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John 10:1-4 THE
SHEPHERD CALLING OUT OF THE SHEEP
Introduction:
Last Sunday we
read the first three verses of this
chapter. Today we
will read those save verses again and add
one more verse.
In our text today we read about the
shepherd calling his sheep out of the sheepfold so that
he
can lead them out into the pastures.
I. A brief look
back to our previous message
You will
remember that a sheepfold is an enclosure which
is used for the protection of the sheep during the night
when the sheep are not out in the field grazing. All of the
shepherds in the area would bring all their sheep into
the
same sheepfold and leave them all there for the night.
The sheepfold
would have only one door and a porter was
placed inside at the door to keep would-be-thieves from
entering through the door. The next morning he would open
the door from the inside to the shepherds, who would then
lead their sheep out to pasture.
Thieves and
robbers would never come in at the door, but
would sometimes climb over the wall into the fold to kill
and steal sheep.
They were the bad guys. The
scribes and
Pharisees were like the bad guys. To follow the scribes and
Pharisees was like following thieves and robbers. The
legitimate shepherds were like the true prophets of God
who
proclaimed the Christ and even like the Christ, Himself,
who
came to save the souls of men.
II. The calling
out the sheep
In our text
today we will repeat verses 2 and 3 which we
read last week. V.
2-3, "But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter
openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his
own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."
After the
sheep spend the night in the fold, the next
morning each shepherd will come to the door of the fold
and
be properly identified and let into the fold. Once inside,
he will proceed to call out the names of his sheep and
they
will immediately respond to their name and to his voice
and
come to him. They
will wait there at the door with him
until the flock has all answered his call and then they
will
go forth out into the open fields to the pasture.
Jesus did not
give an explanation of what the calling
out of the sheep meant.
He left it to us to examine and see
what lessons we are able to derived from it. As we search
for an explanation, we are, of course, most interested in
seeing how this part of the parable will apply to us and
to
the people of our day.
However, if we are going to see how
it properly applies to us and to our day, we will first
have
to see how it was meant to apply to the people to which
it
was spoken and to others of that day.
Therefore, let
us first seek to see how the calling out
of the sheep applied to the people of that time. We can
very easily see how that the calling out of the sheep by
the
shepherd pictures the change-over from the Old Testament
times to the New Testament times. The darkness of the night
followed by the brightness of the new day very well
pictures
the darkness of the Old Testament system of worship under
the Law of Moses being replaced by the brightness of the
New
Testament system of worship under grace. In other words,
the night time in the parable pictured the Old Testament
law
system of worship.
The brightness of the day pictured the
New Testament church system of worship, which is a better
system of worship.
The writer of the Book of Hebrews in
Hebrews 8:6 speaks of the New Testament as being a
"better
covenant" (or better testament) than the old. The Old
Testament system of worship placed stress upon the
strictness and the severity of the law of God. The New
Testament places emphasis upon the wonders of the grace
of
God through Jesus Christ.
So first of
all let us see in our minds the shepherd as
he comes to the door of the sheepfold and knocks at the
door
so that He may enter and call out his flock from among
all
the others in the fold.
The darkness of the night is passed
and there is the dawning of a new day. Even so it was for
Israel at this very period of time. The darkness of the Old
Testament era was closing out and the dawning of New
Testament times was at hand. Jesus Christ, the very Son of
God, had arrived on the scene. He had come to the nation of
Israel to call out His sheep that they might follow Him.
In every
generation the nation of Israel had always had
a remnant of people who were true followers of the Lord.
There was such a remnant at the first coming of Jesus to
the
world. Jesus had
been well identified as the Christ by John
the Baptist and also by the miracles which He had
performed.
He was at that very time inside the sheepfold seeking to
call out His sheep.
He had already
called out some of those who had been
saved under the preaching of John the Baptist and had
been
baptized by John.
Along the shores of the Sea of Galilee He
had called out His first disciples. He called Peter and
Andrew, James and John.
He had said unto them, "Follow me
and I will make you fishers of men."
In the calling
out of these men there was the beginning
of a completely new system of worship. The darkness of the
Old Testament system was fastly fading away and there was
the dawning of a completely new and better system of
worship. When
Jesus had called out those four men He had a
New Testament church.
It was, indeed a small church, but it
was a church. He
had Peter and Andrew, James and John who
had answered His call and who formed a small church. These
were men who had been saved under the preaching of John
and
they had Scriptural baptism. They had answered the call of
Jesus to come and follow Him, carrying out the work which
He would assign them to do.
It was a very
small beginning, but it was just the
dawning of a new day.
But Jesus kept calling. He called
for Matthew to leave his tax office and to come and
follow
Him. He then
called out seven other men to leave their old
walk of life and to follow Him. Soon there were a total of
twelve men who had answered His call and joined Him in
His
new system of worship.
They joined Him in the membership of
a New Testament church.
Perhaps you
are aware that a good definition of a New
Testament church is:
"A called out body of Scripturally
baptized believers who are covenanted together to carry
out
the work of the Lord under His command."
Jesus just
kept calling. He went throughout the
cities
and villages of Galilee and Judea and called out many
others. Even
while John the Baptist was still active, He
was making and baptizing more disciples than John.
Yes sir! A new
day had dawned in Israel. Jesus had
called out a group of people and the New Testament church
system of worship was established.
III. The shepherd
carrying his sheep out of the sheepfold
But in the parable
there came the time when the shepherd
and his sheep went out of the sheepfold. V. 4, "And when he
putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and
the
sheep follow him for they know his voice." I would not go
so far as to say that this was a type, but it was a very
good picture of Jesus carrying His newly formed church
out
of the Old Testament system of worship and into the
world.
For a brief period of time the shepherd and his sheep
stayed
within the sheepfold.
But there quickly came the time when
he carried them out into the open fields and pastures.
Even so, for a
brief period of time, Jesus and His
disciples continued to meet every sabbath day in the
Jewish
synagogues for worship.
They were still worshiping both
under the Old Testament system and they were worshipping
under the New Testament system. But the time would shortly
come when Jesus would no longer be welcome in the Jewish
synagogues and they stopped going to the synagogues. It was
while Jesus and His disciples were still at Capernaum in
Galilee that they stopped going to the synagogue. The Lord
and His sheep were out into the world and the New
Testament
church system of world was well established. Then after the
crucifixion and resurrection the separation between the
old
and the new systems became more distinct. The Christians
even started worshipping on the first day of the week
instead of the seventh day sabbath.
Before His
departure from the earth, Jesus called His
church together and gave to them their marching orders.
There marching orders are recorded in Matthew
28:19-20. We
call those orders "The Great Commission." He said, "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the
end of the world. Amen."
In other
words, even though Jesus is not bodily and
physically with His people today, yet He is still with
each
New Testament church leading them forth into the world to
carry out His Great Commission. And through the work of New
Testament churches the Lord is still calling men, women,
boys and girls to answer His calls.
He is still
calling the lost to salvation. He is
still
calling the lost to come to Him and place their faith in
Him
and be saved. He
is also still calling those who are saved
to follow Him in baptism.
He calls them to be baptized at
the hands of a New Testament church. He is still calling
men to preach the blessed word of God and to become
fishers
of men. He is
still calling for churches to teach and train
those who are saved in the teachings of the word of
God. He
is till calling upon all who are saved to service and to
obedience to all Him in all things.
Conclusion:
Even in this
invitation He is calling. He is calling
the unsaved to come to Him and trust in Him for
salvation.
He is calling for someone who is saved to come forward
for
baptism and for church membership. He is calling for
someone to move his membership to this church. He is
calling to every saved person to follow Him and be
obedient
to His will. He is
calling for sheep who have gone astray
to return to Him and follow Him.
It is in
keeping with the assignment that the Lord has
given to this church and in keeping with my calling as a
preacher of God that I now call upon you who are saved
and
who are in need of Scriptural baptism to come and present
yourself to this church for Scriptural baptism.
It is in
keeping with the assignment that the Lord has
given to this church and in keeping with my calling as a
preacher that I call upon you who are saved and in need
of a
church home to come and present yourself to this church
as a
candidate for membership here in this church.