Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

"I Have Other Sheep"

Zach Smith · April 13, 2024

John 10:16

sharonrpc.org/sermons/i-have-other-sheep

Summary

Billions of people remain in communities with little or no access to the gospel, making Christ's words about other sheep urgent for world missions.
Jesus owns sheep given to him by the Father from eternity, including people outside the historic Jewish fold and from every culture and nation.
The sheep are helpless to rescue themselves, but the obedient Son says he must bring them out of darkness and into salvation, union, hope, and good pasture.
Christ gathers his sheep through his Word spoken and read by human messengers whom he sends.
Human responsibility is real, but human disobedience cannot defeat God's purpose; if one servant remains silent, God can raise another instrument.
The promise that Christ's sheep will hear and heed his voice gives missionaries confidence without making the work easy or safe.
Jesus is gathering one flock under one shepherd from every tribe, language, culture, and social background.
The church should begin with children, families, and neighbors while maintaining an outward movement toward unreached peoples and difficult places.

How should the scale of gospel need among unreached peoples affect the church's priorities?
What does Jesus mean when he says that he already has sheep outside this fold?
How does the Father's gift of a people to the Son provide a foundation for missions?
Why must Christ himself bring lost sheep rather than merely invite them to rescue themselves?
How do sheep hear Christ's voice through Scripture and human messengers?
How can human responsibility be taken seriously without imagining that human failure can thwart God?
Which assumptions about culture or appearance make us overlook people whom Christ may call?
What local or global step would follow the Shepherd's outward mission?

Unreached people group: A distinct community with so little gospel presence that its members have limited access to a viable Christian witness.
Sheep: People who belong to Christ by the Father's gift and whom the Shepherd calls, saves, and gathers.
Fold: The protected enclosure used in Jesus' imagery for the historic covenant community from which he distinguishes other sheep.
Human instrumentality: God's use of ordinary human messengers to read, preach, and speak the Word through which Christ calls his people.
Effectual call: The Spirit-enabled hearing of Christ's voice that brings a sinner from darkness to repentant faith and obedience.
One flock: The united worldwide church gathered from diverse peoples under Jesus Christ, its one Shepherd.