we follow the shepherd because we know and love Him, and He has proven himself to us. He has given his life for his sheep when he died on the cross for us…He is the Lamb of God, but who takes away the sine of the world. Jesus is also our Shepherd for we are like sheep.
2. The sheep know the voice of their Shepherd
We are talking about learning how to recognize and hear the voice of God in our Wednesday Night series called whisper. If you missed last week you can catch up with us by watching week one on RightNow Media. You will find it under the Tok Assembly of God page in Wednesday night Bible Studies.
Flip back to John 10, but keep your finger in Psalm 23
Read v 14
Jesus knows everything there is to no about us, but it doesn’t stop there…because He is our shepherd we know him, we trust him because he cares and provides for us.
Read V. 27
When we are sheep hear his voice, we follow him. I have a little video to show you that shows just what happens when those that are not the Shepherd try and call the sheep and then watch the difference when the shepherd calls the sheep. Next slide/show video
Did you see how the sheep instantly looked up when the shepherd called them? They acted like they didn’t even hear the voice of the others calling the sheep. They were calling the same thing, but they were not the shepherd so they did not respond to the others call. We need to be the same way. Our ears should be so attuned that to the shepherd’s voice that when others call us or try to distract us that it doesn’t even phase us, but when the shepherd calls….we need to be eager to respond, like those sheep running with excitement that their shepherd was calling them.
There once was a shepherd that lived in the Scottish highlands. This shepherd had a daughter and he would take her with him when he went out on the moors to take care of the sheep. The thing that the little girl liked best was to hear the call of shepherd. His voice sounded so free and beautiful as carried across the valleys of the moors.
As the years passed the little girl became a beautiful young woman and went off to one of Scotland's great cities--Edinburgh or Glasgow. It was there that she was determined to build a life. On her arrival, she would write back home to her parents every week. But as life began to take her by the hand, her letters soon dropped off in their frequency and soon there were none.
Rumors begin to filter back home to that shepherd and his wife that their daughter had started hanging out with some unsavory characters and they were having a very negative influence on her life. One day one of the boys from back home ran into her in the city streets and she acted as if she did not even know him. When the old shepherd heard this, he gathered a few things together and dressed in his rough shepherd’s clothes went to the city to find his daughter.
For days on end he looked for her. He looked everywhere; the slums, the rows of houses, the markets, the taverns, and everywhere in between to no avail. So after all of this searching he became very discouraged with the thought that he had lost his daughter to the evil city.
As he started the long trek back home, just as he was on the outskirts of the city, he remembered that his daughter had always loved to hear the voice of the shepherd calling out to the sheep.
So he turned around and on this quest motivated by his sorrow and his love, he began to stalk the streets. His voice rang out the shepherds call. The citizens of the city all looked at him as if he had lost his wits. It wasn’t too long as he walked the streets of one of the degraded neighborhoods that inside of one of those houses, his daughter sitting among the vermin who had led her astray, heard his voice. With great astonishment on her face, she heard that call of the voice of the shepherd, the voice of her father calling out to her. She leaped up and rushed out to the street and ran into the arms of that old shepherd, her father. It was then that he took her back home to the highlands of Scotland and brought her back to God and to decency and modesty*.
Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd call his sheep to himself. The people…the pharisees he is talking to in John 10 were not his sheep so they did not hear his voice and there are those that have chosen not to respond to the shepherds call for they do not know Jesus…the shepherd is calling…We…being Gentiles were His sheep from another Fold vs 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. He has called each and everyone of us to himself. If you are here today and you do not know him, then you have not heard the voice of the Shepherd calling us home. Some of you have children that belong to the flock of Christ, but they are lost…he is still calling, but he does not leave them lost…
Matthew 18:11 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
3. The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 to seek out the lost.
Jesus hasn’t given up on them, just like he hasn’t given up on us…The shepherd are still calling and his sheep hear his voice. Next slide…show video
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is not height he won’t go for us…There is not depth he won’t dig…some of us are like that lamp, we’ve found ourselves in the sewer…stuck cold, hopeless, but Jesus is the Good Shepherd…he comes looking for us…and he calls us by name Read John 10:27-29. When we are with him living as his children…as his sheep there is nothing that can take us from his hand for His Father, Our Father is bigger than anything that may come against us!
4. The Good Shepherd is willing to die for His Sheep
The death of Jesus is proof of his love for us! Jesus willingly laid down his life for…He died for, he gave up his life, Jesus makes it clear Look at vs 17-18. Jesus…the obedient son of God, dies so that we can know him…so that we could be his Sheep…what more can I say? This is the good news right here that because of Jesus dying on the cross…he paid for our sin…Our Shepherd died for us, but he did not Stay dead! He laid down his life and then took it up again….he defeated the enemy…the wolf…the lion come to destroy…devour the sheep. And we have victory because sin…death has been defeated! Jesus is more than just the Good Shepherd…
Hebrews 13:20-21 20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you [f]complete in every good work to do His will, working in [g]you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
We need to be made complete with Him…and none of are there…there is still more work he needs to do in us. That is why he leads us, and guides us…that is why we need more of our shepherd in us…Let’s close and sing this song…More of you…worship him however you desire…if you want to sit in your chair…sit…if you want to stand and sing…stand…if you want to come to the altar and fall at his feet…do that…If you do not know him this morning, or you want prayer for an illness in your body….I would love to pray for you and with you this morning. Let’s Sing
Sing Song for Altar time
Thank you for joining us this morning. Next week we will look at Jesus as Resurrection and the Life.
