Steal
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Steal
1: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice
2: to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly
Have you ever been stolen from? How did you feel?
How you feel about it depends on the value you place on the stolen item.
Growing up I remember that someone stole my mom’s car...
Time-consuming?/Steals your time
File a report
Make an insurance claim
Find out how you’ll get around now
Worry about finances
If someone breaks into your house and steals your valuables - you feel violated, insecure, the one place where you ought to feel safe is your house and you’re not even at peace in your own home.
I’ve had bikes stolen, computer (at church), my guitar
You may feel sorry for the person who felt like they had to commit a crime in order to obtain something of value so they could sell
people who steal usually sell or give away what they steal because keeping it is a constant reminder of what they have done.
Have you ever stolen anything?
The thief has to convince himself that he has the right to the object he desires. He needs it more than the other person does.
Some steal for the thrill of the excitement - they are called “kleptomaniacs” - the Greek word for steal is klepto - steal
maniac - ? well a maniac!
Jesus warns us of a thief so that we be aware of his tactics and in order to preserve our lives and stay alive!
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John 10:10 NIV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
This thief not only steals ?but since he can’t steal by calling your name, he’ll use violence. Take you by force.
kills, take you out. deprive you of your life
destroys, you’re not dead, but your condition seems to be beyond repair.
Background
Jesus heals a blind man (John 9)
Pharisees couldn’t bring themselves to admit that the blind man had been healed by Jesus.
the blind man is expelled from the synagogue because of this
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John 10:1 NIV
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
Characteristics of the Thief
Target: The sheep
Location: The Sheep pen
Method: Jump over the fence, not through the gate
Jesus begins to lay out to the Pharisees the following:
You haven’t entered into the kingdom the right way.
you have climbed over the fence and instead of being a shepherd you really are thieves.
You have destroyed the pasture (Food - word of God) upon which the sheep feed.
you have to go through the right way (front door) but in order to go through the front door you have to go through Jesus, but they refused to acknowledge Jesus as the shepherd who stands watch over the sheep at the entrance.
The shepherd would be like a human gate posted at the entrance to avoid intruders.
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John 10:2–3 NIV
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
How can you tell who the true shepherd is?
He’ll come in through the gate (vs 2)
The gate will be opened for him
The sheep know his voice
When Jesus brings us to the Father, he’s the gate (John 14:6)
When he takes care of us, he’s the shepherd
He knows us each by name
Knowing someone’s name is powerful
We could argue, ... that fame can be defined as being known by a large number of people who the famous person does not know in return. In the classroom, knowing students’ names is one way to remove a layer of status hierarchies. Some professors even insist on being called by their first names as well.
Knowing who people are also bolsters informal social control; when we are known and not anonymous, we are more likely to behave in ways that reflect positively on our identities. If students know that I know who they are, they may (but certainly not always) make a point of coming to class more regularly than they would if they blended in with the crowd. - Karen Sternheimer https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2014/01/the-importance-of-knowing-names.html
Phillip Samaan (remembered my name)
Psalm 118:20 NIV
20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.
John 10:4 NIV
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.
Where’s he going with them?
To what freely with them to a more abundant place. To go about their daily activities in the presence of the shepherd.
The Pharisees do not experiment the abundant life because they don’t follow the shepherd.
They’re stuck in their own “fold” (goat-fold) not realizing that there’s so much more to life than being gatekeepers.
There are some people who want to take the place of the gatekeeper. Jesus said HE’S the gatekeeper. When you want to take Jesus’ place you will only be living but not experiencing the more abundant living.
That is, enjoying being with Jesus, a daily walk with Jesus where he leads us out into green pastures (he provides for us); and running water (refreshment).
there are some who think they get to decide who comes in and who doesn’t get to come in. The gatekeeper will decide that. It’s up to the sheep to follow the voice of the true Shepherd Jesus.
If you don’t follow the voice of the thief, he will try to steal you and your joy with God. and if that’s not enough he’ll try to destroy you.
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John 10:5 NIV
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.”
they run away, but he tries to steal one or two away.
The blind man in John 9 recognized the voice of Jesus after Jesus had healed him. He had never seen Jesus (he was blind). But when Jesus walked up to him he knew it was Jesus.
The blind man had seen the Pharisees and knew it wasn’t any of them who had healed him. He knew those men were thieves who had jumped the fence trying to act like the true shepherd.
The way things happened back then, there would be different folds of sheep in a pen. They shared it, someone kept watch (the gatekeeper/door), the next morning the sheep would come out and each would follow the voice of their shepherd.
If they heard other voices they would not go with that person.
In order to have recognized that voice, they had to be exposed to that voice (not just once or twice, but many times)
How are we exposed to that voice?
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John 10:6 NIV
6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
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John 10:7 NIV
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
In other words he decides who’s allowed into the synagogue of God, who can be saved or not, who can be part of the kingdom of God.
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John 10:8 NIV
8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
All these other men who claim to be gatekeepers are only here to steal, to kill and destroy. But thank God that the blind man didn’t listen to them.
They told him to disavow the healer. To just give glory to God (John 9:24)
They want to steal this man from Jesus and make sure that he remains as part of the synagogue but to do so needs to ignore what just happened to him and just move on with life.
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John 10:9 NIV
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
The blind entered through the gate and found healing and now he can have a relationship with Jesus and experiment more to life.
To “go out and in” is the common O.T. expression to denote the free activity of daily life, Jer. 37:4, Ps. 121:8, Deut. 28:6. - Exp GT1 Com
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John 10:10 NIV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The thief - pharisees/devil wants to take away your joy, your peace, your hope and your faith.
May want to discourage you from following that voice and for making a decision to change your ways.
Many would want to snatch away your blessing (the healing).Make you feel guilty for having found Jesus. Some people would rather see you defeated than to see you walking with Jesus. They would rather see you struggling than walking with Jesus.
Being defeated, struggling, feelings of guilt, that’s all part of life.
Being stolen from - that’s life
Your life in danger - that’s life
things don’t go your way - that’s life
But Jesus didn’t come to just give us life!
He came to give us LIFE… more abundantly!
a life where you can come and go with Jesus. You can live freely knowing you are part of God’s people.
No more fear, no more insecurity.
Don’t pay attention anymore to the thieves in your life! who just want to take away your joy. They can’t stand to see you happy or prospering.
See Jesus, washing your eyes so you can see, so you can live a more abundant life while you walk with him.
What gives Jesus the right to be the gatekeeper and the shepherd… He laid his life down for the sheep (vs. 11)
He has laid down his life for you.
That which has been stolen from you, Jesus would like to restore. He wants to give you back your life, bring back the joy, the first love, the peace that passes all understanding, the sweet fellowship, the excitement, the passion, your confidence.
You’ll be able to reclaim your time lost following the thief
Restoring that which has been destroyed. Damaged beyond working conditions.
That which the devil has taken from either by force or because we let him, Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep is there with an open door to return to his sheep fold.
today Jesus has come to you because you are blinded by the thousands of voices we hear trying to get us to follow them.
He will heal your eyes so you can see who he is so you can follow him.
Benediction
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Hebrews 13:20–21 NIV
20 Now may 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,
21 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.
For further study
Read The Desire of Ages, Chapter 52 The Divine Shepherd.
