Midwest Message 1: High & Exalted.
Worthy is the Good Shepherd • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsThe nature of the Shepherd is that he is the gate, good, and God.
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Main Passage:
Main Passage:
Acts 2:32-38.
Title:
Title:
High and Exalted
Prayer:
Prayer:
In Jesus name, amen.
Story & Application:
Story & Application:
Story: Isaiah 6.
Explanation:
High and exalted
Illustration:
What’s highly exalted determines our walk.
Application:
What or who is high and exalted in your life?
Context:
Context:
John 9.
John 9:35–41 “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?*” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him,* “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see* that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”
Bible:
Bible:
John 10:1-42.
Transitional Sentence:
Transitional Sentence:
In John 10, we will look at three characteristics that reveal who this worthy Shepherd is.
Characteristic 1: Jesus is the Gate (Prophet)
Characteristic 1: Jesus is the Gate (Prophet)
John 10:1-10.
Shepherds would usually travel in groups with their flocks. Throughout the day or at night, they would create a barrier with sticks or rocks around their flocks to protect them from any threats. They didn’t have doors or have the time to build one but a shepherd would stand in the front of the barrier they created and play the role of the door/gate. He was a gatekeeper. He would keep things out and let things in. Accept or reject. The gate reveals who is legit or illegitimate.
Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.
“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.
Jesus giving both an indictment and Invitation. The Prophet.
Application.
Characteristic 2: Jesus is Good (Priest)
Characteristic 2: Jesus is Good (Priest)
Jesus is Good (Priest)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.
And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!
I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
What caught my attention is Jesus uses the word sacrifice 5 times in 8 verses (11-18). It’s priestly language — Jesus isn’t only a prophet but also priest. Jesus is declaring his priesthood.
Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.
Application:
Sam, how do you know God is good? Sam, how can you trust Jesus? Sam, why do you follow Jesus? Because this Jesus, our great and mighty high priest, sacrificed his life for me. He forgave me of all my sins. He delivered me from the clutches of hell and brought me to good pasture. He strengthen me when I was weak. He gave me water when my soul was thirsty. He bandaged my woulds and healed me. This is our good shepherd.
Characteristic 3: Jesus is God (King)
Characteristic 3: Jesus is God (King)
Jesus is God (King)
John 10:22-33.
Jesus is declaring his divinity and authority as King.
Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.
See, my servant will prosper;
he will be highly exalted.
Application: Reject or accept Jesus as King.
Genesis 3:6-7.
1 Samuel 8:6-9
Acts 2:36.
The question I have is will you reject or accept Jesus as King over your lives?
So what:
So what:
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.* They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Now what:
Now what:
Get our eyes back on Jesus, high and exalted one
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.* Because of the joy* awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
2. Commit or recommit our allegiance to the King
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Call to Action:
Call to Action:
Altar Call
Commit - Salvation
Recommit their allegiance to Jesus.
Prayer:
Prayer:
In Jesus name, amen.
Manuscript: High & Exalted.
Manuscript: High & Exalted.
Good evening, can you do me a favor and stand to your feet?
Prayer.
Welcome everyone, my name is Samuel Teka and it’s a joy to be here with all of you.
I want to start off my giving honor to the leaders, pastors, and teams that have labored and sacrificed to create a space for us to worship the Lord. Thank you to everyone who is involved.
I am the son of Nigussie and Lulit Teka. My younger sister is Ruth Teka. I am married to a beautiful woman by the name of Mihret Befirdu. We have been married for three years and we have forever more to go. She’s praying for our time here.
We moved to Austin a year ago to plant a church. The name of the church is House of Bethany. We are in the building and preparing stages. We hope, God willing, to go public next year. We ask for your prayers as the Lord builds his church.
So that’s a little bit about me and I hope in these next few days I can get to know some of you.
Let’s go to the Word of God.
“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.” ’
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
The title of my message if you’re taking notes is High and Exalted.
Let’s pray.
In Isaiah 6:1 it says in the year of King Uzziah death, Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple and the seraphim flew around crying out to each other, Holy Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is filled with his glory. Isaiah is in the presence of God and he is immediately confronted with his own sins, “a man of unclean lips dwelling with a people of unclean lips.” One of the Seraphim flew towards Isaiah with a burning coal and touched his lip, taking away his guilt and atoning for his sins. The Lord then proceeds to ask, who will i send? who will go for us and Isaiah response is here I am, send me. I want to bring to your attention the first verse when Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on his throne, high and lifted up after King Uzziah died.
There are kings in our hearts that have to die so that the Lord can take his rightful place in our hearts as King, high and lifted up. Because whatever we have our sights on will determine our steps.
It reminds me of children’s ministry. I would see little kids running around and having fun. At times they would point at something or someone in the room or look intently at and whatever they gave their attention to is what they would attend to.
My question is: Who has our attention? Where have we set our sights on? Is it on Jesus, the king — high and lifted up? Or is the affection our hearts elsewhere?
My prayer for today is that the worthy shepherd, Jesus, is seen for who he really is so we can draw near.
We will be exploring John 10 but before we do, we need to take a look at John 9.
Jesus and his disciples walk by a man born blind and the disciples ask Jesus, “why is this man born blind? Is it because of his own sins or the sins of his parents?” Jesus responds by saying, “it wasn’t his own sin or the sin of parents but so that the glory/power of God can be demonstrated through him.” Jesus kneels down and spits in the dirt to make mud and rubs it on the eyes of the blind man. Jesus then tells him to go wash his face in the pool of Siloam. Doing what Jesus told him, he washed his face and came back seeing. The people that knew this man begging on the street corner questioned him and asked him who had healed him. He said Jesus and told them everything that happened. When they heard this, they brought the man to the pharisees because Jesus had healed him on the sabbath. The pharisees question him but absolutely refuse to believe the man testimony, claiming Jesus is not from God because he healed on the sabbath. So the religious decide to call in his parents and confirm but even after they confirmed he was born blind, the still refused to believe. So they called the man a second time and told him to give glory to God instead of Jesus because Jesus is a sinner. The man response is beautiful because he replies, whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know but what I do know is that I was once blind but now I see. However the religious leaders refused to believe and slander Jesus. When Jesus heard what happened, he found the man he had healed and asked:
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.
Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”
Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”
“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
John 9 is the backdrop of John 10. Jesus audience is the religious leaders of the day, the blind man who was healed is there and the crowd. In the same breath Jesus continue in John 10:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
In this passage, we will look at three characteristics that reveal who this worthy Shepherd is.
The first is Jesus is the gate/door. John 10:1-10.
Shepherds would usually travel in groups with their flocks. Throughout the day or at night, they would create a barrier with sticks or rocks around their flocks to protect them from any threats. They didn’t have doors or have the time to build one but a shepherd would stand, sit or lay down in the front of the barrier they created and play the role of the door/gate. He was a gatekeeper. He would keep things out and let things in. Accept or reject. The gate reveals who is legit or illegitimate.
Jesus says those who do not enter through the door but climbs another way is a thief and robber. Stop. Remember, at this moment he is speaking directly to the religious leaders. Who is the thief and robber? The leaders of Israel at that time. God, in the OT would usually refer to the leaders of Israel as Shepherds.
One of the most prominent and I would say parallel to John 10 in the OT is Ezekiel 34. God pronounces an indictment on the religious leaders of the day.
Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.
“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I now consider these shepherds my enemies, and I will hold them responsible for what has happened to my flock. I will take away their right to feed the flock, and I will stop them from feeding themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths; the sheep will no longer be their prey.
See what Jesus is doing here by saying he’s the gate, he is the prophet speaking an indictment, charging the leaders of Israel of their crime. Similar to the prophet Ezekiel at his time.
John Maxwell, in the leadership space says that leadership is influence. In other words, if you have influence, whether big or small, you are operating in leadership. The question however is, is your leadership accepted by Jesus or rejected by Jesus?
He is the chief shepherd among shepherds. And for some, he’s warning and even rejecting the way our influence has been exerted over the sheep.
As believers who are called to be representatives of Jesus, are we protecting God’s people? Feeding God’s people? Are we holding people back from Jesus? Or are we bringing them to Jesus? Are we placing heavy legalistic burdens on people? Or are we telling them to walk by the Spirit?
The true sheep know God’s voice and will not follow a stranger, robber or thief. Lord give us discernment to know what’s of you and what isn’t. What your leadership is and what isn’t.
Jesus is the prophet declaring an indictment on the religious leaders but is also giving an invitation. A door isn’t just to keep things out but it’s also to let things in. Jesus is giving an invitation to come in through him and find life. So many doors that deceive us to think that there is salvation on the other side. Pretty on the outside but her house leads to the grave. Lips drip with honey and her words are persuasive but to enter that door is death.
Jesus is the way, truth and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through him. Jesus is the door to life.
2. Jesus is Good. John 10:11-21.
Why should we accept the invitation of Jesus? Jesus is the good shepherd. How do we know he is good? Because this shepherd sacrificed his life for the sheep.
What Jesus is doing here is redirecting the people’s attention from the shepherds of Israel to the good shepherd; which is himself. This is the fulfilled of Ezekiel 34:11-24.
“v.11 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak … v23 And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the Lord, have spoken!
I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
What caught my attention is Jesus uses the word sacrifice 5 times in 8 verses (11-18). It’s priestly language — Jesus isn’t only a prophet but also priest.
Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.
Sam, how do you know God is good? Sam, how can you trust Jesus? Sam, why do you follow Jesus? Because this Jesus, our great and mighty high priest, sacrificed his life for me. He forgave me of all my sins. He delivered me from the clutches of hell and brought me to good pasture. He strengthen me when I was weak. He gave me water when my soul was thirsty. He bandaged my woulds and healed me. This is our good shepherd.
3. Jesus is God. In John 10:22-33.
Jesus says I and the Father are one. He is declaring his divinity and authority as king.
Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.
The only one who sits on a throne is a king.
Jesus is prophet, priest, and king.
See, my servant will prosper;
he will be highly exalted.
The question I have is will you reject or accept Jesus as King over your lives?
Rejections:
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
To reject Jesus as king is to live under the rule of the enemy which is to steal, kill and destroy our lives but to have Jesus as king is to have what Jesus says in John 10:9-10.
My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
So what do we have to do? It’s what you’re asking and it’s what the crowd asked Peter on the day of pentecost:
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Today we repent and get our eyes back on Jesus, the king Hebrews 12:2
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
and either commit or recommit our allegiance to the King.
