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THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Pastor Charles Holmes
06-18-2008e
JOHN 10:1-5
1 ¶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
SHEPHERD.OF.THE.SHEEPFOLD_ CHICAGO.IL TUESDAY_ 56-0403
E-34 And David had been a little shepherd; He said, "I took you from the sheepcote out yonder. Who was you, David? I took you from the sheepcote, from following your father's sheep, and made you a great name," like man of great of the earth.
And I thought of that, about sheep and shepherd. Why did He choose David? David was always talking about still waters and green pastures. He was the psalmist that wrote songs and played on his harp to the glory of God. And he must have been something about David tending sheep; he must have been a real sheepherder. Did you notice one time there was a bear run in and got one of his sheep, and he killed that bear. And a lion run in and got one and he caught that beard--lion by the beard and took a knife and killed that lion. See, it was sacrificing for his sheep. And if he was willing to lay down his life for the sheep, he was a type of the good Shepherd. He was the Son of David, you know, the real Shepherd, the King Shepherd over all.
Did you ever notice in the Bible, just thinking the other day, when a prophet speaks, he says, "THUS SAITH THE LORD." But when Jesus spoke He never said that. He said, "But I say unto you." Then call Him a prophet. He was Emmanuel. Never said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD," He was the Lord. "I say unto you."
E-35 Now, there's something that God always likened people unto sheep, did you ever notice? "You're the sheep of the pasture, the sheep of one fold. Other sheep have I," and so forth, likening people unto sheep. You know why He likened us to sheep? Did you ever--did you ever fool with sheep any? They're certainly educational, and a Divine education to--to learn of sheep. I've raised them and shepherded them around, and the little fellows.
But when a sheep is lost, he's absolutely helpless. I picked up sheep, not standing maybe three hundred yards from the sheepfold, and--where all the other sheep was. And that sheep when he's lost he can't help himself; he just stands there and bleats and bleats until the wolf gets him or something takes place. He--he just can't find his way back. He's totally helpless without a shepherd.
E-36 And that's the way the human race is, we are absolutely, totally, helpless without the Shepherd of the fold. We can't find our way back. We tried to educate our way back; we've tried to reform our way back; but we'll never be able. Education will never do it. Reformation will never do it. We're not reformers. The police out here are reformers. We're preachers of the Gospel, not to try to put people on penalty and crawl on your knees and so forth, but to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: deliverance to the people. That's what the shepherds are supposed to do, to feed the sheep. You know He said to Peter, "Love me, Peter, more than these?"
"Yes."
"Feed My sheep." Now, He never said, "Drive My sheep." He never said, "Kick My sheep." He said, "Feed My sheep." That's what the sheep needs, is some sheep food, don't you think so? And you know the best sheep food I know of for you sick sheep and all kinds of sheep? Here it is. That's right. In this great big bread basket of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That's what the Holy Spirit lives on, that's in you, lives on the Word of God. That connection of shepherd and sheep...
LEADERSHIP_ PRESCOTT.AZ V-17 N-2 SUNDAY_ 65-1031A
24 We have to be led. You know, God likened us unto sheep. And did you know a sheep can't lead itself? He'll wander away and stray away, and he--he just can't lead himself. And he has to have somebody to lead him. And sometime... The shepherd is supposed to lead the sheep. Now that was back in the days of the Lord Jesus, He was the good Shepherd that led the sheep.
25 But today, you see, we're living in another day, everything is changed and perverted. You know what man has to lead sheep today? A goat. And you know where that goat leads them? Right into the slaughter. Them little sheep don't know where they're going, so the goat goes up a--a pen, up at the slaughter, and the sheep don't know no more than to follow a leader, so it leads them right up into this slaughter. And then the goat jumps over the track, and the sheep goes in and gets killed. See, the goat, a wrong leader.
26 But Jesus, the good Shepherd Who led the sheep, He led them to Life and held their hand. See, but somebody has to lead the sheep.
JOHN 10:14-16
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The sheep will always follow the shepherd and will never hear a stranger.
Sheep are able to discern between their shepherd’s voice and the call of strangers.
Jesus said I am the Door for the sheep.
GOD'S.PROVIDED.WAY_ CONNERSVILLE.IN SATURDAY_ 53-0613
E-50 "I am the Door to the sheepfold. Any man comes up any other way, the same is a thief and a robber. I AM..." and Who is I AM? "A little while and the world seeth Me no more, yet you shall see Me, for I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the age." Hallelujah. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever...
"A open door," what was it? It was the revelation of the supreme Deity of Jesus Christ, not being a second person of a trinity, but being God Himself made flesh and dwelling among us.
THE.PHILADELPHIAN.CHURCH.AGE_ JEFF.IN ROJC 373-423 SATURDAY_ 60-1210
163 How can it be? How can any man know He is the Christ until He's revealed Himself to him? See? He reveals Himself. He has the key. He can open it or leave it alone. See? "I have the key to the door. I am the Door. I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Light. (Oh.) I am the Alpha. I am the Omega. I am the First and the Last. I am the Father. I am the Son. I am the Holy Ghost. I AM. Not I was or will be. I AM THAT I AM, that's...?... the whole thing. I AM, not I was or will be. I AM, that means living presence for eternity. See? I AM. Always was, always will be; I am now as I always was and always will be." See? He--He's just I AM.
I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:...
"A Door." What is the Door? Revelations 3:8--in Revelations, the 3rd chapter and the 8th verse, "I know Thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open Door that no man can shut it, can shut and no man can open." He is the Door, the Door; Christ is the Door. He said, in Saint John 10, "I am the Door to the sheepfold."
And Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man can come to God except by Me." In other words, "I am the Door to the sheepfold. All without are thieves." He is the only approach. He is the Door. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, all that there is; the only entrance, the only place, the only worship, the only Name.
Everything is tied to Jesus Christ. All the Old Testament is tied to Him. The New Testament tied to Him. And the Church today is tied to Him, by the Word of His commandment. There is not another place, or another Name, or anywhere, where God ever promised to meet a man; only in Jesus Christ, His chosen place of worship.
Now, the bridegroom has to furnish the robes. He has to furnish them, therefore there's a man stands at the door. And you come up with your invitation. He examines your invitation and puts you on a garment, a robe. That, some of them are rich, and some of them are poor, and some of them are different, but they all look alike when they get these robes on. They all look alike.
And you have to all be alike. You ain't going to be, say, "I'm the Methodist over here. I'm the Presbyterian over here." Oh, no. You ain't going in, the first place. See?
You've got to come by the Door. Jesus said, "I am the Door to the sheepfold."