Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening. And
now for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm glad you could join us. And if you'd like to follow along
in your Bibles, today I'll be preaching from John chapter 10.
I began this chapter last week, but I'm going to begin in verse
four. I'm talking about today, Christ the good shepherd. The good shepherd. Last week
I spoke of Christ the door to life, talking about the door
of life, the sheepfold and the door. Well, here I wanna talk
about Christ the good shepherd. And verse four begins, it says,
when he, that is Christ, putteth forth his own sheep, the sheep
are those who are God's elect, whom Christ saves from their
sins, he's the shepherd, they're the sheep, and he said his own
sheep, he goeth before them in salvation, in eternal life, in
all things, Christ has the preeminence. He goes before His sheep. I love
that passage in Hebrews chapter four when it talks about going
to the throne of grace at the end of that chapter. It says
we can go boldly to the throne of grace. And the reason we can
go boldly, freely or confidently, we who believe the gospel now,
not talking about everybody, It's those who know Christ and
believe in Christ, who rest in Christ, who are washed in his
blood and clothed in his righteousness. The reason that we can go boldly
to the throne of grace, and make no mistake about it, it is a
throne of grace, freely given, undeserved, unearned salvation
and blessings. The reason we can go boldly to
the throne of grace is because it says in verse 14, we have
a great high priest who has passed through into the heavens. Jesus
Christ, the righteous. Christ went before his people.
He went to the cross and died for their sins. Not for the sins
of everybody without exception. I'm afraid that is not gospel. That's not scripture. But he
goes before his sheep. He satisfied justice on their
behalf. He brought in, through the everlasting
love of God to them, all that God required and all that they
needed. And he says, when he putteth
forth his own sheep, in verse four, he goeth before them, and
the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Now how do we
know, how do we follow him and know his voice? Through the preaching
of the gospel and the word of God. in the power of the Holy
Spirit. We read His word, but His word
is not just words on a page to the sheep. They're words of life. Over in John chapter 6, we read
this several months ago, how many who claimed to believe on
Him turned from Him and left Him. They didn't really believe. And He turned to His disciples
and He said, will you go away also? And Peter said, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of life. What
was Peter saying? We've got no place else to go.
Christ is the door, as I said last week. Christ is the one
way of salvation. Where are you going to go for
salvation? Every other way is a way of death
and damnation, perishing. But Christ is the way. He's the
way to righteousness. He's the way to forgiveness.
He's the way to life. He's the way to God. There's
one God, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And there's none other name given
under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved. So
he says they know his voice. We know when people are telling
the truth about God, who he is. We know when people are telling
the truth about ourselves and who we are, sinners, saved by
grace. God is holy and righteous. Yes, He's a merciful God. Yes, He's a loving God. Yes,
He's a gracious God, but not at the expense of His justice,
His truth, His righteousness. God must be both a just God and
a Savior. And he cannot do that based on
anything we do. We're sinners, none righteous,
none that doeth good, no, not one, none that seeketh after
God. So the truth about not only God
and not only about ourselves, but about Christ and salvation,
who he is and what he did and why he did it and where he is
now. Those who preach another Jesus, my friend, they're not
preaching truth, they're preaching a lie. But we know his voice,
and it says in verse five, and a stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.
When I hear false gospels from false preachers, I flee from
them. I don't listen to them, I don't
support them. I pray for their salvation as
I'm commanded to love my neighbor as myself, and the best thing
I can do for my neighbor, even my enemies, is pray for their
salvation. Lord, stop that man from preaching a false gospel
and show him your truth. Save his soul. He's lost. He's
preaching a lie. He's the blind leading the blind
and they all fall in the ditch together. I don't want to see
people perish. So I pray that the Lord will
save you from your sins. And if you're under a false gospel
with a false refuge, this is why I'm preaching on this program,
showing you the scriptures. is what it's all about. The righteousness
by which God justifies a sinner is not our works, and it's not
our decision. It's the imputed righteousness
of Christ, which he alone worked out in his obedience unto death
on the cross as the surety, the substitute, and the redeemer
of his people. It's not our believing that saves
us. It's Christ who saves us and
our believing is the gift of God by which we're led to rest
and lay hold of Him. You see that? And the reason
that's such an important point today is because there's multitudes
of people who believe that Christ died for everybody without exception,
even those who perish in hell. and that salvation's conditioned
upon our believing or our doing or our repenting. Listen, faith
and repentance are gifts from God, necessary gifts. Nobody's
gonna be saved without faith, without believing. He that believeth
not shall be damned. Repentance is necessary. Christ
said, except you repent, you'll perish. But those are not what
saves us. Christ saves us. And if he saves
us, he'll give us faith to believe and repentance to turn from ourselves
and our sins. And that's the evidence. And
that's what he means the sheep will hear his voice. And they
won't follow another. Verse six he says, this parable
spoke Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things they
were which he spake unto them. See all of this that Christ is
speaking. when he says he is the door and the sheep fold and
all that. That's metaphorical language,
it's symbolic. And he calls it a parable here.
And a parable literally is something held up, symbolically held up
beside a reality to reveal truth in a simple way or in a way that
hides it. And he says they didn't understand
that. They didn't know what he was talking about. Why? Well,
it's like the Lord told the disciples over in Matthew chapter 13, they
have ears to hear, but they won't hear. Now you may be hearing
what I'm saying physically, but do you believe it? Do you walk
away unaffected? Do you know it? You may see it,
but they don't have eyes to see spiritually. And then look at
verse seven. Then said Jesus unto them again,
verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Now
he's telling them the meaning of the parable. This door. Christ himself walked through
the door of God's justice to save his sheep, his people from
their sins. And he's the shepherd of the
sheep. The good shepherd, verse 11, gives his life for the sheep.
And he is the door by which they enter in. And he says in verse
eight, all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but
the sheep did not hear them. Now this might be a direct reference
to the Pharisees, but it's a direct reference to all false messiahs
and false preachers. false messiahs who claim to be
the salvation of sinners, false preachers who preached another
way, and as he said, they're thieves and they're robbers.
What are they trying to steal? They're trying to steal God's
glory. I mentioned this last week. They're trying to steal
God's glory and retain some of their own. That's what a person,
listen, a person who believes Salvation is conditioned on something
they do or they decide. That's a thief and a robber.
Because you're trying to steal some glory for yourself. As if
you make the difference between saved and lost. And it's not
God alone in Christ. You know, the thieves on the
cross, the two thieves that were on the cross, on the right and
the left side of Christ, you know, they both started out railing
on Christ, but all of a sudden, one changed. There was a change. And he told the other thief,
he said, this man had done a mist. And he said, we deserve what
we're getting. And he looked at the Lord and
he said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Something
changed. Well, what changed? Did that
bad thief just all of a sudden become a good thief? Or did he
get so desperate that he just cried? No, the Holy Spirit did
a work of grace there. And it was Christ on the middle
cross who made the difference. That's the only reason. Christ
said in John 6, 44, no man can come to me except the Father
which hath sent me draw him, and I'll raise him up at the
last day. Why is it that some believe and some do not? Well,
the reason is is that God does a work of grace in those who
believe. Read about it in John chapter
one and other places. There's so many places. But that's
what he says. He says, the sheep did not hear
these who came before him. And he says in verse nine, I
am the door. Continuing on with that metaphor
and that theme, he's the way to God. He's the way of righteousness. There's no other way. There's
none righteous, no, not one. Christ is righteous. What he's
talking about in Romans 3.10 is all of us by nature. How do
I have a righteousness before a holy God? It's through the
door of Jesus Christ. He's the door of righteousness.
It's his righteousness imputed, charged to me. And he says, by
me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and
out and find pasture. Wherever he goes, in the word
of God, he'll find pasture. Remember, I mentioned last week,
Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me
to lie down in green pastures. That's the spiritual food, which
is the word of God, the truth of God. In verse 10, he says,
the thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. Now these thieves, false messiahs,
false preachers, they don't realize this because they're deceived
themselves, but Christ says they come to steal and to rob and
to kill and to destroy, but he says, I am come that they might
have life. Who? His sheep. He says, I am come that they
might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
Now the might there is not that they maybe should have it, but
maybe not. It's the certain assurance that
if he says, he says, I'm come for this reason, and the following
verses bear this out. He is the assurance that all
for whom he died, his sheep will have life. Look at verse 11.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. He's the shepherd of the sheep.
He didn't die for everybody without exception. All for whom He died
will have life, and they'll have it more abundantly. More than
they can ever imagine. The Bible says in Romans 5, where
sin abounded, grace did much more abound. And there's a picture
there in the wording of the original, which kind of pictures this,
that where sin was drowning us, we were drowning in a sea of
sin by nature and we couldn't get away from it. But grace did
much more about it. And then he goes on to say, grace
reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord. So he is the good shepherd. Bible says in Romans 3 in verse
11, about us, that there's none good, no not one. Christ is the
good shepherd. And the good shepherd, who did
Christ die for? Here he says it. The good shepherd
giveth his life for the sheep. But look at verse 12. But he
that is in hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep
are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep. He flees
himself, he flees. And the wolf catcheth them, and
scattereth the sheep. That's what happens. False preachers, they scatter
the sheep. But verse 13, the hireling fleeth, because he's
an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. But look at verse
14. I am the good shepherd. Now the good, he already said
the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. I'm the good shepherd. Why does he give his life for
the sheep? Because we're sinners. And sin demands death. That passage
in Romans 5, 21 for it says, for as sin reigned unto death,
Even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord. So in order to save us from our
sins, in order to save his sheep from their sins, he had to give
his life for them. He had to die. He had to satisfy
the justice of God. It's not that God is bloodthirsty
or some kind of a masochist or sadist or murderer. No. God is a holy God. He's a just
God. And justice demands payment. It's His nature. And yes, but
God is a loving God. He loves His people whom He chose
before the foundation of the world and gave to Christ. And
He marked them out as vessels of mercy, Romans 9 tells us.
And He sent His Son into the world to save them from their
sins. How? By dying in their place. Isaiah 53 says, He was bruised
for our iniquities. The iniquities of His people
imputed to Him. So yes, God is a loving God. and He delights to show mercy.
He's a gracious God, but He's also a just God. He must be both. You read about that all over
the scriptures. That's why when Adam and Eve
fell and they put on their fig leaf aprons trying to cover their
nakedness, their sin, their lack of righteousness, What did God
do in Genesis 3.21? He slew animals and made them
coats of skin. And I believe those animals were
sheep, but it doesn't matter. They represented the sacrifice
of the seed of woman who was prophesied in Genesis 3.15, who
shed his blood as payment for their sins and brought forth
a coat of righteousness. The righteousness of God imputed
to them. whereby God is both a just God
as well as a savior. Where he's both a righteous judge
and can remain true to himself in his justice, but also be a
loving, merciful, gracious, heavenly father. That's the key. So he says in verse 14, I'm the
good shepherd and know my sheep. He knew, the Bible says, The
foundation of God stands sure, the Lord knoweth them that are
his. I mentioned this last week, how the high priest of Israel
went into the holiest of all one time a year on the Day of
Atonement. He had a breastplate, and on that breastplate were
12 names, six and six, the 12 tribes of Israel. That's who
he went there for, not the Gentiles. But the Israelites had six names
on this amulet on his shoulder and six names on it, the 12 tribes
of Israel. And that was a metaphor, that
was a type, a picture of how Christ has the names of his sheep. written on his heart, his breastplate,
as it were. And they're upon his shoulders,
having all their salvation conditioned upon him. The government shall
be upon his shoulder. The Bible says their names were
written in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of
the world. And isn't that interesting? Christ
is called the shepherd of the sheep, but he's also called a
lamb. That speaks of his sacrificial work as the Lamb of God. that bears away the sins of the
world. Not everybody in the world, but
the world of his people, his elect out of every tribe, kindred,
tongue and nation all over the world. So verse 14 again, I am
the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. Now,
how do I know if I'm one of his sheep? Well, do you know him? In John 17, Christ prayed. He
said, this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. In Matthew chapter
11, I believe it's around verse 25. You can check me out on that. But he said, no man knoweth the
Father, saveth the Son, or no man knoweth the Son, saveth the
Father, and he to whomsoever, knoweth the Father, saveth the
Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. The other
way you're gonna know the Father is through the Son. Without the
Son, you say, well, I'm gonna come to God, I'm gonna plead
my best. Well, you're not coming to a heavenly Father then, you're
coming to a righteous judge who judges according to righteousness.
And the standard of righteousness is found in Christ. You must
meet up to that standard by your works if that's the way you come
to God. My friend, to come to God by His grace and mercy, like
that old publican, God be merciful to me, the sinner, is to come
before God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and clothed in the
righteousness of the King of kings, having His, forgiven of
all sins by His blood, and made righteous in Him. And how do
I know that I'm one of them? The Holy Spirit will bring me
under the gospel wherein Christ is revealed in the power of the
Spirit as the righteousness of God, as the Savior of sinners,
the one and only, as the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
as prophet, priest, and king. And he says, I know my sheep.
Look at verse 15. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father, and I laid down my life for the sheep. You
see it? The Father gave him the sheep
before the foundation of the world. This is the covenant of
grace. Before this world was ever created,
before we ever fell in Adam, the Father chose the people. and gave them to Christ. And
he says, and Christ sent Christ to lay down his life for the
sheep. But now look at verse 16. Now,
you know, I mentioned that John chapter one, I think it's verse
29, where John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sins of the world. Now there's a couple of things
you need to understand about that verse. When he says taken
away the sins of the world, He doesn't mean everybody in the
world without exception that has ever lived or ever will live.
It's not a universal bearing away of sins. Because if it is,
if you understand the Bible's teaching on taking away sins,
the Bible teaches if your sins are taken away, you're going
to be saved. So if you believe that that's
talking about everybody in the world, you don't have to say
everybody in the world will be saved. Now somebody comes along
today and they'll say, oh, but you have to accept that gift.
The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says that that process,
that work that Christ did on the cross ensures that those
for whom he died will accept it. Their accepting it didn't
make it effectual for them. His death made it effectual.
And so when he says this in verse 15, listen to what he says. He
says, and other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Now he has other sheep that are
not of this fold. What is the fold that he's talking
about? He's talking about the Jewish fold. God has a chosen
people and elect people out of the Jews. They're called the
remnant. A remnant according to the election
of grace. But he says, I have other sheep. And who are they? That's his elect among the Gentiles
around the world. And so when John the Baptist
said in John 1 29, behold the Lamb of God which beareth away
the sins of the world. He's not talking about everybody
in the world without exception. He's talking about all of God's
elect out of every tribe, kindred, tongue, and nation around the
world, God has a people, not just of the Jews, but of the
Gentiles too. And Paul explains that beautifully
in the book of Romans chapter 11. Read Romans 9, 10, and 11.
That's what that's all about, that God has a people, not only
of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. And they're his sheep,
they're his elect. And so he says in verse 16, and
other sheep have I which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring. I must bring. Why? Because God chose them. It's
because they're justified in Christ. They're going to be redeemed
on the cross. He's bought them lock, stock,
and barrel, speaking in terms in lieu of His, not instead of,
but speaking in light of His cross. And He must bring them. All for whom He died, He must
have. And listen to what it says. Not only I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice. They will accept Him. They will
receive Him. Because He sends His Spirit to
regenerate them, to give them new birth, to give them a new
heart. God said that through Jeremiah. He said, those people
whom he chose to save and redeemed in Christ, he said, I'll give
them a new heart, I'll give them a new life, a new spirit, and
they'll be my people and I'll be their God. And he says, and
there shall be one fold and one shepherd, the shepherd of the
sheep, one fold, Not many folds. In other words, they're all brought
into the same fold, which is the kingdom of God, the true
church. It's not a denominational thing. This denomination preaches one
way of salvation. This denomination preaches another.
Oh, no. Oh, no. They'll be brought under
one head, one shepherd, one king, one savior, the Lord our righteousness,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the shepherd. of the sheep,
and he saves all of his people from their sins, and they shall
all know me, God said to Jeremiah, from the least of them to the
greatest, they'll be gathered together into one foe, one spiritual
foe. They won't be together here on
earth, they'll be scattered around. There'll be pockets of people.
But in the end, they'll all be gathered unto the great shepherd,
the good shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep, Jesus
Christ. Hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
Grace Media Ministries or Eager Avenue Grace Church, Write us
at 1-1-0-2 Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia 3-1-7-0-7. Contact us
by phone at 229-432-6969 or email us through our website at www.TheLetterRofGrace.com. Thank you again for listening
today and may the Lord be with you.