WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:05.059 Today, our text is going to be from John chapter 00:00:05.059 --> 00:00:08.339 10, but let us now pray. All glory be to you, 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:10.939 God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:13.900 Ghost. Make us ever mindful that we are the people 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:16.960 of the resurrection, and now there is no power 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:20.820 greater than your power, no power that can overthrow 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:24.079 your purpose and your kingdom. Help us to hear 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:27.519 and obey your voice. We humbly ask you now that 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.000 by your mercies and grace that you would make 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.740 the words of my mouth and the meditations of 00:00:32.740 --> 00:00:35.600 all our hearts acceptable in your sight. O Lord, 00:00:35.659 --> 00:00:38.439 our strength and nearest kinsman, Redeemer, Jesus 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:44.179 Christ. Amen. So here on this fourth Sunday of 00:00:44.179 --> 00:00:47.899 Easter, we're returning to a place where we're 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:50.560 reflecting back on what Christ said of himself 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.859 in John chapter 10. So as children of the resurrection, 00:00:55.179 --> 00:00:59.159 Let us now hear John chapter 10, beginning with 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:02.880 verse 1. Most assuredly I say to you, he who 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.560 does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.359 climbs up some other way, the same as a thief 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:12.000 and a robber. But he who enters the door is the 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.500 shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:18.159 opens and the sheep hear his voice. And he calls 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:21.040 his own sheep by name and leads them out. And 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:23.579 when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before 00:01:23.579 --> 00:01:26.780 them. and the sheep follow him, for they know 00:01:26.780 --> 00:01:30.439 his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:33.680 stranger, but will flee from him, for they do 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:37.159 not know the voice of strangers. Jesus used this 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:39.200 illustration, but they did not understand the 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:42.219 things which he had spoken to them. Then Jesus 00:01:42.219 --> 00:01:47.640 said to them, again, most assuredly, I say to 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:50.560 you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:55.370 came before me are thieves and robbers, but the 00:01:55.370 --> 00:01:58.409 sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:02.030 enters by me, he will be saved and will go out 00:02:02.030 --> 00:02:05.609 and find pasture. The thief does not come except 00:02:05.609 --> 00:02:10.129 to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:12.569 that they may have life and that they may have 00:02:12.569 --> 00:02:16.310 it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd, and 00:02:16.310 --> 00:02:18.930 the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 00:02:19.629 --> 00:02:22.580 These are the words of Almighty God. receive 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:26.120 them in your hearts. There are three things I 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:29.360 want you to take away from today. They are beginning 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:34.199 with this. We must know and follow Jesus' voice. 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:40.840 We must know and follow Jesus' voice. Number 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:45.120 two. All other voices deceitfully bring destruction 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:49.199 and death. All other voices deceitfully bring 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:55.620 destruction. and death and good pasture. You 00:02:55.620 --> 00:02:59.139 know that pasture where peace and joy and love 00:02:59.139 --> 00:03:05.060 is? Good pasture is only found in Jesus. Good 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:11.080 pasture is only found in Jesus. Last week we 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:14.979 were instructed by our text from Luke 24 about 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:17.939 the disciples traveling on the road to Emmaus. 00:03:18.270 --> 00:03:23.969 that they had their eyes restrained why for their 00:03:23.969 --> 00:03:27.849 certainty They have their eyes restrained for 00:03:27.849 --> 00:03:31.509 their certainty the certainty in Jesus revealed 00:03:31.509 --> 00:03:35.590 in His abiding presence and the breaking of the 00:03:35.590 --> 00:03:39.669 bread Now this begs the question of God's work 00:03:39.669 --> 00:03:42.830 for us in hard times where we cannot seem to 00:03:42.830 --> 00:03:47.180 have a clear path Does that happen to you? Sometimes 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:51.659 it's hard. What's the clear path? What do I do? 00:03:52.819 --> 00:03:56.479 Life often has uncertainties that God ordains 00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:02.479 for his people. In keeping with that, have you 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.020 ever wondered about the broader application to 00:04:05.020 --> 00:04:08.580 the church about Jeremiah 29 and 11? When I say 00:04:08.580 --> 00:04:09.919 this, you're probably going to say, oh, I know 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:12.759 that passage. I've heard it. Jeremiah 29 and 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:16.139 11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward 00:04:16.139 --> 00:04:19.779 you says Yahweh thoughts of peace and not of 00:04:19.779 --> 00:04:26.040 evil To give you a future and to hope And he 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:30.660 does all this in uncertain moments and times 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:36.579 Our passage today provides us with certain confidence 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:41.040 and assurance in Jesus Now in our passage we 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:45.629 can be certain of two things Two things we are 00:04:45.629 --> 00:04:52.569 sheep and we need the Good Shepherd So what do 00:04:52.569 --> 00:04:54.910 we know about sheep I suspect most of us don't 00:04:54.910 --> 00:04:58.430 know very much So you need to understand this 00:04:58.430 --> 00:05:00.889 that sheep and by the way, we're the sheep remember 00:05:00.889 --> 00:05:02.790 this we're coming through this we're the sheep 00:05:02.790 --> 00:05:09.529 sheep are dirty and smelly We cannot clean ourselves 00:05:09.529 --> 00:05:15.970 of our sins and offenses We need the good shepherd. 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:20.589 Sheep lack intelligence to be free. What I mean 00:05:20.589 --> 00:05:23.730 is this. If the shepherd were to be out in the 00:05:23.730 --> 00:05:27.829 field, and he was walking behind them, they'll 00:05:27.829 --> 00:05:30.149 be going along, and if they see what looks like 00:05:30.149 --> 00:05:32.649 a path, they'll start heading towards it. And 00:05:32.649 --> 00:05:34.589 they'll go down that path no matter where it 00:05:34.589 --> 00:05:39.649 leads, even if it's off of a cliff. Ask any shepherd. 00:05:44.139 --> 00:05:48.779 Sheep are defenseless They need to be protected 00:05:48.779 --> 00:05:52.879 from predatory animals Or those animals will 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:57.759 eat them We need God's protection we need the 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:03.860 Good Shepherd to avoid destruction Forth as one 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:09.920 commentator puts it Excuse me sheep are not only 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:14.759 dirty and not only not intelligent They're not 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.959 capable of defending themselves. We all agree 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:21.439 with that. So that's us. Remember that. But they 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:26.839 are also great complainers. If the shepherd comes 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.980 near the sheep, what do they do? They start bleeding. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.839 Help me. Fix this for me. Do this for me. Help 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:40.319 me. All about me. We too, as the sheep of God, 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:46.250 are great complainers. They are always bleeding 00:06:46.250 --> 00:06:49.829 and so are we because we want God to do something 00:06:49.829 --> 00:06:55.610 for us So God here, this is important here is 00:06:55.610 --> 00:06:59.230 not complimenting us when he refers to us as 00:06:59.230 --> 00:07:06.329 sheep That's kind of a reference point we've 00:07:06.329 --> 00:07:08.129 talked a little bit about sheep, but now we need 00:07:08.129 --> 00:07:12.029 to look at what things give us the framework 00:07:12.029 --> 00:07:15.629 for this passage. Our passage must be read in 00:07:15.629 --> 00:07:19.569 the context of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 34. 00:07:20.050 --> 00:07:23.550 Now, in the listing that I sent out last night 00:07:23.550 --> 00:07:27.089 with reference verses for you, I'm only going 00:07:27.089 --> 00:07:29.990 to read a couple of those verses in Ezekiel 34 00:07:29.990 --> 00:07:33.009 today. But I encourage you to go back and read 00:07:33.009 --> 00:07:38.779 all of Ezekiel 34 for a greater context. And 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:41.060 so again Ezekiel 34 says this, and the word of 00:07:41.060 --> 00:07:44.779 Yahweh came to me saying, son of man, prophesy 00:07:44.779 --> 00:07:47.920 against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:52.160 say to them, thus says Lord God to the shepherds, 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.439 woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.720 Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:01.860 eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:06.459 You slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed 00:08:06.459 --> 00:08:09.740 the flock. the weak you have not strengthened, 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:13.040 nor have you healed those who were sick, nor 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.100 bound up the broken, nor brought back what is 00:08:16.100 --> 00:08:20.220 driven away, nor sought what is lost. But with 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:24.220 force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they 00:08:24.220 --> 00:08:26.439 were scattered because there was no shepherd 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.879 and they became food for all the beasts of the 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.379 field when they were scattered. So here Israel 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:35.559 in the book of Ezekiel is being pointed out that 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:39.480 they are sheep. All the bad things, all the weaknesses 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:44.419 are exposed. And worse yet, the under -shepherds, 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:49.100 the shepherds that God has set for them, are 00:08:49.100 --> 00:08:51.200 just like the predators. They're eating them, 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:54.159 consuming them, using them for their own good. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:58.000 And so they are scattered and in need of a shepherd. 00:08:58.700 --> 00:09:02.360 Now at the end of Ezekiel 34, God says this himself. 00:09:03.340 --> 00:09:07.330 Therefore, I will save my flock. and they shall 00:09:07.330 --> 00:09:11.230 no longer be prey and I will judge between the 00:09:11.230 --> 00:09:14.009 sheep and the sheep and I will establish one 00:09:14.009 --> 00:09:17.549 shepherd over them and he shall feed the sheep 00:09:17.549 --> 00:09:21.090 my servant David he shall serve them and be their 00:09:21.090 --> 00:09:24.409 shepherd and I Yahweh will be their God and my 00:09:24.409 --> 00:09:28.649 servant David and a prince among them I Yahweh 00:09:28.649 --> 00:09:34.570 have spoken So here in John chapter 10 Jesus 00:09:34.570 --> 00:09:37.690 is the fulfillment and he is declaring himself 00:09:37.690 --> 00:09:43.429 the fulfillment of this prophecy in Ezekiel That 00:09:43.429 --> 00:09:48.210 is the context of where we're at Finally the 00:09:48.210 --> 00:09:50.789 third frame that we need to understand this passage 00:09:50.789 --> 00:09:54.029 is to realize that John chapter 8 through 10 00:09:54.029 --> 00:09:59.139 are connected right Again, I'm gonna admonish 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:01.039 you as you read the scriptures. Don't look at 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:05.080 the chapters and verses as breaks Sometimes it's 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:07.279 it's a paragraph here. It's it's it's a different 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:09.899 thought there and other places. It's a long stretch 00:10:09.899 --> 00:10:13.980 and here John chapters 8 through 10 are connected 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:16.980 First of all, we have two feasts that are in 00:10:16.980 --> 00:10:19.279 view that are being celebrated in the temple 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:24.570 in John 8 and 9 occurs during the Feast of the 00:10:24.570 --> 00:10:28.409 Tabernacles, where Jesus declares to the Pharisees, 00:10:28.450 --> 00:10:30.309 the scribes and the Pharisees, and he says they 00:10:30.309 --> 00:10:34.090 are his enemies. Jesus said to them in verse 00:10:34.090 --> 00:10:38.129 42 of John 8, if God were your father, you would 00:10:38.129 --> 00:10:40.830 love me, for I proceeded forth and came from 00:10:40.830 --> 00:10:45.450 God. Nor have I come of myself, but he sent me. 00:10:45.950 --> 00:10:51.519 Why don't you understand my speech? This is important. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.779 This is going to contrast this voices. We're 00:10:53.779 --> 00:10:58.220 hearing and he says this Jesus himself says because 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:01.580 You are not able to listen to my word now listen 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:05.080 isn't hearing. It's doing it's hearing it accepting 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:10.500 it believing it and doing it He now speaks in 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:15.740 grim judgment you are of your father the devil 00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:19.779 and the desires of your father you want to do 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.720 He was a murderer from the beginning and does 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.019 not stand in the truth because there is no truth 00:11:26.019 --> 00:11:30.559 in him When he speaks a lie he speaks from his 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:34.419 own resources For he is a liar and the father 00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:38.740 of it And now in chapter 10 this occurs several 00:11:38.740 --> 00:11:42.559 months later during the Feast of Dedication This 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.860 feast is the one that recalls the time of the 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:47.360 Lord's intervention in delivering the people 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:50.720 of God during the intertestamental times with 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.480 the Maccabees the Maccabees by God's what mighty 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:58.820 work Bring relief from their Greek oppressors 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:02.480 But more importantly in the crisis in the temple 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:04.820 when there's not enough oil to keep it going 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:07.659 see oil to make oil for burning is a process 00:12:09.289 --> 00:12:11.389 And they don't have enough to keep the lamps 00:12:11.389 --> 00:12:16.789 lit. And God causes the oil in the lamps not 00:12:16.789 --> 00:12:22.870 to run out until more oil is ready. So here, 00:12:23.009 --> 00:12:25.769 remember, Jesus is in the temple during the Feast 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:29.970 of the Lights in this passage. Jesus himself 00:12:29.970 --> 00:12:34.210 is illuminating. That is revealing not just himself, 00:12:35.110 --> 00:12:41.080 but his light exposes the enemies. God Jesus 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:44.740 motives are for his light to provide light and 00:12:44.740 --> 00:12:49.460 life to his people even though they are Simply 00:12:49.460 --> 00:12:54.659 dumb sheep in need of constant care Here in John 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:57.240 10 Jesus continues to shed the light that the 00:12:57.240 --> 00:12:59.879 scribes and Pharisees and most certainly the 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:04.320 chief priests Do not enter God's sheepfold properly 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.679 And of course it begins with most assuredly, 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:10.000 this is real important in the Old English and 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.600 in the Old King James, it says, verily, verily 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:16.039 I say unto you, that is actually a Greek translation 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:20.139 of amen, amen. It's twice, like it's saying, 00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:23.460 I'm telling you this, no, no, I'm telling you 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:29.120 that this is a true saying. Most assuredly I 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:31.639 say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:35.460 by the door but climbs up some other way. The 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.080 same as a thief and a robber, but he who enters 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:41.519 by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. You 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.139 see, these men, the Pharisees, the scribes, and 00:13:44.139 --> 00:13:46.460 the chief priests, have been given the privilege 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.559 to care for God's people, the sheep who belong 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:53.879 to God. Rather than care for the sheep, rather 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:56.919 than feed the sheep, these men who opposed Jesus 00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:01.100 were not motivated by God's motives. They rejected 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:04.980 all the miracles and teachings of Jesus because 00:14:04.970 --> 00:14:10.870 was they did not want to follow God's word. The 00:14:10.870 --> 00:14:14.509 words of men were of greater value to them than 00:14:14.509 --> 00:14:18.490 the words of God. Let me say that again. The 00:14:18.490 --> 00:14:21.549 words of men were of greater value to them than 00:14:21.549 --> 00:14:25.330 the words of God. They saw the words of God not 00:14:25.330 --> 00:14:29.830 as requirements to do justly, to love mercy, 00:14:30.289 --> 00:14:33.700 and to walk humbly with their God. but rather 00:14:33.700 --> 00:14:36.860 as a means to preserve their position on the 00:14:36.860 --> 00:14:40.179 backs of the people of God. They were thieves 00:14:40.179 --> 00:14:45.279 and robbers. They stole glory from God and robbed 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:48.399 the people of God by consuming not only what 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:54.379 the people of God were producing, but by the 00:14:54.379 --> 00:14:59.919 very eating of them. They ate the flesh of the 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:02.080 sheep, they just consumed them for their own 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:08.639 benefit. Now Paul describes such men in 2 Timothy 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:11.820 chapter 3 that says this, but know this that 00:15:11.820 --> 00:15:14.779 in the last days perilous times will come for 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:18.179 men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, 00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:23.179 boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to 00:15:23.179 --> 00:15:30.419 parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving. unforgiving, 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:34.820 slanderers, without self -control, brutal, despisers 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:42.179 of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:45.659 of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:49.039 a form of godliness but denying its power. This 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.840 is exactly what they were doing. They had a form 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:55.440 of godliness that they built themselves. What 00:15:55.440 --> 00:16:01.100 does Paul say? people turn away. For this sort 00:16:01.100 --> 00:16:04.100 are those who creep into households and make 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:07.139 captives of gullible women, loaded down with 00:16:07.139 --> 00:16:11.279 sins and led away by various lusts, always learning 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.340 and never able to come to the knowledge of the 00:16:13.340 --> 00:16:15.779 truth. By the way, man, you can be gullible too. 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:24.100 Now here, Jesus tells us that he enters the door. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.740 He is sent from the father to fulfill the promises 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:31.700 of the father to his sheep He says this to him 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:34.799 the door keeper opens That's God's open the door 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.019 and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his 00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:42.240 own sheep by name and leads them out And when 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.799 he brings out his sheep, he goes before them 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.740 and the sheep follow him for they know his voice 00:16:48.740 --> 00:16:51.799 You know, this is one of the most comforting 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:55.139 and assuring passages in Scripture The shepherd 00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:59.299 speaks and the sheep hear. The shepherd calls 00:16:59.299 --> 00:17:01.980 his own sheep by name. God knows your name. Children, 00:17:02.019 --> 00:17:05.759 look up here. God knows your name. He knows the 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:11.539 very count of hairs on your head. The shepherd 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:16.759 leads the sheep out. He goes before them. And 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:20.839 the sheep follow because they know his voice. 00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:29.000 voice. This is important. You need to read and 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:33.680 sing and hear God's Word, certainly here in church, 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.380 but you need to do it at home. Do it with the 00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:40.759 brothers and sisters. You need to pray, certainly 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:42.859 here at church, but at home and with your brothers 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:47.160 and sisters in various places. You need to listen 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:51.720 to your pastors and elders as under shepherds. 00:17:52.940 --> 00:17:56.980 You need to hear God's word. Know it. Believe 00:17:56.980 --> 00:18:01.440 it. Obey it. Follow it. Now Jesus now, he strongly 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.099 contrasts the opposing voices. Yet, Jesus says, 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:08.839 they will by no means follow a stranger, but 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:11.779 will flee from him, for they do not know the 00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:14.859 voice of strangers. And it says here, Jesus used 00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:17.319 this illustration, but they didn't understand 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:22.269 the things that were spoken to them. The Pharisees 00:18:22.269 --> 00:18:25.049 were so blinded by their own self -preserving 00:18:25.049 --> 00:18:27.789 motives that they could not understand that they 00:18:27.789 --> 00:18:31.390 were strangers. In their disobedience to God's 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.250 word, they had become, as Psalm 115 and Psalm 00:18:34.250 --> 00:18:39.690 135 points out, not only are idols deaf and dumb 00:18:39.690 --> 00:18:43.690 and blind, but now so are they. For Psalm 115 00:18:43.690 --> 00:18:48.029 and 135 says, thus those who make them are like 00:18:48.029 --> 00:18:51.259 them, idols. So everyone who trusts in them. 00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:57.220 So as you make your idols, so you become. And 00:18:57.220 --> 00:18:59.940 then Jesus says to them once again, most assuredly, 00:18:59.940 --> 00:19:02.740 remember, at that time it's a double, this is 00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:06.740 true. No, no, this is true. I am the door of 00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:10.140 the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:13.180 and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them. 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.940 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will 00:19:16.940 --> 00:19:21.720 be saved and go in and find. They go in and out 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:26.480 and find pasture. Jesus again in the most powerful 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:30.000 of ways declares that he is the only door for 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.059 the sheep. Jesus puts away any kind of thinking 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:38.019 that there is another way to the father. He said 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:43.319 that all others are thieves and robbers. Dearly 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:46.799 beloved, Jesus is declaring that there are only 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:53.220 two paths in life, two voices. His voice and 00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:58.380 all other voices all of them are from Satan and 00:19:58.380 --> 00:20:01.039 That they have come those voices have come to 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:09.119 steal and destroy Jesus is The only way to salvation 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:13.180 in life The Pharisees have become deaf dumb and 00:20:13.180 --> 00:20:17.619 blind in creating their own way Saints of God 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:22.900 there is No third way. We either follow the word 00:20:22.900 --> 00:20:28.380 of God unto life, or we follow Satan. And this 00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:34.180 is the way to death and destruction. The lesson 00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:38.400 and warning of the Pharisees is this. They sounded 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.759 like they knew God's word. They looked holy and 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:47.059 pious. They had special teachings supposedly 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:50.579 dedicated to God. but were based upon what they 00:20:50.579 --> 00:20:54.099 wanted to hear. They had scripture memorized, 00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:58.599 but did not obey God's word. They built a religious 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:04.299 life that excused sin for their convenience and 00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:11.180 for their benefit and profit. This path may look 00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:16.309 attractive and It might look like a good way, 00:21:16.329 --> 00:21:20.269 but it always leads to death and destruction. 00:21:21.650 --> 00:21:26.250 Many leaders, influencers and podcasters have 00:21:26.250 --> 00:21:33.289 many attractive things to say. They look and 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:38.710 sound good. They even make true statements. Dearly 00:21:38.710 --> 00:21:43.380 beloved, we think we're savvy. and that we wouldn't 00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:47.759 fall for lies and deceit. But we need to remember 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.039 that every effective lie has elements of the 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:55.160 truth woven in it. Otherwise, it is too absurd 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:58.720 to be believed. And of course, we think we know 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:01.779 better, especially today, when we have seen and 00:22:01.779 --> 00:22:06.880 experienced the absurdity of so many. And we've 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.099 seen that in the last five to 10 years. Absolute 00:22:10.099 --> 00:22:14.400 absurdity. And we say, well, if I can pick that 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:16.599 out, I'm not going to be deceived by another 00:22:16.599 --> 00:22:21.279 woman over here. After all, I know what a woman 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:25.759 is. I know that there's no gender fluidity. I 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:28.440 know that those sexual perversions are condemned 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:32.440 by God and are wrong. I don't believe the lies 00:22:32.440 --> 00:22:38.319 of scientism or prophets. In this day and age, 00:22:38.460 --> 00:22:42.640 we can easily too easily slip into a state of 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:47.059 pride arrogance and dishonor and dishonor to 00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:50.440 God and dishonor to the body of Christ Jesus 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:53.059 is the only way for the forgiveness of our sins 00:22:53.059 --> 00:22:55.380 and to enter into the kingdom of heaven that 00:22:55.380 --> 00:22:59.500 is the full of God's sheep We are called to listen 00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:04.200 to Jesus Not to the voice of a stranger Any voice 00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:08.819 that is not Jesus's voice is not the way to peace 00:23:10.569 --> 00:23:14.990 So what does the path and the voice of Jesus 00:23:14.990 --> 00:23:23.430 lead us to? Do you live justly, love mercy, and 00:23:23.430 --> 00:23:29.009 love humbly before your God? Do the voices you 00:23:29.009 --> 00:23:34.009 hear drive you to obey God's word? Does it drive 00:23:34.009 --> 00:23:38.259 you with humble gratitude to love mercy? to act 00:23:38.259 --> 00:23:44.259 justly and not for yourself. You see, acting 00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:51.500 justly, loving mercy, right, living humbly, that 00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:59.079 matters in your house with your wife, with your 00:23:59.079 --> 00:24:03.079 husband, with your children, towards your parents. 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:07.680 Are you hearing me now? Do you love? Do you live 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:13.660 justly so that they may benefit? Do you love 00:24:13.660 --> 00:24:17.539 mercy that they may benefit, even if it costs 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:20.500 you, even like Jesus, if you have to die for 00:24:20.500 --> 00:24:27.440 them? If you're listening to voices that are 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:30.960 not encouraging you in those things, stop listening 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:35.440 to them. Hear and obey God's word. Because remember, 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.940 is that the thief doesn't come except to steal 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:44.180 and to kill and to destroy. But Jesus says, I 00:24:44.180 --> 00:24:47.140 have come that they may have life and that they 00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:50.539 may have it more abundantly. Jesus came to give 00:24:50.539 --> 00:24:55.119 us life and to have it more abundantly. The triune 00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:00.240 God is not meager or stingy in his gifts. He 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:04.339 bestows all gifts that we may in turn share that 00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:11.299 abundance. with others. Are you sharing the abundance 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:18.359 with others? God's love, His forgiveness? Are 00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:21.519 you thankful? Are you full of gratitude? How 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:24.019 are you expressing that to your spouses, to your 00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:27.920 children, to your parents? How are you expressing 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:30.619 that to your brothers and sisters in Christ here 00:25:30.619 --> 00:25:37.470 and in the church more broadly? This passage 00:25:37.470 --> 00:25:42.470 concludes with a clear and wonderful assurance. 00:25:45.130 --> 00:25:49.029 All these voices, all these things. Coming back 00:25:49.029 --> 00:25:54.150 to Ezekiel 34, he says this, I am the good shepherd. 00:25:54.950 --> 00:25:58.470 And the good shepherd gives his life for the 00:25:58.470 --> 00:26:03.099 sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. we rejoice 00:26:03.099 --> 00:26:05.480 when we hear that the Good Shepherd gives his 00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:08.339 life for the sheep because we know that in the 00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:13.240 fulfillment of Isaiah 53 6 this is true all we 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:16.579 like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone 00:26:16.579 --> 00:26:21.140 to his own way and Yahweh has laid on him that's 00:26:21.140 --> 00:26:24.900 Jesus the iniquity of us all that is our sins 00:26:24.900 --> 00:26:29.799 Do you realize this promise and assurance in 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:34.670 Jesus doesn't make sense in our thinking. How 00:26:34.670 --> 00:26:38.829 are we to be led into green pastures and to that 00:26:38.829 --> 00:26:42.650 abundant and peaceful life? Well, it's through 00:26:42.650 --> 00:26:46.910 obedience of hearing the voice of Jesus. But 00:26:46.910 --> 00:26:51.309 what if obedience calls us for dying for others 00:26:51.309 --> 00:26:56.109 to please God? I've said this before, but there's 00:26:56.109 --> 00:26:58.430 always the grand gesture, throwing yourself in 00:26:58.430 --> 00:27:02.279 front of a car, bullet for your loved ones. And 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:05.900 yes, man, I encourage you to do that. But for 00:27:05.900 --> 00:27:11.099 you all out here, I want you to understand that 00:27:11.099 --> 00:27:14.680 sometimes God's call to obedience to His word, 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:21.420 His service to your families, to your church, 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:24.680 that will cause you to walk in obedience, and 00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:28.140 it might cost you your life. It might cost you 00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:30.779 your hopes and your dreams and the things you 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:37.920 aspire to. It might cost you your goals. We need 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:42.400 to understand that God calls us to trust Him 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:44.980 and He will resurrect us and not just for the 00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:48.660 last day. But in the obedience to the voice of 00:27:48.660 --> 00:27:51.579 Jesus, we can trust the Good Shepherd to bring 00:27:51.579 --> 00:27:57.000 us and His sheep into abundant life. When Abraham 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.900 took Isaac, I think oftentimes we just read the 00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:02.779 story and we take it at face value. Yeah, that 00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:05.279 was a great thing. Abraham trusted God when he 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:07.779 took his son. I want you to think about this 00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:12.680 for a minute. It wasn't a five -minute walk with 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:17.619 Isaac to sacrifice his son, but he believed God. 00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:23.839 He believed that God would either resurrect Isaac 00:28:24.809 --> 00:28:28.869 Or he would bring provision for the sacrifice. 00:28:30.730 --> 00:28:35.950 And he took that step day after day. They walked 00:28:35.950 --> 00:28:39.410 and they walked and they walked. And they carried 00:28:39.410 --> 00:28:44.250 up all the supplies. He did the hard thing, tied 00:28:44.250 --> 00:28:47.549 up his son, restrained him. And the son, too, 00:28:47.589 --> 00:28:50.670 had to restrain himself. I'm sure if he's a young 00:28:50.670 --> 00:28:54.640 man, about 15, I'm pretty sure he could probably 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:58.720 handle his father at 100, right? Submission on 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:04.039 both sides. And what happened? God, in complete 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:08.599 obedience, in complete trust in God, God provided 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:15.900 there. We must, in obedience, obey the voice 00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:18.400 of Jesus and trust the Good Shepherd. And He 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:21.980 will bring us to His abundant life. We may not 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:24.319 be able to clean ourselves from our sins and 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:27.980 offenses and we may behave like dumb sheep And 00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:31.140 we may in fact be defenseless and to add injury 00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:37.259 to insult we complain the whole way Dearly beloved 00:29:37.259 --> 00:29:39.859 Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he is faithful 00:29:39.859 --> 00:29:43.740 hear his voice and follow him We must know and 00:29:43.740 --> 00:29:46.960 follow Jesus's voice. We must remember and guard 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:50.619 ourselves that all the voices are working deceitfully 00:29:50.619 --> 00:29:53.500 to bring destruction and death, and that the 00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:57.539 good pasture of love and joy and peace are only 00:29:57.539 --> 00:30:03.859 found in Jesus. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:06.319 we thank You for fulfilling Your promises in 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:09.339 Christ Jesus. He is truly the Good Shepherd, 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:12.079 who not only laid down His life for our sins, 00:30:12.099 --> 00:30:14.839 but even now leads us to green pastures and still 00:30:14.839 --> 00:30:18.019 waters. Help us we pray to hear the voice of 00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:21.680 Jesus and to joyfully follow in obedience even 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:24.400 when you prepare a table for us in the presence 00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:27.640 of our enemies. We humbly ask that you complete 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:30.319 your good work that you've begun in all of us 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.359 and that for the sake of Jesus goodness and mercy 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:36.440 might follow us all the days of our lives and 00:30:36.440 --> 00:30:39.559 that we may dwell in your house forever and ever. 00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:40.119 Amen.