Sermon Tone Analysis

That you may Believe and have Life #30

John 10:22-42

 

Well last week we debunked the post-modern, ancient lie that everyone is going to Heaven and there are multiple ways to Christ and found Christ is the ONLY Good Shepherd and he is the ONLY Gate into the Flock of God.

We finished in verse 21.

Now starting at verse 22, two and ½ months have passed but they are still talking about Jesus, the Sheep the Gate, who is Jesus anyway?

It is winter time, close to what we would call Christmas NOW, because it is the “Feast of Dedication”  which we would know as “Hanukkah”.

It is a celebration also called the feast of lights.

It celebrates the Rededication of the Temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C.

The Temple had been desecrated by the Romans and the desecrated Temple had been restored

Jesus came that our desecrated Temple that is our body, our lives could also be restored in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Last week we read that not all sheep in the fold are in his flock.

And that the sheep that listens to his voice and follows him is part of his flock and can be lead out into the goodness of a relationship with him, the good pasture.

So let’s pick up again looking today at the Truth that in Christ we are not just into goodness of a relationship but we are also

Safe and Secure

READ 10:22-42

Oh I don’t have time to preach it, but may this always be a place where the Truth about Christ is taught to the very best of our ability and under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit and in this place MANY will believe in Jesus

 

There are four words that Jump out at me, Choosing, Chosen, Given, Kept

the first two go together and then the last two will stand alone

 

We are safe and secure in two opposing words that work together

 

1.

Choosing ~/ Chosen

 

To know the security and safety of a relationship with Jesus Christ

  A.

There is a Choice

    1.

They said /“if you are the Christ, tell us plainly” /– oh so many people say they are looking for the truth, but when you tell them they don’t want to embrace it.

It has been 2 ½ months since Jesus said /“I AM THE GATE” “I have Authority” “I am from the Father”/

    2.

Jesus says /“I have told you, but you did not believe”/ ---

      a.

At the judgment seat of God, there will be a refrain that will play over and again/, “Why don’t you tell me?” /and

      b.

the Lord will say /“I told you … I showed you … I called you … but you did not believe.”/

c.

not only will he say “I told you” … but I provided for you … 2 Peter 2:1 says there will be those who deny even though he bought them

    3.

we all make a choice.

We embrace the call of God or we reject it

    4.

remember though this is two and ½ months after the last story … the image of the sheep is still there … “my sheep listen” … Remember that at night several flocks might sleep together in the fold and in the morning the shepherds come in and call out.

So Jesus says “I DID tell you … I DID call you … but you didn’t believe …

     5.

every sheep that doesn’t respond to his voice has made a choice to remain in  the flock that they are in.

6.

some are more militant, some more passive, some respond in faith and love, but all make a choice.

If you ignore Jesus you are choosing, if you take up rocks to stone him … you are making a choice

    7.

We are safe and secure because we make a choice in faith.

/“Without faith it is impossible to please God”/ (Heb.

11:6) … Without faith it is impossible to experience the Salvation that comes from God’s grace … because It is by Grace that we have been saved through faith … but Salvation is a Gift of God.

    8.

Jesus said, I have given you plenty of reasons to believe … to make a choice …

      a.

believe because he /said “I am God’s Son’ “I and the Father are One’; Believe because I do what the Father does”/

      b.

believe because the prophets pointed infallibly to him

      c.

believe because of the Miracles he preformed as a sign to show his deity and power

      d.

then as you believe you gain the knowledge and understanding that Jesus really is one with the Father, Lord and God

 

So we are safe and secure in our choosing

But also because we are

  B.

Chosen

  we have a choice to make but be not deceived God is on the Throne and he is all loving, all powerful, all places, all knowing …

notice he says …

    1.

“My Sheep”

      a.

to others he said …/“you didn’t believe … you are NOT my sheep/

      b.

MY sheep listen

      c.

I know them and they follow me

    2.

Before the sheep heard his voice had already called out, he had already identified them as his sheep

    3.

before he called their name he knew they would be his sheep

    4.

Before some would reject him, he knew they would not be his sheep that they would reject his call

     5.

Before he would know us by experience, he knew us by knowledge

 

We are choosing yet chosen.

It is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian Faith and salvation experience

 

  C.

The Paradox

Ephesians 1:11 (NIV) \\ 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

 

Romans 8:29 (NIV) \\ 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV) \\ 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love

 

    1.

Our choosing only works because God allows it to be sufficient.

This PLAN of Salvation was NOT our idea but God’s

    2.

God is omniscient and knows everything as a completed incident.

He sees the pages of history as complete before they began.

3.

I was his before I chose him because he chose me and he knew that I would choose him.

So he says MY sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow.

That word for KNOW means to know by experience … so in an experiential sort of way, he hasn’t known us until after we have listened and responded but yet we are already his sheep.

4.

one Philosopher describes it this way.

When we come to Christ we experience the grace of salvation through the door of free will as we exercise faith.

But when we walk through the door of free will and stand in the Salvation provided by God’s grace … we see a sign on the back side of the door of free will that says “chosen from the foundation of the earth.”

    5.

it is not a paradox for God because he sees it all completed.

But we are linear people.

We see history as a time line

Creation happened here

Adam sinned here

Moses lived

Jesus died

George Washington lived here

I was born there …

Etc …

So we see salvation that way and we argue and split hairs over minute seconds of faith and regeneration … but I believe that God wanted to explain it so our linear minds could understand and so Paul wrote Romans 8:29-31

Now we know that 8:28 says /“all things work together for good …”/

But let’s finish 29-31

Romans 8:29-31 (NIV) \\ 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.