Jesus Is Our Shepherd; But Are We Good Sheep?

Sunday, May 2, 2004

Title: The Lord Is My Shepherd…Are We Good Sheep?

Text: John 10:22-30

Introduction

1. The world has over 1 billion sheep!

• Australia has the most sheep…

• The US has almost 9 million sheep…

• With Texas being the largest producer in this country.

• Some sheep are used for food and wool…

• They also provide milk and cheese…

• Others are wild.

• Sheep are more widely distributed than any other domesticated animal….

• Being found in almost every country of the world.

• Sometimes they are used as pack animals.

• Sheep are cud chewing animals with 4 stomachs… (1.)

• Think of the damage they could do at the Barnhills buffet with 4 stomachs!!

2. My wife grew up on farm and raised sheep…

• Some of the sheep nice, cute, and loveable…

• She loved her sheep…

• One she raised for 4H was named Jasper…

• When she finally had to sell Jasper…

• It was quite traumatic…

• Some of the sheep weren’t so cute…

• In fact, one in particular was downright mean…

• He was a ram…and his name was Sunshine…

• More about Sunshine later…

Read Text: John 10:22-30

I’ve titled my sermon this morning… “The Lord is my Shepherd…are we good sheep?” In our text, we find 4 things that characterize the sheep of Jesus.

Body

1. First of all, Jesus says, “My Sheep Listen to My Voice” vs 27

A. When Jesus says, “My sheep”…

• He is referring to people that belong to Him…

• The redeemed…

• Those that have been saved…

• He bought them at a great price…

• They have repented of their sin and accepted Jesus as their Great Shepherd…

• And they belong to Him…

B. Jesus says that the sheep that belong to Me…they listen to My voice.

• This is direct contrast to the Jews that gathered around Him in the Temple…

• They said, “How long will You keep us in suspense”?

• “Why don’t You just spit it out”?

• “Tell us plainly…are You the Christ”?

• And Jesus says, “I DID tell you…but you don’t believe”…

• Back in verse 3, Jesus illustrated this…

• He said, “The watchman opens the gate for the Shepherd, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” John 10:3-5 (NIV)

• That paints quite a picture in my mind…

• The Shepherd calls out to the sheep…

• Those sheep that recognize the Shepherd’s voice…

• They listen to that voice…

• But there are other sheep that don’t recognize His voice…

• They don’t listen to the Shepherd…

• They just keep doing whatever they want to do.

C. So, how does that apply to us a Christians?

• I think it’s fairly obvious…

• But it’s a lesson that’s worth stating…

• Even if it is obvious…

• If we consider ourselves Christians…

• Then we will listen to the voice of Jesus…

• If Jesus comes and calls out to us…

• Our ear will be tuned in to His voice…

• If we truly belong to Christ…

• If we are a “good sheep”…

• We will stop what we are doing…

• And pay attention to our Master’s voice…

D. But, what if we keep chewing our cud?

• What if we just focus on what WE want…

• And we disregard the voice of the Shepherd?

• Well, it’s pretty obvious that we haven’t recognized the Shepherd as our Master…

• Let me illustrate it like this…

• Let’s say that there’s this sheep named Bill…

• Bill says… “hey…I’m a pretty good sheep…

• In fact, I’m a Christian…

• See that Guy over there with the robe and beard?

• Carrying the Shepherd’s staff?

• That’s Jesus…

• I belong to Him…

• He’s my Master”…

• And then…we hear the Shepherd calling out…

• “hey Bill…come on…

• Time to go…”

• But Bill just ignores the voice…

• And keeps doing what he wants with his life.

• What does that say about Bill?

• That tells us that Bill can SAY he’s a Christian all he wants…

• But if he doesn’t listen to the voice of Christ…

• Then he doesn’t really belong to Christ…

• Jesus says, “My sheep listen to My voice”.

2. Jesus goes on to say, “I Know My Sheep” vs 27