INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• I do not know about you, but when I look in the Bible and see that God is constantly comparing us to sheep, I am a bit insulted. Why?
• There are many reasons, first except for lambs, they are not very cute. They are not great hunters. I do personally know of any institutions that use a SHEEP as a mascot. The University of Arizona Sheep! Go Sheep! Or the Fighting Sheep? Bah! Does not sound too intimidating does it. We do not go on great sheep hunts (except the bighorn ones). How hard would that be? PLAY UP BUBBA!
• Sheep are known for being passive and for being DUMB! REALLY…
• Thanks God!
• Sheep need a shepherd to lead them. Humans need a shepherd to lead them also. We all need someone to lead us.
• There are all kinds of people and things out there that are more than willing to try to lead us down certain paths in life, most of them are not good for us.
• Last week we contemplated the thought that Jesus is the door.
• I also want us to remember what we read in verse 10.
• SLIDE #2
• John 10:10(ESV) 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
• I find it interesting that RIGHT after this statement, Jesus says, By the way I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD!
• I want us to look at WHY Jesus can call Himself the GOOD shepherd. The word “good” is a word that refers to one with noble character.
• What Jesus is saying is that you can trust His character, that He has not ulterior motives, no hidden agendas when it comes to wanting to lead you.
• The end of verse 10 explains WHAT He WANTS for you and if you are willing to follow Him that is what you will GET!
• So let us examine why Jesus can say that He is the Good Shepherd!
• Let’s begin with verses 11-13
• SLIDE #3
• John 10:11-13(ESV) 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because:
I. Jesus is fully committed to all the sheep.
• In part Jesus is the Good shepherd because of His full and total commitment to the sheep.
• Jesus tells us that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. FOR emphasizes the fact that Jesus’ was a sacrifice on behalf of the sheep.
• In other words, Jesus died for YOU!
• Jesus was willing to make the supreme sacrifice for the sheep.
• This is in stark contrast to those who were the hired hand/
• Jesus is fully committed to us because He bought us with a price.
• SLIDE #5
• 1 Corinthians 7:23(ESV) 23You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
• Jesus owns the sheep so naturally He will be committed to them.
• When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and are baptized into Him, you belong to Him.
• When you own something, you tend to want to take care of what you own. Jesus is fully committed to giving you the abundant life that He died and rose again to give.
• In verse 2 we get a picture of what the “hired hand” will do. These “hired hands” could have been a reference to the religious leaders of the time who had no investment in the flock, who were just there to get what they could get out of the sheep.
• The hired hand sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
• WE need to understand that those who will try to be a shepherd to you other than Jesus will not and do not have your best interests in their minds and hearts.
• As soon as times get tough they will leave you high and dry. They will do that because they do not care for you.
• I would contend that the stuff we get addicted to, the stuff that pulls us away from Jesus cares not one bit for us, they will suck the life right out of us until there is nothing left, then they will go on to the next victim!
• SLIDE #6
• 1 Timothy 2:3-4(ESV) 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• Jesus wants everyone to come to Him. We ALL have a shepherd, the question is, who is your shepherd?
• There will be many who will try to be your shepherd.
• SLIDE #7
• Acts 20:29-30(ESV) 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
• Do you have the faith and courage to allow Jesus to be your shepherd?
• Let’s look at verse 14-16
• SLIDE #8
• John 10:14-16(ESV) 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have 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.
• SLIDE #9
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because:
II. Jesus has a special connection with all the sheep.
• Do we tend to give more love and attention to those whom we know, to those with whom we have a relationship with?
• Verse 14 tells us of the strong connection between Jesus and those who are His.
• Jesus not only has the relationship with those who are His, but He has a relationship with the Father! He is our connection to the Father!
• In New Testament times, as the sheep would be put into the fold at the end of the day, the shepherd would examine each sheep for damage and then he would take care of them, he would anoint their wounds with oil and would take care of their other injuries.
• The shepherd would know his sheep so well that he would name them.
• God told the prophet Jeremiah…
• SLIDE #10
• Jeremiah 1:5(ESV) 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
• One of the things that people still do not get is the fact that our faith is not based on do’s and don’ts, but it is based on a relationship with Jesus.
• When we develop the relationship, we will do what we should and we will stay away from what we ought not to be doing.
• Faith is not about religion, it is about relationship. If it were all about religion, then we could just be religious and be fine. The Pharisee’s were some of the most religious people ever, but Jesus said they were like whitewashed tombs, nice on the outside but inside like a bunch of dead men’s bones!
• SLIDE #11
• 1 Peter 5:6-7(ESV) 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
• Jesus did not simply sit in an ivory tower tossing out orders, but he mixed among the people, touching and healing them.
• Jesus knows and loves all His sheep, not just the "elite" ones. If Jesus loves all of the sheep, then who are we not to?
• In verse 16 He spoke of the other sheep who would enter the fold, He was speaking of the gentiles who at the time were cut off from the possibility of eternal life!
• Do you have the faith and courage to allow Jesus to be your shepherd?
• Let’s finish with verses 17-18
• SLIDE #12
• John 10:17-18(ESV) 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
• SLIDE #13
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because:
III. Jesus desired to serve all the sheep.
• Not only did Jesus serve the sheep, He CHOSE to do it!
• The Father loves Him in part because He was WILLING to go to the cross!
• This is yet another reason why there are NOT many paths to heaven. There is only ONE path to heaven, this is not me or FCC saying this, it is from God’s Word, from the mouth of Jesus Himself! JOHN 14:6
• Do you think a person who WANTS to do something will do it better than one who is FORCED to do something or RELUCTANTLY does something?
• Jesus was a person full of joy because He loved the sheep, He loved being with people, He loved children! (NOT SOMBER!)
• Jesus did what He did because He loves YOU!
• SLIDE #14
• Galatians 1:3-4(ESV) 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
• When you want to do something, when you do something that you love to do, you will do it better and you will care about what you do!
• Jesus was and is motivated to serve because of love. Love is the ultimate motivation to serve.
• SLIDE #15
• John 3:16(ESV) 16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
• God loved you enough to send His son to die to make it possible for you to obtain eternal life!
CONCLUSION
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the shepherd of His sheep.
The question is – is He your shepherd?
If He is, will you follow Him? Only the sheep who follow the shepherd will receive the benefits of the shepherd.
If Jesus is not your shepherd, you can change that today!
• Will you come?
