S04-05 Bible for adults ‘Adult sermon’ Page 1 of 8 © Scripture Union 2005

‘Living life to the max’ … is a common goal. Numerous people claim to be able to help us achieve it. How do we determine who to listen to or accept direction from?

Christian discipleship … is all about who we offer our allegiance to. Three different sorts of people who try to gain our loyalty (John 10): Robbers Hired hands The good shepherd

‘Robbers’ (vs 1,5,8–10) Try to get our attention in sneaky ways. Are often violent. Force our loyalty. Ultimately their intention is destructive. Examples of ‘robbers’ in our society?

‘Hired hands’ (vs 3,12,13) May take care of us in the good times. When a crisis arises, their self-interest overrides their responsibility.  They desert  Leaving us to fend for ourselves Examples of ‘hired hands’ in our society?

‘Shepherd’/owner (vs 2–4,11,14–18) With us for the long haul. Ensures our best interests. Often at the expense of his own self-preservation. With whom bonding is mutual and not coerced. Examples of ‘shepherd-owners’ in our society? The unique ‘shepherd-owner’? Jesus.

Our choice: ‘Robbers’ and ‘hired hands’ Who may claim to have quick-fix solutions or ‘The good shepherd’ (Jesus) Who claimed to brings God’s perspective to life And uniquely demonstrated those claims in practice. Who is most committed to us? That’s the one we need to be most committed to.