1 00:00:03,133 --> 00:00:04,900 Thank you, music ministers. 2 00:00:05,900 --> 00:00:08,300 Have your Bibles turn with me to John. 3 00:00:08,300 --> 00:00:10,099 Chapter 10. 4 00:00:10,099 --> 00:00:15,266 Verse number one. 5 00:00:18,433 --> 00:00:21,566 And as we bounce back and forth between expositions of John 6 00:00:21,566 --> 00:00:25,333 and Ephesians here in John, we turn to 7 00:00:25,333 --> 00:00:28,699 a new chapter today, and 8 00:00:28,699 --> 00:00:31,866 as we do, we come into 9 00:00:31,866 --> 00:00:37,200 a text with a word picture. 10 00:00:39,133 --> 00:00:42,633 And this word picture that Jesus is going to unveil 11 00:00:43,466 --> 00:00:47,899 for us here today is very deep in its meaning. 12 00:00:49,399 --> 00:00:52,533 So often, when I come across a text, a familiar 13 00:00:52,533 --> 00:00:55,633 text, familiar words, these words are going to be familiar to 14 00:00:55,633 --> 00:00:58,633 you, that I really previously 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,666 never looked really, very closely into until 16 00:01:02,666 --> 00:01:06,099 I had to preach it, and then I had to unpack it and study it and prepare it. 17 00:01:07,900 --> 00:01:10,966 I get surprised by the depth 18 00:01:10,966 --> 00:01:14,000 of meaning that I never realized before, 19 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:15,633 studying it. 20 00:01:15,966 --> 00:01:19,700 And, um, that happened 21 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:22,833 again this week to me, as I spent a lot more time, 22 00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:26,566 uh, than I normally do on, uh, 23 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:29,900 redoing this, because I always go back and... 24 00:01:31,633 --> 00:01:34,700 This is supposed to be to help me, but I wind up spending a lot 25 00:01:34,700 --> 00:01:38,000 more time revamping these than I probably should. 26 00:01:38,299 --> 00:01:41,833 But I want you to know, this is not a parable. 27 00:01:42,900 --> 00:01:44,066 What we're going to read here today. 28 00:01:45,633 --> 00:01:48,666 Because, for one thing, it doesn't start with 29 00:01:48,666 --> 00:01:51,966 Jesus saying, the kingdom of God is like, 30 00:01:51,966 --> 00:01:53,833 like he does in the parables. 31 00:01:54,266 --> 00:01:57,500 So I said, this is an 32 00:01:57,500 --> 00:02:00,033 incredible word picture. 33 00:02:02,133 --> 00:02:05,366 And we have to 1st take note of the fact that there is not, 34 00:02:05,366 --> 00:02:08,633 I want you to, if you have your Bibles especially open, there's 35 00:02:09,566 --> 00:02:12,633 not a real break in between 36 00:02:12,633 --> 00:02:16,199 chapter 9 and chapter 10 here. 37 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:19,800 What we have here in chapter 10, verse one, 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,233 is Jesus just continuing to 39 00:02:23,233 --> 00:02:26,699 talk after his last sentence in 40 00:02:26,699 --> 00:02:29,033 the last chapter, verse of chapter 9. 41 00:02:29,066 --> 00:02:31,466 So this is what that means. 42 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:34,633 And this is critical for us to understand if 43 00:02:34,633 --> 00:02:36,500 we're going to understand what he's saying in this text. 44 00:02:36,966 --> 00:02:40,099 This is from chapter 9, 45 00:02:40,099 --> 00:02:43,533 the same day, the same scene, 46 00:02:43,533 --> 00:02:46,933 the same people, the same 47 00:02:46,933 --> 00:02:50,000 conversation, Jesus is responding to the 48 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 same event that we studied last 49 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,133 time when we were here in the Gospel of John, and I'll 50 00:02:56,133 --> 00:02:59,866 give you just a reminder, and you're going to remember this as soon as I say it, remember? 51 00:02:59,966 --> 00:03:02,133 The man born Brian, right? 52 00:03:02,699 --> 00:03:04,133 And remember what happened? 53 00:03:04,199 --> 00:03:05,533 The Pharisees had thrown him out. 54 00:03:05,599 --> 00:03:08,366 They couldn't handle what had happened. 55 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,533 And then, remember, they intended to kill Jesus at this point. 56 00:03:12,599 --> 00:03:14,866 Jesus finds the man. 57 00:03:15,199 --> 00:03:18,333 The man is miraculously saved 58 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:22,199 spiritually as well, along with his physical sight. 59 00:03:22,266 --> 00:03:25,400 And then the Pharisees come back into the 60 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,466 picture there at the end of chapter 9, you 61 00:03:28,466 --> 00:03:30,099 can just glance at that real quick. 62 00:03:30,966 --> 00:03:34,033 And we're 63 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:36,199 now just still in the flow. 64 00:03:36,599 --> 00:03:38,266 No break. 65 00:03:38,366 --> 00:03:41,500 The chapter break is unfortunate here in the 66 00:03:41,500 --> 00:03:44,633 translation, but what we want to do is 67 00:03:44,666 --> 00:03:47,699 just keep that in our mind, and we're going to continue 68 00:03:47,699 --> 00:03:50,699 in the same context in the flow 69 00:03:50,699 --> 00:03:53,033 of reading verses one to 10 together. 70 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,066 Jesus goes on. 71 00:03:56,099 --> 00:03:58,366 Well let me just back it up real quick. 72 00:03:58,466 --> 00:04:00,733 Verse 41 of chapter 9. 73 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,866 Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no sin, but since you 74 00:04:03,866 --> 00:04:05,533 say, we see, your sin remains. 75 00:04:05,599 --> 00:04:07,266 So remember, we exposited that. 76 00:04:07,333 --> 00:04:11,699 Well, the very next thing he says, 10 one, truly, truly, I say to you. 77 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,366 He who does not enter by the door, into the 78 00:04:17,366 --> 00:04:20,433 fold of the sheep, but climbs 79 00:04:20,433 --> 00:04:23,466 up some other way, he is a thief, 80 00:04:23,466 --> 00:04:24,500 and a rubber. 81 00:04:24,733 --> 00:04:28,399 But he who enters by the door is 82 00:04:29,066 --> 00:04:30,399 a shepherd of the sheep. 83 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:33,800 To him, the doorkeeper opens, and 84 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,366 the sheep hear his voice. 85 00:04:35,466 --> 00:04:38,600 And he calls his own sheep by 86 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,399 name, and leads them out. 87 00:04:41,100 --> 00:04:42,600 Very important out. 88 00:04:42,666 --> 00:04:43,699 We'll see that in a minute. 89 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,966 When he puts forth all his own, 90 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,500 he goes ahead of them. 91 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,333 And the sheep follow him. 92 00:04:51,433 --> 00:04:53,766 Because they know his voice. 93 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,600 A stranger, they simply will 94 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,866 not follow, but will flee from him because 95 00:05:01,566 --> 00:05:03,899 they do not know the voice of a stranger. 96 00:05:04,466 --> 00:05:07,633 The figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, 97 00:05:07,633 --> 00:05:11,233 this figure of speech, but they did not understand the 98 00:05:11,233 --> 00:05:13,033 things which were he had been saying to them. 99 00:05:13,166 --> 00:05:15,699 So Jesus said to them again. 100 00:05:17,633 --> 00:05:21,300 Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 101 00:05:21,666 --> 00:05:24,833 All who came before me are thieves 102 00:05:24,866 --> 00:05:27,733 and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 103 00:05:28,100 --> 00:05:29,966 I am the door. 104 00:05:30,066 --> 00:05:33,433 If anyone enters through me, he 105 00:05:33,433 --> 00:05:37,166 will be saved and will go in and out, important 106 00:05:37,166 --> 00:05:39,433 to remember, and find pasture. 107 00:05:39,666 --> 00:05:42,733 The thief comes only to 108 00:05:42,733 --> 00:05:45,866 steal and kill and destroy. 109 00:05:45,899 --> 00:05:49,333 I came, that they may have life, 110 00:05:49,333 --> 00:05:50,899 and have it abundantly. 111 00:05:53,633 --> 00:05:55,566 Now, there's a whole lot going on in that text. 112 00:05:56,466 --> 00:06:01,399 So this is one of those sermons, where you're 113 00:06:01,399 --> 00:06:04,833 going to have to exercise your cranium to keep up with what I'm saying to you. 114 00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:08,133 The first thing we need to know is 115 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,766 that within the context of this conversation, 116 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,399 those who are described by 117 00:06:17,399 --> 00:06:20,399 Jesus as a thief, and 118 00:06:20,399 --> 00:06:23,033 a robber there in verse one, are the Pharisees. 119 00:06:23,166 --> 00:06:25,433 Remember, we're still in the flow here. 120 00:06:26,899 --> 00:06:30,266 The leaders of Israel, are thieves, 121 00:06:30,266 --> 00:06:31,933 and they're robbers. 122 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,066 We've studied this. 123 00:06:33,266 --> 00:06:36,266 They have no authority, they have 124 00:06:36,266 --> 00:06:39,600 no ownership over the sheep, of 125 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,466 Jesus, that they seek to fleece. 126 00:06:44,133 --> 00:06:48,733 that they seek to destroy, Jesus is 127 00:06:48,733 --> 00:06:49,766 the true shepherd. 128 00:06:51,399 --> 00:06:53,500 He came to give life, he says. 129 00:06:53,533 --> 00:06:56,899 So, the picture of the 130 00:06:56,899 --> 00:06:59,966 shepherd is simply a 131 00:06:59,966 --> 00:07:01,300 word picture, as I said. 132 00:07:01,399 --> 00:07:04,399 Now, Jesus doesn't identify 133 00:07:04,399 --> 00:07:07,933 himself as the shepherd until we get to verse 11. 134 00:07:08,166 --> 00:07:10,266 We're not going to look at verse 11 today. 135 00:07:10,333 --> 00:07:14,100 And there are 2 elements in this word picture, 136 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,566 that would have been very familiar 137 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,066 to everybody standing there in the conversation that 138 00:07:21,066 --> 00:07:24,533 day, because they're standing there in 1st century Israel. 139 00:07:24,566 --> 00:07:27,199 And they all understood. 140 00:07:29,133 --> 00:07:32,366 The reality of the vocation 141 00:07:32,366 --> 00:07:33,699 of shepherding. 142 00:07:35,133 --> 00:07:38,899 They all understood what it meant to care for a flock. 143 00:07:39,366 --> 00:07:42,366 And they also knew very well 144 00:07:42,366 --> 00:07:45,366 that in the Old Testament, 145 00:07:45,366 --> 00:07:48,366 over and over again, God himself is 146 00:07:48,366 --> 00:07:50,600 presented as a shepherd. 147 00:07:52,133 --> 00:07:54,666 Now first, on the human side. 148 00:07:56,399 --> 00:08:00,199 We need to know a little bit about literal shepherding 149 00:08:00,199 --> 00:08:03,199 to get the meaning to get 150 00:08:03,199 --> 00:08:05,666 down into the meaning of this great word picture. 151 00:08:05,699 --> 00:08:09,000 The main part of Judea is a central 152 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,966 plateau, and it's very rocky. 153 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:13,199 It's not good for crops. 154 00:08:13,333 --> 00:08:16,766 But it is a place where sheep 155 00:08:16,766 --> 00:08:19,933 would go, graze, the ground's rough, stony, 156 00:08:19,933 --> 00:08:23,000 grass sparse, but still, that's where 157 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,133 they would normally, the shepherds would take their sheep to graze. 158 00:08:27,199 --> 00:08:31,233 The shepherd was a constant, familiar 159 00:08:31,233 --> 00:08:36,366 figure to everybody who lived in Israel in the Judean heels. 160 00:08:36,866 --> 00:08:39,266 Everybody knew the shepherds. 161 00:08:39,299 --> 00:08:43,433 The life of a shepherd was extremely hard. 162 00:08:43,500 --> 00:08:47,933 He's outside all the time, against all 163 00:08:47,966 --> 00:08:50,666 the elements every day of the heat and the cold. 164 00:08:50,700 --> 00:08:52,066 It even gets cold over there. 165 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:56,600 With little grass, the sheep 166 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,299 would tend to wander off, and he'd have to go get them. 167 00:09:00,633 --> 00:09:03,799 There was no pin, wall, protective 168 00:09:03,799 --> 00:09:05,666 wall up there on the hillsides. 169 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:08,333 They didn't have any barbed wire fence to keep them in. 170 00:09:09,899 --> 00:09:13,166 There was all kind of crevices and places down 171 00:09:13,166 --> 00:09:16,399 into which the sheep could fall, if you ever seen that funny meme 172 00:09:16,399 --> 00:09:19,399 on the internet, the Christian life, and the little sheep goes 173 00:09:19,399 --> 00:09:22,533 down in the crevice, and he gets stuck, and his little legs were wiggling. 174 00:09:22,566 --> 00:09:24,966 It was easy for the sheep to get lost. 175 00:09:26,633 --> 00:09:30,600 And it was easy for predators to sneak up and assault the sheep. 176 00:09:30,666 --> 00:09:33,733 So think about the task of a 177 00:09:33,733 --> 00:09:37,133 shepherd and his work, his daily work, it was relentless, vigilance, 178 00:09:38,299 --> 00:09:41,899 constant attention, danger all around. 179 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,233 There was danger from wild animals. 180 00:09:44,299 --> 00:09:48,133 There was also danger from thieves and 181 00:09:48,133 --> 00:09:51,366 robbers who came to steal the sheep. 182 00:09:51,566 --> 00:09:53,666 They would want to steal the sheep for the wool. 183 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:56,033 They would want to steal the sheep for the meat. 184 00:09:56,100 --> 00:09:59,233 And so every day, and the life of a 185 00:09:59,233 --> 00:10:02,766 shepherd was a long, hard, arduous day. 186 00:10:02,899 --> 00:10:05,966 And there were 187 00:10:05,966 --> 00:10:09,566 some shepherds in the Old Testament who were 188 00:10:09,566 --> 00:10:12,633 very familiar to all the Jewish people. 189 00:10:12,733 --> 00:10:14,233 Abraham was a shepherd. 190 00:10:15,633 --> 00:10:17,066 How about Isaac and Jacob? 191 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:18,366 They were both shepherds. 192 00:10:19,133 --> 00:10:22,166 Even Moses was a shepherd, right, 193 00:10:22,166 --> 00:10:23,433 when he was in Midian, remember? 194 00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:27,433 David was a shepherd boy before he was a king. 195 00:10:29,633 --> 00:10:32,833 So, very familiar to these people standing in 196 00:10:32,833 --> 00:10:36,266 this conversation with Jesus was the vocation of Shepherd 197 00:10:36,266 --> 00:10:40,133 required constant vigilance, fearless courage, patient 198 00:10:40,933 --> 00:10:43,033 love for the flock. 199 00:10:43,399 --> 00:10:47,233 If you had all that going, you were one of the best shepherds, right? 200 00:10:47,666 --> 00:10:51,133 But the most well known shepherd, 201 00:10:51,133 --> 00:10:54,433 in all of the Old Testament, is God. 202 00:10:54,566 --> 00:10:56,500 Let me give you some examples. 203 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,299 Psalm 23, 1, you can look on the screen. 204 00:10:59,366 --> 00:11:00,500 The Lord is my way. 205 00:11:00,566 --> 00:11:00,899 Shepherd. 206 00:11:02,366 --> 00:11:05,899 Psalm 7720 says, You 207 00:11:05,899 --> 00:11:07,466 led your people like a flock. 208 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:10,033 Psalm 79, 13. 209 00:11:10,266 --> 00:11:13,566 So we, your people, and the sheep of 210 00:11:13,566 --> 00:11:16,133 your pasture, will give thanks to you. 211 00:11:16,266 --> 00:11:18,966 Psalm 80, verse one. 212 00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:22,200 Oh, give ear, shepherd of Israel, you 213 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,266 who leave Joseph, like a fox, you who 214 00:11:25,266 --> 00:11:29,100 are enthroned above the cherubim shine forth. 215 00:11:29,299 --> 00:11:32,633 How about Psalm 95, verse 7? 216 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:37,133 For he is our God, and we 217 00:11:37,166 --> 00:11:40,266 are the people of his pasture and the 218 00:11:40,266 --> 00:11:42,066 sheep of his hand. 219 00:11:42,133 --> 00:11:43,200 Do I need to go on? 220 00:11:43,266 --> 00:11:44,000 There's more. 221 00:11:44,399 --> 00:11:49,266 So, it's clear that God 222 00:11:49,266 --> 00:11:52,333 is the most well known shepherd in 223 00:11:52,333 --> 00:11:55,633 the Old Testament, and it was clear to the Jews that were standing there 224 00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:58,466 in front of Jesus in this conversation that day. 225 00:11:58,866 --> 00:12:01,133 We'll get to the New Testament. 226 00:12:01,166 --> 00:12:04,266 There are a number of places where Jesus 227 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:07,133 is referred to as a shepherd. 228 00:12:08,399 --> 00:12:11,899 For reasons, not the least of which is, He's God, okay? 229 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,833 Same God, from the Old Testament, is Jesus is God. 230 00:12:15,899 --> 00:12:17,633 I digress. 231 00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:20,700 In Matthew 18, he is the shepherd who will 232 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:23,466 risk his life to save the sheep. 233 00:12:23,533 --> 00:12:26,533 And Matthew 9, he's the shepherd who has pity 234 00:12:26,533 --> 00:12:30,366 on the people because they are like sheep without a shepherd. 235 00:12:30,433 --> 00:12:34,133 In 1st Peter, Peter calls Jesus the 236 00:12:34,566 --> 00:12:35,899 shepherd of our souls. 237 00:12:38,133 --> 00:12:41,399 So that's just a little background to 238 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,433 get us ready to study this text. 239 00:12:45,066 --> 00:12:48,233 Jesus is totally 240 00:12:48,266 --> 00:12:53,000 and completely unlike the Pharisees, the false shepherds. 241 00:12:54,399 --> 00:12:57,600 They fleece the sheep, as I said, but Jesus comes 242 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,766 onto the scene, here in Israel, 243 00:13:00,799 --> 00:13:03,966 as the true shepherd, not only that, 244 00:13:03,966 --> 00:13:07,100 they're Messiah, that they rejected. 245 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,100 So let's get into the text starting in verse one. 246 00:13:11,899 --> 00:13:15,500 Notice how it starts out with one of those truly, truly. 247 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,633 You remember, that means, hey, 248 00:13:19,133 --> 00:13:22,333 everything Jesus says is important, but right here, you need to sit up and 249 00:13:22,333 --> 00:13:24,066 take notice, this is serious. 250 00:13:24,133 --> 00:13:27,500 This is new, what I'm fixing to say, so pay attention. 251 00:13:27,566 --> 00:13:29,233 That's what truly, truly is. 252 00:13:29,299 --> 00:13:32,299 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who 253 00:13:32,299 --> 00:13:36,333 does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheet. 254 00:13:36,366 --> 00:13:37,133 Now stop right there. 255 00:13:37,166 --> 00:13:38,733 What's a fold? 256 00:13:38,966 --> 00:13:41,666 Anybody not know what a fold is? 257 00:13:41,966 --> 00:13:45,133 Well, every village had right next to it, a 258 00:13:45,866 --> 00:13:48,866 sheepfold in Israel, which was simply 259 00:13:48,866 --> 00:13:51,333 a pin to put the sheep in. 260 00:13:51,366 --> 00:13:54,600 The ball was the place where the sheep 261 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,600 would be brought at night for their safety. 262 00:13:57,899 --> 00:14:01,200 After grazing out there in the fields all 263 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,366 of day, the shepherd would lead the sheep, in 264 00:14:04,799 --> 00:14:07,933 every village, into the sheepfold, and all 265 00:14:07,933 --> 00:14:11,133 the village shepherds would put their sheep, into 266 00:14:11,666 --> 00:14:15,333 one fold, kind of like, you call it, the village fold, if you would. 267 00:14:15,366 --> 00:14:18,733 Because, again, that was a place of protection at night. 268 00:14:18,799 --> 00:14:21,933 So there were always, all these mixed, different sheep 269 00:14:21,933 --> 00:14:25,266 from the different shepherds in the fold, and they 270 00:14:25,266 --> 00:14:27,433 would enter one at a time. 271 00:14:29,133 --> 00:14:32,666 And each shepherd would stop each of 272 00:14:32,666 --> 00:14:35,766 his sheep before they went into the fold at 273 00:14:35,766 --> 00:14:38,866 the end of the day to check them for wounds, or 274 00:14:39,566 --> 00:14:42,566 anything that might be of any kind of concern, just to make sure they were okay. 275 00:14:42,866 --> 00:14:46,633 They would stop each sheep with 276 00:14:46,633 --> 00:14:49,500 his rod, or his staff, the same thing. 277 00:14:49,633 --> 00:14:51,966 And they would check them from front to back. 278 00:14:53,633 --> 00:14:57,366 This was a messy, dirty, smelly job. 279 00:14:59,133 --> 00:15:00,366 But that was the shepherd's role. 280 00:15:00,433 --> 00:15:03,733 So the simple enclosure was surrounded 281 00:15:03,733 --> 00:15:06,399 by some form of wall. 282 00:15:06,633 --> 00:15:07,633 It was great protection. 283 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:10,933 Villages had many shepherds, they were not wealthy. 284 00:15:11,066 --> 00:15:15,100 They didn't each have massive amounts of sheep. 285 00:15:16,399 --> 00:15:19,399 They each had small amounts of sheep, so they 286 00:15:19,399 --> 00:15:21,866 knew their sheep, really, really well. 287 00:15:21,966 --> 00:15:25,100 And then the night shift would come after they 288 00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:28,633 got all these sheep into the pin, and they would hire a 289 00:15:28,633 --> 00:15:31,700 porter, so that the shepherds would be able to go 290 00:15:31,700 --> 00:15:35,533 sleep, after a long day of shepherding out in the fields. 291 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,733 Now, notice down in verse 12, it refers 292 00:15:38,733 --> 00:15:41,933 to a hired hand and 293 00:15:41,966 --> 00:15:43,299 not a shepherd. 294 00:15:43,333 --> 00:15:45,899 That's the same in look in verse three. 295 00:15:46,033 --> 00:15:48,366 That's the same as the door keeper, okay? 296 00:15:48,433 --> 00:15:49,333 same guy. 297 00:15:49,399 --> 00:15:52,500 And his job was to close the 298 00:15:52,500 --> 00:15:55,500 door at night on the fold when all the sheep 299 00:15:55,500 --> 00:15:58,266 got in after all the shepherds were checking their sheep. 300 00:15:58,333 --> 00:16:01,866 Shepherds go on to the house to get some rest, and 301 00:16:01,866 --> 00:16:04,933 then he acted as a guard for the night. 302 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,833 So he was the night shift, to watch over him in this village foal. 303 00:16:08,899 --> 00:16:11,633 In the morning, sun came up. 304 00:16:12,133 --> 00:16:15,133 The shepherds were right back out there, and called their 305 00:16:15,133 --> 00:16:18,433 sheep out of the fold, and 306 00:16:18,433 --> 00:16:21,500 lead them back out there to the pasture once again. 307 00:16:22,100 --> 00:16:26,066 Only the shepherd were allowed 308 00:16:26,066 --> 00:16:29,233 by the hired hand to 309 00:16:29,233 --> 00:16:31,200 come and do that, the doorkeeper. 310 00:16:31,266 --> 00:16:34,866 If thieves and robbers came in over the night, 311 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,433 You know what they'd have to do? 312 00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:39,266 They would have to sneak and climb over the wall. 313 00:16:39,433 --> 00:16:42,433 And that's what we're talking about here in 314 00:16:42,433 --> 00:16:45,600 verse one with the thieves and the robbers that climb up some other way. 315 00:16:45,799 --> 00:16:48,866 So, that's the 316 00:16:48,866 --> 00:16:53,299 literal historical background for a 317 00:16:53,299 --> 00:16:57,133 really vivid word picture that we're fixing to get into. 318 00:16:57,566 --> 00:17:01,399 But we have to dig down, now, into 319 00:17:01,399 --> 00:17:05,166 exactly what is Jesus trying 320 00:17:05,166 --> 00:17:06,833 to convey with this word picture. 321 00:17:07,099 --> 00:17:09,566 What is the imagery here? 322 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:12,099 Jesus does it? 323 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,200 again, Jesus doesn't actually say he's the good shepherd until 324 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,633 verse 11, So what is the picture? 325 00:17:17,966 --> 00:17:20,966 Well, some have suggested that the 326 00:17:20,966 --> 00:17:22,233 sheepfold is the church. 327 00:17:24,133 --> 00:17:24,900 I disagree with that. 328 00:17:24,966 --> 00:17:28,400 I can't be right, because the shepherd 329 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,533 in this word picture leads people out of the fold. 330 00:17:32,599 --> 00:17:35,833 So the true Good Shepherd doesn't lead people 331 00:17:35,833 --> 00:17:38,233 out of the church, you get me? 332 00:17:38,299 --> 00:17:41,299 So what we're dealing with here, and I want 333 00:17:41,299 --> 00:17:44,366 you to think this is where you got to think hard about the context of 334 00:17:44,366 --> 00:17:47,900 where we are in this text, who Jesus 335 00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:51,599 has been dealing with, the leaders of Israel, right 336 00:17:51,599 --> 00:17:54,366 here, the sheepfold, is Israel. 337 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:57,033 who Jesus has come to as the Messiah. 338 00:17:57,133 --> 00:18:00,200 And more specifically, if we could just drill it 339 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,433 down, Judaism, really, the religion of Judaism. 340 00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:06,500 The sheep right here, or the Jewish people, the 341 00:18:06,500 --> 00:18:09,633 true shepherd, comes to the fold of 342 00:18:10,166 --> 00:18:15,000 Israel, and the true Messiah, here 343 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,466 is a picture of the Messiah calling 344 00:18:18,500 --> 00:18:20,666 his true sheep out of Judaism. 345 00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:22,366 They got some in there. 346 00:18:22,466 --> 00:18:26,200 Not only that, go down to verse 16, real quick. 347 00:18:26,233 --> 00:18:29,299 And this is going to help you to understand why 348 00:18:29,299 --> 00:18:31,633 I'm saying this is Israel right here. 349 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:34,566 Notice what Jesus says in verse 16. 350 00:18:34,766 --> 00:18:37,766 I have sheep, which are 351 00:18:37,766 --> 00:18:39,500 not of this fold. 352 00:18:39,566 --> 00:18:42,900 I must bring them also, 353 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:46,033 and they will hear my voice, and 354 00:18:46,033 --> 00:18:49,133 they will become one flock 355 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,400 with one shepherd. 356 00:18:51,433 --> 00:18:52,799 What's the other fold? 357 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:53,599 Gentiles. 358 00:18:53,833 --> 00:18:55,500 That's us. 359 00:18:55,566 --> 00:18:55,866 Okay? 360 00:18:56,966 --> 00:19:00,200 And also, now, 361 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,366 in the new covenant, Jewish people from other nations, 362 00:19:03,366 --> 00:19:06,366 right, ethnic Jewish people from other nations, countries of the world. 363 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:11,000 Interestingly, as an aside, the Mormons say, this is the 364 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,533 Indians down there that Jesus supposedly went to, not true. 365 00:19:14,900 --> 00:19:18,500 But this picture starts to become a little clearer, right? 366 00:19:20,133 --> 00:19:23,400 There is one shepherd for both 367 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:27,666 Jew and Gentile, who now, 368 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:31,666 in the new covenant, become one flock in Christ. 369 00:19:31,933 --> 00:19:33,366 All right? 370 00:19:33,433 --> 00:19:36,799 So now there's no Jew, no Greek, everybody's 371 00:19:36,799 --> 00:19:37,933 level at the foot of the cross. 372 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,266 All that goes aside. 373 00:19:39,299 --> 00:19:43,433 The Old Testament promises that God 374 00:19:43,466 --> 00:19:47,733 would gather his flock from all of the nations of the world. 375 00:19:47,833 --> 00:19:49,566 And then Pharisees knew that. 376 00:19:51,133 --> 00:19:53,766 So broaden this out a little bit. 377 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,466 The fold now, in totality, 378 00:19:58,466 --> 00:20:01,599 in the new covenant, is whatever 379 00:20:01,599 --> 00:20:04,700 it is that temporarily holds 380 00:20:04,700 --> 00:20:08,000 the sheep back, that belong to God, whether 381 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,099 it's Judaism for the Jews, or pagan religion, or 382 00:20:11,099 --> 00:20:12,966 any worldly thing for the Gentiles. 383 00:20:13,099 --> 00:20:13,866 Okay? 384 00:20:13,866 --> 00:20:14,900 You ripped me so far. 385 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,033 All right, let's keep going. 386 00:20:17,099 --> 00:20:18,599 What is the door? 387 00:20:18,733 --> 00:20:20,299 Verse two. 388 00:20:20,366 --> 00:20:24,200 But he who enters by the door is a 389 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,166 shepherd of the sheep. 390 00:20:26,299 --> 00:20:29,299 So the shepherd of the sheep is 391 00:20:29,299 --> 00:20:32,833 allowed to come in the door and watch the door. 392 00:20:32,900 --> 00:20:33,733 The door is the right. 393 00:20:33,799 --> 00:20:37,533 The door is the authority, the door is the ownership. 394 00:20:37,633 --> 00:20:38,533 Remember I told you? 395 00:20:38,599 --> 00:20:41,966 And the literal shepherds, only the shepherds would be allowed in by 396 00:20:41,966 --> 00:20:43,333 the doorkeeper to get in there. 397 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:44,433 Nobody else. 398 00:20:44,766 --> 00:20:48,366 And this indicates to us that Christ alone 399 00:20:49,033 --> 00:20:54,066 is the rightful shepherd of his sheep. 400 00:20:54,133 --> 00:20:57,299 He has fulfilled all messianic 401 00:20:57,299 --> 00:21:00,299 prophecy in his life from the Old Testament. 402 00:21:00,366 --> 00:21:03,666 He has demonstrated over and over in 403 00:21:03,666 --> 00:21:06,799 three years of ministry by his words and his works 404 00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:09,799 that he is the Messiah, the Son of God. 405 00:21:09,866 --> 00:21:13,166 He is the rightful shepherd sent 406 00:21:13,166 --> 00:21:16,166 by the Father to lead the elect of 407 00:21:16,166 --> 00:21:19,233 Israel out of Judaism and 408 00:21:19,233 --> 00:21:22,333 the Gentiles out of the world into 409 00:21:22,333 --> 00:21:25,500 the green pastures and still waters of salvation. 410 00:21:25,633 --> 00:21:26,900 You with me? 411 00:21:26,966 --> 00:21:27,500 All right. 412 00:21:27,866 --> 00:21:31,900 And again, who are the thieves and robbers who climb up some other way? 413 00:21:31,933 --> 00:21:34,466 They are, let's broaden it all the way out. 414 00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:36,466 Any false shepherds. 415 00:21:36,566 --> 00:21:39,333 Now, eating false shepherds. 416 00:21:39,366 --> 00:21:42,366 And in this case, here in our text, specifically, it's 417 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:44,633 the scribes and the Pharisees. 418 00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:48,799 They are the self appointed, 419 00:21:48,799 --> 00:21:51,633 self glorified, false shepherds. 420 00:21:51,733 --> 00:21:55,099 All they want to do is fleece and slaughter the sheep. 421 00:21:55,466 --> 00:21:57,866 Jesus, what did he call them? 422 00:21:58,633 --> 00:22:01,700 Hypocrites, who make twofold sons 423 00:22:01,700 --> 00:22:04,166 of hell out of their converts. 424 00:22:04,266 --> 00:22:07,433 That's what he had to say about them, stealing and 425 00:22:07,466 --> 00:22:09,400 slaughtering with their false doctrine. 426 00:22:11,133 --> 00:22:13,766 As you know, we today have false shepherds everywhere. 427 00:22:14,066 --> 00:22:16,533 They're everywhere all the time. 428 00:22:16,633 --> 00:22:19,700 And they always have been all through human history, 429 00:22:19,700 --> 00:22:22,099 and they will be all the way to the end. 430 00:22:22,166 --> 00:22:25,166 So Jesus, in contrast to the false shepherds of 431 00:22:25,166 --> 00:22:28,333 the past, the false shepherds in the future, he 432 00:22:28,333 --> 00:22:30,133 is the true and good shepherd. 433 00:22:30,966 --> 00:22:31,933 He doesn't take life. 434 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,666 He gives life. 435 00:22:33,733 --> 00:22:35,700 And abundantly. 436 00:22:35,766 --> 00:22:36,133 So. 437 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,633 So picture this scene that we're in this conversation. 438 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:42,200 There he stands. 439 00:22:42,866 --> 00:22:44,666 King Jesus. 440 00:22:44,766 --> 00:22:48,233 And he's looking right in the eyes of those false 441 00:22:48,266 --> 00:22:51,500 shepherds that are gathered around him that day, and 442 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:53,066 the blind beggar is still there, too. 443 00:22:55,133 --> 00:22:57,599 And the disciples are there. 444 00:22:58,099 --> 00:23:02,066 And others are there that he 445 00:23:02,066 --> 00:23:05,400 has come to lead out of 446 00:23:06,133 --> 00:23:09,366 this false works based system of 447 00:23:09,366 --> 00:23:13,266 Judaism, and he knows them by name. 448 00:23:15,633 --> 00:23:19,333 And he's going to lead them out of the old covenant, into the 449 00:23:19,333 --> 00:23:23,400 new covenant, and the blessing that God provides, 450 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:27,233 through salvation by grace through faith and long in Christ, alone. 451 00:23:27,366 --> 00:23:30,500 There he stands, right there, in the midst 452 00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:33,633 of these false religious leaders, in stark contrast, 453 00:23:34,933 --> 00:23:37,933 just think about the contrast between him 454 00:23:37,933 --> 00:23:41,066 and the leaders of the religion 455 00:23:41,066 --> 00:23:42,333 in Israel. 456 00:23:42,366 --> 00:23:43,700 Now, go to verse three. 457 00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:48,733 The doorkeeper opens because he has the authority 458 00:23:48,733 --> 00:23:50,066 Jesus does, and the right. 459 00:23:50,099 --> 00:23:53,633 He opens to the true shepherd to come and 460 00:23:53,666 --> 00:23:54,733 to take his sheep. 461 00:23:54,799 --> 00:23:59,166 Look next in verse three, and the sheep, hear his 462 00:23:59,166 --> 00:24:02,466 voice, and he calls his own sheep 463 00:24:02,466 --> 00:24:05,366 by name, and leads them out. 464 00:24:07,900 --> 00:24:09,033 This is an incredible picture. 465 00:24:11,133 --> 00:24:13,166 Sheep know their master's voice. 466 00:24:15,133 --> 00:24:17,000 Just like a pet does. 467 00:24:17,099 --> 00:24:20,866 A dog, not necessarily a cat, but 468 00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:22,033 sometimes maybe. 469 00:24:22,099 --> 00:24:25,200 I think Frank knows my name by now, by my 470 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,733 voice, because I actually feed Frank every morning. 471 00:24:27,799 --> 00:24:28,766 I'm the reason he exists. 472 00:24:28,866 --> 00:24:32,099 But the shepherds 473 00:24:32,099 --> 00:24:35,633 in Israel, they named their sheep, 474 00:24:35,666 --> 00:24:37,833 just like we name our pets. 475 00:24:37,866 --> 00:24:41,599 I'm telling you, they didn't have a whole lot of them, and they knew each one of them. 476 00:24:42,900 --> 00:24:46,500 The sheep knew the shepherd's voice because 477 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:48,900 they're hearing it all the time, every day. 478 00:24:49,033 --> 00:24:50,466 It was very familiar to them. 479 00:24:50,533 --> 00:24:53,366 The shepherd always knew all of his sheep. 480 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:54,299 Think about it. 481 00:24:54,366 --> 00:24:57,966 He's sitting there examining them every day when they're going in a sheep bowl. 482 00:24:58,033 --> 00:24:59,533 He's checking them out, checking them over. 483 00:24:59,599 --> 00:25:01,266 He spent every single day with them. 484 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,466 He knew every little mark that they might have had. 485 00:25:04,799 --> 00:25:07,500 The shepherd always knows his sheep. 486 00:25:08,633 --> 00:25:12,299 He calls them by their name, and the 487 00:25:12,299 --> 00:25:15,299 sheep follow him, because they know 488 00:25:15,299 --> 00:25:16,500 his voice. 489 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:17,666 Skip to verse five. 490 00:25:19,133 --> 00:25:22,133 A stranger, they simply will not follow, but 491 00:25:22,799 --> 00:25:25,933 will flee from him, because they do not 492 00:25:25,933 --> 00:25:28,633 know the voice of strangers. 493 00:25:28,633 --> 00:25:31,866 Jesus was a storyteller. 494 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,266 The master storyteller. 495 00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:37,799 His parables and his word pictures, 496 00:25:37,799 --> 00:25:41,033 they were really simple in themselves, 497 00:25:41,066 --> 00:25:44,966 but in their fullness like this here today. 498 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,133 They were so profound. 499 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,599 There is just no way that a natural man 500 00:25:51,599 --> 00:25:54,733 could have come up just with this text and put 501 00:25:54,733 --> 00:25:58,266 all this together, there's just no way possible, and 502 00:25:58,266 --> 00:26:01,133 have it fit with everything else in the Bible. 503 00:26:01,266 --> 00:26:03,366 And it starts out simple here. 504 00:26:05,133 --> 00:26:09,266 But the deeper you study this text, the more profoundly 505 00:26:09,266 --> 00:26:10,833 theological ipecomes. 506 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,500 And you're probably starting to feel this already with what I've said so far. 507 00:26:17,633 --> 00:26:20,400 There is some serious theology in this word picture. 508 00:26:21,066 --> 00:26:25,133 In this work picture, there's divine sovereignty, 509 00:26:25,166 --> 00:26:28,266 there is irresistible grace in this 510 00:26:28,266 --> 00:26:31,333 word picture, there is effectual 511 00:26:31,333 --> 00:26:34,500 calling in this word picture that we're studying. 512 00:26:34,633 --> 00:26:37,933 This is all profoundly theological 513 00:26:37,933 --> 00:26:39,866 what Jesus is saying here. 514 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,366 And what is he saying? 515 00:26:43,700 --> 00:26:46,766 He's giving us the theology of 516 00:26:46,766 --> 00:26:47,799 salvation itself. 517 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:51,799 The Good Shepherd, guess what? 518 00:26:51,900 --> 00:26:54,366 has already chosen his sheep. 519 00:26:54,566 --> 00:26:56,500 It's a done deal. 520 00:26:56,666 --> 00:26:58,933 He's already named them. 521 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,500 He knows every single one of them personally, 522 00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:07,666 and he alone possesses 523 00:27:07,700 --> 00:27:11,833 full authority and sole authority that 524 00:27:11,833 --> 00:27:15,000 day to come into Judaism, and later 525 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:19,333 into the nations of the world to find his sheep. 526 00:27:19,333 --> 00:27:21,433 He knows them. 527 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:24,966 He calls them out by name, and when 528 00:27:24,966 --> 00:27:29,299 he does, they recognize his voice, instantly, 529 00:27:29,299 --> 00:27:31,533 and they follow him. 530 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:34,466 Was that what happened to you? 531 00:27:37,900 --> 00:27:41,666 When God regenerated you, did you 532 00:27:41,666 --> 00:27:43,000 recognize his voice? 533 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,433 And did you follow him? 534 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:47,866 I did. 535 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,433 And 29 years later. 536 00:27:50,466 --> 00:27:51,833 I'm still here doing the same thing. 537 00:27:54,633 --> 00:27:57,900 Charlie Kirk, I retweeted 538 00:27:57,900 --> 00:28:01,333 a post from this morning. 539 00:28:02,166 --> 00:28:04,500 He said, All religions are not the same. 540 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:09,900 He said, all religions except one are, 541 00:28:09,900 --> 00:28:13,133 are you trying to get close to God, 542 00:28:13,166 --> 00:28:16,466 through some type of works, only Christianity 543 00:28:16,466 --> 00:28:17,733 is God coming to you. 544 00:28:20,133 --> 00:28:21,266 Only Christianity. 545 00:28:22,633 --> 00:28:25,266 And as an aside, I'm going to tell you. 546 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,466 If he could come back and see what they're trying to do 547 00:28:28,466 --> 00:28:31,933 to his wife, that would be a man on fire right now. 548 00:28:32,233 --> 00:28:34,799 It's terrible what's happening to that girl. 549 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:36,866 But let's move on. 550 00:28:38,900 --> 00:28:40,700 They will not follow a stranger. 551 00:28:40,766 --> 00:28:41,599 The sheep will not. 552 00:28:41,766 --> 00:28:44,700 That ought to encourage us to witness to people, right? 553 00:28:46,133 --> 00:28:49,166 When he calls you out by name, and you hear 554 00:28:49,166 --> 00:28:52,333 his voice, when you hear his voice, 555 00:28:52,333 --> 00:28:55,333 what has happened to you is the miracle 556 00:28:55,333 --> 00:28:56,366 of regeneration. 557 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:59,700 That's something that God initiates. 558 00:28:59,766 --> 00:29:01,266 That's something that happens to you. 559 00:29:01,333 --> 00:29:05,233 That's the grace of God invading your life. 560 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:10,500 And it totally changes you for the rest of your life. 561 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:16,266 So many preachers today want to, they 562 00:29:16,266 --> 00:29:17,766 just want to keep things so simple. 563 00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:21,666 and tell their stories, that are 564 00:29:21,666 --> 00:29:22,866 really so shallow. 565 00:29:24,900 --> 00:29:28,266 They really don't want to have any kind of controversial, anything, 'cause 566 00:29:28,266 --> 00:29:30,500 there's whatever mini reasons. 567 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:36,099 And one is, they don't think folks can handle things with any depth to them. 568 00:29:38,133 --> 00:29:41,366 But God created us to be able to handle some things with depth 569 00:29:41,366 --> 00:29:43,700 in his word, especially his people. 570 00:29:43,933 --> 00:29:46,099 And here's Jesus. 571 00:29:47,633 --> 00:29:49,866 And he's talking to these unbelievers. 572 00:29:49,933 --> 00:29:53,099 These religious leaders, with their false 573 00:29:53,099 --> 00:29:56,099 doctrine and these disciples, who are hard to 574 00:29:56,099 --> 00:29:59,700 teach at this point, because they seem to miss the point of 575 00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:02,166 so much of what he said during this part of his ministry. 576 00:30:02,833 --> 00:30:06,799 And today, many people would say, hey, don't 577 00:30:06,799 --> 00:30:10,866 introduce any complexity of theology to the folks, just keep everything simple. 578 00:30:11,299 --> 00:30:12,933 Not Jesus. 579 00:30:14,599 --> 00:30:17,599 This word picture is so 580 00:30:17,599 --> 00:30:19,900 incredibly profound. 581 00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:24,266 This fulfills the promise of the Old Testament that 582 00:30:24,266 --> 00:30:28,099 God would gather a flock from all around this world and 583 00:30:28,099 --> 00:30:31,333 bring that flock, Jew and Gentile together 584 00:30:31,333 --> 00:30:34,466 into one church and to the glory of his kingdom. 585 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:38,633 This is the plan of God that Jesus is giving us here. 586 00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:40,200 So here is Jesus. 587 00:30:40,266 --> 00:30:41,633 He calls them by name. 588 00:30:41,700 --> 00:30:44,766 They know his voice, and they follow him, 589 00:30:44,766 --> 00:30:47,400 and he noticed, leads them out. 590 00:30:47,466 --> 00:30:50,533 And then verse four, when he 591 00:30:50,533 --> 00:30:53,900 puts forth all his own, he 592 00:30:54,433 --> 00:30:57,433 goes ahead of them, and the 593 00:30:57,433 --> 00:31:01,866 sheep, follow him because they know his voice. 594 00:31:01,933 --> 00:31:03,133 Now, this is so interesting. 595 00:31:03,733 --> 00:31:06,966 In the sheep, in Jesus' day, 596 00:31:06,966 --> 00:31:08,833 shepherds in the West. 597 00:31:09,366 --> 00:31:12,633 drove their sheep from behind, or 598 00:31:13,466 --> 00:31:16,533 from the side, and a lot of times they use sheep dogs. 599 00:31:16,766 --> 00:31:20,000 But in the east, and here 600 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,066 in Israel, the shepherds led 601 00:31:23,066 --> 00:31:26,200 their flocks from ahead of them with 602 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,633 their voice, calling out the names of the 603 00:31:29,666 --> 00:31:31,833 sheep, and the sheep would follow. 604 00:31:31,933 --> 00:31:35,633 So notice in this text in the same way, once Jesus puts 605 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,266 us forth, through the miracle of regeneration, 606 00:31:40,266 --> 00:31:44,099 he leads us, and we follow why? 607 00:31:44,166 --> 00:31:46,200 Because we know his voice when we hear it. 608 00:31:47,466 --> 00:31:49,099 It's clear. 609 00:31:51,133 --> 00:31:53,166 His voice is unmistakable to us. 610 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,533 This is the amazing picture of 611 00:31:56,533 --> 00:31:59,299 the master disciple relationship here. 612 00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:03,900 The shepherds of Jesus' day led their sheep, and went ahead of 613 00:32:03,900 --> 00:32:05,866 them to clear the way of danger. 614 00:32:06,599 --> 00:32:09,966 to find water, to find 615 00:32:09,966 --> 00:32:13,333 a pasture with some grass, and in the same way, think 616 00:32:13,333 --> 00:32:14,366 about what Jesus does. 617 00:32:14,466 --> 00:32:17,766 He leads us through the process of sanctification in 618 00:32:17,766 --> 00:32:21,900 our life to the security and the protection and the provision. 619 00:32:22,266 --> 00:32:24,599 of eternal glory one day. 620 00:32:24,599 --> 00:32:27,466 When we die, heavenly blessing. 621 00:32:29,133 --> 00:32:32,166 Jesus here, in this text, is unpacking 622 00:32:32,166 --> 00:32:35,533 this deep theology to these people standing 623 00:32:35,533 --> 00:32:39,599 around him who have no understanding, as verse 6 is fixing to make clear. 624 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,500 But now, now, in 625 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:47,633 2026, in our generation, 626 00:32:47,666 --> 00:32:50,766 with a Bible, and a clear understanding, 627 00:32:50,766 --> 00:32:53,766 I'm telling you, these are truths that we have to know. 628 00:32:53,900 --> 00:32:56,766 as Christians, and we can understand. 629 00:32:56,833 --> 00:32:58,866 Let me give you one more thought about verse five. 630 00:32:58,933 --> 00:33:05,000 Again, look at how, stranger, they simply will not follow, out, will flee from him. 631 00:33:05,099 --> 00:33:08,099 No, I'm sorry, but will flee from him, because they 632 00:33:08,099 --> 00:33:10,733 do not know the voice of strangers. 633 00:33:12,633 --> 00:33:15,900 It's a hard, but it's a simple conclusion. 634 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:19,400 People who are loyal. 635 00:33:20,633 --> 00:33:23,633 loyal to false shepherds, they 636 00:33:24,666 --> 00:33:27,900 don't know the true shepherd, if they're loyal to a false one. 637 00:33:27,966 --> 00:33:31,566 Now, there are people trapped and deceived, and if 638 00:33:31,566 --> 00:33:34,633 God is the true shepherds calling them, they come out, but 639 00:33:35,066 --> 00:33:36,700 if they're loyal, they don't know him. 640 00:33:36,733 --> 00:33:37,933 Once he's put us forth. 641 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,400 Out of the fold of the sin and death and judgment, 642 00:33:43,900 --> 00:33:47,166 we follow, and when we follow, we do not listen to a stranger. 643 00:33:47,166 --> 00:33:50,299 For example, I don't listen to anything 644 00:33:50,299 --> 00:33:52,099 that Kenneth Copeland has to say. 645 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:52,633 Nothing. 646 00:33:53,766 --> 00:33:55,933 He's a false shepherd. 647 00:33:56,066 --> 00:33:58,700 And you can go down the familiar list. 648 00:33:58,799 --> 00:34:01,799 Right, that you all know of 649 00:34:01,799 --> 00:34:05,400 our day, because we hold the sound doctrine here, so 650 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:06,900 we can spot them pretty easily. 651 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,199 We follow the true shepherd 652 00:34:10,199 --> 00:34:11,866 faithfully, not perfectly. 653 00:34:13,900 --> 00:34:18,166 And I'm just the lowly undership, as your pastor. 654 00:34:18,266 --> 00:34:21,566 I'm following the true shepherd law, right along with you. 655 00:34:21,599 --> 00:34:24,533 I just have the job of communicating his word to you. 656 00:34:26,133 --> 00:34:28,199 By the way, there's a double negative in verse 5. 657 00:34:28,500 --> 00:34:32,033 Notice, a stranger, they simply will not follow, 658 00:34:32,066 --> 00:34:34,533 and but will flee from him. 659 00:34:34,633 --> 00:34:37,699 See, even if they get wrapped up with one. 660 00:34:37,766 --> 00:34:38,833 Bam, we're getting out of there. 661 00:34:38,900 --> 00:34:42,133 Matthew 2424, for false Christ and 662 00:34:42,133 --> 00:34:45,133 false prophets will arise and will show great signs 663 00:34:45,133 --> 00:34:48,633 and wonders, so as to mislead, 664 00:34:49,166 --> 00:34:52,099 if possible, even the elect. 665 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:55,166 But is it possible? 666 00:34:55,566 --> 00:34:55,633 No! 667 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:01,066 That's why it says, if possible because it's not possible. 668 00:35:02,900 --> 00:35:05,966 Now, this should be a huge encouragement to all of us. 669 00:35:07,633 --> 00:35:10,633 Those of us who belong to the true shepherd hear his voice and follow 670 00:35:10,633 --> 00:35:12,866 him, and we're never going to follow a stranger. 671 00:35:13,199 --> 00:35:16,433 Nothing can break the bond 672 00:35:16,466 --> 00:35:20,233 between the true sheep and the true shepherd. 673 00:35:20,300 --> 00:35:22,099 Remember, we looked into it last week. 674 00:35:22,166 --> 00:35:25,199 John 6, no one can come 675 00:35:25,199 --> 00:35:27,533 unless the Father draws him. 676 00:35:27,599 --> 00:35:31,033 No one can come unless it's been granted by the Father, and 677 00:35:31,033 --> 00:35:34,033 all that the Father draws and grants will 678 00:35:34,033 --> 00:35:37,033 absolutely come to Christ, and he will raise them on the last day. 679 00:35:37,099 --> 00:35:40,099 Those are promises from Jesus himself. 680 00:35:42,133 --> 00:35:45,400 And so, The thieves and 681 00:35:45,866 --> 00:35:48,633 the robbers, they couldn't understand this. 682 00:35:48,666 --> 00:35:51,733 Look at verse 6, this figure of speech, Jesus spoke to 683 00:35:51,733 --> 00:35:54,966 them, but they did not understand what 684 00:35:54,966 --> 00:35:57,900 those things were, what he had been saying to them. 685 00:35:57,966 --> 00:36:01,733 Now next, starting in verse 7. 686 00:36:01,933 --> 00:36:04,933 Jesus adds another word picture 687 00:36:04,933 --> 00:36:05,966 and watch this. 688 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:07,500 It's like a picture. 689 00:36:07,566 --> 00:36:08,466 He's doing a change up. 690 00:36:08,533 --> 00:36:10,266 He changes things up a little bit right here. 691 00:36:10,333 --> 00:36:11,366 Verse 7. 692 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,633 So Jesus said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, 693 00:36:14,666 --> 00:36:16,166 I am the door of the sheep. 694 00:36:16,466 --> 00:36:19,466 All who came before me are 695 00:36:19,466 --> 00:36:22,400 thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 696 00:36:22,466 --> 00:36:24,266 I am the door. 697 00:36:24,366 --> 00:36:27,500 If anyone enters through me, he will be 698 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:31,400 saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture. 699 00:36:32,066 --> 00:36:35,400 Now, for one thing here, we have another I M statement, right? 700 00:36:36,266 --> 00:36:40,166 And notice, Jesus enters 701 00:36:40,166 --> 00:36:42,400 a second metaphor here. 702 00:36:42,433 --> 00:36:45,599 He's not only the shepherd that comes in to take the sheep, 703 00:36:45,599 --> 00:36:46,966 now we see he's also the door. 704 00:36:48,900 --> 00:36:50,000 He's also the way out. 705 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,666 The most important reality is about going out. 706 00:36:57,133 --> 00:36:58,199 But included here. 707 00:36:58,566 --> 00:37:00,199 Think of this. 708 00:37:00,266 --> 00:37:03,566 Included here is the idea of going in and 709 00:37:03,566 --> 00:37:07,833 out, which means freedom for the Christian. 710 00:37:07,866 --> 00:37:10,033 When he's led out of the fold. 711 00:37:10,333 --> 00:37:12,366 And it's only through him. 712 00:37:12,733 --> 00:37:15,266 He alone is the door. 713 00:37:15,300 --> 00:37:16,733 And he repeats that in verse 9. 714 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,866 He leads us out, and there is a freedom that 715 00:37:19,866 --> 00:37:22,866 exists, a freedom from bondage to 716 00:37:22,866 --> 00:37:24,433 our natural, sinful condition. 717 00:37:24,966 --> 00:37:28,266 And he says in verse 9, if anyone enters 718 00:37:28,266 --> 00:37:30,666 through me, he will be saved. 719 00:37:30,733 --> 00:37:31,500 Mark that. 720 00:37:31,566 --> 00:37:33,599 Underline that in your Bible. 721 00:37:33,733 --> 00:37:36,900 That is the first time in this text that we move from the word 722 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:39,166 picture from the metaphor to reality. 723 00:37:39,300 --> 00:37:42,166 A straight ahead statement of fact. 724 00:37:42,266 --> 00:37:45,199 He will be saved if he enters through me. 725 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:48,800 Folks, this text is about being saved. 726 00:37:50,133 --> 00:37:53,466 About salvation, being saved, by God, 727 00:37:53,466 --> 00:37:54,666 from God to God. 728 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:00,400 And we also interwoven in this, is 729 00:38:01,266 --> 00:38:03,599 this is about the liberty that we enjoy as Christians. 730 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,866 When we come out of the fold, we are 731 00:38:06,866 --> 00:38:10,099 free in a way like we've never been free before. 732 00:38:10,166 --> 00:38:13,466 We can now freely enjoy all of the common grace 733 00:38:13,466 --> 00:38:15,633 of God that spread throughout the world. 734 00:38:15,900 --> 00:38:16,533 Guess what? 735 00:38:16,566 --> 00:38:18,233 With no fear of condemnation. 736 00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:20,533 We saw it last week. 737 00:38:20,599 --> 00:38:23,300 There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 738 00:38:23,466 --> 00:38:26,466 What can possibly separate us 739 00:38:26,466 --> 00:38:28,033 from the love of God in Christ? 740 00:38:28,099 --> 00:38:31,333 Romans 8, absolutely nothing. 741 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,666 So, the picture here is we go in and out, freely. 742 00:38:37,866 --> 00:38:41,300 There's no enemy, who can ultimately destroy us? 743 00:38:41,666 --> 00:38:43,900 We have nothing to fear. 744 00:38:44,133 --> 00:38:45,433 We are free! 745 00:38:47,900 --> 00:38:51,166 We should read that passage from Romans 8 on 746 00:38:51,166 --> 00:38:54,433 a regular basis, because it's intended, by 747 00:38:54,433 --> 00:38:57,599 the use of hyperbole, from the Apostle Paul, to 748 00:38:57,599 --> 00:39:00,966 show us the protection that every believer has, 749 00:39:00,966 --> 00:39:04,266 what shall separate us from the love of the true shepherd, 750 00:39:04,266 --> 00:39:07,266 Romans 8:35, ask the question, Will 751 00:39:07,266 --> 00:39:10,266 tribulation, or distress, or persecution, 752 00:39:10,266 --> 00:39:14,166 or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 753 00:39:14,233 --> 00:39:18,000 No, verse 38, for I am convinced that neither death, 754 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:21,966 life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things 755 00:39:21,966 --> 00:39:24,966 to come, nor powers, verse 39, nor height, nor 756 00:39:24,966 --> 00:39:28,033 depth, nor any other created thing will be 757 00:39:28,033 --> 00:39:31,166 able to separate us from the love of God, 758 00:39:31,166 --> 00:39:35,833 which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, our true shepherd. 759 00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:40,633 I'm here to tell you, Christian. 760 00:39:40,699 --> 00:39:43,566 This morning, we have a bond. 761 00:39:43,866 --> 00:39:45,900 With our shepherd. 762 00:39:46,033 --> 00:39:49,699 That will continue into the 763 00:39:49,699 --> 00:39:51,733 kingdom of glory when we die. 764 00:39:51,966 --> 00:39:54,133 All the way through eternity. 765 00:39:55,633 --> 00:39:57,366 So Jesus is the shepherd? 766 00:39:58,400 --> 00:39:59,599 And Jesus is the door. 767 00:40:00,066 --> 00:40:03,233 And God feeds us and sustains us 768 00:40:03,266 --> 00:40:06,699 with green pastures through our whole spiritual life. 769 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:10,533 And what is it that's our food? 770 00:40:11,066 --> 00:40:13,333 What is that pasture? 771 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:16,066 The word of God. 772 00:40:17,633 --> 00:40:22,099 Jeremiah said, your word was found and that's what becomes my food. 773 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:25,366 We hear his voice. 774 00:40:25,466 --> 00:40:27,633 We know his voice. 775 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,333 And where does his voice come 776 00:40:31,333 --> 00:40:34,400 to us through his word alone? 777 00:40:35,233 --> 00:40:37,400 I'm standing right behind this pulpit. 778 00:40:37,500 --> 00:40:40,500 And I'm looking at what Austin S. Dave engraved 779 00:40:40,500 --> 00:40:44,033 in my pulpit right here, it says, so la scriptura. 780 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,500 Whenever the visiting preachers come here, for the men's 781 00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:52,500 meeting once a month, every one of them is required to come up 782 00:40:52,500 --> 00:40:55,500 here, and for me to point to this, and I tell them, everyone, 783 00:40:55,500 --> 00:40:58,633 I say, this is up here, that 784 00:40:59,166 --> 00:41:02,400 if the thought of you saying the words, God told 785 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:05,466 me comes into your brain, 786 00:41:05,466 --> 00:41:09,533 this is looking at you right here, because God only speaks in his word. 787 00:41:09,666 --> 00:41:10,133 Period. 788 00:41:11,066 --> 00:41:14,099 And then I tell him, you wouldn't even be up here if I thought that 789 00:41:14,099 --> 00:41:15,366 would happen, but just in case. 790 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,266 Just in case, it's here. 791 00:41:18,866 --> 00:41:21,433 It's carved into this pulpit. 792 00:41:23,900 --> 00:41:24,766 His word alone. 793 00:41:24,866 --> 00:41:25,533 Guess what? 794 00:41:26,066 --> 00:41:29,133 You're hearing his voice today, out 795 00:41:30,133 --> 00:41:33,300 of this text, out of the word preached, and 796 00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:36,300 the spirit gives life to the word, 797 00:41:36,300 --> 00:41:40,199 and illumines the word, and we follow the scripture. 798 00:41:40,266 --> 00:41:43,266 Now, the contrast ends 799 00:41:43,266 --> 00:41:44,933 in our text for today in verse 10. 800 00:41:46,900 --> 00:41:50,433 And the conversation doesn't, but the contrast is stark. 801 00:41:50,466 --> 00:41:51,533 Look at verse 10. 802 00:41:52,900 --> 00:41:56,099 The thief comes only to steal and kill 803 00:41:56,099 --> 00:41:57,900 and destroy. 804 00:41:58,033 --> 00:42:01,766 Now, that's the false shepherds of every generation backed 805 00:42:01,766 --> 00:42:06,033 up by our adversary himself, as we've been learning in Ephesians chapter 6. 806 00:42:08,133 --> 00:42:09,433 I'm going to tell you, there's not many things. 807 00:42:09,900 --> 00:42:13,500 that get more underneath my 808 00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:14,566 skin cells. 809 00:42:15,900 --> 00:42:19,166 Then seeing men, who profess to 810 00:42:19,166 --> 00:42:23,233 be Christian preachers, that have 811 00:42:23,233 --> 00:42:26,300 been allowed by God to have massive 812 00:42:26,300 --> 00:42:29,533 influence, radio, television, internet. 813 00:42:29,599 --> 00:42:33,966 They have thousands of people in their churches. 814 00:42:35,633 --> 00:42:39,266 And they use the opportunity, and the 815 00:42:39,266 --> 00:42:40,533 platform they've been given. 816 00:42:40,566 --> 00:42:43,633 In the name of Jesus, to 817 00:42:44,766 --> 00:42:48,133 act as thieves and robbers, 818 00:42:48,133 --> 00:42:51,599 that fleece the sheep, that 819 00:42:51,633 --> 00:42:53,000 slaughter the sheep. 820 00:42:54,133 --> 00:42:57,133 Let me tell you, no serial killer ever will have 821 00:42:57,133 --> 00:43:01,166 as worse a judgment day than a man like that on Judgment Day. 822 00:43:01,199 --> 00:43:01,966 I promise you. 823 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:06,199 The thief comes to kill the sheep. 824 00:43:06,266 --> 00:43:09,433 In Jesus day, if a thief came at night, and 825 00:43:09,433 --> 00:43:13,400 he climbed over the wall, it will, 826 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:17,466 it would be real difficult for him to get that sheep out willingly. 827 00:43:17,533 --> 00:43:18,733 Why? 828 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:20,300 Well, we've already learned. 829 00:43:20,366 --> 00:43:23,133 They don't know the thief's voice, right? 830 00:43:23,166 --> 00:43:24,666 So you know what they would do? 831 00:43:24,966 --> 00:43:27,966 When the thieves would sneak in, 832 00:43:27,966 --> 00:43:31,199 and the porter wasn't seeing it happen, they would 833 00:43:31,199 --> 00:43:34,366 slit the throat of the sheep while 834 00:43:34,699 --> 00:43:37,333 they were in the fold, and they would throw the sheep over the wall. 835 00:43:37,866 --> 00:43:42,066 And then they would take the wool and eat the meat. 836 00:43:42,133 --> 00:43:43,933 That's how they operated. 837 00:43:44,300 --> 00:43:47,366 So the thief comes to kill and 838 00:43:47,366 --> 00:43:50,733 destroy after he has stolen, on the other hand, 839 00:43:50,733 --> 00:43:54,466 in stark contrast, verse 10, 840 00:43:54,500 --> 00:43:55,633 Jesus says, I came. 841 00:43:56,099 --> 00:44:00,633 that they might have life, and have it abundantly. 842 00:44:04,133 --> 00:44:06,900 Now, sum this up as we land this plane. 843 00:44:09,133 --> 00:44:12,266 The Messiah comes to the fold 844 00:44:12,266 --> 00:44:15,500 of Judaism and the fold of the Gentile world 845 00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:17,599 in his earthly ministry. 846 00:44:17,666 --> 00:44:21,133 His sheep are already known to him, 847 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:24,566 because the Father has identified them and given 848 00:44:24,566 --> 00:44:27,733 them a name, and has written that name down before the 849 00:44:27,733 --> 00:44:29,099 foundation of the world. 850 00:44:29,166 --> 00:44:31,133 So Jesus knows who they are. 851 00:44:31,699 --> 00:44:34,766 And only he has the right and the authority 852 00:44:34,766 --> 00:44:38,000 to enter through the door, and out of the world, and 853 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,766 out of Judaism, he calls his own out by name. 854 00:44:41,833 --> 00:44:44,166 This is irresistible grace. 855 00:44:44,300 --> 00:44:48,633 This is the effectual call, which leads to regeneration. 856 00:44:49,333 --> 00:44:51,266 And once that happens. 857 00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:55,166 They follow every single time. 858 00:44:57,133 --> 00:45:00,133 And they go out, and they are free to roam this 859 00:45:00,133 --> 00:45:03,133 world and enjoy all the rich provisions and protection 860 00:45:03,133 --> 00:45:05,966 that the shepherd provides us with. 861 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:07,633 That's salvation, folks. 862 00:45:07,699 --> 00:45:10,766 Again, can you imagine a natural man coming up with 863 00:45:10,766 --> 00:45:14,066 this kind of word picture that is so perfectly consistent with 864 00:45:14,066 --> 00:45:17,500 everything else pertaining to salvation and scripture, no way possible. 865 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:20,866 The Lord knows his sheep. 866 00:45:20,900 --> 00:45:22,166 He's chosen them. 867 00:45:22,199 --> 00:45:22,933 He's named them. 868 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:26,000 He alone possesses the full authority to come into this 869 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,166 world and call his sheep out of this world, calls them 870 00:45:29,166 --> 00:45:33,066 to himself, calls them by name, and we 871 00:45:33,066 --> 00:45:34,266 all willingly follow. 872 00:45:35,633 --> 00:45:37,166 They will not ever follow anyone else. 873 00:45:39,133 --> 00:45:42,266 He leads them from the fold of this world into the 874 00:45:42,266 --> 00:45:44,800 blessings of salvation, not only in this age. 875 00:45:46,633 --> 00:45:49,800 But in the age to come, that's the 876 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,933 helmet of salvation, remember, that we put on that future glory 877 00:45:52,933 --> 00:45:54,066 that we know this coming. 878 00:45:54,500 --> 00:45:57,500 Church, what security is ours 879 00:45:57,500 --> 00:45:59,233 in Christ? 880 00:45:59,300 --> 00:46:00,433 Think about it. 881 00:46:00,500 --> 00:46:04,566 What promises are ours in Christ. 882 00:46:04,566 --> 00:46:08,900 What future is ours in Christ? 883 00:46:10,633 --> 00:46:15,133 But that's only if, you truly are in Christ. 884 00:46:16,633 --> 00:46:19,699 Let him who has ears to hear, hear the 885 00:46:19,699 --> 00:46:21,133 word of God this day. 886 00:46:21,133 --> 00:46:22,699 Let's pray together, Father, we. 887 00:46:22,766 --> 00:46:24,633 Thank you, Lord, for the incredible text. 888 00:46:24,733 --> 00:46:27,866 Feel like a little grub worm trying to 889 00:46:27,866 --> 00:46:31,033 explain this, but I pray and hope that I've 890 00:46:31,033 --> 00:46:35,133 explained it enough to where your people can understand and be 891 00:46:36,199 --> 00:46:37,266 edified by it. 892 00:46:37,333 --> 00:46:40,400 And so, Lord, we pray, as always, that 893 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:41,900 we know your word never could void. 894 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:45,066 It always does what it's intended to do. 895 00:46:45,133 --> 00:46:47,599 Just pray for us to deeply understand. 896 00:46:48,366 --> 00:46:51,500 Out of this text, how thankful, how 897 00:46:51,500 --> 00:46:54,800 very thankful of all the people in the world, far above all. 898 00:46:54,866 --> 00:46:58,000 We should be the most thankful people, every second of 899 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:01,099 every day, on the face of the earth, because of who Jesus 900 00:47:01,099 --> 00:47:02,766 is and what he has done for us. 901 00:47:02,833 --> 00:47:05,300 We pray that everything we've done here today. 902 00:47:05,366 --> 00:47:07,300 has brought you glory. 903 00:47:07,333 --> 00:47:08,533 Jesus' name we pray. 904 00:47:08,599 --> 00:47:09,066 Amen.