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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Monday, June jp. John io : 1 - 6 ■ '
follow” (v. 5). Then they are very unlike many professed Christians, for these are ready to turn off after any one that comes along, if he can talk glibly. He may deny the atonement, or the authority o f the Scripture, or the personality and power of the Holy Spirit, or even the Deity o f Jesus Christ, but still they will follow him. Why? Because they are not “sheep.” ( 6 ) “Will flee from him.” Yes, a sheep will flee from a stranger; he may be attractive in appearance, and gentle in voice, and win some in manner, but sheep will flee from him. These six marks Of a sheep are very séarching. Are you a sheep—or- a gpat? Tuesday, June 20 . John 10:7-9 Jesus is not only the shepherd o f the sheep, He is also the door by which the sheep pass in. To what is He the door? (1) to salvation, “ By Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.” This makes the way o f salvation very plain and simple. Just pass right in through Jesus. The door is, ■open to all, “if any man.” Though a man be the greatest o f sinners the door stands open (1 Tim. 1:15). And He is the only door (chi 14:6; Acts 4:12). Neither the law nor the Church, nor morality, nor bap tism, nor a creed, is the door, “I am the door.” This door was opened by His aton ing death (vs. 10, 11; Gah 3:13; Eph. 1 :7; Heb. 9:22). We enter it by simple faith in Him (Rom. 3:25, R. V .; 4:3-5; Eph. 2 :8 ; Acts 13:38, 39). Any one who enters in by Jesus Christ will be saved, no one else will. (2) To liberty, “ shall go in and out.” The true acceptance o f Jesus leads not to a life o f fear and constraint, but to the per-: feet liberty o f a child (cf. Rom. 8:15). (3) To security. This too is found in the “go in and out.” The one who really enters, by Christ is eternally secure (vs. 28, 29). (4) T o satisfaction, “shall find pasture.’’ There is no such pasture in all the world as the one who enters by Jesus finds. This pasture is “green” (Ps. 23:2). It is “good” and “ fat” (Ezek. 34:14; cf. Isa. 40:9 ,-10). It never fails ( Rev. 7:16, 17). The world’s richest pasture lands are bleak and barren
Any one who seeks to get access to the sheep in any other way than by the door (i. e„ by Christ, v. 7), is a thief and a robber. But every one who enters by the door, that is, by .Christ Himself, becomes “ a shepherd o f the sheep.” (Both Author ized and Revised read “the shepherd o f the sheep’’ in verse 2 , but’ there is no “the” in the Greek). The sheep can always tell the difference between a true shepherd and a robber (vs. 3, 4. 26. 27). The reason so many professed Christians are led astray by all sorts o f false voices and erroneous cults is because they are not real sheep, a real sheep will not follow a false teacher ( v ..5). Christ’s true sheep have six char acteristics: '-(1) They know the shepherd’s •voice. Every sheep in the East, unless he is sick' recognizes his shepherd’s voice as soon as he speaks. Every one o f Christ’s sheep recognize Christ’s Voice. You cannot ‘ deceiye one o f Christ’s sheep about this. You may construct a very skillful argu ment to prove that the sayings attributed to; Jesus in the Gospels are not genuine, but the true sheep knows his' shepherd’s voice despite all the destructive critics. (2 ) “ The sheep hear His voice” , (v. 3; cf. v. 27). They not' only know it, they heed it. This is one of the surest tests as to whether you are one o f Christ’s sheep or not; are'you listening to His voice? (3) “ The sheep, follow Him” (v. 4; cf. v. 27). Wherever the sheep see the shepherd going they will follow, and wherever Christ’s sheep see Him going they will follow (cf. Matt. 16 :24). The way may seem dark and dangerous and difficult, but “the sheep follow Him.” (4) “They know not the -y o ice o f strangers” (v. 5). Sheep'will not follow a strange voice.- The voice may seem soft and sweet and silvery; never mind, it is not the voice o f the shepherd. Some professed Christians are* forever run ning off after-every new teacher, “just to Bear what he has to. say.” ' “Sheep” do not act that way, “they know not the voice o f strangers.” ; (5 ) “A stranger will they not
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