I'm gonna read from John chapter 10 most of the time this morning. John chapter 10. This has been such a blessing to me, reading and studying for this. It's very comforting. The title of this is simply The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd. Now Shepherd, first of all I want to say I have no experience with sheep and shepherds other than what I've read and seen on TV. I don't have any first-hand knowledge or experience with sheep. But I did look some of this up and tried to learn a little bit about what shepherds did back in biblical times. Tried to learn a little bit about sheep, their nature. And so hopefully I can share some of that with you and we'll learn with this scripture as we go. This talks about the good shepherd, this scripture. The shepherd is someone, of course, who takes care of sheep. They guard the flock. They protect them from predators, from thieves. They take care of them, their health. They help them with birthing lambs, called lambing, injuries, and they're responsible for their safety. So everything that the sheep requires, that's what the shepherd is responsible for. They also guide them to the shelter, an enclosure called a sheepfold. A sheepfold back then was typically made of rock or stone walls. It was an enclosure. Sometimes they were made out of wooden fences. Sometimes they were even made out of thorny bushes. But it was a circle or a square to encompass the sheep, to protect the sheep. Now these enclosures had a single narrow entrance. There was no other way to get in or out of these enclosures except through this single narrow entrance. And that way the shepherd could keep track of the sheep, keep them protected. It kept predators out, it kept thieves and robbers out, and it helped him account for the sheep and care for them. The shepherd, a lot of times at night, even during the day, With that enclosure, with the entrance, he would actually make himself a door. He would stand or lay in the entrance of that enclosure, that sheepfold. So the sheep could not come in and out unless it came past the shepherd. Nothing could come in or out without the shepherd knowing. I found that very interesting. So let's start with verse 11, chapter 10. I am the good shepherd. This is Christ speaking to the Jews. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Now look over in verse 14. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of my sheep. This is Christ talking about the good shepherd. He gives his life for the sheep. He knows his sheep. He's known of his sheep. David says in Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd. 1320 in Hebrews, 1320, he's referred to as the great shepherd. And Peter called him the chief shepherd, all talking about our Lord. Now sheep are led. They're not animals that are driven like cattle, they're led, they follow. and they graze and they forage grass, they find water. After they eat, they have to lay down and they have to rest and let their food digest. That's a normal thing for them to do. A sheep will not lay down unless it feels comfortable and safe. If it's startled or scared, it will not lay down. They're vulnerable creatures. They don't have claws, they don't have fangs, they can't defend themselves against predators. So if they wander off, if the shepherd is not near enough, if they wander off, they can become lost. They have a poor sense of direction, so it's likely that they won't come back on their own. They have to go out and be found. Other sheep may follow these sheep if they get lost. They go out foraging looking for food. They might get scared and they might run away and so they're lost from the flock, which makes them even more vulnerable to predators. Sheep have wool. They're not very fast. They can't really run from their predators. Their wool collects dirt. They get filthy. They're filthy animals. And that just slows them down and it makes them even slower. So they're very defenseless. They're not fast. They can't defend themselves in any way. And they're prone to wander. John 10, verses one through six. Let's read that. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 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. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they did not understand what things they were which he spake unto them. They didn't understand what he was saying. So who are the sheep that we're talking about in this scripture? If you would turn over to Matthew 25 with me. Hold your place in John chapter 10. Matthew 25 verse 31. When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him. Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats, his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. This talks about sheep and goats, the righteous and the wicked. I want to be a sheep. Matthew 1.21, an angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream. This is the husband of Mary. And it's told, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. His people are His sheep. He's the shepherd of our souls. His sheep were chosen in Christ before the world began. We are His responsibility, His sheep, given to Him by God the Father. In Matthew 23, it reads, they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. God with us. Christ said in John 6, for I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." This is our Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd that we're talking about. Now back over in our text, John chapter 10, verse 3. says the last part, he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. The sheep hear his voice. If you'll look over one page to John chapter 11, this talks about Lazarus. Verse 1, Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick. And therefore his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent unto the Lord a message telling him that Lazarus was sick. Verse 5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. And look down in verse 21, I'm skipping through this for time's sake, but verse 21, then said Martha unto Jesus, after she had met him, unto the Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. If you'd been here, Lord, he wouldn't have died. Verse 39, Jesus said at the tomb, he said, take ye away the stone. Move the stone away from the entrance of the tomb. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days. Look down at verse 43. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him and let him go. His sheep heard his voice. Lazarus heard his voice. The Lord called him, brought him back to life, called him, and Lazarus came forth. He was dead four days in the grave. And Lazarus had nothing to do with his life, with giving himself life. He had nothing to do with it. The Lord gave him life. And this is us spiritually. Spiritually we're dead in trespasses and sin by one man, Adam. Sin entered into the world and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. Glenn mentioned that this morning in our Bible study. He makes us alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. We hear His voice through the gospel. He causes us to believe. He saved us, He called us, and it's not according to our works. It's according to His will, His purpose, His grace, and Jesus Christ. And this was before the world began. He chose His sheep before the world began. Now let's read further, John chapter, in our text, John 10, go down to verse 7. And this is the Lord speaking to the Jews again. They didn't understand what He said the first time. He says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door by me. If any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, 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 hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and he cares not for the sheep. The thieves and robbers, this is reference to those that would attempt to steal God's glory. And God said, I will not share my glory with anyone. And the hireling is someone that just shows up for the money. They're just there for their money and self-interest. At the first sign of trouble, they leave. They have no commitment, no love, no interest to the flock. At the first sign of trouble, they run. And this represents someone a false preacher, someone who just decides, oh, I'm going to be a preacher instead of some other occupation. They have no knowledge of the gospel. They have no care for the flock, for the sheep. And they're just there for the money, for their own self-interest. Paul said in Romans 1.25 about false prophets who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator. Now look at John 10 verse 14 in our text. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, And I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received of my father. Christ is the good shepherd. He lays his life. He laid his life down for his sheep. He suffered and died for our transgressions. He took our sin upon himself and died for our sins. He covered us in his righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5.21, God made Christ to be sin for us, him who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He put away our sin for the sacrifice of himself, for his sheep. Let's look down at verse 24 of our text. Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." They're telling him, just tell us. If you're Christ, tell us. And he'd been telling them for several years in his ministry who he was. They didn't believe him. In verse 25, Jesus answered them, I told you and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, 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. 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." Then the Jews took up stones to stone him. Again, to stone him. They heard what he said that time. They understood that. They don't understand who he is, but they understood what he said. He said he was God. 32, Jesus answered them, many good works have I showed you from my father. For which of those good works do you stone me? And they answered, saying, for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy. And because of thou being a man, make us thyself to be God. This is why they picked up stones to stone him. They heard that. They heard what he said. I and my Father are one. Now turn over, if you would, to Psalm 23. Everyone is probably familiar, very familiar with this scripture. This is David. And many people can recite this from memory. They don't have to read it. And that's good. It's a beautiful passage. But knowing what it says, understanding what it says and who it's talking about, that's what matters. Not being able to recite something from memory, but to understand and know what this is saying and who it's referring to, who it's talking about. That's what matters. That's what's important. David says, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. And over in Psalm 37, 25, he says, I have been a young man. I have been young and am now old. I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor seed begging bread. Verse two, he says, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. This has given us peace and rest in the word. The Lord provides, he gives us what we need, peace and rest. Look at verse three, he restoreth my soul, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for his name's sake. The Lord restores, he forgives, and he leads for his name's sake, he leads us. Verse four, yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. This is the comfort of the Lord, the Lord comforts. We, once we're born, every step we take through life is one step closer to death. Every minute, we're one minute closer to death. And he comforts us. He comforts us. He helps us through the good times. He helps us through the turbulent times. He sends us trial and tribulation. We know that. We all have had trials and tribulations, and we're going to have more trials and tribulations. And he does this to teach us our need of him. He does this to teach us that we're not really in control of anything. He is. Teaches us our need of him. And it also helps us to let go of this world and to teach us we don't really need the things of this world. We need him. We need Christ. That's all that matters is Christ. Verse five, thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil and my cup runneth over. He protects us. He protects us from our enemies. He protects us from false religion. He protects us from the evils and temptations of this world. His enemies are our enemies. He's in absolute control of all things. Last verse, verse six, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What a blessing that is to think, to be in the presence of the Lord forever, for eternity. What a thought that is to be in the presence of the Lord forever. It's hard to imagine. and be without sin, to be in the presence of the Lord without sin is just hard to imagine. I just can't imagine what that would be like, but what a blessing it'll be for his sheep. If we can learn to trust him, put our faith in him, believe that he is in control and he cares for his sheep, he cares for us. Every week I seem to have trouble remembering that. I get frustrated, I get upset over work or something at home or whatever. If we would only learn to trust Him, He's in control. He's either in control or He's not. And if He's in control, He's in control of all things or He's not. And we either believe that or we don't. We could just trust Him, learn to trust Him more. The Lord defeated his enemies. He defeated death and he defeated the grave, the tomb. He laid his life down for us and he raised it back up again on the third day. He got up, he folded his grave clothes and he walked out. He suffered and he died for his sheep and rose again on the third day. Hebrews 10, 12, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice forever, sat down on the right hand of God. I'm going to close with Romans 8, if you would turn there. This will be familiar to all of us. We refer to it often. Look at verse 31, Romans 8, 31. This is such comfort. 31, what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. And then Paul says, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.