Jesus is presented as the sole Shepherd and the Door of the sheep, contrasting with the false shepherds who seek their own gain. The sermon highlights Jesus' unique relationship with his sheep, calling them by name and leading them, emphasizing that true followers recognize and hear His voice above all others. It warns against false teachers who lead people astray and concludes by affirming that salvation and abundant life are found only by entering through Jesus, the true Door.
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Shall we turn in our Bibles tonight to the Gospel according to John? That wonderful Gospel written by God's servant, the Apostle John. Chapter ten, if you please. How wonderful to recognize the writing of John the Apostle. And may I re-emphasize It may have been done before with no apology doing it again. The distinction of John's gospel. In contrast to Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke have often been called the synoptic gospel. And of course, as you may have read them, they deal with the life of the Lord Jesus upon the earth. particularly going back to his birth here upon the earth and the life that he lived and ultimately the death that he died plus his resurrection but may I remind you that the Gospel of John was written possibly ninety years later named the light of the Apostle many years later when he was on the Isle of Patmos he was writing for the Lord in the great book of the Revelation that he penned and the gospel according to John was not written when Matthew wrote or when Mark wrote or when Luke wrote their gospel and the gospel of John stands out in great distinction to the other three May I
emphasize the distinction that it emphasizes. I quote the words in chapter twenty and those closing verses of that chapter. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. And note the next word, the Son of God. Now may I reemphasize the distinction between the Gospels prefeeding John's writings and his. John emphasizes the deity, the sonship, the eternal sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Gospel.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they emphasize the title that you often read in those Gospels, wherein it's called the Son of Man. His human title a title of human glory that someday he will take and manifest when he comes back the second time. But John doesn't take him up as being the Son of Man, but emphasizes from the beginning of his gospel to the end the eternal deity, sonship of the Son of God.
For example, the very beginning of that gospel he goes back before the world ever began saying in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by him and without him there was nothing made there was made He emphasizes the greatness of his deity. Can I repeat that again? And may I also remind you, very definitely, why did the nation of Israel crucify him?
Why did the religious leaders put him to death? If I know my Bible correctly from Matthew, verse sixty-four, they did it because he said, I am the son of God. And just as you have in the beginning of the Gospel of John, verse one, chapter one, rather, verse eleven, let me quote the words, telling us, he came, meaning the Lord Jesus, came to his own, his own earthly people, and his own received him now. And in the Gospel of John, John writes of him as being the rejected son of God.
even in the early chapters of the life of the Lord Jesus he records. Now John chapter ten, let me read the opening verses, a portion of them. By God's grace and in its power, through the Holy Spirit we'd like to meditate upon the precious truths that are found in this wonderful chapter. You will find two titles in this chapter. that the other disciples that wrote about him never mentioned. You find him saying in this chapter, I am the door by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and so on.
You find him making another statement, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. But let me begin reading in verse one. Verily, verily, I say unto you, let me also stop there and emphasize, you go through the gospel according to John. You'll find him twenty-five occasions saying verily, verily, a double emphasis on the truth of his word. And here is one of them.
Verily, verily, I say, Say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheep's bow, But climbeth up some other way, The same is the thief and the robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter opens, And the sheep hear his voice, And he calleth his own sheep by name. and leadeth them out. And when he puteth them forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him.
For they know, and know specially, they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him. For they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door. If any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find capture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly, which is the proper translation. May God bless the reading of this portion, part of his word in this chapter, which we would like to begin meditating upon tonight. Now, before we enter into the subject of the chapter, we need a little background from the preceding chapter.
If any of you have read the early chapters of this Gospel of John preceding this one, The Lord Jesus had done much talking and speaking and criticizing the religious leaders of his day, the Pharisees, the Pharisees and the scribes and the elders of Israel. Those who were leading the nation, supposedly their shepherds and their spiritual leaders. But in every conversation that he had preceding them, they argued with him.
In the preceding chapter, chapter nine, you have the wonderful miracle that he performs on hearing a blind man, a man that had been blind from his birth. You may have read it, you've heard about it, I'm sure. And you've heard that they've drawn him after he was healed. They brought him to the leaders of the nation, who inquired of him how come he was being healed. Tell them what happened. And when he gives all the credit to the Lord Jesus, they ridicule him. They condemn him. And due to his faithfulness, confessing Christ as the one who did it, and the miracle that he performed, you know what they did?
They threw him out of the synagogue. He belonged to the Jewish foes. You can't call him the Jewish church if you want to, but it was the Jewish foes. And they dismissed him from it. Threw him out. The Lord Jesus heard about it. He looked him up and found him in the temple. and revealed himself and asked him the question, just thou believe on the Son of God? And the man said, who is he, Lord, that I might? And then the Lord told him quickly, which is he that speaks to thee, implying that he was the Son of God.
Do you know what the man did? He said, I believe and he worshiped the Lord Jesus. Now let me give you the thought. It was an important fact. The Jewish foal threw him out. The Lord Jesus took him in, made him one of his sheep. Before you read the end of chapter nine, Now when you come to the end of chapter nine, the Lord Jesus speaks again to the rulers and the elders and the scribes, convicting them of their sinfulness.
And he gave them such a parable that they recognized he was implying they were spiritually blind. Now, beloved, let me say, I don't know how much you realize it. We've got a lot of so-called shepherds today that seek to lead the people of God that are spiritually blind. No, not the person of the Lord Jesus. And when the Lord Jesus told them the parable, they recognized he was referring to them, and they asked, Are we blind? They prepared. They pretended that they could see, said the Lord says.
You're totally blind and you're in sin. Now may I point out the fact? He actually condemned the spiritual, so-called spiritual shepherds and rulers in Israel of spiritual blindness and being false shepherds. And they couldn't deny it. But oh, the joy of realizing what now, following what has taken place the Lord speaks in this chapter. My beloved, we need to pay great attention to his words.
Let me follow down the chapter with you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I note the words, and may I emphasize to whom he is referring. is referring to the men whom he condemned in the preceding chapter, the religious false shepherd. He that enters in, not by the door of the into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. Now, beloved, let me be very plain.
He was not referring to the Old Testament shepherds. He was referring to the men he had just been speaking to, living in his day and in Israel. I know what he calls them, thieves and robbers. They were doing their work, supposedly, as shepherds of Israel. For their own blessings. For their own benefits. For their own prosperity. Instead of feeding the sheep. But now note the Lord goes on to say.
Verse two. He that enters in by the door. Is the shepherd of the sheep. The Jewish foal. Let me raise a question to your heart. and your mind. Who was the true shepherd to Israel? Jesus when he was here? Or the tribes and Pharisees? Do you know from these words? He speaks of himself?
the shepherd of the sheep. My beloved, let me repeat again, and we will emphasize it through the chapter. There's only one shepherd. Those that are in his flock, their blood is sheep, but he's the only shepherd to be recognized. Now go in. Further to verse three. To him, that is the shepherd, the porter of the... Now you may raise the question a good question. Who is the porter in the parable he gives here?
There can only be one porter. May I raise the question to your own heart? Who brought you to the Savior? Never mind the man or the woman who may have been used as God to lead you to put your trust in Christ. But who really did it? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is to be recognized as a porter, bringing one into the sheephole if one comes in, or into the flock, as the case may be. To him the porter open it. And you know what follows?
Please know these words and their precious The sheep here? Whose voice? The shepherd's voice. Now let me raise a question, personally. Whose voice did you come here till here tonight? So listen to. I hope it wasn't Brother Bramall. He may be a camel, but he's not the shepherd. And I've got no responsibility to talk about myself either. And present myself as a shepherd. I think as a watcher. You never watch under that fifth sense when they ask him who he wants.
I'm only a voice. He represented a good shepherd. And note again, let me emphasize the words again. As the Lord Jesus says, does she hear his voice? The shepherd's voice. I emphasize it again with no apology. Are you listening to his voice or my voice? And may I emphasize again, my voice is not important. Other than to be faithful to my shepherd's guidance.
But it is his voice. Can I make it a little plainer? Not the pastor of the church if you go to some particular church. He's not the shepherd whose voice you should hear. So he should speak for the good shepherd. It's not his voice. The shepherd's voice. Did you ever read Ezekiel chapter thirty-four? It's worth reading. Read it sometime, the whole chapter, when Ezekiel, by the Holy Spirit, is appointed by God to speak words of warning to Israel and to the shepherds of Israel.
And Ezekiel says every one of them were false shepherds. He was the only one giving the voice of God. The rest of them were all false. Let me please stop again. It's on my heart and on my conscience. Do you and I realize there are many false shepherds today? Whose voices are being heard? And who are leading many sheep astray by their false teaching? If I know my Bible correctly, at the end of the age in which we are undoubtedly now, there are more false shepherds in the world than true shepherds you read that in first peter or second peter rather chapter two when peter writes that there were many false prophets in israel so in the latter day there shall be many false teachers among you let me lovingly i don't mind your criticism But I'm
convinced as Morpheus teaches today, and there are true teachers of the Word of God. But I want to re-emphasize this shepherd. Again, as he says here, let me read it again in verse three. The sheep hear his voice. Are you listening to his voice? You know you can do it every day. in the reading of his word. Peter Hicks, why is he called the word of God? Because he represents, he's the living word, but he represents this book which can be called the written word.
As you have it in Second Timothy chapter three and verse sixteen, all scripture was given by inspiration of God. God wrote it. And it's the voice of the Lord. Did you ever notice, I'm sure you have, that you read the prophecy of Ezekiel, as well as Jeremiah. And God insists upon those prophets, giving his voice and speaking his words. Nothing else. Now know what he goes on to say. The sheep hear his voice. And then note this a wonderful thing. The shepherd calleth his own she by name.
He knows your name. You think of that wonderful event when he rose up from the dead, written in John chapter twenty, when Mary Magdalene was the first one to whom he revealed himself on the day of his resurrection. She did not recognize her. She thought he was the gardener. She said, tell me where you have laid my Lord. I can't find his body. And I'll carry him away. She wanted to find her blessed Lord. And then the Lord said something.
Called her by name. Mary. And suddenly she recognized who he was. He knows his own sheep by name. Aren't you glad he knows you? Am I not glad he knows me? My name? No matter what it is, that makes no difference. He knows it. But I want you to know what he goes on to say. He knows his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. My beloved, let me say, no human pastorist should be the leader of God's sheep.
He should only be a sub-shepherd, so to speak, an under-shepherd, doing the will of the Great Shepherd. I'm speaking from and for the Great Shepherd. But please know, the Great Shepherd leads I think of the words in John chapter one. In John chapter one you find six men who found the Lord Jesus Christ at the beginning of his ministry. One of them was Philip. And when you read of him it says, Jesus findeth Philip of Bethsaid and said, follow me.
When the Lord saved you and me, he did not ask us to follow the preacher. He did not ask us to follow the elders, though he should be a good example. He said, follow me. In John chapter twenty, when the Lord Jesus reconciled Peter and recommissioned him, Peter began to wonder about what John was going to do. And the Lord Jesus told him, none of your business. You follow me. May I raise the question? Simply. As an individual sheep, for I believe all of us here profess to know the Lord Jesus, as our Savior and the Shepherd who died to save us, are we following him?
He leadeth them out. I never will forget the story that I once read many years ago in my youth after being saved some years of a dear British soldier who was stationed in Egypt on duty for a while. And on one occasion he took the liberty of going over to Israel, which wasn't far to go from Egypt. He got off the ship. And after he got off the ship, He looked around and to his amazement he saw going down the highway a flock of sheep. They were being driven down the highway.
He thought that strange. He said, I thought the shepherd in Israel led the sheep. For it was the custom. The custom in Israel. You could read of those old days if you ever find any writings that are worth reading. I've read some of them. Of the early days of God's people who were shepherds in India, I mean literal shepherds, raising sheep. Well, as he looked and saw his sheep going down the highway, being driven, he was astonished. And he said to a passerby, Stop and One, is that man a shepherd? That's driving those sheep.
The man looked up and saw. And then he answered, No, he's not a shepherd. He's a butcher. Now you know where he was taking the sheep. He was driving them to slaughter. Beloved, listen. The Lord Jesus had actually accused by his words. The so-called shepherds in Israel in his day were leading the sheep to slaughter. Not giving them the word of God. And seeking to slay him.
Well, let's read on, please. And we go to verse four. And what a joy to read these words. When he put us forth his own sheep, He goes before them. He leads them. My beloved, let me say this lovingly and gratefully. The Lord Jesus is not seeking to drive you in me. No. He's seeking the leader. We've often sung him. Everywhere he leads me, I can safely go. I am a shepherd, one who cares for me, and so on.
And I am, we often song to him, lead me, lest I stray. Lead me gently all the way. My beloved, let me please say again, he's a leader, and you and I are to be the follower. Please let me repeat again, don't follow me. I'm not the great shepherd. I may and should be a good under-shepherd, which I pray I will be. But the great shepherd is the Lord Jesus. Read further on, if we may. When he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them. And the sheep follow him.
Why do they follow him? For they know his voice. Can I give you an incident that happened? Many things have happened in the land of Palestine in the early days, before the present day of Israel's history in that country. I remember reading of a dear man who was the shepherd in the land of Palestine in his youth. He made the statement he was the greatest desire and the most important deed that they could ever enjoy to be a shepherd of sheep. A literal shepherd.
A literal shepherd. Our name was true. He could call the sheep by name. The shepherd gave a name to every one of his sheep. He told in his history that he wrote on one occasion. He had to go seeking the lost sheep through the night. and calling it out by name, until he was about ready to give up and suddenly heard an answer to the name that he gained. And there the sheep made known his presence. He was caught in the thicket and could not get out. But he recognized his name.
My sheep and my wife, I know them and they don't. And I remember on any occasion, some Scottish Christian went over to Palestine and he asked the shepherd, let me put your coat on. And he put on the shepherd's coat. And then he tried to call the sheep by name. They paid no attention to him. Two of them, the coat that he was wearing that they recognized, they didn't know his voice. Beloved, let me say it. There are many men today that are in the pulpit.
They have a great pretense of representing God, sometimes by the very garments that they wear. What did John the Baptist wear? Eleven garments. Simple. Desert. loathing but he says I'm a voice speaking for the great shepherd but what a joy to realize let me repeat that again he put forth his own sheep by name he noticed it he goes before that my beloved let me say The Lord doesn't drive you.
He leads you. And you and I are to follow him. How we need the implication of those words we often sing. Nearer, still nearer, close to thy heart. Draw me, my Savior, so precious thou art. Fold me, oh, fold me close to thy breast. Shelter me safe in that haven of rest. He leadeth there. Do you think of the old hymn that we often sing? He leadeth me, oh, blessed thought, oh, words of heavenly comfort brought. Wherever I be, whatever I do, still it is God's hand. That leadeth me.
He leadeth me. My beloved, can I ask you the question? Can you and I say his letter? I think of another old hymn, all the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt his tender mercy? Who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, hereby faith with him to dwell. For I know whateer befall me. Jesus doeth all things well. Oh, the joy. And notice he goes on to say, They follow him. Why? They know his voice.
My beloved law, I would ask, let us make sure that we're listening to his voice. He said, where? His word. I think of the words that Mary, the mother of Jesus, said on that occasion when they went to a marriage feast, and they ran out of wine in John chapter three, And she said to the Lord Jesus, the Son, they have no wine. And he answered her very strangely, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour has not yet come.
He could not do it because she had sent to it. Do something just to find a wine. But you remember what she said to the servant? Whatsoever he said unto you, what? Do it. I have no right, no authority to ask you to do something that he doesn't want you to do. And as you have it here, they know his voice, but they know him, verse five. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. May I sing again, beloved, please may I sing?
Whether it's on the television or on the radio, or whether it's in the pulpit. Test the message by the word of God. If it's the voice of God, a stranger will they not follow, but what? No, we'll flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. I think of an illustration that I never forget. A dear old saint told me in my early days as a young Christian, it was the custom in the countryside in the north where I once lived.
If they had a cow on their property, they timed a bell on their cow. And it was a bell that rang a familiar note to them when they went looking for the cow. And this dear brother told me on one occasion, when he had to go out seeking for the cow, they belonged to the family, which they had permitted to graze around anywhere he wanted to. He listened for the cowbell. He had a familiar tone. And he said, many times I'd listened and I said, that's not my father's cowbell. And he applied it to me. Be sure you listen to the word of God.
The Father's voice, the voice of God. But I want you to notice we go to verse three before we close. This parable spake Jesus unto them. I know. But they understood not what things they were, which is fake unto them. They didn't understand them. He's referring not to the disciples, not to his sheep. He's referring to the thieves and robbers, the so-called spiritual leaders and shepherds to whom he had been speaking.
Now in verse seven, notice. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. My beloved, let me say this. How did you get into the fold? How did you and I get into the flock? Said the Lord so we came through the door. Who's the door? The Lord Jesus. He's the door. And thank God for him. I am the door. Go with me if you will please the verse nine. I am the door by me if any man enter in.
He shall be saved. He shall go in and out and find pasture. No. I'm the door. How did I get into the pool? How did I get into the flock of the... I came through him. It's the door. Did you ever hear the comment? I've heard it. Many a time some of our fellow preachers in the denominations particularly, I've heard them make this statement to the audience that doors of the church are now open.
How? Wait a minute. The church is not the door. The Lord Jesus says, I'm the door. By me. If any man, boy, girl, man, or woman, boy or girl, enter in. There are three things. Salvation. Liberty, go in and out. Food, pastor. My beloved, I'm glad I know I came through the right door when I got there. It wasn't the door of this chapel either. I may have heard the gospel.
I may have had the privilege of hearing in many other places a true God. No, Christ is the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. I'm sure glad I belong to him. Shall we pray? Our dearly beloved Father, oh, we've had so little time to refresh our minds and hearts. from this great scripture which we hope we can follow. Yet we fight this with a message. Lord Jesus, one thing it does, it brings us face to face with thy person.
You're the daughter of the sheep. You're the shepherd of the sheep. And Lord Jesus, we don't belong To a denomination We belong to thee The great shepherd And we just ask thee humbly Help us to follow thee faithfully Shall we see thee face to faith in glory In thy precious holy name Amen Well thank you for the precious truth Or thank him for the precious truth.