1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,800 John chapter 10, verse #11 is where we'll start in the Word of 8 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,080 God. And here in just a few moments. 9 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,640 You know, something interesting happened to me a few years ago, 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,120 and I think I might have mentioned it a little while 11 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:36,680 back. I've had the opportunity through 12 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,040 the years to be able to preach funerals here in Easton for the 13 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,200 two funeral homes that are here in town. 14 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,640 They know and have an understanding that if there is a 15 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,800 family doesn't have a pastor, if there's someone who doesn't have 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,000 anyone to be able to do a service for them, that they can 17 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,840 call me as a pastor to be able to come and to perform a service 18 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,560 and also try to be a spiritual help and counselor to the 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,040 family. And I do so as a volunteer. 20 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,000 They know that I am willing to be able to do that just as a way 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,160 to be a help and a blessing to the community. 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,680 Now, I've learned a lot about doing that over the years 23 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,440 because the first few times I did that, you know, it's well, 24 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,280 very awkward to be able to walk in to a family at their very 25 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,400 most vulnerable time and for the stranger to walk in and to 26 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,400 understand how exactly do you do a service like that? 27 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,600 I don't want to pretend like I knew the person because I did 28 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,040 not. But at the same time, I also 29 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:29,560 want to give them spiritual comfort. 30 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,000 I don't know their spiritual state because I can't talk to 31 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,600 them about it. But I would also imagine that 32 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,080 they weren't necessarily very close to the Lord because they 33 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,000 didn't have someone to call upon in the 1st place to be able to 34 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,160 do the service. And so I'm always honored to be 35 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,000 able to do it. But it does present a little bit 36 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,360 of a conundrum in a lot of ways. So one of the things that I have 37 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,200 done over the years is to be able to read Psalm 23. 38 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,960 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want if could continue. 39 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,560 But I think you are familiar with it here this morning. 40 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,800 And the reason why I would quote it is one because the Lord is 41 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,960 that Good Shepherd and I want them to know the Good Shepherd, 42 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:06,880 Jesus Christ. But also because I find it's a 43 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,919 good launching off spot for a lot of people that maybe don't 44 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,520 know a lot about the Bible. Because even people who don't 45 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,720 know about the Bible know the Lord is my shepherd. 46 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,240 I shall not want. Even if they can't name that 47 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,800 it's from Psalm 23, they have some familiarity with it. 48 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,320 You know, it's interesting, one of those first times of which I 49 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,200 did it, I said, and now I'm going to recite Psalm 23 and I 50 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,240 have it committed to memory. And so I said, the Lord is my 51 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,360 shepherd. And immediately, as soon as I 52 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,720 said that, the crowd of about 100 people started saying. 53 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,440 I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. 54 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,400 And I came to find out they were all reciting because they 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,880 recited in Catholic Church for all those years and they were 56 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:47,720 reciting. And I, I kind of want to stop in 57 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,360 the middle and say no, no, I'm doing this. 58 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:50,760 You're not supposed to be doing this with me. 59 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,680 It's my turn, not your turn. So I've learned since that I 60 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,400 said, I am now going to recite Psalm 23. 61 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,320 So you listen as I recite Psalm 23. 62 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,800 And that works out very well. You know, it's interesting. 63 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,480 So many people know Psalm 23. In fact, they can almost recite 64 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,680 it robotically whether they realized or not. 65 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,440 But what I've come to find over the years that there's a 66 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,840 difference between knowing the Lord is the shepherd and knowing 67 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,000 that the Lord is your shepherd. There is a difference between 68 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,440 knowing the Lord is the shepherd, but it also that the 69 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,600 Good Shepherd is your shepherd as well. 70 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,680 So as we continue to look at the characteristics of Christ as we 71 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,080 have here every Sunday morning just about for the year, we want 72 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,160 to look at Christ as the Good Shepherd. 73 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,360 In a message that I have subtitled I am the Good 74 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,400 Shepherd, you stand please for the redeemed God's Word. 75 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:44,200 John chapter 10 will begin in verse #11 where it says I am the 76 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,720 Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his 77 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,560 life for the sheep, but he that is a hireling and not the 78 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,680 shepherd who's owned the sheep or not seeth the wolf coming and 79 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,720 leave at the sheep and fleeth and the wolf catch at them and 80 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,920 scatter at the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he 81 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,720 is in hireling and careth not for the sheep. 82 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:08,280 I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine 83 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,480 as the Father knoweth me. Even so know I the Father, and I 84 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,000 lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have which are 85 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,880 none of this fold. Them also I must bring, that 86 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,560 they shall hear my voice, that there shall be one fold and 1 87 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,920 shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me 88 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,680 because I lay down my life, that I might take it up again. 89 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,160 No man taking it from me, but I lay down to myself. 90 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,720 I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. 91 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,360 This commandment have I received of my Father. 92 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,720 Here is a great and bold proclamation from Christ. 93 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,440 A few verses before he says He is the door. 94 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,440 We're not preaching on that this morning, but He is the only way 95 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,880 to salvation. But then continues that thought 96 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,080 with the fact that He is the Good Shepherd, and we want to 97 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:55,160 see what that means this morning. 98 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:56,680 Why don't you be seated as we pray together. 99 00:04:58,280 --> 00:05:00,480 Our Heavenly Father, I do thank you for this morning and for 100 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,040 this time. I do pray that you would help us 101 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,720 to be able to go past the reality that Christ is the Good 102 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,800 Shepherd, but that we can, each and every one of us say that he 103 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,880 is our Good Shepherd. Lord, I do pray you'd help me to 104 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,640 be able to proclaim this word straight and true as it is in 105 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:18,560 your book. And I pray that I could do so 106 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,520 with your power and authority and not my own. 107 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,440 And I do ask this all in Christ's name, Amen. 108 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,000 The Good Shepherd. The phrase we've heard so many 109 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,640 times, it's almost like it's lost some of its meaning in a 110 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,960 way, the fact that Christ is the Good Shepherd. 111 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,760 But being the Good Shepherd is not just a sweet and syrupy 112 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:44,440 sentimentality, but rather it's a very real doctrinal reality 113 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:46,640 for us to be able to understand. Sure. 114 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,960 Is it picturesque as we consider Christ being the good? 115 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:51,440 Shepherd. Absolutely it is. 116 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:56,240 But there's a bedrock doctrinal, a reality for us to understand 117 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,200 this morning that has very much to do with you and me. 118 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:02,240 Whether you're familiar with what a shepherd truly is or not, 119 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,480 whether you've seen a shepherd before, the reason of the fact 120 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,600 rather that Christ is the Good Shepherd is a vital importance 121 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,800 for us to understand this morning. 122 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,120 So we see in verse #14. Specifically, it says. 123 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:18,120 I am the Good Shepherd. Now I want us to start focusing 124 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:22,480 on verse #14 that epicenter of our text, if you will, today. 125 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,360 And as we have done over the past few months, we want to 126 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,840 start with what this word or this phrase is and then to build 127 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:31,840 out the message from there. But but the fact that Christ is 128 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,320 the Good Shepherd, well, how do we start there? 129 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,080 Well, we have to start with an understanding what is a 130 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,480 shepherd? Now we don't see many shepherds 131 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,400 today. Shepherds are not something that 132 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,160 are prevalent in this. Part of the world. 133 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:45,840 Today. But I think we're familiar 134 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,680 enough with the concept of a shepherd to know that shepherds 135 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,960 lead and guide sheep, that those sheep, those sheep that are some 136 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,240 of the more, well, Dumber of the animals that you will find in 137 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,800 the animal Kingdom, They need someone to be able to guide them 138 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,360 and to help them and to protect them. 139 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,240 That is the job of the shepherd. Just a couple months ago, we're 140 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,120 in Scotland. I was amazed at how many sheep 141 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,440 there were and how sheep would just wander around like they own 142 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,080 the place. In fact, in many ways they kind 143 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,920 of, well did own the place as they just wandered around from 144 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,440 farm to farm across the road. And there are times that the 145 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,240 people are late going from one place to another. 146 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,640 Is it because of traffic? No, it's because of sheep. 147 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:29,440 And so you might be a couple hours late. 148 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:30,920 What happened? Well, there were some sheep out 149 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,200 there at the shepherd had to come and round him up and get 150 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:34,160 him. Now, thankfully that didn't 151 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,440 happen to us, but it is something that does happen in 152 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:37,680 that area. What do they need? 153 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,040 They need a shepherd. They need someone to lead them. 154 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,320 They need someone to take them from place to place. 155 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,720 They need someone to be able to protect them. 156 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:49,480 This is what the sheep need. And so Jesus says that he is 157 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:51,520 shepherd, but he doesn't just say that. 158 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,640 And I want us to focus on the phrase beyond just the word 159 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,360 shepherd. But he says he is the shepherd. 160 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,080 What does that mean? The word the there, the word the 161 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,640 means a singularity. It means this. 162 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,000 There is only one. Of this type, there is only one 163 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,800 of this kind. If you ever watched a a football 164 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,760 game and they have the introductions and you know, they 165 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,400 had the first few snaps and then they show all the starters for 166 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,240 both teams and they'll announce who they are and maybe what 167 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,680 college they came from. And I love my son-in-law, Carter 168 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,640 Folger very, very much, but he's got this one big problem. 169 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,360 He loves Ohio State. Why? 170 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,640 I don't know, clip this and send it to him. 171 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:32,559 All right. I don't know why, but it's where 172 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:34,679 his family's from. I understand what it is, but 173 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:36,720 there's this peculiarity with those. 174 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,320 From Ohio State, whenever they do some of the kind of 175 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,000 introductions like that, they always say that they are their 176 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,200 name is such and such number, such and such. 177 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,360 I play this position and I'm from The Ohio State University, 178 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,560 and they always put the emphasis on the I'm from The Ohio State 179 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:53,440 University. Now, why do they say it that 180 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,000 way? Because they're saying in their 181 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,680 mind, there is no other. In Carter's mind, there is no 182 00:08:58,680 --> 00:08:59,760 other. And I'm here to tell you there 183 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,000 are plenty of others, all right, But in their minds there is no 184 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,240 other. It is the Ohio State University. 185 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,880 Now, they may think it's a singularity, but the fact of the 186 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,280 matter is there's plenty of institutions of higher learning 187 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,400 who also play football. It is not just this one school. 188 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,680 But when it says the Good Shepherd, that means this there 189 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:22,000 is only one. Now there may be others who 190 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,400 think they are, but he is the shepherd, singular. 191 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,240 He is the shepherd, but he's not just the shepherd, but he's the 192 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,760 Good Shepherd. Meaning which meaning what? 193 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:40,560 Rather that none of the other shepherds that are out there 194 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,880 embody the goodly and godly characteristics of our Savior. 195 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,680 Now, there are other shepherds. The Bible calls them hirelings. 196 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:53,040 We'll look at them in just a moment, but they are not the 197 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:57,240 Good Shepherd. He is the 1. 198 00:09:57,560 --> 00:10:01,320 He is good. He is godly in all aspects. 199 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,720 There is no fault to be found in Him, and that's our Jesus. 200 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:06,600 Amen. There is no fault to be found 201 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:07,560 Him. There's plenty of fault to be 202 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:09,800 found in us. There's no fault to be found in 203 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,120 Him. And the shepherd, the leader, 204 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:17,400 the guide, the protector, and so much more, that's our Jesus. 205 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:21,280 He is the Good Shepherd. But what makes him the Good 206 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,960 Shepherd? Well, there's two things that in 207 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,720 particular. He mentions here in our text 208 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,440 that make Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd. 209 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:33,400 First of all #1 the Good Shepherd lays down his life. 210 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,480 The Good Shepherd lays down his life. 211 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,200 Look at a couple of these verses again. 212 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,000 A few of these verses. Verse #10 says the thief cometh 213 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,480 not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. 214 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,840 I am come, that they might have life and they may have it more 215 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,560 abundantly. He says he is of the opposite of 216 00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:55,080 those who kill and who destroy. Verse 15, as the Father knoweth 217 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,680 me, Even so, no, I the Father, and I lay down my life for the 218 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:02,080 sheep. Verse 17 and verse 18 are so 219 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,720 vitally important. It says, therefore doth my 220 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,240 Father love me because I lay down my life, that I might take 221 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,040 it again. No man taketh it from me, but I 222 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,800 lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down 223 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:15,840 again, and I have power to take it again. 224 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,680 This commandment have I received of my Father. 225 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:22,120 Now this is a very important point this morning, verse #1718, 226 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,720 on top of what was said previously, that Christ was not 227 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,880 tricked into the cross, that Christ was not murdered on the 228 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,320 cross in and of itself. Oh, I know He was put to death. 229 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,880 I know it was a cruel, A vicious, and an unjust trial. 230 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,160 But understand there's a very real doctrinal truth for us to 231 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:43,520 understand that Jesus has placed very clearly in verse #1718 as 232 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,880 well as the verse before, as that Jesus was not cornered into 233 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:50,600 the cross, but Jesus willingly gave Himself on the cross. 234 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,560 It was part of God's plan for this to take place, that Jesus, 235 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,280 when he said it is finished, He was talking about the work of 236 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,280 salvation that was secured on that cross. 237 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,400 And then he gave up the ghost. He was the one who was calling 238 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,800 the shots, if you will. This is important because people 239 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:10,840 will say well. Who, who, who put the Jesus on 240 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:12,480 the cross? Was it the Jews that put Jesus 241 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,280 on the cross? At the Romans that put Jesus on 242 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,160 the cross? And my answer is your sins put 243 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,880 Jesus on the cross, and my sins put Jesus on the cross, but he 244 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:24,080 willingly put himself on that cross for you and for me. 245 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,040 Why? Because he's a Good Shepherd. 246 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,960 Romans chapter 5 talks about how confounding this is that that we 247 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,720 very rarely would want to give our lives for someone else, 248 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,080 particularly when someone was very vile in their nature. 249 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,240 But yet Jesus knowing full well who we were and who we are. 250 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,480 Jesus knowing your sins and your iniquities. 251 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:51,000 Jesus, knowing my sins and my iniquities, seeing all he still 252 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000 says, I'll go to the cross for him. 253 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,240 I'll go to the cross for her. You realize how powerful that 254 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,880 is. You realize what a Good Shepherd 255 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:02,960 that is. The Good Shepherd is willing to 256 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,080 lay down his life for the sheep. But there's another character 257 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,320 who's mentioned that I just talked to you about a moment 258 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,800 ago, and that is the hireling. The hireling, look down at verse 259 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:17,320 #12 it says, but he that is a hireling and not the shepherd 260 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:21,200 who's owned the sheep or not, seeth that wolf coming and leave 261 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,360 at the sheep and fleeth, and the wolf catches them and scattered 262 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,800 the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he 263 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:28,720 is in hireling and careth not for the sheep. 264 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:33,040 See, the shepherd historically was one, and particularly at 265 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,440 this time and place, was someone who was willing to be able to 266 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:38,720 put themselves on the line for the sheep. 267 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:41,760 Now, I don't know about you, but if I saw a wolf coming and I had 268 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,960 a sheep, I'd say this sheep. It was nice knowing you because 269 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,600 I'm heading for the hills. I'm just being honest with you 270 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,040 because I do that. You do that because that's the 271 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,600 way it works. It was not that way for them. 272 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:54,480 Why? Because those sheep were one 273 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,960 beloved companions. Because they spent so much time 274 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,640 together. That sheep represented the 275 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,560 economy of the fact that they needed those sheep economically 276 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,720 to be able to survive. Could we put it this way? 277 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,400 To the shepherd, those sheep were everything. 278 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,160 And it wasn't just purely transactional in the sense that, 279 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,080 well, I need these sheep because I need money. 280 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:19,680 There was a great and deep care for the sheep. 281 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:22,640 How would I know that? Well, let's consider David for a 282 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,560 moment. David was a shepherd. 283 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,040 He was a young boy and there was a time that well two times that 284 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,080 he was attacked by ravenous animals or rather his his sheep 285 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,280 work. And the Bible says that the lion 286 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:39,080 and the bear were both their counter attack by David and 287 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,360 David saved the life of a sheep. Why was that? 288 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:46,240 Well, because he took his job seriously. 289 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,640 He had love and care and compassion for those animals of 290 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,360 which he guarded. That's why he was able to look 291 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,480 at Saul and say the Lord protected me through the mouth 292 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:57,960 of the lion, the mouth of the bear, this uncircumcised 293 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,400 Philistine who is he who defies the armies of the living God. 294 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,880 But we see that there is that one, that shepherd that truly 295 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:10,280 loves, but there's the hireling who is the hireling. 296 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:14,920 The hireling is someone who says they love the sheep, but they 297 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,520 don't love the sheep. The hireling is the one who 298 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,640 really is in it more for themselves. 299 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,680 Sure, there's transactionality for those who were shepherds, 300 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,960 there's no doubt about that. But there was something far 301 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,840 greater, a deeper love that they had for those sheep. 302 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,520 It's why they would put themselves on the line. 303 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,200 When you were to calculate the fact of, well, you know, if I 304 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,560 gave up a sheep or two to this line, it probably would be 305 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:45,040 better because I'll be alive. They couldn't, they couldn't 306 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,080 handle that. They had to put themselves in 307 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,240 line. The hireling says this. 308 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,960 If it's me or the sheep, I'm out of here. 309 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,400 And I'll be honest with you, when I think of being a 310 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,560 shepherd, I've never experienced that. 311 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,840 But if I saw some animal that was about to be attacked by 312 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,400 another ravenous animal, I thought if that rabbitous animal 313 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,840 was done with the one animal, then he'd come after me. 314 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,560 I'd say, see you later. I don't know about the wolf, but 315 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:13,160 I do know plenty about snakes and I don't like him. 316 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,000 Say, pastor, there's some really good snakes out there. 317 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,640 No, there's not. Don't talk to me about that. 318 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:20,960 Look, you can believe what you want. 319 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,800 But I know I've read Genesis chapter 3. 320 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,760 I know where they came from. So what if you say, pastor, if 321 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,120 there's a snake coming, what am I going to do? 322 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,240 I'm out of there, man. The hireling says he is gone. 323 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:42,040 But you know, today there's a lot of religious hirelings that 324 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,080 are out there, a lot of false shepherds that are out there. 325 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,880 What are they saying? Follow me No. 326 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:51,360 No, not what? Paul said. 327 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,440 He said follow me as I follow Christ. 328 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,160 You know these false shepherds are literally saying follow me. 329 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,440 Read of a few years ago, a man named Sergei Torop, a man in 330 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,040 Russia. He has been running a cult 331 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,680 called the Church of the Last Testament deep in the wilderness 332 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,800 of Siberia since 1991. As the Soviet Union collapsed 333 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,599 after the loss of his job in 1998, he claims to have 334 00:17:13,599 --> 00:17:17,160 experienced an awakening in which he adopted the persona of 335 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,520 Jesus. Now, here's his quote from the 336 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,599 this is from the The Guardian in London. 337 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,000 He starts by saying I am not God. 338 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,960 And I thought, well, that's a good start and it's a mistake to 339 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:36,560 see Jesus as God, he continued. But I am the living word of God 340 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,880 the Father. Everything that God wants to 341 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,880 say, he says through me, he said to the Guardian. 342 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,520 According to Russian media, Torop originally claimed that 343 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,160 Jesus was watching humanity from close Earth orbit, that the 344 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,240 Virgin Mary was running Russia, and then later proclaimed 345 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:56,840 himself to be Jesus. His community believes straw, 346 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,920 Orthodox Christianity, environmentalism, among other 347 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,800 ideologies. Veganism is enforced. 348 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,160 Monetary exchange is banned within the commune. 349 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:08,880 Cult members dress austerely. Count their calendar from 1961, 350 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:10,560 which is the year of Torop's birth. 351 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,960 Christmas has been replaced by a feast day on January 14th, his 352 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:18,680 birthday. Now we would look at a Sergei 353 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,080 Torop and we would very easily say this. 354 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,720 That's a hireling. That's someone who is not the 355 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,760 Good Shepherd. And the answer is, well, you're 356 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,280 correct. He certainly is not the Good 357 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:34,400 Shepherd. He is a hireling. 358 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,560 He is, he is a a wolf in many ways, as you would consider 359 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,840 someone who but in a hireling in the sense that he pretends to be 360 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,640 someone who will help your soul but who cannot. 361 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,200 But I will tell you that there's a lot of hirelings that are out 362 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:54,080 there that are a little bit harder to identify than Sergey 363 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,400 Toro. There's a lot of false 364 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,160 theologies. There's a lot of false thought 365 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,360 processes. There's a lot of false religions 366 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,560 that are out there. We've been covering for a year 367 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,040 world religions and cults here in Sunday school. 368 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,560 Why is that? Why would we cover falsehood 369 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,200 when we need to learn the truth? Because we need to understand 370 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,080 how to combat the falsehood from the word of God because we 371 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:22,240 encounter it in every corner of society that there would be some 372 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:25,640 in this corner who would say follow me and you will be saved. 373 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,280 There were some in this corner would say follow me and you 374 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:30,840 would be saved and some somewhere in Brooklyn, NY and 375 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:35,080 some are are in Utah and somewhere in the Middle East and 376 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,960 somewhere in Italy and some are in New York City and somewhere 377 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,080 in Los Angeles. The someone could be anywhere. 378 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,000 But the only real Good Shepherd is Jesus Christ. 379 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:48,840 Why? He'll lay down his life for the 380 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,360 sheep. He'll lay down his life. 381 00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:54,400 So what does the Good Shepherd do? 382 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:59,240 Well, he, he lays down his life. But secondly, this morning, 383 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,920 understand this, the Good Shepherd also leads our life. 384 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,440 The Good Shepherd is to lead our life. 385 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,600 When you consider the many facets of being a shepherd, 386 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,000 there's two that stand out. One is that they protect the 387 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,680 sheep, and 1 is that they lead the sheep. 388 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,960 Once that they protect the sheep, and the other is that 389 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,160 they lead the sheep. And here's what we need to 390 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,800 understand this morning. Salvation is only found in Jesus 391 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,520 Christ. He is the Good Shepherd, but the 392 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,520 fact of the matter is that salvation in and of itself is 393 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,160 not the only reason He is the Good Shepherd. 394 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,520 Because you can acknowledge that Christ is the Good Shepherd and 395 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,760 salvation and then still deny Him in your daily life. 396 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,840 No, He's not just trying to call you to a home in heaven. 397 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,120 He is. But he is not just trying to 398 00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:57,520 call you to a home in heaven, but rather the Good Shepherd 399 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,720 wants to lead and guide and protect you in this life as 400 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,200 well. That it's not just that He wants 401 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,400 to save you and then drop you off and say, well, I hope you 402 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,800 figure it out. I'll see you in heaven someday 403 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,560 and leave you. But it's His desire, through His 404 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,280 Word and through the Spirit of Christ that lives within us once 405 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:19,640 we are saved, that He wants to lead you and guide you and 406 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,760 protect you even today. Why? 407 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:27,240 Because sheep are not smart. And here's where it's 408 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:31,320 troublesome in this analogy. Where are the sheep? 409 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,680 And if you want. Christ to be your Good Shepherd, 410 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,400 and you love that sentimentality of Christ being your shepherd. 411 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,360 Then you have to also acknowledge that you're sheep 412 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:51,240 and that I'm sheep. It's tough thing pill to swallow 413 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,800 because we feel so self-sufficient in so many ways 414 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,360 and we feel so smart in so many ways. 415 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,960 Hey pastor, do we really feel like that in our arrogance 416 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:01,800 sometimes? Yes. 417 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,520 There are times that I can tell you just within my own life, if 418 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,480 I'm not careful, I can think, well, I'm doing life pretty 419 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,840 well. I preach this message and look 420 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,200 at how good it went. Look at how the church is doing, 421 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,560 look how the family is doing and look at this and look at that. 422 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,520 And it's almost like sometimes God has to remind me, you know 423 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,320 what? You're still sheep. 424 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,920 And then as I look at myself for who I am, I realize what on 425 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,760 earth was I thinking? If I preached a good message, 426 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,560 where did it come from? My own thoughts. 427 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:41,040 Or from his Word, if the church is doing well, why is it doing 428 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,720 well? It's because it's His church and 429 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,560 we're just doing what He's told us to do in the first place. 430 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:50,160 It's the family is doing well. Is it because I am the one that 431 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,840 builds a family or the the, the word of God makes a clear Psalm 432 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,360 127? It's the Lord who builds the 433 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:57,160 house. And if not, we labor in vain to 434 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,240 build it. Look at how much money I have. 435 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,600 Well, I can tell you I didn't say that lately, but look at how 436 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,360 much money I have. Who's the one that's truly 437 00:23:06,360 --> 00:23:07,920 enriched us with everything we have? 438 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,160 It's the Lord. And that we would get into this 439 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,120 place. Well, you have to acknowledge 440 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:18,760 that you're a sheep. Sheep have trouble doing what 441 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,480 they're supposed to do. They have trouble going where 442 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,480 they're supposed to go. There's a story about 20 years 443 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,040 ago from the BBC. It's from eastern Turkey. 444 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,480 It says hundreds of sheep followed their leader off a 445 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:35,120 Cliff, plunging to their deaths this week while shepherds looked 446 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:37,600 on a dismay. This is just a grizzly story. 447 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,720 Consider this, 400 sheep fell 15 meters to their deaths in a 448 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,800 ravine in the Van Provis near Iran. 449 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,480 But. And it sounds humorous, but it's 450 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,760 not. They broke the fall of another 451 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:57,080 1100 animals who survived that. The dead bodies of those sheep 452 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:02,440 laying down some 20 feet or so ended up cushioning the fall of 453 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:06,760 another 1100 sheep who followed 1500. 454 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:13,240 Following one off a Cliff. You'd say that doesn't make any 455 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:14,640 sense. It does. 456 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,240 The sheep, because they do just what's in front of them. 457 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:20,960 They don't think about the deeper meaning. 458 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,760 They don't think about what's the consequence of this action. 459 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,680 What do they think about? I got to go, why I got to go. 460 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:30,840 I got to do it, why I got to do it. 461 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,600 And next thing they know, either dead on the ground or they're a 462 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,880 top of the dead bodies of others, only alive because of 463 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:42,240 the sacrifice of the others who had died. 464 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,480 As BBC story said, the loss to local farmers was 10s of 465 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,440 thousands of dollars. The sheep in the back couldn't 466 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,640 see past the sheep in the front, so they're unaware of what was 467 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:58,240 ahead. Matthew 1514 talks about this 468 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,680 when it says let them alone. They be blind leaders of the 469 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,080 blind. And if the blind lead the blind, 470 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:08,840 both shall fall into the ditch. When man follows man, what 471 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:14,240 happens? Man dies when man follows Christ 472 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:19,400 and the gospel. Man lives, not just lives for 473 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:26,320 eternity, but understands true life and joy and peace in this 474 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:30,600 life as well. So he's the shepherd for us. 475 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,720 Who are the saved? No, no, this doesn't just end 476 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:38,040 the day you got saved. This is important the rest of 477 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,320 your life. But what does this require of 478 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,800 us? Well, requires a couple things. 479 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,360 If you want Christ to be your shepherd, as He ought to in the 480 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:50,360 daily life as a believer, first of all, you need to have a 481 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:53,160 listening ear. You need to be. 482 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,360 Able to have a listening ear. For the sheep to hear the 483 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,960 shepherd's voice, they must know his voice and be listening for 484 00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:02,280 it. There's so many voices out there 485 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:03,920 that are clamoring for you to follow. 486 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,440 Think of all the voices we listen to every day. 487 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,880 Have you ever considered that? How many voices you listen to? 488 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,840 The voices at work, the voice on the television, the voices in 489 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,560 the news, the voice on the podcast, the voice in the book 490 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,160 We read, the voice of the people that we just come in contact 491 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,000 with. We come across so many voices 492 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:28,000 every day, and I'm not saying that they're all bad, but we 493 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,200 come across a lot of them. We're in tune to be able to 494 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,600 listen to others voices. It's what we do. 495 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,560 You know, sometimes that gets a little bit blocked. 496 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:39,880 So we should acknowledge that there's some husbands that maybe 497 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:44,120 have some problems listening as is mostly women that are 498 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:44,960 laughing. They're OK. 499 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,720 But all right, guys, thanks for leaving me out to dry there. 500 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:51,280 But. It's important. 501 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,520 To be able to listen. Well, what? 502 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:57,640 Are we to be able to do with our Good Shepherd? 503 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,120 We listen to His voice. What does that mean? 504 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,880 Well, He speaks to us through the leadership of the Spirit 505 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,640 within us. He speaks to us. 506 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,360 Most importantly, through his Word, this is where he speaks to 507 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:13,160 us. People often say, well, the 508 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,320 Lord's leading me to do this and Lord's leading me to do that, 509 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,440 and, and, and if the Lord's leading do something the 510 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,560 contrary to his word, the Lord's not leading you. 511 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:22,480 No, no, that's your own. Flesh. 512 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:24,680 That's leading you to go. Away. 513 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:26,960 Well, I I just feel like this is what I want. 514 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,800 Well, that may be what you feel, but don't blame God for it when 515 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,880 it goes against His Word. Well, this. 516 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,160 Is just what I I want to do. Now we're getting a little 517 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,600 closer to where it is. Don't blame God. 518 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,320 Don't blame the Good Shepherd for leading in a way is contrary 519 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,720 to his word, that the shepherd can only lead in the way the 520 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,800 word. Leads for He is the living word 521 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,040 as we saw in John chapter 1. But what does that require? 522 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,840 We have to have a listening ear. He wants to speak to. 523 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,040 You through daily devotions. There's things he wants to teach 524 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,720 you every day that we're not just reading the book, this 525 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,560 book, this blessed book, so we could say we read it. 526 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:09,800 I've been to talk. To people before who will say 527 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,960 pastor, I've read my Bible, I've read it all the way through. 528 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,600 I remember visit Brother Vince and I made a few years ago, and 529 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,880 he probably will remember this as soon as I'm telling the story 530 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,200 of a gentleman we were visiting outside. 531 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,440 We're looking over his car and he want to show us his car, his 532 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,080 hot rod and all these things. And we were just trying to talk 533 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,160 to us spiritual things, but he was showing us the hot rod. 534 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,200 The Hot Rod's pretty cool, all things considered, but I tried 535 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,280 to change the conversation of the Bible and he's ended the 536 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,240 conversation with us. So I read the Bible every year. 537 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,880 That was the way he ended the conversation. 538 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:40,720 He just want to know. He wants to know. 539 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,520 He didn't want to talk about it because he reads the Bible every 540 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,640 year. And I thought. 541 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,240 Is just reading the Bible every year in and of itself to be 542 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:54,960 commended? Or rather, is it to listen to 543 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,720 the Shepherd's voice when he speaks to you? 544 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,960 Oh, to read it is. Good to read it yearly is good. 545 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,120 That's a blessing, don't get me wrong. 546 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,960 But what good is it to read it if you don't listen to that 547 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,120 which it tells you to do in your life? 548 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,000 All you can do is use. It as a check mark, or you could 549 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,240 use it as a source of pride. But you won't be able to do that 550 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,040 which the Lord has told you because you've ignored His very 551 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,720 clear teaching. You have. 552 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:24,360 To have a. Listening. 553 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,840 EAR, but you also have to have this a close proximity. 554 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:31,440 You know you could be listening for the voice of the shepherd if 555 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,800 you were a sheep, but if you were too far away from the pack? 556 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,760 You wouldn't be able to. Do that what you were supposed 557 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:43,240 to do when the shepherd would tell you and make the call. 558 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,800 A sheep that's wandered far from the fold cannot hear the voice 559 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:48,440 of the shepherd, even if he recognizes it. 560 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:50,560 This. Proximity. 561 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,880 Brings leadership, and leadership brings safety. 562 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:58,800 When you do. What God tells you to do, where 563 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,040 you go, where God wants you to go, what is that? 564 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,320 It brings safety. No, people tell me all. 565 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,720 The time I say all the time, but people tell it a regular basis I 566 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,360 want to join this church. I know this because I'm looking 567 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,120 at a bunch of people who said this to me at some point or 568 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,320 other. I want to join this church and 569 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,840 you know, in my flesh. I want to say, well, come on, 570 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,000 what you waiting for? Let me sign you up now you got 571 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,480 to go do the. Initiation fee, you got to go 572 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,040 through all that? No, I'm just kidding. 573 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:26,120 That's that's not the way it works. 574 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,920 But you know what I've gotten into the in the habit of saying 575 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,000 and not just saying it, but really believing it. 576 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:38,040 You need to pray about. This because if God leads you to 577 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:39,720 this congregation, this is where you need to be. 578 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,240 But if God leads you somewhere else, and I say this with all 579 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,320 due respect, I'm not saying to sound like a tough guy, but if 580 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:46,880 God leads you somewhere else, we don't want you here. 581 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:49,720 We don't. Why? 582 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,560 Because you need to be where God wants you to be. 583 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:54,240 So what do you need to do? Listen to the voice of the 584 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,080 shepherd. Pray ask the Lord to be able be 585 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:02,520 close to Him, to be able to understand His will for your 586 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:04,920 life. If a wolf. 587 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,560 Was to attack the sheepfold. We don't have time to talk about 588 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,160 the sheepfold here this morning. So much we could talk about and 589 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,560 it's why it was so important that Jesus said I am the door 590 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,680 before this, because you could only go in and out of the 591 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,920 sheepfold through the door and you can only go through 592 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,880 salvation to salvation, eternal life through Jesus Christ. 593 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:24,880 But if you. Had a pack. 594 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:30,880 A flock rather of sheep out in the countryside who would? 595 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,880 Be the safest. Would it be those who are far 596 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:38,920 away on their own devices? Would it be those who were just 597 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:44,080 in lockstep with the Shepherd, as close as they possibly could? 598 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,640 Why do you think Satan likes getting us separated from one 599 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,840 another? This how he attacks, this is how 600 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:54,760 he. Gets you away from the fold. 601 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,920 Why is church so important? Well, pastor, we can just watch 602 00:31:57,920 --> 00:31:59,960 online. Pastor church was something four 603 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:01,880 years ago. Pastor churches are far too 604 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,360 compromised. It doesn't matter. 605 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,360 I can worship anywhere. I can worship on a lake. 606 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:09,320 I can worship hugging a tree. I can worship doing any of those 607 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,920 things out in nature. And sure, you can make those 608 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:15,880 arguments, but as you are away from the fold of which God has 609 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:18,960 given you and your family, what ends up happening is this you 610 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,240 are not close to him. You're not going to hear. 611 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,560 And attacks can come. God's given us a church. 612 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,800 God's given us a personal walk with him. 613 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:30,680 Why? So that we can be able to be 614 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:33,240 close to him. And I'm not saying that Satan 615 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,680 will never attack. Oh, he's going to attack. 616 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,280 Like sometimes the closer you follow him, the more Satan will 617 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,360 attack because they don't like it. 618 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:46,000 But you'll be under his protection and a safety, and 619 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,760 he'll help you. Makes me think of the old song. 620 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,480 We don't sing it much here. A lot of times churches will 621 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,640 sing it during an invitation. I've wandered far away from God 622 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,800 now I'm coming home. The paths of sin too long I've 623 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,360 trod. Lord, I'm coming home. 624 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,840 I've wasted many precious years. Lord, I'm coming home. 625 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,960 I've repented now with bitter tears. 626 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:14,520 Lord, I'm coming home. I'm tired of sin and straying. 627 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:18,760 Lord, I'm coming home. I'll trust thy love, Believe thy 628 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,600 word, and I'm coming home. And the chorus goes like this, 629 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:29,400 coming home, coming home never more to roam the paths of sin 630 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:36,240 too long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming home being what I need to 631 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:41,320 be close to the Good Shepherd. I want to be able close enough 632 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,080 to hear his voice. I'm going to be close. 633 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,240 Enough to hear, to be under his protecting hand. 634 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,760 He is not just the Good Shepherd, He's my Good Shepherd. 635 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,120 So what does this all bring us to here this morning? 636 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:57,720 Well, brings us to a couple of realities. 637 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,840 And the first is this, as I've already mentioned, do you know 638 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:05,400 the Good Shepherd in salvation? You say pastor. 639 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,000 That's the application every week because it's the first 640 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,840 application anyone can do in their life. 641 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,280 You can't get to the other. Places of scripture and all the 642 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:15,880 other commands until you get fast. 643 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,520 The very first and most important issue, the fact that 644 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,800 you are a Sinner under condemnation and that Jesus 645 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,760 Christ died in the cross. He laid his life down. 646 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,159 So that you would not. Have to spend an eternity in 647 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:32,520 hell, but rather that you have a home in heaven that Christ did 648 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,360 that and he didn't just. Do it because he was commanded 649 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,000 to he. Did it willingly. 650 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,199 And he did it knowing who you were. 651 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,320 And knowing who. You are, and he did it anyway. 652 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:49,920 You know, we're pretty despicable people. 653 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,159 I. Didn't think you'd agree with 654 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:52,800 that, thank. You all right? 655 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,560 That's good. No, look. 656 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,880 I know you take us compared to. Everyone out there. 657 00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,960 I don't know. We're all despicable in the 658 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:07,080 sense that our sins have gotten us so far away from where God 659 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:09,480 wants us and. On our own. 660 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,840 We could follow these higher links, but it's the blind 661 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,680 leading the blind. It's just what it is. 662 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,480 So, Pastor, I'm just going to follow religion. 663 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:23,600 It'll get me there. It'll get you somewhere, but not 664 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:26,400 where you think it's going to go, Pastor. 665 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:28,280 I'm going to follow organized routes. 666 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,120 I'm going to follow organized Christian religion. 667 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:32,560 That's where it's going to get me to go in and of. 668 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:34,160 Itself. No, it's not. 669 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:37,160 You need to follow the Good Shepherd. 670 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:40,240 Now does the good. Shepherd want people to be in 671 00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:43,360 Bible believing churches. Yes, there's no doubt about 672 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:44,600 that. Because the Bible says Christ 673 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,680 died for the church. Ephesians chapter 5, people 674 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:50,160 don't think about that a lot, but he died for the church. 675 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:53,720 He died for all of us, but this institution is paid for with his 676 00:35:53,720 --> 00:35:56,520 blood. It's serious, and that's why 677 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:58,320 when we blow it off, it's serious. 678 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:00,520 Because you're not blowing off. Me. 679 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,720 I mean, who am I? I mean, I'm Adam Rivero, but who 680 00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:04,520 am I? I'm nobody. 681 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:07,040 All right. Sometimes I had to wonder who I 682 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:07,800 am. That's, you know, it's like 683 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:08,680 what? Where am I going? 684 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,760 What am I doing? But no, who am I? 685 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:13,360 I'm nobody. Who is he? 686 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,200 Everything. He's everything. 687 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,640 So I want to be close to him. But you need to know him as your 688 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:22,760 savior. It's not about making you become 689 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,040 a Baptist. This is not about having you 690 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,040 join a program. This is not about trying to get 691 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:30,960 you to give to a building fund or a tithing fund or to 692 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:32,960 missions. This is about that we care so 693 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,720 much for your soul that we're willing to tell you the very 694 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:40,640 distasteful truth that you are a Sinner under condemnation who 695 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,760 needs a Savior, but that Christ paid the penalty as the Good 696 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,440 Shepherd. He gave His life for the sheep. 697 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,280 Will you accept that gift of salvation? 698 00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:52,760 And the second question. For us here this morning who are 699 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:55,440 believers, and there are many who make profession of faith 700 00:36:55,440 --> 00:37:00,440 here this morning, the question is this, if you're his sheep, do 701 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:08,120 you recognize his leadership on a daily basis As a sheep, do you 702 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:11,440 acknowledge his leadership on a daily basis? 703 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,280 The same Good Shepherd who is willing to give his life for you 704 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,720 also wants to lead you on a daily basis. 705 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:23,080 We make so many decisions every day. 706 00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:27,800 I was reading. This some time ago we make 707 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,760 upwards. This is scary to think of. 708 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,040 We make upwards of 35,000 decisions a day. 709 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,720 Most are minute, some are large, but all lead you somewhere. 710 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:41,440 What do I wear? What do I eat? 711 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:43,880 Do I check the notification on my phone? 712 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,000 Do I read something? Do I finish reading it? 713 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,080 When do I go to bed? When do I talk to someone? 714 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,400 How long do we converse? What do we talk about? 715 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,840 Now I understand. Can you pray about all 35,000 716 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,000 decisions? It would be paralysis by 717 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,080 analysis. You would never be able to do 718 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:02,120 anything. What's he doing he's praying 719 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,880 about? Decision 4726 today like. 720 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:07,720 Was he ever get up? Well, the next decision will 721 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:10,000 come up after that. He can't stop praying now. 722 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,200 I understand. But the Bible also does tell us 723 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,400 to pray without ceasing meaning this that we go through this 724 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,000 life and an attitude of prayer that you cannot literally pray 725 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:20,320 about everything that takes place. 726 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,280 But as we walk in the Spirit, the Bible says you will not 727 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,600 fulfill the lust of the flesh. God will not. 728 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:32,200 Lead you into sin? What is he going to lead you to? 729 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,680 Righteousness. It's our flesh that leads us 730 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,720 into those things, you know, Is there temptations, life? 731 00:38:37,720 --> 00:38:40,040 Absolutely. Is there difficulty in trial in 732 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:42,080 this trials of this life? Yes, there is. 733 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,600 But the Bible says the Spirit leads. 734 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,080 We will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 735 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:48,880 Even when those temptations are there. 736 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,960 We will. Move along and say no, I don't 737 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:56,040 want that because sometimes, listen, you might be looking for 738 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:57,840 temptation. Sometimes temptation is looking 739 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:00,440 for you. I acknowledge that this. 740 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:02,400 Morning. But you walk in the Spirit. 741 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:07,720 You walk in the spirit of the Good Shepherd, and you will not 742 00:39:07,720 --> 00:39:10,720 fulfill the lust of the flesh. Decision. 743 00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:13,240 Making. Apart from the. 744 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:20,200 Good Shepherd leads to danger, but decision making with the 745 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:26,080 Good Shepherd leads to delight. That's alliterated, pastor. 746 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:27,960 But I mean, does that make any sense? 747 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,240 Decision making without the Good Shepherd's dangerous, but 748 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:33,520 decision making with the Good Shepherd is delight. 749 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:40,760 Could I remind you of that Psalm that I quoted at that funeral 750 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,880 some time ago that I'd ask you to listen to and not quote 751 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:47,880 yourself? I have to say that here too, the 752 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:51,720 Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want He maketh me to 753 00:39:51,720 --> 00:39:54,880 lie down in green pastures. He leaded me beside the still 754 00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:57,080 waters. He restoreth my soul. 755 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,080 He leadeth me in the past of righteousness for His name's 756 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,000 sake. Yeah, though I walk through the. 757 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,880 Valley of the Shadow of Death. I will fear no evil, for thou 758 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,120 Wert with me Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. 759 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,520 Thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine 760 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,320 enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. 761 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,200 My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall 762 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:22,960 follow me all the days of my life. 763 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:26,480 I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever. 764 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:31,200 You follow the Good Shepherd. That sounds delightful to me. 765 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,200 That sounds so. Opposite to the rat race of this 766 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:37,360 world that. Sounds so. 767 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:42,440 Opposite to that which the world tells you is the gold standard. 768 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:46,800 But is really. Nothing but a road that goes 769 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,320 straight to hell. Who are you listening to today? 770 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:56,720 The Good Shepherd wants to not only see you saved, but he also 771 00:40:56,720 --> 00:41:00,880 wants to provide leadership every day as you acknowledge Him 772 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,560 and you follow him. But do you live life by your 773 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,520 wits? Do you live life? 774 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:12,040 By your gut and your hunches, I've had people say something 775 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:13,720 like this. Well, I've seen plenty in this 776 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:16,920 life, so I know what to do. And you might have seen a lot. 777 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,320 I'm not denying that. But I'll tell you this you. 778 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:23,120 Haven't seen as much as the Lord who created it all. 779 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:28,120 Well, pastor, I got. Pretty good horse sense and the 780 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:30,760 fact of the matter is most of us have sheep sense. 781 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,960 We need leadership. We need guidance and this type 782 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:39,720 of leadership and guidance that I'm telling you about this 783 00:41:39,720 --> 00:41:45,040 morning is not just something that it's nice to have, It's 784 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,320 vital. I'm not talking about take your 785 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:51,040 multivitamins and your life will be a little bit better. 786 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,560 Throw in some. Good Shepherd, and your life 787 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:59,960 will be a little better. I'm saying if you issue the 788 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:03,960 leadership of the Good Shepherd, then you as a sheep will go your 789 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:09,040 own way, and that decision is a very, very dangerous one. 790 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:13,560 This is not a decision. Without consequences, it's one 791 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,760 that's real. Who will lead you? 792 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:20,520 Will you follow sheep sense or will you listen to that of the 793 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:22,720 Good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep? 794 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:25,440 Thank. You for listening to the sermon 795 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:27,560 from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 796 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:31,160 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 797 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:34,280 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 798 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:39,200 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 799 00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:43,080 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 800 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,160 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.