May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let's turn to the Gospel of John,
Chapter 10, and we'll read verses 27 and 28. The Gospel of John,
Chapter 10, reading verses 27 and 28. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. This is a very glorious chapter,
this 10th chapter in the Gospel of John. And it speaks to us
about the Lord Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. And he uses
the analogy, of course, as a shepherd and sheep. And really, as we
mentioned this morning, although we didn't, of course, comment
on sheep and shepherds, it's a very easy illustration for
us to understand. And we should be thankful that
God gives us simple illustrations. And in this chapter, the Lord
directs us to the importance of entering in to the Kingdom
of Heaven in the right way and not the wrong way. and to hear
the voice of God speaking to us in whatever way that may be,
giving us the comfort and the assurance that it is well with
our souls. And so we should be thankful
that God has given us his words to encourage us and to direct
us and to really to test our religion because surely the worst
thing that can happen is that we are deceived and we do not
possess the evidence of the life of God in our soul and how important
it is therefore to know that we are in a spiritual sense one
of God's sheep. and that if we are one of God's
sheep then the pattern is clear that all sheep follow the shepherd
and it's interesting we don't see it quite so much in this
country but when I was in the Middle East I remember very clearly
on one occasion there was a flock of sheep it wasn't a very large
flock but it was a flock of sheep and the shepherd was leading
them. And there was no problem. The
sheep followed the shepherd wherever he went. But there was an occasion
when they had a difficult path, a difficult crossing to make.
And the shepherd then reversed the roles and he got behind them
and drove the sheep across this difficult place. We see how wonderful
it is that we today, by God's grace, have a wonderful shepherd,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who leads his flock, leads them in a right
way, encourages them, strengthens them and helps them. So we should
be thankful that God has given us such a very clear illustration
in the Word of God. And of course, it relates Not
just in an abstract way. It relates very directly to everyone. To every true believer. To know
that Jesus Christ is our shepherd. And that he is leading us. And
that we are following him. The word of God is very clear. My sheep, hear my voice. and they follow me and I know
them and they follow me. So it's a great question isn't
it for all of us because we need to be one of Christ's sheep. We don't want to find that we
are not one of Christ's sheep. But how wonderful it is if we
are and we have the evidence of it by the voice of Jesus. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. You see Jesus knows all of his
sheep and what wonderful truth it is if he knows you and me
and if he knows you and me then he won't leave us he won't leave
us but we'll have the evidence that we are his sheep as he speaks
to us as he speaks to our heart our our mind and directs us and
often He speaks through a word of scripture which comes into
our hearts and confirms to us that we are one of God's sheep. And we don't want to just carry
on aimlessly in this world, just hoping, well, I think it will
be alright when I come to die. You and I need to know, by the
grace of God, that it is well with our soul. And then we have
entered in the right way. This chapter starts off by telling
us, He that entereth not by the door, into the sheepfold, but
climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. And there are many people today
who don't enter in through that door, the Lord Jesus Christ. But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice, And he calleth his own sheep by name,
and leadeth them out. God's people do have the evidence
that we are God's sheep. And if you have no evidence that
you are one of God's sheep, well do pray earnestly that God will
confirm to you that you are one of his sheep, one of those for
whom he laid down his life, for whom he gave his life. It's a
wonderful blessing, isn't it, to realise that we have such
a kind and gracious God who doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve,
but indeed deals with us in love. What a mercy it is then to know
that the Lord Jesus Christ is our door, the way that we enter
in. And he tells us further on, we
read it in this chapter, I am the door, by me, if any man enter
in, he shall be saved. Saved from ourselves, saved from
endless perdition in hell. We shall be saved. And shall
gill in and out and find pasture. Well he goes on, I am the good
shepherd, The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. It's a wonderful statement, isn't
it? To think that Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is
the Good Shepherd, has given his life that you and I might
receive the wonderful blessing of life, of eternal life, as
we're told in this 28th verse. And I give unto them eternal
life. He gives all his sheep this great
and wonderful gift of eternal life. You and I can never merit
it we can never earn it but God in love to our souls gives us
this great and glorious gift of eternal life He says I give
unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand what that means is There
is eternal safety to those who are in Christ Jesus, who've entered
in to that door. Eternal safety. We can never
be lost. We can never be plucked from
the hand of our Saviour. The Lord Jesus did not die in
vain. He did not give his life in vain. He gave it to redeem his people,
to redeem his church. And every one of us tonight here
needs to know that we are redeemed. That means that we are washed
in the blood of the Lamb. To know that we are eternally
in Christ. Oh my friends, how many people
today pass such great truths off as though it's of no consequence. So many people care nothing about
their eternal soul, just carry on concerned about their natural
life. But the vital thing is for every
one of us to know that it is well with our soul to know that
the Lord Jesus Christ is our heavenly shepherd, is our good
shepherd, and that he is leading and directing us. Now then, sometimes
we might think that we're not being led and we're not being
directed. The reason? Because things don't
seem to be working out in accordance with what we hoped. what we anticipated. Let us remember there is a way,
a right way. There is a way that seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. You and
I can assume sometimes, presume that we know the right way and
we think we're walking in it. The reality is that The way that
we thought was right was pleasing to our flesh, but it wasn't pleasing
to Almighty God. What a blessing it is, therefore,
if you and I are made willing in the day of His power to follow
Him. We are encouraged. by the words
of the Saviour to take up our cross daily and to follow Him. Rural religion isn't a one-off
experience. Rural religion is a daily experience
and a daily testimony that we are a true believer and that
we are amongst those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. And
what a great blessing it is to have the assurance. You know,
the Apostle Paul, who was a man of God, a man who was wonderfully
converted on the Damascus Road, he tells us, I know whom I have
believed. And how did he know that? He
knew it because he heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him. Now, in his particular case,
there would seem he heard actually a clear voice from heaven speaking
into his heart. Well, of course, that can still
occur today, but generally speaking, the Lord doesn't speak in a physical
voice, but he speaks direct to our souls. to direct us in the
way that we should go and to depart from the way which is
wrong depart from the way which is perhaps pleasing to our flesh. What a mercy it is to know that
God does lead. And if we read through the Word
of God, and especially we can read in the 107th Psalm, we're
told, He led them forth by the right way that they might go
to a city of habitation. It was God's way. It wasn't Israel's
way. It was God's way. And my friends,
you and I need the same leading today. In those days, God graciously
led them, didn't he? By day, by a cloud, and by night,
by a pillar of fire. That was a way that they were
led. And they had to obey. When the cloud moved, when the
pillar of fire moved, they moved. Whether it was night or day.
And we should recognise, therefore, that God still leads his people
today. And we shouldn't therefore be
rebellious against God's way. If he shows you a right way,
directs you, in a certain way, and you shouldn't think, well,
I'm not going that way, because I don't really like that kind
of situation. But what a blessing it is if
God is your heavenly shepherd and taking you as sheep. Now
sheep generally are foolish creatures. Sheep tend to follow each other. and how easy it is to make a
mistake. We sometimes see sheep wandering
and going in a wrong way. And if you see, sometimes a sheep
will go through a relatively small hole in a hedge. And before you know what's happened,
you'll find all the sheep are following and going through that
small hole, which they had no right to do. And we have, therefore,
an example like that with these sheep. And we mustn't follow
the wrong way. Just because somebody goes and
does something which perhaps we think, well, it'd be quite
nice to go that way, it may be the wrong way. It may be the
way which doesn't direct us and bless us. It's a way which just
pleases our own minds, but it's not in accordance with God's
will. So what a mercy it is, therefore, to be directed by
our Heavenly Father into that right way, and to know, therefore,
that our glorious Shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ. And He
is indeed leading us, and we're going that right way. through
Christ as the door. It's important to remember that
we are following our heavenly shepherd and not following a
false prophet. The false prophet is described
in this chapter as an idling somebody who is not true and
therefore he tells us but he that is an idling and not the
shepherd whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming,
and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth. And the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. The hiding fleeth, because he
isn't hiding, and careth not for the sheep. But then we're
told, the Lord Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. and know my
sheep and have known of mine. And the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't
leave his sheep. He doesn't forsake them. He goes
before them and he directs them and he blesses them. And how
wonderful it is to realize that we have such a kind and gracious
and condescending shepherd. Well, it's good. to ponder these
things and to realise how important they are. In this chapter, in
the fourth verse, we're told, And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them. He doesn't just push them out
and say, well, you better fend for yourself and get on with
it. When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. and the sheep follow him for
they know his voice. That's a great blessing, isn't
it? To think that Jesus goes before his people and the people
are made willing in the day of his power to take up their cross
and to daily follow a despised and crucified man. Our life may
not be easy on this earth. We're not promised an easy life. Naturally, we're always looking
for an easy life. The Lord Jesus Christ, in the
upper room to his disciples, he said, it is through much tribulation
that we shall enter the kingdom. But be of good joy, I have overcome
the world. Naturally, we're always looking
for an easier path. But the more important thing
is to be following the path that our blessed Lord and Saviour
comes and directs us in. So here we have these words,
When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,
and the sheep follow him. There's no if or but, there's
no making excuses. They follow him for they know
his voice. And in the 14th verse of the
same chapter, he says, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep
and am known of mine. We have the evidence that God
is our God. by his voice speaking to our
hearts, encouraging us in the right way. It's important, isn't
it, that we disregard the many temptations that Satan puts before
us. Satan tries and tempts us by
saying, well, this is an easier path, go this way and you'll
enjoy the things of the world perhaps and you can also enjoy
the things of God well the Bible doesn't tell us that does it?
the Bible tells us that we are to follow a despised and crucified
man because he has given his life so that you and I might
have life What a great and wonderful Saviour therefore we have. Therefore we have this statement
here. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. So we can ask ourselves the question,
can't we? Have we heard the voice of Jesus
firstly? And secondly, are we following
The Saviour. Are we following the way that
He has set before us? Or are we following our own way? Decided not to follow the path
that Jesus has set before us. Let's be quite clear. Jesus never
makes any mistakes. That's why it's the right way.
We make many mistakes. We listen to Satan. We listen
to what he pretends will be good and right. But my friends, you
can be sure If the Blessed Saviour speaks and leads us, it will
indeed be the right way. And what a wonderful blessing,
therefore, to find this in our little lives, because the great
favour is that we receive this gift of eternal life. It's good to be constantly reminded
that here we have no continuing city. That's true to every one
of us. Here we have no continuing city,
but the word goes on, but we seek one to come. Now God knows
whether you and I are seeking one to come, whether we're seeking
that eternal home, whether we're looking forward to that day when
by His grace, we will be with Christ, which is far better,
or whether we're content in this world. It really falls into a
very simple category. We're either at home in this
world, or we are travelling home to God, to the home he has prepared
for his people. And it's good sometimes to just
sit down and try and analyse what route we're going in. Are
we in that way that leads to eternal life? And are we looking
forward to that great time when we shall be with Christ? Which is far better. The Apostle
Paul knew that, didn't he? He makes it very clear. and it
should be good for us today. We are naturally earthbound,
we're naturally looking for comforts in this natural world. The truth
is that however long we live, it'll only be a short time on
this earth. But eternity is before us. And as I try and explain
sometimes to you, eternity is beyond our natural ability to
comprehend. Because there is no time. You
and I understand time. We don't understand eternity. It's beyond time. And yet, every
one of us will spend eternity either in glory with the Saviour
as one of his sheep who he's laid down his life for. Or we
shall be in hell with the devil and all his angels. What a terrible
situation, what a terrible thing to contemplate. but how very
easily we follow the advice of the devil and we follow his way
and we forget that we have such a wonderful and glorious saviour
who has laid down his life so that we might receive the wonderful
blessing of eternal life whether it be a wonderful favour. In the prophecy of Isaiah, it's
a very glorious prophecy, 53rd chapter, it speaks so clearly
about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. It gives a very
clear prophecy of what he will suffer. But we're told in the
5th verse and the 6th verse, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. It's good sometimes
just to ponder such a great truth to think that we have a great
God, an almighty God, who was willing to endure this suffering
so that you and I might be saved you and I might be one of his
sheep and he goes on and says all we like sheep all of us have
gone astray we have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has
laid on him the iniquity of us all that's a tremendous statement
isn't it to think that all our sins Everyone has been laid upon
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Don't underestimate what Christ
suffered. Don't think he didn't have to
endure much. He was oppressed, he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth, He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter and as a sheep before Hashirah's dumb. So he opened
not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment. And who should declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the
land of the living remember he was only 33 years of age when
he was cut off naturally speaking 33 years of age we're at the
height of our strength and ability he was cut off out of the land
of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken
well it's a great blessing isn't it if you and I one of his sheep. He is truly our heavenly shepherd
and he has suffered so greatly in order to satisfy the demands
of his father to pay the price to remove our sins. He made his grave with the wicked
and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence. Neither was any deceit in his
mouth. Any deceit. We are, aren't we,
by nature deceitful people. And yet here was this great statement.
Yet it pleased the Lord God Almighty, his Father, to bruise him. He hath put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
his people, his sheep. He shall prolong his days. and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his
soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge. Shall my righteous
servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. That's the great heavenly shepherd
that is described in the word of God and described in this
10th chapter of John this heavenly shepherd and that's what he endured
that's what he was willing to endure that of course was a prophecy
in the 53rd of Isaiah many years before it came to pass but It
did come to pass and it's another evidence of the truth of God's
Word. So we should indeed be thankful
for it and realise that Jesus is indeed the Good Shepherd. He wasn't a bad shepherd. This
chapter tells us that. I am the Good Shepherd. The good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. To think of that,
that Jesus gave his life so that you and I might receive life,
the gift of eternal life. And we need to just understand
that this was very God who gave his life. It wasn't a mere mortal
and we know of course that it was his manhood but nonetheless
he was also very God. And he gave his life that you
and I might be one of his sheep and be saved eternally. What a wonderful blessing to
realise he is the Good Shepherd. and know my sheep, he knows every
one of his sheep. Does he know you? Does he know
me? And we bow down before our God. Have we confessed he is indeed
our Lord and Master? Is he the one that we desire
to serve? Have we some understanding of
His great love toward us? And the Word of God tells us
in the Epistle of John, not that we loved God, but that He loved
us. We didn't suddenly think, oh,
I think I'll love God. Not at all. God loved us. And as we realize His love toward
us and that love is so complete, because He was willing to die
upon that cross at Calvary to save His sheep, to deliver His
sheep. That's why we come and rejoice
in the Gospel. Oh, we've sung a beautiful hymn
to start our service tonight. To rejoice in the Lord. Do we
rejoice? Do we praise God for what He's
done? Do we praise God that we are
One of his sheep. Do we praise him therefore because
he has gone before us and he's leading us and directing us. He hasn't cast us off. We deserve
to be, don't we? My people have forsaken me days
without number. How many days have you and I
forsaken our God? Perhaps we got up in the morning,
gone off wherever, to work or to school or to university, and
haven't thought about God all day. And yet, He hasn't forsaken us. He's been mindful of us, and
He's been gracious to us, and He's blessed us. Well, what a
wonderful thing this is. And so, to realise this is the
great God that you and I are privileged to worship. And so, as we come to the end
of this tenth chapter, the record of John is this. If he called them gods, unto
whom the word of God came, And the Scriptures cannot be broken.
Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into
the world, thou blasphemist, because I said I am the Son of
God, if I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, this is the Savior
speaking, but if I do, Though you believe not me, believe the
works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and
I in him. Well, God knows whether you and
I possess this great blessing to believe the truth of the gospel
and to believe that Jesus is the heavenly shepherd And He
does speak to His flock. He speaks to them as individuals. He knows us individually. We're
not a stranger. Again, think of the billions
of people in this world. God knows everyone. He doesn't
only know everyone. He knows all our thoughts. Every
thought is known to this great God. And what a mercy if God
has put into our hearts a desire to follow Him, a desire to serve
Him, a desire to do His will. Well, we come to the end of this
10th chapter, we're told, and many believed on Him there. Do you and I believe? Well, God
tells us, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved. There's no option and we need
that grace to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't have
to answer to man. You and I stand before God. God looks into our heart. We might deceive people. You
can't deceive God. God knows all about each one
of us in every minutest detail. And how wonderful it is, therefore,
if God has put into our heart that desire to worship Him, that
desire to bow down before Him, that desire to serve Him, and
that desire to follow Him. And realising it is because of
his love and mercy toward us and because by his grace we have
the evidence that we are his sheep because we've heard his
voice. Have you heard the voice of Jesus
speaking to your heart, directing you as to what you should do
to what you should say. Not always easy to follow, but
the Lord Jesus is very gracious. He doesn't learn us more than
we're able to bear. He doesn't give us a task or
anything which is beyond us. He is our helper. He gives us
strength. He gives us wisdom. And what
a mercy, therefore, if we are found amongst those who hear
his voice. The word of God is very clear,
isn't it? My sheep hear my voice. There's no doubt about it. Every
one of us must hear the voice of the Saviour. And I know them,
and the result, and they follow me. We are to take up our cross. We are. to follow our blessed
and glorious Saviour. And the result? And I give a
free gift. We can't deserve it. We don't
deserve it. And I give unto them eternal
life. And they shall never perish,
never perish, once in him, in him forever. Neither shall any
man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them me,
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my father's hand. I and my father are one. the glorious truth, my friends,
which we have set before us in the Word of God. And may we truly
rejoice in it and praise God for it and thank him tonight
that we have a simple illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
good shepherd and as a shepherd leads his sheep naturally. have the evidence that our blessed
Saviour is leading us safely through life and will bring us
safe home to glory. Can we not come and say then
tonight, blessed be God. Amen.