When God Says We Are Safe#2
Text: John 10:1-5,8-10,27,28
A very good morning to all of the men and women, boys and girls who are leaning on Jesus as
their hope and basis of salvation. No other foundation can be laid than that which is laid,
Jesus Christ the perfect and perfected Son of God. Only in Jesus as we began looking at last
week can someone stand 100% guaranteed of entering the beautiful home of heaven and enjoy the
eternal presence of the Holy One!
This week we are going to continue with this line of thought:
what does it mean when God says we are safe?
I mean, can we go to bed at night and wake up in the morning standing in the blessed assurance
that since we belong to Jesus we are going to be alright come judgment?
Let's read a couple of passages:
1 Peter 1:3-9, Romans 7:15-25 & John 10:1-5,8-10,27,28
Now, as we mentioned last Lord's day, if our salvation depended on our achievement, we would
run into some hard problems. Namely, we cannot be perfect and since we cannot be perfect we
would always be in doubt of salvation. It's almost as if God is simply patient with us as we go
from day to day but eventually that patience will run out and He will show us the door!
Then all of a sudden Jesus comes along into our lives and makes the announcement that we are
sheep and he is our good shepherd and when we accept his offer he provides us with hope of
eternal life. He did what we couldn't do:
offered unto God a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Then he gives us what we couldn't obtain:
salvation from our sins and being made right with God! 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Can we live with this thought?
Can we know that salvation is ours?
Can we be secure in the idea that one day we will be in front of the Almighty, the Creator of
everything, the Giver of life and yet not have to be afraid of being turned away?
Can we have a sense about us that one-day we will enjoy the experience of being wrapped up in the
arms of a Heavenly Father as he welcomes us home?
Jesus says we can! Basically, Jesus says when we place our faith in him and begin to follow
him- we have a promise of God that our salvation is guaranteed. This week we are going to begin
to look at the reasons why we can be confident concerning him!
Did you hear what Peter had to say about us in his reading?
We have an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance reserved in heaven!
And then he went on to say that in the end we will receive the end of our faith which is the
salvation of our souls! Now, that sounds great doesn't it and notice Peter is talking to normal
Christians, with normal questions who fall like normal people do!
The first thing we note about why we can be secure in our salvation with God is this:
The Good Shepherd leads us in safety!
Now, go back to John 10 for a moment. Remember that Jesus is speaking to a bunch of people
who are used to leaders who think that by themselves they are righteous before God! Now, Jesus
says there are other people who try to lead people who are simply thieves and robbers. Now,
Jesus says thieves and robbers do not provide life but they instead steal, kill and destroy.
If we follow anything or anyone other than Jesus we are following a path that leads to
destruction! Most of us are aware of that! Now, we can follow one of two paths or types of
leaderships:
- The do it until you get it right leadership!
Now, this is the kind of leaders Jesus was opposing in this conversation. The Pharisees and
scribes of his day were people who simply taught that the only way to God was to earn it! Now,
you have to be as good as us, deserving like us and over all pretty decent chaps to make it!
What is the end result of this type of leadership?
Luke 7:36-39- no sinners can ever get into God's presence ever again! I mean if you drop the
ball you ride the bench all the way to hell. If you check the review they gave to the latest
parable of Jesus concerning the prodigal son they say it started out with promise but the ending
was just too easy!
Another thing about this type is seen in Matthew 23:13-15- (verse 4)- it's too hard and too
guilt-ridden a path! Listen, if you follow these types of leaders your joy is stolen, your peace
is killed and your hope is destroyed. Did you notice Jesus said they wouldn't keep the burdens
themselves?
Listen you cannot have peace if you are always trying to do it all yourself.
- The do it your own way leadership!
This is the opposite kind but isn't a very secure path. This is the way of the no rules except
the ones you want! This is the one that says you can run your own track in life and don't worry
about the voice that is calling you night and day. There's a problem with this type. We miss
the richness of knowing the love of Jesus Christ. We miss the beauty of beholding the Lord in
his entire splendor! We miss the pursuit of the unsearchable riches of Christ! Soon, the sting
of sin will have us so beaten and so confused that our purpose in life is stolen, our desires of
contentment killed and our path to happiness destroyed.
Jesus says, I am the good shepherd and I call my sheep and I lead them out!
Jesus offers us a third kind of leadership. Listen very closely to his leading.
In Matthew 5:6- Jesus promised us that blessed are those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness for they shall be filled.
This is a beautiful verse. When you look at your life and perhaps you have been following type
#1 and are now stuck between a rock and a hard place because you want to be right with God but
for some reason just can't make it. Jesus says, if you hunger for righteousness you shall be
filled.
You may also be looking at your life and thinking that boy oh boy, with all the stuff I have done
in my life, with all the things I did that were so wrong and I knew they were wrong what can I
do?
You go to some church meeting and the holiness they speak about is the holiness you want but the
message stops there and says if you are not this holy you can't get God. Now, where do you go?
Jesus says, if you hunger for righteousness you shall be filled.
Now, we can't do it by our selves. We can't do it if we go our own jolly way and we can't do it
if we simply give it the old college try. Isaiah 64:6
How does it happen?
By following Jesus! This is the story of the prodigal son. The Father ran to the prodigal and he
walked to the elder brother. The goal of each: to celebrate the victory over death!
Only by following Jesus can we get our fill of righteousness.
- When we follow Jesus we are saying we can no longer lead ourselves!
- When we follow Jesus we are saying that his way is the right way!
- When we follow Jesus we are saying that we trust that he knows the pathway to victory!
So, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
1 John 1:7-2:3-
vs.7- we must walk in the light as he is in the light. Notice the promise:
if we do this the blood of Jesus his Son continually cleanses us from all unrighteousness. I
used to think that verse meant if we are perfect like Jesus, but it grammatically cannot! We
wouldn't need to be cleansed if we were perfect! So, walking in the light means something
different.
Vs.8,10- it means not saying we have no sin!
If we say we have no sin- listen, God will not excuse us from the guilt of sin if we are
continually excusing ourselves from it!
Vs.9- it includes confessing our sins. Here is the key verse now.
2:1-3- following Jesus means striving with all of our might to not sin. To live as he lives.
But, when we do sin, God will forgive us of our sins!
Walking in the light has more to do with our desire to be like him. When we desire to be like
him- his blood will cleanse us from our sins!
What does Jesus want you to do?
Follow him!
What does he want you to concentrate on?
Following him!
What will he concentrate on?
Bringing us to heaven!
When God says we are safe in Jesus, we are. Following Jesus' footsteps can never bring us
anywhere but home to the Father!
Next week we are going to look at the intimate relationship between Jesus and his sheep but for
now, keep walking in the footsteps of Jesus and when you fall, get back up speak to God and
continue walking. Why?
Jesus would not call us to life if He was not also able to give us the power to live.
In conclusion- 1 Samuel 22:22,23- David & Abiathar- Jesus says the same because I am he who was
dead but behold I am alive forevermore.
What about you?
Who or what are you following?
Are you tired of having to worry about whether or not your service and life will meet the
standards?
Are you lost and hurting because of sin?
Jesus the kind Shepherd says follow me and I will give you eternal life. How do you accept his
call?
Romans 6:3-7 let's stand and sing…
Back to lessons page.
Back to home page.