Apostles Church

Intro: The Redundancy of the I AM statements. Christianity is about a person. Metaphors for who God is for us (Father, Judge, Rock). Most beloved: Shepherd. Rich imagery. We are all looking for a shepherd. Someone we can trust to get us through this thing, to guide us, help us, rescue us and heal us. Jesus says that in Him, God has come to us as a Shepherd. Sent by the Father.

What does the Good Shepherd do for His Sheep? Whole life is leveraged for the good of the sheep. Without his constant, diligent care for them, the sheep would languish and die. They are his cherished objects and he will do anything for their well-being. Jesus says, he has come to bring life, full and rich life to those who are his sheep. He points out a few things that he has come to do for his sheep. Save the sheep. I know my sheep and lay down my life for the sheep. Not a hireling who runs from danger, but one who rescues his sheep from danger. He is not a thief or a robber who would steal away the life of the sheep, but one who gives up his life for the sheep. To give his sheep full life, he must give up his life for them. Not typical in the literal realm. For a shepherd to die puts the sheep in great peril; Jesus says to save us from the greatest peril he must die. He knows us – he has seen the worst parts about us and still loves us and intentionally gives his life to save us. He does not die for his beliefs as a martyr; he dies for his people as a savior. As sheep we have gone astray…Is 53. He does not die as an example; he dies as a substitute, instead of his people.  We have to admit what he knows: that we have gone astray; and embrace what he has done: laid his life down for us. Lead the sheep. The Shepherd would be responsible for leading the sheep into green pastures and to proper water sources. The contentment of the sheep was contingent upon the management of the Shepherd. If the shepherd was negligent or uncaring or unqualified, the sheep would suffer. But, The Good Shepherd cares for his sheep and seeks their flourishing and contentment. The Shepherd is not just concerned with keeping the sheep in order. His wealth is bound up in his sheep. They are his greatest asset. His livelihood and joy and bound up in his sheep and depend upon their flourishing. If the sheep languish, it is to his shame and his loss. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has bound up his joy and glory in the flourishing of his people. He is not seeking to keep you in order, but to make you flourish. He exalts himself by satisfying his people. He is determined to give us joy and abundant life. It is to his glory that his sheep flourish. PS 23 – he makes me lie down – sheep do not lie down unless they are content (if they are hungry, if they frightened, confused, they stand and walk around). He has come to save us and satisfy us, calm us, prosper our souls. “‘What do you want?’ ‘Prospering soul.’ ‘You have come to right place.’” For his glory.

How do the sheep relate to the Good Shepherd? Hear his voice. Convinced of his claims (he is God in the flesh; the bread of life; the light of the world; the One sent from the Father to die as a substitute for the sins of the people…) and they are convinced of his promises (life abundant and eternal). Comprehensive Dependence: bringing all of life under his care. Knowing ourselves: We are sheep. ANE sheep are absolutely dependent upon the Shepherd. The Shepherd is everything to the sheep. No wild sheep; w/out a shepherd sheep die. We have an immense capacity for self-destruction, for foolishness, getting ourselves lost and in need. Illus: Sheep is not a flattering metaphor; grazing in wrong fields; if not led to right water source they will drink from diseased water supplies infecting themselves with parasites. “cast sheep, and the restoration process.” Illus: 10 years ago if I could have told you …We need his guidance and his grace to restore us when we have fallen. “Depending on you to lead me, to care for me, be with me in the darkest places.” Comprehensive Obedience. The shepherd is out front and the sheep following. Wherever the shepherd goes they go, listening to his voice. The point: to be his sheep means comprehensive obedience to his leadership in your life. He has an all access pass to your life. No compartment where he does not have final say. Comprehensive obedience is rooted in Intimacy and Trust: 10:14-15. The mutual knowledge that is shared between Jesus and the Father, is mirrored in the experiential relationship he has with his sheep. Jesus is the Living Shepherd who is personal with the sheep. He knows them; they know him. They are his possession; they know his voice. 10:3-4 - ANE Sheep Pen had many flocks in it and a shepherd would call his flocks by name and they would come out and follow him. Jesus is saying his sheep follow him because they know Him and they recognize his voice. When Christ is your Shepherd, when you have come to believe who He is and entrusted all of your life to him and his care, Jesus envisions you have a growing intimacy with him that gives you an increased capacity to discern his voice and an increasing desire to obey it. In fact, you begin to recognize all the other voices as competing voices and you run from them, because they are not the Shepherds voice. It’s his voice you listen for, because it’s his voice you trust; laid his life down for you.

Conclusion: Be found by him. To the lost: (you may be hearing his voice – CS Lewis “I do not know what it is like to look for God, it was the other way around; He was the hunter, I was the deer. He stalked me, took unerring aim and fired.”) He is inviting you to belong to him and his people, his flock. He knows you through and through and still laid down his life for you – in fact, because he knows you through and through he laid down his life for you. Believe in him and embrace him as your Good Shepherd. To the wayward: Many of you are his sheep, but you have strayed away from his leadership over your life. You have lived independently of him and have closed your ears to his voice. You are like a stubborn sheep who constantly is looking at the grass on the other side. Maybe you think your experiencing freedom, but if you have not discovered yet, you will that you have wandered off to barren fields and bitter water sources. Psalm 119:176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant.” You are the freest when you are found: being led by the good shepherd who has wrapped his joy up in your own.
Be sent by him. Other sheep not of this fold. There are those that Christ has come to save, has died for and intends to bring them into a saving knowledge of him. He will win them to himself – they are his sheep even before they believe and because they are his sheep, he is working in their lives and they will believe. Jesus is sending us out to gather people to himself that he loves, that he died for and that he is calling. Who are you seeking?