Thank you, man. The Bible says he's able to do
exceeding abundant above all that we could ask
or think of him. That if we will give, he will
give back to us a good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, and running over. That before
we call out, he will answer, and while we are
yet speaking, he will hear. He can do anything
but fail. He goes before us in our tomorrows.
He has been all in our yesterdays, and he is
a very present help in time of need. How many
could stand and say, I would not have made it
if it had not been for the goodness of the Lord.
It was He that woke me up this morning. He put
my feet on the solid ground. He's put soundness
in my mind, breath in my lungs, a heart that
beats, a soul that is saved, a heaven that is
before me. How many could raise their hands and
testify and say, the Lord has been good to me
today. Amen. How good it is to be in the house
of the Lord today. And hope well it is good to
be back with you. I think it's been about four
or five years ago that I was here to preach.
And it is an honor to be back with you on this
Pastor Appreciation Sunday. And I know I don't
have to say it. I know you know it. You are blessed
with some of the finest and greatest pastors
there is anywhere in the world. Amen. And so
it is an honor to be here today. to celebrate
Pastor Cliff and Sister Kathy. And again, they
are the choicest, and as Brian said just a moment
ago, they are the very, very best among us. I
do have some nicknames for him. I won't run through
all of those today, but he's got more nicknames
than any other preacher I know. He obviously
leads our covenant group, and we take every chance
we get to express to him just how much we love
him, and sometimes that feels like a dagger in
the kidney. But we do appreciate and love him.
He has to put up with us on a weekly basis. But
he's the very best friend that I have. When I
first met him, I couldn't stand him. I had some
thoughts about him. I didn't like him. I saw
him only from a distance. And I had a conversation
with him. Still didn't know if I liked him. But
I got to know him a little bit more, but he has
become over the last, what, 12, 13 years that
we've been friends. I don't have a better friend
anywhere else in the world. If I'm going through
something, he's the first one I call. Rarely
do I make a weighty pastoral decision. That I
don't seek his counsel and his advice. We have
caught more crappie than I can care to count.
We've killed turkeys. We've chased ducks. We've
done about everything together. We've traveled
all over the country. And what you see is what
you get. He is a pastor's pastor. He is a friend's
friend. And Sister Kathy has been right by his
side. I don't know of a better couple. And they
are worthy of all of the honor and respect that
you all could pay to them today. Amen. Amen.
I love you, my friend. Appreciate you. So we're
going to go into the Word this morning. I know
him well enough that he's had enough attention
today, and he wants it. on the Lord and he wants
the Lord to bless you all today. I had a conversation
with him. He feels like I do. As a pastor, this
is one of the most awkward days that you will
have. You don't serve, you don't preach, you
don't give of yourself for attention. You do
it to see your people be edified and strengthened
and to grow in relationship with the Lord. And
so that's what we're going to do today. We're
going to preach the word. If you have your Bibles,
turn with me to the book of Ezekiel chapter 34.
We're going to begin in verse 1 and we're going
to go to verse 5. A message I've entitled, Shepherds
After His Heart. Shepherds After His Heart. You
may recognize that verse. It's found in the book
of Jeremiah. But as we read these verses that
are before us, we see a sad state. We see a sad
situation. The people are perishing. They're
being taken advantage of. They're being robbed
simply because there are no shepherds. Read with
me, if you will, at verse 1 of chapter 34. The
Bible says, The word came to me, the word of
the Lord, Son of Man. Prophesy against the shepherds
of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, even to
the shepherds, thus says the Lord God, O you
shepherds of Israel, you who have been feeding
yourselves, should not the shepherds feed the
sheep? You eat of the fat and you clothe yourselves
with the wool. You slaughter the fat ones, but
you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have
not strengthened, the sick you have not healed,
the injured you have not bound up. The strayed
you have not brought back. The lost you have
not sought. And with force and harshness you
have ruled them. And so in verse 5, the Bible
says, So they were scattered because there was
no shepherd. Father, I pray that you would add
blessing to your word. Lord, I know that there
is honor upon this house because there is an
honorable shepherd. There is one who seeks to
strengthen and feed and clothe and to seek after
the sheep of your pasture. That, Lord, he serves
as a shepherd of this congregation. And, Lord,
I pray that the most fruitful and most prosperous
years of this church and the ministry are before
them and not behind them. I pray over Sister
Kathy and Brother Cliff today that your hand,
your guiding light, anointing of the living God
would be upon them as they lead this church.
Father, as I stand behind this pulpit, I pray
that same anointing would be upon me, that the
unction of the Holy Ghost would guide my words.
May it go to enlarge your people and to spread
your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. And the church
said, amen and amen. You may be seated. A pastor
is called to be many things. A pastor is a...
He's a prophet. He's a guiding light. He comes
to lead and to guide the people of God. He's
a preacher who would lift up his voice and declare
the mysteries and the oracles and the deep things
of God. That just as deep calleth unto deep,
the preacher stands behind the pulpit and speaks
the unfathomable mysteries and wisdom of God.
He's a caretaker of souls. He is a counselor
to those who are troubled and in hard and difficult
times. But a pastor is only a pastor because
of the sheep that are before him. A pastor without
a sheep, a pastor without a congregation, a pastor
with no people is no pastor at all. You can take
the title if you would like, and you can call
yourself by any name if you so choose. But if
there are no people underneath your ministry,
or if there are none that are being strengthened
and edified by the work and the effort that you
are accomplishing, then you are no pastor. But
I say before you this morning that you are gifted
with true and genuine pastors. That as I look
out and I see this congregation on this beautiful
fall Sunday morning that the Lord has made. As
I have stood with you in this sanctuary and we
have worshipped the true and living God together.
As I have seen you lift holy hands to a holy
God. As I have felt the presence and known the
atmosphere of worship. here I can say with all
assurance and confidence that you are a people
of God because you have a pastor that has been
called and anointed of God amen I believe with
all of my heart that God has called and anointed
and equipped Kathy and Cliff to lead this church
and this congregation. In fact, I remember, I
told you this a few years ago when I came to
you. I remember the initial conversation that
I had with him pertaining this church. We were
in a duck blind out in Arkansas and he said,
I just cannot get the Hopewell church off of
my mind. He said, I drive by it occasionally.
You know where he was pastoring, one of the largest
churches in the state and one of the largest
churches in the denomination. You just don't
take the move that he made to leave what he left
to come here unless you are seeking the will
of God and not your own will. And I remember
that conversation. He said, I just feel as though
the Lord wants to do something there. I just
feel a burden in my heart that I can't escape.
I can't get away from. I believe the Lord is
calling me here. And so we stand here this morning,
hard to believe, seven years later. And I look
out at this beautiful congregation. And I know
all that the Lord has done these last years.
last seven years. And I say truthfully and assuredly,
it was the will of the Lord to bring them here
as your pastors, as your shepherds, and as your
leaders. Amen. In my conversations with them,
I know the love and the devotion that they have
for you. The concern that they have. The prayers
that they have prayed. And so I stand before
you this morning and I say they are worthy of
all honor and respect and devotion that you can
give to them. It is because they are not seeking
their own wheels. It is because they are not
seeking their own fame. It is because they are
not looking to be lifted. lifted up in the eyes
of man, that they are worthy of honor and devotion
and respect. If you believe that, shout amen
this morning. And so I want to talk about what
it means to be a shepherd. When we open up the
Bible and we find a man by the name of David,
David, that great colossal figure in the Old
Testament, they tell us that David had a mind
as brilliant as a kiss of sunlight upon clear
water. David, who was so gifted with words and
eloquence, who could write half of the book of
Psalms, and yet he was such a warrior that they
sang the songs of him. that Saul had killed his
thousands, but David his tens of thousands. But
yet if you wanted to know the true heart, essence
of who David was, he was a shepherd. That when
we first find David, he's on the backside of
his father's property, tending to the sheep.
David would say that the Lord had delivered the
lion and the bear into his hand, and therefore
when he stood in front of David, that bellowing
giant. He was unafraid and undeterred and unmoved.
And he said, you uncircumcised Philistine, you
shall be as one of them. Why was David so confident?
Why was he so assured that David the shepherd
knew ultimately that there was a shepherd that
was over him? Perhaps the most famous chapter
in all of the Bible. Certainly one of the most
famous chapters in the book of Psalms. Pinned
by the hand of David himself. David would say
those wonderful words. The Lord is my shepherd
and I shall not want. If a pastor is to succeed.
If a pastor is to do well. He must understand
and recognize first and foremost. as an under
-shepherd of the great shepherd himself, that
there is one above us and one that goes before
us and one that leads us. Amen? The word pastor
comes from the Latin translated from shepherd.
That's the true meaning of a pastor. It means
a shepherd, one who would take care of the flock
and tend to the sheep. But we live in a day and
age. We live in a time in which pastors want
to be referred to by many different titles. Some
pastors want to be known as leaders. Others view
themselves as CEOs of the ecclesiastical world.
Others view themselves as visionaries or directors
or encouragers or inspirational or merely motivational
speakers. Can I tell you this morning? of God's
pastor, the members of a congregation, the ecclesiastical
body and mystical body of Jesus Christ. We don't
need CEOs. We don't need motivational speakers.
We don't need some little one, two, three inspirational
talk. We need men who will stand behind the pulpit
of God and preach the word. We need shepherds.
who will lead us into the truth and blessing
and promise of Almighty God. And I can't help
but wonder in this day and age with all of our
descriptions and all of our expectations, if
we have not missed the role of a shepherd in
all of the titles that are laid down at the church's
feet, I wonder how many truly like being called
a pastor or a shepherd. We want to have... some
other title ascribed to us because we want to
be higher than we really are. Can I tell you,
a pastor is the lowest office in the church.
We're servants. We are not here to be served
but rather to serve. And if I can tell you something
about this couple right here, again, they're
not here for their own sake. They are here for
the sake of the body of Christ. They are here
to serve you and to minister to you and to lead
you. To make sure that you lie down in pastures
of green and you sit beside still waters. To
make sure that your heads are anointed with oil
and your cup is running over. That even in the
midst of your enemies, the Lord might bless you
and prosper you and keep you. I know this couple
and they love me. love the title of pastor. They
love the title of shepherd. They are servants
to the people and the body of God. Amen? And
so that was the promise of Scripture. The Lord
said, I'll raise up shepherds after my own heart.
That's the role of a pastor. That's the role
of a preacher, to be a shepherd and his congregation,
the flock. Again, I say sheep don't need CEOs.
They don't need directors. They don't need encouragers.
They need shepherds who will preach the truth
of God's Word. That this Word is sharper than
a two -edged sword. The Bible says that it's
able to separate even soul from spirit and bone
from marrow. It's able to separate and to divide
us. That it's able to see and penetrate even
into the deep recesses of our heart. We need
preachers who will stand behind the pulpit and
say that there is a hell to shun and that there
is a heaven to gain. That there is such a thing
called... And there is needed repentance in the
body of Christ. There is a call to holiness.
That without holiness no man shall see the Lord.
That there is a righteous standard for the people
of God. Sometimes the preacher might come after
you with a rod. And sometimes it might be a staff.
He might come to you in love and encouragement
and uplifting. Words may cut to the very core
of who you are, but can I tell you this world
is not our home. We started out with that song
this morning. Do we not still believe that Jesus
is coming? One glorious day in the clouds that
is lightning flashes, even from the east unto
the west, that at the trump of God, the voice
of the archangel, the Lord himself shall descend
with a shout. we which are alive and remain shall
be called up to meet the Lord, that we who are
alive in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
that this corruption shall put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall put on immortality, that
death shall be swallowed up in victory forever.
Do we not believe that there is a foundation,
a building not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens? Jesus said you believe. Believe in God.
Believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for
you that where I am, there you may be also. Can
I tell you, you won't get to heaven by your good
works. You won't get to heaven by righteous deeds.
You will only get to heaven by the shed blood
of Jesus Christ. By grace are you saved and not
of yourselves. It is a gift of Christ. God, you
need a preacher who will still tell you that
hell is hot and heaven is sweet. Repent for the
kingdom of God is at hand. Thank God for a preacher
who will stand with a backbone and shoulders
squared and declare the infallible, inerrant,
eternal word of God. Amen. Heaven and earth shall
pass away. But the word of the Lord shall endure
forever. To preach his word. To be entrusted
with his word. What a calling that is. That's
what it means to be a pastor. To be called. You
didn't call yourself Cliff. The Lord called you.
You didn't choose to go anywhere. The Lord ordered
and directed your steps. He's here because He
has put His ear to the lips of Almighty God and
said, Here I am, Lord. Send me. Oh, to have preachers
and pastors such as that. Why do we need them?
Because it is the law of average. That I don't
know your stories here this morning, but I could
say unequivocally, And without a doubt that there
are here this morning marriages that are crumbling.
There's some of you here today that have wayward
children. Some of you have or know people who
are being destroyed by addictive substances,
whether it's alcohol or cigarettes or drugs.
Some of you here today are weighed down with
the burdens and cares of life, stress that is
overwhelming. financial woes that are collapsing,
depression that is defeating. Some of you here
today, it was all you could do to get dressed,
to brush your teeth, and to walk out the door,
and to walk in these doors. You're here simply
running on fumes. You've given everything you
know to give. You're hanging on by a thread.
Not much more to give. Ready to collapse and
give up. The signs of the Christian life are
all but void. You feel like anything but a conqueror
and an overcomer. You hear those words of Paul
in Romans chapter 8 that you're more than conquerors.
And yet you feel conquered today. You feel overwhelmed.
We have sheep here today who are in danger of
being lost. And so you need a shepherd who would
come along. A shepherd who cares enough to correct
you. A shepherd who cares enough to feed you.
A shepherd who cares enough to encourage you
and to tell you the truth. Because when we look
out at our world, I see no shepherds in politics.
But I expect that. As I turn on the 5 o 'clock
or the 6 o 'clock or the 10 o 'clock news. There's
no shepherds there. They're just talking heads.
When we go into our schools and we look at our
elementaries and our middle school and high schools
and our schools of higher learning, we don't
see shepherds there either. We see the innocence
of our children, of our young people being taken
every single day. And my wife's a teacher, by
the way. I'm not knocking at teachers, but we
live in a day that they're no longer institutions
of learning, but we see the indoctrination and
we see the turning of their little hearts and
minds. There are no shepherds there, but I expect
that. As we go into the courthouses and we see
the judge, your honor, and we all rise for him.
He's a judge, but he's not a shepherd. In no
other avenue, in no other place, no other institution
or congregation or building are there shepherds
except for in the church. It is in the church
that we are called to have a shepherd and a pastor.
And how sad it is that many have abdicated that
responsibility and that calling. But how blessed
you are that you have a shepherd this morning
who understands that there are people or sheep
who need to be fed. And minister to and clothe
with the good news and the words and the grace
and the mercy and the love and the compassion
and the eternalness of God himself. That inside
of this house and this building there is something
that is deposited in your soul that nothing else
in the world can give to you. Amen. The Bible
says. We, like sheep, have gone astray, and therefore
we need shepherds to bring us back in. We live
in a day and age in which sin is no longer called
sin, and because we no longer have a word to
define it, we no longer have a solution to provide.
We live in a day and age in which sheep no longer
think themselves broken, and because they no
longer see themselves broken, they no longer
think that they need to be fixed. We live in
a day and age that we will allow any prescription,
any feel -good to soothe our ills and to calm
our minds, and yet we will now never allow the
peace and the presence that passes all understanding
to give us comfort. You know, I marvel at those
words of Paul. Paul said, be anxious for nothing
in everything. Give thanks unto the Lord. Rejoice
always. And again, I say rejoice. I look back
over the saints of God. I'm a third generation
church of God preacher. My grandfather was a
preacher. My uncle is a preacher. I've grown
up in the church all of my life. I can remember
those saints of old. I remember those services
of yesterday. I remember my grandfather grew
up in a house with a dirt floor. It was a one
-room shack. He grew up working the coal mines
of Marion County. They didn't have much. They
weren't afforded all of the luxuries and the
affluence of life. They were not wealthy by any
means, not in the terms of this world, but there
was a blessing that they had. There was a richness
of soul that could not be taken away. There was
something deposited down deep on the inside of
them. They understood that there was a God that
watched over and kept to make sure that they
were taken care of. In fact, one of the stories
I remember most in that little church on Orm
Mountain was an old sister by the name of Sister
Maggie Nunley. was getting ready to close its
doors. They didn't have a lot in terms of finances.
And so my grandfather told me the story. She
gave her last dime that would have been a lot
of money back in the late 30s and the early 40s.
She gave a dime into the offering plate. It was
the last dime that she had. And my grandfather
told me the story that when she went home that
afternoon and she was working in the garden,
We often wonder, how is the Lord going to do
it? I heard that as Brian declared that... promise
and that prayer over you as you gave this morning,
that as you give, the Lord would provide resources,
that he'd open up the windows of heaven, that
money would chase you down, that blessings of
God would be upon you. I don't know how it works.
I don't have an explanation for it. There's no
mathematical formula. I guess it's like Malachi
said, he'll open up the windows of heaven and
pour you down a blessing. that you cannot contain.
He's able to do it all. He owns the cattle on
a thousand hills, and He owns the hills thereof.
You need to be told that this world is not our
home, but there is a God that watches over us
and guides us every single day. We live in this
old wilderness. We call earth, that there is
a hope and a promise that it... to come. Amen.
Hallelujah. We live in a day and age in which
there are ravenous wolves. There's wayward goats.
There's lions and bears that would do us harm.
And so we need a shepherd to protect us. The
Bible tells us in the last days there would be
such a growth of evil and hostility to the true
faith. that eventually would permeate even into
the church, that there would be a departing from
the faith, a turning unto man -made philosophies,
and that if it were even possible that it might
deceive the elect, that sheep themselves would
turn away. That's why you need a shepherd. And
the only kind of answer to this problem is that
your shepherd, of which you have a good one,
That he might understand and know which he does.
That there is another shepherd that he is pointing
unto. What was it that Paul said to the church
at Thessalonica? What was it that he declared
to them? He said, you are my hope and my joy,
my promise before the Lord. He said, he that
hath the bride is the bridegroom, John declared.
John the Baptist said, I'm not him. I just came
to point to him. I just came to show you who
he is. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom,
but the friend of the bridegroom standeth and
waiteth and rejoiceth greatly at the sound of
his voice. I'm thankful that you have a pastor
this morning that puts his ear to heaven and
says, Lord, where are you leading us today? song
a moment ago. He understands that that cloud
that covers by day, it leads him. And that fire
that burns at night, it's a guiding light. He
understands that the words that he declares and
speaks are not his own. That there is an anointing
of God that blesses and touches and gives life
to his words. Amen. I don't know what it is about
being a preacher, but I've had enough conversations
with him, and I've had them myself, that on the
Sundays you feel like you've preached the worst
sermon in your life, you'll have people come
up and say, Pastor, that was the greatest thing
that I've ever heard. You're trying to drag yourself
out of here and say, Lord, if you could just
turn back the clock and the hand of time and
let me redo that. I stumbled all over myself.
It didn't make sense to me. I don't know how
it made sense to them. And yet they'll come up
to you and say, that was the greatest message.
That blessed me. I got more out of that than
I've gotten in the last six months. And we're
scratching our head trying to figure it out.
But yet on those Sundays where we feel like we
hit all. points that we had and we quoted every
facet of scripture and we're dripping sweat and
we feel like we've left a lung on the altar.
Nobody will say anything. Can I tell you there's
a reason that happens? It's the foolishness of
preaching. It's not in the efforts of man. It's
in the efforts of God. There is an anointing
on the preacher. There is an anointing on the
pulpit. There is an anointing. on the pastor,
that he takes dead words from a dead man, but
he touches the lips and gives life and ability
to penetrate into the darkest soul and darkest
heart and cause life to spring out of it. There
is a great mystery, and that mystery is God himself.
Amen. Paul said, without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. Apart from him, your
pastor can do nothing. Apart from him, the church
can do nothing. We recognize that he is the chief
shepherd. He's the bishop of our souls. He's
the captain of our salvation. Of all of the accolades,
I don't know how much time I've got left. 1152.
If I was at home, I'd have eight minutes left
this morning. I know your preacher's a little
longer winded than I am. He's probably just getting
wound up right now. I always get on to him. Let
your people go. Be like Moses. Stand before him.
I'm going to let you go today. I know you're
trying to beat the Baptist. Well, actually, you've
got food back here. But most Sundays you're trying
to beat the Baptist down the road or the Presbyterians
or somewhere. And he just keeps trying to force
things. you and give you more and more and more.
You're saying, Pastor, land the plane already.
We get the point. We know what you're trying
to say. He goes past that 45 minute mark and
it's knocking on an hour every Sunday. I'm trying
to get done in about 25 or 30 minutes. I'm not
your pastor this morning, but I'm speaking to
his heart. Cliff, let him go a little earlier
every Sunday. My grandfather used to say, go
ahead, yeah. this morning. My grandfather used
to say, he said, I'd rather them say, man, I
wish he'd given us a little bit more than to
hear them say, I wish he'd shut up already. I
don't know what y 'all say to him this morning,
but he goes about 10 or 15 minutes just telling
me what he preached to you on Sunday. And that's
just the cliff notes. He does. I'm trying to
be good. Oh, you need a pastor. And you have
a pastor that points to the true shepherd. He
understands that Jesus is the one. They're not
here for their own fame. They're here for the
fame of Jesus. That your life, that you might
be a living epistle read about by men. That everywhere
you go, he might be proud for you to say, I'm
a member of the Hopewell Church of God. I don't
know if y 'all have tags on your cars or bumper
stickers. I won't let my people have them, but
maybe you have them this morning. I hope that
he would be proud of you everywhere that you
went, that he would say, those are my people,
those are my members, that you would carry yourself
because you have a shepherd who has carried you
to the feet of Jesus and laid you at the cross
of Christ, that he understands that he's not
smart enough, he's not strong enough. He's not
good enough, but glory to God, there's one who
is. That by his stripes we are healed. He's able
to do all things. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forevermore. Amen. Would you stand with me
this morning? I'm not going to read all of this,
but I want to close with these remarks. For some
of you, this is not new material. That back in
the 40s and the 50s, there was a man by the name
of Oral Roberts, and you might have your opinions
of him. But he preached a sermon, and the end
of the sermon, he talked about the fourth man.
You sang about it a moment ago. And when he got
to the fourth man in the fiery furnace, he would
ask that question, who is that fourth man? If
I could change that question just a little bit,
and I won't go through all of it, I would like
to ask the question, who ultimately is your shepherd?
If we were to open up in the book of Genesis,
we would find that he is the seed of the woman.
If we go into Exodus, he's the Passover lamb.
If we go into Leviticus, he's the high priest.
In Numbers, he's the pillar of cloud by day and
the pillar of fire by night. In Deuteronomy,
he's the prophet like unto Moses. In Joshua,
he's the captain of our salvation. In Judges,
he's the judge and lawgiver. In Ruth, he's our
kinsman redeemer. If I could go a little bit
further into the book of Psalms, he's that tower
and refuge. He's the one in whose shadow we hide.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, he's our wisdom.
In Song of Solomon, he's the lover of our soul,
our bridegroom. In Isaiah, he's the prince of
peace, the wonderful counselor, the mighty God.
Everlasting Father. In Jeremiah, he's the righteous
branch. In limitations, he's the weeping prophet.
In Ezekiel, he's the wonderful four -faced man.
And in Daniel, he's the fourth man in life's
fiery furnaces who ultimately is your shepherd.
In Hosea, he's the faithful husband. In Joel,
he's the baptizer with Holy Ghost and fire. In
Amos, he's our burden bearer. In Obadiah, he's
mighty to save. If I could go over into the New
Testament and we were to open up into the book
of Matthew, we would find that he is the Messiah,
the one who was to come. In Mark, he's the wonder
worker. In Luke, he is the son of man. In John,
he's the word that became flesh and dwelt among
us. In Acts, he is the spirit baptizer. In Romans,
he is the justifier. In 1 and 2 Corinthians,
he's our sanctifier. In Galatians, he's the redeemer
and the curse from the law. In Ephesians, he
is the Christ of unsearchable riches. In Philippians,
he is the God who supplies all of our needs.
In Colossians, he is the fullness of the Godhead
dwelling bodily. In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, he
is our soon coming king. In 1 and 2 Timothy,
he is the mediator between Between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus. In Titus, he's our faithful
pastor. In Philemon, he's the friend that sticks
closer than a brother. In Hebrews, he is the
better blood of the everlasting covenant. In
James, he's the great physician and the prayer
that heals and saves the sick. In 1 and 2 Peter,
he's the chief shepherd who shall appear with
the crown of... unfading glory. In 1 and 2 and
3 John, he is love himself made manifest and
bodily before us. In Jude, he is the Lord coming
with 10 ,000 of his saints. And in Revelation,
he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Amen. Who is your shepherd? He's Abel's sacrifice.
He's Noah's rainbow. He's Abraham's ram. He's
Isaac's well. He's Jacob's scepter. Moses' rod.
Joshua's sun and moon that stood still. He's
Elijah's mantle. Elisha's staff. Gideon's fleece.
Samuel's horn of oil. David's slingshot. Isaiah's
anointment. Hezekiah's sundial. Daniel's visions.
Amos' birth. Malachi's son of righteousness who
is your shepherd. He's Peter's shadow. Stephen's
signs and wonders. He's Paul's handkerchiefs
and aprons. And he's John's pearly white city
who ultimately is your shepherd. He's a father
to the orphan, a husband to the widow, to the
traveler in the night. He's the bright and morning
star to those who walk in the lonesome. He's
the lily that is found. He's the rose of Sharon,
the honey in the rock. He's the brightness of
God's glory, the express image of his person.
He's the king of glory, the pearl of great price,
the rock in a weary land, the cup that runs over,
the rod and staff that comfort, and the government
rests upon his shoulders, and there shall be
no more. Who is your shepherd ultimately? He
is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the living God,
conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin
Mary. He is God of God and light of light and
very God of very God. He is begotten and not
made. He is the Word that became flesh and without
Him nothing was made which has been made. He
has all of the preeminence and honor and glory.
There is no other name given under heaven but
the name of Jesus whereby we might be saved.
Who is your shepherd? He is faithful and true.
He is the promise that holds. He's that sure
and solid foundation. I'm thankful, church, that
you have a pastor that points to the true shepherd.
the chief shepherd, the bishop of your souls.
He understands that there is one who can do anything
but fail, the one who can minister and touch
and heal the people of God. Jesus is my shepherd.
He's your shepherd, and he's your pastor's shepherd.
We're the sheep of his pasture, and how blessed
you are that you have a pastoral couple. That
points to him every single week. He's not up
here for the name of Clifford Waters. He just
assumed to hide behind this pulpit and set forth
the glorious person of Jesus. That's what makes
them a good pastoral couple. They are servants.
What did the Bible say? What were the words of
Jesus? When we get to heaven and he shall say
to us, not well done. Good and faithful whatever
title. Good and faithful servant. A servant of
the Lord. A minister to God's people. A shepherd
to the flock. Cliff, Kathy, I don't want to embarrass
you this morning, but here's what I'd like to
do. I'd like for you guys to come and stand and
face this congregation. Seven years that they
have been here. If you're one of those numbers
people. That's the number of perfection. Number
of completion. Seven wonderful, great years.
And look around at all that the Lord has done.
All that He's blessed you. And can I tell you
His heart? The secrets of His heart? He's not
done. Not even close to done. The conversations
I still have, there's still more to do. There's
still more work. There's still more people to
reach. There's still wayward children. There's
still lost sons and daughters. There's still
sheep that need to come in and be fed. There
are still the naked that need to be clothed and
the hungry that need to be fed and the thirsty
that need drink. Their passion has not waned
one bit in seven years. And so here's what I'd
like to do as an altar call. I'd like for all
of the leadership of this church, whatever it
looks like, to come and stand closest to them.
And then all that would to gather on the outside
of them. Every retired minister, I know you've
got a bunch here this morning. Every retired
minister that would to come and gather around
this couple. And all of this congregation and
all of this body to gather around and help us
lay hands upon them. and pray for a greater anointing,
greater vision, greater passion, and greater
ministry than they've ever known. I believe that
the best is yet to come for this church as the
Lord leads this couple. If you love them and
you believe in them this morning, would you come?
If you're not able to come, stretch your hand
this way and help us pray.