I read a story the other day id never heard before about Abraham Lincoln. He was surprised one day when a rough looking man drew a revolver and put it right in his face. Trying to remain as calm as he could Lincoln simply asked the man, “What seems to be the matter?” The stranger replied, “Well some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than I am I’d shoot him right on the spot.” Lincoln smiled and said, “Well then please shoot me for if I’m an uglier man than you are I don't want to live.”

If you are normal and in a normal frame of mind you don't want to just live life you want to live a life worth living. The reason why people commit suicide is because they have convinced themselves that for whatever the reason their life is no longer worth living. Well I make no apologies when I say to you I want my life to be worth living and when it’s over I want it to be well lived.

One of the things that I hear so often about people and from people is they’re “Trying to find themselves”. Some of you are married to a person who’s never found themselves. You have a son or a daughter that’s trying to find themselves or maybe deep down you know you’re trying to find yourself.

We’re in a series simply called “Seven”. We’re learning Jesus’ answer to a question that He asks His own disciples on more than one occasion and is asking you today. “Who do you think that I am”? And rather than let us guess or simply give our own opinion He identifies Himself. John who wrote the fourth gospel records seven “I am” sayings of Jesus never found anywhere else in scripture. In these statements Jesus clearly describes exactly who He is. But amazingly He doesn't use it with titles or names He does it by using metaphors. We’ve learned so far He’s described Himself as The Bread Of Life, The Light Of The World, The Door. But today He’s going to describe Himself in such a way that not only tells us something about who He is but it tells all of us the one thing we need to know about ourselves if we’re truly going to find ourselves. [Turn to John 10] The way Jesus is going to describe Himself to me is one of the most encouraging, strengthening, and comforting statements in the entire bible. Listen to these simple five words.

“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, ESV)

Now there’s one thing that a shepherd must have if he’s going to be a shepherd. What is that? Sheep. Well we know who the shepherd is because he’s already told us. Then who are the sheep? You got it. We are.

You will never understand yourself fully. You will never find yourself completely until you begin to see yourself the way you really are. And that is as a sheep. Sheep are mentioned in the bible over 300 times more than any other animal. And when God looks at us He looks at us through shepherds eyes. He sees us for what we are, as sheep.

No one questions that the greatest Psalm ever written is the 23rd Psalm. In that Psalm David is talking just like a sheep. When he says, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1, NASB)

Over and over and over in the bible we are compared to sheep.

Now I hate to break the news to you, but that’s not very flattering. For one reason, you won’t find a dumber animal than a sheep. You can train dogs, you can train cats, you can even train fleas, but you’ll never go to a circus to see a trained sheep.

They have poor eyesight, they have no common sense, left to their own they’ll walk into a stream and drown, they’ll walk over a cliff and die. And just as sheep is the one thing that makes a shepherd a shepherd, the one thing every sheep needs simply to survive is a good shepherd.

Now there’s one way we are different from sheep. Sheep are too dumb even to worry that they can’t take care of themselves, but we do worry. Especially when we confront situations that we can’t take care of. Especially when we’re put into circumstances where we can’t take care of ourselves. And I confess to you today the Achilles heel of my life is worry. My mom is a chronic worrier and that’s one of the traits she passed down to me.

Most of us are in the same boat. Most of us have worries and most of us do worry. As a matter of fact the person that just really irritates me is the person who says something like this, “I don't worry about anything, I just don’t let things bother me”. That person really worries me.

The one thing that will suck joy and contentment and peace out of life quicker than you think is worry, fear, anxiety, and concern. Now there is really only one of two things you can do with your worries, try to handle them yourself or let somebody else handle them for you.

One of my favorite stories is about a guy that was a major mega worrier. He worried about everything. He worried so much he developed all kinds of problems, nervous ticks, high blood pressure, sleepless nights. It was affecting his job, his marriage, his personal relationships. He was irritable with people and just wasn't very pleasant to be around.

Well one day he walked out of his house to go to work and he was whistling, singing, smiling, totally at peace. His neighbor saw him and could not believe the change that took place. He walked over to him and said, “Bob, I’ve never seen you like this. I’ve never seen you so happy, so joyful, so full of peace. You don't seem to worried about anything”. He replied, “I’m not”.

The neighbor said, “Well what happened? How did you do it?” Bob said, “I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all of my worrying for me”. The neighbor said, “Wow! What does somebody like that charge?” Bob said, “He charges a thousand dollars a day.” The neighbor said, “A thousand dollars a day? You don't have that kind of money and you can’t afford him. How are you going to pay him?” Bob said, “That’s his worry.”

Well either you do have or you have worries you can’t handle. The worry of a marriage that’s seemingly on the rocks, the worry of a teenager that’s headed down the wrong path, the worry of an illness that may not get better, the worry of finding yourself before it’s too late. I believe the good life is a life where you face your deepest fears, your darkest places, and your greatest worries with faith and not fear. And when you understand you're a helpless sheep, but you also understand that Jesus is The Good Shepherd then you’ll learn this lesson. Key Take Away: Sheep Need Not Fear When The Good Shepherd Is Near. What a good shepherd does for sheep Jesus does for us.

I. When I Am In the Dark God Will Guide Me Where I Need To Go

One of the things that fascinates me about Jesus is how He looked at people. When we look at people we tend to see nameless faces, bland personalities, a bunch of hang ups or hiccups, but when Jesus looked at people He saw them as sheep. But more specifically sheep that wandered around in the dark not knowing really where to go.

When you drive back to your neighborhood today, when you are in the middle of that disaster called Atlanta traffic tomorrow going to your office, the next time you go to a packed out movie house or a sold out sporting event think about this verse, “When he saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, ESV)

Do you know why a flock of sheep with no shepherd is so sad? Because sheep have no sense of direction. And without leadership they will just wander aimlessly. They’ll stray away from the flock, they’ll lose their way, they’ll walk right over a cliff without a second thought.

How many times have I heard people who have messed their lives up, destroyed their marriages, lost their jobs, went to prison, blew up every meaningful relationship they had, make these statements, “Somehow I just got off the wrong road.” “Somehow I just drifted away.” “I don't know why but I just wandered away from my roots.”

The reason why so many messed up people lived messed up lives is because they don't know where they are and they don't know how to get to where they need to go. So they just start wandering. Spouses wander away from their marriage. Children wander away from their parents. People walk off cliffs of drugs, alcohol, and materialism. Just like sheep, we need guidance, direction, and leadership.

Do you know the difference between a cowboy and a shepherd? A cowboy drives cattle but a shepherd leads sheep. Jesus speaks about a thief in verse 10 and He says, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10, ESV)

That thief is Satan and if you ever wonder if you’re headed in the right direction with your life or with the decision you’re about to make, remember this: the Shepherd will guide you to the right places, Satan will drive you to the wrong places.

There was a group of tourists in the Holy Land and they passed by a flock of sheep being driven into town. They were taking pictures and one of the tourists asked the guide this question, “I thought the shepherd led the sheep from the front, why is he in the back?” The guide said, “That’s not the shepherd, that’s the butcher.”

That’s the position Satan and sin always takes in your life. Driving you, shoving you from the rear with reminders of your past, giving you guilt, anxiety about the future, filling you with fear, uncertainties in the present, filling you with worry. You allow him, he’ll steal your joy, kill your love, and destroy your relationships. But Jesus will make you lie down in green pastures, He’ll lead you beside still waters.

II. When I’m In Difficulty God Will Get Me Where I Need To Be.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, ESV)

Now when Jesus says something once you need to hear it, but when He repeats it four times you better play close attention. He says four different times in these verses that He lays down His life for the sheep. That is what separates an ordinary shepherd from The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd guards his sheep even at the cost of His own life. He will pay any price to get the sheep where they need to be.

You see sheep are totally defenseless. I mean almost any other animal on earth can defend itself in some way. Dogs can bite, cats can claw, skunks can spray, but sheep can’t do anything. They need protection.

Contrary to what we may think we are totally defenseless against the difficulties of life. Recently I had dinner with one of our congressmen up in Washington D.C. He lives up in the area of North Georgia where the tornado came through just a few weeks ago. He pulled out his cell phone and showed me one of the most incredible pictures I’ve ever seen. It was a picture of the tornado that looked as if it was literally right behind the elementary school where two of his children attend. Miraculously the tornado went behind the school and did very little damage. But he remarked about what a helpless feeling that picture gave him knowing there was absolutely nothing he could have done at that moment to protect his children.

Regardless of position or possessions everyday we are all helpless against those unexpected tornados that come up in our lives. There simply is no defense against that drunk driver, that deranged killer, that demonic terrorist, or that deserting spouse. Just like sheep we all need a shepherd that can get us where we need to be.

Now keep something in mind about shepherds and sheep. Shepherds cannot keep sheep from difficulty. There are wolves and bears that want to devour the sheep, there’s bad weather, there’s ticks, fleas, insects that want to sicken the sheep and weaken the sheep. The shepherd does not guard the sheep from difficulty, he guards the sheep in difficulty. The shepherd cannot prevent sheep from coming into contact with bears or wolves, but the shepherd can protect the sheep when they do.

Why do you think Jesus calls himself “The Good Shepherd”? That word “Good” doesn't just mean “nice” or “effective”. It literally means “One of a kind, in a class all by itself.” Do you know what a good shepherd always does for the sheep? He always does what is best for the sheep and sometimes that includes allowing the sheep to go through difficulties, trouble, and tragedy.

But because Jesus is The Good Shepherd there is one thing we can always know: no problem that is before me is bigger than the Lord who is above me.

Jesus is The Good Shepherd who not only gave His life for the sheep, He came back from the dead to prove that if He can conquer death, He can conquer anything.

III. When I Am In Desperation God Will Get Me What I Need To Have.

Jesus tells one other thing that is true about a Good Shepherd, “I am The Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15, ESV)

Now in Scripture “To know” means much more than just to be able to identify a person by name. In bible language “To know” involves intimacy, the deepest understanding of another person. Shepherds did not just know their flock as a whole they knew their flock individually. They gave each sheep a name and they could call an individual sheep out of the fold. But those shepherds also knew the nature of each sheep. They knew the ones that were prone to wander, they knew the ones that were stubborn, they knew the ones that tended to get into trouble. The good Shepherd knows the needs of the sheep and knows exactly how, when, and where to meet those needs.

You know even though sheep are defenseless and dumb there is one thing about sheep that I really do admire. You know what that is? Sheep never worry. You will never see a worried, anxious sheep. You’ll never see a sheep losing wool over worry. You’ll never see a sheep nervously rubbing it’s hoofs together. You’ll never see a sheep sweat. You never see a sheep pacing back and forth. Sheep never worry as long as the shepherd is there.

Do you know why that is? Because they are born with a natural instinct to knowing that when they have the presence of the Shepherd beside them and the protection of the Shepherd around them he can handle anything that is thrown at them.

You take the biggest worry you’ve got in your life right now. Take the biggest concern in your life right now. Think about what you’re most desperate about right now and you remember this: The concern of the sheep is never greater than the care of the Shepherd.

There are two things that make a good shepherd a good shepherd. He always leads the sheep where they need to go and he always feeds the sheep what they need to have. And that’s why the good life is a life that follows Jesus. Because how much better can it get than knowing that when you are in the dark Jesus will guide you where you need to go. When you are in difficulty Jesus will get you where you need to be. And when you are in desperation Jesus will give you what you need to have.

What do you think the price would be for a car that was guaranteed to survive any accident? What price could you put on a plane that was guaranteed to survive any crash? How much would someone pay for a ship guaranteed never to sink under any circumstances? Well how do you put a price on following a shepherd who will guard you and guide you not only in this life but all the way to an eternity with God?

In bible days a shepherd who embarked on a long journey with a flock of sheep was considered successful if he arrived with more than 50% of the flock. And the reason is there were just so many dangers to the sheep such as disease, poisoned grass, bad water, wild animals. But that is why Jesus is the good one of a kind shepherd. Because when Jesus starts out with a hundred sheep he ends up with a hundred sheep. He doesn't lose one of them.

I realize there are some of you here today and Jesus is not your Good Shepherd because you are not a part of His flock. But you are exactly the people Jesus was talking to because He goes on to say, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10: 16, ESV)

You’re out there today wandering on your own aimless and helpless. You don't have to live life that way. You can come to The Good Shepherd. You can become a part of His flock. You can enjoy the good life. You know it’s not difficult for those of us who believe in Jesus to confess that He is The Good Shepherd. What’s really difficult is to confess that we’re sheep and desperately need a Shepherd.

So I close with this, sheep that refuse to follow a shepherd either get lost, they get hurt, or they get killed. The shepherd will lead the flock if they will follow Him. He will not drive the flock if they refuse. But if you’re ready to accept Jesus as your Shepherd He is ready to accept you as His sheep.