Dakota Community Church
May 31, 2009
The Good Shepherd 2
John 10:11-18
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 10:19-21
At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"
But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
To fully understand this reaction we need to explore a couple of things:
The historic conflict between God and the leaders (shepherds) of His people.
The context in which Jesus is speaking these things.
Matthew 9:35-36 (Jesus acknowledges the bad shepherding)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
The people of God are not supposed to be harassed and helpless.
To get the immediate context we need to go back and read the events which precede this little talk about the good shepherd and how he differs from the hired hands.
John 9:34-35
34To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out.
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
1. The good shepherd speaks.
…the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
…I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
So Jesus makes it pretty clear here that He is speaking to all the sheep throughout time; not just to the ones sitting there in front of him.
Practice helps us distinguish between voices.
Listening does require some effort.
The first and most important thing we hear Him say is “repent and believe the good news!”
2. The good shepherd leads.
…he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
The good shepherd leads his sheep. He has gone on ahead of us to that ultimate good pasture, he is preparing a place for us there but, he leads us here and now in this life as well.
Psalm 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
There is no shadow of death to pass through in heaven, no enemies to prepare a table before.
If the good shepherd does these things… why do we so often seem to be without them?
Hebrews 13:20-21
20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Our big problem comes when we try to measure the love or blessing or shepherding of God in our lives by some kind of North American standard of living.
God is doing a good job of leading me if I can live in this house, drive this car, have this many children, earn this much income, etc. etc.
How do you measure the love of God?
Is there anything that could happen that deep down you know you would reject faith over?
If she is unfaithful
If he dies
If I don’t get that
The truth is that God’s plan for Joseph involved family rejection, slavery, and unjust imprisonment and the entire time the Bible tells us:
Genesis 45:4-8
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
I do not believe that God does evil; but not everything that appears evil to us is really evil.
Every parent has made a correct decision for the good of their child only to hear the child say; “I hate you.”
The right thing sometimes feels very wrong to the sheep.
Three quick further points:
James 1:13-16
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
How do you measure God’s love for you?
Here is the correct measure of God’s love:
3. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
You measure God’s love for you by Calvary.
God gave his life for you!
John 15:12-13
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Now what about these under-shepherds within the sheepfold? Are we supposed to be under the spiritual care of a human shepherd? Is there supposed to be church leadership or do we all just do our own thing?
The New Testament speaks of shepherds in the church. Jesus charges Peter to look after His lambs and “feed my sheep.”
As he was coming to the end of his ministry in freedom Paul called for the elders of the church in Ephesus and gave them this instruction amoung others as part of his farewell message:
Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Peter writes this:
1Peter 5:1-4
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Do we have to listen to them? How are we to respond to them?
Hebrews 13:7-17
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
What separates the good from the bad shepherds?
Ezekiel 34:1-5
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.
False Shepherds:
Taking care of themselves
Not concerned for the sheep – this is rampant today – believing in self feeding
Not healing the sick
Not binding up the wounded
Not strengthening the weak
Not searching for the strays
Ruling harshly and brutally
1Peter 5:1-4
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
False Shepherds:
Greedy for money
Lording not serving
Do as I say not as I do
Matthew 24:45-51
"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ’My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
False Shepherds:
Not feeding the sheep
Not aware of the time
Abusing the sheep
Desiring the worlds friendship instead
Conclusion:
The good shepherd speaks – have you responded to His voice?
The good shepherd leads – have you followed Him out?
The good shepherd gives his life – have you been saved by His sacrifice?
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
