References: John 10, Psalms 23, 1 Peter, Exodus 33,
John 10:6–21 (NLT) 7 "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 "The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded." 19 When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. 20 Some said, "He's demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?" 21 Others said, "This doesn't sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
"Good" Ka-los: beautiful, good, desirable. Intrinsically sound and morally and ethically flawless.
Not so good shepherds. A. Vile shepherds, Thieves and robbers, false messiahs, and mobsters led the religious system.
B. Faithful Shepherds: Abraham, Moses, David.
"You don't have to be flawless to be faithful."
Romans 3:23–24 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
"There are no perfect sheep, only a perfect shepherd."
II. The Shepherd Heart of God John 10:11(NLT) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. Matthew 18:12–14 (NLT) 12 "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn't wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.
How does one acquire sheep? They purchase them 1 Peter 1:18–19 (NLT) For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
1. He died brutally. "Under the law, the sheep dies for the shepherd. In grace, the shepherd dies for the sheep."
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
2. He died willingly & sacrificially. John 10:18(NLT) "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily..." "When God became a man, The Shepherd became The Lamb."
3. He died victoriously. John 10:18(NLT) "...I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again."
"Jesus is the only one that ever defeated death."
When the I Am is you Shepherd: 1. Belonging. John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep…
Mark 3:13 (NIV) Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
"He called you because he wanted you."
Romans 8:28–30 (NLT) 28 We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
2. Knowing. John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep listen to my voice I know them…
"Proximity develops a discerning ear." 3. Leading John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." "Jesus doesn't just listen. He leads. His sheep don't just listen; they follow."
Matthew 9:36 (NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
