Responding to the Responding to the ShepherdShepherd

John 10John 10

Who or what are you listening Who or what are you listening to?to?

Listening Involves:Listening Involves:

AttentionAttention

AffectionAffection

ResponseResponse

Luke 5:16Luke 5:16

““But [Jesus] would often slip But [Jesus] would often slip away to the wilderness and away to the wilderness and pray.”pray.”

Deuteronomy 6:3ffDeuteronomy 6:3ff

““O Israel, you should listen and O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do [His be careful to do [His commandments] . . . . Hear O commandments] . . . . Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”with all your might.”

Biblical ListeningBiblical Listening

We do not listen to be passively We do not listen to be passively entertained or intellectually entertained or intellectually persuaded.persuaded.

We listen to We listen to obeyobey and and do do somethingsomething about what we have about what we have heard.heard.

Jesus is the Jesus is the DoorDoor and the and the GoodGood ShepherdShepherd (10:1-18) (10:1-18)

Jesus is the real shepherd (1-6)Jesus is the real shepherd (1-6)

Calling Out the SheepCalling Out the Sheep

Jesus is the Jesus is the DoorDoor and the and the GoodGood ShepherdShepherd (10:1-18) (10:1-18)

Jesus is the door into the sheep Jesus is the door into the sheep fold (7-10)fold (7-10)

Psalm 118:19-26Psalm 118:19-26

““Open for me the gates of Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give thanks, for you . . may enter. I will give thanks, for you . . . have become my salvation. The stone . have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes . . . . Blessed is marvelous in our eyes . . . . Blessed is he who comes in the name of the is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”Lord.”

John 14:6John 14:6

““I am the way and the truth and I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”Father except through me.”

Acts 4:12Acts 4:12

““Salvation is found in no one Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the Jesus is the DoorDoor and the and the GoodGood ShepherdShepherd (10:1-18) (10:1-18)

Jesus is the good shepherd (11-Jesus is the good shepherd (11-18)18)

Good Shepherding Good Shepherding Involves:Involves:

Offering Abundant Life (10)Offering Abundant Life (10)

Self-sacrificing Love and Committed Self-sacrificing Love and Committed Care (11-12, 15, 17)Care (11-12, 15, 17)

Intimate Knowledge of the Flock (14)Intimate Knowledge of the Flock (14)

Expansive Love for All Sheep Expansive Love for All Sheep Everywhere (16)Everywhere (16)

What Sheep Are LikeWhat Sheep Are Like

StupidStupid

FearfulFearful

Nearly BlindNearly Blind

VulnerableVulnerable

What Sheep Are LikeWhat Sheep Are Like

TrustingTrusting

LoyalLoyal

DevotedDevoted

Good FollowersGood Followers

A Tale of Two Fraternity A Tale of Two Fraternity BrothersBrothers

Mike BergmanMike Bergman

A Tale of Two Fraternity A Tale of Two Fraternity BrothersBrothers

John MartinJohn Martin

Mike Bergman NowMike Bergman Now

““Pray that I would truly delight Pray that I would truly delight myself in the Lord and not in my myself in the Lord and not in my circumstances or the things of circumstances or the things of this world.”this world.”

Jesus is the Jesus is the PolarizerPolarizer of of Humanity and Humanity and RevelationRevelation of of

God (10:19-30)God (10:19-30) Jesus is the Polarizer of Humanity (19-24)Jesus is the Polarizer of Humanity (19-24)

– Some people attribute Jesus’ claims of divinity Some people attribute Jesus’ claims of divinity to madness and/or the demonic (19-20)to madness and/or the demonic (19-20)

– Some people recognize and believe in Jesus Some people recognize and believe in Jesus because of the divine nature of the miracles because of the divine nature of the miracles He performs (21)He performs (21)

– Some claimed to want more and clearer Some claimed to want more and clearer information about Jesus (24)information about Jesus (24)

Jesus is the Jesus is the PolarizerPolarizer of of Humanity and Humanity and RevelationRevelation of of

God (10:19-30)God (10:19-30) Jesus is the Revelation of God Jesus is the Revelation of God

(25-30)(25-30)

– Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah (25).(25).

– Jesus is the source of eternal life Jesus is the source of eternal life (28-29).(28-29).

Romans 8:38-39Romans 8:38-39

““I am convinced that neither I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus is the Jesus is the PolarizerPolarizer of of Humanity and Humanity and RevelationRevelation of of

God (10:19-30)God (10:19-30) Jesus is the Revelation of God Jesus is the Revelation of God

(22-30)(22-30)

– Jesus is “one” with God the Father Jesus is “one” with God the Father (30)(30)

RespondingResponding to the to the Shepherd (10:31-42)Shepherd (10:31-42)

Some respond with self-Some respond with self-righteous fury and indignation righteous fury and indignation (31, 33, 39)(31, 33, 39)

RespondingResponding to the to the Shepherd (10:31-42)Shepherd (10:31-42)

Jesus responds by reminding his Jesus responds by reminding his listeners of the evidence for the listeners of the evidence for the truth of His claims to divinity truth of His claims to divinity (32, 34-39)(32, 34-39)

C. S. Lewis, C. S. Lewis, Mere ChristianityMere Christianity, 55-, 55-5656

““I am here trying to prevent anyone saying the I am here trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”open to us. He did not intend to.”

RespondingResponding to the to the Shepherd (10:31-42)Shepherd (10:31-42)

““Many people came to him . . . Many people came to him . . . and believed in Jesus” (41-42)and believed in Jesus” (41-42)

Conclusion and Conclusion and ApplicationApplication

How do you see Jesus in your life?How do you see Jesus in your life?

– Do you really believe He your salvation and Do you really believe He your salvation and giver of eternal life?giver of eternal life?

– Do you really believe He is your true and Do you really believe He is your true and good shepherd?good shepherd?

– Are you really willing to submit to Him and Are you really willing to submit to Him and let Him lead you wherever He takes you?let Him lead you wherever He takes you?

A Tale of Two BrothersA Tale of Two Brothers

Christopher HitchensChristopher Hitchens

Peter HitchensPeter Hitchens

Christopher HitchensChristopher Hitchens

Peter HitchensPeter Hitchens

Deuteronomy 30:15-19Deuteronomy 30:15-19

““See I have set before you today See I have set before you today life and . . . death . . .; to love the life and . . . death . . .; to love the Lord your God, to walk in His Lord your God, to walk in His ways . . . that you may live . . . . ways . . . that you may live . . . . But if your heart turns away and But if your heart turns away and you . . . are drawn away . . . I you . . . are drawn away . . . I declare to you today that you declare to you today that you shall surely perish. . . . So choose shall surely perish. . . . So choose life in order that you may live!”life in order that you may live!”