I am the Good Shepherd Sermon
The Good Shepherd
Read - John 10: 11-16
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Intro - We have been discovering and studying recently not just what Jesus has done, but who He is. The 7 I am statements from JESUS
As we see Jesus for who He is, we get transformed more and more AND I BELIEVE FALL DEEPER IN LOVE WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
LISTEN TO THIS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE TEXT
-There was once a great actor, who graced the theatres reciting popular literary passages. In one of his performances, an old Pentecostal pastor challenged the man and asked him to recite Psalm 23, to which he obliged.
After his delivery, the audience gave him yet another resounding ovation.
Unexpectedly, he asked the old Pentecostal preacher to recite the same passage. Nervously and humbly, the old man agreed. At the end of his delivery, however, the only sound in the hall were sobs and tear filled eyes from the audience. The actor then said, "I may know the text of Psalm 23, but it is very clear that this man truly knows the Shepherd."
Today I want us to understand that the Shepherd that this old Pentecostal Preacher knew, is the same God that You and I must begin to know.
-THE GOD WHEN WE THINK OF HIS LOVE, HIS MERCY, HIS GOODNESS, HOW HE PROVIDED, HOW HE PROTECTED, HOW HE NEVER LEFT US MIGHT JUST LEAVE US IN TEARS EVERYTIME WE THINK OF HIS NAME!!!
OH….! WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MY LIFE, ALL THE TIMES I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD, ALL THE TIMES I WAS ABANDON, ALL THE TIMES I GOT A BAD REPORT, 1 NAME NEVER FAILED ME, 1 NAME, I KNEW I COULD ALWAYS CALL ON, THAT NAME WAS JESUS!!!
Once we know the Shepherd we will begin to walk in a new found confidence. A new found boldness, a new found integrity, a new found purpose!
When we walk in this way, we learned a couple weeks back that DOORS OPEN, REMEMBER HE IS THE DOOR.
WHEN WE WALK KNOWING THE SHEPHERD, NOTHING IN THIS WORLD NO WEAPON FROM HELL, AND ESPECIALLY NOT OUR OWN INSECURITIES, PROBLEMS, HANG UPS WILL STOP US FROM FULFILLING THE GOD GIVEN PLAN OVER OUR LIVES.
SOMEONE SAY HE IS MY SHEPHERD…!
We are going to get into the 3 main points of reflection in just a moment but Tonight I want us to REMEMBER THIS, IF YOU DO NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE. TAKE THIS TO THE SPIRITUAL BANK AND CASH IT…!
The Good Shepherd, CARES!
Verse John 10:13 states The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
But on the contrary the good shepherd CARES.
That word care is from the Greek root word MELEI to give concern, to give care, to give attention…
Sheep need proper care and attention from their shepherds, their wool cleaned and trimmed, their head oiled, their eyes and ears constantly inspected because insects and pests
One way Shepherds care for their sheep is by anointing them with oil. Psalms 23:5 states, you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Sheep are highly prone to be attacked by insects whom try to climb up their nose and ears. Lay eggs, create worms, which eventually causes so much pain, discomfort, irritation, that the sheep would bang their head over and over and over again to the point of killing themselves. THE OIL WOULD PREVENT THE INSECTS FROM EASILY PENETRATING THE OPENINGS IN THE SHEEPS EARS AND NOSE.
SOMEONE SAY THE SHEPHERD CARES.
I GOT GOOD NEWS, THIS OIL IS STILL AVAILABLE TODAY! I DO NOT KNOW IF ANYONE EVER FELT LIKE THERE IS A BATTLE IN THEIR MIND, like somehow something has crawled in, and I do not like these thoughts, I do not like this negativity, I can’t sleep at night my mind just races and races and races, I am getting bad dreams, so much worry, so much panic, I FEEL LIKE BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THIS WALL…..
THERE’S OIL FOR THAT PROBLEM, THERE’S OIL FOR THAT ISSUE, THERES OIL THAT COULD FIX THAT, THERE’S AN ANOINTING THAT WILL BREAK THAT OFF YOU NOW IN JESUS NAME
ANOTHER REASON THEY SHEPHERDS WOULD OIL THEIR SHEEP
IS BECAUSE SHEEP BUTT HEADS WITH ONE ANOTHER TO ASSERT POSITION, TO SHOW AUTHORITY, MALES SHEEPS ESPECIALLY LIKE TO BUTT HEADS.
THE SHEPHERD BEING WISE KNOW’S HE CAN NOT STOP THE SHEEP FROM FIGHTING HE OIL’S THEIR HEAD SO WHEN THEY DO FIGHT THE IMPACT IS LESS POWERFUL AND SLIPS RIGHT OFF AND DOESN’T CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE.
(IT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE HOW BOXERS GET VASCILNE ON THEIR FACES WHEN THE ENTER THE BOXING RING)
SOMEONE SAY THE SHEPHERD CARES!
Some of us need this oil, because people been throwing jabs at us, arrows been coming our way, attacks over our marriage, children, and family.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE OIL, ITS JUST SLIPS RIGHT OFF.
LIKE A BULL FIGHTER, THE BULL CAN’T HIT ME BECAUSE I AM PROTECTED BY GOD!
NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME WILL PROSPER….
I GOT THE SHEPHERDS OIL
Tonight if your taking notes,
What does the Good Shepherd do?
1. The Good Shepherd Leads Us
Throughout ancient Near Eastern literature refers to kings and princes as shepherds
(cf. Nah. 3:18) Your shepherds are asleep,
O king of Assyria;
your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with no one to gather them.
My bible says about God (the good shepherd) He never sleeps He never slumbers.
HES NOT OF THIS EARTH NOBLE KING, HES ONE HIGH ABOVE, CREATOR OF ALL
Psalms 121:1-4
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The OT normally applies this title to political leaders in a negative way
Yet again we know our God triumphs all world systems and political parties He states I am the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Revelations 17:14
14 they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
What does this mean? Look to God, He is the True Shepherd! HE IS THE ONE WHO WILL NOT FAIL US. IT’S NOT THE RIGHT OR LEFT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. !!!
WE SHOULD GET THE GOOD NEWS FROM THE BOOK OF THE BIBLE,
NOT CNN OR FOX NEWS! NOT CHANNEL 2, CHANNEL 4, CHANNEL 10
-I RESPECT AND HONOR LAW AND GOVERNMENT BUT WHEN PUSH COME TO SHOVE, I KNOW WHO MY KING IS!!
-I KNOW WHO MY SHEPHERD IS, I KNOW WHO I FOLLOW, I KNOW IS MY GENERAL IN COMMAND, I KNOW I AM IN THE ARMY OF THE LORD!
The Good Shepherd is my leader!
Can I teach? LET ME BREAK THIS DOWN
John 10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Here Jesus is saying there’s more sheep and they will also be apart of the flock.
Here He is speaking of the Gentile people. He was prophesying the great revival and plan of God, to save the world. (John 3:16)
HE IS THE KING OF THE WORLD. HE IS THE LEADER OF THE WORLD!
IVE BEEN TO AFRICA, IVE BEEN TO EUROPE, IVE BEEN TO MEXICO, IVE BEEN ISRAEL, IVE BEEN TO ASIA, IVE BEEN TO THE CARRIBBEAN AND THEY ALL BOW THEIR KNEE DOWN TO THE SAME NAME, THE NAME ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME JESUUUUS!
THIS IS ONE OF THE VALUES OF CHAPEL OF CHANGE MINISTRY, THE DIVERSITY IN CULTURES.
THE PHARISEES WERE RACIST, THE PHARISEES WERE PREJUDICE, THE PHARISEES WERE BLIND. THAT IS NOT GODS HEART
AS WE LOOK AT NEW TESTAMENT WE SEE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST PETER PREACHES AND PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT LANGUANGES, DIFFERENT TRIBES, DIFFERENT SKIN COLOR, GET SAVED 3,000 SOULS WERE ADDED THAT DAY!
JESUS IS SAYING I AM THE GREAT SHEPHERD OF ALL THE SHEEP. EVERY COUNTRY, EVERY TOUNGE, EVERY NATIONALITY. THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(Clap your hands for Jesus)
-The Shepherd is our leader…
He leads me to what?
Psalms 23: 2
he leads me beside still waters;
I could drop the mic right there……
This speaks of peace and tranquility…the opposite of chaos, storms, and disorder.
So many people in today’s society taking their lives. In 2021 there was an estimated 1.7 million suicide attempts. 1.7 million….
And 50,000 did take their life…..
This included rich and famous, doctors, lawyers, professionals, teenagers, single moms and dads. WITH NO HOPE!!! TO THE POINT THEY WANT TO TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES….
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY NEED? …… A SHEPHERD WHO WILL LEAD THEM TO STILL WATERS…. WHO CALMS THE STORM WITH A WORD.!
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD COULD BUY WHAT GOD OFFERS AND ITS OUR JOB CHURCH TO GIVE JESUS TO THE WORLD! TO GIVE JESUS TO WHITTIER, TO GIVE JESUS TO OUR FAMILY!!!
2. The Good Shepherd Protects Us
John 10: 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
The good shepherd would literally lay his life down for the sheep!
Every night after oiling the sheep, cleaning the sheep, feeding the sheep, giving water to the sheep, he would count all the sheep make sure they are all back home and he would lay down at the entrance of the sheep pin. THIS IS WHY HE SAID I AM THE DOOR!!!
YES A DOOR WAY TO HEAVEN, YES A DOOR WAY TO SALVATION, BUT HE WAS LITERALLY THE DOOR!!! IF A WOLF WAS GOING TO GET IN THE SHEEP PEN IT WOULD HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE BODY OF THE SHEPHERD.
JESUS IS SAYING! WOLF! LION, BEAR, DEVIL! SATAN! ENEMY! OVER MY DEAD BODY !!! WILL YOU TAKE ONE OF MY SHEEP!!! I WILL FIGHT, I WILL KICK, I WILL PUNCH,I WILL CLAW, I WILL DIE TO TAKE CARE OF MY SHEEP!
THIS IS WHY DAVID WAS SO CONFIDENT BEFORE FACING GOLIATH
1SAMUEL 17:34-36
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock,
35 I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it.
36 Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.”
SHEPHERDS ARE USE TO PROTECTING!!!
-SOME OF US HAVE THAT MANTLE! I BELIEVE THAT MANTLE CAME UPON MYSELF EVEN MORE WHEN I HAD MY CHILDREN!
-OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL YOU HARM MY CHILDREN, THEIR EMOTIONS, THEIR MINDS, THEIR LITTLE HEARTS.
ARE THERE ANY PARENTS IN THE HOUSE THAT COULD TESTIFY!?
IF ITS TIME TO FIGHT, WE WILL FIGHT!!! A SHEPHERDS HEART
WE DISCERN WHATS GOING ON….
LET ME MENTION THIS, THE CHURCH HAS SHEPHERDS, PASTORS….
WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE! GOD SHOWS US, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO, WE SEE TRAPS THE DEVIL PUTS, WE SEE PITFALLS, WE SEE BLINDSPOTS LET US HELP YOU AND PROTECT YOU FOR UNNECCESSARY DAMAGE…..
LASTLY
3. The Good Shepherd Provides for us.
NUMBER 1 HE IS THE LEADER, NUMBER 2 HE IS OUR PROTECTOR, NUMBER 3 HE IS OUR PROVIDER….
2SAMUEL 12:1-3 MESSAGE TRANSLATION
The poor man had nothing but one little female lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up with him and his children as a member of the family. It ate off his plate and drank from his cup and slept on his bed. It was like a daughter to him.
This story here shows the bond between the sheep and the shepherd, the shepherd let the sheep eat of his plate and drink from his cup!
HISTORIAN HAVE STATED THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A COMMON PRACTICE ALLOWING THE LAMB INTO THE HOME AND BECOMING AS A DOMESTIC PET…
God is saying tonight I am your provider come to the table….
My God!!! BUT IM A FILTHY SHEEP GOD! IM A BLACK SHEEP OF MY FAMILY! IM A STRAY SHEEP! IM THE SHEEP NO ONE WANTS!!!
NO, NO, NO, COME EAT AT THE TABLE, COME INSIDE THE HOUSE…..
YOUR LOOKING AT TODAY A PRODUCT OF GODS PROVISION 13 YEARS… I WAS A LOST SKINNY, BROKEN, DIRTY, ADDICTED, SHEEP, YET GOD SAID COME HOME…..
LET ME WASH YOU UP!!! CLEAN YOU UP, EDUCATE YOU, BE YOUR PROVISION….
NOW BY THE GRACE OF GOD. IM A BLESSED MAN, IM AN EDUCATED MAN, IM A PRODUCT OF GODS PROVISION AND I KNOW THAT IS MANY OF US,,,
GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US….
LETS STAND TO OUR FEEET AND PREPARE FOR REFLECTION…
Conclusion: GOD HAS BEEN SPEAKING THE PAST FEW WEEKS AS WE TEACH ON THE “I AM” STATEMENTS.
TONIGHT HE IS SAYING I CARE ABOUT YOU SON, I CARE ABOUT YOU DAUGHTER….
COME HOME…..BE APART OF THE SHEEP FOLD! LEARN WHAT IT IS TO ACCEPT MY CARE…
SOME OF US WE ARE AT A DIFFERENT PLACE AND GOD IS SAYING DON’T FORGET THE OTHER SHEEP IN YOUR FAMILY, YOUR CITY, YOUR SURROUNDINGS!
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THAT SHEPHERDS HEART!!! AND HE IS SAYING NOW ITS TIME TO SERVE…..
