Following The Shepherd Off The Fob Series

Following The Shepherd Off the FOB

All scriptures marked NKJV: The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Jn 10:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

This week, I had a PT test. I passed—which is a good thing, because SGT Ribar is in charge of remedial PT.

We had our test on Tuesday morning and the weather was incredibly windy. I knew more than anything that the wind would effect my mind more than it would my body, so I decided to find somebody who was going about the speed I wanted to and the follow them until we turned around when the wind would be a our backs.

I followed him and stayed with him to pass the test.

Over the past several weeks we have been discussing some exit strategies for leaving the FOB.

As we leave the FOB, some even in a couple of weeks, we need to remember that how you finish depends on who you are going to follow.

Tonight we are looking at John 10:1-5, which is found on page 950 in the Red Bibles underneath you chairs.

This is the famous passage when Jesus declares; “I am the Good Shepherd.”

The passage also records the final moments of a dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees, which results in the Pharisees wanting to stone him, look at verse 30.

He is answering their questions following healing a blind man. He is explaining to them how he has the power to heal. He is teaching them that the issue is much bigger than the sight of this blind man who now sees, it is about who he will follow.

We get so tide down with the little things of life. Yes, they seem important to us, but Jesus is looking at the bigger picture—he wants us to follow him with our life, to commit to him completely.

So he uses the illustration of a shepherd.

10 “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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Jn. 10:1-5, NKJV)

There are some aspects of the shepherd that Jesus points out, and as we take them apart we see how important it is that we follow Him, and only him.

First of all, Jesus says,

1. He is the door.

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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (Jn. 10:1-2, NKJV)

He explains that while there are thieves that climb over and deceive—he walks through the door. In fact he IS the door. He is the only way through the gate.

Look down at verse 7.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came 1before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The 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. (Jn 10:7-11)

I takes his point and explains it further that he is the only way to follow. Many times we talk about Jesus being the only way and we focus much of our attention on John 14;6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (Jn 14:6, NKJV)

Which is a good verse, but we forget about the Good Shepherd passage. Here Jesus is clearly saying, that there are others out there who are trying to steal the sheep. They are climbing over the walls—but it is only Christ that enters through the gate.

When we are finally in Kuwait, I understand that we will go through briefings and things for 48 hours before we get home. Apparently, Ali Asaleem is a very busy place. And there are many flights coming in and out everyday.