WEBVTT 00:00:03.070 --> 00:00:07.589 Howdy. Some of the most comforting words in Scripture 00:00:07.589 --> 00:00:11.509 are when God calls Himself our shepherd. Think 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:14.689 of Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd I shall 00:00:14.689 --> 00:00:19.050 not want. We love that picture. Green pastures, 00:00:19.530 --> 00:00:23.170 still waters, a soul restored when life wears 00:00:23.170 --> 00:00:27.929 us down. But if you've ever seen how sheep actually 00:00:27.929 --> 00:00:31.339 behave, You know, the comfort of that image comes 00:00:31.339 --> 00:00:35.619 with a dose of reality. There's a story from 00:00:35.619 --> 00:00:39.060 Turkey where one sheep wandered too close to 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:43.759 the edge of a cliff and fell in. The rest of 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:52.640 the flock followed. 1 ,500 of them. One right 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:58.320 after another, right over the edge. 450 of them 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:01.920 did not make it. Most of them survived because 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:06.239 they landed on the pile below. It's a reminder. 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:10.760 Sheep do not always make the best choices. They 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.359 wander. They follow blindly. They get shoved 00:01:14.359 --> 00:01:17.560 around, and sometimes the very shepherds meant 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:21.299 to protect them, sitting off to the side, not 00:01:21.299 --> 00:01:24.579 paying attention until it was too late, turn 00:01:24.579 --> 00:01:28.540 out to be selfish. or corrupt. And that's why 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:31.340 God keeps reminding his people of this promise, 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:35.659 I myself will be your shepherd. I will seek you 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:41.319 out. I will rescue you. Today we see how that 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:44.540 plays out in two of our passages, Ezekiel 34 00:01:44.540 --> 00:01:49.200 and Luke 15. One is a grand prophecy to a people 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.359 that are scattered and hurting in exile and the 00:01:52.359 --> 00:01:55.819 other is a parable. Jesus told when sinners and 00:01:55.819 --> 00:01:59.400 tax collectors were drawing near, put them together 00:01:59.400 --> 00:02:02.599 and we get a picture of God's heart, a shepherd 00:02:02.599 --> 00:02:06.200 who rescues his flock from every danger, corrupt 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.379 leaders, harmful communities, and even our own 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:14.580 wandering hearts. Ezekiel shows us the problems 00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:17.919 clearly. Leaders who fed themselves instead of 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.419 the flock, sheep who trampled and shoved one 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:23.780 another, and others who wandered away into danger. 00:02:24.659 --> 00:02:28.020 And then in Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:32.099 a shepherd who leaves the 99 to search for the 00:02:32.099 --> 00:02:36.300 one. Taken together, it's the story of a God 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:39.900 who refuses to give up on his people, even when 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:44.379 the trouble is one we brought on ourselves. Listen 00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:48.419 now Ezekiel records God's promise for thus says 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:52.840 the Lord God behold I I myself will search for 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.080 my sheep and Will seek them out as a shepherd 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:59.419 seeks out his flock when he is among his his 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:02.360 scattered sheep So will I seek out my sheep and 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:05.800 I will rescue them Do you hear the intensity? 00:03:07.139 --> 00:03:11.900 I myself not an angel not a prophet not a hired 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:18.210 hand God says, I will come, I will search, I 00:03:18.210 --> 00:03:24.629 will rescue. We celebrate with the 24th anniversary 00:03:24.629 --> 00:03:29.530 of 9 -11 those who spent their time, the firefighters, 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:32.810 the first responders who rushed into the burning 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:36.849 towers as others fled. They weren't calculating 00:03:36.849 --> 00:03:39.590 risk or weighing the odds. They were compelled 00:03:39.590 --> 00:03:44.689 by love and duty. to seek, to rescue, to save, 00:03:44.689 --> 00:03:50.009 even when they thought it might be just one more. 00:03:50.710 --> 00:03:52.949 That's the kind of shepherd that God promises 00:03:52.949 --> 00:03:55.750 to be. He doesn't stand at a distance. He comes 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:58.650 into the smoke and rubble of our lives to find 00:03:58.650 --> 00:04:01.330 us, even when the danger is great and the odds 00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:04.710 seem impossible. And when Jesus tells the parable 00:04:04.710 --> 00:04:07.870 in Luke, He's saying the same thing. A shepherd 00:04:07.870 --> 00:04:13.009 leaves the 99 to search for the one knowing that 00:04:13.009 --> 00:04:18.269 each of those 99 at some point has been the one. 00:04:19.189 --> 00:04:22.110 From the outside, it may look reckless, but from 00:04:22.110 --> 00:04:24.170 the perspective of love, it's the only thing 00:04:24.170 --> 00:04:29.100 that makes any sense. But who were the shepherds 00:04:29.100 --> 00:04:32.439 that Judah had at the time? The ones Ezekiel 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:35.500 seems to be condemning. This is a time where 00:04:35.500 --> 00:04:38.800 Ezekiel is speaking just before and just after 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.000 the people of Judah are taken away out of their 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:46.699 land forcibly into a Babylonian exile. See, there 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:51.759 were Judah's priests, kings, princes, and leaders. 00:04:52.459 --> 00:04:54.980 The very people God had appointed to care for 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:58.170 His people. But instead of protecting the flock, 00:04:59.170 --> 00:05:03.769 they exploited them. King Jehoiakim had imposed 00:05:03.769 --> 00:05:07.089 heavy taxes to pay tribute to Egypt and Babylon, 00:05:07.509 --> 00:05:10.970 while ordinary people struggled to survive, and 00:05:10.970 --> 00:05:15.209 then they still got taken into exile. The leaders 00:05:15.209 --> 00:05:18.089 indulged in luxury while the poor went hungry. 00:05:18.329 --> 00:05:22.250 The priests neglected their duties. They led 00:05:22.250 --> 00:05:26.310 worship astray. tolerated idolatry, practiced 00:05:26.310 --> 00:05:29.589 things that they saw in other countries, made 00:05:29.589 --> 00:05:35.269 alliances with nations they had no business connecting 00:05:35.269 --> 00:05:39.910 with. These leaders ate the fat and clothed themselves 00:05:39.910 --> 00:05:44.189 with the wool while failing to strengthen the 00:05:44.189 --> 00:05:48.689 weak, to heal the sick, to seek the lost. Because 00:05:48.689 --> 00:05:50.550 of their neglect, the people were scattered. 00:05:51.170 --> 00:05:54.259 They were left vulnerable. to enemies, both human 00:05:54.259 --> 00:06:03.319 and spiritual. We've all seen this kind of failure. 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:06.319 A boss takes credit for the team's work, leaving 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:10.019 the employees unseen. Politicians enrich themselves 00:06:10.019 --> 00:06:14.040 while ignoring that they're meant to serve. Or 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:17.459 imagine... Seeing the lifeguard at a busy pool, 00:06:17.819 --> 00:06:21.319 taking the time to tan evenly, sipping soda, 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.100 and flirting with the girls while the kids are 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:27.000 flailing in the midst of the pool, and he doesn't 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.759 notice. That's the level of failure that God 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:34.180 is confronting through Ezekiel. But it actually 00:06:34.180 --> 00:06:38.600 turned out to be true with 9 -11 as well. Fraudulent 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:40.959 charities cropped up claiming to help victims' 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:44.209 families only to pocket the donations. people 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:47.670 in desperate situations were preyed upon. Some 00:06:47.670 --> 00:06:50.230 employees who survived or lost coworkers at the 00:06:50.230 --> 00:06:53.730 World Trade Center faced retaliation, unsafe 00:06:53.730 --> 00:06:56.550 working conditions, or wrongful termination as 00:06:56.550 --> 00:06:59.230 companies tried to protect financial interests 00:06:59.230 --> 00:07:02.750 in the midst of the chaos. And how many of our 00:07:02.750 --> 00:07:05.129 leaders, even the ones claiming to be Christian, 00:07:05.730 --> 00:07:08.110 did nothing unless they were forced to do so. 00:07:09.209 --> 00:07:11.470 Sometimes people are hurt where they should have 00:07:11.470 --> 00:07:14.930 been cared for, and leaders, even religious leaders, 00:07:16.230 --> 00:07:19.629 can fail. God sees this and He says, enough, 00:07:19.850 --> 00:07:24.810 I will shepherd them myself. Jesus later calls 00:07:24.810 --> 00:07:27.350 Himself the Good Shepherd, and part of His goodness 00:07:27.350 --> 00:07:29.970 is that He is nothing like those false leaders. 00:07:30.610 --> 00:07:34.029 He lays down His life for the sheep, instead 00:07:34.029 --> 00:07:37.459 of using them up. Where human shepherds are selfish 00:07:37.459 --> 00:07:41.480 and hungry and fail, the divine shepherd rescues. 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:45.860 But it wasn't just the shepherds, the leaders. 00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.959 The stronger Israelites mistreated the weaker 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:56.040 ones as well. What was happening? See, in exile, 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:58.939 when people were taken into Babylon, the wealthy 00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:02.759 Jewish exiles would make connections with the 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:05.259 Babylonians, and they would sometimes prosper 00:08:05.259 --> 00:08:09.779 while the poor were trampled down. Back in Judah, 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:12.899 there were some that were left behind, and those 00:08:12.899 --> 00:08:16.879 had to fight over scarce resources. And some 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.500 oppressed their neighbors rather than sharing 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:23.050 with one another. And the social injustice of 00:08:23.050 --> 00:08:26.550 the strong pushing with flank and shoulder, muddying 00:08:26.550 --> 00:08:29.430 the water so others couldn't drink, was a metaphor 00:08:29.430 --> 00:08:32.750 for how the privileged kept others away from 00:08:32.750 --> 00:08:35.730 survival. See, Ezekiel wasn't just criticizing 00:08:35.730 --> 00:08:39.610 the leaders. Ordinary people could wound and 00:08:39.610 --> 00:08:42.970 exploit one another instead of living in covenant 00:08:42.970 --> 00:08:46.690 faithfulness together. God says, is it not enough? 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:49.679 for you to feed on the good pasture that you 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.179 must tread down with your feet the rest of your 00:08:52.179 --> 00:08:56.440 pasture? You push with side and shoulder and 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:59.419 thrust at all the weak with your horns till you 00:08:59.419 --> 00:09:02.580 have scattered them abroad. Some of the sheep 00:09:02.580 --> 00:09:07.100 were muddying the waters, trampling the grass, 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:10.179 shoving others aside. Even with God's people, 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:13.860 there were sheep who harmed one another. This 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:17.159 is very much what sheep will do. They jostle 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:20.980 at the water trough. They stir up mud so that 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:23.480 some are not able to drink because there's too 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:26.320 much mud in the midst of it. And sometimes we're 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:30.000 the same. We muddy the water of God's truth for 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:33.679 others because we are impatient. We gossip. We're 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:36.759 selfish. We demonstrate the worst of things. 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:40.220 And then that's what other people see of God's 00:09:40.220 --> 00:09:44.360 goodness. We've muddied the waters of the gospel. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:49.120 for other people. In everyday life, we see the 00:09:49.120 --> 00:09:51.379 kid at recess who monopolizes the water fountain, 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:54.220 the co -worker who empties the coffee pot without 00:09:54.220 --> 00:09:56.840 thinking of others, the player who refuses to 00:09:56.840 --> 00:09:59.379 pass the ball, the selfishness, the thoughtlessness, 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.559 the pushing, the shoving, muddying the waters 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:06.639 for everyone else. But even while those are more 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:09.559 silly, there were the stories after the towers 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:12.600 fell where the families and victims of survivors 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.679 were sometimes exploited by insurance companies, 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.740 pressured to accept settlements far below what 00:10:19.740 --> 00:10:22.940 they were owed. Some adjusters delayed payments 00:10:22.940 --> 00:10:25.279 or tried to minimize claims, taking advantage 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:29.799 of people in grief and crisis. People desperate 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.240 for help were taken advantage of, preyed upon 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:34.740 in their grief. And that's exactly what Ezekiel 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:39.480 is describing. Sheep hurting one another. Even 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:42.879 in a flock that should care for one another, 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:46.700 sometimes the threat doesn't come from bad leaders 00:10:46.700 --> 00:10:50.259 up top, but from the way sheep treat each other 00:10:50.259 --> 00:10:54.519 in the flock. Gossip, criticism, harshness, pride, 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:58.320 muddying the waters and the weaker sheep go thirsty 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:02.919 because they needed the purity of the gospel. 00:11:03.940 --> 00:11:07.539 God promises to rescue us from that too. And 00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:10.220 yet sometimes the sheep, they don't need false 00:11:10.220 --> 00:11:13.179 shepherds to lead them astray or misuse them. 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.659 They don't even need other sheep trampling all 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:20.159 over them. Sometimes the sheep just wander off 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:25.080 and lose themselves. After Jerusalem fell in 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.840 586 BC, many of the Israelites were taken off 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:30.759 into Babylon for the exile, while others were 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:33.200 left behind in Judah, and those who were left 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:36.600 behind faced poverty. danger from surrounding 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.120 nations, internal strife. Without faithful leaders, 00:11:40.299 --> 00:11:44.360 the people were scattered and vulnerable. Spiritually, 00:11:44.379 --> 00:11:47.419 many drifted from God seeking security in foreign 00:11:47.419 --> 00:11:50.879 alliances and idolatry. The flock was literally 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:55.059 and figuratively lost. When we align ourselves 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:59.120 with those who do not have God's purposes in 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:04.159 mind, we ourselves end up finding a path that 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:07.340 leads to death. And yet, the shepherd goes out 00:12:07.340 --> 00:12:11.039 and searches until he finds the lost sheep. Not 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:14.620 if he feels like it. Not if the sheep deserve 00:12:14.620 --> 00:12:19.059 it. He searches until he finds it. And there's 00:12:19.059 --> 00:12:22.860 joy. The heart of the Gospel is this. When he 00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:26.639 has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 00:12:27.740 --> 00:12:31.480 The shepherd... doesn't scold the sheep. He doesn't 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:34.139 say, oh, you got yourself into this mess, you 00:12:34.139 --> 00:12:38.019 can get yourself out of it. He lifts it onto 00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:42.299 his shoulders, carries the weight, and rejoices, 00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:44.899 calls his friends and neighbors, rejoice with 00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:47.980 me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. 00:12:49.460 --> 00:12:54.899 How often is it that we realize we're lost, and 00:12:54.899 --> 00:12:57.299 we can't seem to find our way back on our own? 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:02.350 The gospel, whether our wounds came from corrupt 00:13:02.350 --> 00:13:04.750 shepherds, from muddy sheep, or from our own 00:13:04.750 --> 00:13:08.250 wandering, God himself comes to rescue us, lifts 00:13:08.250 --> 00:13:11.850 us up, carries us home. We live in a place where 00:13:11.850 --> 00:13:14.809 we see the floodwaters, and we know that the 00:13:14.809 --> 00:13:18.230 search and rescue teams will keep combing until 00:13:18.230 --> 00:13:21.049 they have found every single missing person. 00:13:21.929 --> 00:13:24.269 Not worrying about how many they've already found, 00:13:24.750 --> 00:13:26.929 but thinking about how many could still be there. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:31.440 the value of the one drives the mission. Or even 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.740 when the first responders rushed into burning 00:13:33.740 --> 00:13:37.440 towers and they climbed stairs that were collapsing 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:41.659 through smoke and fire, all to find if there 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:45.120 was one person left. They didn't turn around 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.100 to those who had survived and said, why were 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:50.639 you there in the first place? The joy was in 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.399 the rescue. The very thing that heaven rejoices 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:58.320 with when one sinner is found. and brought home. 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:01.940 See, the shepherd delights in our rescue. He's 00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:04.759 not just doing it out of duty. He rejoices because 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:10.299 of his love. Risking everything is what our God 00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:14.820 does, even as He didn't just risk His life, but 00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:18.860 He willingly gave it. There's an image that oftentimes 00:14:18.860 --> 00:14:21.720 has been in my head, the idea that sheep are 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.100 not always the brightest. Shepherds tell of sheep 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:28.720 that learned to jump over a fence to get to the 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:31.580 field that they wanted to be in, but even when 00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:33.720 that fence was no longer there and they took 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:39.320 away, they kept jumping. The exact same spot. 00:14:40.100 --> 00:14:42.259 No fence, no barrier, but they still acted like 00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:45.779 it was there. Why? That's what the last sheep 00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:51.100 did. Isn't that just like us? Following the old 00:14:51.100 --> 00:14:54.909 patterns or other people's habits? Not realizing 00:14:54.909 --> 00:14:57.190 the Good Shepherd is calling us into freedom. 00:14:58.269 --> 00:15:01.690 But whose voice are we listening to? Are we listening 00:15:01.690 --> 00:15:04.450 to corrupt shepherds who feed themselves while 00:15:04.450 --> 00:15:07.649 the flock suffers? Are we listening to pushy 00:15:07.649 --> 00:15:10.769 sheep who muddy the waters for others? Are we 00:15:10.769 --> 00:15:14.529 listening to our own wandering hearts following 00:15:14.529 --> 00:15:20.570 patterns that lead us to danger? On social media, 00:15:20.870 --> 00:15:24.480 trends rise and fall by the day. Everyone follows 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.120 someone, but few ask if the voice is the right 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.480 one to follow. We're currently at a turning point 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:35.159 in our society, a watershed. This past week has 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:38.820 been one of tragedy and tension, and frankly, 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:42.740 I'm scared. See, we have seen people gunned down 00:15:42.740 --> 00:15:45.720 in schools with children, as well as in schools 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:49.080 with adults. We have seen a public figure shot 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:51.480 in front of his family and people are struggling 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:56.299 with the feeling of mourning and loss. We need 00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:59.320 time to grieve. No matter what people may think 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:02.200 of the person himself, this is not how civilized 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:06.820 people should ever respond to one another. The 00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:10.759 danger, though, comes when we go beyond our grief 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:14.539 and try to form a movement of our own hands. 00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:19.200 People whose sorrow has turned to rage want a 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:23.340 place to put that rage. People may be picking 00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:25.720 up their Bibles to use as swords against other 00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:28.120 people, even though the irony is that the sword 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:30.899 of the Spirit, the Word of God, is only meant 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:37.340 to divide between our soul and spirit, our joints 00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:41.340 and marrow, in order to penetrate us deeply. 00:16:42.160 --> 00:16:45.080 helping us to discern our own thoughts and intentions. 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:48.299 Because God's Word cannot be an actual weapon 00:16:48.299 --> 00:16:51.220 in any sense that people may be looking for in 00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:54.639 the world right now. God's Word is only a weapon 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:59.379 so that we die to ourselves and we no longer 00:16:59.379 --> 00:17:01.860 contribute to what's happening in this world. 00:17:03.019 --> 00:17:05.779 There are those who will, in the coming weeks 00:17:05.779 --> 00:17:08.720 and months, try to find things in scripture to 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.109 create modern -day crusades. bringing back dark 00:17:12.109 --> 00:17:15.250 chapters in history. But the Good Shepherd doesn't 00:17:15.250 --> 00:17:17.390 lead us into a battle that requires attacking 00:17:17.390 --> 00:17:20.150 other people. It's a battle that belongs only 00:17:20.150 --> 00:17:23.670 to the Lord. Only Christ Jesus can strike the 00:17:23.670 --> 00:17:27.769 blow, because He already did, into His own flesh. 00:17:29.289 --> 00:17:31.750 The answer is not to find whom we shall attack. 00:17:32.390 --> 00:17:36.130 The answer is to offer what we've always offered, 00:17:36.910 --> 00:17:40.960 forgiveness and hope. We are meant to be salt 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:45.220 and light, not to be salty and lit up with anger. 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:48.819 Listening to our leaders and other sheep who 00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:51.039 are attempting to take us down their own paths 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:55.000 will lead us away from the Good Shepherd. Even 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.180 when the Protestant Reformers centuries ago attempted 00:17:58.180 --> 00:18:00.720 to stand up for their oppressed leaders on the 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:03.279 battlefield, all they ended up doing was bringing 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.920 about bloodshed instead of the gospel message. 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:11.380 Following other sheep brings death. The Good 00:18:11.380 --> 00:18:14.359 Shepherd's voice is the one that brings life. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:20.180 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 00:18:20.180 --> 00:18:23.920 they follow me. Even when we fail to listen, 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.519 even when we wander, He comes after us. He calls 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:30.759 us. He lifts us up. He carries us home. No one 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:34.200 else can do that. It doesn't matter. No other 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:37.619 person can do that. No other name, no other legacy, 00:18:37.859 --> 00:18:44.380 only Christ alone. When the chaos raged and firefighters 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:47.079 went into danger to rescue the lost, how many 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:50.119 of them did so knowing it would cost them their 00:18:50.119 --> 00:18:54.279 own life? They didn't wait for permission. They 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:57.079 didn't pass on the responsibility. And that's 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:00.059 Jesus with His sheep. He sees us trampled and 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:03.640 comes Himself. The ones who served, who sacrificed, 00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:05.640 who gave up their own lives, were the ones who 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:09.859 brought us hope and life out of that torment. 00:19:11.019 --> 00:19:13.519 And it wasn't until later that decisions made 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:16.819 for the sake of vengeance and punishment got 00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:19.799 us into terrible decisions that haunted us for 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:23.000 decades. When we listen to the Good Shepherd, 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:25.859 it is not like the corrupt leaders or the selfish 00:19:25.859 --> 00:19:29.299 sheep in this world. He does not exploit. He 00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:32.059 does not shove. He doesn't leave us to wander 00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:35.359 and wonder why we fell off the edge. He calls 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:38.440 us. And his call is not just practical, it's 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:42.220 full of joy and love. And when we hear his voice 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:45.440 and follow him, we step into life, freedom, and 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:49.539 safety on the shoulders of the only one who can 00:19:49.539 --> 00:19:53.799 carry us. So Ezekiel told us of a shepherd who 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:57.759 would come to rescue his sheep to find us and 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:02.839 rejoice. I myself will search. I myself will 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:06.380 rescue. And He leaves the 99 to bring us home. 00:20:07.460 --> 00:20:11.319 So we know what this looks like. Even when so 00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:15.180 much has already been taken, the answer is to 00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:18.900 still be willing to give of our very selves, 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:24.480 our very lives, for the sake of forgiveness and 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:29.670 mercy. Always. That's the picture Jesus gives 00:20:29.670 --> 00:20:32.690 us whatever may be happening inside of our hearts 00:20:32.690 --> 00:20:36.230 He doesn't just point us home. He brings us there 00:20:36.230 --> 00:20:39.910 himself Because the truth is is that his humility 00:20:39.910 --> 00:20:44.069 and his service Are the very things that we need 00:20:44.069 --> 00:20:47.589 to look for because we need rescue Let's just 00:20:47.589 --> 00:20:51.150 be honest our nation our world. We need rescue 00:20:51.150 --> 00:20:53.869 from bad leaders We need rescue from harmful 00:20:53.869 --> 00:20:56.369 voices around us. We need rescue from our own 00:20:56.369 --> 00:20:59.900 wandering hearts And in every case, no matter 00:20:59.900 --> 00:21:02.900 where we are, the Good Shepherd is still there. 00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:07.539 So whose voice are we listening to? Don't follow 00:21:07.539 --> 00:21:11.079 the muddy waters. Don't follow the pushing horns. 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:14.799 Don't even follow your own heart, frankly. Follow 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.619 the Shepherd. Because here's the good news. Even 00:21:18.619 --> 00:21:22.079 when we don't and we fail to hear Him, the Shepherd's 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.119 already on His way to carry us back to Himself 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:29.250 no matter what this next week may reveal of itself. 00:21:30.009 --> 00:21:34.329 So may we follow Christ and Christ alone because 00:21:34.329 --> 00:21:38.109 he's the only one who is the way, the truth, 00:21:38.869 --> 00:21:41.349 and the life. Thanks be to God.