Gospel Meeting 14/10/2018

John’s Gospel ch10 vs14 – 18, 25 – 30.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

The Lord Jesus Christ told of “bad shepherds of Israel”, who did not attend to the spiritual needs of the people, and compared them with thieves, robbers and hirelings.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the true and Good Shepherd, and concerning this, the speaker gave the Gospel message three headings:

a)    The Love of the Shepherd

b)    The Life of the Shepherd

c)    The Leading of the Shepherd

a)     The Love of the Shepherd …

We can all know some things about someone, but to really know someone involves being in a relationship with them.

The Lord says He knows who are His, and those of us who are His know Him. Not in a general head knowledge way, but in a special, spiritual and saving knowledge, trusting Him with all one’s heart.

(vs15) His love for us is so strong and true that He gave His life for us all, that we can be forgiven for our sins and their penalty.

“… the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”.

-      Galatians ch2 vs20.

Friend, you too can write your own name into this verse, because of His great love in dying for you personally!.

A relationship requires a two way response. A shepherd calls out to his sheep and only those sheep that belong to him will respond to his voice.

Have you responded to The Saviour’s voice?

Have you made a decision to the Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ?

Can you say with all your heart Jesus Christ is your own Lord and Saviour?

So many people make so many excuses and hold back from His loving call.

Friend, what is it that would hold you back from accepting Jesus Christ, The Son of God, as your Good Shepherd?

For all who turn to Jesus Christ in faith and repenting of their sins, have a great peace and joy enter into their hearts. You too, can know with absolute assurance that He has paid the price of your sins in full on The Cross and no longer facing eternal judgement.

The extent of His love was shown at Calvary, when He took our punishment on His sinless body, being crucified.

Jesus Christ knows His sheep as well as His Father knows Him!

He is offering you an infinite eternal relationship!

Eternity is truly forever, where will you choose to spend it – Heaven or Hell?

Please embrace His love tonight before it is too late and the choice is forever gone.

b)     The Life of the Shepherd …

A good shepherd would be willing to defend his sheep to the end against wild animals, and the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His own life for everyone.

Only He had the power to end His own life by literally dismissing His Spirit (Luke’s Gospel ch23 vs46).

He let no man take His life, but voluntarily laid it down for you and I.

But He also had the power to take it up again – we are not preaching to you a dead Saviour tonight! The grave could not ever hold the sinless, eternal Son of God!

Friend, the whole purpose of Jesus Christ coming here from Heaven and taking flesh was in order to give that sinless body as a sacrifice for the sins of everyone in the world.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”.

-       Isaiah ch53 vs6.

No one is excluded from the love and Salvation of The Lord Jesus Christ – only you can exclude yourself and reject His most wonderful love.

Tonight He still bids you to come, whoever you are!

“Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”.

-       Matthew’s Gospel ch11 vs28”.

c)      The Leading of the Shepherd …

The shepherd walks in front and the sheep follow. The sheep trust him.

In tonight’s passage (vs16), The Lord tells us that there will one flock and one shepherd, and there are other sheep He must bring into this flock. These sheep are us, Gentiles -  not of Israel.

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ”.

-       Ephesians ch2 vs12- 13.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture”.

-      John’s Gospel ch9 vs10.

You WILL be saved! – and be provided with sustenance.You will have His security forever (vs28 – 29).

Not any kind of life, but an eternal life of complete quality in Heaven with The Good Shepherd!

Friend, you cannot do one thing to save yourself from the punishment of your sins, but call out to the one Saviour that has been provided for us.

I pray that this night you too can say with all your heart, the words of David in Psalm ch23 - 

“The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not want”.