KNOWING THE SHEEP AND BEING KNOWN OF THEM
JOHN 10:11-18
Key verse: vs. 14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
Introduction:
One of the great blessings of being a born-again Christians is the fact that not only do we know Christ as our Savior, but that He knows US. We are not just a number as is the case with man, but we are known by name. Luke 10:20 tells us to, “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
Another great blessing is the fellowship or communion that the believer has with the Lord. His compassion and care for us is amazing.
I. JESUS KNOWS HIS OWN
A. The Lord knows those that are His, 2 Timothy 2:19, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
1. The foundation of God stands steady, 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
a. That foundation is sure for God does not change, Hebrews 6:18-19, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;”
b. The foundation of God is like a rock, Matthew 7:25, “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
2. Depart from evil, Proverbs 3:7-8, “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”
B. He knows His children intimately, Revelation 2:2, “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:”
1. He knows our frame, our limitations, Psalm 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”
a. The Lord is full of compassion, Psalm 78:38, “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”
b. The Lord is longsuffering with us, 1 Timothy 1:16, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
2. He knows the secrets of our heart, Psalm 44:21, “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”
a. The Lord knows the good and the bad, Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
b. He sees our ways, Job 31:4-5, “Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? 5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;”
II. FELLOWSHIP WITH OUR SAVIOR
A. The Lord observes us with the EYE of FAVOR, Psalm 17:9, “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,”
1. We have been justified by His grace, Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
2. We are accepted by Him, 2 Corinthians 5:8-9, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.”
3. We are loved by Him, 1 John 4:10, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
a. His love is based on truth, 1 John 2:4-5, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
b. His love is based on sacrifice, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
B. We observe the Lord with the EYE of FAITH.
1. Salvation is by faith in Christ, Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
2. Christ lives in our heart by faith, Ephesians 3:17-19, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
3. We are kept by the power of God through faith, 1 Peter 1:5, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
4. We have access to the throne of grace by faith, Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
5. By faith our eyes have been enlightened, Ephesians 1:18,“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
CONCLUSION:
The Lord knows those that are His. He loves them with an everlasting love that is sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. While we see Him through the Eye of Faith, He sees us through the Eye of Love. He knows all there is to know about us and loves us still.