Sacrificial Love

Today we will be warping up our study in John 10 .

This two-week series focuses on the goodness and faithfulness of God and reminds us that we can be assured that God is taking care of us during times such as these.

So if you have your bible turn to John 10:7-18 if not you can follow a long on the screen in a few minutes.

Last week we look at how God knows each and every one of us. We saw that the God was the shepherd that we needed. That we have all that we need in him. That no stranger can come in and try to steal us away because we believe in Christ and know God voice.

I ask the question last week at the end. God knows you by name, are you living like that is true?

We understand God know us. We understand that he there to take care of us.

Does he love us?

Have you met the love that will not let you go?

We all have some one in our life that we love to the moon and back. Weather it be your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, children, parent, sometimes your siblings. There is some that you love or that love you in this way. But you see there a problem with this. They can leave us. They can not be around when we need them.

Where can we turn? Who can we turn to when the world is press in? When all feels lost? When it seems like no knows what we are going though?

At some point in your life you have felt this way. You might be feeling this way now. We have just coming out of one of the biggest Mental Health crisis of the know age.

Findings released Sept. 27,2021 from the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH) indicate that one in four (25%) Canadians aged 18 and older screened positive for symptoms of depression, anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in spring 2021, up from one in five (21%) in fall 2020.

When we are feeling like all is lost and no were to go. What can we do? I would like to say this before I move on. If you need med to help you through this time by all means go to the doc and get help. What we are look at today is. where we can turn? Where we need to go.

John 10:7–18 CSB

7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 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. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 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. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 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.”

Jesus is the gate keeper

you see by Jesus being the gate keeper he only lets in the sheep that know him. He protects those sheep. Other way to look at is he is the one way door. Anyone that enter will have his protects.

He came so we can have life and live it abundantly.

Jesus is the good shepherd

We saw that God was the shepherd last week. Then how did can Jesus now be the good shepherd if God was all ready the good shepherd? You see God and Jesus are the same. In order for us to have life and live abundantly there had to be something to take the place of sin that each one of us has. Sin is the thing that God can not look upon. Sin drives a wedge between us and God. but that where Jesus come in.

Jesus lied his life down for the sheep

The shepherd will always stand in the way of someone or something coming to hurt the sheep. Jesus does the same thing for you and I. He is there to protect us, guide us, and love us. But we have to choice to enter the gate first.

John 10:28–30 CSB

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus give you eternal life

He give us life with out sin. A life that is worth living for. A life that at some point will have no pain or heart ache. A life that we can live with God. This is what Jesus give us. Jesus loves us so much that he died on the cross so we can live again with him. So that our sins can be washed away and we are made white as snow.

All of your life, you are lovingly held by God

are you living this way? or you need to come back to God this morning?