“Are You The Sheep Of Christ’s Flock?”

John 10:24–26 ²⁴So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” ²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, ²⁶but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.

            The other day I was talking to a woman visiting her mother at Blossom Hill nursing home, this is where my mother in-law lives too.  The woman who claimed to be a Christian said she did not believe the Holy Scriptures was inspired by God because men had written it and therefore had no validity. I asked her how she came up with that and she said she read a lot of books that agreed with her.  I guess my question is who wrote the books she read, and if they are by mankind then how are they more valid than the Holy Scriptures?  Our world claims to believe in God or a god but their beliefs are based on their own terms and desired fantasy.

            We have had a series of devastating events that rocks the world we have held to be so secure that is our USA.  We still ask the question why did God let this happen, instead of asking why did we let it happen?  What we saw was an act of sin, and through this act, many people were injured and some killed including a young child.  I hope your prayers go out to each of the victims whether they were hurt or their loved ones were hurt or killed.  Again, the world asks why did God let this tragedy happen.  Should we also ask why does God let our own sin happen too? 

Our world wants law with no gospel unless the law convicts them.  We sometimes fail to see the signs that our world is leading us down the wrong path.  We also fail to see the signs that Jesus is the Christ that came to save the world. 

The Jews, who are asking the question to Jesus and then laying out their demand to know if He is the Christ, ask out of blindness.  Though these Jews (not all Jews) had seen the works of Jesus and even heard His words, they cannot see past their blinders made up of self-serving desires and self-righteous attitudes.  It’s kind of like just because some want others to be stupid or false or just because they are dumb doesn’t mean that others will be.

John 10:27–30 ²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰I and the Father are one.”

            Are you the sheep of Christ’s flock?  We might not like being compared to sheep; after all they are lazy animals that wonder mindlessly around getting themselves into trouble.  We certainly don’t need to be herded around like sheep as we are always great thinkers, and never make mistakes, or do anything wrong.  If you do think this is true about yourself you might want to look up 1 John 1:8… And the truth is not in you. 

The Truth is Christ, and though we know we have sin we also know that Christ (the Truth) is in us because we are God’s forgiven children.  As Christ’s sheep in His flock we hear His voice the Holy Spirit.  Hearing the Holy Spirit we know He is trying to lead us into God’s word, which is His inspired and inerrant word.  In other words, God gave these words to be written down by those men He chose and made sure that there is no error in what His word says.  Now we have the shepherd’s staff to help us follow Christ, it is the Holy Scriptures. 

Through the words of our Lord we know that He and the Father are one and also one with the Holy Spirit.  Through the words of our Lord we see that all that the Father has given the Son will never be taken away from Him, (John 6:37 also).  This is why we should work hard to be in God’s word, to learn of His plan for us and for our salvation.

            Acts 20:35 ³⁵In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

            God’s plan is for us to know what we have received so that we can be imitators of Christ and the apostles and be givers therefore receiving more blessings from our Father in heaven.  Following our Lord Jesus Christ is to take that journey to the cross with Him as He has taken this journey for all of you.  Though the journey to the cross was taken in steps of pain, humility, and suffering our Lord did not considered it a journey in vain.  Christ being obedient to the Father did so out of love for the Father, and out of love for those whom the Father loves.  You are the ones the Father loves.

Acts 20:32 ³²And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

            Christ’s journey that we will follow did not stop at the cross in death, but continued in life, a life He is willing and wanting to share with you.  Maybe the question we should ask is why does God love us to eternal life, when we are children of sin?  The answer might be as simple as this, He is our dear Father in heaven and we are all His dear children here on earth that He considers worth loving and to be saved.  Amen.

Written by: Pastor Curtis A. May

Let us go forth in the Peace of our Lord and Serve the Lord who loved us first.