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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.