verse 19 John chapter 10 there was a division therefore
again among the Jews for these sayings well as he goes on preaching
we read in verse 31 then The Jews took up stones again
to stone him. The response then is really no
different than the response today for what was being said. Now, what was being said? It caused division. and men were
ready to stone the Lord Jesus, put him to death over what he
said, what was said. I've entitled this message, The
Shepherd and His Sheep. The Lord says in verse 11, I
am the good shepherd. I am the one David spoke of. The Lord is my shepherd. I'm him. I am whom the psalmist called
the shepherd of Israel. In Psalm 80 verse one. This is what Isaiah said of me.
He shall feed his flock as a shepherd. I'm him. Zechariah prophesied, Awake,
O sword, smite the shepherd. Smite my fellow. Smite the shepherd. and the sheep
will be scattered. This was prophesied of me, God's
fellow, the shepherd, being smitten with the sword of God's justice. The good shepherd is who Peter
called the chief shepherd. And this shepherd is who the
writer to the Hebrews called that great shepherd of the sheep. And when he describes himself
as a shepherd, he describes himself as that shepherd that goes after
that one lost sheep. And he finds him. And he brings
him back on his shoulders rejoicing. Come rejoice with me. What a shepherd. He is the one who on judgment
day will separate all nations as a shepherd divides his sheep
from the goats. There are sheep and there are
goats. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
good shepherd, the chief shepherd, that great shepherd, and he has
a people he calls his sheep. Now, I was thinking about this.
Of all the animals the Lord would use to describe his people, he
doesn't call them his bears or his lions or his elephants. He calls them his sheep. Now sheep have some characteristics
that no one else has. They're dumb. Amazingly dumb. They go astray so easily. They can't protect themselves.
They're easy prey. They don't have fangs. They don't
have claws. They can't protect themselves.
You know, there's something called a cast sheep. Sheep become so
dirty when their wool becomes so long and it is filled with
so much dirt that they'll lay down and will not be able to
get back up. And the only way they can get
up is if the shepherd raises them up. Sheep. It's not very flattering. Sheep. These sheep he calls his sheep. My sheep. Hear my voice. His own sheep. You will notice he said other
sheep I have which are not of this fold. that geographical fault. Do you remember when he said
to the Syro-Phoenician woman, I'm not sent, but to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel. Now, when he says that to her,
he's saying when she comes to him for help, he says, I've only
come for my lost sheep. I've only come for the elect."
The Lord makes that point. This is not some man making this
point. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself making this point. Not everybody is a sheep. Look in verse 24 of John chapter
10. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, how long dost thou make us to doubt? We're sincere seekers. You're
speaking vaguely. Why are you speaking so vaguely
to us? How long are you gonna make us
doubt? He didn't speak vaguely to them. He had told them plainly
for three years. There was nothing vague about
the speech of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they're saying, How
long are you gonna make us doubt and hold us in suspense? 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
are not of my sheep, as I said to you. Not everybody is a sheep. The sheep are those the Father
gave him. Look in verse 29 of this chapter. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all. The sheep are those the Father
gave him. Now this is talking about those the Father gave him
before time began. Remember when he said, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. This is the will of him
that sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose
nothing, but raise it up again at the last day. Turn with me
for a moment to John chapter 17, and I want you to see the
significance of this phrase, those whom thou hast given. me,
my father, which gave them me." Look at verse two. This is his
great high priestly prayer. As thou has given him power over
all flesh that he should give eternal life to who? As many
as thou has given him. In verse six, I've manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me. out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me. Look what he says in verse nine.
I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. Verse 11, and now I'm no
more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come
to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou
hast given me. has given me. Verse 12, while
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name, those
that thou gavest me, I have kept. Look at verse 24. Father, I will
that they also whom thou hast given me. be with me where I
am now in that great high priestly prayer of the Lord for his people
seven times he mentions those whom thou has given me. This speaks of the elect those
the father gave him before the foundation of the world. Look in John chapter 10 verse
11 once again I am the good shepherd. Oh, what
a shepherd he is. The Lord's my shepherd. What
a blessed privilege of grace to be able to say that. The Lord
is my shepherd. He is my shepherd. And because
of that, I shall not want with such a glorious shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good
Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Look in verse 14. 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, and I lay down my life for the sheep. For whom did Jesus Christ die? The sheep. Not everybody is a sheep, the
sheep are the elect. Paul said to the Ephesian elders,
take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseer, that you're to feed the church
of God, which he purchased with his own blood. The flock is the
church of God that Jesus Christ purchased with his own blood.
Now, listen to me, the Bible nowhere teaches or implies that
Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men without exception. Now I realize that there are
verses that when pulled out of context can appear to say that. He's the propitiation for our
sins and also not for ours only but also for the sins of the
whole world. He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every
man. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life. I can see where verses like this, if somebody doesn't
know the message of the Bible, it would seem to imply that He
did die for the sins of everybody. I get it. I understand somebody
thinking that. But remember, The gospel according
to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 is how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. And he's talking about the Old
Testament scriptures. This is the message of the Bible. When that high priest went into
the Holy of Holies one time a year, Not without blood. He had some
names written on his breastplate and that he bore on his shoulders. Were there any Amalekites mentioned?
Or the Jebusites? He had the names of the 12 tribes
of Israel and that is who he represented. Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures. The hour is the sheep. Christ died for our sins, the
sheep sins, those who believe. If he died for the sins of all
men, without exception, and some of those people end up in hell,
there's some people in this room that are in real trouble, me
being number one. Is anyone thinking, well, as
long as he laid down his life, is it important to make an issue
of, is it for the elect or for all men? Is this even an important
issue in the first place? The Lord said, I laid down my
life for the sheep. Yes, it's important. The Lord
said it. I lay down my life for the sheep. Now, this probably is what the
world most objects to. This thing of Christ only dying
for the elect. I mean, there are even people who believe in
election and say, but I still believe that Jesus Christ died
for everybody. I believe only the elect will
be saved, but Jesus Christ died for everybody. Why would somebody believe something
like that? You're not gonna get that out of the scripture, and
besides, the only reason is you're trying to be, take the edge off
the gospel, make it more palatable to the depraved taste of the
natural man. That's all that's going on there.
Christ, Jesus, is a successful Savior. You see, if I would say
that he died for the sins of people that are in hell, I would
say he's not just. You mean he can make payment
for my sin and God can make me pay for it again? That's not
just. He would say Christ failed in his intentions. If he intended
to save somebody and they ended up not being saved, he failed.
No, Christ, because of who he is, is a successful Savior. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. Now, why do men object? This
is not fair. This is not fair. That's everybody's
natural objection. I've objected to it. First time
I heard this, it's not fair. It's not right. This is not fair.
The two objections are found in Romans chapter nine. If you'll
turn with me there for just a moment. Verse 11, Romans 9, verse 11. For the children, speaking of
Jacob and Esau, the twins, being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand. Not of works, but of him that
calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger as it's written. Jacob have I loved,
but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? God's
not fair. Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is this God being unfair? Look in verse 18. Therefore,
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will,
he hardens, thou wilt say then to me, why does he yet find fault?
If he hardened my heart, how can I be held responsible for
that? That's not fair. Verse 20. Nay, but old man, who
do you think you are in replying against God? Since when do you
have the moral authority to sit in judgment upon God and say,
I think this is fair and I disagree with this? You're in a bad place. Who are you to reply against
God? You've become God's judge. Now, when we're questioning God's
fairness, number one, we're manifesting a sense of entitlement. You know,
I hate that when people have an entitled attitude. I've got
this coming to me. No, you don't. No, you don't. You forfeited. I have forfeited
all favor because of my sin. Not only Is there a sense of
entitlement going on? We're saying God is wrong in
what he does. We become God's judge. We're
denying who he is. See, he's God. Everything he
does is right. Everything he does is just. Everything
he does is perfect. Everything he does is glorious.
And if you disagree, it's because you don't love him. If I disagree,
it's because I don't love him. If by the grace of God I'm given
the grace to believe the gospel, I'll agree with everything God
says. Now when we say that he can love
somebody and die for their sins, and send them to hell anyway.
We're denying what Paul said in Romans chapter eight, verse
34, when he said, who is he that can condemn? It's Christ that
died. We'd have to say that's not enough.
That's not enough. Yeah, it is. It's Christ that
died. He said, I laid down my life
for the sheep, the same ones mentioned in Matthew 121, Thou
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. And he did this willingly. Look
in verse 16. John chapter 10, verse 16, 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 doth
my father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again. No man takes it from me. The Lord was no victim. As a matter of fact, when those
men drove the nails in his hands and feet, it's because he willed
for it to take place. They were in his hand. His will, his purpose being done. He was no victim. He was doing
all of this willingly, coming as the lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. I love thinking of this, the
world was created for this. Here he comes, no man taking
my life from me. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received.
of my father. I lay down my life willingly
for the sheep. Now, because of this, the father
does not say, as soon as he does not say, when I see the blood
I'll not pass over you because of the greatness of your sins.
I'll go ahead and smite you anyway. No. When I see the blood, that's
all he was looking for. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you. I lay down my life for the sheep. John Owen made this statement,
if Christ died for all the sins of all men, all will be saved.
If he died for some of the sins of all men, no one will be saved. If he died for all the sins of
some men, then all of those men will be saved. I lay down my
life for the sheep. Look in verse 11, once again,
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, that's
the false prophet. That's the preacher who does
what he does because that's what his job is. That's how he makes
a living. He goes to seminary and learns
how to be a preacher. I don't want to be a plumber.
I want to be a preacher. Therefore, I'm going to be educated
to be a preacher, and I'm a hireling. I don't like preachers. Hirelings. Hirelings. 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 they're scattered. The hireling fleeth, because
he's a hireling. He's paid. He doesn't care for
the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep, and have known of mine. Am I sheep? I hope everybody
in this room is asking this question right now. Am I a sheep? These are the ones he lays down
his life for, am I a sheep? Well, look in verse three of
this same chapter, we touched on this last week. To him, 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." The sheep
hear his voice, they know his voice, the gospel. The gospel. That's his voice. The gospel. You know when you hear his voice?
When you hear the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and
believe the gospel, that is the hearing of his voice. I pray
somebody here hears the voice of the shepherd, not my voice,
but the voice of the shepherd. The sheep hear his voice. He calleth his own sheep by name. Do you know if you're a sheep,
you have your name written in a book, your name, written in
a book of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
He knew your name then. My parents named me this. No,
they didn't. The name you have is the name
the Lord gave you before the foundation of the world. And
that's the name written in the book of life. You see, he knows
his sheep. He knows them by name. Look what it says in verse eight
of John chapter 10. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers but the sheep did not hear them. Is there anything in your salvation
that came before Christ? You had to do this before he
could save you? Do you have a before? Well, I
did this, therefore he saved me. That's a thief and a robber. Anything that comes before Christ
is a thief and a robber, a thief seeking to rob glory from God,
a robber seeking to rob you of the only ground of salvation
that Christ is all. Anything before Christ is a thief
and a robber, but the sheep won't hear them. This is why you The
sheep won't hear that. The sheep got something in their
heart that make them hear the gospel. And they hear nothing
else. They won't listen to anything
else. It's the voice of a thief and a robber. And the sheep will
not hear them. They know not the voice of strangers. Look in verse 25 of John chapter
10. 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're
not of my sheep. Sheep believe all the time. There's no such
thing as a sheep who does not believe sheep. believe. They believe the gospel. They believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God. They believe He is God. They
believe He is all in salvation. They believe He is God's Christ. Whoso believeth that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God. Verse 27, my sheep, John chapter
10, verse 27, my sheep, hear my voice, And I know that. Did you notice in that passage
where Andy was reading at the first of this message on the
parable of the 10 virgins, five with oil, five without oil. The
ones without oil knocked on the door and they said, Lord, Lord, you know us. He said, I don't know you. What about that group on judgment
day? Lord, Lord, in your name have we not cast out demons?
In your name have we not preached? In your name have we not done
many wonderful works? Then shall I say to them, depart
from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you. Now he knew
exactly who they were. He knew everything about them
as far as that goes, but what he's saying is I never loved
you. I know. My sheep, I love my sheep. I'm known of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know
them and they follow me. And here's why they follow him
and know him. Now remember, don't miss this.
What's it mean to follow Christ? Well, I'm imitating Christ. Well,
you ought to imitate Christ. I realize that. That's not what he's talking
about. How do you follow somebody? Keep your eyes on them. You don't
look anywhere else. If you're following someone and
start looking at your walk, what's going to happen? You're going
to lose them. If you're following someone and you start looking
at how other people are doing at it, you're going to lose them. They follow me. They look only
to me. They look nowhere else. They
look only to me. I'm all they have. They won't
look anywhere else. They don't look to anything but
me as everything in their salvation, and they keep looking to me in
that sense. They follow me. Here's why they
do it. I give unto them eternal life.
That's why they do it. I give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish. Do you believe a sheep of Christ
could perish? No. They shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand, my almighty hand. Somebody says, do you believe
in once saved, always saved? It depends. Who saved you? If you believe
you had something to do with your salvation, if you had a
before, before I could be saved, I did this, and once I did that,
then I was saved. If you got a before, I don't believe in
once saved, always saved, you'll fall away, for sure, for sure. But if Christ saved you, oh yes,
I believe in one, save always saved. He cannot fail. What a shepherd. My father, which gave them me,
this is why they can't perish, is greater than all. And no man's
able to pluck them out of my father's hand. I and my father
are one. Now here is the issue. Who is Jesus Christ? That is the issue. The issue
isn't even for whom did Christ die. That's not the issue. The
issue is who is Jesus Christ? I and my father are one. One in essence, one in substance. Somebody says, what's that mean?
I don't know. But I know it's so. He said, he that hath seen
me hath seen the Father. He didn't say it's just as if
he's seen the Father. It says he's seen the Father. The issue is, who is Jesus Christ? Now they understood what he meant
when he said, I and my Father are one. Because then took the
Jews up against stones to stone him. And I love the sarcasm the
Lord uses at this time. Many good works have I shown
you for my father. For which of these works do you stone me? I'm sure that took them back.
But they came up with their answer. Jews answered him saying, for
good work we stoned thee not, but for blasphemy, because thou
being a man, makest thyself God. They knew exactly what he was
saying. I am God. The good shepherd is God. What a shepherd. The good shepherd of which David
said, the Lord is my shepherd. He has a people called his sheep. I want to be one of them. What do his sheep do? They hear
his voice. They believe the gospel. A good shepherd laid down his
life for these sheep. Why did he do that? Well, because
it was God's eternal purpose. And he made a way for God to
be just, absolutely inflexibly righteous, and yet justify someone,
justify someone as sinful as me. That's why he laid down his
life. life. Now there might have been
a division among those Jews for these sayings but I love these
sayings and they might have wanted to
take stones and stone him and I would have been one of them
apart from his grace but by his grace I bow before his sayings. The shepherd the great shepherd,
the chief shepherd, and his sheep. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for our
great shepherd. to be able to say the Lord is
my shepherd, to say that with rejoicing I shall not want, knowing
he makes me to lie down in green pastures and he leads me beside
the still waters. He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I'll fear no evil for thou art
with me, my great shepherd. How we thank you for our great
shepherd. And we thank you for the sheep
dogs of goodness and mercy that will follow us all the days of
our life. Lord, would you speak to your
sheep? Cause them to hear your voice.
In Christ's name we pray.