JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD. John 10

Transcription

1 JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10

2 Mark Luke John 10:1-15 Acts Romans

3 THE GOOD SHEPHERD Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger s voice. Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

5 Therefore Jesus said again, Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

6 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

7 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.

8 THE SHEEP KNOW THEIR MASTER S VOICE Christians hear from God. We worship a God who speaks Gen 1: 3 to Rev 22:20

9 JESUS - GOD S CLIMACTIC & DEFINITIVE ACT OF SPEECH We are those to whom God has spoken, through his Son (Heb 1: 1-2) We are those who hear the voice of God That s how we came to be sheep following Jesus, our Good Shepherd in the first place...

10 How do we hear the voice of God? What do we actually do? How do we know the voice we are hearing is in fact God s rather than our own or even someone else s?

11 WE START WITH JESUS Hebrews 1: 1-2 Our primary way of hearing the voice of God is through encountering the person of Jesus JESUS IS CENTRAL

12 JESUS IS CENTRAL We hear from God by reading about Jesus and listening to his words in the Bible, by praying and living in the ways he taught us, by remembering him together in broken bread and poured out wine... and then over weeks and months and years something else very exciting starts to happen

13 THE MIND OF CHRIST (1 CORINTHIANS 2:16) We start to think about things in a Jesus-like way the way we respond to the news on radio and TV the way we respond to our culture the way we respond to other people: family, neighbours, work colleagues, strangers, enemies

14 THE EARLY CHURCH God is the one who speaks so when his Spirit is poured out everyone starts hearing from God (Acts 2:14-21) Charismatic lunacy was NORMAL Christianity Hearing from God about things, even when major decisions are in the balance, is quite ORDINARY

15 NO MORE DICE At the start of Acts everyone is drawing lots to make decisions - but after the Spirit comes (Pentecost) nobody is. God s dice has been replaced by hearing God s voice

16 ARE OUR CHURCHES SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE ACTS? Hearing from God all the time including: words of knowledge prophecies dreams and visions

17 HOW DO I KNOW I M HEARING FROM GOD? random thoughts from own head... or someone else s head over active imagination am I sick?

18 5 CHECKS AND BALANCES 1. check it against what the Holy Spirit has revealed in the Bible 2. check it against what you know of Jesus 3. submit it to your leaders (Hebrews 13:17) 4. invite your local church to weigh it (1 Cor 14) 5. consider the impact (fruit) of it?

19 WHEN GOD SPEAKS: (THE IMPACT) It will come true (1 Cor 13:9 we prophesy in part) Glorify Jesus Prompt worship Encourage people Build up the church If the above are not happening - it s not from God!

20 HIS SHEEP KNOW HIS VOICE For those who are in Christ, hearing from God is one of the most natural things in the world. It s like children hearing their parents voices, or friends talking with one another.

21 GOD SHOUTS AT HIS ENEMIES BUT WHISPERS TO HIS FRIENDS To stretch our faith (we prophesy according to our faith) To keep us close (1 Kings 19: 10-13: and NT parables and miracles) To keep us in love with Him

22 GOD WHISPERS TO HIS FRIENDS not because he fancies a laugh or wants to make us look good, but because he is the Good Shepherd, He loves us and wants us close to him.