God knows your name.

God knows your name.

John: An Introduction and Commentary i. The Parable of the Sheepfold (10:1–6)

To appreciate this parable it is important to understand its setting in a small Jewish village. Most village families owned a few sheep. The houses of the villagers had small walled courtyards where the sheep were kept. Because each family had only a few sheep, a shepherd for each household was not justified, so several households would have one shepherd to look after their sheep. Often the shepherding was done by a son (or two daughters) from one of these families. If such a person was not available a stranger/hireling was employed. Early each morning the sheep would be taken out to graze in the open country. The shepherd moved from house to house, and because he was known to the doorkeepers they opened their courtyard doors to allow him to call out the sheep. The sheep knew his voice and eagerly followed him into the open country to feed. The walls of the courtyards could be up to six and a half feet high. One who was not the shepherd, who had ulterior motives, would have to climb over the walls because the doorkeeper would not admit him, and, of course, the sheep would not recognize his call and would flee from him.

john

John 10:1–16 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.” 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. 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. 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.

A. He knows us by name

"Two men were called on, in a large classroom, to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. One was a published orator trained in speech technique and drama. He repeated the psalm in a powerful way. When he finished, the audience cheered and even asked for an encore that they might hear his wonderful voice again. "Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words--'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...' But when he finished, no sound came from the large class. Instead, people sat in a deep mood of devotion and prayer."Then the first man, the orator, stood to his feet. 'I have a confession to make,' he said. 'The difference between what you have just heard from my old friend, and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, my friend knows the Shepherd.'"

Could any of you imagine attending a Billy Graham crusade, the music has played, the introductions have been completed and onto the stage walks Billy Graham, most likely the easiest recognizable ministerial figure of the past 100 Years. He begins his sermon and then abruptly he pauses and then says these words… I just remembered that someone I know is here tonight from this town and I’d like to call him to the stage. Darryl Womack will you come on up to the stage. How do you thing I would feel.

In the realm of Heaven where right now the Angels are singing Holy, Holy, Holy, where the elders are worshipping before God, where there is neither pain or suffering, where time has no meaning, where sin is absent because it cannot exist before the righteousness of God. In that place, on this day Jesus the Lamb moves before God the Father and calls out YOUR NAME.

1. He knows my name because I have been adopted into His family.

Tell the Story of Bobby, Claire and Nini

I knew it was her when we walked into the room.

2. He knows everyone's name because He is Sovereign.

When a man wearing sunglasses approached the cash register of a Midwestern pharmacy and told the employees he was going to rob them, the pharmacist couldn’t believe his ears. Stepping forward, he thwarted the plans of the would-be burglar and prevented the crime before it came to fruition. But he didn’t scare the thief off by threat or weapon. In fact, the pharmacist did not even attempt to dissuade him from the theft. The man was stopped dead in his tracks because the pharmacist knew his name. Recognizing his voice, the pharmacist called him by name and asked if the robbery was a joke. The man immediately spun around and ran out of the store, boarding a nearby city bus.

Psalm 139:1–7 NKJV

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

B. We know Him by His voice

I get the following question a lot in ministry: How will I know that its God that's leading me to do ....... XYZ.... It will be because we recognize His voice.

The voice of our enemy comes with messages like these:

This situation is hopeless.

You blew it last time and you’re sure to blow it again.

You’re no good: too timid, too stupid, too shy, too ugly, too ____________.

No one cares about you.

You are all alone here.

Give up.

Run away.

You’re a failure.

It’s too late to fix it.

Nothing you can do will help.

God is mad at you.

God will never help someone like you.

Everyone else gets good things but not you.

But the voice of God comes with a different type of message:

You are never alone.

I am with you.

You are my beloved child.

I died for you.

You do not need to do anything to gain my righteousness.

I love you already.Trust in me.

I will give you strength.

Believe in me, I want to lead you.

You are mine forever.

I want to lead you.You are mine forever.There is no sin so serious that I have not forgiven you.All things will work for your good.My plans for you are good.

There is no sin so serious that I have not forgiven you.

All things will work for your good.

My plans for you are good.

Look at the three truths.

1. What ever God calls you to do will not contradict His word in any way.

2. What ever God calls you to do will not bring you confusion but will bring peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV

33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

3. Satan will never be pleased with your following of God’s call.

1 Peter 5:8–9 NKJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

If He knows us and we know Him then we are confident.....

C. He knows the enemy

Isaiah 14:12–14 NKJV

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

So why is all this intimacy needed?

D. He desires to care for us

;37

Matthew 23:37 NKJV

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

If you are here and lost today understand that God wants to care for you.