I Am The Good Shepherd
Jesus In His Own Words • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
INTRO – WHO IS JESUS
Who is Jesus really… not church answer | Carpenter / Rabbi / Divine / Split time → many descriptions… but today = His words, not ours
Series: John… Jesus defining Himself → if we define Him, we distort Him
ILLUSTRATION – “TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF”
— Light tone, connect, slight humor —
Icebreaker pressure → mind blank → “I know I exist… can’t explain it” → identity hard to compress
TENSION – I AM
— Build slow and intentional —
People ask Jesus: Who are You? → He answers: I AM
Moses / burning bush → not description, declaration → “I don’t need definition… I AM”
Jesus uses same language → claiming divinity → not just what He does… who He is
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
First statement → I am the Good Shepherd
CONTEXT – YOU ARE THE SHEEP
Sheep = vulnerable | wander / stuck / injured / easy target
SHEEP VIDEO
500+ mentions → YOU → not insult… diagnosis
Life: hurt / loss / confusion / drift → God exposes need AND meets it
➡️ not just direction… you need a Shepherd
DEPENDENCE REVELATION
— Raise intensity—
Sheep survive by voice, not instinct | follow > figure it out
Gods voice, his word - what do we know?
He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Need for the voice of the shepherd. More than just bodily needs. Spiritual necessity.
The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Permanence to Gods word > material provision. Word is nourishment. Eating = power of life to become part of us, transforming from within.
Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
SAVE OUR SOULS
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
We sheep need G Shepherd. Listen = all of the above
World: trust yourself | God: follow Me → tension = chaos
Lost not because God moved… → you listened to your voice over His
POINT 1 – THE GOOD SHEPHERD KNOWS YOU
“I know my sheep” → intimacy, not info
Knows real thoughts / hidden battles / unseen patterns → not distant
Knew all of it… AND chose you → not discovered then decided, knew then committed
Not overlooked / not just a face → known + claimed
LOVE REVELATION
We show best version → people still leave | Jesus loves real you
Didn’t trick Him into loving you → He saw everything and said YES
—PAUSE—
➡️ covenant love
POINT 2 – THE GOOD SHEPHERD PROTECTS YOU
Good shepherd vs hired hand → easy = present, pressure = gone → we’ve lived that
Jesus: “Not Me” → doesn’t run, remains | doesn’t retreat, steps in
Not intimidated by what’s chasing you → not distant… in it with you
Even when you don’t feel it / see it → still covering, still working
PROTECTION REDEFINED
— BUILD —
We think: no bad things → reality: Shepherd doesn’t remove valley, walks you through it
Psalm 23 → THROUGH, not around
Proof of protection: not that you avoided it → you survived it
Still standing / still breathing → that’s a Shepherd
POINT 3 – THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU
Shift: care → sacrifice | normal shepherd protects, Jesus gives Himself
No hesitation / no calculation
Illustration: man saves family → dies → we call that hero
Jesus → greater → you drowning, He steps in
CROSS REVELATION
— lean in, slow down —
“No one takes my life… I lay it down” → could have stopped it ANY moment
Nails / suffering / cross → allowed it
Not lack of power → fullness of love
Voice that said “Lazarus come out”… stayed on the cross
—>>not weakness… willingness
Cross = intentional
LANDING – I AM (PRESENT)
— Lift again, but controlled —
Not “I WAS” → I AM
Still leading / speaking / covering / calling
Not a Shepherd who used to be good → good RIGHT NOW
Not alone | not unprotected | not forgotten → you have a Shepherd
ALTAR
— Slow, pastoral, inviting —
Know His voice… ignoring it | wandered… feel the weight
But Shepherd doesn’t just lead → He comes looking
Wandered… but not abandoned
Today = alignment → back to His voice
— Pause… don’t rush this —
Will you follow… or keep wandering?
