THE THIEF VERSUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

JOHN 10:1

A. THE BIBLE IS NOTED FOR TEACHING GREAT TRUTHS BY AND THROUGH CONTRASTS
  1. The wheat and the tares: Matt. 13:38-40
  2. The sheep and the goats: Matt. 25:32, 33
  3. In our text we have the contrast between the good shepherd and the thief: John 10:1-10
B. LET US CONSIDER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THIEF AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD
  1. The Thief:
    1. The word - Thief - horrifies us because it is synonymous with theft or stealing and murder or killing, as our text states.
    2. Satan is the personification of the Thief and Killer in our text - John 8:44
  2. He seeks to steal from us the blessings of the gospel:
    1. Our joy - Phil. 4:4
    2. Our peace - John 14:27
    3. Our trust in God - Matt. 25:24, 25
    4. Our faith in God's promises - 1 Tim. 1:19
    5. Our very soul - Matt. 16:26
  3. He is the chief Killer, the father of all murderers:
    1. Used religion to commit murder - Gen. 4:1-22
    2. It injects sin and sin brings death - Jas. 1:15
    3. He knows that his time is short - Rev. 12:12
    4. It is high time that we too know the shortness of our time.
  4. The Thief is after God's people:
    1. He has others already.
    2. He wants that which is precious to God.
    3. He knows that the Lord's portion is his people - Deut. 32:9; Ps. 33:12 EXAMPLES -
      1. He wants to sift Peter - Luke 22:31, 32
      2. Christ steps in and saves Peter.
      3. He makes accusation against Joshua the high priest - Zech. 3:1;
      4. the Lord steps in and saves the high priest and the people.
C. THE GOOD SHEPHERD
  1. He came into the world that we might have life and have it more abundantly:
    1. Think of the contrast: death and Satan; life and Christ the good Shepherd.
    2. We all love life; Satan knows that too! - Job 2:4
  2. But the good Shepherd came to give us eternal life:
    1. That is His promise - Mark 10:28-30; 1 John 5:10- 12
    2. It will be given to the saints at His second coming - John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17
    3. It is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:10-12
  3. Eternal life is, like all God's promises, conditional:
    1. Repentance and conversion - Ezek. 18:21-33; John 3:3-9
    2. Faith - John 3:16; Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6
    3. Obedience - Matt. 19:16; Rev. 22:14
    4. Endurance - Matt. 24:12-14


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