Text: John 10:27
A shepherd provides guidance, sustenance, and protection for the sheep. No one is able to provide the same care for us as Jesus – the good shepherd (John 10:11) who willingly laid down His life for us (John 10:17-18). It is vitally important that we have Christ as our shepherd. How do we become one of His sheep? How do we remain in His fold? The answer is found in our text.
“My Sheep Hear My Voice”
- If we want Jesus as our shepherd, we must be willing to listen (Luke 8:8) – many have ears to hear, but refuse to listen (Acts 7:57)
- A willingness to listen requires humility (James 1:21), a desire to learn (Acts 8:30-35), and godly fear (Proverbs 1:7)
- Not only do the sheep hear His voice, they know His voice (John 10:4) – we must recognize His words/teachings and be able to distinguish truth from the errors of denominationalism and liberalism (1 John 4:1)
“I Know Them”
- Our “firm foundation” is that “the Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19) – these are those who show that they love Him (1 Corinthians 8:3) by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3)
- Not only does He know them, He has foreknown them (Ephesians 1:4-5) – God has predestined a class of people, those who would be holy and blameless
- We can be assured that God notices us – He will not forget us (Hebrews 6:9-10)
- He has a personal interest in us (John 10:13-15) – if He doesn’t know us, we will be lost (Matthew 7:21-23)
“They Follow Me”
- To have Christ as our shepherd, we must follow (Psalm 23:2) – He leads, but the sheep must follow
- More than knowledge/belief (James 2:14-26) – we must follow Him to be of His flock (Luke 6:46); He is not our Lord if we do not obey Him
- Wandering away from Him leads to disaster (cf. 1 Peter 5:8) – we are safe as long as we remain in the fold (John 10:28-29)
