This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to Daily Drive Time Devotions and our study of John
chapter 10. We begin our study in John chapter 10 today. Chapter of the Bible
that I believe is filled with assurance as any chapter in the entire Bible.

It's really a chapter about where the grass is really greener. You know that old
phrase, the grass is greener on the other side until you get to the other side
of course, and then it looks green on the other side. And although we all know
it's wrong, many of us still longingly stare over the fence at times, thinking
if I were just there, my life would be better.

If I could just have his life, if I could just have her life's, things would be
so much easier, so much better. Well, this week we're going to talk about how to
live life on the other side. Because in John chapter 10, Jesus talks about
pastures.

He talks about how he is willing to bring to all of us greener pastures, a more
satisfied, a more fulfilling life. John chapter 10, you see Jesus telling
stories about sheep and shepherds and fields. But behind it all, he's telling
the truth about how life can begin to take on the shade of vibrancy, of
genuineness.

It's about abundance and direction and assurance. As we open up John chapter 10,
John chapter 10 is really a direct result of what occurred in John chapter nine.
Remember last week, the Pharisees who were blind men bluffing at a relationship
with God?

Well, the blind man who is healed is the one who can see clearly and
spiritually. Well, John chapter 10 is about trusting the one who is the light of
the world instead of trusting someone who is blind to the light. As you open up
John 10, this amongst the most assuring chapters of the Bible, I tell you the
truth, Jesus said.

The man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other
way is a thief and a robber. The man who enters in by the gate is the shepherd
of the sheep. In John 10, Jesus begins with the words in verse one, I tell you
the truth or truly, truly.

This is one of those don't miss this comments from Jesus. And he begins to talk
about some characters, a shepherd, a gate, thieves and robbers. I think it's
important from the very beginning before we even begin to jump into this to get
the character straight here.

Who is the shepherd in John 10? It's Jesus we're going to find out. Who is the gate
in John 10?

Well, it's also Jesus we're going to find out. Now that may confuse you a little
bit. You may not like that, but you'll see as we walk through how Jesus is both
the shepherd and the gate.

And then in these verses, he talks about a thief and a robber. Who is that?
Well, in the context of the day where Jesus was speaking, it's the Pharisees.

It was the religious teachers who were saying, here's some other way to get to
God than the true way to get to God than the way that really was effective in
getting to God. The only way that would truly bring life in getting to God.
Jesus is shepherd and gate.

The false teachers, the Pharisees in that they are thieves and robbers. What
about us? What does that leave for us?

Well, let me put it this way. Bah, you are, I am a sheep. That's what's left for
us.

In fact, John chapter 10, one way I'd say it is this. We all need to look at
life more sheepishly. John 10 is not about cowardly living.

It's about sheepish living. And just to take this one step further, I'd say
don't let anyone pull the wool over your eyes. It's a life of sheer joy.

I'm sure you're thinking right now, that's enough of that. We get onto the Bible
study and that's what I'd like to do too. This is all about sheep and shepherds.

It's about how you're a sheep. And if you don't get that picture from the
beginning, then you're going to miss all the assurance that Jesus is giving us in
John chapter 10. You're a sheep, I'm a sheep.

That's the picture. My confusion about life, your confusion about life is
cleared up when you admit who you really are. I am a sheep.

What does that mean? Well, it means a lot, but there are two things that I just
want to focus on for a moment today. The fact that I am a sheep means I am
vulnerable.

It also means I am easily influenced. I'm a sheep, I'm vulnerable. God didn't
compare us to spiritual rhinos.

He compared us to sheep. Sheep are vulnerable. They need a shepherd to survive.

In fact, a couple of things about sheep, sheep stay in folds and sheep stay in
flocks. They stay in folds at night. That's the place where they live, where
they're safe.

They're brought into a fold to be kept together, safe and warm under the
protection of the shepherd. And sheep stay in flocks. They're not loners.

They're a together kind of animal. There's literally safety in numbers for the
sheep when the shepherd is there. And we are sheep, we're like sheep.

That's who God compares us to. We need a fold and we need a flock. We need a
fold, a place of security.

We need a flock, a place of acceptance, a place of believing and a place of
belonging, a fold and a flock. I am vulnerable. And so I'm in need of God and in
need of others in my life.

As a sheep, I also have to admit I'm easily influenced. Like sheep, we as human
beings are easily influenced by the direction that we see others going. Sheep
follow, that's what they do.

And people do the same thing. If you don't believe that, just look at fashion in
the '60s and '70s. Do you think anybody really wanted to wear that stuff?

Why did they wear it? Because other people were wearing it. We follow, that's
naturally what we do.

And if we don't follow the shepherd, we're going to follow someone else. We're
going to follow a thief and a robber. We're going to follow someone who's out to hurt
us.

We are sheep, we are vulnerable. We are easily influenced. And that means we
need the right shepherd, the only shepherd, Jesus Christ.

As Jesus talks in these verses, in the very beginning of John 10, he begins to
talk about what the shepherd can do for the sheep, what he can do for you in
daily life. But we're going to begin to look at specifics of what the shepherd can
do for the sheep today and then finish it tomorrow. What can the shepherd do for
the sheep?

Well, the shepherd calls the sheep. That's the first thing he does. John 10,
verse three, the watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his
voice, talking about the shepherd here.

And he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. Now, many people want to
know, wait, wait, who's this watchman here? He's just the guy who opens the door
in this story.

There's nothing more to it than that. The point of this story is the shepherd.
And people get all caught up in the watchman.

He's this, he's that. He's just the guy who opens the door. The shepherd is the
point.

What he does for the sheep is what this story is all about. He calls us. It's an
interesting picture.

In the East, when the sheep are out in the fields, they might come together at
times, three or four flocks, maybe at a drinking hole. Or even when they sleep
at night in a sheepfold, they might sleep all in the same sheepfold. But the
shepherd is able to call these sheep and they will all come to this one
shepherd.

Even though they're all together, how do they separate one flock from another?
The shepherd just calls out. And the sheep who know the voice of that shepherd
will go to that shepherd.

No problem, because they know his voice. His voice is personal. The sheep listen
to his voice, it says in John 10, three.

He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. Jesus' voice is personal
to us. Just as the shepherd calls his sheep by name, Jesus calls us by name.

Jesus doesn't say, hey you, hey, the guy over there with the green shirt on. No,
he calls you by name. And when he calls you, he knows you.

He knows your needs. He knows your frailties. He knows your strengths.

He knows your uniqueness. He's not confused at all about you. He knows you.

And knowing you full well, he calls you. And the question here is, it says the
sheep listen to his voice. He is calling.

He is uniquely calling me, knowing me. How do I listen? How do I listen to Jesus
Christ who is calling me?

Well, you listen through his spirit. He puts his spirit in you when you become a
believer in Christ. So when you say to Jesus Christ, I want to make a commitment
of my life to you, he puts his spirit in you and you listen through his spirit.

You listen through his word, the Bible that he's given us. He let his word guide
you and direct you. Can't tell you how many times I've heard the personal voice
of Jesus Christ through his word.

It's not like I hear this audible voice that has this tone like Jesus. It's just
as I read his word, it is so personal. It is so to me.

And I can sense that Jesus Christ is speaking specifically to me through the
Bible, through his word. He also listened to his voice through his people,
through the people of God, the fellowship with other people, other Christians.
There are many ways to listen to his voice.

I'm going to talk about that a little bit more tomorrow. But as we end today,
talking about shepherd and sheep and who we are, we're talking about the fact
that sheep listen to his voice. I just want to ask you as we enter a time of
prayer, when was the last time you took time to listen for his voice?

You see, he's speaking. He tells us he is. So why do we miss it sometimes?

Well, if you're like me, one of the main reasons is you're rushing right past
it. It's drowned out by other things. So take a moment just now.

I'm just going to be quiet. And in this moment, listen for the voice of the
shepherd who loves you. (gentle music) Jesus, thank you for speaking to us.

Help us to listen to you. We pray this in your name. Amen.

Well, join us tomorrow. We're going to continue our look at sheep and shepherd.
We're going to be looking at verses four to 13.