25-0824p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(0:04) I continue with the lesson started this morning, talking about God’s sheep. (0:13) We were in Ezekiel 34, where it is Israel that is considered to be God’s sheep. (0:27) And so we learned that the shepherds that should have been taking care of his sheep were not doing so.

(0:44) And so he said that he would seek them out and that he would do for them what the shepherds failed to do. (1:03)

(2:11) And from the scriptures that we covered this morning, we learned that God is very much concerned with His people. (2:29) And He considered them His sheep. (2:34) And this is contrary to what is professed, that God is detached from man.

(2:49) But He is not detached from man. (2:53) He didn’t leave man to sin for himself. (3:01) But He was very much concerned.

(3:07) And even though sin entered the world, He saw to it that man would have a way of coming back to Him. (3:24) Now, I am going to go to John 10, where I’m going to spend time in this particular chapter. (3:45) I’m going to read the first five verses of John 10, where Jesus says, (4:01) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

(4:20) But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. (4:29) To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (4:46) When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

(5:01) Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him. (5:11) They do not know the voice of a stranger. (5:16) Now, before I continue with this, Jesus is giving us a parable or illustration showing that a shepherd will enter by the door of the sheepfold.

(5:41) But a thief, someone that is not a shepherd, but maybe a hireling, one that tries to get into the sheepfold other ways, is known as a thief and a robber. (6:06) This is important to know because we hear all kinds of things and all kinds of ways that man will put before the people (6:24) how they can enter into the sheepfold. (6:34) They can come in by this way or they can come in by that way, but if we don’t use the door, we’re going to be considered a robber.

(6:59) He is speaking here of sheep, the animals. (7:08) Now, the shepherd knows his sheep, and the sheep will hear his voice and respond to him, and he calls his own sheep by name. (7:33) And these now, these are really talking about the animals.

(7:44) Now, he’s giving this illustration. (7:49) And, you know, animals do have a way of being particular, being really knowing their owner. (8:10) I know when I came to stay with my sister Linda and family, they had a dog named May, and she was known as a family dog.

(8:34) Now, as long as you did not move fast when you were around her, a stranger that is, one that’s not considered family, but they are there, (8:56) they will warn them, don’t move fast or she will go after them. (9:08) And there was a time when it got cold weather and I had a room made for me in the basement where I stayed. (9:25) And I woke up one morning and there was May in a chair, close to my bed, sleeping in that chair in my room.

(9:44) But then she, on one occasion, got in the bed and I tried to get her to move. (9:56) She wouldn’t move for me. (10:00) My sister Linda came down in the basement.

(10:03) All she had to do, May, get off that bed, and May moved off the bed. (10:11) But she wouldn’t move for me. (10:14) But she became friendly with me and that, but I couldn’t give her any commands.

(10:24) It had to be the family members that she recognized already. (10:35) But she would get chased out of the kitchen for doing something and come to me, put her chin on my knee, and look at me with sad eyes. (10:49) And I looked at her and said, what’s the matter May, you got into trouble? (10:56) But not as far as my giving her commands, she wasn’t listening to me.

(11:08) Well, the sheep are the same way. (11:13) They will recognize their owner. (11:17) They recognize his voice.

(11:20) And he says, a stranger they will not hear. (11:25) He will know them by their name. (11:29) He will call them by their name.

(11:33) And he said, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. (11:44) And notice that he said, when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them. (11:57) He doesn’t drive, the shepherd doesn’t drive sheep as cattle are driven.

(12:10) I’m here and you receive shows where sheep too are driven as if they were cattle. (12:27) But the practice then was to get in front of the sheep and the sheep would follow the shepherd. (12:40) Yet they will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him for they do not know the voice of a stranger.

(12:57) Now Jesus used this illustration, King James uses parable that they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. (13:13) So he had to come out and give the meaning of what he was wanting to convey. (13:26) In verse 7, he said, Most assuredly, then Jesus said to them again, (13:37) Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

(13:45) All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. (13:57) I am the door. (14:00) If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

(14:13) The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. (14:24) I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. (14:32) I am the good shepherd.

(14:35) The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. (14:41) But the harming, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, (14:53) sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. (14:59) And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

(15:06) The harling flees because he is a harling and does not care about the sheep. (15:15) I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own. (15:27) Now we’re talking about God’s sheep.

(15:32) And here Jesus says he has sheep. (15:39) He has those that will listen to him and follow him. (15:49) And these are those that hear his voice and follow him.

(16:01) And we see how he gets in front of the sheep and the sheep follow him. (16:17) We see that he leads. (16:20) Christ leads just as a shepherd leads.

(16:29) And Jesus says that I am the door. (16:35) And if anyone enters by me, he will be saved. (16:42) It is important that we do what is necessary if we need saving.

(16:52) Those who are lost in the world need to hear that Jesus offers salvation. (17:02) And the way they can have salvation is to enter through him. (17:08) Enter through the door.

(17:11) But then there are, as I said, people who will come along and give other ways (17:22) and be confused on how one can receive salvation. (17:29) But if we will listen to what Jesus says, we can enter in and be saved (17:38) and we’ll go in and out and find pasture. (17:44) This is essentially what God was telling about the people, (17:55) the shepherds, the leaders that were supposed to be concerned about them.

(18:04) Teach them the word of the Lord and to be concerned when they had physical needs, (18:16) when they needed to be bound up, when they were wounded. (18:21) Well, thieves and robbers, they don’t care. (18:29) They come and possibly they kill and they destroy.

(18:41) And Jesus said, I have come that they may have life (18:46) and that they may have it more abundantly. (18:51) That does not mean that we have an abundance of goods, (18:58) that we have untold wealth. (19:06) That’s not what he’s saying here.

(19:12) I like what the title of the three books, (19:23) and I believe the lesson is dealing with Ephesians or Galatians, (19:32) or one of those two books. (19:34) But the title is Living Abundantly. (19:45) See, that puts a different scope on what is meant there.

(19:54) We have life. We have abundant life. (19:59) Our life can be busy even though we may not have a mansion as some do.

(20:14) We don’t have all kinds of wealth as some do, (20:21) but we can have an abundant living. (20:26) Our life can be filled. (20:32) I know that it became so at the home church in West Virginia (20:44) that I was taken care of just about everything before I left.

(20:53) There were correspondence courses that I was seeing there. (21:01) Those who were said that they would participate in, (21:08) make sure that they received the next one and grade the one that they returned. (21:16) I also had to take money to the bank, (21:23) put it in for the church treasury, and so forth.

(21:31) I thought, boy, I am busy. (21:36) I thought, well, that’s what Christ is saying. (21:43) The life is abundant.

(21:45) It is more abundantly. (21:49) That doesn’t mean that I had all kinds of money. (21:54) I had a job and worked at it and such, (22:06) so the wages really weren’t all that much at that time, (22:14) but yet I was working and getting it.

(22:19) But I was busy. (22:23) I was cleaning the building, cutting the grass for the church. (22:31) That is what living, that’s what it means.

(22:35) Our lives can be filled. (22:41) He said, I am the good shepherd. (22:46) The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

(22:51) And we learned that when Christ died, (22:57) he went through the crops, gave his life, he shed his blood. (23:06) And as we learned this morning in Acts 20 and verse 28, (23:13) the church is purchased by that blood. (23:17) We are redeemed by his blood.

(23:23) It is important, the church is important, (23:28) and the sheep are important. (23:34) And so when someone has sheep, (23:38) they really want to take care of the sheep (23:42) because it means their livelihood. (23:48) And so there are those, though, (23:56) that for some reason people will be gullible (24:03) and swallow what they’re told.

(24:07) They will not look to the one that is Jesus (24:15) who can give them life, (24:17) who can give them salvation, (24:24) and they can go in and out and find pasture. (24:36) Jesus, then, is the door of the sheep, thieves and robbers. (24:44) Sheep did not hear.

(24:47) Jesus said, I am the door. (24:50) If anyone enters me, he will be saved. (24:54) And go in and out and find pasture.

(24:59) Jesus further says, I am the good shepherd. (25:04) The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. (25:10) Dropping down to verse 25 and reading through 29, (25:20) we find that in between this verse and verse 18 (25:32) that the Jews come in and they are saying things.

(25:41) And then in verse 24, (25:45) the Jews surrounded him and said to him, (25:48) How long do you keep us in doubt? (25:52) If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. (26:01) Jesus answered them, I told you and you do not believe. (26:08) The works that I do in my Father’s name, (26:13) they bear witness of me.

(26:16) But if you do not believe me, (26:19) because you are not of my sheep, as I said to you. (26:28) My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. (26:37) And I give them eternal life that they shall never perish.

(26:45) Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. (26:52) My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. (27:01) And no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

(27:08) There are many who were saved. (27:14) Once saved, always saved. (27:17) But there is not a possibility of falling from grace.

(27:25) But we are told that we can fall from grace. (27:34) Those Galatian brethren were told that if they went after the law of Moses, (27:46) after Jesus has died and removed the law, (27:53) he said, you are fallen from grace. (27:58) Of course, this particular verse many will use as the verse that proves to them (28:15) that once you have eternal life, you know, you’ll never perish.

(28:26) And that no one, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. (28:37) Well, that’s true. (28:39) If we’re with Jesus, if we are following him, (28:45) if we’re hearing him and following his teaching and obeying what he says, (28:55) we have eternal life.

(29:00) And if we have it and we are staying in it, (29:04) nobody can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. (29:10) But the thing is, as I pointed out this morning, (29:17) sheep do go astray. (29:21) They will leave the flock and get lost.

(29:30) And it’s the sheep that makes his mind up to leave. (29:39) So that means then as long as they stay (29:45) and the shepherd is really watching after them, (29:51) he won’t let anyone snatch them out of his hand. (29:56) But you see, it’s up to us.

(30:03) It’s up to me. (30:06) Nobody can snatch this salvation out of his, snatch me out of his hand. (30:17) But you see, he’s got me in his hands.

(30:22) But I’ve got my mind, (30:28) and I may use my mind to decide, (30:35) I want to go this way, I want to leave. (30:41) If I do, then it is me going out of his hands. (30:53) Nobody else is doing that except me.

(30:57) We can be safe in the hands of God. (31:02) We can be his sheep. (31:05) We can be Christ’s sheep.

(31:10) We can have eternal life and not perish. (31:18) But you see, it’s our choice. (31:24) As we can make our minds up then to become one of God’s lamb, his sheep, (31:37) we can do that by listening to Jesus, obeying him, (31:44) and following after him as sheep follow the shepherd.

(31:49) And Jesus here is the shepherd. (31:54) So we learned this morning that those shepherds that were entrusted in caring for God’s sheep, Israel, (32:10) they failed to do so. (32:13) We learn in Acts 20 that the elders were being admonished to take care of the flock (32:26) over which the Holy Spirit made them shepherd overseers, (32:33) that they shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood, (32:42) we see that they were admonished to take care of it.

(32:52) And it was because he said, I know that after my departure the wolves will enter in and not spare the flock. (33:04) And the way they could stay with God, (33:09) he said, I commend you to God and the word of his grace. (33:18) Now may that be the commendation given to us.

(33:27) We are commended then to God and his word of grace. (33:33) And we can become his sheep by hearing his voice and following him. (33:43) Following him means that we do just what he tells us.

(33:53) If you want to, need to become part of God’s sheep, (34:04) we urge you to do so, believing in him and being baptized to come to him. (34:13) And if you are part of his sheep, if you need to come back, do so. (34:21) For if there is any other thing that you want to make mention of, (34:28) we urge you to do so while we stand and while we sing.