Chapter 10: Jesus, The Good Shepherd.
Week Two: The Sheep Test: Its Plain and Simple. (10:22-30)
I. Introduction.
--I have taken some hard tests in my life.
II. Are you one of God’s Sheep…One of His chosen? There are some simple steps to see:
A. The sheep understands God’s Word. (v. 24)
1. In order to become a believer, you must have an understanding of the Gospel.
2. Scripture:
a. I Corinthians 1:18- “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
b. Romans 1:21-22;25- “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen.”
c. I Peter 1:4-5;9-12.
d. Luke 10:21- “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” (Remember, to experience salvation, you have to come as a little child!)
e. Why did Jesus speak in parables. Jesus tells us in the parable of the sower. (A parable about the Gospel!)- Mark 4: 11-12- “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.”
3. Why would some have a hard time understanding?
a. They are consumed by a rationalistic outlook.
--The listeners to the parables who did not receive Christ did not have a hearing problem, but a heart problem. They understood what God was saying, but not the penetrating power of the truth. Therefore, they didn’t understand fully the implications of Jesus’ teaching.
--Salvation comes by faith…if you focus on logic, faith is nowhere to be found. This is the problem with many who do not understand the Gospel…they keep everything in the realm of logic.
b. They are consumed by misplaced priorities.
--Many of the listeners enjoyed hearing Christ because of what they thought he could do for them, but they did not understand much of what he said.
--Many wanted to follow Jesus and hear more of His teaching, but they didn’t understand that they would have to give up some of their “priorities” in life to do it. There understanding was only partial, because if they realized the full extent of what was going on, their “priorities” would vanish in light of the grand message Christ was bringing.
c. They are consumed by pride.
--Many refuse to understand because their pride gets in the way. Faith and belief and the humbling involved in the gospel message takes humility. Those obsessed with pride miss a deeper understanding of what God has for those who accept Him.
B. The sheep believes God’s Word. (v. 25a)
1. Jesus says here: “I told you the Gospel, but you just didn’t believe it.” Maybe it was pride, or misplaced priorities, or rationalism. Whatever it was, it stood in the way of these men’s belief.
2. You can understand the Gospel message, but if you don’t believe it, then you will go nowhere.
a. Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
b. Mark 1:15- “Repent ye, and believe the gospel…”
c. John 16:8-9- “And when he (The Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and judgment; Of sin, because they believe not on me.”
d. John 3:16.
e. John 12:36- “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.”
f. John 3:18- “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
C. The sheep accepts God’s Word. (v. 25b-26)
1. Jesus in essence says: “I told you my word, and you didn’t want to believe it. Then I showed you my works, and you still refused to believe in who I am.”
2. God’s word is revealed through preaching, or through someone picking up a Bible and beginning to read. But, the more God’s Word sinks into a person’s heart, the more it starts to work.
3. Jesus Christ not only SPOKE the words of salvation, he SHOWED the works of salvation- the word testified of Him, and the miracles He did authenticated Him.
--Today, we don’t have miracle workers to authenticate the message, but we do have the Holy Spirit, who comes to convict the unsaved person that what is being said is true. This is called revelation. But the next step is the sinner’s, and that is to respond to the power of that inner working, and to accept the truth.
--This is what salvation is all about- agreeing with God. Agreeing that you are a sinner, agreeing that only He can pay for your sin, and agreeing that you should allow Him to come into your heart and save you from all your sin.
--Back to the parable of the Sower. Will you accept the Word not just superficially, but let it penetrate your heart. Will you accept Jesus Christ as Savior?
D. The sheep follows God’s Word. (v. 27-30)
1. Part of the legitimacy of your faith—to tell if you are saved or unsaved, comes after the point of salvation.
2. Jesus alludes to some telltale signs that a person is born again. This is a good inventory to take if you doubt your salvation, or don’t know whether or not your saved at all:
a. God only calls His sheep to follow Him. (v. 27)
--Plain and simple. If God is leading you to follow His will for your life, then you are one of His.
--If you are unsaved, God will only lead you in one direction: Salvation. He will testify to you that you are lost, and in desperate need of a Savior.
b. God gives you security. (v. 28)
--God will testify to you that you are safely found in Him. Not only will he lead you, but he will give you a peace that you are safe from the penalty of sin, that Jesus Christ has paid that debt.
--Warning! This peace is only guaranteed as long as you stay close to Him. If you wander, your peace will fluctuate. If you act like the World, God will allow you to experience the confusion of the World.
--Insecurity for the unbeliever means that salvation needs to be experienced. Insecurity for the believer means that sanctification needs to be regained. Test this area to see how God is prompting your spirit.
c. God gives you a sense of His power. (v. 29)
--God works through ordinary people in extraordinary ways. If you are not one of His, you will not be filled with the Holy Spirit, and thus the power of God. Period.
--Bottom line: If you are in the Father’s hand (you are saved), you will never fall out of it. You will always have access to that power through prayer and a godly life. Straying away from either will diminish that power, and cause you to doubt.
--ON the other hand, if you have never experienced the power of God in your life, then you must examine yourself to see if you are one of His.
--Examples of “the Power:”
--People being saved when you share the Gospel with them/ your testimony/preaching.
--The ability to overcome besetting sins in your life.
--The power of a divine calling- an unmistakable impression by God on your life beyond the need for salvation. (Surrender to ministry, a clear picture of service, etc.)
--A separation from worldly people and influence. An ability to rise above the darkness and follow the Light.
d. God gives you a clear picture of Jesus Christ as God. (v. 30)
--In other words, you don’t just see Christ as a man, but as the God-man, the provider of the soul’s longing.
--If you read the testimony of Christ in Scripture and sense the direction of God, then this is an aspect unique to Christians.
--Jesus Christ called Himself the Word. In order to experience the life-changing power of the word in your day to day life, then you must have accepted the Word at one time in your life. Logical, right? Therefore, one good earmark of true salvation is experiencing the life-changing power of God’s Word on a day to day basis.
III. Conclusion.
