Good Shepherd

This evening I want to start off in a different way as we continue our series called, “I am,” a series designed to look at the seven I am statements made by Jesus as recorded in the Book of John.

I want to start by looking at a word we don’t use very often… a word that speaks of a destination we do not ever want to find ourselves in. That word is… desolation.

Desolation defined is A state of COMPLETE emptiness or destruction. Anguish, misery or loneliness.

Desolation is NOT the destination any person desires to end up in. It is a place of desperation, a place of hurting and sorrow. It is a place we work to avoid at all costs.

If it were a physical place on a map, we would avoid any and all roads that would take us there. We wouldn’t drive through it, we wouldn’t drop in to see what is going on, we wouldn’t visit nor would we advise anyone else to visit.

Why are we so dead set against going there? Because desolation is a place of death! It is a place that means to remove from you any and all life.

It is the place… where the enemy is trying to lead you to go or push you into this evening.

John 10:10 reveals the enemy’s motive, and we see this motive at work throughout the entire Bible

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus makes clear that the enemy has nothing more in mind for us. The thief comes ONLY… he has no other agenda in mind for you but to lead you to desolation.

The enemy desires to steal from you. He wants to take something away that belongs to you.

The enemy wants to kill you. He wants to take away all life, joy, meaning, purpose, hope, peace, etc. from you. Satan wants to deal you a death blow.

The enemy wants to destroy you. He has NO FUTURE for you. except destruction! He wants you to feel defeated, to believe you are nothing, and to fall for his deception.

Consider for a moment the origin story of the fall of man.

Adam and Eve were living in paradise! They enjoyed all of God’s creation and had amazing fellowship with God Himself. They were given one one command - a command, if broken, would result in death.

God’s desire was for that command to not be broken. The enemy, on the other hand, did all that he could to persuade Adam and Eve to break that command. And what was the result? DESOLATION.

Immediately, they felt the weight of their bad decision. They were embarrassed, their innocence was gone. They were full of shame. But the worst part was… they hid from God. They were frightened of His presence. The enemy’s work was done.

Spiritual warfare is an ongoing and violent reality we face.

And I realize this might seem like a bit of an odd way to open the sermon tonight - but this reality is something we are all aware of. Just as Jesus is who Scripture says He is… so is the enemy. Satan is real. His attacks are real. He looks to violently attack your spiritual well-being.

The question I want you to consider this evening is this: Will you stand on faith and resist these attacks OR will you be driven to the state of desolation the enemy wants you in?

The Problem - we ALL face the destination of desolation and death if left on our own.

All of us have sinned meaning our innocence has been taken and the shame associated with sin has come in its place. Our fellowship with God has been disrupted.

Does this mean… the enemy wins? Does this mean we are forever victims of his violent spiritual attacks?

The thief comes to do damage - to lead the world into desolation… but never forget that JESUS HAS COME TO GLORIOUSLY SAVE!

God did not leave Adam and Eve in their sin then, and He hasn’t left us in our sin today. He has a plan… a plan of redemption… and at the center of that plan is Jesus.

Let’s look at John 10:10 again...

John 10:10 NIV

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus has come to deliver you from the desolation the enemy is trying to bring to your life! Jesus was willing to go so far as to lay down His life for us! Why would Jesus do this? Because… that is what the Good Shepherd came here to do.

The enemy… is a predator… lurking in the shadows working to bring harm to all of God’s creation.

1 Peter 5:8 gives this warning:

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

As the enemy works as a predator, Jesus has come to deliver us… to protect us as a Good Shepherd. And that brings us to the I am statement for this evening.

John 10:11 NIV

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The Good Shepherd literally places Himself between the predator and his prey. The people in Jesus’ day had been waiting for the arrival of the Good Shepherd.... and now He was standing before them.

The OT spoke of the Lord in this way.

Psalm 23:1 Identifies the Lord as our Shepherd.

Isaiah 40:11 Speaks of what the Good Shepherd does.

Ezekiel 34:23 again speaks of God sending one Shepherd who will watch over the people of God.

The terminology Jesus uses is to inform the people that He is the One Scripture was talking about - the One who will not leave you in want, the One who tends the flock, gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to His heart, and gently leads. Jesus IS that Good Shepherd!

Jesus has come to lead us away from the dangers of the enemy and back into fellowship with the Father. He has come to deliver us from our fall in sin… back to the glory of God!

This evening, I want to unpack Jesus’ I am statement and look His identity as the Good Shepherd means for you and for me.

The Good Shepherd does ALL That is Needed.

John 10:11–13 NIV

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Jesus didn’t come to this world to back down from the fight… Jesus came to bring the fight to the enemy.

Jesus came to do all that was needed… He was sent by His Father to care for His Father’s sheep.

When the wolf is coming, the Lord does NOT abandon the sheep. Instead He protects the sheep from the impending attack.

This speaks of the love and care of the Good Shepherd. He is dedicated to His Father’s plan AND to His Father’s sheep.

In this statement, Jesus says just how far He is willing to go on behalf of the people of God - He is willing to lay down His life for them.

Remember what I said a moment ago… the Good Shepherd places Himself between the would be attacker and the target of his attack.

Have you ever had to break up a fight? Have you ever had to step in on someone’s behalf?

Not long ago while in Springfield for AG conferences, I intervened between two guys I never met. Two guys were fighting in the street, one was getting beat pretty bad. I parked the car and ran to the scene. I didn’t care who was in the right… I simply wanted the violence to stop.

One man came to his senses, the other (the guy who was getting tore up) remained aggressive… but he was hurt so there wasn’t any fight left in him.

It was scary, probably even reckless on my part. I had no idea if they were armed, under the influence of any substances, or so forth… but someone needed to step in.

When it comes to the spiritual reality we all face… Jesus is the ONLY One who could have stepped in.

Jesus took on the full weight of our sin… the full weight of our desolation… and He nailed it to the cross.

Ho took from us what we earned through sin.... and offers us something completely different as a gift of grace. He does this because we cares for us… He loves us… and He is willing to go the distance to see us delivered from the attacks of the enemy.

Jesus knows just how terrible, violent, and desolate this world can be.

He witnessed it first hand… and He experienced it first hand. Remember how I talked about the enemy as a predator and how violent spiritual warfare can be? Jesus felt this Himself.

Consider the words of Isaiah 53:5

Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

The crucifixion of Christ was an extremely violent act. Everything He went through was meant… for us. It was what WE had earned… it was the personal destruction that should have came with our sins.

And the desolation did not stop there.

Matthew 27:45–46 NIV

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Remember the shame and isolation we talked about when sin entered this world? Adam and Eve felt the full weight of their sin and hid from God. Jesus… in this moment, felt the separation in His fellowship with the Father. It impacted Him so much that He cried out.

I remind us of this truth because Jesus literally took on the full weight of our sin and desolation. He stepped in and laid down His life. The Good Shepherd was willing to to do all that was needed.

Secondly...

The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep

John 10:14–15 NIV

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:27–30 NIV

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

God’s knows and loves each one of us deeply and faithfully. This is true even when the sheep go against the will of the Father.

God’s love for us did not stop the moment sin entered this world. His love for us has been proven that while we were yet sinners… Christ died for us.

His love is something that will endure forever. His love for all will NEVER change. So if that is the case, why is it so many people feel like God does not love them?

So many people are living in or heading toward desolation. So many are caught up in the broken and corrupt ways of this world. As they walk in darkness, they claim to know OF God, but they don’t really know Him.

I hear people say things like, “If God really loved me, than this would have never happened.” I hear things like “a loving God would never send anyone to Hell.”

How is it that a world that God loves feels so far removed from His love? I believe it is because they are listening to the wrong voice.

The people in Jesus’ day were once again struggling with the I am statement Jesus had made. In their disbelief, Jesus called them out in verse 26

John 10:26 NIV

26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

The proof of this reality was their inability to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd.

The world has a corrupted idea of who God is… and where is it that you think this idea came from? From the enemy himself.

Satan made God to look like the guy who was withholding something good from Adam Eve. All they had ever known was good! Yet, he was able to convince them that the thing God had restricted was what they needed.

How many times has the world fallen for this lie? And why is it that the world falls for this lie? Because the enemy plays on the desires of the flesh to lure us into desolation! Going back to Genesis 3, look at the enemy’s taunts:

“Did God really say...”

“You will not certainly die...”

“For God knows that...”

“You will be like God.”

The world fell for it then… and it falls for it now.

Does the Word of God really matter today?

Can’t you do whatever you want as long as it isn’t hurting somebody?

Is sex really something that has to happen with marriage?

Shouldn’t you be able to do whatever it is that makes you happy?

Isn’t being a “good” person enough to make it into heaven?

These kinds of questions begin to rise up as a result of listening to the WRONG VOICE!!!

Those who know the Good Shepherd know the voice of the Good Shepherd - The voice of the One leading them to eternal life!

So long as they listen to His voice - they will not perish. Why? Because Jesus will NEVER lead anyone to desolation.... only to deliverance! Knowing His voice means listening and obeying His Word.

The enemy will not be able to “snatch” them out of the Father’s hand - for the Father is GREATER than all and He protects and provides for His children.

The key in knowing His voice is found in believing. Many claim to believe in Jesus… but that belief must include BELIEVING JESUS.

It’s one thing to acknowledge His existence, its another thing to follow Him.

Jesus IS leading all who would believe in Him to eternal life. The Good Shepherd is leading His Father’s sheep AWAY from desolation while placing Himself between the predator and the prey.

Jesus came… to save us… to give offer life more abundantly! He came that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but would have eternal life!

The Good Shepherd is the Gate for the Sheep.

There is one more “I am” statement we are going to look at… and it is found in a few verses before the passage we looked at a moment ago.

John 10:7–9 NIV

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Look at the words of Jesus… “Whoever enters through me will be saved.” Our “entrance” to salvation is ONLY found in Jesus Christ.

In Christ, we are saved from our sins, we are saved from the consequence of our sins, we are saved from the desolation that comes with sin. Through Christ, we find… pasture.

This might sound odd at first… but what is pasture?

Pasture is a place of provision and safety. It is a place free from predators. It is a place free from the lies and deception of the enemy. It is a place of peace, comfort, assurance, and life. Pasture… is the opposite of desolation.

This truth Jesus conveys here echos what He said in John 8:36

John 8:36 NIV

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I believe this is the same freedom David spoke of in Psalm 23:2-3

Psalm 23:2–3 NIV

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

HE REFRESHES MY SOUL!!! Say that with me tonight… HE REFRESHES MY SOUL! That is what the Good Shepherd does! That is what happens when we enter through the gate that is Jesus!!!

Nothing in or of this world can bring refreshment to your soul like Jesus can! There is no other source that can do this!

The voice of the enemy will tell you otherwise but those who know the voice of the Good Shepherd are those who have entered through the gate - they found life to the full in Christ Jesus!

Do you know His voice tonight? Do you follow the Good Shepherd? Have you entered the gate that leads to salvation?

Maybe you’re listening and what you need… is refreshment. Maybe you have listened to the wrong voice. Maybe the enemy has been working on you… trying to lead you away from what God is offering. Maybe… you have experienced a season of doubt… of questioning… of wondering if God really is the God the Bible says He is.

Nothing will drain us faster than listening to the wrong voice. Nothing will place in harm’s way faster than taking your eyes off the Good Shepherd.

The wolf will do all he can to lure you away from the One who gave His life for you. The wolf will try to make you believe the grass is greener in the other pasture. What Satan is trying to get you to do is… walk away from the freedom you have in Jesus… and get locked into the bondage of sin.

Refreshment comes by entering through the gate that is Jesus.

He is the Good Shepherd. He is the gate. And tonight, He offers you freedom and spiritual refreshment and renewal… but you must believe in Him… you must know and follow His voice.

PRAYER

If you need refreshment… we need to call on the name of the Good Shepherd.