Sept 22, 2024. The Church Body - The Head: Is our Shepherd

Welcome

Intro

Last Week we saw that - The Head of the Body of Christ is also Our Savior and reigns supreme over all things.

He is the image of the invisible God

By Him all things were created

In Him all things consist (are held together)

He is superior over both His current and New creation

However, if this is all our bible revealed to us about Jesus, we would conclude that He an almighty and all-powerful King that is unapproachable and far too great to be concerned with His creation.

Especially with mankind, who was to be the highlight of His creation; being made in the image and likeness of Him, only to reject His authority and fall into sin and disobedience.

But nothing can be further from the truth.

God is love

and love never fades.

Although we may not always understand what God is doing, His plans are just and His timing is always right.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

It doesn’t mean that our lives will always be easy.

It doesn’t mean we won’t question why He is doing what He is doing

or that we will have all the answers we want.

Nevertheless, from the beginning of the bible to the very end;

it communicates that the God of the universe loves His creation and cares for it deeply.

Of the many metaphors used in the Bible for God;

the one that best describes the care He has for His creation is that of the Shepherd.

Isaiah 40:11 (NKJV)

11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

This Week - We will looking at The Head of the Body… as our Shepherd

Pray

John 10:1–5 (NKJV)

1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Jesus is great at using examples from this life to illustrate divine truth

Here He uses the management of sheep

This would have been relevant to those in Jesus’ day

So He uses it to teach

Thieves and Robbers do not enter by the Door

Sheep were kept in a sheepfold for protection and safety

These were fenced enclosures often built on or next to a shepherds home.

Sheepfolds protected the sheep against attacks from predators, as well as other shepherds looking to steal sheep

Thieves and Robbers were unable to enter in by the door of the sheepfold

So they had gain access unlawfully and climb over the wall to get in.

The rightful owner or shepherd of the sheep would be the only one who could get in via the door.

Often times they would have a doorkeeper watching over the sheep during the night or if the shepherd was away; He then would have the ability to open the gate for the shepherd

Once inside, the sheep would hear the shepherds voice and respond

Some shepherds even named their sheep

We can relate to this today, as often times we name our livestock

My granddaughters named their chickens

To them they were more than just egg producing birds

They loved and cared for them, calling them by name

The sheep, upon hearing the rightful shepherds voice, would respond and follow him out the door of the sheepfold

When a caring Shepherd opened the door of the Sheepfold

He led the way

Not from behind with a staff

But in front, ahead of the sheep, showing them the way

And because the sheep heard and trusted the voice of their shepherd, they followed him out.

If the sheep did not recognize the voice that was calling,

They would flee

This voice that was not their shepherd’s only meant danger for the sheep

They not only ignored the voice of the stranger, they fled!

So, why is Jesus teaching about sheep management?

Maybe a better question is; “Who is He actually trying to teach?”

Jesus is holding a seminar for Sheep Managers

The Pharisees

The largest and most influential religious party of the day

Scriptures both Old and New Testaments, describe various figures throughout history as providing the same kind of protection, provision and care for the people of Israel, as a literal shepherd would for his flock.

Examples:

Moses prayed for a man

Numbers 27:17 (NKJV)

17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

Israel acknowledged David as their shepherd

2 Samuel 5:2 (NKJV)

2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ”

The leading sheep in and out was one of the primary duties of a shepherd

The Pharisees however, who were supposed to be shepherds to Israel, had strayed far from protecting, providing and caring for God’s people.

Jesus mentions them at His baptism

Matthew 3:7 (NKJV)

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

The Pharisees outwardly professed a great devotion to God’s law, yet inwardly they were corrupt, hypocritical and self-righteous.

They cared little about the people of Israel,

They were a “brood” or offspring of the snake (Satan)

It’s not surprising then, that they did not understand

John 10:6–10 (NKJV)

6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus says; “I am” the door…” not I am “like” a door.

This is just one of seven “I am” statements that John records in His gospel

All point to His deity and His salvation

The Pharisees taught, that in order to become a child of God one must:

Be of Jewish decent and follow all of God’s law without fail, as well as all of the added on teachings of the rabbis

Jesus says I am the Door to salvation

Enter by Me, believe in Me, put your trust in Me

I will lead you in and out to find pasture

You will no longer have to worry about the one who seeks to kill and destroy you

I am here to give you life, not death

and that you may live an abundant life

abundant = pertaining to a quantity so abundant as, to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate

Jesus is telling them; “You won’t believe the life that awaits you!”

Jesus says I am the good shepherd

John 10:11–13 (NKJV)

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

Jesus now gives the Pharisees two types of shepherds to think about

A good shepherd is willing to die for his sheep

He is ready to do what ever it takes to save the sheep

Even if that means suffering and the death of the shepherd

In contrast to the good shepherd, there are hirelings

The hireling (one who tends the sheep for monetary reasons) does not own the sheep, so he has no investment in them

As soon a his life is in peril, the hireling runs away and leaves the sheep open to the attack of predators

And now that the sheep are unattended, unprotected and uncared for, the predator catches the sheep and scatters them.

Because the hireling does not care about the sheep

The Pharisees had a greater love for the Law, than for the people they were trying to hold to it.

They thought of themselves as Shepherds, yet they were truly just hirelings

Jesus says; “I care for My sheep!”

John 10:14–16 (NKJV)

14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Jesus says; “I know My sheep”

I know who they are and each one by name

They know Me by My voice and when they hear My voice they follow

They trust Me to lead them out and lead them back into the sheepfold

They trust I will provide for them and protect them

And there are more sheep to bring into the sheepfold!

More Jews, more gentiles from every tribe and every nation

How would this be possible?

Jesus would lay down His life for the sheep

John 10:17 (NKJV)

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

Only The good Shepherd can give up His life and resurrect

He could only do this because He is God.

The Father loved the Lord Jesus because of His willingness to die and rise again, in order that lost sheep might be saved.

Not only Jesus the Head of the Body and Supreme Creator…

He is also the Good Shepherd

However the Shepherd is also the Lamb

John the Baptist saw and describes Jesus this way:

John 1:29 (NKJV)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John the Apostle saw and describes Jesus this way:

Revelation 7:17 (NKJV)

17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Although we may not always understand what God is doing, His plans are just and His timing is always right. Our lives will not always be easy.

We may even question why He is doing what He is doing,

and be frustrated that we don’t have all the answers we want.

Nevertheless, the bible tells us ; that the God of the universe loves His creation and cares for it deeply.

Even unto death

Conclusion:

Is God your Shepherd?

If God is your Shepherd, “Are you following His Voice?

John 10:27 (NKJV)

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

To follow Jesus, means we will listen to His voice (the Word),

pray for understanding and the wisdom to know how to put it into practice.

Remember, Jesus came that we would live an abundant life!

“You won’t believe the life that awaits you!”

Pray/Close