Published on
February 24, 2011
This sermon emphasizes that Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd always guides us on his paths.

View a worship service outline based on this passage

  1. A valuable and important technique in series preaching is that a sermon must be linked with the previous sermon(s) as it begins. Therefore, near the beginning of this one a link should be drawn with the thought of the Shepherd's care from sermon #1 and the invitation to rest in sermon #2.
  2. To enter the thought of this sermon, hearers must identify the need for choosing paths that are correct and right. Illustrations will help to identify the anxiety we feel when paths are not clear or correct choices are not made.
  3. The Bible's teaching on the Christian life describes numerous "paths" about which we make strategic choices: which religion to choose, our commitment to Jesus Christ, the spiritual disciplines we'll practice, moral behavior we'll follow, the vocation or calling that we'll answer. The faithful Christian life is shaped by the accumulation of correct choices. Even small deviations can have big consequences.
  4. The life of sheep illustrates this well. Sheep encounter many potential paths. Some are good; some are dangerous. But sheep cannot trust themselves to make wise choices, so they need a shepherd who has discernment-a master at reading paths, able to keep the sheep moving on the correct paths.
  5. In the New Testament, particularly in John 10, Jesus portrays himself as a reliable shepherd. He is committed to the welfare of his sheep, knows them by name, can identify thieves who would harm them, and knows the correct paths well. Jesus always guides us by his Word, his Spirit, and his daily discipline in our lives.
  6. Nearly all of us feel the tension between the shepherd's interest in leading us correctly and our own tendency to stray (accentuated by surrounding influences which distract us!). Our hope and confidence rests in the faithfulness of the Shepherd who is good!