Amen. If you would, please take your Bibles and open them up to John chapter 10 this morning.
John chapter 10. This is one of the most beautiful pictures, I believe, in all of Scripture of who Jesus is and how He cares for His people.
John chapter 10. Our passage this morning will be John 10, 1 through 21.
And when you found that in your Bibles, if you would stand as I read the Word of God.
Amen.
He says,
I speak now, Lord, that your sheep would hear your voice in your Word. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.
I hope that you realize the depth and the richness of what we just sang together.
We were talking about it with the music team before the service started and some of them knew the song, some of them didn't.
And Miss Ann called it an oldie but a goodie.
There's a lot of rich truth there in that hymn, isn't there?
And we see all of it here in our passage this morning in John chapter 10.
The question we've been asking, who is Jesus?
And the answer that we've seen time and time and time again as we've walked through the Gospel of John,
Jesus is the Christ.
Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus is the Son of God.
And here in our passage this morning, we see Jesus is the shepherd of his sheep.
He's the door of the sheep.
He's the owner and the Savior of his own.
Look there with me to chapter 10, verse 1.
And I want you to have your Bibles open.
I love that you might trust me, that what I'm telling you is God's Word.
I don't want you to trust me that much.
I want you to see it with your own eyes.
The Word of God, John 10, verse 1.
Jesus is continuing a conversation that he started last week.
You may remember last week that Jesus healed the man born blind.
He had mercy on him.
He saw him.
He opened up his eyes.
That man was then brought to the religious leaders, to the Pharisees.
And rather than glorifying God for this miraculous work that's been done in this man's life,
rather than receiving him and rejoicing in the work that's been done, what happened?
They interrogated him.
They ridiculed him.
They mocked him.
And then they rejected him.
They cast him out of the synagogue.
So the last thing that Jesus said to the Pharisees at the end of chapter 9 last week
was that they are spiritually blind
blind and that they are bearing their own guilt.
And it's in that context of that conversation that our passage this morning picks up.
Look there with me to verses 1 through 5.
1 through 5 set the stage for the rest of the chapter.
He says,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way,
that man is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters the door by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the gatekeeper opens.
The sheep hear his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
And when he has brought out all his own, he goes before them.
The sheep follow him for they know his voice.
A stranger they will not follow,
but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of a stranger.
Clearly, Jesus is again, he's telling them a sort of parable.
John calls it a figure of speech.
He's drawing from everyday experiences, everyday knowledge,
in order to make a point, to give a lesson about who he is.
And so here he's drawing from their common understanding of shepherding.
I don't know how much shepherding you have done in your life.
I know several of you are animal people,
and maybe you have a little bit of knowledge of what shepherding looks like,
but shepherding in ancient Israel was done a little bit differently than it's done today.
And we need to understand the cultural context here
so that we understand the fullness of the picture that Jesus is giving us here.
So in this culture, oftentimes an entire town or an entire village would share one sheep pen.
And during the day, the owners of the sheep, they would bring their sheep,
if they had other business to attend to during the day,
they would bring their sheep into this sheep pen.
They would bring them in through the door.
They would pay a gatekeeper there who would open up the door.
He would know who came and who went.
And at the end of the day, whenever it's time to come and collect your sheep,
the shepherd would come in through the door.
The gatekeeper would recognize the shepherd.
He would know who the shepherd was.
He would open up the door for the shepherd.
And here's what's amazing.
The shepherd would look into that sheep pen,
and out of all the town's sheep,
out of all the many sheep that were gathered together in that sheep pen,
he would look out,
and he would know exactly which sheep were his.
I know that one there.
That one's mine.
That one there.
That one's mine.
That one there.
Those two, three scattered here, here, here.
Those are mine.
And then, what's even more remarkable,
is he would begin calling out to the sheep,
even by name.
He would call them by name.
Come on, Wooly.
Come on, little Bo.
Come on.
And his sheep, out of every noise that they heard throughout the day,
would recognize the voice of their shepherd,
and they would come to him.
Follow him.
Follow his voice.
Go to be with him.
It's a beautiful picture, isn't it?
It's a beautiful picture of salvation.
It's a beautiful picture of who Jesus is,
of who his people are,
of how anybody becomes his people,
of how he knows and loves and cares for his people.
But verse 6, it tells us that the Pharisees,
they hear this,
and they still didn't get the message.
You know, sometimes the Pharisees, bless them,
they're a little bit slow.
And so Jesus, here in verses 7 through 18,
almost the rest of the passage here,
he expands on the metaphor.
And he uses this shepherding imagery
to give us two more answers to the question,
who is Jesus?
This is our outline this morning.
If you're a note taker,
we're going to see two more answers to the question,
who is Jesus?
Jesus is the door of the sheep,
and Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep.
First, he says,
I am the door of the sheep.
Look there to verse 10 with me.
The Pharisees are confused,
and so Jesus again said to them,
truly, truly, I say to you,
I am the door of the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved,
and will go in and out,
and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal,
and kill, and destroy.
I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly.
This is yet another one of the I am statements
in the Gospel of John.
We've seen a few of these already.
We'll see several more.
We have two of them here in this passage.
I am the door.
I am the good shepherd.
This is intentional language by Jesus here
to tell us,
to tell the Pharisees,
to tell any who's listening to him,
that he is the I am.
He is God in the flesh.
Here he says,
I am the door of the sheep.
What does that teach us about Jesus?
Let's think about this for a minute.
For one,
this teaches us that
Jesus is the one way
into the one flock of God.
I am the door of the sheep.
Jesus is the one way
into the one flock of God.
Now place yourself
in the Pharisees' shoes here.
This is very, very different
from how the Jews understood
how they belonged to God.
They thought that they belonged to God
by virtue of their physical belonging,
their physical, natural birth.
They were born into the Jewish people of God,
so they thought that they belonged to God.
Well, Jesus says,
not so fast.
There's a door,
and you have to enter through the door.
This is also very different
from the modern conception,
modern understanding
of how anyone might belong to God.
First of all,
we don't want to think
that we're sheep, do we?
We think that we're independent.
We're self-sufficient.
We got this on our own.
We don't need anybody to own us,
to lead us,
to guide us.
If there's a shepherd,
the shepherd does our bidding.
The shepherd serves at our pleasure.
That's what the modern mind thinks.
And more than this,
in the modern mind,
if there is a people of God,
and if there is a fence
that marks off the boundaries
of the people of God
from the rest of the world,
then surely that fence
is filled with doors.
That fence is covered with doors.
And certainly,
we can come in and out
as we please on our own terms.
We can enter any which way we want.
Jesus says again,
not so fast,
there is one door.
I am the door,
not a door.
And you must enter through the door.
Enter by the narrow gate,
he says in Matthew.
Enter by the narrow gate,
for the gate is wide,
and the way is easy
that leads to destruction,
and those who enter by it are many.
For the gate is narrow,
and the way is hard
that leads to life,
and those who find it are few.
It is not hateful,
despite what you may hear.
It is not bigoted.
It is not narrow-minded
to say that there is one way
in to the people of God.
We ought to instead marvel
that there is a door.
Be in awe of the grace of God
that there is a door.
There is a path.
There is an open door
for sinners like us
to enter into the people of God.
We ought to be astounded
by the grace of God
that he has given us a door.
Instead, the modern mind scoffs
and rejects
and laughs at the door.
Not only this.
We see that this teaches us
that Jesus is the one path
to true life.
Jesus is the one path
to true life.
Look again what it says.
He says,
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
what happens?
He says,
He will be saved
and will go in and out
and find pasture.
And again,
in verse 10,
he says,
The thief comes only to steal
and to kill
and to destroy.
I came
that they may have life
and have it abundantly.
Do you see the picture
of what Jesus offers
to his people here?
Why do you come to Jesus?
Why do you come to God
through the door of Jesus Christ?
I hope it's not just
to escape the wrath of God.
Certainly, that's part of it.
What does it say again here?
He says,
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved.
Saved from what?
Saved from the wrath of God
against our sin.
That's good reason
to turn to Jesus,
but there is so much more here.
He will be saved, yes,
and he will go in and out
and find pasture.
These are happy,
healthy,
well-fed,
joyful sheep here.
He will be saved, yes,
and he will have
abundance of life.
He will be saved,
and he will have
true freedom,
true blessing,
true and lasting peace,
fullness of life
here and now
and into eternity.
I don't want us
just to come to Christ
once out of fear,
but to come to him again
and again
out of love for him,
out of satisfaction
in him,
that we would come
to the door
and come through the door
into the pasture
of God's presence
daily,
come to him
out of love.
Everyone in the world
is looking for
peace like this,
aren't we?
Everyone in the world
is looking for blessing,
for satisfaction,
for pasture.
church,
they need to be led
to the door
and through the door
into the joy
of knowing God.
A good shepherd
will lead the sheep
through the door
into the blessing
of the flock.
This is exactly
what Jesus has
against the Pharisees
here,
isn't it?
Look there,
look there again.
It says,
Jesus says,
the leaders
of the people
of Israel
have not been
good shepherds.
There's a contrast
here in the passage,
isn't there?
Between Jesus Christ
who is the door
and all the thieves
and the robbers
who came before him.
That's the contrast
that we see.
Verse 8,
all who came before me
are thieves and robbers
but the sheep
did not listen
to them.
These thieves
and robbers,
they don't come
through the door.
They hop the fence,
they avoid the door,
they sneak in
any which way
they can,
and they try
to come in
undetected,
not to bless
the sheep,
not to love
the sheep,
but to steal
them away,
to harm the sheep,
to destroy the sheep.
Who's he talking
about here?
Who's he talking
about here?
There's a few options,
they're good options,
but I think he's
talking about
the religious leaders.
If you think
about the context
here again,
remember,
at chapter 9,
Jesus has just
healed this man
born blind,
called him
to faith in himself,
and how did
the religious leaders
respond?
Those who were
supposed to care
for the sheep,
how did they respond?
They brutalized
the sheep,
discarded him,
humiliated him.
We should know
that God does not
mess around
with this.
in every generation,
God has given
his people
leaders,
shepherds,
not the shepherd,
but under shepherds,
those who are stewards
to care for
the flock
of God,
and they are
accountable to God
for how they care
for God's sheep.
I want you
to flip over
to Ezekiel 34.
I want you
to actually go there.
because this is
a longer passage.
I want you to see it
with your eyes.
It's a longer passage.
I think that it would
help you to see it,
and when you get there,
if you mark in your Bibles,
in the margin there
beside Ezekiel 34,
I want you to
just write a note
that says John 10,
and then when you
get back to John 10,
I'd love for you
to write a note
that says Ezekiel 34.
I want you to see
the connection here
between these two passages,
and I'm rambling
so that you can find it
in your Bibles.
Have you got there yet?
All right.
Ezekiel 34.
The word of the Lord
came to me.
Son of man,
prophesy against
the shepherds
of Israel.
Prophesy and say to them,
even to the shepherds,
thus says the Lord God,
ah, shepherds of Israel
who have been feeding
yourselves,
should not shepherds
feed the sheep?
Do you see it?
You eat the fat,
you clothe yourselves
with the wool,
you slaughter the fat ones,
but you do not feed
the sheep.
The weak you have not
strengthened,
the sick you have not
healed,
the injured you have not
bound up,
the strayed you have not
brought back,
the lost you have not
sought,
and with force and harshness
you have ruled over them.
So they were scattered
because there was no shepherd,
and they became food
for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered.
They wandered over all
the mountains and on
every high hill.
My sheep were scattered
over all the face of the
earth with none to search
or seek for them.
Verse 7,
Therefore you shepherds
hear the word of the Lord.
As I live,
declares the Lord God,
surely because my sheep
have become a prey,
and my sheep have become
food for all the wild beasts,
since there was no shepherd,
and because my shepherds
have not searched for my sheep,
but the shepherds
have fed themselves
and have not fed my sheep.
Therefore you shepherds
hear the word of the Lord.
Thus says the Lord God,
Behold,
I am against the shepherds,
and I will require my sheep
at their hand,
and put a stop
to their feeding the sheep.
No longer shall the shepherds
feed themselves.
I will rescue my sheep
from their mouths
that they may not be food
for them.
This is an indictment
on the bad shepherds
of Israel.
So what's the solution?
What's God's answer
to the bad shepherds?
Verse 11,
For thus says the Lord God,
Behold,
I,
I myself,
will search for my sheep
and will seek them out.
As a shepherd seeks out
his flock when he is among
his sheep that have been scattered,
so will I seek out my sheep,
and I will rescue them
from all places
where they've been scattered
on a day of clouds
and thick darkness,
and I will bring them out
from the peoples
and gather them
from the countries
and will bring them
into their own land,
and I will feed them
on the mountains of Israel
by the ravines
and in all the inhabited places
of the country.
I will feed them
with good pasture,
and on the mountain heights
of Israel
shall be their grazing land.
Then they shall lie down
in the good grazing land,
and on rich pasture
they shall feed
on the mountains of Israel.
I myself will be
the shepherd of my sheep,
and I will make them
lie down,
declares the Lord God.
I will seek the lost.
I will bring back the strayed.
I will bind up the injured.
I will strengthen the weak
and the fat and the strong.
I will destroy.
I will feed them in justice.
God says,
you religious leaders
who pride yourself
on being shepherds
have avoided the door,
have climbed in
every which way you could,
have failed to care
for my sheep.
You harm the sheep,
and you care for yourselves.
A good shepherd
would not do that.
A good shepherd
would lead the sheep,
love the sheep,
by leading them
through the one door
into the blessing
of God.
There's a lesson here,
isn't there?
For shepherds
and for sheep.
For shepherds,
you know that's the word
for pastor.
Shepherds.
Good shepherds
point the sheep
to Jesus.
every opportunity
that they have.
Good shepherds
feed the sheep
with the words
of Christ.
Direct them
to the blessing
of Christ.
Remind them
of their belonging
to Christ.
Teach them
to live
as God's sheep.
Good shepherds
lead the sheep
through the door
to God
as often
as they can.
They point the sheep
to Jesus,
not to themselves,
because ultimately
shepherds
are sheep too.
And sheep,
those who belong
to Christ,
those who temporarily
are placed
under the care
of earthly
sheep shepherds,
fix your eyes
on Christ.
Listen for the voice
of Christ
through the voice
of your shepherds.
Listen to the voice
of Christ
and flee
as far
and as fast
as you possibly
can
from any
shepherd
who would
lead you
away from him.
God says
to the leaders
of Israel,
you shepherds
have failed
miserably.
But you know what?
I'm going to do it
myself.
I'll do it
myself.
I will seek
out my sheep
and I
myself
will care
for them.
I will be
the shepherd.
And so Jesus
here in our
second point
this morning,
second answer
to the question,
who is Jesus?
He says,
I
am the good
shepherd.
I
am the
shepherd
of the
sheep.
Look there
to verse 11.
He says,
I am the good
shepherd.
The good
shepherd lays
down his
life for
the sheep.
And where
before the
contrast was
between the
door and
the thieves
and the
robbers who
attempt to
avoid the
door and
come in to
harm the
sheep,
here the
contrast is
between Jesus,
the good
shepherd,
and those
who he
calls a
hired hand.
So look
there at the
contrast here
in verse 12.
He says,
he who is a
hired hand
and not a
shepherd,
who does not
own the
sheep,
sees the
wolf coming
and what
happens?
He leaves
the sheep
and he
flees.
And the
wolf comes
and snatches
them up and
scatters them.
He flees.
Why?
Because he's a
hired hand and
he cares nothing
for the
sheep.
You realize
it's so hard
to find good
help?
Anybody
have that
problem?
Hard to
find good
help?
I was
talking with
Treg this
week about
his land.
We had
breakfast
Wednesday
morning.
He and
Regina bought
some land
over here
planning on
building and
building a
house developing
over there.
They had
their last
pre-construction
meeting this
week and
Treg said,
I am so
excited that I
have a rental
unit that's
close by my
land because I
cannot wait to
get over there
every single
day and
check in on
the contractors.
I was like,
man,
they're going
to hate
you.
But I
get it.
Right?
Because it's
so easy for
the hired
hand to
cut corners,
to make
mistakes,
to cover it
up, to not
care deeply
about what
ultimately does
not belong to
him.
But the
owner of the
land, he's
going to be
by there every
day.
Make sure
that what
belongs to
him is
taken care
of.
And so it
is here with
Jesus.
Jesus says he
is the good
shepherd of
the sheep.
He owns
the sheep.
The sheep
belong to
him.
God the
Father gave
them to
Jesus and
Jesus purchased
the sheep at
great price.
1 Corinthians
6 tells us
you are not
your own
Christian.
you were
bought at
a price.
And so
Paul tells
pastors,
shepherds in
Acts 20
28, be
careful, pay
careful attention
to yourselves
and to all
the flock in
which the
Holy Spirit
has made
you overseers
to care for
the church
of God
which he
obtained with
his own
blood.
Ephesians 5,
Paul tells
husbands in
Ephesians 5,
husbands love
your wives as
Christ loved
the church and
gave himself
up for
her.
Christ Jesus
paid a
high price
for his
bride, the
church.
He gave
his life to
purchase a
people for
himself.
Christ Jesus
loved the
church and
gave himself
up for the
church.
The good
shepherd laid
down his
life for the
sheep which
means believer
if you are in
Christ.
You are the
blood bought
possession of
God.
Christ Jesus
gave himself
for you,
for your
salvation,
for your
good.
And don't
you think
that that
which he
paid such a
high price
for that he
is going to
care for?
Don't you
think that
what he paid
such a high
price for he's
going to protect
and to guard
and to love
and to cherish
and to make
sure that he
accomplishes what
he started in
you?
I'll tell you a
quick story.
I've not paid
much for just
about anything.
But when I was
in high school I
wanted an electric
guitar more badly
than I could
possibly tell you.
And I spotted
it, I knew what
I wanted, I
identified it, I
had to have it
custom ordered, it
was not a
normal kind of
in stock guitar.
I worked extra
hours as much
and as often as I
could to save up
as much money as
I possibly could
to purchase that
guitar.
When I walked
into the music
store and looked
at all the
guitars that were
there, do you
think I could
pick out which
one was mine?
100%.
I knew which
one was mine.
I walked up to
it, I very
carefully grabbed
it, I put it
in the case, I
put the case over
the top, I
closed up the
case, I locked
the case with a
key, I carried
it with two
hands to my
car, I put it
in the back seat
of my car, I
put a seat belt
over the case
and very
carefully I
brought it
home.
I paid a high
price for that
guitar, but
church, Christ
Jesus bought you
with his own
blood.
Don't you
think he's
going to care
for you?
Don't you
think he's
going to bring
you safely
home?
Don't you
think that he
loves you?
The good
shepherd owns
the sheep and
the good shepherd
cares for the
sheep.
There's another
old song, oh
how he loves
you and me,
oh how he
loves you and
me.
He gave his
life, what
more could he
give?
Oh how he
loves you,
oh how he
loves me,
oh how he
loves you and
me.
It is
shockingly
easy to
forget, isn't
it?
When struggles
of this life,
when distractions
and difficulties
creep in and
weigh heavily
upon us, that
this is the
greatest news
in the
world.
God loves
you.
Christ gave
himself for
you.
You are his
blood-bought
possession.
God cares
for you.
We see how
deeply he
loves you because
he gave his
life for you on
the cross.
He owns you,
he cares for
you, not only
this, he knows
you.
The good shepherd
knows his
sheep.
Look at verse
14.
I am the good
shepherd, I know
my own and my
own know me.
Listen to this,
just as the
father knows me
and I know
the father and
I lay down my
life for the
sheep.
This isn't
general knowledge,
is it?
This isn't
hypothetical
knowledge.
How deep and
how personal and
how perfectly does
God know the
son?
He knows him
completely,
inside out,
totally,
perfectly.
This is
specific,
person by
person,
particular
knowledge of
his sheep.
Jesus knows
his sheep.
He looks out
into the
sheep pen of
the world,
filled with
people and
says,
Jonathan,
you're mine.
Come with
me.
Sally,
you're mine.
Come with
me.
Dick,
you're mine.
Come with
me.
Randy,
you're mine.
Come with
me.
And there's
an intimate
knowledge here
between Jesus
and his
sheep.
He knows
his sheep
and his
sheep know
him.
And we're
going to get
here next
week.
I'm going to
rob from
Treg's sermon
next week,
just for a
minute.
Okay,
maybe I'm
going to
prime the
pump,
get you
ready.
I don't
know.
We'll
find out.
But it
is the
shepherd's
perfect
knowledge of
his specific
sheep in
eternity
that precedes
and secures
our hearing
his voice
and our
coming to
him and
our following
him and
our loving
him and
our trusting
him in
time.
God's
perfect
knowledge of
his sheep,
not generally,
not hypothetically,
not potentially,
God's specific
perfect knowledge of
his sheep
personally precedes
and secures the
sheep believing
and entering the
fold in time.
Look with me to
verse 26 real
quick.
We really are,
Treg, I'm
sorry, I'm
going to rob
you.
Look to
verse 26.
He tells the
Jews, listen
to this,
you do not
believe because
you are not
among my
sheep.
You hear
that?
We sometimes
tend to want to
read that the
other way around
and there are
other verses,
other passages
that speak the
other direction
and that's true.
We want to read
that you're not
among my sheep
because you
don't believe.
That's a true
statement.
Again, other
passages speak
that way in
that order.
When we get
there, we'll
preach that.
But that's not
what it says
here, is it?
Again, it says
you do not
believe because
you are not
among my
sheep.
Belonging
precedes
believing,
not the other
way around.
here's where
this is good
news for us.
Believer,
you are
known
and you
are loved
by God
completely,
personally,
just as
personally,
just as
completely as
the knowledge
of God
the Father
and God
the Son.
For all
of your
sinfulness,
for all
of your
faults,
He chose
you and
loves you
and cares
for you
and gave
Himself to
redeem you
and to
welcome you
into that
knowledge of
God.
That's what
the Good
Shepherd has
done for
His sheep.
Jesus is
telling these
Jews that
He's making
His own
sheep pen.
He's going
to the
Jewish pen
and He's
calling out
of the
Jewish pen
all of
those sheep
that belong
to Him
and all
of those
Jewish sheep
that belong
to Him
are going
to hear
His voice
and will
follow Him
out,
but He
says His
flock
will not
be entirely
Jewish.
I have
other sheep,
He says
in verse
16,
other sheep
that are not
of this
fold.
I must
bring them
also and
they will
listen to
my voice.
So there
will be
one flock,
one
shepherd.
The Good
Shepherd owns
His sheep.
The Good
Shepherd purchased
the sheep.
He cares
for the sheep.
He knows
His sheep
and He
pursues
the sheep
and they
will listen
to His
voice.
What is He
talking about
here?
What is He
talking about?
He's
talking about
the spread
of the
gospel
through the
nations.
From
Jerusalem
to Judea
to Samaria
to the
uttermost
ends of
the world.
The plan
of God
from the
beginning
of time
was not
simply to
build a
physically
Jewish
people,
but from
the seed
of this
one Jewish
people to
grow one
multi-ethnic
global flock
of God
joined together
under one
good shepherd,
Jesus Christ.
It's the
church.
Jesus
calls His
sheep from
the flock
of Israel.
They hear
His voice
and then He
looks out
to the
mountains
here,
to the
valleys
here,
to the
country
here,
to the
fields
here,
and He
says,
I have
other
sheep.
I must
bring them
in.
Do you
hear that
confidence?
Do you
hear that
determination?
I must
bring them
in,
and they
will
listen to
my voice.
This is
rock-solid
determination
to accomplish
the plan
of God,
the missionary
plan of God,
and He
says,
for this
reason,
for this
reason,
the Father
loves me.
Not,
of course,
that God
wouldn't love
Jesus apart
from this,
but that the
love of the
Father overflows
for the Son
because of
the deep
dependence of
Christ to
fulfill the
eternal plan
of God for
the redemption
of His
people to
the praise
of His
glorious grace.
So God
says,
this is my
beloved Son
with whom I'm
well pleased.
This plan,
He says,
will be
accomplished,
which means
Jews,
all you who
are about to
pick up rocks
to stone
me,
all you who
are trying
to kill
me,
you cannot
kill me.
I lay
down my
life that I
may take it
up again.
My death
and my
resurrection
are mine
to accomplish.
The Father
has given me
this charge.
No one
takes it
from me.
I lay it
down of my
own accord.
I have the
authority to
lay it down.
I have
authority to
take it up
again.
Why?
It's the plan.
I've come
to accomplish
the plan
for the
purchase of
all of
my sheep.
And the
reason why
we're gathered
here this
morning,
church,
not a
physically
Jewish
person in
the room,
it's because
Christ accomplished
the plan.
Christ lay
down His
life for
the sheep.
Christ rose
from the
grave for
the sheep,
and Christ's
voice has
gone out to
each one
of you,
and called
you in
to His
one flock,
the church.
Jesus is
talking about
the Gentiles
here, but I
have a question
for you.
How does
Christ plan
to bring
in His
sheep from
every corner
of the earth?
What's the
plan?
How does
Christ plan
to call
into His
flock all
of His
sheep?
Christ
builds
His
church
through
His
church.
Christ
builds
His
people
through
His
people.
It's
through
us.
You want
to know
our brilliant
plan for
reaching all
in all
with the
gospel?
Our
brilliant
plan for
reaching Mount
Pleasant
and Hugee
and McClellanville?
Preach the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Share the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
Proclaim it
here behind
a pulpit and
there in the
streets and in
our neighborhoods.
Tell our
friends about
Jesus with
confidence and
joy that His
sheep will hear
His voice and
enter the fold
and the plan
will be
accomplished and
God will be
glorified as
His church is
built.
Our passage
this morning
ends yet
again with
a division,
doesn't it?
Some say
He has a
demon.
It is insane.
Why listen to
Him?
Others say
these are not
the words of
one who is
oppressed by
a demon.
Can a demon
open up the
eyes of a
blind?
They're torn
in their
opinion.
Again,
the question
who is
Jesus?
That same
question
again is
put to
us this
morning.
Who is
Jesus?
Is He the
door through
whom you
have entered
into salvation?
Into the
peace and the
blessing and
the presence
and the
knowledge of
God?
Is He your
shepherd who
loves you and
leads you and
guides you and
cares for you and
lay down His
life for you,
who purchased
you with His
own blood?
Are you
resting and
rejoicing in
the joy of
being Christ's
sheep?
Savior, like a
shepherd, lead
us much we
need, thy
tender care.
In thy
pleasant pastures
feed us for
our use, thy
folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus,
blessed Jesus,
thou has bought
us, thine we
are.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, we
praise You.
We thank You.
We rejoice that
You are our
shepherd.
That You have
led us through
the door
into the
pasture
of knowing
God.
We thank You for
the forgiveness
and the peace
and the joy
as found
only in You
and that You
offer up freely
to any who
believe.
We love You
and we praise
You for this
in Christ's name.
Amen.