In the sermon titled 'Our Good Shepherd' delivered by Floyd Koenig, John 10 is explored to reveal the character, knowledge, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. Koenig contrasts true pastors with 'hirelings' who are not genuinely committed to God's work. He emphasizes that Jesus knows His sheep intimately, having chosen them before the foundation of the world, and provides for them both spiritually and physically. The sermon underscores the eternal security believers have in Christ, as no one can snatch them from His hand. It highlights Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross, which was deliberate and purposeful, to pay for the sins of His chosen people. Koenig urges listeners to serve Jesus faithfully and recognize the immense grace that has been extended to them through Christ's sacrifice.

Well, it is good to be in the house of the Lord. Good to see each one of you this morning. The Lord has given us another beautiful day. I tell you we've had a lot of beautiful weather this summer after all the rain. But, would you look with me this morning in John's gospel, chapter 10.

John 10, thanks for this opportunity to share with you the Word of God. Trust the Lord and speak to your heart as we open His Word this morning. John chapter 10, I want to begin reading in verse 11, John 10, 11. It says, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is in harling, and not the shepherd, who is on the sheep or not, see it the wolf coming, and leave it the sheep, and fleeeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The harling fleeeth, because he is in harling, and careeth not for the sheep." There's a lot of pastors like that these days. They're just in it for the money or whatever else, but they're certainly not of God, and they're certainly not committed to the Lord's Church to preach the truth. You can tell if a person is really serving the Lord and loving the Lord and doing what the Lord says by what he preaches. If he preaches anything other than the true word of God, then he is a harling. There's a lot of those today in these entertainment churches, these Armenian churches, and they seek to bring glory to themselves and to the Lord.

Verse 14, John 10, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, notice, and am known of mine. You see, if you're saved this morning, the Lord not only knows you, and He's known you from eternity past, but you know Him in a special way. And it's not just a religious relationship, it is a personal relationship. Verse 15, as the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Isn't that precious?

Who'd he come to die for? He came to die for the sheep, the chosen, the ones he had chosen before the foundation of the world. Verse 16, another sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. And they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Notice he says, other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring.

You see it's not up to man. The Lord's going to bring them. He's going to save them. Them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice." You know how he knows they're gonna hear his voice? Because he's gonna give them spiritual hearing.

All of a sudden the Lord gives us ability to hear spiritual truths that we could not hear before. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, notice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd folks there's coming today there's no there's not gonna be any division amen we're not gonna have to argue with one another. It's going to be one foe, one shepherd. He's coming. He's coming.

We're going to see him as he is. We're going to be with him. Verse 17, therefore doth my father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. He laid it down, but he came forth from the grave. No man take it from me, I lay it down on myself.

You see they didn't force him to the cross. That was the very purpose for which he came into the world. He went joyfully to that cross. Why? Because he was paying for your salvation and mine.

He was taking your sin away and my sin away by his shed blood on the cross. Amen. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down on myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commitment have I received of my Father.

I want to share with you this morning a message entitled, Our Good Shepherd. Our Good Shepherd. Now in order to enter the fold, we must come by Jesus Christ the door. We have great security by having Christ the door between us and our enemies. We are secure by putting our faith in Christ, the great mediator between God and man.

Christ, the Good Shepherd, cares for his sheep as the good shepherd for his flock. Our Lord offered himself a sacrifice for his sheep. Now centuries before the Messiah came, It was predicted on several occasions in the Old Testament that he would come as a shepherd to lead and care for his chosen people. In the New Testament, Christ is also declared to be the shepherd of his people. In John chapter 10, Jesus Christ presents himself as the good shepherd.

In verses 1 through 10, Jesus identifies himself as the true shepherd. In short contrast to the false shepherds who were self-appointed Jewish leaders. Here we have Jesus Christ not only as the speaker, but also as the subject. No one can reveal the glorious person of Christ better than he himself. Now In our text we see three things about our good shepherd.

Notice first we see his character. His character. Again John chapter 10 verse 11, the Lord says, I am the good shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd. Now Jesus Christ sets himself forth as a shepherd.

As the Good Shepherd, he is the owner of his flock. As believers, we are his because he purchased us with his own blood. We are to glorify God in our bodies because he purchased us. Look in 2nd Corinthians if you will. 2 Corinthians, I'm sorry, 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

1 Corinthians 6. Notice if you will, begin verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6, 19. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and you are not your own.

For you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." So we've been bought with a price. Lord purchased us by His blood. We're to serve Him. Now the price that was paid was His own shed blood.

We see that back in, if you look again, 1 Peter chapter 1, back in 1 Peter 1, and notice if you will, 1 Peter 1, beginning of verse 18, 1 Peter 1, 18, it's a glorious truth, it says, As far as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation or conduct, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Verse 20, who verily was foredain for the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." So we've been purchased by His blood. The Lord Jesus Christ has nothing that he values as much as he does his own people. You know he values them much because he came and laid down his life for them. He loved his church and gave himself for it. So it's for their sake that he gave up all that he had, died naked on the cross.

Notice again under this heading as the Good Shepherd, Christ cares for his flock. He's not only owner of the flock, but he cares for his flock. He constantly watches over his people day and night. No one can touch his sheep without his permission. You know, we have a lot of things happen and sometimes we say why did why did this happen but in reality nothing can happen to us that God does not allow.

The Lord does not allow. And you know sometimes we get down in the dumps and try to question God. But you know, the Lord has promised us joy. You know, There's joy and then there's feeling good. Feeling good passes away, but joy remains even through the trial.

And you see this there with Job and how the Lord afflicted him. And he lost everything, including his children. His wife even told him to curse God and die. But he said, the Lord give us, the Lord take the way, praise be the Lord. Amen.

Job had a joy that things couldn't take away and that's true of the believer when we trust in our Lord. And so the Lord cares for his flock. He constantly watches over his people day and night. And notice again as the good shepherd, Christ provides for his flock. He not only is the owner, not only cares for his flock, but he provides for his flock.

Isn't that good news? To know the Lord's gonna take care of his people. The shepherd sees to it that the needs of the sheep are provided. So the Lord supplies all our needs according to his riches and glory. He is the great storehouse from which we derive everything.

Because the Lord is my shepherd, the psalmist says, I shall not want. He gives perfect peace to all that will trust in him. The Lord makes his sheep to lie down in green pasture. Look at Matthew, if you will. Matthew chapter 11, beautiful truth here spoken by our Lord Matthew 11 and notice if you will verse 28, beginning verse 28.

Here the Lord says, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. This whole world is full of trials and troubles. Especially that lost man that's miserable, knows he's going to hell. Lord says, you want rest? You want peace?

You'll find it in me. Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. No, just take my yoke upon you. Now what does that mean? That means we're to be willing to serve him.

A yoke is between two animals to bear a burden. And for us to take his yoke upon us, we're to serve him. Now a lot of people want that rest, but they don't want to serve the Lord But the rest comes by being willing to serve and if the Lord has Purchased you by his blood and he's changed your heart as we saw this morning by his grace then you're going to have a desire to serve him. So this is where the peace is found. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek.

Notice that it's not weak, it's meek, lowly in heart. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls. So if you want to find rest, true rest, You find it in Christ. You find it in being willing to serve him Verse 30 my yoke is easy now Satan's gonna tell you just opposite Mary he's gonna send you to darkest Africa You're gonna be out there in the boonies all by yourself. He's going to tell you all kinds of weird stories.

But the Lord says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And so the Lord provides for His flock. Notice again as the Good Shepherd, Christ leads His flock. He leads His flock. Now there is safety in following the Lord.

Now we get out on our own and the Lord's going to bring us back one way or another. But when we follow Him, He will bless us. He will meet our needs. There is security in following our Lord. Don't you look at Romans chapter 8, Romans 8 and verse 1.

This is a verse that's, I mean it's outstanding, so is that because of course there's a lot of them. But notice Romans 8, and this is after Paul's been talking about what we need to do to be saved. There is therefore now, that is after you've committed your life to the Lord, after he's called you out of your sin. There is therefore now no condemnation. Now meditate on that a while.

No condemnation. Folks, we were born condemned. We were born on our way to hell. Hopelessly, helplessly lost. We couldn't save ourselves.

Salvation's of the Lord's by His mercy and grace. Therefore, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Notice, in Christ Jesus. Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Glory.

He will lead us through our earthly pilgrimage to that eternal city. We have that promise in the Word of God. Notice again, as the Good Shepherd, Christ defends his flock. He defends his flock. Look back, if you will, in John 10.

John chapter 10, Notice beginning in verse 11. John 10 verse 11. I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an harling and not the shepherd who's own the sheep or not, seeeth the wolf coming and leaveeth the sheep and fleeeth and the wolf catches them and scattereth the sheep. The harling fleeth, because he is an harling, and careth not for the sheep." Verse 14, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and have known of mine.

There's that personal intimate relationship between Christ and his sheep. So he defends his flock. There were all sorts of wild beasts that would attack the flock, but the shepherd was ready to come to their defense. So it is with us. No wolf can attack us around our Lord, without our Lord intervening on our behalf.

As the Apostle Paul said, if God be for us, who can be against us? Let's look at that in Romans, if you will, Romans chapter 8. This is a glorious portion of Scripture. You can't get excited about this portion of Scripture there's no excitement in you. But notice here let's go back to verse 28 Romans 8 28.

In fact we find in Romans 28, all things work together for our good as His elect, His chosen people. Verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good, that for good to them that love God. So do you love God this morning? There's a promise to you if you do. What is that promise?

All things work together for your good. You say, preach, I don't, you don't understand what I'm going through. The Lord does, the Lord does. And if He puts it on you, He's put it on you for a purpose. The Lord does nothing halfway.

He does nothing without purpose. And if you're going through trouble, just remember what the Lord said. It's for your good and for His glory. Look at it. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Now, verse 29, for whom he did for no, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now look at verse 30. More of whom he did predestinate. That's back in eternity past. Them he also called.

Now that's in time. Lord called us out of our sin in time. And Whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. You see in the Lord's eyes, he sees us as already having been glorified.

The work's complete, so is the Lord's complaint, his concern. He knows, of course, the end from the beginning. Now look at verse 31. What shall we then say to these things if God be for us? Who?

Who can be against us? Who's going to prevail against us if the Lord be for us? He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all shall he not with him also freely give us all things. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justified.

Now, old Satan certainly he will try to intimidate us, but folks, we're in the Lord's hands. We're secure in the Lord. We need to remember that. Look at verse 34. Who is he that condemneth?

Who can condemn one person that the Lord has chosen to save? Who can condemn that person? Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." You see folks, he not only died for us, but he came forth from the grave, glorious, victorious, over death, hell, sin and Satan in the grave itself. But not only that, he's in heaven seated on the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us today, and he's coming back.

He's coming back. So first we've considered the character of our good shepherd. I want you to notice secondly, his knowledge. His knowledge. The knowledge of the Good Shepherd.

Now we see his knowledge back in John chapter 10, John 10 and I want you to notice again verse 14, John 10, 14. Here the Lord says, I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep and have known of mine." Jesus knows His sheep. He knows their number. He knows how many hairs on the head, amen. He will never lose one of his sheep.

He knows the number of those whom he paid the ransom for. If you're one of his today, he paid the ransom for you. He says to the father those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost. John 17. Look with me if you will.

Let's go back to John 17 if you will. This is a beautiful portion of Scripture. I want you to read some Scripture here with you. John 17, I want you to look at the beginning of verse 1. John 17, 1.

These words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven. Now this is the Lord interceding for his people, his chosen people. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven. Now this is the Lord interceding for his people, his chosen people. These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee." Now this is just before he went to the cross.

As thou has given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him. And this is life eternal. Now if you want a definition of eternal life, here it is. And this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. What's life eternal?

It's knowing God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. He's speaking of going to the cross and finishing the job. And now, oh Father, glorify thou with me, glorify thou, thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou has given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gave me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me." Now look at verse 9, I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou has given me for they are mine and all mine are thine and thine are mine and I have glorified, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee.

Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou has given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me I've kept, and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Now, and now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." And so, We're secure in our Lord who came to suffer and die for us. Jesus knows their persons, He knows their age, He knows their disposition, the very hairs of their head are numbered. Christ has no unknown sheep. He knows their feelings, their fears, and their trials. Jesus knows their sins.

You see, it was in spite of our sin that the Lord saved us by His grace and mercy. When He chose us, He knew that we were and that we would be sinners. He loved us while we were yet sinners. Look in Romans again, chapter 5, just a glorious truth here, Romans 5. Notice again verse 6 and 8, Romans 5 verse 6, for when we were yet without strength, that's in our unsaved condition, without any strength, really no desire to be saved, for when we were yet without strength, In due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Where did the Lord find us? He found us while we were ungodly. While we were ungodly. Look at verse 8. But God commended His love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Verse 7, much more than, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. So he came literally to die, suffer and die for sinners like you and me. And that's where he found us and that's where he saved us was what we were yet in sin. Now today we love Him because He first loved us, 1 John 4 19. Notice again the sheep know their master.

Not only does the master know his sheep, but the sheep know their master. That's important. A lot of people are religious, but they have no intimate knowledge of the Lord. No fellowship with him through the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, I know my sheep and have known of mine.

John 10, 14. This is truly a work of divine grace that we have been given the ability to know God. All of a sudden the Lord quickened us, made us spiritually alive, and all of a sudden we can communicate with God. And that happened the day we were born again, saved by the grace of God. He has opened our blind eyes and given us spiritual understanding in order that we may know Him.

Look with me if you will in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, I want you to begin reading with me in verse 3. 2 Corinthians 4, verse 3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. See, the lost, they cannot understand the gospel.

Satan has blinded their minds to the gospel. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, whose image of God should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake. Now you say, If the lost are blind and they can't understand the gospel and they don't care about the gospel, why would we preach to them? Well, you know why?

Because the Lord tells us to. Amen. And because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You see, sinners are not saved by telling dog stories and chasing rabbits. Sinners are saved by preaching the gospel.

The Lord uses that gospel, Holy Spirit takes that gospel that's been preached and he applies it to that sinner's heart. And all of a sudden that sinner comes alive, where he was dead before, and he begins to understand some things. I remember Brother Chris, Pastor Chris, talking about he was raised in church and from little up he had to sit there under the gospel. He said, man, he got so bored it was tough. But he said, you know one day when he was a teenager, all of a sudden the word began to come to life.

The Lord quickened his heart and saved his soul. And he hadn't gotten over it yet. That's what the Lord does as the gospels preach. So notice if you will verse 6 of 2nd Corinthians 4. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts.

Now you know what that means. When God created this world it was dark and he said let there be light and what happened there was light. That's the same thing happened to you and me when we were lost. We were walking around dead sinners, blind, lost in darkness and the Lord says let there be light and all of a sudden we could see what we couldn't see before we can understand what we couldn't understand before For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our heart to give the light notice of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. See that's the reason we preach Christ.

We preach Christ and the Lord gives that knowledge of His glory. It all takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit. So praise the Lord for His coming to suffer and die for our sins. Now, we know Him by union with Him in the new birth. There the Lord tells Nicodemus, that leader of the Pharisees, Nicodemus said, accept your born again.

You shall not see nor enter the kingdom of God. Goes on to tell him it's by the Spirit, the moving of the Holy Spirit, the quickening of the Holy Spirit. He must be born again. And this is a spiritual birth. Now we know Him by communion with Him in Spirit and in truth.

Those who know Him hear His voice and follow His direction. Follow His direction. Back in John 10, if you look, notice verse 27, John 10, 27. My sheep hear my voice. They not only hear with the physical ear, they hear with the heart.

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Glory is true. You hear, He knows, you follow. That's how you know you're one of His sheep. It's one of His sheep.

If you don't hear His voice, if you're not following Him, you just have to come to conclusion. You may be religious, but you don't know Him. You don't know Him. Those who know Him have eternal life. Look at John 10 verse 28, and I give unto them my sheep eternal life and they shall what?

What? Never perish. Never perish. I don't know how these people can read their Bible turn right around say you can lose your salvation folks it's impossible if you've really been saved. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. Man that's security. I and my father are one. You see if you in order for Satan or anyone else to pluck us out of his hand, he'd have to go through Christ, he'd have to go through the Father. So we're secure in our Lord.

And then I want you to notice thirdly we see our Good Shepherd's sacrifice. Back in John 10, notice verse 15. Verse 14 he says, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and have known of mine. Verse 15, as the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. Now notice, I lay down my life for the sheep.

Now the sheep are those he had chosen before the foundation of the world. That's who he came and died for. As the Good Shepherd laid down His life in loving obedience to the Father, He did this in order to provide salvation for his sheep. He shed his precious blood on the cross for his sheep. By Christ's shed blood, the sins of his people are taken away.

If you're a child of God this morning, you have no sin. You're declared righteous before God. Now you say, what about if I sin? Well, that'll come between you and the fellowship with the Lord. You need to take care of that by repenting, but you don't lose your salvation when you sin.

David, when he sinned, that terrible sin of adultery, He didn't lose his salvation, he lost the joy of his salvation. And when he repents he says, Lord restore the joy of my salvation. And I'll tell you, he was miserable there for some time, till he repented of his sins. The Good Shepherd suffered in the place of his people, for Christ has also once suffered for sins. The just, that perfect Son of God, for the unjust, the sinner, that he might bring us to God by being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

He died, but he's not dead. Amen. 1 Peter 3, 18. He bore the wrath of God in order that his sheep might go free. People have had some people ask me, do you believe you can lose your salvation?

I'll just simply quote a verse. 2nd Corinthians 521, for he that is the Son of God laid down his life for us. He died in our place. He took our sin on himself. Our sin was imputed to him and his righteousness was imputed to us.

And so as a result of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, he took my sin, paid for my sin on the cross, and has given to me perfect righteousness. Now if I'm perfectly righteous in eyes of God, what's left to send me to hell? The Good Shepherd suffered in the place of his people. He bore the wrath of God in order that his sheep might be free. He who died for his sheep will receive their eternal praise.

I'm looking forward to that day. Let's look at Revelation chapter Revelation chapter 5. This is just glorious truth. Revelation 5. Let's begin verse 9.

It's talking about the lion of the tribe of Judah who came to take back the title deed of the earth. That's what we see in this chapter but notice verse 9 and they sung a new song saying thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood at a very kindred and tongue and people and nation and hath made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth." I don't understand all that but I like what it says. Of course that's during the millennium. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing, and every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such as in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, blessed in honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever." And so the Lord died for his sheep, and one day he will receive eternal praise for his finished work.

Well I conclude with a question. With a question. Have you repented of your sin and received Christ as your Savior, as your good Shepherd? Are you willing to serve him faithfully? You see, that's where the rubber meets the road.

You know, it's easy to say, I love Jesus. But when you put that to work, When you apply that, that's a whole other story. And it takes the grace of God to keep on keeping on. New Christian gets saved, he's all excited. Oh Lord I love you.

But I'll tell you after a while, you kind of get complacent. And it takes the grace of God to keep on keeping up. We have to keep our eyes on that Good Shepherd. We have to remind ourselves of who we were and where we were headed hopelessly, helplessly lost, going to hell and remember what the Good Shepherd has done for us. He suffered and died for us while we were yet sinners.

Paid in full the price for our sin on that cross as he suffered naked before the world. When he said it is finished, what he meant was everything necessary for sinners like you and me to be saved has already been done. We can't add a thing. All we can do is bow before him and accept what he has done for us and who He is. So we need to look to Christ and serve Him.

Keep on keeping Him. That's the key. Let's stand. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, your grace, your love to us.

Thank you for loving us while we were yet sinners. Lord, thank you for these.