Turn with me now, if you would,
to John chapter 10. John chapter 10. Last week I was talking with
a brother And he mentioned this portion of scripture. And when
he did, I thought about it and I entered in to how plain and
how simple, just how wonderful, how beautiful this passage really
is. So I would like for us to just
enjoy these verses tonight. That's all I want us to do. I
remember hearing brother Henry said one time, he said the meat
and potatoes of the gospel is critical. It's critical, but he said a
little salad and ice cream is nice too. And that's what I pray
we have tonight. I pray we just enjoy what's written
here. John 10, look at verse 27. Our Lord said, 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." Isn't
there something just so sweet and so calming and so peaceful
about the matter-of-fact relationship between Christ and His people. It's just so matter-of-fact. It's just so definite. It's so
set in stone, ordered, sure. When He says, this is who I am, And this is who they are. And this is what I'm gonna do
for them. And this is the result that it
will bring to them. And nobody can do anything to
stop it or change it, alter it in any way. It is set in stone. I have all power over it. All
power. I have all say in the matter. I have ordered it. I have secured
it. When you hear that, doesn't it
just bring a relaxing smile to your heart? When you hear him
say that to his people, doesn't that just Bring a relaxing smile to your
heart, and then it comes to your face. Out of the heart, it comes
to your face. So relaxing. When you hear him say, they shall
never perish. They'll never perish. You know, when something perishes,
you throw it out. They'll never perish. When you
hear him say, no man can pluck them out of my hand. When you hear him say that, doesn't
that bring peace to you? Absolute peace. Look with me
at John 11, one page over John 11 verse 26. and whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Do you believe it? Do you believe it? Never die. Yea, Lord, I believe, help my
unbelief. But I believe, I do believe,
and I rest in what you're saying. I believe you, I do. By His grace,
I believe Him. I believe when this body lays
down, that's not the end of me. I believe you. I rest in it. Totally rest in
it. Back in John 10, our Lord called
His people His sheep. He said, they belong to me. They're mine. They are my sheep. And he said, they know me. They
know me. I know them and they know me. And he said, this is how you
can tell who they are. This is how you can tell who
my sheep are and this is how you can tell that they know me.
Verse 27, he said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow
me. They follow me. He said, that's
how you can tell who my sheep are. They love me. And they live to hear my voice. They love to hear my voice. And
they live to hear my voice and follow me. Follow me. If my voice moves, they move. They follow me. They know my
voice. They know it when it's not my
voice. They most definitely know when
it's not my voice, look at verse one, John 10, verse one says,
verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door
into the sheep fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as
a thief and a robber back back when for Jen, you know, for all
years, shepherds have sheep. and they watch them all day,
and at night the shepherds go sleep. So they all bring their
sheep to a sheepfold. It's a big walled, fenced sheepfold. And a man stays up all night
and watches all those sheep while the shepherds sleep, and he's
called a porter. And he only lets the shepherds
come in the door. It's a locked door. And if some
other man tries to climb over the wall, it's clear that's not
a shepherd, that's a thief. He said in verse one, verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as 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. I would love to see that. One
shepherd, they have sheep in there from all these different
shepherds. And one shepherd comes in and gives his call, whatever
it is. And all of his sheep come running to him. Those that are
not his don't come running. They don't know his call, they
don't know his voice. And then the next shepherd will come in
and give his call, and all of his sheep come running. Verse
four, and when he put 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 understood not what things they were, which
he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again,
verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I'm
the shepherd, I'm the door. 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 have come that they might have
more abundant life. That more abundant life cannot
be described. I can't help but think about
the brethren who have gone before us. We just recently had a dear
brother Live. He just lived. And he's now living life more
abundant. And this life more abundant cannot
be described, and here's the reason why. It's the very life
of Christ himself. I have a life that I live. So
does he. It's the very life of Christ
Himself. In verse 11, when He said, I
am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd giveth His life for
the sheep. He gave His life for the sheep by giving His life to the sheep.
He literally gave His life to the sheep. And he took their
life to himself. Now you talk about life more
abundant. Think about this physically. Here's an illustration, all right?
And this illustration does not do anything justice. This does
not even compare. But here's a physical illustration
of this. What if an actual shepherd, right
now, a physical, actual shepherd could trade lives with one of
his sheep? and become the sheep. Can we enter into what condescension
that would be even for a mortal man? To make himself to be a
sheep. What condescension? What giving
that would be? For a mortal man to leave his
state and place in life as he has it. To become A sheep to
take the life of a sheep. And then can we enter into what
a life of more abundance it would be for the sheep to leave his
place in existence, to take the life of a man and physically
live as a man. You just think about this, that
sheep's mouth. Have you ever seen a sheep's
mouth? That sheep's mouth would be able
to say things that are not possible for a sheep's mouth to say. That's what the Apostle Paul
said when he was carried up to the third heaven. He said, I
heard things. You see how these jaws work? It's not possible
for these jaws to say the things that I heard. That sheep would be able to know
as he has been known. That sheep would know, he would
experience knowledge, wisdom, intellect. Intellect. His mind would think in ways
it never thought before. That sheep would eat something
other than grass. He'd say, oh, this is good. All
I ever ate before this was grass. That sheep would sleep in a warm
bed at night as opposed to the mud, the hard ground. As drastic as that change would
be, that doesn't come close to entering in, to the life of Christ
that he has given to his people. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9 says,
I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the
heart of man. Never seen anything like it,
never heard anything like it, never imagined anything like
it. And the amazing thing is, in
order for Christ to give us his life, he had to give his life
not only to us, but for us. To give His life to us, He had
to give His life for us. He had to make a payment with
His own life, with His own blood. He had to make that payment for
His sheep to receive this eternal life of Christ. This life that
He mentioned in verse 28, in order for His sheep to never
perish, He had to perish for them. He had to take that perishing
for them. So that's what he did. That's
what the great shepherd of the sheep did. Verse 11, he said,
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. But he that is an 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 an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 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. I lay down my life
for the sheep." He saw the wolf coming. He saw the adversary
coming, all the way to the cross of Calvary. He did not flee. He laid down His life for the
sheep. He said, for my sheep, specifically
for my sheep. Christ did not die for the world
who He calls goats. He died for His sheep. He died
for His sheep. This is what He said in Matthew
25, verses 31 and 32. He said, 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 divided his sheep from the goats. And to the goats he's gonna say,
depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire. But to the
sheep, he's gonna say, come you blessed of my father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
You come prepare the kingdom, come into the kingdom that was
prepared for you before the foundation of the world. That's amazing.
That is amazing. What made the difference? What
made the difference? What spared the sheep from receiving
the same destructions the goats did? The end of verse 15, our Lord
said, I laid down my life for the sheep. I gave myself to their
destruction. They won't bear it because I
bore it for them. Verse 15, He said, 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." He said, they're out of every tribe, nation,
kindred, tongue, and people. And the more I think about that,
the more it makes me want to preach the gospel. It really
does. God has sheep out there. And
the only reason this world will make one more revolution is because
He has sheep out there, and they're all gonna be called. And He said,
all of them are gonna be brought into this fold. Verse 16, the
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I
must bring, and they shall hear my voice. And I'm so thankful
for that. I'm so glad it's not dependent
on this voice. It's not by might. It's not by
man's strength, it's by his spirit. And he will speak through his
word. They're gonna 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
have I received of my father. Verse 19 says, there was a division
therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. And many of
them said, he hath the devil and is mad. Why hear ye him?
Others said, these are not the words of him that hath a devil.
Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? And what a statement
that is. God is going to use the truth of his word. Can the
devil, can a devil open the eyes of the blind? And it was at Jerusalem,
the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus
walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews, round
about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to
doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 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're not of my sheep. As I said unto you, only God's
sheep can believe on him. Only God's sheep can believe
on him. I've told you this before, but
when I first started preaching, one of my greatest fears was
giving those who were not God's elect a false hope. And then the Lord finally convinced
me through the word Only God's sheep can believe on him. Preach the word, preach the gospel,
go into all the world and preach the good news. You go tell the
good news of what Christ has done for his people. He that
believes it will be saved. He that doesn't believe it, shake
the dust from your feet and move on to the next one. Preach it
again. Preach it again. Only God's sheep
can believe on Him and what that truly means. If you believe on
Him, if you truly do, if you see His death, He said, I'm the
good shepherd and I laid down my life for the sheep. If you
see His death to be your only hope, that work of the shepherd
to be the only work, If you desire and need Him, I
remember a time in my life when I desired Him. I do. I remember a time when I needed
Him, and He was my only hope, and I wanted to be with Him,
and I wanted to be under His blood. I just didn't know if
I was one of His people. I didn't know if I was one of
the elect. He only died for the sheep. How can I know if I'm
one of them? If He is your all, and His blood
is your all, and you realize that's my only plea before God,
the blood of Christ, the work of Christ, I need Him, I need
Christ, He's my only hope. If you believe that, and you're
wondering whether or not you're a sheep, you are. And that's
not me talking, that's God talking. You are. If you need Christ and
He is made to be all you need, all you need, you are. Only God's
sheep can believe on Him. Only God's sheep can cast their
all on Him. Not what He's done plus some
things that I want to add to it. Only God's sheep can totally,
completely cast it all on Him. Totally need Him alone. Truly
need Him alone. Only His sheep can hear His voice
and follow Him. Only his sheep will hear his
voice and follow him. Verse 25, Jesus answered them,
I told you and you believe 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. He said, I know them and they
follow me. They hear my voice. They hear
my voice. How does he speak to his sheep? How does he speak to his sheep?
He speaks through his word. What does he say to his sheep? What does he say to his sheep?
This is what he says. He says, you're all a bunch of
sinners. That's what he says. All flesh
is grass. That's what he says. All nations
are nothing before me. I am the sovereign God and I
can do whatever I want with whoever I want. You have never done anything
right. You've never done any righteousness,
no good. You don't deserve one kindness
from me. Your works are filthy rags in my eyes." After hearing that, all of God's
sheep say, amen. That's right, I believe you. I believe you. And then he says,
I'm a holy God who punishes sinners. And I will punish all, I will
judge all for their sins. And then all of God's sheep say,
amen. That's right, I believe you. And then he says, fear not, come
unto me. I'm a God of mercy. I'm a God
who delights to show mercy to sinners like you. And I've settled your debt by
sacrificing myself for your sins. And then all of God's people
say, amen, that's right, I believe you. Verse 27, he said, 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. I give them eternal life."
Life forevermore. Life forevermore. Death has been
put away. For God's sheep, death is over.
It's over. And none shall perish, they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
I love that declaration. No man can pluck them out of
my hand. I love that so much because it
includes this man. It includes this man. I can't
even pluck myself out of his hand. Verse 29, he said, my father
which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to
pluck them out of my father's hand. My father chose them and
he put them in my hand. And then he put my hand in his
hand, and no man can pluck him out of my father's hand. Verse
30, he said, I and my father are one. And he said in John
17, that his sheep are one with them. Us in him, him in his father,
one. Verse 31, then the Jews took
up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good
works have I showed you from my father, for which of those
works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying,
for a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy and because
that thou being a man make us thyself God. Nope, they didn't see him. They didn't
hear him. They didn't believe him. They
didn't follow him. They didn't know him. Him being
God made himself to be a man. the substitute of his people.
Verse 34, Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law,
I said you are gods. He's quoting Psalm 82 right there.
If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came and the
scripture cannot be broken, say ye of him whom the father had
sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemous because
I said I'm the son of God. If I do not the works of my father,
believe me not. But if I do, though you believe
not me, believe the works that you may know and believe that
the Father is in me and I in him. Therefore they sought again
to take him, but he escaped out of their hand, and went away
again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized,
and there he abode. And many resorted unto him and
said, John did no miracle, but all things that John spake of
this man were true." And every believer is going to say that
when they see the king, like that Queen of Sheba. The half
wasn't told me, but those men that He raised up to preach Him
and preach His Word, everything they said about Him was true.
Verse 42 says, and many believed on Him there. How about us? Do we believe on Him? Do we hear His voice in His Word? Do we hear this Word speaking
of Him? All about Him. Do we need Him? Do we follow Him? If so, we're His sheep. We're His sheep, and that's a
good thing to be. The sheep of the shepherd. The sheep of the
shepherd, what a good thing to be. They'll all hear His voice,
know Him, follow Him, have eternal life, never perish. Wonderful. All right, let's all stand together.