PLEASE NOTE
DUE TO OUTER INTERFERENCE WORDS HAVE BEEN ADDED WHICH HAVE NO REFERENCE TO THIS WRITING
THE NEXT SERMONS IS BASED ON JOHN 10 v 1-10,notChapter 20
John 10 v1/10
There is no more loved picture of
Jesus than that of him as a shepherd. A shepherd is deeply woven into the
imagery of the Bible.
No part of Scripture is better
known than the 23rd Psalm. Many Christians have read it in times of pressure
and of danger, but I have found that people with little connection with the
Church, know and ask for the Psalm for a funeral service. Of the many funeral services I have taken, it has either been
read or sung at almost all.
The main part of Judea is a large plateau of 35 miles long, of rough
stony ground, and the most familiar picture is of a shepherd with his sheep.
Life for him would be hard, for sheep always grazed in the presence of a
shepherd, who would guard them from wolves and sheep stealers. On
either side, the ground dipped steeply, which meant that any animal could fall
to the ground below.
In the
Old Testament, God is depicted as the shepherd, and Israel as his
sheep. The Psalmist wrote, ‘we are his people and the sheep of his
pasture’. The picture carries on into the New Testament, where Jesus says, ‘I am
the good shepherd.’ He had pity upon the people because they were
like sheep without a shepherd.
In
Britain, sheep are animals kept for meat, but in Palestine they were kept for
wool, and were with the shepherd for years and often had names. The
shepherd would go ahead and the sheep would follow him, they would know his
voice and only follow him.
In the evening shepherds would bring their flocks to a central
sheepfold guarded by a gatekeeper. There would be a patch of ground with stone
walls around, and a sturdy door, no overhead cover, and entrance was only
through the door. If anyone tried to get in, they could only do so
by climbing over the wall and were listed as thieves or robbers. Although the flocks had all been put together, each flock knew its own shepherd's
voice, and each would follow its own shepherd and no other.
Jesus applied all this to himself. The Old Testament prophets Micah and
Isaiah had foretold the coming of Jesus as one who would care for his
people. They told of his birth, where and how, and all he would do.
Jesus could claim he came in the expected but unique way.
When Jesus said, ‘I am the door’, he was saying in effect not only I
care for my sheep, but I am the only way into the fold.’ , and Jesus was indicating He was the only way to God, and later in
the gospel would again say, ‘no one
comes to the Father except through me’.
I know this is totally unacceptable to an increasing number of people
these days, but this is what the Bible states, so we should be prepared to
accept Jesus’ words.
The whole purpose of His life was to lead people to God, and made that
possible by giving His life on the Cross to do so. The only way into any enclosure is through a
door, and Jesus is the only way to heaven.
But other sheep were out on the hills, and when they did not return at
night, they were rounded up and placed in a sheepfold there. There
was no door, just an opening through which the sheep went in and came
out. The shepherd would lay across the opening, and he was in the
literal sense the door, and no access to the sheep except through him.
Jesus told this passage to counter the influence of the Jewish Church
leaders, the Scribes and Pharisees. He said false teachers were like thieves
and robbers, and the false teacher is like the one who climbs over the wall of
the sheepfold to where he is not suitable. There is only one way into God, and
the Christian life. Jesus is the door.
Whilst the Jewish leaders traced their line back to Aaron, ordination is
no proof of the person being fit for Ministry, and so be leaders of others.
Jesus condemns so-called Christian Ministers as much as condemned the
Jewish leaders. True Christian teachers are those who hear, and know the voice
of Jesus.
A false teacher enters Ministry for worldly motives and status, anxious
about their c.v.. no earnest desire to teach salvation as taught by Jesus. God
will surely rate those who are extending improper teaching, and distorting the
Holy Scriptures to make personal styles of living acceptable.
Men and women may be set apart in the Christian Church to lead, but may
not be true shepherds. Being true means having entered Ministry desiring to
serve Jesus, having of course already accepted Jesus as Lord oneself, and being
ready in all power to preach faithful doctrine as laid out by both God and
Jesus, labouring to bring men and women to Christ.
Our only access to God is through Jesus Christ, and our
only salvation. He would say unequivocally, no one comes to the Father
except through me. In these crazy modern days, some say it is unacceptable to
say that, but I see no credible reason to challenge our Lord. He
came to tell us and show us what God was like, and the way to him. It was an
introduction which by ourselves we would never have obtained.
Jesus also said he the Good Shepherd. Just as those Jewish shepherds
knew the names of their sheep, so Jesus knows us by name. If you
study the Bible, you will see that every time Jesus spoke to anyone, he called
them by name. So he knows you as, Olive, Melissa, Lyn, Leanna, Tom, James, Harry or
whatever. God knows you, has followed you through life and has a plan for you.
Jesus said listen to my voice. In the Bible we find him constantly
teaching, and if people listened to his voice, things would be much better. We
need to follow that teaching, not only on Sunday in Church, but in the rest of
the week at home, office, shop, factory.
Jesus said, ‘I know my sheep, and I am with them every step of the way’,
and if you have accepted Jesus as Lord, he will remain with you to guard and
guide you. The brash person says he/she doesn’t want to be propped
up, I am quite adequately can stand on my own two feet. Yet the same person
will seek insurance for life. People look forward to maturity of
policies at 65 or so. The Bible is offering maturity for eternity,
with the joy of living for Jesus now.
How many people who have been burgled say, I was just going to get
insurance cover. We all need security. How many were just going to
start going to Church, read their bibles and pray, and now face eternity
outside of heaven.
People, especially the young, face so many temptations these days and
get all tied up. If someone breaks into your house and ties you up,
you may not fight the burglar as he will be more powerful and ruthless than
you. In theory, you send for the police, it probably won’t do much
good these days, they will be fully engaged investigating hate speech, but in
theory should be the answer. (it would have been at one time)When
you accept Christ, he takes the cords, you can never be loose otherwise.
Such is the picture of a Christian which the Bible gives. Eat, drink and
be merry, may well be the popular way, but it is a false theory which can only
lead to disaster.
Jesus said,’ follow me and you will find peace and contentment whatever
the circumstances’. The ups and downs, the hills and valleys of life
will be met, but not disturb you. A Christian can live in all situations and be
the same.
The Bible states he came to give life in all abundance. Before Jesus, no one loved God, they just
feared him, and if Jesus had not come no one would have been able to love God.
God is love and loves the whole world.
There would have been no forgiveness if no Jesus. He healed the sick,
raised the dead and gave sight to the blind. Jesus is God in human
form and gives life a purpose and meaning.
Jesus said, ‘follow me and you will find pasture and contentment
whatever the circumstances. We can trust
the words of Jesus.
We find a message to Christians in this story, but unfortunately we
Will find it ignored.
The passage before us was spoken with a direct aim at the teachers of
the Jewish Church. There is a vivid picture of a false teacher. Our Lord says he enters the sheepfold by
climbing in. The door was something far
more than an outward calling..
The Jewish teachers of our Lord’s time were even being condemned. They
rejected Christ, and taught nothing about him being the Messiah.
We have a similar situations to-day, for there are many in the Church
who do not accept the full authority of the Bible. Who do not accept the Virgin
Birth story as described in Scripture. . Christianity would be better known
more, if served better. When the blind lead the blind, both fall over.
We have a picture of true
Christians, when our Lord describes them as sheep who have heard the shepherd’s
voice, and will follow him, but will not follow the voice of a stranger.
True believers have a spiritual instinct, which will enable them to
distinguish between true or false teachers. If the teaching is of Christ it
will be recognised.
Be careful of the misguidance which is so prevalent. The liberal
section of the Church are anxious to keep
people away from evangelical preachers, for fear they may expose the
deficiencies in false teaching. This was
forcefully displayed last year, when even Church leaders were telling people
not to attend a worldwide renowned
preacher’s meetings from America merely because that preacher did not subscribe
to acceptance of teaching contrary to Scripture.
We have lastly a most clear picture of our Lord himself. He spoke one
of his golden sayings when he said,’ I am the door; if anyone enters by me he
(she) will be saved, and will go on and find pasture.
Jesus taught that the answer as to how we can get near/ By his sacrifice
on the Cross, he opened a way through the barrier. He suffered and found a way
by his shed blood, and can now save us and bring us close to God.
Let us enter by the door open to sinners, and be saved. A day will come when
it will be shut for ever, and no one further will be allowed in.
Jesus used a well know Jewish phrase. He said through him we can go out
and come in. To go out and come in was the Jewish way of saying our
life is absolutely safe and sound. The only safe way in was through a door, and
the only way secure way to God is by Jesus.
Remember Jesus died for your sins so that God will grant you forgiveness
We give Praise to God for His Holy Gospel. We Glorify His Holy Name.
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