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Proverbs 21:11-20
11 When the scoffer is punished, the simple is
made wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the
wicked for their wickedness.
13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.
14 A gift in secret pacifies anger, And a bribe
behind the back, strong wrath.
15 It
is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
16 A man who wanders from the way of
understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the unfaithful for the
upright.
19 Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with
a contentious and angry woman.
20 There
is desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a
foolish man squanders it.
Father God, your Son is the true Shepherd and gives peace
to all that rest in your sheepfold. Without Him we are lost in a dark world.
Thank you Jesus for laying down you life for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Gospel of John 10:1-12 NKJV
We start out this chapter with Jesus
talking in a parable. He explains what to be watchful of so that we aren’t
taken in by false preachers and false doctrine. He tells us we need to be
watchful at all times and discern the truth from the false. This has been going
on for centuries and will continue to go on until Jesus comes again and
occupies the throne, so beware!
1 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the
sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a
robber.
Most assuredly, I say to you,
he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door; What is a sheepfold? A sheepfold was
something to contain the sheep in during the night. It could have been a cave
or some type of containment pen with a solid fence and only one entry way. The
shepherd’s would sleep at the entry way guarding the flock from robbers and
wild animals. There was only one way in to the sheepfold and the same holds
true for Heaven. Jesus is our shepherd and only through Him can one enter.
But climbs up some other way; A thief doesn’t go in through the gate to steal because the
shepherds are standing watch so they find another way in, over the top of the
fence or dig under the fence to gain access to the sheep.
The Pharisees professed to
be the guides or shepherds of the people. Jesus, in the close of the last
chapter, had charged them with being blind, and of course of being unqualified
to lead the people. He proceeds here to state the character of a true shepherd,
to show what a hireling was, and to declare that he was the true shepherd and
guide of His people. This is the same today for so many churches. Many pastor/priests
preach a different gospel stating there are many ways to gain entrance to
Heaven (name it and claim it, prosperity messages, working your way to Heaven,
etc.). They are led by mans reasoning’s and thoughts and not the Holy Spirit. Many
claim there are many roads that lead to God, which is false, there is only one
and that is through Jesus Christ by realizing one is a sinner and must repent
of their lifestyle (meaning they don’t want to live like that anymore), ask
Jesus to forgive them of living a life of sin, and asking Jesus to rule and
reign their life from that point forward. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me.
The same is a thief and a
robber; A thief doesn’t enter a house or business by knocking on
the door to steal and rob, they break in through a door or window normally.
They are not welcome therefore they find another way to enter.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Simply
put, Jesus is the truth shepherd of believers, there is no other. There are
many who claim to shepherd believers, but wear the clothing of wolves and lead
people away from God and not to God.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice;
and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
To him the doorkeeper opens; We don’t really know who the doorkeeper
is here, but it references the Law. The door was opened immediately to Jesus
because He kept it perfectly. The doorkeeper here probably, in fact was the Law
that no other human can keep, it was wide open for Jesus.
And the sheep hear his voice;
and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out;
I
can relate to this phrase because I own some horses and cows. My animals know
me, trust me, and I can walk up to each of them and pet and groom them. They
stand, enjoy the attention, feel safe and comfortable around me, but let a
stranger or grandchildren come into the pasture or feeding lot they are
standoffish. I call them by name and they look at me because they know my
voice.
This
verse is referring to the relationship a true believer has with Jesus. A true
believer (Born Again) is led by the Holy Spirit, by what is stated in the Bible,
by discerning the truth from statements based on the Word of God. He disregards
man made doctrine and uses the Bible as a Spiritual Survival Guide. By living a
life this way the true believer knows the Shepherds voice and is led by His
voice. A personal relationship is formed the instant a person accepts Jesus as
their Shepherd and they find peace and rest in the Shepherd.
Psalms 23:1-6 A
Psalm of David. The LORD is
my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me
to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths
of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup
runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All
the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them;
and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
As
a herdsman my animals will go through a gate that I hold open for them that is
just wide enough for them to go through with no anxiety, but let a stranger
hold open the gate and they will not pass through.
So
it is with a child of God, Jesus is the owner and shepherd of the Born Again
child’s life, we trust in Him because we know He has a plan for us and when He
opens the gate we follow in comfort knowing He is at our side in all things. The
true heart will know His Voice, and the false heart will follow others.
5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee
from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
This
is literally true of a flock/herd. Let a stranger go out to bring in the
animals and they flee to the far end of the pasture not wanting anything to do
with this stranger. They act like the person is a wolf or lion. They are accustomed
to the voice and presence of the owner, and would not regard the calling of a
stranger. This is also true spiritually. What Jesus is saying here is that true
children of God will not heed or follow false teachers, pastors, or religions
because they know the Word of God and can discern the true from false; they
believe what the Bible says. The Pharisee were proud, haughty, and
self-seeking, as many religions of today are. They favored the tangible things
for salvation like works, rites, rituals, holy feast, their laws, etc. for
salvation, not faith in God.
Matthew 7:14-15 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and
there are few who find it. 15 "Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will
enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father
in heaven will enter.
6 Jesus
used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke
to them.
Those
that are not followers of Jesus have a hard time understanding what Jesus says
because they are not saved, even though they claim to believe. Their belief is
with their mind and not with their heart. Even the Apostles had to have Jesus
explain some of the parables because they hadn’t yet received the filling of
the Holy Spirit because Jesus was still with them physically. The true meaning
of the parables often times has a harsh message, a message of the second death,
meaning Hell, but people don’t understand this and all they hear is that Jesus
is love and will forgive them when they stand before Him, which will be too
late.
7 Then
Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say
to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Here
Jesus goes on to explain what He is saying a little differently in these
following verses. In the sheepfold, the shepherd functioned as a gate, letting
the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for us.
He offers access to safety and security. Christ is our protector. Some people
hate that Jesus is the gate, the only way of access to God, but Jesus is God's
Son, why should we seek any other way or want to customize a different approach
to God? Jesus died on the Cross for us, but some don’t think that was enough so
they seek out a co-redeemer. What a slap in the face this is to Jesus!
8 All who ever
came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
This
pertains to any and all before Christ, or after, who claimed to have the way of
Salvation, without Jesus Christ! This does not pertain to the early prophets of
the OT, but to the Pharisees, Scribes, and current day religions that claim
they have it all figured out on how to get to Heaven without Faith in Jesus and
His death, resurrection, and ascension. Beware of religions that don’t promote
reading the Bible; that say our leadership is the only people that can
interpret the Word of God; insist on their publications for teaching and not
using the Word of God for teaching and understanding; etc. This mentality is
the same as the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus and the Apostles times and will
lead one to Spiritual Eternal Death and not Life. This is why one needs to read
and know what the Bible says so they can run from the thieves and robbers; they
are predators, just as a wolf and lion is a predator of other animals. True
sheep know the true owner/leader!
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and
will go in and out and find pasture.
I am the door; Jesus is the door to salvation; to the
true church; to the Father; to Heaven. Some religions claim their church is the
door to Christ and by becoming a member they will have access to Heaven which
is a false claim.
If anyone enters by Me, he
will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture; Simply put here by Jesus is that He, and
only He, is the way to His Heavenly Fathers Kingdom. By entering the sheepfold,
it is meant that one shall be well supplied, defended, and led beside the still
waters of salvation.
10 The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it
more abundantly.
The thief does not come except
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; A thief has no other propose in coming but to pillage. So
false teachers have no other end in view but to enrich or increase themselves.
I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it
more abundantly; In
contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life He gives is
abundantly rich and full. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately. Life in
Christ is lived on a higher plane because of His overflowing forgiveness, love,
and guidance.
To
have abundance, or that which abounds, denotes that which is not absolutely
essential to physical life, but to make life happy. A person will not merely
have the simple necessities of life, but they shall have all things which make
life eminently blessed and happy. Have you taken Christ's offer of life?
11 "I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
Jesus
is the Good Shepherd, faithful, true, and willing to do all that is necessary
to defend and save the flock. He was willing and did die for us that we could
have the NT and receive salvation through faith in what He did for us instead
of trying to keep all the laws. A shepherd that loves His flock will give His
own life to defend it. He will not flee when the ravenous wolves come to devour
the flock which is what the Pharisees, Scribes, and religions do.
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who
does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees;
and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
A
hired hand tends the sheep for money, while the shepherd does it out of love.
The shepherd owns the sheep and is committed to them. Jesus is not merely doing
a job; he is committed to love us and even lay down His life for us. False
teachers, prophets, and religions do not have this commitment.
Colossians
1:16
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans
3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans
6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most
assuredly, I say to you,
unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you
believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a
sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am
sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful
lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John
3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8;
10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10;
1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal.
5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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