How Think Ye?

Q: What does the Bible say about greatness in the kingdom of heaven?

The Bible teaches that true greatness in the kingdom of heaven is being humble and dependent like a child, as shown in Matthew 18. In Matthew 18, Jesus uses a child to illustrate the essence of greatness in His kingdom. He instructs His disciples to become like little children, emphasizing the importance of humility and reliance on God. Children do not seek greatness or status; rather, they depend completely on their parents for care and sustenance. Jesus sought to demonstrate that our understanding of greatness must shift from pride and self-reliance to humility and an utter dependence on Him as our Savior.

Q: How do we know we are God's sheep?

We are recognized as God's sheep because of our faith in Jesus, which arises from His calling us as His own. According to John 10:14-27, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, and they hear His voice and follow Him. It is not our belief that makes us His sheep; rather, it is the sovereign work of God that calls us to faith. Jesus states that we believe because we are His sheep, showing the divine initiative in our salvation. The Father gives His elect to the Son, affirming that our status as His sheep is rooted in God's eternal purpose and grace, not in our own decisions or actions.

Q: Why is it important to understand our dependence on Christ?

Understanding our dependence on Christ emphasizes our need for His grace and guidance in every aspect of life. Acknowledging our dependence on Christ is crucial for understanding our position in His kingdom. The sermon illustrates how we are like sheep—ignorant, defenseless, and incapable of saving ourselves. This dependence drives us to rely not on our own strength but on the power of Christ for sustenance and protection. In a world that often promotes self-sufficiency, recognizing our need for grace aligns us with biblical truths that remind us that our salvation and daily life are entirely in His hands. As we lean on Christ, we experience the peace and security of being safe in His fold.

Q: What comfort do we find in Christ's love for His sheep?

We find great comfort in knowing that Christ's love is boundless and that He will never lose any of His sheep. In the sermon, the preacher emphasizes the infinite and personal nature of Christ's love for His sheep. Jesus says in John 10:28 that He gives His sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish. This assurance provides deep comfort as it highlights the security that comes from being in His hands. The love of Christ means that no external force can separate us from Him; we are eternally protected and cherished. His sacrificial love, demonstrated through His death on the cross, not only affirms our value but also secures our salvation, promising that every one of His sheep will ultimately be brought home.

Q: Why does God go after the lost sheep?

God goes after the lost sheep because of His great love and the desire that none should perish. The parable of the lost sheep illustrates God's immense love and care for each individual. In Matthew 18 and Luke 15, Jesus reveals that the shepherd actively seeks out the lost sheep, highlighting that every sheep matters to Him. His love is not impersonal; it is deeply relational and personal. This pursuit emphasizes that God's will is that none of His children should be lost but that all should come to repentance and faith. It demonstrates His commitment to redeeming and restoring us to Himself, which is pivotal to understanding His character as merciful and gracious.

back in Matthew 18 for just a little while tonight. Matthew 18, you recall that the Lord Jesus had taught the disciples regarding greatness They were murmuring among themselves about which of them should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And our Lord brought a little child before them and taught them that they must become as a little child. Little children don't think about greatness. They think that they're Dad and Mom are great, and they trust their father and mother, and they depend utterly upon them.

That's how we must become. We've got to be a lot less self-reliant and lean more and more all of our weight upon the Son of God. For us to even talk about greatness we'd better be talking about him, because we have no grounds upon which to boast of anything whatsoever. Everything that we do and ever will do will be full of sin until we're taken from the body of this death into the presence of our Lord. But he took that little child, that was his response, I guess, his answer. Of course, he set all of this up. He orchestrated every moment of this. He allowed their pride to rise up so that he could teach them what greatness is and what they are.

And so he uses a little child and then he tells this parable of a sheep that's lost. A sheep, not even a smart sheep, a wandering sheep, a rebellious sheep, a foolish sheep. a sheep that has not enough sense to stay where he's taken care of. The Lord said in the book of Isaiah regarding us, even the ox knows his master's crib. He knows he has a master and he knows that he made a crib for him. We don't know that. We don't acknowledge that in the way that we live.

I think that everything is because of our hard work and ingenuity in our works, especially in the matter of salvation by nature. But he taught them with an animal as well, as a little child, helpless, defenseless, hopeless without him, utterly dependent upon the shepherd for his well-being, for his sustenance, for his protection.

And so we saw the same truths in both of these illustrations that the Lord used in response. Always when we say in response, it was the Lord that initiated all of it. So it wasn't a response in the sense we think of that. But he responded to their pride by showing them what they truly are and what all those in his kingdom are.

Foolish, we're ignorant, we're dependent, we're helpless, we're hopeless, and everything we need is in our Father and our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. And in speaking of that, we talked about Him going after the sheep, and how that He does so because He knows sheep, He knows His sheep, and He knows they won't come back on their own. He has to come where we are and do everything for us, as the good Samaritan did.

And we were made to understand here that these sheep are unable to take care of themselves. They're not only foolish, but they're weak. They can't find proper pasture on their own. They have to be made to lie down in green pastures. And also, they're defenseless. Every enemy has the upper hand on them.

I've been in a... I don't know what to call it. Certainly not a worship service. I guess it was just a service of some kind where somebody was rebuking the devil, you know, and talking about how to deal with Satan. I'll tell you how we deal with Satan. We run to the Lord Jesus Christ. We run to our Savior. and let him deal with Satan. But we talked about why he goes after the sheep.

He does so because he knows that they're foolish. He knows that they can't come back on their own. He knows they're defenseless. He knows that they'll never survive on their own. And he goes after them because he loves them. He brings that one sheep home. What's one lost sheep among a hundred? 1% of your livestock just diminished. Oh, big deal. Except that that sheep is his sheep. And he loves that sheep. And that's such an understatement. How do we talk about his love for his sheep? How do we even talk about that? It's infinite love. It's boundless love. It's love, the greatest love is to lay down your life for your friends.

And our Lord Jesus laid down his perfect, the Prince of life dies for our sins according to the scriptures. And then that word we see in the parable that he says, I found my sheep. Why did he come after us? Well, because we're his sheep. He takes it personal. He takes it personal.

How many times in John chapter 10 and many other places does the Lord call us his sheep? In Luke 15, six in the parable, Another account of this, or a different occasion, I believe, where he told about lost sheep and how they're found in his kingdom. In Luke 15 6, he said, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost, not just a sheep. I found one of the sheep. I found my sheep. John 10, 14, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and I'm known of mine, mine. John 10, 26, but you believe not because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. John 10, 27, my sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. John 21, 17, he saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was aggrieved because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep. How do we come to be his sheep? Why does he call us his sheep? Because we believed on him?

He said to the religious Jews, you believe not because you're not my sheep. Not the other way around. He didn't say you're not my sheep because you didn't believe. You see, the opposite of that would be you're my sheep because you believed. But that's not what it says. Our Lord said you believe not because you're not my sheep.

So faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the result of being his sheep. It's the benefit, one of the great benefits of being his sheep, but that doesn't tell us how we became his sheep. John 6, 38, the Lord Jesus said, I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. We're his sheep because his Father gave us to him. In our Lord's high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, how many times does he express that?

It's conspicuous, isn't it? He loves us so. And you know, the love of a gift often has a lot to do with who gave it to you. Maybe the most mundane article or object might be the most precious possession you have because of who gave it to you. And how many times did our Lord say, those that you've given me, I'm not going to lose any of them. I'm not gonna lose a single one. I've revealed myself to them. It's my will that they be with me where I am. Over and over, he refers to us as those that the Father gave me. That's how we become his.

Because the Father in the eternal covenant of grace, all through the scripture, you'll see a covenant referred to. It's an everlasting covenant, David said. and it's ordered in all things insure. There's no contingencies within this covenant. This covenant is established by God, it's revealed by God, and it's ratified by God. The The fulfillment of that covenant is in the hands of God, not us. The conditions of the covenant are met by the one who gave the covenant, not by the ones he covenanted with. And so in all things, that covenant is ordered and sure. It can't fail because God is the one that did it. He's the one that made it, gave it, revealed it, and finished it, fulfilled it.

The precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is called the blood of the everlasting covenant. Because every condition of that covenant was met when Christ cried, it's finished on Calvary. Met in him as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world in eternity, but in time he fulfilled all things. And was obedient unto death even the death of the cross, that obedience being what was necessary for that covenant to come to fruition. His sheep, or his elect, given him by his Father, and all of them will be brought home, every single one.

Look at John chapter 10 with me, we've quoted a lot from it. Let's look at a passage of it together. John chapter 10 and verse 11. John 10, 11. We're talking about a sheet now and the Lord is impressing upon his disciples what greatness is and what they are in contrast to that and how things happen in his kingdom. Verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

But he that is a harling, 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 harling fleeth because he's a harling. It is the identifier of a false preacher. is that he doesn't care for the sheep. He's not interested in feeding the sheep. The only thing that sheep will eat is the bread of life, and drink is the water of life, the still waters that flow from the throne of God, which are Christ. He's not interested in protecting the sheep. He's in it for the money, the notoriety, whatever it is, selfish reasons. and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, verse 14, 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. 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. And look at verse 27. My sheep hear my voice.

Now wait a minute, I thought that was up to them. I know them and they follow me. That's something they decide. I have decided to follow Jesus. No, he said all my sheep do. There's no decision to make. It's the power of God in the preaching of the gospel that draws sinners to the Lord Jesus. He deliberately said no man can come to me. My sheep can't follow me except my father.

Draw them to me. I know and they follow me and listen. And I give unto them eternal life. He didn't say I offer it to him. I give it to him. And what's the result of that? I give it to them in the sense that it's up to them? No, no. I give it to them and they shall never perish. The direct result of the son of God laying down his life for his sheep is that they shall never perish.

There's no contingencies. There's no what is. There's no up to anybody but him. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. That's how we sleep at night. in this wretched world. That's how we lay down our head on the soft green grasses that our Savior has made us to lie down in. And that's His own self. He is our provision. He is our protection. He is all that we need. Now consider these words of our Lord in the text for a minute where we started.

He said, how think ye? How think ye? He told them to think about this. And then he talked about that one sheep that went astray and what the shepherd did for that sheep. And he said, now you think about that. What is the thought that comes to our mind when we see the shepherd go after the sheep, lay hold of it, bring it home rejoicing, bring it into the fold, lay us on his shoulder?

He's the strength whereby we come to him. He is the power of God unto salvation, which is pictured in this saving of this sheep. What think ye? How think ye about that? What do you think about that? You've been thinking about who's going to be the big shot in heaven. What are you thinking about now? What does this make you think about?

If we're his sheep, and in order to come where we were and bring us home to himself, he had to come to this earth and take upon himself our nature. You see, that's him going after the sheep. It just says that the shepherd went after the sheep. That's very simple. It's a very clear illustration, but we know what that means in spiritual terms.

The Son of God had to come down where we were into this wicked world and be born of a woman made under the law in order to redeem them that were under the law. He had to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. He had to take upon him the seed of Abraham. He took not on him the seed of angels, the image of angels, or the nature of angels. He took upon him the seed of Abraham.

And he did that, as it says in Hebrews 2.17, wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.

That's what we heard this morning. How do we have a high priest? Because he came down here and was made like unto us. Brother Moose talked about that. You can't be a priest unless you have the nature of the ones that you're representing. And a high priest in things pertaining to God. What is it that pertains to God from our point of view when the priest represents us before God?

As Moose said, here it is, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Every priest had somewhat to offer, and our great high priest entered into the holy of holies, not made with hands, not without blood, his own precious, sin-atoning blood that he shed for us at Calvary, and that he made reconciliation for our sins. and brought in everlasting righteousness. How think ye about that? What do you think about that?

By his perfect life as our representative, and by his sin-atoning death as our substitute, as Isaiah said, our part in this is that all we, like sheep, have gone astray. That's our part in the parable that we're studying tonight. We went astray. Our part in salvation is that we need it. And everything else is on the shoulders of the master. We have all turned everyone to his own way, and here's his part. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He came where we were, became who we were, yet without sin, and bore our sins in his own body on the tree.

How think ye? You still want to talk about, you know, what your status is in heaven? I'll tell you what old John thought. Old John, you know, he had one thing that he gloried in, seems to me. In his old age, he was known as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He didn't want to be any bigger shot than that. He refers to himself that way in the book of John, the disciple Jesus loved.

Is that big enough for you? Is that big enough for you? God Almighty gave himself for your sins. How think ye? Here's what we think, that if he did that, If that's who he is, if that's what he did, then verse 14 of our text, if that's true, verse 14 of our text, even so it is not the will of your father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. How think ye now?

And clearly it is true in seeing who he is and what he did willingly and did in order to save us, He came and did what was necessary to find us. In Luke 15 version of this parable of the sheep and the shepherd, it says he did what was necessary. He seeks that sheep until he finds it. Until he finds it. Then here's what I think, I reckon.

We're safe. We're secure. We're home. We have everything we need. We have nothing to worry about. Does he not say, fear not, little flock, fear not? Because I'm pleased to give it to you. The kingdom is yours. How think ye? How think we? He seeks us until he finds us. It's not his will that any should perish. And I believe what my Lord said in John 10, 28, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. How can you think anything else? Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

I believe we have here both instruction and great comfort. Instruction regarding who we are, A great sheep is a contradiction in terms. You might as well say a great worm. I'm a great worm among worms. But what comfort that Christ is great and we are his. Safe in the shepherd's fold, safe while the ages roll, safe though the worlds may crumble, safe though the stars grow dim, safe, where? Under his precious blood.

Is this not what the Lord is teaching our disciples here? What are you aspiring to? What is better than that? Would you be happier if you were a big shot than you are having the king of kings and lord of lords clutch you in his hand and love you with eternal everlasting infinite love and be almighty to save and to bless his love is almighty his love is endless his love is perfect those two things should cause us to lay our heads down at night and be able to breathe easy and go to sleep in peace. What did David say? I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord only, makest me to dwell in safety. We're right there in his hand. No man can pluck us out.

The Lord Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brethren. one of the sheep of Christ given unto him of his father. We're not going to be great in the sense of what men call greatness, and nor should we ever seek to be. But you're great in my kingdom. A bunch of nothings, a bunch of worms, a bunch of little babies, little children, a bunch of foolish, defenseless, helpless, hopeless sheep are great in His kingdom.

It's kind of an easy choice when you know Him. He's not ashamed to call us brethren. Is that great enough? Is that great enough for you? Is that the kind of greatness that we're interested in? Do we seek the favor of men or the favor of God? Great according to who? We won't have both. We won't have the favor of God and the favor of men.

Ephesians 3, 8, Unto me whom less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Less than the least of all saints, but his grace was given to me. Paul was happy with the honorable and high title. He introduced himself this way in his letters. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.

Turn with me to Revelation 1.5 and we'll close. You know, when the Lord Jesus Christ was going to the cross, when he was about to be betrayed by Judas and humiliated, spit on, he'd been spit on before, he's about to be spit on again, lashed, mocked, nailed to a cross, laughed at, plummeted with men's fists, crowned with thorns, in his greatest humiliation, he is the servant of his father, and he is the lowly savior, meek and lowly in heart, submissive to the will of his father. You remember what he said when Judas betrayed him? Now is the son of man glorified. Glorified.

Revelation 1.5, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory. and dominion forever and ever. Amen. He talks about the height of what it is to be a saved sinner. Kings and priests unto God, but where's the glory go? To Him. To Him. And may it ever be so. Amen. Let's pray.

How Think Ye?

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about greatness in the kingdom of heaven?

How do we know we are God's sheep?

Why is it important to understand our dependence on Christ?

What comfort do we find in Christ's love for His sheep?

Why does God go after the lost sheep?

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How Think Ye?

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about greatness in the kingdom of heaven?

How do we know we are God's sheep?

Why is it important to understand our dependence on Christ?

What comfort do we find in Christ's love for His sheep?

Why does God go after the lost sheep?

Sermon Transcript

About Chris Cunningham

Comments

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