October 15, 2016 - Church at Worship

Sermon: "When No One Cares" (All-Sufficient Savior Part 4 of 7) by Randy Roberts

Pastoral Welcome: Otis Coutsoumpos

Children’s Feature: Doug Mace

Scripture Reading: John 10:11-16, TNIV read by Dennis DeLote and Joy Gabriel-DeLote

Sermon Notes: If you have spent much time at all around church, you have heard that Jesus is the good shepherd. Or, if you have never really attended church, it is likely that somewhere you’ve driven past a church with a name like Good Shepherd Community Church. Or, if you’ve never even heard the name of Jesus, it is likely that somewhere you’ve run across a piece of artwork depicting a shepherd carrying a little lamb. In other words, the image of Jesus being a shepherd is a prolific one. While that image is drawn from various passages in the Bible, nowhere is it more present than in the simple words of Jesus, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). 

But what does it mean that Jesus is “the good shepherd”? After all, many of us (who knows? maybe most of us!) have never been around sheep. Never. We’ve seen them from the car window as we drive down a country lane. We’ve watched them in movies and TV shows. And we’ve heard about them when we come to church. But we’ve never been around them, and so we know nothing about them. And we likely know even less about shepherds. So when Jesus makes the claim, “I am the good shepherd,” it’s something of an enigma to us. What does it mean? It’s hard to care very much about something which we understand so little. 

So what if I were to suggest to you that His claim points to a specific way in which He can meet a deep need in our souls? Would it then matter more to you that Jesus is your good shepherd? Join me today as we probe this meaningful biblical metaphor. 

Randy Roberts

Senior pastor