Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Some positions in our society are colored with a bad reputation:

Salesmen- watch your wallet.

only after you for the sale.

Politicians- after your vote.

say anything to get it.

Lawyers- ‘ambulance chasers’

NOTE: Good salesmen, politicians, lawyers… need Christians in those positions…

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Also worth noting that the church is not without such stereotypes.

TV evangelists… 80’s, 90’s, even in our day…

Eccl.

‘Nothing new under the sun.’

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Jesus had some pretty sobering words to say about the Scribes, Pharisees, and Saducees.

(S’s & P’s) …

(Saducees) ‘saducees known for wealth accumulated by temple ministry’

OT and : ‘WOE to the shepherds!’

feed themselves and not feed the flocks.

‘weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken…’

Thus ‘I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.’

: comes after Jesus’ healing of blind man in .

see vss.39-41.

In , Jesus begins to contrast his method of shepherding, with that of the Scribes and P’s.

‘Thieves and Robbers’

, .

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Our Study: I AM Series… now, DOOR and GOOD Shepherd.

Prop: Four things the Good Shepherd Does for His Sheep.

NOTICE: JESUS IS THE DOOR and He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD…

vv. 7, 9, 11, 14.

CONCEPT: Larger flocks flanked by walls; rocks, hedges.

Only one entrance.

The Door.

Doorkeeper responsible for letting several flocks into the protected area.

The shepherd was responsible for the flock or flocks.

He would often take them out of the protected area, in order for them to find pasture for feeding, and water for drinking.

The shepherd was responsible for feeding and protecting the flock.

If the shepherd was a hired hand, then as one might suspect, he was merely doing his job.

Still, there are others who will harm the sheep, those who will want to steal them; they climb over the wall, because the doorman would not let them in.

And when the sheep are with the shepherd, grazing in pastures, there are wolves who would come and seek to devour the sheep.

So one writer (Barclay) tells of the Middle East Shepherd’s equipment: scrip (bag of food), sling (throw stone in front of sheep that began to stray, so warned the sheep to turn back), rod (about 3 ft long, lump of wood at end, used to drive off wild beasts, staff (long crooked stick, pull back a straying sheep with its crook).

Now, note those four things that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, does for His Sheep:

I. #1: The Good Shepherd LEADS His Sheep:

Found in verses 3-6.

A. He is the legitimate shepherd.

(3)

THE one sent by the Father

Ez. 34:11

The Sheep Follow Him

The Sheep Follow Him

(3) hear his voice

(3) calls them, they follow

(4) goes before them; not behind striking them!

(5) not follow a stranger

B. Jesus leads his sheep.

THROUGH His VOICE.

HIS WORD!

His Earthly Ministry: Gathering His disciples.

Leading them; teaching; preaching.

Ministry: Gathering His disciples.

Leading them; teaching; preaching.

‘Follow ME’

YOU?

See v.16

>>>TURN: !

II.

#2: The Good Shepherd PROTECTS His Sheep:

A. Think about sheep.

Interesting creatures!

By this illustration, people are compared to sheep.

B. CHS:

Considering this he says,

‘we shall feel how unwise we always are.

A sheep is one of the most unwise of creatures.

It will go anywhere except in the right direction; it will leave a fat pasture to wander into a barren one; it will find out many ways but not the right way; it would wander through a wood, and find its way through ravines into the wolf’s jaws, but never by its wariness turn away from the wolf; it could wander near his den, but it would not instinctively turn aside from the place of danger; it knoweth how to go astray, but it knoweth not how to come home again.

The sheep is foolish.

Left to itself, it would not know in what pasture to feed in summer, or whither to retire in winter.”

NOTE: True of me!

All us! Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love!

all we

C.

He protects his sheep!

see v. 7-8 and how the shepherd would lie at the door!

see v. 9-13 (protect only at this point)

D. MEANING:

NOT MEAN: NO difficulty; NO trials…persecution…

NOT MEAN: NO difficulty; NO trials…persecution…

DOES MEAN:

‘returned to the Shepherd and ‘GUARDIAN’ of your souls!’

III.

#3: The GOOD Shepherd KNOWS His Sheep:

See v. 14-15a

A. The Shepherd had to know how far his sheep could travel without getting exhausted.

The GOOD Shepherd knows us far more intimately.

MH- {Perhaps they are obscure and little regarded in the world, but the Lord knows them}

B. SOURCE of COMFORT!

[searched…known…such knowledge too wonderful…]

rod/staff comfort me…

should be our prayer!

He will!

IV. #4: The GOOD Shepherd LOVES His Sheep:

Points 1-3 LEADS, PROTECTS, KNOWS…Loves ..... HUSBANDS!? Fathers.

A. SEEN

V. 11

V. 15