RESCUE BAPTIST CHURCH

In John 10:27, the Lord Jesus Christ claimed ownership to a certain group of people. He called them "My sheep." We need to carefully consider what this means. Not everyone is included in this group of people. Matter-of-fact, in the preceding verse God's Eternal Son, who spoke nothing but the truth, said this to some unbelieving Jews: "But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep." God's Holy Word plainly teaches that there are two classes of people: the sheep and the goats; the wheat and the tares; vessels of honor and vessels of wrath. God is not in the business of changing goats into sheep. God's people never were goats. Before the Holy Spirit delivers His people from the power of darkness, we ran with the goats and we acted like goats. But we were never goats. We were God's sheep who had gone astray. We were God's sheep who were lost, dead in trespasses and sins, spiritually deaf and spiritually blind. But we were still God's sheep. And the Creator of the whole universe, while He walked here on this earth clothed in human flesh, plainly referred to a group of people in John 10:27 as "My sheep" they belong to him because of a Divine Promise. They are promised to him by God the Father in the covenant of grace in eternity past. In John 10:29 the Lord Jesus Christ said, referring to His sheep, "My Father which gave them Me. In Ephesians 1:4 we read that God the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Most religous folks do not believe in the doctrine of unconditional election. But God's sheep do! We belong to Jesus Christ because we were given to him by God the Father. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ could call His people "My Sheep" because of Divine Payment. All of God's people are sinners saved by the grace of God. We rightly deserve God's wrath. But our wonderful representative walked on this earth in perfect obedience to God the Father. He kept the law perfectly to establish a righteousness for those who were given to Him by God the Father. But that wasn't enough. The Word of God says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die." The law of God had to be perfectly satisfied. Our Sovereign Saviour was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of those who were promised to Him by God the Father. He said, in John 10:15: "I lay down my life for the sheep." Not the goats- THE SHEEP! When Jesus Christ hung there on that cruel cross, God the Father punished Him for the sins of His sheep. 2 Cor. 5:21 says that God the father "made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Jesus Christ did not die to make it possible for His sheep to be saved if they will just do something to make what He did effectual. Jesus Christ paid the ransom price in full by the shedding of His precious blood. He did not make His sheep redeemable - HE REDEEMED HIS SHEEP! And the proof that God the Father accepted His substitutionary death lies in the fact that He has risen from the grave. He was delivered for our offences but was raised again for our justification. Moreover, Jesus Christ calls His people "My sheep" because of Divine Power. All those who were given to Him by God that Father shall come to Him by the sovereign, irresitible power of God the Holy Spirit. The good Shepherd has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Nothing can stop Him from bringing His sheep to Himself. He said, in John 10:27: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me." Have you heard His voice? If you're one of His sheep, you will!