John 10:11-18
Acts 4:5-12
1 John 3:13-24
Good shepherd of God’s creation should be a description of each and every
one of us.
As we have discussed many times, the term “dominion” or “rule” referred to
in Genesis 1:26 and 28 is to properly be understood as telling each of us to
be a good steward or a good shepherd of God’s creation.
It does not tell us to dominate creation in the cruel manner of most of the
people in the world, which is really serving the devil and not God.
As we look at John 10:11-18, let’s not consider only Jesus as being a good
shepherd, but consider each and every one of us, as a disciple or follower
of Jesus, as being a good shepherd of God’s creation.
11. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Jesus laid down His life for us, but are we willing to lay down our lives
for Him and the creation He gave us to protect and care for, in the same
manner as the sheep of the pasture, as this verse uses for a comparison, are
to be protected by the good shepherd?
Are we willing to be this kind of good shepherd?
We hope and pray that each and every one of us is willing to be such a good
shepherd, who will do everything in his or her power to protect and care for
the whole of God’s creation (all humans, all animals, and the environment in
which we all live).
12. "He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them.
The wolf is being used as an example of the devil who seeks to kill and destroy, and the hireling or employee is really working for the devil and not the owner (God).
13. "He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.
The hireling of this verse is not a good shepherd, but he or she should be.
Jesus says…
14. "I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me,
15. even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My
life for the sheep.
Each and every one of us should have this kind of relationship with Jesus and God our Father, and take the responsibility of being a good shepherd.
16. "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.
Think about all the other people in the world, and all the animals trapped and abused on factory farms, in laboratories, and in other exploitive situations; are we willing to peacefully and legally help free them and lead them back to God’s eternal flock?
17. "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I
may take it again.
18. "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own
initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it
up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
NASB
Are we also willing to lay down our lives in the same manner if God calls
upon us to do so?
Because, this is what a good shepherd does for the glory of God.
And remember that no one has to lay down their own life to stop eating and
wearing animals; it’s just being willing to be a loving, compassionate, and
peacemaking child of God, which we all can do if we really want to.
Let’s now take a look at Acts 4:5-12, where we see Peter, who was accused by
men for speaking out as a good shepherd, and healing a sick man…
5. And it came about on the next day, that their rulers and elders and
scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
6. and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander,
and all who were of high-priestly descent.
7. And when they had placed them [the disciples] in the center, they began
to inquire, "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?"
How would we feel and act in such a situation?
Would we be like Peter?
8. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders
of the people,
9. if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this
man has been made well,
10. let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by
the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised
from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good
health.
11. "He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which
became the very corner stone.
12. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under
heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
NASB
As with all Bible passages, we need to put ourselves into the context of the
message and ask ourselves, “What would I do in this situation?” and “What
should I be doing in my life to be a good shepherd of God’s creation?”
If we find ourselves being afraid to be such a good shepherd, then we need
to lay our heart and soul bare before God, and ask Him to forgive us and
strengthen us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Remember that fear is really having a lack of heavenly love, for perfect
love casts out all kinds of fear (1 John 4:18).
It’s being filled with this perfect love that turns each of us into a good
shepherd.
In 1 John 3:13-24, we see what a good shepherd faces in the world around us.
13. Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.
The people who follow the corrupt and evil ways of this world, with all of
its pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death, don’t want to hear what a good
shepherd is telling them about living in the heavenly will of God.
In actuality, these worldly people fear the word of God, and manifest their
fear in the form of hatred toward His messengers.
14. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the
brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
15. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
If we think like Francis of Assisi thought, which we believe we should, then we must consider the animals to be our brothers and sisters in the same way we think of our siblings and fellow believers.
16. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
As we discussed previously, this is the way that a good shepherd should be.
17. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and
closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18. Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed
and truth.
19. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our
heart before Him,
20. in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart,
and knows all things.
We cannot fake being a child of God or a good shepherd, for it only truly
manifests itself in the heart and soul of a true believer who lives in the
heavenly will of God, where there is no pain, suffering, or human caused
death.
Are we this kind of Godly person?
We should be.
21. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before
God;
22. and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His
commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
This is also the way we can discern the presence of a good shepherd, and how the world should perceive us.
23. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son
Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
24. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And
we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
NASB
And remember that it’s not enough to just believe, we have to act upon our
belief in faith, which is another way of saying that we keep the Lord’s
commandments in everything we do and say.
This is the way of a good shepherd of God’s creation.
Amen.
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