Beyond Sunday
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the Podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week, with your Hosts Pastors' Lee and Jim.
It's Time to Inspire, Uplift, and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now!
Beyond Sunday
The Good Shepard
The rich imagery of the Good Shepherd unfolds in our latest episode, where we dive into John 10, exploring what it truly means to know the voice that leads us. In a world saturated with distractions and conflicting messages, how can we ensure we're following the right path? Join us as we unpack the profound truths embedded in Scripture, drawing upon the metaphor of the Good Shepherd who knows and calls each of us by name.
Listeners will be compelled to reflect on their personal faith journeys as we discuss the intimate relationship between Jesus and His followers. Through exploring themes of discernment, spiritual leadership, and the essence of salvation, we challenge you to evaluate the voices you heed. Emphasizing the critical need for recognizing false teachings, we highlight the certainty that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—the only door leading to abundant living both now and in eternity.
Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Scripture and nurture your relationship with the Good Shepherd. You’ll find insights that inspire action and encourage deeper engagement with God’s Word. Ready to discover the voice that truly guides you?
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes you deeper into the Word of God throughout your week With your hosts, pastors Lee and Jim. It's time to inspire, uplift and dig deeper. Beyond Sunday starts now. Welcome back to Beyond Sunday, everybody. I am Pastor Jim, here today, with Pastor Lee, as always, and we are going to be getting into John 10, 1 through 19, and this passage is going to be speaking about who Jesus is, who we are and what it means to truly follow Him. We're going to be taking it one verse at a time. Unpack what it says, and it's not only about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but it's also about our lives as His sheep. I'm excited to unpack this one and I'm just ready to jump right in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, here we go, guys, turn your Bibles to John, chapter 10, verses 1 through 6, and this is what the Word of God says 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. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has bought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So here we go, friends. Let's begin to break this down a little bit and see how we can apply the word of God into our lives.
Speaker 2:Jesus, right off the bat, in the first verse, mentions a sheepfold. A sheepfold was a pen or an enclosure for sheep. It was a place of safety for the flock. And in this passage Jesus is teaching a lot of great stuff and we're going to get through, hopefully quite a bit of it today in this episode. But he starts off by giving us a warning in the very first verse, and this warning is that there are thieves and there are robbers that will try and enter into the sheepfold by a different way than that of the gate. So they're going to climb the wall Oftentimes it would have been made out of large rocks. But these robbers and these thieves, they're going to come in with the purpose of dishonesty, dishonest gain, deception and destruction. So he's letting us know, jesus is letting us know, through this teaching to be on guard. And just a handful of verses later, in John 10, 10, jesus says that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So he starts right off by giving us a warning, you know, and what he's really doing is he's drawing a line between legitimate leadership and false leadership. Yeah, all right. And it's this powerful image too, because he teaches in a way that is in parable and in story, and a lot of times you know if the veil has not been lifted, he's not. You're not going to be able to understand what he's even talking about, and we're going to find out later on, as we get into the scripture that they're going to ask. We don't even know what that means, you know, and so I love how he's going to break that down for us in the future passage.
Speaker 1:You know, we see this echoed in other parts of the Bible too, like in Matthew 7, 15 and 16,. Jesus warns us against false prophets, where he says beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Jesus isn't talking about physical thieves here. He's talking about the false teachers and the false messiahs who would try to come in and lead God's people astray. And so the lesson here is clear we need to be discerning. Just because someone says that they have answers, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're leading us in the right way. And verse 2 and 3 says "but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him" the gatekeeper opens, the sheep, hears his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Speaker 1:Now here's contrast. The true shepherd enters through the door and when he does, the sheep recognize his voice. And that's good news, because this is just a. It's a really tender moment between God's followers and Jesus. You know, he's not this distant figure, he knows his sheep personally. He calls them by name. It's not just this general call, it is an actual personal invitation to follow him. And if you notice about the part where the gatekeeper is opening the door, that's key. John 14, 6 says Jesus says I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. The gatekeeper is essentially letting the shepherd in because he's the one who has authority. Jesus is making it clear that he is the only way into the fold and that is not by some random invitation. He calls each of his sheep by name. So think about that. God knows us personally and when he calls us he's calling us individually, not in this crowd, not a faceless group. It's a very personal relationship he's calling us to yeah.
Speaker 2:I love this part of the text because Jesus is focusing heavily on the topic that you just mentioned, and that is the sheep knowing the voice of the shepherd. One thing I'd like to point out is sheep do not respond to the voice of a stranger. They have learned to recognize the voice of their own personal shepherd. They've learned to recognize the one that they've been spending time with all their lives. They've learned the one who provides for them. They've learned the voice and the call of the one who calls them and keeps them safe. They've learned to trust their shepherd because of past experiences out in the field and also in the sheepfold with their shepherd, and they see that the shepherd truly does have their best interest for them at heart. So we need to look at what Jesus is teaching here and apply it to our personal lives, pastor Jim, even today, that the more time we spend with God, the more we recognize the voice of God, the more time we spend in the Word of God. And I tell people they say well, how do I hear God speak to me? And my response is in love. If you want to hear the voice of God, then get into the Word of God. You know the Word of God is the father ministering to us and speaking to us. Yes, we can hear God in many different ways. An audible voice through a word, through a prophet, a prophecy of some sort. You know, someone comes up to us and shares a word of God that God has placed on us. We hear the Lord speak and move through his Holy Spirit in intimate moments of prayer. But, man, if you want to truly hear the voice of God, don't get so far in trying to expect to hear something audibly that you miss the word of God that's literally trying to leap off the pages at us. You know so right off the bat. If you want to hear the word of the Lord speak to your heart, then dive deep into the word of God. And I'm not talking about just quickly opening the Bible and reading a few verses and closing the book. I'm talking about opening the Word of God, spending time reading the Word of God, studying the Word of God, hitting up some cross-references and going deeper than just face value.
Speaker 2:The reason we hear the voice of God, the reason we receive the Word of God when we read God's word, is because God's word is alive and active. It's not just dead, empty words on a page right. It's alive and active and as we read, his Holy Spirit is given the opportunity to minister to us and to teach us. So the sheep know the voice of the shepherd. And one more point I want to make before I turn it over to you, pastor Jim. One more point the sheep do not recognize the voice of a stranger. So to us that means when we know the truth, when we know the word of God, we can easily then point out what's false. If I can know the voice of the one who's leading me, then automatically I'll know the voice of deception when I hear it. So I'll be able to understand what a false narrative is and what's not from God, so that I'm not led astray.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this hit me when you were talking. I was thinking about getting lost in the word of God. That's the only place I want to get lost in because only then can I truly be found.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So verse four and five is really what you were talking about. It said when he has brought out all his own, he goes before them. So he's a leader, right, the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. This is really a picture of his leadership. Okay, the shepherd doesn't drive the sheep from behind, he's leading them, he's out in front of them and so he goes before them. And it's this intimate leadership, right, he knows where he's going and the sheep trust him enough to follow where he's leading them to. Right, they don't follow strangers because that's not the voice. They know his voice and they know that they can trust Him.
Speaker 1:And how do you do that? Exactly like what you said, pastor Lee. You get into the Word and you learn the voice of God by reading the words on the paper that he left us in the Scriptures. And it's such a powerful image of Jesus leading His people in this story because it challenges us to ask do we recognize, are we reading the Word enough to recognize the voice of the shepherd in our own lives, in a world filled with so many distractions, and we talk about distractions all the time, and I know that I fall victim of distractions all the time.
Speaker 1:We have so many voices calling out to us. Do we really truly hear God's voice? Do we know when Jesus is speaking to us or when somebody else is speaking to us? We need to be close enough to him, okay, and we need to be attuned to his voice so that we're able to follow him when he calls. And even when other voices try to lead us astray, we can understand that. That's not where we're supposed to be lined up with. That's not the call we're supposed to walk into. And I love the last part where it says the sheep are fleeing from strangers. In a world full of misinformation, confusion and even outright lies, we need to be grounded in God's truth, the Word of God, so that we can recognize when things are false and when to reject them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, come on, brother, that's good, that's good. We're going to press forward and get into John, chapter 10, verses seven through nine. And this is what this, this is what the text says. 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. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Speaker 2:And, pastor Jim, you've already referenced a little bit about Jesus calling himself the door in John 14, 6. Again, jesus says I'm the way and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So I'd like to point this piece out All roads do not lead to heaven, all roads do not lead to God, and we live in a world where there's a lot of that false truth being spun out. There you just live on your own, do what you, you be happy and just live a happy life and whatever makes you feel good, you know, but that's not what leads us into eternity with God. The door is Jesus Christ, the door to get into the sheepfold, the door to get into heaven, the door to enter into eternity. That door has a name. He is the door. His name is Jesus Christ. Okay, and he is the way, the truth and the life. And we are not entering into glory to spend eternity with our heavenly father unless we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
Speaker 1:And isn't it such a beautiful promise. I mean, jesus came so that we would have life, and not just any life, but he says abundant life, life to the fullest, and he's the only one who can offer us this kind of life. And the thief he comes to steal, kill and destroy. That's the enemy's goal for your life, for my life, is to rob us of peace, to rob us of joy, to rob us of purpose and ultimately rob us of eternal life.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But Jesus came and he gives the exact opposite. He says no, no, no, I have abundant life for you and in fact, this abundant life, it's both a present reality and a future hope. It's not just about life after death, but it's about life right now and then. Here and now, jesus wants us to experience his goodness, he wants us to experience his peace and he wants us to experience his joy, even in the midst of our trials and our difficulties. We don't have to wait Just because we got saved today, the hope now that we've reached, because if you're unsaved, you're looking for that hope that Jesus offers Once you get it. It's not like that hope goes away. Now we have a future hope of his return.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. Yeah, absolutely, you know. And I just want to put this little plug in there, because maybe people have been lied to or confused.
Speaker 2:Me receiving the joy of God is not about me being happy. You know what I'm saying. This is why we can go through really difficult times in our lives and still have the joy of the Lord. You know, this is why we can go through really difficult times in our lives and still have the joy of the Lord. You know, this is why we can go through something tragic, but the word of God says new joy comes in the morning, right, and so I just want to put that out there, because maybe there's some people that may be battling with depression.
Speaker 2:You're struggling with different types of anxiety, for whatever reason. Can I just encourage you that new joy is offered for you today. It doesn't mean that receiving new joy today from the hand of God it doesn't mean that your life is going to be perfect today. So don't wait for everything to get right, or your definition of being right or being good, in order to start walking in the joy of the Lord, because new joy comes every morning. And, matter of fact, if I could just say this for a moment, pastor Jim. Receiving new joy helps me focus and line up walking through life's problems and tribulations. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So new joy, new joy, new joy, and that new joy is provided by the good shepherd. Verses 11 and 12 says this I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is hired hand and not a shepherd, he who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. Now Jesus is making a very personal declaration here. He is the good shepherd and what makes him good is that he is willing to lay down his life for the sheep, and this is at the heart of every part of the gospel right. The good shepherd lays down his life for you. He lays down his life for me and unlike the hired hand who doesn't care about the sheep, jesus, as the true shepherd, is willing to sacrifice himself to protect us. What an incredible picture of love. What an incredible picture of commitment. Jesus doesn't just lead us, he gives up everything for us.
Speaker 2:That's right, pastor Jim. And moving on with the 14th verse in John 10, 10, 14, jesus says I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me, and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep, 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. 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 on 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. So Jesus laid his life down on the cross for us. He paid the ultimate price and this is the gospel message. This is the good news for all of mankind, that in John 3, 16, this is the plan of God, that for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That good news is offered to every person listening today to this podcast. And if you have not accepted the free gift of God, if you've not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you've got to truly consider and ask yourself today why not? He is the shepherd. He is the good shepherd that will keep you. He's the shepherd that will always love you. He's the shepherd that will always come after you to get you, to rescue you and to save you. He's the shepherd that's always going to provide for you and the shepherd that's always going to protect you. Amen. Jesus mentions that he has sheep that are not yet of this fold and the fold he's speaking of. When we take this text the way that it should be, when we take it in the right context and in the time in which it was written, that the fold that he's speaking of is Israel and the sheep not yet of this sheepfold, they're the Gentiles. That's the Gentile nation. That's us. So I'd like to say thank God, thank God that the good shepherd has included us into his flock. So he mentions the one flock is the church, and he's saying there's still more that have to come in here, and maybe you're listening to this podcast today and you're not yet saved. You're one that Jesus is referencing. Okay, you're one that Jesus is referencing. You are welcome to come into the sheepfold, you are welcome to be included into the family of God. And I'd like to make one last point today, in this episode, before we close out.
Speaker 2:In John, chapter 10, 9, jesus used the word saved, and you know that's a word, unfortunately, that you know we're not hearing a lot in churches today. We're not hearing a lot out of Christians' mouths today. This is serious business. Folks, saved, saved. We've got to start living life, if we're not already, with such intensity, such zeal, knowing that there are people out there who need to be saved. You're saved from what? Okay, an eternal damnation and punishment if they do not accept Jesus Christ to be the shepherd of their life and Lord and Savior of their soul.
Speaker 2:So we've got to start living like people need to be saved. You know, let that be an encouraging word to you today, but in love and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Savior, can it be a charge to every listener out there today to live boldly for the Lord, snatching people from the flames, as Jude, in the 23rd verse, says this there's only, it's just a short book, it's just one chapter, if you will. It's just a short book, but in Jude, verse 23, it says that we're to save others by snatching them out of the fire. Pastor, jim, snatching them out of the fire? So, man, this is a huge deal. This word saved. And Jesus says I've come as a shepherd so that people could be saved. And I just don't want to, you know, the listeners to turn this podcast off without hearing and taking into consideration that one word saved.
Speaker 1:That is exactly right the ministry of reconciliation which the Bible tells us that each and every single person who would operate under being saved and having Jesus as Lord over our life would have. So we can't just learn about what Jesus does for us, accept him as Lord and Savior over our life and then just walk out of church and never tell anybody else about it. That's right. So as we wrap up today, I want everybody to remember the depth at which Jesus Christ cares for you. He is the good shepherd, he is the door, he is the one who leads us into abundant life. He knows you by name and he calls you to follow him, not as a distant leader, and he doesn't push you from behind. He shows you from the front, but he does it in a way that is your personal Savior. More than that, he needs to be the Lord of your life. The world is full of voices and distractions, but the Good Shepherd's voice is the one that we need to hear and follow. Pastor Lee, you want to pray?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, it would be an honor. Father, we thank you for your Son, your only begotten Son, jesus Christ. He is our good shepherd and, lord Jesus, I pray that you would just continue to shepherd us, and not only do we ask today that you would shepherd us, but I pray that we would all have a heart and a desire to want to be shepherded from you, that you would lead us, guide us, direct us, and that we wouldn't go kicking and screaming, but we want to be within the will of our Father. So teach us Holy Spirit living inside of us. Teach us what that looks like. Teach us humility. Teach us to say yes when we need to say yes and no when we need to say no to temptation and outsiders. Teach us to recognize your voice. Teach us to recognize your voice in the name and the blood of Jesus Christ. All God's children said amen, amen.
Speaker 1:And I want to just leave you with this last question as you get ready to turn off the podcast. Are you listening to the voice of the shepherd? Are you following him in the midst of all of your life's noise? His invitation is open and his love is deep. Let's choose to follow him into the abundant life that he offers. Thanks for joining us on Beyond Sunday. We'll see you next time.
