Back in John's gospel, chapter
10, I want to preach to you on this subject, the security. The
security of the sheep. This is a subject that's been
debated, argued about for centuries. It's been called by different
things. Once in grace, always in grace. eternal security of
the believer, once saved, always saved, or the preservation of
the believer. I like what we read here in John
10, the security of the sheep. Look again, if you will, at verse
27 and verse 28. I don't see anywhere in Scripture
where it could be stated any plainer than it is right here.
Verse 27, our Lord speaking again to the Pharisees, those who claim
to be shepherds, he said, no, you're not. My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. The security rests there, does
it not? Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. The security of God's people,
the security of the sheep doesn't rest in themselves. Look at the
sheep, look at yourself, and you have no reason to hope. You'll
find no comfort there. But by God's grace, take your
eyes off self and look at the great and faithful and good shepherd
that gave his life for the sheep. Hear him say, you're in my hand. Your keeping is not of yourselves. Your keeping, your preservation,
your security rests right here in the hand of the great shepherd
of the sheep. Now, looking there, looking there,
I have peace. I have security. The security
of the sheep. Three questions. And the message
will consist in just answering those three questions, which
are these. What's the truth? What is the
truth concerning this? And what does God's Word say
And why is it important? It is very important. And we'll
close by just considering why it is so important. First of
all, what is the truth we're preaching? Exactly what are we
saying? I've found out, it's been my
experience, that most people that refuse this truth, it's
because they really don't understand. Much of the time, they don't
understand what we're saying. They only assume that they do,
but they really don't. Be clear as to what we're declaring. First of all, here in John 10,
know of whom the Lord is speaking. Who's he talking about when he
speaks about having eternal life and never perishing? Look again,
if you will, at verse 11 in chapter 10. We'll look at several verses,
but verse 11. He says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life. For who? sheep. For the sheep. For the
sheep. Verse fourteen. Again, I am the good shepherd
and know my sheep. And am known of mine. Verse sixteen. Another sheep
I have. Which are not of the of this
fold. Them also I must bring and they
shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Again, verse And I know them and they follow
me. So he's speaking of the sheep. He's not speaking of everybody. He's not speaking of just a mere
professor. That would be just about everybody,
wouldn't it? Just about everybody's made a
profession of faith in our day. He's not talking about church
members. He's talking about his sheep. And this blessed promise of eternal
life, of never perishing, of never being plucked out of his
hand, belongs to his sheep. And all men are not his sheep. Those he was talking to here
on this occasion in John 10, they weren't his sheep. And he
told them plainly so. Remember when they came around
him and asked him, how long do you make us to doubt? He didn't
make them doubt. He told them plainly on several
occasions. In chapter 8, if you were Abraham's
children, like you claim to be, you would rejoice to see my day.
Abraham did. And if you were really the children
of Abraham, really had the faith of Abraham, you would rejoice
to see my day as he did. But notice how he answered them
in verse 26 of John 10. But you believe not, because
you're not my sheep. You're not of my sheep. This
blessed promise of eternal life, of never perishing, never being
plucked out of the good, faithful shepherd's hand, belongs to the
sheep. And all men, as he plainly says
there, are not his sheep. So then He speaks only of them.
And where did He get them? Where did He get them? Look,
if you will, back in John chapter 6. They're His sheep. In verse 29 of John 10, He said,
The Father gave them to Me. The Father which gave them to
Me. And He uses that expression over and over again throughout
the Gospel of John. In John 6, He says in verse 37,
All that the Father giveth Me. Now, what's he referring to?
What's he talking about? When were the sheep given to
him by the Father? The Scriptures teach before the
foundation of the world. He came into this world on purpose
to lay down his life for the sheep. The mission of the Son
of Man, he said, was to seek and to save all of his sheep. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. And then he says very plainly
in verse 38 what his mission was. Why he came to this world. It wasn't for a perchance. It
wasn't for a hope so. It wasn't to make something possible.
It wasn't to take a stab at something, to attempt something. He came
on a definite mission for a definite purpose for a definite people.
Verse 38. For I came down from heaven.
Thank God that he did. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son. For I came down from heaven,
the eternal Word of God, came down and was made flesh, tabernacled
amongst us. I came down from heaven not to
do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this
is God's will. This is God's purpose in sending
me. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me. But of all which he had given
me, I should lose what? I just like that. I like that. Nothing. That's what he said
in John 10. My sheep will never be plucked
out of my hand. My sheep will never perish. My
sheep have the same life in them that I have in me. And it's everlasting
life. No end. They'll live. They'll live as long as I live. He told his disciples that night
in John 14. Because I live, you shall live
also. No man can pluck them out. Of
all that the Father giveth me, what a claim, what a claim. Do you notice? Nothing is dependent
upon the sheep. Sheep are not a very flattering
term, is it? Sheep are ignorant animals. Sheep
wander. Sheep are weak. Oh, but the great
shepherd, he says, they're in my hand. Their security rests
there. The responsibility of their keeping. the responsibility of them being
all brought to glory. The reason why not one of them
of the multitude that none can number would ever be lost. The
reason that of all those the Father gives me will be brought
back to glory is because they're the responsibility of the sheep,
or rather the shepherd. They're in the shepherd's hand.
And again in verse 39, Of all which he had given me, I should
lose nothing." Oh, what a great shepherd he is. What a good and
faithful shepherd. But should raise it up again
at the last day. And in John chapter 17, you remember
when he prayed that high priestly prayer? Father, the hour has
come. the hour, the hour for which
this world was created, the hour for which I came into this world,
that hour is come, the hour when I shall enter into the winepress
alone, the hour that I should be made sin, that hour that Zechariah
prophesied of, that he would put away the iniquity of his
people in a day and bring in an everlasting righteousness.
Father, that hour is calm. And six times in that prayer
in John 17, he spoke about those that you gave me. I don't pray for the world, he
said. I pray for those you gave me. They were yours and you gave
them to me, meaning you entrusted them into my hands. I became
responsible for them. I became their surety. Now, what
do the sheep do? What do the sheep do? What part
do they play in this? Look at what he said in verse
11. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. The sheep do nothing. They receive. When they hear his voice, they
follow him. When he comes to them with everlasting
life, they live. But the sheep hear him and follow
the great shepherd. That's what the sheep do. Look
at verse 27 again. My sheep hear my voice. and I
know them and they follow me. The promise of eternal life of
security is given only to the sheep. He's the shepherd, the
great shepherd, the chief shepherd, the good shepherd of his sheep. He does everything. Everything
he does is for his sheep and how comforting to know perhaps
the greatest comfort of all those descriptions, good shepherd,
chief shepherd, great shepherd, or to bring them all together
and say, he's my shepherd. He's my shepherd. Lord, I'm in
his hand and can never be plucked out. The sheep belong to him. They were given to him and they
were redeemed by him. That's what we sang a moment
ago, didn't we? Jesus paid it all. All the debt that I owe
to God's holy law, Jesus paid it all. The sheep are preserved. They're kept by Him. They're
His responsibility. And I find that very comforting,
don't you? My eternal salvation, the keeping
of my immortal soul, my hope of acceptance before a holy God,
my hope of entering glory, my hope of everlasting life resides
in the great shepherd of the sheep. Once in Christ, we're
always in Christ. That's what he said, did he not?
They'll never be plucked out. No one can pluck them out. Not
once in the church, not once in the water, not once in a profession,
but once in Christ, we're always in Christ. Once I'm His, I'm
His forever. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing from
his love can sever. Chosen in him, risen in him,
accepted in him, I'll never be unchosen, unaccepted, unelected,
once justified, always justified. Remember what he said? concerning
that publican leaving the temple, I say unto you, that man's going
home justified, period. There were no stipulations on
his justification, no conditions. Oh no, he's justified from all
things from which he can never be justified by the deeds of
the law. Once we're pardoned, We're always
pardoned. It'll never be retracted. It'll
never be taken away. Once our sins are forgiven, they're
always forgiven. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 8. This is the basis of the challenge, so to speak,
that Paul issues here in Romans 8. When he asks, who shall separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus? Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? At verse 33 he says,
What shall we say then to the, or who rather, shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea,
rather, is risen again. And that rising again proves
God's eternal satisfaction with the work of His Son. It proves
beyond a shadow of a doubt that the sacrifice was accepted. He raised him from the dead and
set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, who even
is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Because we have a high priest
who ever liveth, he makes intercession for us, he's able to save unto
the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And Paul asks this
question, who shall separate us from the love of God, or rather
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? God's people
endure tribulation. Can that separate them from the
love of Christ? No. What about distress? Are they immune from distress? And of course the answer is no.
What about persecution? Will that separate God's people
from Him? No. Famine? Nakedness? Peril? Sword? No, as it is written. For thy sake we are killed all
the day long. We are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors. That's something to think about,
isn't it? Not just conquerors, but more than conquerors through
him that loved us. For I am persuaded. Now, we sang
a moment ago, "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus." If God gives
us grace to be persuaded of what Paul speaks of here, it will
be sweet. Oh, it'll be so sweet to cease
from self. There's no help in self. Oh,
but to cast my eyes off self and look to him, him, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, him who
loved me, he purchased me, he bought me with his own precious
blood. Oh, if I look to him, if I'm
able to cast my eyes on him, then I'll be persuaded that neither
death nor life nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, things now or anything
that might be hereafter, nothing, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God. Why? Which is in Christ Jesus. Oh yes, I am a poor sinner. A fellow once said he had applied
for admission to a church. God had saved him. And the fellows were asking him
about his experience. And all he would say is, I am
a poor sinner and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my all
in all. That sounds good. I'd love to
hear that. I'd love for someone to come
to me and say, this is my testimony. This is all my plea. I'm a poor
sinner. I'm nothing. But Jesus Christ
is everything. I wouldn't require no more. I
wouldn't ask for no more. I would rejoice with him. But
they asked him again about, well, tell us more. Tell us about what
you know. Tell us about your experience.
And all he would say is, I am a poor sinner and nothing at
all. And Jesus Christ is my all in
all. My good shepherd is everything. And our security in Christ, our
The persuasion of never being separated from Him doesn't rest
in us because the believer can't sin. He can sin. And He does
sin. All God's children have sinned.
All believers have sinned. There's never been one who didn't.
Abraham sinned. Lot sinned. David sinned. Solomon sinned. Peter sinned. Paul and Barnabas had such a
falling out that they separated from one another over John and
Mark. What happens when a believer
sins? Turning, if you will, to 1 John
chapter 2. first John chapter two. Does
God disown, disown them if they sin? Oh no. No, he sure doesn't. As we said a moment ago, once
where he is, we're his forever. In first John chapter two, he
writes my little children. I'm sure John was thinking of
our Lord's words the night of his arrest and betrayal. He referred
to them as his little children. My little children, I'm not going
to leave you as orphans. I'll send another comforter to
you. My little children, these things
write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, what happens? We have an advocate. We have
an advocate. with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. And He is, still is, and always
will be the propitiation for our sins. He's the reason of
our acceptance before God. He's the reason why we stand
before God accepted and beloved. He's our propitiation and always
will be. And not for ours only, but also
for the sins of the whole world. The believer will never finally
or completely fall from Christ. If so, whose honor would be at
stake? Whose honor would it reflect
on? Whose honor would be at stake
if one of Christ's sheep should fall away? Whose responsibility
is it? You remember what we read in
John 10 a moment ago? My sheep are in my hand. That
was his claim. They're my responsibility. All that's required to bring
them from here to glory, God has entrusted to me. They're
my responsibility. Therefore, if one should perish,
If one for whom He came into this world, one for whom He shed
His blood, if one should perish, it would reflect not upon the
sheep, but upon the shepherd. And that can never be. That can
never be. Yes, child of God may lose his
comfort of grace, but he can never lose God's amazing grace
because it resides in the hands of the Great Shepherd. So that's
the truth. It speaks of the sheep. It's
the security of the sheep that Christ is responsible for. Remember
what he said in Luke 15? Those Pharisees, they were always
around, weren't they? Watching him, trying to catch
him in his words. And they watched him one day
as publicans and sinners, as riffraff. gathered around him,
and they said, look at that. Would you look at that? That
which they thought was a mark against him was really a badge
of honor. They said, this man received
sinners. Thank God they were right. For
once they were right, and I'm glad that it was so. And our
Lord said, you're exactly right. You're exactly right. I came
in this world for sinners. Which one of you? If you've got
a hundred sheep and you lose one, don't leave the ninety-nine
and go out and search and search and search until he finds that
one. And when he finds him, He doesn't
say, pretty please let me do something for you. He takes him
up in his loving everlasting arms and he brings him back and
he says, rejoice with me, rejoice with me. I found that one sheep
which was lost. He does the seeking, he does
the finding, and he does the saving. Next question is this,
what does the Bible say about this? The Word is the only true
test of any doctrine or teaching. So what does it say? Are you
still in the Gospel of John? Look back there a moment, if
you will. Let's look at a few places. Well, this is plainly
stated by our Lord in John chapter 5. John chapter 5 verse 24. The great shepherd said, Verily,
verily, that is truly, truly, you can count on this. As we
would say, you can take this to the bank. No, it's more secure
than that. Banks might fail, but he won't.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, have everlasting life. I believe
that, don't you? I believe that. And shall not
come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Again in John six, we read it
a moment ago, but look at it again. John six verse thirty-seven. All that the father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh unto me,
I will in no wise, for no reason, no way, no time will I ever cast
them out. In Romans chapter 8, we read
it a moment ago. Those are read from that passage
in Romans 8. Those whom he did foreknow, he
did predestinate. Them he did predestinate, he
also called. Them he called, he justified. Those he justified, he also glorified. And in Philippians chapter 1,
Paul said, I'm confident. that he which hath begun the
good work in you will perform it, will continue it, will carry
it on until the day of Jesus Christ." The Word of God's clear.
What God does, He does forever. If salvation any part of it. If salvation in any way was man's
work, the answer would be no. It's not certain. It's not secure. It's not everlasting. But if
it's God's work, if it's God's work, it's forever. It's permanent. It's certain. Therefore, it's secure. His attributes
are all proof of it. He said, I am the Lord in Malachi.
I am the Lord. I change not. There are preachers
who tell people God may love them today and hate them tomorrow. He may love them enough today
to give them everlasting life and then snatch it away from
them tomorrow and cast them into hell after all. That's a horrible,
horrible doctrine. And how degrading to our great
and heavenly Father. Oh no, the gifts and the calling
of God are without repentance. I am the Lord, I change not.
Therefore, because of this, because I cannot change and I will not
change, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Paul in Romans
11 said, God's gifts, God's calling are without repentance. That
means God doesn't repent of. Not talking about repentance
on our part. It's saying that God himself will never repent
of, will never take back the offices of Christ. set forth
as the great shepherd of the sheep, so the security of all
his sheep." Every office, not only as shepherd, but as the
head of the church. He's called in Scripture the
head of his church. The church is his body. And what
kind of head would he be if he loses his body? What kind of
shepherd would he be without his sheep, without all his sheep,
without every one of his sheep? He's called the husband. John
the Baptist said, he that has the bride is the bridegroom. And there he is, the bridegroom,
our husband. And what sort of husband would
he be if he allows his bride, the church, to ever perish? Ephesians chapter 5, Ephesians
chapter 5. This is exactly what Paul was
saying here. Referring to Christ as the church's
bridegroom, the church being his bride. Christ our husband. At verse 25 of Ephesians 5, Paul
wrote, husbands, love your wives. even as Christ also loved the
church and gave himself for it. That's what he said in John 10.
I'm the good shepherd. I give my life for the church,
that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it
should be holy and without blemish. Anything less than that will
not glorify him. Isaiah prophesied that our Lord
would see the travail of His soul, the fruit of His sufferings,
and He would be content with it. He would be satisfied with
it. How would He ever be content?
How would He ever be satisfied if any of those for whom He died
should perish? Or if all of those for whom He
died are not presented back to the Father without any trace
of sin whatsoever? Oh no. Our Savior will have a
complete reward. And He's our faithful high priest.
And what kind of priest, if his atonement fails to ransom all
those he paid it for? What kind of king, if his kingdom
should ever fail? There's not one example throughout
the Word of God, not one. were one true sheep. I'm not
talking about those who followed Him for a while because they
got their belly filled and then when He spoke some things that
they said was too hard for them to take, they turned and went
around and walked away. I'm not talking about those professors. I'm talking about a true child
of God. There's not one example in God's
Word where one of His true sheep ever perished. Not one. Not one. Folks say Judas. Judas was never
one of his sheep. Our Lord said he was the son
of perdition from the beginning. Judas was never saved. He never
believed. And now the last question. Why
is this important? It's good news, is it not? It's
good news to God's people. It's glad tidings. God saves
sinners and God keeps sinners forever. There's no good news
if after all this we might perish. That's not good news. Once admit
that sheep can perish and you take away all the good news.
You take away the sure hope and the comfort if I might still
be lost. But because the truth of this
makes Christ's salvation sure and certain. He shall save His
people, whatever that involves, whatever that requires, whatever
is necessary, for the full everlasting salvation of His people, Christ
shall do it. He shall save His people from
their sins. And that's only true if they're
saved forever. And bless God, He got the job
done. His death shall never be proved
a miscarriage and how this gives comfort to god's people. Aren't
those words comforting? Here are great shepherd. I give
them eternal life and they shall never perish. How comforting
to a sinner like me. My everlasting What I do or fail to do is depending
upon my great faithful shepherd. In the world, you'll have tribulation. Oh, don't we though? Don't we
though? How fierce the winds can blow,
how suddenly storms can come and beat into our little vessel.
I need a foundation that can't be moved. I need a solid foundation
on which to rest my soul on. And our Lord said, well, here
it is. Here it is. Upon this rock, the rock of ages,
the rock everlasting, upon this rock I will build my church and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. It's important because
it's God's word. The security of the sheep glorifies
him, the triune God, and we must preach it, embrace it, believe
it for that reason. Jude, you need not turn there,
but let me conclude just by reading the last two verses in the epistle
of Jude. This is what he said, and it's
full of comfort as well. Now, unto him that is able, that
can only be talking about the great shepherd. That cannot be
talking about anyone else. Now, unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. Now, who could they be talking
about except him? And not only to able to keep
you from falling, but to present you faultless Imagine that. Imagine that. Faultless? Faultless? That's
what it says. And John said he saw Him without
fault before the throne of God. To Him who's able to keep you
from falling and to present you faultless before the presence
of His glory with exceeding joy. to the only wise God our Savior. Be glory and majesty, dominion
and power both now and forever. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for your attention.