05-30-21 Kevin Goins - Who's Who in the Drama of Salvation

“Who’s Who in the Drama of Salvation”
John 10:1-10 
There are many times in life when we want to know who’s who.  We want to know who’s who when we go to a play, or a concert, or a baseball game.  When it comes to the drama of salvation, however, we must know who’s who so that we can make sure we are playing the part our Savior wants us to play and not the part the enemy wants us to play.  In John 10 Jesus tells a story which makes very clear who is who when it comes to the story of how the human race can be saved.                                      
I In John 10 Jesus mentions __________ major players or characters in the drama of salvation.

A. First mentioned is “the t________________,” who is also called “the robber,” and later “the s________________________ .”

B. Second, there is “the S____________________ of the sheep.”

C. Third, there is “the w_______________________________________.”

D. Fourth, there is “the g________________ for the sheep.”

E. Lastly, there are “the s_________________________.”

II We need to say three things about the story before we proceed:

 A. First, this  story is t__________________.

B. Second, this story sums up the history of the human d______________________, the history of our s____________________ predicament.

C. Third, this story is about the most important aspect of human life:  our r_______________________ with God.

III With all this in mind, let’s look at who’s who in the drama of salvation.  First, there is “the t___________________.”

 A. Why begin here?  Only one reason: this is where _________________ begins.

B. The story Jesus tells has a bad guy, but this bad guy is not just someone who steals f__________________ sheep.

IV The first thing we need to ask about the thieves is, ____________ are _____________? 

A. Prior to the sixteenth century, when Bibles were first divided into chapters and verses, n______ o_________ would have wondered who the thieves are in John 10.

-People would know, because in there Bible there would have no chapter b__________________ to separate chapter nine and ten.

B. Who appears in John 9 who is identified by Jesus in John 10 as thieves?  Clearly, it is the _________________________.

V The second thing we need to ask:  Is it only c___________________ that identifies the Pharisees as the thieves, or is there additional biblical evidence?

A. It turns out that this problem of the spiritual leaders of Israel being bad leaders appears t___________________________ the Bible.

B. What we see in all the biblical examples is that spiritual leaders are often tempted to a___________________________ those they lead.

VI The third thing we need to ask:  ___________ did the Pharisees act this way?

A. We sinful human beings have the idea that if anyone does what I do, then he or she is my c________________________________.  If anyone else does what I do and he or she is lifted up, that automatically l________________________ me.

B. The Pharisees loved s__________________________________.

C. When we resent another ministry’s success or growth, we become s_______________ b_______________________ in the drama of salvation.

VII In this story the Pharisees are the “thieves and robbers,” but a character in a story like this can represent _______________ than one person outside the story world.

A. The Pharisees were thieves, but the most depraved of all thieves is the one who comes o______________ to steal, kill, and destroy.

B. The presence of evil in our world has become so appallingly vicious that our best i______________________ explanations for it no longer satisfy.

C. The Bible tells us about the devil:

1. The Devil tries to steal our peace by overwhelming us with a______________________.

2. The devil’s mission is to kill, not just the body, but the _________________.

3. The devil seeks to destroy God’s c_____________________________.

D. The Bible says that the enemy, as formidable as he is, himself has an enemy, and his enemy is the S___________________________ who lays down his life for the sheep.