John chapter 10, this is a theme
that we've hit on numerous times. It's a theme that I thoroughly
enjoy. Shepherd, the good shepherd.
I like talking about sheep and the shepherd. But I was reading
somebody a couple weeks ago, and they had a really good outline,
so I stole it. I just stole it. And this is
it. And he says there's some things
in here that I hadn't looked at. I like to look at the sheep
and the shepherd and how the shepherd takes care of all these
things. He just laid it out very, very well. So that's what we're
going to look at and we're going to be in John chapter 10. I'm
going to read verses 1 through 18. Let's do that. verses 1-18 to keep the whole
context together. Christ says, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, John 10 and verse 1, 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 calls 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. A stranger they will 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. So Jesus said
unto them, again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door
of the sheep." He's the shepherd. He's the The door and 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, the sheep,
might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives 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 catches
them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he's
a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd,
he says again, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the
Father knoweth me, even so 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 does 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." Now, just reading that, just
reading these words, this shepherd, this sovereign shepherd, There's
no wording in there where it's just kind of maybe this, maybe
that. He's not a weak, effeminate Jesus,
which is presented today by so many. He's just trying to get
you to do something. Oh, if you just walk down an
aisle, get you under the baptismal waters, sign the card, everything
is okay. This is not this, by reading
this, this is an authoritative, righteous, just shepherd. But what I looked at specifically
in verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives his life
for the sheep, and again in verse 14, I am the good shepherd, and
know my sheep, and have known of mine. I said to myself, or
I thought to myself, how is it said that Christ is the good
shepherd? He's not just a shepherd, he's
a good shepherd. How is it seen, how is it represented,
or is he represented, how is it exemplified in the scriptures
that Christ is a good, or our good shepherd, in at least three
ways. There's just three points to this message. Very straightforward. It can be seen, the first point,
that Christ is a good shepherd, and specifically to those who
know him, it can be seen in our natural state. How did this shepherd
deal with us in our natural, fallen, sinful state? We, in our fallen, sinful state,
ready to perish and on the road that leads to destruction, here
and in this very state, Christ undertook for us. He undertook
for us. He mediated our cause before
the throne, pleading and suffering and dying in our room and in
our place. That's good. That's very good. None but a very good shepherd
would do so. Truly, there was no good in us,
though these sheep, the wayward, were dense, were slow creatures, nothing in us that would induce
our Redeemer to propitiate for us." There's nothing in the creature.
He says in Romans, freely, without any cause. He gave himself freely
for his people. That word freely is without any
cause in us. And that is a main dividing point
by the truth of the gospel and a false gospel is being preached. People believe that there's something
in us that would cause God to act the way he did. Historically,
spiritually, anyway. No, there is nothing. He says
in the Old Testament, there's nothing. I did not choose you
because you were better or this or that than any other nation.
You were the smallest people, the most insignificant. But we
know by the revelation of Christ in the heart, by the Holy Spirit,
that he, by his own sovereign goodness, would accomplish everything
necessary to secure our salvation, our sanctification, and our final
glorification. And besides this, Christ was
not ignorant on what it would cost of this price of redemption,
the toil that would be involved or the sweat that it would take
to, as it were, close the deal. Turn to Isaiah 53. For one instance,
Isaiah 53, the great chapter about the suffering Lamb of God
who taketh away the sin of the world, or taketh away the sin
of every elect in the world, as that is the expanded definition
of that according to all Scriptures. Isaiah 53, and starting in verse
3, speaking of Christ, He, Christ, is despised and rejected of men,
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and we, even as sheep,
hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised and we esteemed
him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his
own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Who's this all? It's the lost, wayward, dense,
foolish, not too bright sheep. So He not only was the Good Shepherd,
He gave Himself in our condition. He knew us before we even knew
ourselves. He knew what it would cost. And
yet, He voluntarily, willingly says in John 10 verse 11, I am
the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life
for the sheep. Psalms, you don't have to turn
there, Psalms 40 and verse 8, Christ specifically speaking
says, I delight to do thy will, O my God. Good shepherd. This is not goodness that we
see in this world, human to human. That's why when there's a random
act of kindness, whatever you want to call it, people, wow,
this is actually, the guy's a hero almost. Because it's so, It's
so few and far between. And it happens, I know, many
places. But we're talking spiritual, we're talking somebody dying
for some people who were the most unworthy wretches known
to humanity. That is good. That is good. And again, turn with me to Matthew
18. Matthew chapter 18. Verse 11-14, For the Son of Man,
that's Christ the Shepherd, is come to save that which was lost. How think ye, if a man have a
hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave
the ninety and nine, and goes into the mountains, and seek
that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it,
verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep than of the
ninety and nine which were not astray. Even so it is not the
will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish." It's not going to happen. He's too good,
he's too strong, he's too sovereign to let any Slipped through his
hands. The cost was too great Christ
was going to be successful Good I say good, but so says this
unerring book He's the Good Shepherd Secondly, how is it said? How is it noted? How is it exemplified
that Christ is our Good Shepherd? It can be seen in our renewed
or our restored state. So in our fallen state It's like
Bruce said this morning He was the Lamb slain before the foundation
of the world, so He's always been interested in His sheep.
So in our fallen state, we see how good He was because He sought
us. We didn't seek Him. We love Him, but we love Him
because He first loved us. How can it be seen? It can be
seen, secondly, in our renewed or our restored state. His goodness
appears in His making provision and His tender care over us. Psalm 23. You hear this psalm
so much, but let's look at it in the light of the Good Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, says
the sheep. I shall not want. I shall not
want. He makes me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me besides the still
waters When I wander, and oh how we wander, we don't ask repentance
enough because we're too good for that. The flesh is so prevalent
in us that He restores our soul. He leads us in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, that's what we're doing. That's
what we're doing every day. We're walking through the valley
because shadow of death, because death is around us. We don't
know when it's gonna come. It's coming. But we walk through
it. But look at here, I will fear
no evil. Why? Because he's with us. His rod and his staff, they comfort
us. He prepares a table before us
in the presence of our enemies. Every time you go to work, There
you go, and I used to think is too, you know You sometimes you
go to a lunchroom break room and I would try to I'd either
go to my car So I didn't want to be around a bunch of people.
That's just me But then, you know, sometimes you you know,
that's everybody Oh, we're gonna have this come to him have free lunch or
something and you just you just sit there and you listen the
conversation and You like the people you love the people but
it's like other enemies because you can tell by what they're
saying and He prepares a table with us in the presence of His
enemies. He anoints our head with oil. My cup runneth over. I can look at everybody here
and say, for the most part, we are not wealthy, we're not well-to-do,
we make ends meet. But on the other hand, I could
say, in Christ, hasn't your cup overflowed? materially, physically, spiritually, and
even if we're afflicted. It's good that I was afflicted,
says David, so I'd learn your statutes. That's one of his restoring
of our soul. Well, surely goodness, there's
Romans 8.28, and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Now you
tell me again, the second point, this goodness of our Good Shepherd
can be seen in our renewed and our restored state after salvation.
He brings us into rich fellowship and communion with himself. He
daily loads us with benefits of grace and mercy and pardon.
During the heat of our sojourn, He often refreshes our souls
besides still waters and causes us to seek Him as our shelter
from the storms of life. He often recalls the wandering
sheep. He frequents us with His sweet
fruit and timely seasons of good things needful for the soul.
We gather together. It's not very often. But we gather
together and we account this time that we gather together
of utmost importance because our souls need to be refreshed.
This is more than just me speaking, it's fellowship. We need one
another. It's not a one man show and if
it's a one man show, that's not a good thing. He continually
defends us from this world and from Satan and especially our
own fleshly appetites because If we are left to ourselves,
it's give me, give me, give me. I want this. I'm not happy with
that. I need this. All these different things. If
you don't, just listen to people talk. Be honest with you, after salvation,
we're like Jonah and those poor Ninevites. The last verse of Jonah, the
Ninevites whom the Lord called unto repentance, what a blessing.
They were not able to discern the left hand from the right. Isn't that a good description
of us? Well, I've got a college education. Big deal. If you've got it, that's good.
But the Lord's people, Paul, the Lord used Paul to write most
of the New Testament. He didn't brag about that. He
said, I'm less than the least. Less than least is this grace
given. We're just like those Ninevites, not able to discern
or right handle it. Oh, how poor and feeble we, His
sheep, still are. Yet He always is with us. He'll
never leave us or abandon His peculiar people. So that's the
second point. How is it said that our Lord
is the Good Shepherd? In our fallen nature, first. Second thing, in our restored
state. And lastly, and Bruce alluded
to this in this morning's Bible class, the shepherdly goodness
is seen in our final state. Our final state. So, we see it
in our natural state, we see it in our restored state, and He's not going to leave us.
He's not going to leave us in our final state. That is, when
we die or as we are dying. Here, this perhaps is just as
important as the first two areas. For He will keep us unto the
end. He will keep His people unto
the end and then receive them. This section, this final of our
final days, is often a cause for much anxiety and deep concern. We are deeply affected by our
latter days. We'll perhaps say, have I believed
in Bain? What if I have a falter at the
last? Will he assure me in my infirm
estate? Will he talk to me? Will he comfort
me? Yes. We simply look at this book,
which is what Bruce again made a comment in Peter. We have a
more sure word of prophecy. This book. And that's why anybody
that challenges the book, Well, they're on shaky ground. Because
the Scriptures itself says every word of God is pure. This book
was inspired by God, which is God-breathed. And if we believe
God is sovereign, do you think He's going to let His Word fall
into... historically or otherwise? There is simply no challenging
for the believer. And when you get old, and you
get infirm, You want to read something that's
absolutely true. This is not Reader's Digest.
This is not Time Magazine. This is not a good read. This
is the best read. Oh, may we simply look at our
great Amen and see all His tender promises to us. He says, no,
no, I will not ever forsake those whom the Father chose, the Son
died, and those for whom the Holy Spirit has sealed. It can't
happen. It can't happen. He has promised
to do infinitely more for us in the life afterwards, in everlasting
life, or in heaven. We're going to be ever with the
Lord. We'll never be separated from Him again. to understand as never before
the fullness and freeness of sovereign love for his sheep. As one writer said, Earth is
too narrow to contain it and time is too short to display
it. His goodness, the Good Shepherd.
There's not going to be hunger. No darkness, no interruption
of sweet worship there. Our God and the Good Shepherd
is all the light there. Pure, unhindered, and magnificent
light. And when we awake, we shall be
like Him. Turn to 1 John chapter 3. Another
one of my favorite passages. Never really been able to quote
it, so I always turn there. And the older I get, the more
I need to because the memory is going. But 1 John 3, verses 1 and 2,
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons and or daughters of God. Therefore the world knows us
not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
and daughters of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be. But we know, we know that when
He shall appear, We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him
as He is." There's no question marks here. There's no assumptions. This is factual. We know that
when we see Him, we will be like He is. So I close. Let's go back to John 10. Are we His sheep? Is He our Good
Shepherd? How can I know? How can I tell? How do I know if I'm one of the
sheep? How do I know if he's my good shepherd? I could go
long, you know, complicated, but I'm just going to read what
the scripture says in verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. I know them. They follow me. There's two distinguishing marks.
A marked ear and marked feet. They hear the gospel, they believe,
and they follow. My sheep, Christ says, My sheep
hear My voice. I've known them, I've always
known them, I've always loved them, and they follow Me. Put qualifications on it, whatever
you want to do. I'm not going to do it. I'm just
going to read the Word and say this is what His people do. They
hear and they follow. Bless the Lord our God. He is
a good shepherd. Before we even had a thought
of Him. Once we've had thoughts of Him. And if we're afraid we're
going to forget Him. Not going to happen. May the
Lord bless the Word to our hearts. Nathan, would you close us please?