Following The Shepherd Off the FOB
All scriptures marked NKJV: The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Jn 10:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
This week, I had a PT test. I passed—which is a good thing, because SGT Ribar is in charge of remedial PT.
We had our test on Tuesday morning and the weather was incredibly windy. I knew more than anything that the wind would effect my mind more than it would my body, so I decided to find somebody who was going about the speed I wanted to and the follow them until we turned around when the wind would be a our backs.
I followed him and stayed with him to pass the test.
Over the past several weeks we have been discussing some exit strategies for leaving the FOB.
As we leave the FOB, some even in a couple of weeks, we need to remember that how you finish depends on who you are going to follow.
Tonight we are looking at John 10:1-5, which is found on page 950 in the Red Bibles underneath you chairs.
This is the famous passage when Jesus declares; “I am the Good Shepherd.”
The passage also records the final moments of a dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees, which results in the Pharisees wanting to stone him, look at verse 30.
He is answering their questions following healing a blind man. He is explaining to them how he has the power to heal. He is teaching them that the issue is much bigger than the sight of this blind man who now sees, it is about who he will follow.
We get so tide down with the little things of life. Yes, they seem important to us, but Jesus is looking at the bigger picture—he wants us to follow him with our life, to commit to him completely.
So he uses the illustration of a shepherd.
10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Jn. 10:1-5, NKJV)
There are some aspects of the shepherd that Jesus points out, and as we take them apart we see how important it is that we follow Him, and only him.
First of all, Jesus says,
1. He is the door.
1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (Jn. 10:1-2, NKJV)
He explains that while there are thieves that climb over and deceive—he walks through the door. In fact he IS the door. He is the only way through the gate.
Look down at verse 7.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came 1before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (Jn 10:7-11)
I takes his point and explains it further that he is the only way to follow. Many times we talk about Jesus being the only way and we focus much of our attention on John 14;6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (Jn 14:6, NKJV)
Which is a good verse, but we forget about the Good Shepherd passage. Here Jesus is clearly saying, that there are others out there who are trying to steal the sheep. They are climbing over the walls—but it is only Christ that enters through the gate.
When we are finally in Kuwait, I understand that we will go through briefings and things for 48 hours before we get home. Apparently, Ali Asaleem is a very busy place. And there are many flights coming in and out everyday.
Which one are you going to get on?
You are going to get on the one that goes to Fort Campbell. Because there is only one way to get there—there are many tickets but only one will go to the place you desire and that is to get on that plane to Fort Campbell. Interestingly enough, it won’t matter whether it is crowded or uncomfortable—we will all deal with it, because we want to get home.
It is the same way with Christ. He is the only way to get to the Heaven, it is only through Him—he is the door. But it means much more than simply salvation.
Jesus is talking about our lives here on earth. We need to follow Christ in everything. He is the way, the truth, and the life—not just to get our eternal boarding pass, but to live our life in a way that is successful and purposeful. Because, simply, he is the door. And we need to follow through that door to life.
And beyond that door is a shepherd who
2. Leads His Sheep
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (Jn. 10:3, NKJV)
This is so important to Christ that he says it three times.
We see it in verse 3, then in verse 14;
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. (Jn 10:14, NKJV)
Then again in verse 27;
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (Jn 10:27, NKJV)
Jesus says that His sheep know his voice and follow him. They know his voice. This is much more than knowing about some one. We all know about people, but can we tell who they are in the dark? If they call on the phone do we recognize who is speaking?
Jesus says that they know his voice. They know him because they have accepted him. They have turned their life over to his care and have committed to follow him.
I’m not the best with names—I’m trying, but sometimes I miss the name, and sometimes I talk to too many people at once. But the people who are closest to me—there is no doubt, I know their names. I don’t have to think about it—it rolls off my tongue.
But, I know the name of Jesus—I am one of his followers.
I hear what he has to say for me through his word and I able to apply it because I am listening to him.
Do you know him tonight?
Not just know his name, but personally. There is a difference between simply reciting a name, and personally knowing someone. You can know Christ tonight, if you will ask him to come into your life.
This past week, in Bible Study, we talked about knowing the will of God. I made the statement that “we already know the will of God—it’s doing it that we have a problem with.” Most of us know to pray, we know to read the Bible, and we know that we are to attend church—our problem is doing it. When we hear the word of God—we need to follow through with it.
There are so many things that we need to be doing—not big major jobs, we will always have those, but the day to day living that Jesus has called us to do.
When you receive Christ in your life, you have committed yourself to listening to his voice.
You have also committed to following him. That is the third thing that Jesus makes clear is that;
3. His sheep follow Him.
4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (Jn. 10:4-5, NKJV)
The sheep follow him because he knows them and they know him.
Look down at verse 24;
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in 4doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, 5as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.” (Jn. 10:24-30, NKJV)
Jesus is telling the Pharisees what happens when we follow Christ.
The first evidence is that they follow him.
They hear his voice and do what he says—it is that simple. Will we know everything? No. Will we make mistakes? Yes. That is part of it—that is part of the adventure of knowing Christ learning to trust and obey the will of God.
And then he says;
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
He gives those who follow him eternal life. Verse 29 sounds a whole lot like the last verse.
So this is what Jesus is saying.
“I say again;”
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
What could be so important that Jesus would have to say twice? It is that when we follow Christ--when we become one of his sheep; when we are “born again”, when we have been saved—no one can snatch us out.
But we are to follow him.
Just like sheep.
Many of the pilots have probably thought about this while flying, I know I have.
We fly low enough to get a good look at the herds of sheep throughout the desert.
These sheep follow there shepherd around the desert. The shepherd is at the front, none of them trying to get ahead, they just follow.
We need to be like these sheep—they don’t fight for the front—they just follow and they bring other sheep along side of them.
We need to follow
We have been talking about knowing and following Jesus.
Tonight, you have the opportunity to know Jesus personally because He gave his all for us. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin.
All of us are sinners. That is we have all done things, said things, thought things that make God unhappy. The price for that sin is punishable by death—which is eternal separation for God in hell.
Jesus died in our place to take our punishment, so that we can have the opportunity to take possession of the kingdom.
You can have this opportunity tonight. I will be down at the front after the service. Don’t hesitate to take this opportunity to accept his payment.
