WEBVTT 00:00:00.166 --> 00:00:02.665 Well, good morning to all of you. 00:00:02.665 --> 00:00:05.365 It's great to be with you this morning as we continue our study. 00:00:05.365 --> 00:00:13.999 And John and I had an interesting experience this week that I think ties in to the passage we'll be looking at in chapter ten today. 00:00:13.999 --> 00:00:16.199 It was one of those days where I had just worked out. 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:17.065 I was kind of tired. 00:00:17.065 --> 00:00:18.298 I was kind of spaced out. 00:00:18.298 --> 00:00:21.565 I was driving down the road and I stopped at a stoplight. 00:00:21.565 --> 00:00:28.033 And I don't know your mind kind of does your mind ever do this kind of just goes to a weird random place for no reason. 00:00:28.033 --> 00:00:31.265 And maybe it's her name in there. 00:00:31.265 --> 00:00:35.499 Maybe it's because I've been reading a book on delusions, and maybe paranoia is, I don't know. 00:00:35.499 --> 00:00:45.466 But all of a sudden I'm just sitting here and I start thinking, What would I do right now if somebody jumped out of their car and started coming at me with a gun? 00:00:45.466 --> 00:00:46.732 And what would I do in this moment? 00:00:46.732 --> 00:00:48.298 I don't know why I was thinking about that. 00:00:48.298 --> 00:00:49.066 I'm not worried. 00:00:49.066 --> 00:00:52.865 There's not anybody here in particular I have in mind. 00:00:52.865 --> 00:00:54.066 Why did my mind go there? 00:00:54.066 --> 00:00:55.033 I don't know. But then I. 00:00:55.033 --> 00:01:01.033 Okay, well, what I do, what I try to back up and ram the car behind me and then jump this curb. 00:01:01.033 --> 00:01:03.332 Or do I need to ram the car in front of me? I'm not sure. 00:01:03.332 --> 00:01:10.698 I'm kind of just processing all this, trying to think it through because you need to be prepared, you know, for something like that. 00:01:10.933 --> 00:01:12.665 Finally, I've kind of gone through all that. 00:01:12.665 --> 00:01:15.266 I'm coming back down to earth, realize now I'm still driving. 00:01:15.266 --> 00:01:16.233 I'm at a stoplight. 00:01:16.233 --> 00:01:18.132 I've got to move here in a minute. 00:01:19.365 --> 00:01:28.865 And while I'm sitting there still kind of coming down from this, I look over at the car next to me and there's a guy with his window rolled down just staring at me. 00:01:30.198 --> 00:01:31.865 Great timing, right? 00:01:31.865 --> 00:01:37.533 Kind of a guy who is staring at me, bald headed goatee. 00:01:37.533 --> 00:01:47.832 Now, in that moment, you've got to kind of process, is this someone I need to be worried about or is this someone I can trust? 00:01:48.132 --> 00:01:52.332 And when we look at today's passage, I'm not really going to help you deal with hitmen per se. 00:01:52.332 --> 00:01:59.899 But when you are wrestling with the question, is this the kind of person I can trust or not? 00:01:59.899 --> 00:02:03.132 We're going to get some clues in this passage today. 00:02:03.132 --> 00:02:10.832 Is this the kind of person, especially leaders in particular in this passage, the shepherds of Israel? 00:02:10.832 --> 00:02:24.466 Is this the kind of person what are the attributes of the kind of person that I can trust, that I can look to for leadership that I can depend on in hard times or sketchy times or whatever we're going to be in? 00:02:24.466 --> 00:02:26.498 John Chapter ten. 00:02:26.498 --> 00:02:33.832 And if you have a church Bible that's on page 842, if you don't have a Bible, we'd love to put the Bible in your hands. 00:02:33.832 --> 00:02:37.265 We want God's Word in your hands for you to read and study on your own. 00:02:37.265 --> 00:02:38.165 Those are free for you. 00:02:38.165 --> 00:02:40.998 We have those in the connection corner pages on the screen. 00:02:40.998 --> 00:02:44.532 Page numbers are tied into that specific Bible. 00:02:44.532 --> 00:02:48.733 But John, Chapter ten, we're going to look at verses one through 21 today. 00:02:48.733 --> 00:02:54.233 And let's just start by looking at the first six verses to get the setting, get our bearings for today's passage. 00:02:54.233 --> 00:03:14.233 John, Chapter ten Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber, but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 00:03:14.233 --> 00:03:17.832 To him, the gatekeeper opens the sheep, hear his voice. 00:03:17.832 --> 00:03:20.998 He calls his own sheep by name, leads them out. 00:03:22.233 --> 00:03:27.399 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him. 00:03:27.399 --> 00:03:30.466 For they know his voice, a stranger. 00:03:30.466 --> 00:03:37.466 They will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. 00:03:37.466 --> 00:03:44.466 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 00:03:44.466 --> 00:03:46.332 So, John, Chapter ten. 00:03:46.332 --> 00:03:54.633 We're moving into a new chapter, but it's important to note when Scripture was originally written, they didn't write down chapter and verse numbers. 00:03:54.633 --> 00:03:56.998 And really, this isn't a new section. 00:03:56.998 --> 00:04:03.498 This is a continuation of what we were studying in Chapter nine with the blind man defending himself to the Pharisees. 00:04:03.498 --> 00:04:08.733 And in fact, if your Bible has the words of Jesus in red, some people like that, some don't. 00:04:08.733 --> 00:04:10.866 It doesn't mean those words are more important. 00:04:10.866 --> 00:04:17.632 But what it does point out here is you'll see the last verse in chapter nine ends with the words of Jesus continues right in. 00:04:17.632 --> 00:04:20.565 He's just continuing to converse with the Pharisees. 00:04:20.565 --> 00:04:33.199 One of the ways we know this is just those words at the start of Chapter ten, those first two words truly, truly, I say to you, whenever those words are used in John, they're never used to start a new conversation, a new discourse, a new section. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:38.233 They're always a continuation of something that Jesus is already teaching. 00:04:38.298 --> 00:04:42.699 They're a little bit like how we might use the word honestly. 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:54.932 You always love it when someone you're in a conversation with them that you answer it, ask a question, and they go, Well, honestly, and part of you goes where you're not honest before now, like, is this the point where you've turned on us? 00:04:54.932 --> 00:04:57.632 But that's not how we take it, because we know that's not what it means. 00:04:57.632 --> 00:04:59.665 They're not all of a sudden deciding, to be honest. 00:04:59.665 --> 00:05:03.733 Well, that's just a cue that says, okay, I'm going to open up a little more to you. 00:05:03.733 --> 00:05:06.298 I'm going to be a little more transparent here than I was. 00:05:06.298 --> 00:05:10.632 I wasn't dishonest before, but now I'm going to open up a little more. 00:05:10.632 --> 00:05:13.333 You don't say that at the start of a conversation. 00:05:13.333 --> 00:05:22.365 You do that after you've been talking for a little bit and now, Jesus, It doesn't only mean that, but it's a bit of truly, truly it's a cue. 00:05:22.365 --> 00:05:23.665 This is really important. 00:05:23.665 --> 00:05:29.833 I'm drawing out something that you need to take note of, and the first thing he says here, he does not. 00:05:29.833 --> 00:05:36.199 He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 00:05:36.499 --> 00:05:46.466 You know, if you I've never personally come to my house driven up and thought, you know what, today I'm just going to try to go in through the window for fun, right? 00:05:46.466 --> 00:05:49.699 You don't do that if you are needing to go through your window. 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:51.699 Something went wrong. 00:05:51.699 --> 00:05:57.531 If you see someone else going in through a window, especially if it's not their house, something is wrong. 00:05:57.531 --> 00:05:59.531 You're calling the cops. 00:05:59.531 --> 00:06:02.665 That's not the way you normally go in to a house. 00:06:02.665 --> 00:06:03.732 You go in the easy way. 00:06:03.732 --> 00:06:05.632 You go in through the front door. 00:06:05.632 --> 00:06:07.165 And he's pointing out to them. 00:06:07.165 --> 00:06:16.932 He's suddenly saying to this audience, the Pharisees, those who who were supposed to be the shepherds of Israel, who we saw in the previous chapter, weren't they were the ones condemning people. 00:06:16.932 --> 00:06:18.632 They were the ones holding people back. 00:06:18.632 --> 00:06:22.432 The religious leaders are the ones who actually weren't shepherding the way they should. 00:06:24.266 --> 00:06:28.665 And he's saying, you're not coming in through the front door. 00:06:28.665 --> 00:06:31.932 You're coming in through the back door like a thief and a robber. 00:06:31.932 --> 00:06:39.665 Now, they're not picking up on all this fully yet, but this sets up this whole section, these holes, first five verses. 00:06:39.665 --> 00:06:50.466 And what we're going to see in these first five verses is this theme of Shepherd versus non shepherd, true shepherd versus thief and robber, true shepherd versus stranger. 00:06:50.466 --> 00:07:02.565 In fact, we're going to see over the course of our whole passage today five key attributes of a true shepherd in this passage If someone you can trust five key attributes. 00:07:02.565 --> 00:07:11.598 So these are things you will see in them, maybe not all of them, but portions of this, more of these that are in someone, the more you can trust them. 00:07:12.665 --> 00:07:15.598 The less of these, the more cautious you need to be. 00:07:15.598 --> 00:07:20.266 We're going to see the first four in these first five verses, and then the fifth one will come later for a reason. 00:07:20.266 --> 00:07:21.598 I'll show you in a minute. 00:07:21.598 --> 00:07:24.232 So let's look back at verses one through five. 00:07:24.232 --> 00:07:26.365 We've already talked about verse one, look at verse two. 00:07:26.365 --> 00:07:31.031 In verse two, we're going to see the first attribute of a trusted shepherd. 00:07:31.031 --> 00:07:36.466 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 00:07:36.466 --> 00:07:39.466 To him, the gatekeeper opens. 00:07:39.966 --> 00:07:44.399 So the first attribute is he enters through the door. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:49.031 This is someone who's not sneaking around in the background. 00:07:49.031 --> 00:07:54.232 They're not trying to accomplish things indirectly in a way that subverts the way things should be. 00:07:55.499 --> 00:08:13.899 They come in through the front door, open and obvious and clear with confidence and recognized by the gatekeeper as someone trustworthy, someone who should come in, someone who has the authority in this situation, not sneaking around in the background. 00:08:13.899 --> 00:08:21.065 There's no doubt about the leadership, the authority, the trustworthiness of this person, person. 00:08:21.065 --> 00:08:25.565 Second attribute we see here go back to verse three to him. 00:08:25.565 --> 00:08:33.731 The gatekeeper opens the sheep, hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name. 00:08:33.731 --> 00:08:39.566 The sheep hear his voice and call his and calls his own sheep by name. 00:08:40.666 --> 00:08:46.032 Now, before I mention the second attribute, what sets this up is the fact that the sheep hear his voice. 00:08:46.032 --> 00:08:47.698 They recognize his voice. 00:08:47.698 --> 00:08:52.499 There's an instantaneous acknowledgment that this is the voice of the one I can trust. 00:08:52.499 --> 00:08:57.231 There's an instantaneous connection and instantaneous understanding of relationship. 00:08:58.932 --> 00:09:11.399 I spent a lot of time at playgrounds over the years, especially when we lived in Phenix and we had three, four or five year old son who was as intense of a person as I've ever met. 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:13.631 We were just looking for survival. 00:09:13.631 --> 00:09:18.198 And parents in that moment often end up outside looking for other parents who feel the same way. 00:09:18.198 --> 00:09:32.032 We got to band together to survive in that moment, so we end up at a lot of playgrounds and we'd be at this playground and there'd be hundreds of kids there just smothered all over like ants in a colony over this playground, just taking it over. 00:09:32.032 --> 00:09:40.399 And there'd be parents everywhere, all scattered out, and parents are talking and hanging out and enjoying themselves and having a little snippet of adult conversation. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.798 And of course, kids are murdering one another over on the side. 00:09:43.798 --> 00:09:53.865 No one's paying any attention, except occasionally there'll be this one scream that rises above all the other screams. 00:09:53.865 --> 00:09:58.399 And that one mom instantly, she'll be deep in conversation instantly. That's. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:00.499 That's my kid. 00:10:00.499 --> 00:10:01.966 How did she pick out that one? 00:10:01.966 --> 00:10:03.331 Scream over all the others? 00:10:03.331 --> 00:10:04.599 I don't know. 00:10:04.599 --> 00:10:07.599 It's some superpower mothers have, but I didn't hear it. 00:10:07.599 --> 00:10:09.865 I didn't hear my own kid half the time. 00:10:09.865 --> 00:10:11.532 You can't pick it up at all. 00:10:11.532 --> 00:10:12.831 But she. She hears it. 00:10:12.831 --> 00:10:17.231 She knows that scream is just different enough in that moment. 00:10:17.231 --> 00:10:19.131 And the sheep hear his voice. 00:10:19.131 --> 00:10:19.966 They know him. 00:10:19.966 --> 00:10:24.298 In that moment, there's an immediate connection, an immediate recognition. 00:10:24.298 --> 00:10:26.432 It stands out. 00:10:26.432 --> 00:10:37.365 And the powerful part of that, it's not just that they hear his voice, but the second way, you know, the attribute of a trusted shepherd, he calls them by name. 00:10:37.365 --> 00:10:38.831 That's what it says here in the verse. 00:10:38.831 --> 00:10:41.899 He he calls his own sheep by name. 00:10:43.666 --> 00:10:48.899 And there's just something so powerful about knowing someone's name. 00:10:49.166 --> 00:10:50.532 You know, there's an intimacy there. 00:10:50.532 --> 00:11:07.099 There's a connection there by knowing someone's name, by remembering their name, by saying their name back to the in that moment when I was sitting at the stoplight and I look over at this guy who's staring at me, I wasn't worried. 00:11:07.099 --> 00:11:11.932 I didn't have a little bit of worry because I knew his name and he knew my name. 00:11:11.932 --> 00:11:15.032 In fact, I got a photo of him to throw up on the screen. 00:11:15.032 --> 00:11:17.164 It was our own Colby Flowers. 00:11:17.164 --> 00:11:18.465 Okay. 00:11:18.465 --> 00:11:20.798 There's nothing scary about him. 00:11:20.798 --> 00:11:22.599 It's a great photo. 00:11:22.599 --> 00:11:24.131 It's a great picture. 00:11:24.131 --> 00:11:25.932 I didn't have to worry. 00:11:25.932 --> 00:11:28.264 Write, trusted connection. 00:11:28.264 --> 00:11:30.731 There's someone who knows my name. 00:11:30.731 --> 00:11:31.865 I knows his name. 00:11:32.999 --> 00:11:34.631 A big difference here in this passage. 00:11:34.631 --> 00:11:35.698 They'll take that photo down. 00:11:35.698 --> 00:11:38.499 It's been up there long enough. 00:11:38.499 --> 00:11:39.731 Colby's our student pastor. 00:11:39.731 --> 00:11:40.831 If you don't know Colby. 00:11:40.831 --> 00:11:43.032 Great guy. 00:11:43.032 --> 00:11:45.465 Big difference in this passage. 00:11:45.465 --> 00:11:46.631 He knows our name. 00:11:46.631 --> 00:11:51.831 He calls us by name, and he knows our true name. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:56.798 So we all have a name that's been given to us. 00:11:56.798 --> 00:12:06.331 And it's amazing how much of our identity is connected to our name, something that we did nothing to get something that was given to us by someone else. 00:12:06.331 --> 00:12:08.065 Sometimes that's really good. 00:12:08.065 --> 00:12:10.932 You might carry the name of someone you really admire. 00:12:10.932 --> 00:12:13.932 Sometimes, maybe not. 00:12:14.131 --> 00:12:19.331 But even if you were given a perfect name by your family, we've all done something to mess it up. 00:12:19.331 --> 00:12:21.764 We've all let ourselves down. 00:12:21.764 --> 00:12:25.032 None of us have perfectly lived up even to a perfect name. 00:12:26.331 --> 00:12:28.865 But here's the difference. 00:12:28.865 --> 00:12:31.664 Jesus knows your true name. 00:12:31.664 --> 00:12:34.631 No matter what you've done to mess up your own name. 00:12:34.631 --> 00:12:37.099 And we all have. 00:12:37.099 --> 00:12:40.099 He knows your true name. 00:12:40.465 --> 00:12:45.831 When he made you, he knew exactly who he wanted you to be. 00:12:45.831 --> 00:12:49.032 He knew exactly what you were designed to be. 00:12:49.032 --> 00:12:54.865 And he hadn't forgotten that He hadn't given up on you just because of some of the things you may have done. 00:12:54.865 --> 00:12:56.131 He knows your true name. 00:12:56.131 --> 00:13:00.965 In fact, in the Book of Revelation, he says there will be a day when he gives you your true name. 00:13:02.831 --> 00:13:04.432 Remember, he knows your name. 00:13:04.432 --> 00:13:07.432 He calls his sheep by their name. 00:13:08.532 --> 00:13:11.999 Now number three, the third attribute of a true shepherd. 00:13:11.999 --> 00:13:14.065 Look back at verse three sheep. 00:13:14.065 --> 00:13:17.664 Hear his voice, calls them by their name, he leads them out. 00:13:18.731 --> 00:13:28.298 And when he has brought out all his sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 00:13:28.298 --> 00:13:36.631 The third attribute of a true shepherd is he leads them out, he leads them out, he goes before them. 00:13:36.664 --> 00:13:39.664 Jesus goes out before the sheep. 00:13:39.664 --> 00:13:44.099 He doesn't just send them out on their own, hoping that it works out. 00:13:44.099 --> 00:13:44.465 No. 00:13:44.465 --> 00:13:46.999 In fact, a true shepherd knows the sheep. 00:13:46.999 --> 00:13:49.399 It won't work out if they go out on their own. 00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:51.264 They desperately need a leader. 00:13:51.264 --> 00:13:56.231 They need someone to show them where to go because they can't make it on their own. 00:13:56.231 --> 00:14:08.731 And I'm sure you've read and heard over the years, if you've been in church any amount of time, you've heard all the stories about how helpless sheep are without a shepherd, how many mistakes they make, how much care and direction they need. 00:14:10.932 --> 00:14:13.532 And what's the powerful part here is how Jesus leads them. 00:14:13.532 --> 00:14:16.331 He goes before us. 00:14:16.331 --> 00:14:22.932 There's an illustration I've shared a number of times in especially with men, about about this related to leaving. 00:14:22.932 --> 00:14:34.831 Well, there's a guy who's written a book, Stu Weber, called Tender Warrior, and in that book he paints the picture of what it means to provide. 00:14:34.831 --> 00:14:38.565 And man, we often hear that word you need to provide for your family. 00:14:38.565 --> 00:14:42.198 And we usually take that to mean primarily financial provision. 00:14:42.198 --> 00:14:44.164 And that's one part. 00:14:44.164 --> 00:14:50.532 But Stu Weber breaks that word down into two parts provide pro vision probe for vision. 00:14:50.532 --> 00:14:54.499 See, see before meaning see out ahead. 00:14:55.264 --> 00:15:05.965 Provision ultimately means to look out ahead of where whatever area you're over, where we're headed to look out ahead, to anticipate problems, to go ahead and solve those before anyone even knows about them. 00:15:07.032 --> 00:15:14.798 And it gives the picture of the scout in the Old West that you've seen any old Westerns where they're out on the wagon train and all of the sudden the scout, he's gone. 00:15:14.798 --> 00:15:19.231 No one knows where he is, and he's wandered off to go look for problems. 00:15:19.231 --> 00:15:23.432 And he goes and finds out there's a bridge out out ahead or there's an ambush waiting for us. 00:15:23.432 --> 00:15:24.731 We need to go around this way. 00:15:24.731 --> 00:15:31.231 He he looks out ahead for the problems before they encounter them and tries to solve them before they get there. 00:15:31.231 --> 00:15:36.532 Jesus leads out his flock and goes out ahead of them. 00:15:37.131 --> 00:15:44.831 He is always going out ahead of you, looking for what you might encounter. 00:15:45.532 --> 00:15:48.231 Protecting We. 00:15:48.231 --> 00:15:50.298 Yes, Life is imperfect. 00:15:50.298 --> 00:15:51.698 We still encounter problems. 00:15:51.698 --> 00:15:54.065 But how much has he protected you from that? 00:15:54.065 --> 00:15:55.264 You never know about? 00:15:56.798 --> 00:16:04.798 I mean, how many times have you encountered a situation where if you would have showed up just microseconds before, he would not have gone well for you? 00:16:04.798 --> 00:16:09.664 Maybe you've come upon a car accident that just happened and thought that could have been me. 00:16:09.664 --> 00:16:10.565 I've seen that. 00:16:10.565 --> 00:16:13.065 I remember the moment sitting at a stoplight. 00:16:13.065 --> 00:16:16.664 Actually, the light was turning red and in some instances I might have gone through it. 00:16:16.664 --> 00:16:19.264 I'll confess in this moment, for whatever reason, I didn't. 00:16:19.264 --> 00:16:20.599 The light in front of me did. 00:16:20.599 --> 00:16:28.231 And she's hit by a dump truck, flipped over and spinning on the hood of this explorer microseconds. 00:16:28.231 --> 00:16:28.932 You know what? 00:16:28.932 --> 00:16:30.865 What hesitation in life. 00:16:30.865 --> 00:16:32.465 How has God gone before you? 00:16:32.465 --> 00:16:33.965 That seems like an inconvenience. 00:16:33.965 --> 00:16:35.932 It seems like he's trying to ruin my life. 00:16:35.932 --> 00:16:40.398 But maybe, just maybe, he's going before and. 00:16:40.398 --> 00:16:43.532 And protecting and we can't see it. 00:16:43.532 --> 00:16:45.131 And we don't know. 00:16:45.131 --> 00:16:51.164 And we're mad at him when he's the one who is has protected us. 00:16:51.597 --> 00:16:56.164 The shepherd leads the sheep, he goes out before them. 00:16:56.164 --> 00:17:02.932 And then number four, look at verse four and five, when he has brought out all his own, he goes before them. 00:17:02.932 --> 00:17:04.365 The sheep follow him for they know. 00:17:04.365 --> 00:17:09.198 His voice, in contrast, is verse five, a stranger. 00:17:09.198 --> 00:17:18.832 They will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. 00:17:19.198 --> 00:17:21.265 This one is really powerful. 00:17:21.265 --> 00:17:35.031 Jesus protects through relationship, He protects through relationship, through knowing Him, the sheep, knowing him, the sheep, knowing his voice. 00:17:35.132 --> 00:17:45.132 They're less likely to be distracted by other voices that want to lead them astray by the stranger, by knowing who he really is, by knowing truth. 00:17:45.132 --> 00:17:50.664 We're less likely to be distracted by error, but to be drawn aside by error. 00:17:52.932 --> 00:18:04.932 I remember having a conversation with a guy who owned horses and he did classes for those who wanted to learn how to ride horses and we were chatting about it and I said, Well, tell me about the mix. 00:18:04.932 --> 00:18:09.432 How many what's your, you know, average person who comes to learn to ride a horse? 00:18:09.432 --> 00:18:15.397 And he said, well, they're mostly young pre-teen, 95% girls. 00:18:16.231 --> 00:18:16.964 Really interesting. 00:18:16.964 --> 00:18:17.832 Tell me more about that. 00:18:17.832 --> 00:18:21.432 He's like, well, I don't know all the reasons why that is, but I can tell you this. 00:18:21.432 --> 00:18:29.632 I've noticed this that young girls that learn to handle horses ride horses, care for horses, they have this confidence about them. 00:18:29.632 --> 00:18:36.832 Maybe it's the fact that they're able to direct this gigantic animal with just the smallest twitch, just the smallest movement. 00:18:36.832 --> 00:18:42.865 They learn to get to this place, have control over this huge animal said. 00:18:42.865 --> 00:18:49.065 I've also noticed that many of those girls are less likely to be led astray by boys with bad intentions. 00:18:49.065 --> 00:18:53.198 I said, Take all my money right now, every bit of it, right? 00:18:53.531 --> 00:18:56.498 He knew what he was doing. 00:18:56.498 --> 00:19:02.798 There's some kind of confidence that says, I'm not depending on my purpose in life. 00:19:02.798 --> 00:19:05.865 I'm on the approval of someone else. 00:19:05.865 --> 00:19:15.565 I don't have this void that is needing to be filled up by someone else's attention, someone else, especially, that might not have the best intentions. 00:19:15.565 --> 00:19:17.664 For me. 00:19:17.664 --> 00:19:23.365 This is really powerful for all relationships in your life, by the way. 00:19:23.365 --> 00:19:24.498 I mean your friends. 00:19:24.498 --> 00:19:26.765 You want to know who to spend time around. 00:19:26.765 --> 00:19:35.531 You want to be around the people that sharpen you, that make you better, that builds you up and make you a better person than you'd be without knowing them. 00:19:35.531 --> 00:19:38.031 This is true of romantic relationships. 00:19:38.031 --> 00:19:44.531 You want to be in a place where the person you are connected with is as strong as you are. 00:19:44.531 --> 00:19:46.832 Spirits. Who is growing? 00:19:46.832 --> 00:19:48.798 Who is feeding you? 00:19:48.798 --> 00:19:52.698 You're both encouraging one another to grow and grow and grow. 00:19:54.832 --> 00:20:00.664 There's a quote that I've shared many times, especially with those who are engaged or are younger. 00:20:00.664 --> 00:20:03.432 And how do you find a spouse is from Tommy Nelson. 00:20:03.432 --> 00:20:07.031 He's one of my my favorite preachers. 00:20:07.031 --> 00:20:09.498 And he says, you want to know how to find the person to marry. 00:20:09.498 --> 00:20:11.765 You just run towards Jesus as hard as you can. 00:20:11.765 --> 00:20:22.065 Keep running to him, keep running, and while you're run and focused on him, look to your right, look to your left, and see if anybody else is running too. 00:20:22.065 --> 00:20:25.798 And if they are, join hands with them and run faster together. 00:20:25.798 --> 00:20:27.498 That's that's how you find a spouse. 00:20:27.498 --> 00:20:30.698 That's how you find a real true friend. 00:20:30.731 --> 00:20:37.698 That's how you find the core people in to surround yourself with in life because you want to be running together. 00:20:37.698 --> 00:20:41.897 You don't want to be trying to drag them along or be drag along. 00:20:41.897 --> 00:20:44.731 And that happens by the way, in relationships. 00:20:44.731 --> 00:20:53.164 Even if you start out running together, there'll be seasons where maybe you do need to be drag along, maybe I need to drag the other. 00:20:53.164 --> 00:21:02.597 But you want to be in a place where you both are sharpening one another, pushing, encouraging, not tearing down. 00:21:02.698 --> 00:21:05.798 This is just a picture that they know my voice. 00:21:05.798 --> 00:21:14.498 They know I'm trusted and they're not led astray by the stranger, the person who doesn't have good intentions for them. 00:21:14.498 --> 00:21:24.731 It's not even a temptation because they know the truth is they know who the true shepherd is. 00:21:24.731 --> 00:21:33.265 So those are the first four attributes of how we know what a trusted shepherd is. 00:21:33.265 --> 00:21:38.031 Now, one key question coming out of these first four is how do we know his voice? 00:21:38.031 --> 00:21:40.932 And they the sheep who know him know his voice? 00:21:40.932 --> 00:21:43.932 How do we get to know his voice? 00:21:43.964 --> 00:21:48.597 Two things I'm just going to mention here quickly, and they're really straightforward. 00:21:48.597 --> 00:21:50.132 The first is to know his word. 00:21:51.498 --> 00:21:53.132 This is his voice. 00:21:53.132 --> 00:21:56.932 This is his we call it his word for a reason. 00:21:56.998 --> 00:21:59.832 It comes directly from him. 00:21:59.832 --> 00:22:06.498 And so if you want to know what truth is, if you want to know, who do I trust, get to know his word. 00:22:06.498 --> 00:22:07.332 That is the place. 00:22:07.332 --> 00:22:13.964 In fact, I would say if you're a believer, my hunger for his words should be growing and growing and growing. 00:22:13.964 --> 00:22:23.730 I should want to read it more and more and study it more and more and be in situations where I'm hearing his teaching more and more and more. 00:22:23.865 --> 00:22:29.664 In fact, one of the things we've tried to do here is create a Bible reading plan to make it easy for you to get into God's Word. 00:22:29.664 --> 00:22:30.565 I've heard from so many. 00:22:30.565 --> 00:22:31.897 I've never read through the Bible before. 00:22:31.897 --> 00:22:32.964 That was an amazing experience. 00:22:32.964 --> 00:22:34.565 This year we're reading through the New Testament. 00:22:34.565 --> 00:22:36.431 Never read through the whole New Testament before. 00:22:36.431 --> 00:22:41.964 Makes it a lot more bite sized and it's amazing to see how it connects together if you want to do that. 00:22:41.964 --> 00:22:45.131 We have Bible reading plans out in the connection corner. 00:22:45.131 --> 00:22:46.030 You can get those there. 00:22:46.030 --> 00:22:50.730 We also do a monthly memorization first, and I mention that because I want to keep it in front of us. 00:22:50.730 --> 00:22:53.230 It's easy to forget that we have that. 00:22:53.230 --> 00:22:54.664 In fact, throw this up on the screen. 00:22:54.664 --> 00:22:56.365 I put all this up on our website. 00:22:56.365 --> 00:22:59.865 We're constantly adding stuff to the website, by the way. 00:22:59.865 --> 00:23:04.164 You should go there and just move around some minutes, some time, see all that's there. 00:23:04.164 --> 00:23:09.397 But we have a whole tab on the website under Do you have a need called How to Grow Spiritually? 00:23:09.397 --> 00:23:12.131 And on that page, go to the next slide. 00:23:12.131 --> 00:23:13.330 That's where we've listed out. 00:23:13.330 --> 00:23:15.265 Here's our annual Bible reading plan. 00:23:15.265 --> 00:23:16.230 Read through the Bible with us. 00:23:16.230 --> 00:23:17.798 Here's our Scripture memory. 00:23:17.798 --> 00:23:18.730 You can go to that page. 00:23:18.730 --> 00:23:30.397 We've got them listed out the Scripture memory verse for every month and almost every month has a song with it makes it easy to memorize, makes it easy for kids, especially to memorize adults too, by the way, and let it, quote, play. 00:23:30.397 --> 00:23:31.431 I'm playing it for my kids. 00:23:31.431 --> 00:23:32.530 Let it play for the kids. 00:23:32.530 --> 00:23:33.464 You'll pick it up too. 00:23:33.464 --> 00:23:39.631 It makes it super easy to memorize Scripture, but to know his voice, we got to be in his word. 00:23:41.565 --> 00:23:46.365 Second, listen to the Holy Spirit. 00:23:47.565 --> 00:23:51.131 And some people are pretty nervous right now talking about the Holy Spirit. 00:23:51.131 --> 00:23:52.230 That's kind of subjective. 00:23:52.230 --> 00:23:52.964 What do you mean? 00:23:52.964 --> 00:23:54.931 Listen to him when he speaks. 00:23:54.931 --> 00:23:55.998 How can I be sure? 00:23:55.998 --> 00:23:56.498 It's him. 00:23:56.498 --> 00:23:58.131 And not just my own crazy delusions. 00:23:58.131 --> 00:24:00.030 Thinking about being murdered at a stoplight. 00:24:00.030 --> 00:24:03.565 How do I know that it's the Holy Spirit talking? 00:24:03.565 --> 00:24:07.330 That's why I spent three weeks at the start of the year talking about how to know God's will. 00:24:07.330 --> 00:24:09.065 That is complex, right? 00:24:09.065 --> 00:24:10.565 It is hard to know sometimes. 00:24:10.565 --> 00:24:11.798 Is that the Holy Spirit or not? 00:24:11.798 --> 00:24:14.198 But that doesn't mean we avoid it. 00:24:14.198 --> 00:24:18.097 We don't avoid hard things just because they're not always clear. 00:24:18.097 --> 00:24:19.830 That's why we lean on one another. 00:24:19.830 --> 00:24:23.230 We whatever we think we're hearing from the Holy Spirit, we check it against God's Word. 00:24:23.230 --> 00:24:24.464 We spend time in prayer. 00:24:24.464 --> 00:24:32.998 We ask wisdom from others on and on and on and on. But and this is something I've been dwelling on a lot lately. 00:24:32.998 --> 00:24:36.865 In fact, I mentioned it in the midweek update. 00:24:37.330 --> 00:24:41.730 Why don't we expect to hear from him every day? 00:24:41.931 --> 00:24:46.164 Why don't I expect to hear from him more often? 00:24:46.164 --> 00:24:51.397 What an amazing way to start the day to wake up going, Lord, I'm ready to hear from you. 00:24:51.397 --> 00:24:53.830 I'm desperate to hear from you. 00:24:53.830 --> 00:24:56.830 Let me hear your voice today. 00:24:58.265 --> 00:25:01.931 I promise you, he wants to speak to you. 00:25:01.931 --> 00:25:07.030 He does listen to his voice. 00:25:07.030 --> 00:25:08.730 Listen to his voice through his words. 00:25:08.730 --> 00:25:10.397 Listen to his voice through the Holy Spirit. 00:25:10.397 --> 00:25:12.464 That's the first four attributes of the shepherd. 00:25:12.464 --> 00:25:19.164 Now, notice it said in verse six, this figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 00:25:20.365 --> 00:25:23.998 Common theme with the disciples, with the Pharisees, both. 00:25:23.998 --> 00:25:26.230 I don't quite get what you're saying. 00:25:26.230 --> 00:25:30.730 So what he's going to do is he's going to unpack two ideas that he presented already. 00:25:30.730 --> 00:25:33.698 The idea of the door, the idea of the shepherd. 00:25:33.698 --> 00:25:37.365 He's going to unpack both of those by using these I am statements. 00:25:37.365 --> 00:25:42.230 So let's look at the first one here and verses seven through ten. 00:25:43.030 --> 00:25:50.097 So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 00:25:50.131 --> 00:25:57.198 All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 00:25:57.198 --> 00:25:58.698 I am the door. 00:25:58.698 --> 00:26:13.631 If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and he will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 00:26:13.798 --> 00:26:23.164 I came that they may have life and have it abundantly so I am the door. 00:26:23.164 --> 00:26:25.097 He's going to unpack this idea. 00:26:25.097 --> 00:26:26.397 He enters through the door. 00:26:26.397 --> 00:26:27.931 The true shepherd comes through the door. 00:26:27.931 --> 00:26:30.131 The gatekeeper opens the door. 00:26:30.131 --> 00:26:31.897 I am the door, he says. 00:26:31.897 --> 00:26:35.830 This is one of those seven I am statements in the book of John. 00:26:35.830 --> 00:26:42.631 John is well known for that seven I am statements seven key signs, all pointing to who Jesus is. 00:26:42.631 --> 00:26:44.397 And here he says I am the door. 00:26:44.397 --> 00:26:47.097 What does he mean by that? 00:26:47.097 --> 00:26:48.030 You know, it's interesting. 00:26:48.030 --> 00:26:59.765 Some of this whole setting can get complex if we try to slice it to finally, if we try to give each character an exact role, if we try to give each element an exact role. 00:26:59.765 --> 00:27:03.597 But here with the door, he's playing it multiple ways. 00:27:03.597 --> 00:27:04.897 I'm the door. 00:27:04.897 --> 00:27:07.464 I'm both the entrance to the sheepfold. 00:27:08.431 --> 00:27:13.230 I'm the way you the way the truth, the life, I'm the way you come in. 00:27:13.230 --> 00:27:14.931 But I'm also the one who decides. 00:27:14.931 --> 00:27:16.498 I am also the judge. 00:27:16.498 --> 00:27:24.330 I'm also the one who determines who comes in, who goes out. 00:27:24.330 --> 00:27:31.330 It's such a stark contrast, by the way, with the Pharisees, who were all about kicking out the the sheep. 00:27:31.330 --> 00:27:43.565 I mean, the blind man who truly in Christ, who had his life returned to him, was sight given to him with sight for the first time. 00:27:43.565 --> 00:27:45.698 And they're kicking him out. 00:27:45.698 --> 00:27:48.498 You don't belong with us. 00:27:48.498 --> 00:27:49.931 And Jesus says, I'm the door. 00:27:49.931 --> 00:27:57.631 I'm the one who both decides who comes in and I am the way into the true sheepfold through me. 00:27:57.631 --> 00:28:03.830 No one comes through the father, but through me I am the door. 00:28:04.198 --> 00:28:11.631 And yet here, like with the strangers, the sheep know his voice. 00:28:11.631 --> 00:28:15.030 The sheep know that he is the door. 00:28:15.030 --> 00:28:21.498 They are not tempted by others not led astray by thieves and robbers. 00:28:21.498 --> 00:28:27.998 Particular He's talking about those who have come before me and we don't know exactly what he's referring to. 00:28:27.998 --> 00:28:32.364 There could be false prophets from the Old Testament. 00:28:32.364 --> 00:28:45.198 It could be more recently, some of the false messiahs that had come on the scene acting like a messiah declaiming declaring to be a messiah and there's recorded in history dozens and dozens of these. 00:28:45.198 --> 00:28:50.064 I mean, there was a national expectation that a missile would come and save them politically. 00:28:50.064 --> 00:28:52.998 Of course, many are going to raise hand and go, Hey, I think that's me. 00:28:54.730 --> 00:28:58.931 Could be that false messiahs who came before were really thieves and robbers. 00:28:58.931 --> 00:28:59.397 It could be. 00:28:59.397 --> 00:29:01.897 He's talking specifically to the Pharisees here. 00:29:01.897 --> 00:29:21.963 You think you're the ones who are to care for the nation, and yet you've been the thief and the robber in this moment, when Jesus speaks of himself as a doer here, both as the means and the keeper, He's pointing back to a powerful passage that we see hinted at here. 00:29:21.963 --> 00:29:27.330 In fact, we're going to look at two different Old Testament passages today that are all about the shepherd. 00:29:27.330 --> 00:29:28.431 One is very familiar. 00:29:28.431 --> 00:29:34.097 If you turn to Psalm 23, it's on page 428 in a church Bible. 00:29:34.097 --> 00:29:37.198 And the 23rd Psalm is very familiar to many. 00:29:37.198 --> 00:29:43.663 If you grew up in church, you've quoted this many times, but I want to look at it through this lens. 00:29:45.498 --> 00:29:54.763 Even if you've quoted it many times, have you often thought of it through this lens of Jesus as the true shepherd, as the door to the sheepfold? 00:29:55.198 --> 00:29:59.698 What are the attributes of the Good Shepherd? 00:29:59.698 --> 00:30:07.163 Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd. 00:30:07.163 --> 00:30:10.030 I shall not want meaning. 00:30:10.030 --> 00:30:12.530 I won't have any need. 00:30:12.530 --> 00:30:14.963 He makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:30:14.963 --> 00:30:16.963 He leaves me beside still waters. 00:30:16.963 --> 00:30:19.963 He provides for my needs. 00:30:21.631 --> 00:30:26.163 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. 00:30:26.763 --> 00:30:29.298 He takes me down the road of righteousness. 00:30:29.298 --> 00:30:33.397 But it's for the purpose of bringing glory to him. 00:30:33.397 --> 00:30:39.131 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. 00:30:39.431 --> 00:30:44.131 Even though hard times come, they will come. 00:30:44.131 --> 00:30:46.064 We're not promised life will be easy. 00:30:46.064 --> 00:30:48.597 We're not promised that all our problems will go away. 00:30:49.597 --> 00:30:55.897 Even though I walk through the darkest place, I'll fear no evil. 00:30:55.897 --> 00:30:58.897 I will be fearless. 00:31:00.330 --> 00:31:02.763 He goes before us. 00:31:02.763 --> 00:31:03.463 You are with me. 00:31:03.463 --> 00:31:04.730 His presence is with you. 00:31:04.730 --> 00:31:08.364 Your rod and staff Comfort me, protect me. 00:31:08.364 --> 00:31:09.397 I know you are there. 00:31:09.397 --> 00:31:17.864 You have gone before You have let out You prepare a table for me Continuing to provide in the presence of my enemies. 00:31:17.864 --> 00:31:21.131 You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 00:31:21.131 --> 00:31:29.897 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:31:29.897 --> 00:31:32.763 Presence, connection. 00:31:32.763 --> 00:31:33.897 He knows my name. 00:31:33.897 --> 00:31:35.064 He knows who I am. 00:31:35.064 --> 00:31:38.064 He is my shepherd. 00:31:39.064 --> 00:31:44.798 This is the picture of the abundant life he mentions in verse ten. 00:31:45.298 --> 00:31:46.263 He goes before us. 00:31:46.263 --> 00:31:48.763 He provides he predicts he cares. 00:31:48.763 --> 00:31:57.030 He's there with us through the darkest moments I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 00:31:57.030 --> 00:32:17.397 John 1010 Psalm 23 is the perfect picture of that and the background of a true shepherd, in contrast to those who come to kill, steal and destroy Jesus is the opposite of those who claim to be His shepherd but aren't. 00:32:17.397 --> 00:32:22.298 Now, those were the first four attributes we look at in the first five verses we about him as a door. 00:32:22.298 --> 00:32:22.998 He expands on that. 00:32:22.998 --> 00:32:25.730 Now he's going to expand on what it means to be a good shepherd. 00:32:25.730 --> 00:32:33.798 And in fact, this is the fifth attribute of a true shepherd, of a genuine shepherd, of a trusted shepherd. 00:32:33.798 --> 00:32:35.163 And I'll just say this. 00:32:35.163 --> 00:32:38.463 It's the most important, especially for today. 00:32:38.463 --> 00:32:40.431 We're going to take communion together in a little bit. 00:32:40.431 --> 00:32:44.597 And it's it's the one that sets up the reality of why we follow Christ. 00:32:45.730 --> 00:32:56.830 So look at this other I am statement that he makes here in verses 11 through 13 or so thief comes only to kill, still destroy. 00:32:56.830 --> 00:32:57.931 I came to have life abundantly. 00:32:57.931 --> 00:32:59.998 I am the good shepherd. 00:32:59.998 --> 00:33:04.431 So we have I am the door now I am the good shepherd too. 00:33:04.431 --> 00:33:09.030 I am statements about himself in the same little passage. 00:33:09.030 --> 00:33:10.530 I am the Good Shepherd. 00:33:10.530 --> 00:33:11.463 The Good Shepherd. 00:33:11.463 --> 00:33:15.131 And here it is lays down his life for the sheep. 00:33:15.463 --> 00:33:27.530 In contrast, he who is a hired hand and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 00:33:27.530 --> 00:33:31.963 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 00:33:33.131 --> 00:33:41.364 And so the fifth attribute of a trusted shepherd is he lays down his life, he lays down his life. 00:33:41.364 --> 00:33:42.463 He sacrifices. 00:33:42.463 --> 00:33:44.030 He cares so much about his sheep. 00:33:44.030 --> 00:33:46.096 He is willing to put his life on the line. 00:33:46.096 --> 00:33:54.431 In contrast to the hired hand, who wants to be paid to be in charge, wants to appear to be in charge. 00:33:54.431 --> 00:34:00.631 But when things get hot, when things get difficult, they're out the door because don't really care. 00:34:00.663 --> 00:34:03.297 And again, he's talking to the Pharisees here. 00:34:03.297 --> 00:34:10.797 They're more like the hired hand than the true shepherd who will lay down their life. 00:34:10.797 --> 00:34:15.630 And again, the background for this comes from the Old Testament in Ezekiel 34. 00:34:15.630 --> 00:34:17.097 Ezekiel is one of the prophets. 00:34:17.097 --> 00:34:19.197 Go ahead and turn there. 00:34:19.197 --> 00:34:21.697 One of the prophets of the Old Testament. 00:34:21.697 --> 00:34:23.130 But this background is so important. 00:34:23.130 --> 00:34:26.764 I want to take a few minutes to walk through this because these are the statements. 00:34:26.764 --> 00:34:31.063 These are the passages that would have been familiar to his audience. 00:34:31.063 --> 00:34:34.931 They would have known where is a shepherd that we've heard of before in Scripture? 00:34:34.931 --> 00:34:40.463 Well, Psalm 23, another one, Ezekiel 34, Ezekiel, a prophet. 00:34:40.463 --> 00:34:48.130 This would have been when the nation was already taken captive to Babylon and he was prophesying to the nation. 00:34:48.130 --> 00:34:50.063 Here's how we get back under God's favor. 00:34:50.063 --> 00:34:51.630 Here's how we make things right. 00:34:53.231 --> 00:35:04.896 And so if you look at the Eagle 34, the first thing that happens here is criticism of the false shepherds look here in versus one through four. 00:35:04.896 --> 00:35:11.764 The word of the Lord came to me, son, a man prophesied against the shepherds of Israel prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds. 00:35:11.764 --> 00:35:18.164 Thus says, The Lord God are shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves. 00:35:18.164 --> 00:35:27.797 Should not shepherds feed the sheep, you eat the fat, you clothed yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 00:35:27.797 --> 00:35:32.197 The weak you have not strengthened the sick, you have not healed the injured, you have not bound up the strayed. 00:35:32.197 --> 00:35:35.130 You have not brought back the lost, you have not sought. 00:35:35.130 --> 00:35:37.496 And with force and harshness you have ruled them. 00:35:39.130 --> 00:35:45.130 You call yourselves shepherds and yet only care about yourselves. 00:35:45.130 --> 00:35:52.963 You get the first and you're not caring at all for the people you're supposed to be overseeing. 00:35:52.963 --> 00:35:54.831 So this is his condemnation. 00:35:54.831 --> 00:35:59.431 This is the background of the so-called shepherds. 00:35:59.563 --> 00:36:00.331 And so what does he do? 00:36:00.331 --> 00:36:01.063 Here's what he says. 00:36:01.063 --> 00:36:02.896 Here's my solution. 00:36:02.896 --> 00:36:10.697 Here's how I'm going to respond in a Ziegler 30 forward to these so-called shepherds, verse 11 that says, the Lord God, behold, I myself will search for my sheep. 00:36:10.697 --> 00:36:16.297 I will seek them out as a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered. 00:36:16.297 --> 00:36:17.597 I will seek out my sheep. 00:36:17.597 --> 00:36:21.396 I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered. 00:36:21.396 --> 00:36:30.264 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, bring them into their own land, feed them in the mountains of Israel by the ravines and all the inhabited places of the country. 00:36:30.264 --> 00:36:37.063 I will feed them with good pasture and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. 00:36:37.063 --> 00:36:41.164 There they shall lie down in good grazing land and on rich pasture. 00:36:41.164 --> 00:36:44.831 They shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 00:36:45.664 --> 00:36:47.563 False shepherds didn't do their job. 00:36:47.563 --> 00:36:51.463 I'm going to have to step in and be their shepherd. 00:36:51.463 --> 00:36:56.831 I'm going to do what those who should have been doing want. 00:36:56.831 --> 00:36:58.364 Now, here's how it all comes together. 00:36:58.364 --> 00:37:00.864 Here's what he says, how he's going to do that. 00:37:00.864 --> 00:37:05.963 Look at verse 23 in Ezekiel 34, verse 23. 00:37:05.963 --> 00:37:07.063 Here's how he's going to go about it. 00:37:07.063 --> 00:37:09.030 I will settle over them. 00:37:09.030 --> 00:37:14.197 One shepherd, my servant, David, and he shall feed them. 00:37:14.197 --> 00:37:16.130 He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 00:37:16.130 --> 00:37:20.664 And I, the Lord will be their God and my servant David, shall be Prince among them. 00:37:20.664 --> 00:37:21.764 I, the Lord have spoken. 00:37:22.996 --> 00:37:29.931 And so David's long gone at this point, by the way, five dead, 500 years or so at this point when his ego is prophesying. 00:37:29.931 --> 00:37:32.097 So he's he's not talking about literal David. 00:37:32.097 --> 00:37:33.931 He's talking about one in the form. 00:37:33.931 --> 00:37:36.597 David Who will come? 00:37:36.597 --> 00:37:40.097 David was the quintessential shepherd over the nation. 00:37:40.097 --> 00:37:49.963 I mean, he was a literal shepherd boy, a literal shepherd board who literally put his life on the line for the bears and the wolves to protect his sheep. 00:37:49.963 --> 00:38:00.963 And then when it came time to protect the nation as a little shepherd boy, he went and did what the actual shepherd of the nation saw wouldn't do. 00:38:00.963 --> 00:38:07.931 I mean, Goliath, when he was standing up saying, Hey, somebody come and fight me, who do you think he was really calling out? Just anybody. 00:38:10.063 --> 00:38:11.364 Oh, you say you're in charge. 00:38:11.364 --> 00:38:13.197 Come fight me. 00:38:13.197 --> 00:38:17.597 And what is your do not me. 00:38:17.597 --> 00:38:21.963 He is the one who is called to lay down his life for the people. 00:38:21.963 --> 00:38:29.931 And a little shepherd boy comes and say, Yeah, I'll give it a try because God's name is at stake. 00:38:30.563 --> 00:38:44.063 And so when it says, Here my servant David will be your shepherd, pointing forward, pointing forward to a day when the true David will come back and serve. 00:38:44.630 --> 00:38:47.231 And of course, back in John now flipped back there. 00:38:47.231 --> 00:38:48.731 John, Chapter ten. 00:38:48.731 --> 00:38:52.664 This is where this all comes to a head. 00:38:52.664 --> 00:38:57.030 The true shepherd lays down his life for the people. 00:38:57.030 --> 00:39:14.730 He lays down his life for the sheep and this is so critical to point to because this is the nature of true love, sacrifice. 00:39:16.197 --> 00:39:19.197 True love always has a cost. 00:39:19.630 --> 00:39:28.496 But you can say all day long you love someone, but real love true love. 00:39:28.496 --> 00:39:31.496 And there'll be a cost. 00:39:32.264 --> 00:39:35.630 And that kind of love flows from this model that Christ set. 00:39:35.630 --> 00:39:38.929 But where that comes from is in the rest of our verses. 00:39:38.929 --> 00:39:46.364 Look at verse 14 I'm the good shepherd, I know my own, my own know me. 00:39:46.364 --> 00:39:52.530 And as I'm reading this, by the way, listen to how he talks about his relationship with his father. 00:39:52.530 --> 00:40:01.630 Take note of what he's saying about his love for the father and the father's love for him, because that's where all of this flows from. 00:40:01.864 --> 00:40:05.864 In our modern world, love is an ambiguous, made up concept that can mean anything you want. 00:40:05.864 --> 00:40:06.730 It can even mean hate. 00:40:08.264 --> 00:40:11.563 Where does true love come from? 00:40:11.563 --> 00:40:17.297 This is where I am the good shepherd. 00:40:17.297 --> 00:40:27.730 I know my own and my own know me Just as the father knows me And I know the father and I laid down my life for the sheep And I have other sheep that are not at this fold. 00:40:27.730 --> 00:40:31.429 I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. 00:40:31.429 --> 00:40:35.063 So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 00:40:35.063 --> 00:40:40.664 For this reason, the father loves me because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. 00:40:40.664 --> 00:40:42.164 No one takes it from me. 00:40:42.164 --> 00:40:44.264 I lay it down of my own accord. 00:40:44.264 --> 00:40:44.630 Why? 00:40:44.630 --> 00:40:46.664 Because I have the authority to lay it down. 00:40:46.664 --> 00:40:48.764 I have the authority to take it up again. 00:40:48.764 --> 00:40:49.764 Where did I get that? 00:40:49.764 --> 00:40:51.996 This charge I have received from my father. 00:40:55.063 --> 00:40:57.164 There was again a division among the Jews. 00:40:57.164 --> 00:40:58.063 Because of these words. 00:40:58.063 --> 00:40:59.896 Many of them said he has a demon. 00:40:59.896 --> 00:41:00.829 He's insane. 00:41:00.829 --> 00:41:01.664 Why listen to him? 00:41:01.664 --> 00:41:04.764 Others said, These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. 00:41:04.764 --> 00:41:07.063 Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? 00:41:07.063 --> 00:41:08.264 Division occurs again. 00:41:08.264 --> 00:41:11.896 But notice here his comments about his relationship with the father. 00:41:11.896 --> 00:41:16.429 The love that he pours out to us comes from his relationship with the father. 00:41:16.429 --> 00:41:17.496 Look at three things here. 00:41:17.496 --> 00:41:23.929 Verse 15 he knows him, verse 15 as the father knows me and I know the father. 00:41:23.929 --> 00:41:26.230 I lay down my life for the sheep. 00:41:26.230 --> 00:41:30.164 His love for the sheep comes from his relationship with the father. 00:41:30.164 --> 00:41:31.197 Second, he delights. 00:41:31.197 --> 00:41:32.530 Look at verse 17. 00:41:32.530 --> 00:41:36.597 For this reason The father loves me because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. 00:41:36.597 --> 00:41:44.164 He delightfully lays down his life, and it comes from his delight in loving the father and knowing him and wanting to honor him in all things. 00:41:45.829 --> 00:41:54.664 And then lastly, it flows from the authority the father has give him, given him verse 18 I lay it down on my own accord. 00:41:54.664 --> 00:41:55.929 I have authority to lay down. 00:41:55.929 --> 00:41:57.396 I have authority to take it up again. 00:41:57.396 --> 00:42:06.563 This charge I have received from my father, this points to some complexity of the Trinity that we don't fully understand, but the love of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 00:42:06.563 --> 00:42:10.429 There is even a hierarchy within that and they delight in one another. 00:42:10.429 --> 00:42:14.496 A delightful receive instruction from my father. 00:42:14.496 --> 00:42:23.664 And even though three persons one God, we can't understand how that all fully works, but every element of love that you've ever experienced, that is true. 00:42:23.664 --> 00:42:28.996 Genuine love flows from that relationship they have with one another. 00:42:30.463 --> 00:42:36.530 The way that they eternally love, serve, delight in one another, out of joy to know one another. 00:42:36.530 --> 00:42:40.364 That's why we can know love and know Christ. 00:42:44.563 --> 00:42:54.730 And that's why all sacrifice is tied into love And all love requires sacrifice. 00:42:54.730 --> 00:43:00.797 I remember seeing a powerful picture of this when we were teaching with marriage conferences, and I've mentioned this before, but it's so powerful. 00:43:00.797 --> 00:43:04.463 This stuck with me so many times that at the end we do a vow renewal ceremony. 00:43:04.463 --> 00:43:08.496 There'll be thousands of people in a room renewing their vows together. 00:43:08.496 --> 00:43:15.730 And it was always shocking the drastic difference between them newly married couples and those who've been around the block a few times. 00:43:15.730 --> 00:43:26.597 I don't mean in multiple marriages, though that may be the case, but I mean who have lived some years together Because for the newly married, this was this was giddy. 00:43:26.597 --> 00:43:28.063 This was fun. 00:43:28.063 --> 00:43:34.530 This was kind of kind of new and silly and lots of smiles and cuddles and laughter. 00:43:34.530 --> 00:43:41.364 But the couple had been married ten, 20 years and been through some stuff. 00:43:41.364 --> 00:43:43.429 It was tears. 00:43:43.429 --> 00:43:45.164 There were still smiles. 00:43:45.164 --> 00:43:54.429 I was still joy, but there were tears because they knew this new love is great. 00:43:54.429 --> 00:44:05.496 It's wonderful, but they knew there's a cost to true love requires a death to self requires sacrifice. 00:44:05.496 --> 00:44:13.130 In fact, I think we could call that deadly love, true love. 00:44:13.130 --> 00:44:16.130 There's a sacrifice involved. 00:44:16.530 --> 00:44:25.829 And of course, the most amazing picture we have of that is the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, his sacrifice for us. 00:44:25.829 --> 00:44:30.362 And we're going to celebrate that together and remember that together today as we take communion together. 00:44:30.362 --> 00:44:34.896 I want to go ahead and dismiss the deacons now to prepare the elements for distribution. 00:44:38.996 --> 00:44:49.496 I like to read from First Corinthians 11 how we take communion together, for I receive from the Lord what I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed, took bread. 00:44:49.963 --> 00:44:50.963 When He had given thanks. 00:44:50.963 --> 00:44:55.396 He broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you. 00:44:56.697 --> 00:44:57.963 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:44:57.963 --> 00:45:02.530 Let's take the bread together in the same way. 00:45:02.530 --> 00:45:07.963 Also, he took the cup after supper saying This cup is the New covenant in my blood. 00:45:07.963 --> 00:45:18.597 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's Death until it comes. 00:45:18.597 --> 00:45:21.597 Let's take the drink together. 00:45:23.730 --> 00:45:26.996 And now we're going to have a time of worship together. 00:45:26.996 --> 00:45:28.329 Sing another song together. 00:45:28.329 --> 00:45:32.297 And during this time, there's an area where you need prayer. 00:45:32.297 --> 00:45:40.996 If you want to talk about what it means to follow Christ, to know him, talk about joining the church, about anything whatsoever, I'll be down here, but love to visit with you. 00:45:40.996 --> 00:45:43.862 But Andrew, go ahead and lead us. 00:45:43.862 --> 00:45:47.163 God, we thank you for this time together today. 00:45:47.163 --> 00:45:49.663 And I pray over this congregation. 00:45:49.663 --> 00:45:56.563 I pray that we would experience your blessing today, that we would know that you keep us enlightened. 00:45:56.563 --> 00:45:58.563 John ten You go before us. 00:45:58.563 --> 00:45:59.862 You are the good Shepherd. 00:45:59.862 --> 00:46:03.262 I pray that we would experience your face upon us today. 00:46:03.262 --> 00:46:08.230 Your countenance would look toward us and we would have a peace. 00:46:08.230 --> 00:46:09.197 And God bless you today. 00:46:09.197 --> 00:46:09.797 Go in peace.