Prepared for Orange County Christian Evangelical Church
Sunday Worship Service
Greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through whom, true love is on full display. Love that knows no bounds. The love that laid down his life that we would have life and life abundantly.
Greetings to man of God, Pastor Roland, whom has given his life to the service of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. May the Lord grant him more wisdom, love and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Greetings to man of God, Pastor Barnabas, who has come in to serve the next generation with love, passion and the word of God. May the Lord grant him with huge heart for the youth that they would fall deeply in love with our Savior Jesus Christ.
Greetings to all of you who have joined together to worship the Lord our God. I greet you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. May the love of the Father as displayed in the Son be an encouragement and nourishment to your spirit.
My name is brother Don Chang. I’m an interim pastor for churches without a pastor and I also preach internationally through streaming video & audio in places such as Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Africa.
Today, the message from God is from the book of John Chapter 10, Verses 1 through 18. May the Lord bless you today with His words.
Please turn with me to John Chapter 10 and I will read the passage for you.
ESV John 10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
At this time, let us come together earnestly in prayer asking for the illumination of the Holy Spirit as we listen and the authority and anointing of the Holy Spirit as I convey the Word.
Dear Heavenly Father, The hosts of heaven declare of your holiness. All of heaven and earth are full of Your glory. There is none who compare to you, your wrath and your grace. All things are in existence now, because you willed it to be so. As we listen to Your words this morning, we ask for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Help us to hear and with clarity understand. We also ask for the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon this vessel of your word. I submit to you, may your love control me.
In the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray AMEN.
The opening of our passage begins with the words in verse 1 says “truly, truly.”
Knowing who is saying truly, truly makes a paramount difference. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the word was God.” The Apostle John then connects the Word and says in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” Jesus Christ, the son of God, is the word become flesh. Therefore, we can read John 1:1 in this way, “In the beginning was Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ was with God and Jesus Christ was God.”
The one saying truly, truly is God. He was from the beginning and was with the Father. Listen closely, as word become flesh is about to proclaim the truth.
John 10:1, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way; that man is a thief and a robber.”
Jesus preaching to the crowd and warning them about those who teach salvation and eternal life, but denies the Messiah who was promised by the Father. He is warning of the Pharisees and Scribes that took the people of Israel and the knowledge of God and perverted it for their own selfish desires.
It’s self-evident as through the gospels we see not curiosity or a seeking attitude toward Jesus Christ, but rather plans and schemes to overthrow him. They did this, not to protect the religion of Judaism, but actually to be like a god in Jerusalem, receiving praise and honor from the people. They did this by following the LAW of Moses, while denying it’s God. They did this by way of tradition, without loving God.
Psalms 49:13-14, “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beast that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence. Yet after them people approve their boasts. Selah. Like sheep they are appoints for Sheol; death shall be their shepherds”
Here are four examples of where Jesus calls out the thieves and robbers that have entered into the sheepfold.
Matthew 6:2, “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”
Matthew 6:5, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.”
Matthew 6:16, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.”
Matthew 15:7, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men.”
The one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief, a robber, a hypocrite.
The Pharisees and Scribes taught the doctrine of salvation by works. They did many works. They gave to the needy. They stood and prayed. They fasted. They honored God with their lips. The problem was that their heart was void of the love of God. They did everything out of habit and tradition.
The purpose of the LAW isn’t to show us that we can live a perfect life.
The purpose of the LAW isn’t to give us life.
The purpose of the LAW is for the exposure of our sins and wickedness.
The purpose of the LAW is to show us, every one of us, that we deserve the wrath of God.
To teach only the LAW and reject the Messiah as promised by God, they are now sheep appointed for Sheol, death shall be their shepherd.
Let us continue, in verse 2 “But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”
There are two observations we can make about entering by the door.
First is, if you come in by the front door, chances are you are not a thief.
Just this past week, a thief came into our home. When I watched the video, he came into our gate and walked right to the rear of the house. He checked to see if any doors were open. When he found that all the doors on the first floor was locked, he went up to the backdoor of the 2nd floor. Upon entering, we continually made-way deeper into the house.
Hypocrites, Thieves and Robbers don’t come in the front door, they sneak in and try to enter from the back where they aren’t seen.
When Jesus came to the people of Israel to proclaim the Kingdom of God, He didn’t try to become an elder and change the direction of the church through politics.
When Jesus came to the people of Israel, He didn’t try to steal the members away by holding secret meetings.
When Jesus came to the people of Israel, What did he do?
He went into the temple and synagogues and proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom.
He went into the temple and synagogues and healed the sick, healed the lame and demon possessed.
In Luke 2:46, at the age of 12, Jesus was sitting among the teachers in the synagogue, listening to them and asking questions.
In Matthew 12:9, Jesus went into the synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand.
In Matthew 13:54, Jesus taught in the synagogue and the crowds were astonished at his teachings.
In Matthew 21:14, “Jesus healed the blind and lame as they entered into the temple.
These are just a few examples of how Jesus conducted ministry as he entered through the door.
Jesus Christ came and entered by the door.
Jesus Christ didn’t enter through the window.
Jesus Christ didn’t enter through the back door.
Jesus Christ didn’t enter through the attic.
Jesus Christ came and entered by the door.
The second meaning of the door, is that the door is Jesus Christ himself. Jesus Christ himself is the door. Anyone who tried to enter by bypassing Jesus Christ is a thief and a robber. Anyone who claims to know God, yet rejects Jesus Christ doesn’t know God. This point will be explained further later on in the passage.
Further in Verse 2 Jesus says, “But he who enters by the door, is the SHEPHERD of the sheep.”
For those of us in the 21st Century, understanding the dynamics of a Shepherd and Sheep may be farfetched, especially when many of us only have only seen them at the zoo or pumpkin patch, but if you were to look through the lens of those in the Old Testament, you would realize that it was very common for them and was a significant part of their culture. These are words that Israel, especially the Pharisees and Scribes would understand.
In the Old Testament, Jacob, known as Israel said in Genesis 48:15, “’God has been my shepherd all my life long to this day.” God, as His Shepherd, provided his needs, cared for him and protected him against the wolf.
Jacobs trust in the Shepherd was so great that when he was under attack by archers, his bow remained unmoved. He stayed still. His arms were made agile by the Mighty One of Jacob (The Shepherd).” This is from Genesis 29:24.
God is not only the Shepherd of Jacob, but he is also our Shepherd. He is the Shepherd of the people of God. God’s chosen people.
The next verse in Verse 3 Jesus says, “To him the gatekeeper opens.”
Gatekeepers were established by King David. They were chosen based upon their lineage and connection to Abraham. At one point, there were 4000 gatekeepers. Their purpose was to guard the entrances from the Wall of Jerusalem all the up to the corridors of the King. If someone came to the door who didn’t belong, the gatekeepers would reject them and turn them away. If they were supposed to enter into, the door was open to them.
There are gatekeepers still and now. There are those listening to my sermon asking the question, is this man really from God? I believe that even here, at OCCEC, if I were to teach something that is not according to scripture, there would be someone who would protect this community and turn me away. This is a good thing. This is a God thing.
Continuing forth;
Jesus Christ came through the front door and God, being the true Gate Keeper, allowed for him to have access to the sheepfold. It was by the provision of Father that Jesus Christ, the son of God, even at the age of 12, enters into the Synagogues and Temple to being teaching.
After the Shepherd enters by the door and given access by the Gatekeeper, it bible says
Continuing in Verse 3 Jesus says, “The sheep hear His voice.”
The phrase, “Hear his voice” isn’t talking about just anyone’s voice, but God’s voice. This phrase comes out 8 times in the bible and every time, it’s about the voice of God. The sheep hear His voice. Those who are elect and names written down in the book of life, the people of God, they can recognize the voice of God. They can recognize the voice of the Shepherd.
When the sheep hear his voice, what do they hear?
“The sheep hear His voice, and he calls his own sheep by name.”
God isn’t just speaking to the churches in general.
God isn’t just speaking to you all.
God knows each of you by name.
God calls you by name.
God knowing our names is a bigger deal that we think. It’s more significant than we think. There is an implication when God knows us by name.
Exodus 33:12, “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.”
Exodus 33:17, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘This very thing you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
Isaiah 42:1-2, “O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
For God to call you by name means that you have been favored by God.
For God to call you by name means that you have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
For God to call you by name means that you belong to God.
For God to call you by name means you have been shown mercy and grace indescribable.
God doesn’t know everyone by name
In Matthew 7:23 we see this cold hard reality, “And then I will declare to the, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
There will be those on the day of Judgment, the day of the Lord, whose name God does not know.
To them, he will say, I never knew you.
To them, he will say, depart from me.
To them, he will say, you workers of lawlessness.
For those under the law will die under the law.
Now, as the Shepherd has entered into the gates and called u
s by name, he leaves us not where we are. He doesn’t leave us under the law, in a state of sin and death. He doesn’t leave us in despair and wrath. He comes into our broken world, our broken homes and our broken lives and leads us to somewhere better.
As we progress in our passage, Jesus says in verse 4 “and he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them.”
Numbers 27:16-17, “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as a sheep that have no shepherd.”
At this time of Jesus Speaking, the congregation had no shepherd. He only had thieves and robbers. Jesus Christ came to ISRAEL to be the True Shepherd that would lead the people to the promised land.
Jesus Christ came to save us from sin and death.
Jesus Christ came to lead us to green pastures.
Jesus Christ came to give us shelter.
Jesus Christ did this by leading the way.
Jesus Christ did this by carrying the cross to Calvary.
Jesus Christ did this by laying down his life on the cross for our sins.
Jesus Christ did this by raising himself up on the 3rd day.
As Jesus Christ leads us, so the chosen, the elect, those whose names are written down in the book of life, the sheep will hear his voice and follow him wherever He goes.
Lastly in Verse 4, Jesus says “And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
It’s simple here.
It isn’t complex.
Faith isn’t something that we do.
Faith is something that has been prepared for us.
Faith is a gift from God.
It’s a gift given to His people.
They are those who will know his voice when the gospel is preached.
When we hear the voice of God, we will follow him.
Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
Matthew 8:22, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
Matthew 9:9, And Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.”
And he rose and followed him.
It wasn’t the hypocrites.
It wasn’t the Pharisees.
It wasn’t the Scribes.
It was the fishermen.
It was the tax collectors.
It was the sinners that God called and among them were the sheep who heard the voice of God.
Jesus said in Luke 5:32, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
1 Corinthians 1:27, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”
Some of you in here are thinking,
God can’t love me, because I’m too ordinary.
God can’t love me, because I’m too sinful.
God can’t love me, because I’m not righteous enough.
God can’t love me, because I’m not wise enough.
Dear brother, Dear sister
Jesus didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
In which, we all are sinners before the Holy God.
In verse 5 Jesus says, “A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
I believe that what God is saying here is that those who are truly God’s people will be able to recognize when the message being preach isn’t from God, but it is just human wisdom. When this happens, we will flee from them, because we don’t hear God’s voice in them.
All this time Jesus was talking about the Pharisees and Scribes.
In verse 6, it says, “This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
Jesus the Messiah, was talking about them.
The ones who claimed to be righteous.
The ones who claimed to be wife.
The ones who were actually hypocrites and shepherds of death.
Now, in verses 7 and 8, “So Jesus again said to them, Truly, Truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”
Jesus Christ, the messiah, is revealing something to us that we must understand. As I mentioned in the beginning of the sermon of the two observations we made about Jesus’ teachings on entering through the door. Now, Jesus reveals to us that He Himself is the Door.
He isn’t just the one who will open to door.
He isn’t just the one who will lead us in and out the door.
Jesus Christ, He Himself, is the door.
We cannot enter into heaven unless it is by Jesus Christ.
We cannot have eternal life unless it is by Jesus Christ.
We cannot have our sins forgive unless it is by Jesus Christ.
When the gospel isn’t preached, the people of God will know.
When salvation by works is preached, the people of God will know.
The people of God will not listen to them.
Jesus says once again, listen closely.
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we will be saved and we will go in and out and find the green pasture. We will be brought to a place of spiritual nourishment. We will be brought to the New Heavens and New Earth upon the physical return of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 23:1, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me life down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his names’ sake.”
Jesus makes an explicit comparison between the Good Shepherd and the shepherd of death in the next verse.
Verse 10 Jesus says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
If we follow the LAW and Human Wisdom, it will destroy us.
If we follow Jesus Christ and the grace and mercy which flows from him, we will have life and life abundantly.
“I am the good shepherd.”
How do we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd?
In order to understand, first we must know the difference between a Good Shepherd and a hired hand.
“He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
The Pharisees and Scribes didn’t won the people of God. They couldn’t claim ownership of them, but they were paid to do the work. They saw it more as a career and job, rather than stewarding the possession of God. When they see trouble, they run away. When they see the wolf, they run for their own lives. They don’t care, they are just there for the benefits.
This is why the Prophet Jeremiah said these words.
In Jeremiah 10:19, “For the shepherds are stupid and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.”
These hired hands left the sheep for dead and they were scattered.
Now, Jesus says again.
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”
Jesus Christ takes care of us, the sheepfold, the body, not because he has been paid to do so, but because we are His own. We belong to Him.
We have been ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
We are no longer our own, for we were bought with a price.
The Good Shepherd loves us, because WE ARE HIS OWN.
The Good Shepherd protects us, because WE ARE HIS OWN.
The Good Shepherd fights against the wolf, because WE ARE HIS OWN.
We no longer belong to ourselves, we belong to God.
1 Corinthians 6:20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.”
1 Peter 1:18-19, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.”
We belong to Christ, not because of our own will.
We belong to Christ, not because of our own ability.
We belong to Christ, because He knew us by name.
We belong to Christ, because He had favor upon us.
This intimate relationship that we have with Christ isn’t a less form of love than the love of the Father and the Son. Just as the Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father, so does God loves us. So does the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love us and knows us.
God knows us, but in our relationship with Him, we have an eternity to know more intimately our God.
Up until now, Jesus was speaking specifically about the people of Israel from the bloodline of Abraham, but in the next verse is a glimpse of people of all nations being adopted as sons and daughters of God.
“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
Praise God.
Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s then you are Abrahams offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
We will not be ending with the last two verses, but very powerful verses which reveal about the authority of our Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
“For this reason, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. NO ONE TAKES IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MY OWN ACCORD. I HAVE AUTHORITY TO LAY IT DOWN AND I HAVE AUTHORITY TO TAKE IT UP AGAIN. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Let us remember Calvary. After enduring gruesome whippings, mockery and the crown of thorns; The place where Jesus Christ carried his own cross and placed it at the feet of the soldiers. The soldiers nailed Jesus Christ, the carpenter, upon the wooden cross, raised him up with a sign above his head which wrote, “King of the JEWS”
At this very moment, if we were there, we may think, I can’t believe this is happening to Jesus.
I can’t believe He is on the cross.
The teachers of the law, Pharisees and Scribes, feeling prides in their authority.
The crowd, shouting profanity at Jesus Christ.
The soldiers, casting lots for his clothing.
The sing above him mocking him.
The disciples in fear and hiding.
The women in tears.
It looks hopeless.
It looks like Jesus lost.
It looks like Satan won.
LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF JESUS.
“NO ONE TAKE IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MY OWN ACCORD. I HAVE AUTHORITY TO LAY IT DOWN, AND I HAVE AUTHORITY TO TAKE IT UP AGAIN. THIS CHARGE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MY FATHER.”
JESUS CHRIST HAS THE AUTHORITY TO LAY HIS OWN LIFE DOWN.
JESUS CHRIST HAS THE AUTHORITY TO RAISE HIMSELF BACK TO LIFE.
THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN BY THE FATHER.
THE WHIPPING DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
THE MOCKERY DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
THE CROWN OF THRONES DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
THE BLOODSHED DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
THE NAILS IN HIS HANDS DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
THE SWORD TO THE SIDE DIDN’T LAY CHRIST LIFE DOWN.
JESUS SAID, “NO ONE TAKE IF FROM ME!!”
The Good Shepherd endured the wrath of God, placed all blame upon himself on the wooden cross and laid his OWN life down. He laid his own life down to satisfy the Fathers wrath. He laid his own life down that we wouldn’t have to lay our own lives down.
Remember, the moment where Jesus Christ LAID HIS OWN LIFE DOWN BY HIS OWN ACCORD…
When Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We have learned about your glory upon the throne, how excellent and amazing it is. Yet, son of God, left the throne and came down to endure mockery, physical abuse and death. By our logic, it seems that it was taken by man, but today you have revealed that it was laid down by the Son of God himself. May we rejoice in the truth that you GOD are our Good Shepherd. May we rejoice in the truth that Jesus our Messiah was always in control. May we rejoice in the truth that even when life looks hopeless and dark, you are with us. We rest in the words of Jesus Christ, “It is finished.” We bless you, We honor you and We love you Heavenly Father.
In the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN.
Now, may the Love of God, our Shepherd, call you by name, guide you to green pastures, bring you in to shelter, deliver you from the evil one and bring you rest that is only in Christ Jesus our Lord.