Shepherding The Sheep
The Endless Journey - John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Reading:
3 Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Introduction:
Jesus focus has been on preparing the disciples for what would come very soon.
His arrest, His death, His burial, and resurrection.
The result of that knowledge was to reassured them of the Helper (of the same kind) who would be sent.
After leaving: He would be preparing a place for them to be where He is!
Another was how they could get where He would be.
Follow Him on the path to Heaven!
Jesus instructs them about the benefits that come from His love and how they could receive them.
Abiding in Jesus as the source for all things: Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength; it would bring peace and joy!
He revealed to them that faith in Jesus would bring persecution by the world since they hated Jesus.
The beginning of 16 are the final thoughts from Jesus telling them they would suffer persecution from those who hate Jesus.
He takes the opportunity while walking to the garden in Gethsemane, where He would be taken, to Shepherd His sheep and promise ongoing care.
It’s like a speech by a football coach before a big game to rile the players up, getting them to focus on the job they are given, and the victory is already theirs...as long as the do their job.
His speech for Chapter 16 is: "Because I’m leaving; the Spirit will help you, your sorrow will become joy, and His victory secures your peace." that was the reality that is tomorrow for the disciples.
1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me.
4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
That is a bleak reality.
Knowing these things and having faith in Him, could curb their dis-belief and denial of Christ after He leaves.
Jesus says the “religious rulers” will excommunicate you! [express the implication of this]
This is already a tactic that has been working for them. Fear of disconnection to their God!
The one healed who was lame’s parents were afraid of being excommunicated from the Temple, obviously it’s working.
The “religious zealots” believe they are doing the will of God, just like they thought about what they did to Jesus!
They do this in the name of the Lord; but have no idea who He is because their focus is on self and are proud.
He tells them they won’t realize it right away; but He has told them so when it takes place they recall it right away; they are informed!
Transition:
There was trouble coming and it will be difficult, possibly loosing your life.
What are they to do?
Jesus set the stage as they were walking for teaching about the Holy Spirit and His Father!
The truth is promised to them and He will come shortly!
Help will Come (4-15)
Help will Come (4-15)
The helper comes after Jesus leaves.
One who takes the place of Him who has left.
4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
5 But now I am going to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are you going?’
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.
The Disciples didn’t understand what would happen the moment Jesus left.
Their mindsets would shift.
The one they followed would be gone and they couldn’t follow Him, for the first time in years.
You know what happens when you follow someone for a while?
Your identity becomes interwoven with theirs; internally and externally.
Those who believe they cannot achieve are already defeated before they begin.
Connection:
Your worth is found in God leaving glory to live among the sinful, to pay for your sins to be forgiven and to reach the potential He created you for.
Live up to what He knows your worth!
He portrayed this through the disciples:
In the public eye the disciples social positions would change after His death.
People would recognize them from their travels with Jesus and after Jesus was prosecuted, convicted and punished as a Blasphemer they would see them differently.
I wonder if in some places they would be welcomed?
Jesus addresses this:
2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.
They will be kicked out of a place where Jesus isn’t welcomed either!
Their relationship with God won’t be found in the temple, because He moved the temple inside of us!
Jesus explains this:
3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me.
Jesus is comforting their hearts, their identity is secure and so is their future!
The Helper will come, He won’t leave them alone!
The Helper doesn’t just fill the gaps that Jesus leaves, He has a ministry to complete.
He will continue a reproving ministry (1-11)
8 And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Jesus tells us what His jobs will be:
Convict the World of Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment!
(?) How do you suppose He will do that?
We need to understand the categories Jesus highlights:
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no longer;
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
What does this mean?
It won’t be us that convicts people of sin since It’s not up to us to point out their sin!
No amount of preaching, pleading, or pointing fingers will bring about the conviction of sin>
Only the Holy Spirit working in the sinner’s heart.
Paul addressed this in a round about way in 1 Corinthians.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Conviction is God’s work, not ours.
We are given the duty to live as examples of a life lived in victory because Jesus makes it possible not because we have arrived!
I want to note:
This is different than recognizing a believer who is in sin.
How are we to deal differently with that scenario?
love them enough to come along side of them and help them to sin no more.
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
This is possible because the helper arrived in you and will help you restore a brother or sister.
He will convict the lack of righteousness in people.
He will judge Satan as He already took his power to scare any of us away from a life lived for Jesus.
The Holy Spirit loves us as the Father; He not only convicts us of the wrongs we do, He points it out to us for the correction He offers.
He has a convicting ministry; but He also has a revealing ministry (12-15)
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.
15 All that the Father has is Mine; therefore I said that He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.
The Helper with reveal truth to those willing to accept and believe it.
Better than that, He will guide you into truth!
Illustration:
2 Archeologists walk through the petrified forest one believes that God creating everything and the other believes in billions of years created everything.
The one will say look at the trees being petrified taking millions of years and here is the evidence for it.
The other will say look at the petrified trees left over from the flood.
They both have the same evidence to evaluate but each uses different belief systems to reach a conclusion.
Only one can be true, but which one is it, which one is right?
You have to trace down what each is believing in for their foundation for the truth:
One believes what God says.
The other believes what man says.
At the brass tacks - The Holy Spirit reveals the truth: The petrification of something doesn’t take millions of years.
In Texas there is a cowboys boot with his foot still in it that is petrified.
The Holy spirit can reveal this kind of truth by thinking through things and what we believe; but greater than that He reveals the truth of our sin and the punishment coming.
He reveals the love of our creator to die for our sins too. That is a powerful truth!!
His victory secures our peace!
Transition:
The shepherd cares enough to send the helper, bringing the truth for comfort and that extends to us which should change our:
Sorrow To Joy (16-24)
Sorrow To Joy (16-24)
Have you ever been confused about something that seemed really important?
What did you feel?
Illustration:
I am deaf in my left ear so I don’t always hear all that is said to me.
Especially in crowded areas, when my bad ear is towards you, or as my wife revealed to me when I’m not engaged in the conversation.
There was one time where I helped a person tow a vehicle back to their house.
I was 16 and doing this was a little scary.
They gave some instructions, which I “kind of heard”; but never had done before and it didn’t make sense to me.
I figured it out later what the instruction was.
Being the one in the truck pulling the other person means you are a tandem item (together - Kind of)
Do you know what happens when you pull away from a stop sign and you don’t have the slack pulled tight on the tow rope?
To me the confusion for what to do was un-nerving.
Let’s bring it back to our hearts when were confused about what Jesus was telling the disciples:
They weren’t really understanding what Jesus was saying about His leaving; but really knew it was important.
16 “A little while, and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”
17 So some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”
18 So they were saying, “What does He mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.”
No clue what He was telling them!
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
They wanted joy; but weren’t sure about it since Jesus hadn’t left yet.
Jesus taught with a story because apparently we remember better when the thought is attached to something we can relate to and picture.
He used the picture of a woman giving birth to reveal what He means by a little while and He will be gone.
21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
He is telling them that they will have sorrow when He is taken and dies; but it is necessary for re-birth to come to the world and to them.
The sorrow will be forgotten because the Joy will overtake it!
That is a truth for our lives!
Not just for the saving of our souls; but also of any sorrow over our sin we have.
We forget sometimes the sorrow of our hearts in moments of trouble when the trouble is over and Joy returns - short memories.
Illustration:
It’s kind of like when one part of your body got hurt and your dad says: Let me see your finger?
You forgot about that little cut because you focus was turned to a your finger.
When the Holy Spirit comes and removes the sorrow He replaces it with joy and we don’t have to remember it and or be bound to it.
We can move forward in newness!
What in your life is bringing sorrow?
Can you receive the truth from God and move forward in joy because the Helper makes it possible?
Let your sorrow turn to joy!
Transition:
The shepherd will guide your confusion and sorrow into the comforting arms of the Father where your joy is secure.
That is only possible since His victory secures our peace!
How can this be an actuality in our lives? Because:
Jesus Brings Victory (25-33)
Jesus Brings Victory (25-33)
We cannot do it as our efforts fall short; but thankfully our Father can and has already done it for us!
32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.
33 I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus is the power and strength we are given to withstanding Satan's schemes, the world’s deception, and even the lies we believe ourselves.
It begins with humility.
Salvation begins with humbling ourselves and submitting to God, our strength and power isn’t enough.
We have to call upon His power and strength which is explained in James 4:6-7
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Our victory over Satan, the world, and our pride resides in Jesus’ victory over it all!
John 16 highlights peace, not just to the disciples but ours and everyone who believes in Jesus for salvation.
In Him we have victory that secured the peace between us and God!
Conclusion:
Jesus told His disciples all of this before it happened, so that when it came, they'd remember He'd already told them — and already overcome it.
If you don't know this Helper — if you've never had your sorrow met by anyone who could actually do something about it — Jesus is offering it to you right now!
The same Jesus who walked to Gethsemane knowing what was coming, walked there for you.
He didn't skip the tribulation; He absorbed it.
The phrase He used: "Take heart" isn't wishful thinking, it's an eyewitness report.
He has overcome the world — the same world that will try to overcome you.
Come to Him, as forgiveness and live in the newness He offers.
If you already belong to Him — you have a Helper who convicts, reveals, and never leaves.
He promises that your sorrow is temporary and your joy is not.
You have a Savior who has already won the fight you're still in the middle of.
Don't be shaken by what He already defeated.
Live it out in peace, because the peace isn’t dependent on the absence of trouble.
It is dependent on Him; trust Him through the trouble!
-Pray!
