The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-04-02
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTs FOR APRIL D.

Subject: Jesus the Good Shepherd,
John 1O:1-1S - Golden Text,
John fO:ff-Commit Verse o.
Commentary on the Lesson.
TINIE.-October 20 A. D. PLACE.
Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus the Door.
10. Anyone who seeks to get access
70 the sheep in any other way than
1y the door, |. e.. by Christ, is thief
md a robber. The sheep can always
ell the difference between the true
shepherd and the robber Tvs. 3, 4.
&c, 27l. Christ's sheep have six
CHARACTERISTICS: "a They know the
Shepherds voice ". A.. Every sheep
n the Fast. unless he is sick. recog-
1izes his shepherds voice as soon as
ne speaks. Every one Of Christ'5
sheep recognizes Chrlst's voice. The
rue sheen recognizes Chrlst's voice
1espite all the destructive critics.
(2) "The sheep hear His voice Tvs.
3, 27). They not only know it. they
heed It. This is one of the surest
.ests as to whether you are one Of
Thrists sheep Are you needing His
voice? (3) "The sheep follow him"
"a, 27). Wherever the sheen see the
shepherd going they will follow
Matt. 1920. The way may seem
lark and dangerous and difficult, but
hey follow him." (4) They know
not the voice of strangers" A true
sheep will not follow q Strange voice.
rhe voice may seem soft and sllvery.
It matters not, IL is not the voice of
the shepherd. Those "Chrlstians"
who are forever running off after
strangers, "just to hear what they
have to say" are not sheep. t5)
"a stranger will they not follow"
Evidently many professed Christians
, are not sheep. (6l They will flee
from him." Jesus is also the door by
which the sheep pass in. To what is
.ie the door? 1) To salvation, by
Me If any man enter in he shall be
saved" This makes the way of sal
vation very plain and 3imple, just
pass right in by Jesus Christ. The
door is open to all, "any man"
Though man be The greatest of sim
ners the door stands open Il ri.
1:15). He is the only door (Acts
4:12). Neither the law. nor the
church. nor morality. nor baptism,
nor a creed is the door. II am the
door" This door was opened by His
atoning death Tvs. 10. IL; Gal. 3:l9:
Eph IL; Heb. 9:22). We enter it
by simple faith In Him (Rom. 1926.
r. "; 4:3, 5; Eph. 2:S; Acts 1898.
39). Any one who enters in by Jesus
Christ will be saved, no one else will
CD To liberty. shall go in and out. ="
The true acceptance of Jesus leads
not to life of fear and constraint,
but to the perfect liberty of child
(cf. Rom. S:15). CD To security.
This too is found in the ''go in and
out" The one who really enters by
4 Christ is eternally secure Tvs. %, 29).
ca To satisfaction, shall find pas
| ture." There is no such pasture for
| sheep in all the world as the one who
enters by Jesus finds. The pasture is
! fat" (Ez. 34:14 CT. lisa. 40:9, 10).
III. Jesus the Good Shepherd, TO-
10. But Jesus is not only the door.
He is the Shepherd also. "the Good
| Shepherd" False christs and leaders
had come claiming to be shepherds,
but really thieves and robbers. The
Pharisees were such. They came to
steal and kill and destroy" But
| Jesus mission was glorious. II came
| that they may have life, and may
| have it abundantly." ANY OF US then
may not only have life, but have life
exceeding" life beyond measure" ="
Have you this superabundant life!
| So many have such a thin thread of
| life. How abundantly we may have
| life appears in Jno. 1:15 (cf. Col.
1913; Col. 2:9, 10, r. "; Eph. 8 3:16-
| 19). Then comes that great declara-
tion, 81 am the Good Shepherd" Tho
! best exposition of those sweet words
| Is the one you will get upon your
| knees pondering them, turning them
| over and over, constantly looking to
| God to let you into their wealth OF
meaning. 1t is not only a wonder
| fully comforting thing that Jesus says
! here, 1t Is also an amazingly daring
one. In the Old Testament Jehovah
is the Good Shepherd (Ps. 23; lisa.
| 40:10, IL; Ez. 34:11-13). If we
| aspire to be true shepherds we
must be ready to do the same II
at the approach of danger we leave
the sheep and flee for our own safety
we are hirelings and not shepherds
(cf. Pet. 5:2). Jesus knows His
own and His own know Him even as
the Father knows Him ami He knows
the Father (R. W. Wonderful, who
can fathom that depth anu intimacy
of that knowledge? And there is life
and eternal security in it (Jno. 1913;
I'll. 2:19; 1:12). Ten great points
about the Good Shepherd: ID He
knows the sheep even as the Father
knoweth Him and He the Father
CD He is known by the sheep. (3)
Has personal interest In each sheer
and deals with 1t individually--calls
it by name ". 81. ca "Leadett
them out" (5) Thrust forth the lag
gard sheep ". ~. CO. Cverlooks
none, "all His own" w. 4, f. W
| Cd "Goeth before them" He ha.
trodden every step of the way tha
we must take. ,S) Careth for the
sheep ". 13). (9) "Layeth dowI
His life for the sheep" (vs. IL, 15)
(10) Giveth eternal and abundant lif,
to the sheep Tvs. 10, IS, 29). Jesu
has sheep outside OF Israel (v. 16)
When He has brought them they will
become one fold (Eph. 2:14, Is
Gal. 3:2S). II Is through hearin,
His voice that they are brought. TIL,
laying down of His life was per
fectly voluntary act on Jesus part
TINY WAS INSULTED.
A great elephant named Tiny re
Gently disturbed the orchestra at tn
Theatre de Varieties. at Beziers, Il
France, under exciting circumstances
The conductor offered him a carrot