YOUR FAITH - Part Five

"Your Faith Will Sustain You"

By Rob Bailes

We have heard many heroic stories of survival on TV and the internet and many times those who survived became well known through books or movies written about their experience. Why does the human species find this to be so fascinating, I wonder? Could it be that we are all looking for something that makes a man, woman or child appear above normal or maybe even seem supernatural?

Back in the days when Jesus was on the earth, there were situations that caused people to feel exactly the same way as we do today when we hear about a miraculous event taking place in someones life. That's right!

The Jews really believed that God spoke to Moses when he received the commandments and they believed that John was the prophet of God, BUT they had a hard time believing when it came to Jesus, saying that he was sent by the Father and that he and God the Father were one.

Some of the Jews saw nothing more than an ordinary man who was born of earthly parents! They didn't believe in the virgin Mary and the birth of the Messiah.

It was not enough that He had healed hundreds or possible thousands of people who had incurable diseases!
Just before the passage we are going to read, Jesus had put mud on the blind man's eyes and told him to go wash it off and when he did his eyes which were blind from birth had been made to see for the very first time! How would someone not see and believe that there was something amazing about this man whose name was Jesus?

I believe you will see as we read this passage, that it has allot to do with them knowing His voice and following only Him. We will see how much difference it will make to know His voice and to know who we follow and who cares for us. Let's read this passage together,

John 10:1-4
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
4 And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

The porter was someone that was put in charge of watching the door to the sheepfold, so that a stranger wouldn't be allowed to intrude while the Shepard was away. Their responsibility was to protect the fold from the thieves and robbers. There was only one door that the shepherd would enter by and the reason that his sheep would even follow him out of this door was because they had been taught to recognize their very own shepherd's voice.
So, by calling them, they knew to follow him and trust him to lead them; not into danger or into a place where they would not be fed, but rather to a place of safety and nourishment. You see, they had grown to trust, not just any shepherd, but their very own shepherd's voice! We see that the shepherd called the sheep and then we see that he also led them in verse three. As he leads them, he also speaks to them so that they will follow his voice in verse four.

Pretty awesome to get to learn a little about sheep farming as we learn about the teachings of Jesus here in the book of John, isn't it?

You might be asking yourself, "What is this going to teach me about my faith sustaining me?" and we are getting to that part right now! Let's look at some more of this passage together,

John 10:5 - And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

When someone who is deceitful comes along and tries to convince us to follow them and to convince us of who and what kind of person they are ; we usually get an uneasy feeling in our hearts and minds if it isn't of the Lord and we begin to feel our conscience telling us to be careful or to beware of this person.
That is exactly what Jesus is teaching us here and I know I have felt this way more than once! It's very important not to ignore this, lest we be led astray by those who would like to deceive or steal us away for some reason of their own desire or wishes. Don't brush this off if it happens, as we see that we will know our shepherd's voice and we will know if it isn't His voice according to verse five. Wouldn't you agree that this is a wonderful way for our Lord to sustain and keep us safe in His fold? Let's read on,

John 10:7-9
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

Now Jesus tells the Jews that He is the door of the sheep and that the sheep didn't hear the voice of those who were trying so desperately to steal them away! This is when He brings this example to a true to life reality for all of mankind in verse nine! Jesus said,"I am the door(to eternal life); by me if any man enters, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture"! Isn't that what the sheep need? They have the protection of the sheepfold , their trusting shepherd's voice to lead them and pastures that will keep them satisfied when they are hungry!

WOW! I think that's about all I could really ever wish for in this life and our Shepherd has it right there for all who have faith in God!

As you read on in this chapter, Jesus talks about the thief seeking to steel and kill and destroy, but Jesus comes to give life and that they may have it even more abundantly. This alone makes me just want to stop and start praising God for a while! Just think about this for a minute. Others who profess to be the shepherd of the sheep or who may attempt to convince us to place our lives in their hands will not give us life more abundantly, but rather reign with judgement and the condemnation of the laws that have been laid down by men! We must seek the true Shepard at the Door to the sheepfold and listen for His voice alone!

CONDEMNATION IS NOT WHAT OUR SHEPARD WANTS FOR US!

Jesus, as our good shepherd gave his life for the sheep. He isn't as one who is hired to care for the sheep. The hired man will run when the wolf comes and leave the sheep to be caught and scattered! This is what Jesus tells us in verses eleven and twelve! Read this about how much Jesus cares for all of his sheep and let it soak into your mind for a few minutes before going on.

John 10:11,12
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

People who go into a ministry for the wrong reasons, such as for the purpose of making a living, will not be there for the sheep, as only the true shepherd would be, to protect them. Do we know His voice today? Have we been approached by the thief or the wolf in times past? Be careful that you hear His voice and know that it is Jesus, the great Sheppard who calls you!

Jesus goes on to tell the Jews how their trust and faith in Him will sustain them for eternity with life that will never end! But I want to back up to one verse that applies particularly to the rest of the world and that would apply to you and I today. Please don't miss this! It is so important for all who are not Jews and this is what Jesus said to the Jews that day,

John 10:16 And other 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.

You see, even thousands of years ago, Jesus thought about you and I as His sheep and we are in His fold under ONE SHEPHERD! How much does this mean to us? It means eternal life for all men who by their faith in God believe in Jesus, who is the only Door to God the Father!

In coming to the close of part five of my series on "Your Faith"; I want to leave you with these verses in your minds from chapter ten of John. If you don't remember anything else, remember these words spoken by our Great Shepherd!

John 10:15-18
15 As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other 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.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man take it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Words of Wisdom

Some examples of how your faith will sustain you!

Matthew 16:9-10
9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Mar 6:37-42
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? 38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.


Mark 8:1-5
1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.