July 12, 2009
Sermon #792
Sheep of the Shepherd
John 10:1 - 18 (NKJV) 1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16And 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. 17“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
What is a sheepfold?
It is not a building
ILL: The sheepfold is more like what we would call a corral. It has no roof, no walls, but only a fence of rocks or wood that encloses the sheep. It’s wall is open to the sun, the sky, the rain and the stars.
It was made by the shepherd
Colossians 1:15 - 18 (NKJV) 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
It is constructed of the body, mind, soul and will
Within the fold of life many are allowed in and out:
wife or husband
children and grandchildren
relatives and friends
neighbors, business associates
schoolmates and teachers
Others are to be kept out
false standards of behavior
false values
false concepts
false teachings
false philosophies
The Good shepherd wants to come in
Revelation 3:20-21 (NKJV 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Why we keep Him out:
fear – all of us have allowed people into our lives who took advantage of us
selfishness – all of us have people or things we do not want to share
pride – we believe that we can handle everything without outside help
How He comes
John 10:1 - 3 (NKJV) 1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
The Holy Spirit is the doorkeeper
1 Corinthians 12:1 - 3 (NKJV) 1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
He comes gently
John 14:27 - 28 (NKJV) 27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
How we hear His voice
Psalm 119:9 - 16 (NKJV) 9How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. 12Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes. 13With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. 16I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
1 Kings 19:11 - 13 (NKJV) 11Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
How do I let Him in?
ILL: My mind, my soul, my actions.
Romans 10:8 - 10 (NKJV) 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
He always comes in to lead you out!
John 10:4 - 5 (NKJV) 4And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
You have to go out by faith
Inside the sheepfold, you are protected – but you have to go out!
2 Corinthians 5:7 - 11 (NKJV) 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
John 10:7 - 10 (NKJV) 7Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
ILL: You cannot have an abundant life standing in your own escheatment in the sheepfold!
God will put you into situations where you will be exposed to the beautiful, noble, and lofty.
Philippians 4:8 - 9 (NKJV) 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
ILL: He will not lead you to propaganda, pornography, cheap debasing literature, hours of low caliber television or rubbish from the mass media. He will only lead you to that which will give you broad interests, noble aspirations and enormous enthusiasm.
What you have to do in order to leave
I have to love him more than the safety of the sheepfold
1 John 3:16 - 17 (NKJV) 16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
You have to be willing to be singled out and not be one of the crowd
You have to be willing to forgo your rights in favor of others
You have to be willing to be “tailender” instead of top ram
You have to be willing to exchange your will for His
You have to be willing to choose His way over your way
Conclusion: Jesus is the Good Shepherd. You have to let Him in, He will not force His way into your life. But you also have to follow Him out. He will not force you but to stay as He finds you and not grow, and not go out to the “great adventure” means to stand in your own waste and one day your feet will rot and you will not be able to go out.
Mark 16:14 - 18 (NKJV) 14Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
