The Good Shepherd

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…..