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good morning everyone welcome back to free Grace Baptist church for our morning worship few announcements before we start this evening we'll be having the Lord's Supper usual time at 5 pm so come prepared for that Wednesday night bible study of course at 7 30 in the fellowship hall as usual later this month that on the 30th of April we're going to be having a joint service with Surrey reform Baptist Church here and that will be in the evening but it'll be an hour earlier so we'll start at 4 P.M just so you know that we won't be having our regular monthly luncheon this will be in lieu of that so on April 30th at 4 pm we'll have a joint service with Surrey reform Baptist Church the newsletter is out already beginning of the month so grab a copy if you don't already have your one on the email or if you want to copy hard copy with all of the announcements and some interesting articles and good theology in there grab that and also the crossword puzzle for our call to worship this morning let's turn to Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah 40 will be getting reading at the beginning of the chapter to verse 11. thank you Comfort yes Comfort my people says your God speak Comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her that her Warfare is ended that her iniquity is pardoned for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God every Valley shall be exalted and every mountain and Hill brought low the Crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and All Flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken the voice said cry out and he said what shall I Cry All Flesh is grass and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field the grass withers the flower Fades because the breath of the Lord blows upon it surely the people are grass the grass withers the flower Fades but the word of our God stands forever o Zion you who bring Good Tidings get up into the high mountains o Jerusalem you who bring Good Tidings lift up your voice with strength lift it up Be not Afraid say to the cities of Judah behold your God behold the Lord shall come with a strong hand and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him he will feed his flock Like a Shepherd he will gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young amen for our first hymn turned to number 280 in your hymnal 2 8 0 and stand with me as we sing wondrous King all glorious [Music] sovereign [Music] now let us [Music] forever sorry [Music] I washrooms praise foreign foreign [Music] here we go I will sing with me foreign [Music] let's go to the Lord in prayer and ask his blessing upon our meeting this morning thank goodness gracious Heavenly Father we come before you with grateful and thankful Hearts this morning that we can be here and gather with your Saints to worship you together we thank you that all over the world this morning there have been churches Gathering meeting together to Worship the Great God Of Heaven and Earth Lord we pray that your blessing would attend the preaching of the word wherever it is preached throughout the world we thank you that you have promised to build your church we know that you are indeed building your church we know too that there will be opposition but that the Gates of Hell will not Prevail they shall crumble before the preaching of the word of God we pray that that would take place even here this day Lord we pray for your Saints in places where they are being persecuted be merciful to those who are suffering be reversible to the Saints who are in prison those who have to meet in private in secret this day those who have to hide their activities from the authorities whether that be religious authorities or political authorities or both Lord I pray that you'd be gracious to your Saints Comfort your people to stay encourage them and give them strength to continue on Lord we pray that you would bless our sister churches we think of the work down in Honduras or that congregation we pray oh God that you would be gracious to them this day that you would blessed Pastor Carlos Pastor Luis encourage that flock Lord we pray that they would continue to grow in Grace in maturity and knowledge of the word we pray you'd bless John and Molina Curry encourage them give them a productive Ministry there as they help out I pray Lord that it would be to your honor and Glory that they are there and we pray Lord eventually we would see them again here on a visit back to our church Lord we thank you for what you're doing in our nation we thank you for the sister churches the church plants I pray Lord you bless the congregation out right in Ontario this morning encourage them Lord I pray that they would continue to grow I pray that they would continue to move unified in One Direction toward the constituting of a local church there give Josh and Dan wisdom as they lead that congregation and Lord provide them with qualified men I pray to preach the word and to to minister in that location bless the congregation in Armstrong blessed pastor pastor maljar says he preaches this morning encourage that congregation caused them to continue to grow in Grace and in unity and bring Outsiders among them that have yet to hear the gospel cause that work to be to be well-founded I pray and bless our sister Church in Surrey bless Pastor Kirkpatrick this morning and the congregation there I pray that you would encourage them and cause them to grow as well Lord I pray that you'd be merciful to us here in our congregation you know those who are suffering you know the the elderly that are not able to be with us this morning you know those who have chronic illness I pray God that you'd be gracious to them and uphold them uphold those that are struggling spiritually or struggling mentally Lord I pray that you would encourage your Saints and I pray Lord for all of those who are here in attendance this morning that you would Minister to us from the word of God and Lord where we need encouragement I pray that you'd provide that where we need chastisement I pray o God that you'd be faithful to minister that too and I pray Lord that this day you would call Sinners out of Darkness into Marvelous Light bless the families of this congregation as they labor to rear their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord I pray you'd give fathers and mothers unity and wisdom in that endeavor I pray Lord that the children of our church would early understand and embrace the gospel and come to know the Savior Lord do a good work in the families of this church I pray and as well for the the singles and the youth bless them O Lord as they grow up and take responsibility and as they move out for into lives of their own I pray God that you would bless them and cause them to be well-founded in the church and well-grounded here bless us this day Lord as we look into your word as we worship as Pastor Butler comes to teach and preach to us I pray oh God that you would open our hearts to receive that word that I pray in Jesus name amen for our next hymn we're going to sing number 233. number 233 please stand with me as we you may be seated if you take your Bibles and turn with me to Revelation chapter 12 for our morning scripture reading in Revelation chapter 12 we will read the entire chapter now a great sign appeared in heaven a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and on her head a Garland of 12 Stars then being with child she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth and another sign appeared in heaven Behold a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his head his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born she bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God and his throne then the woman fled Into the Wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should he'd feed her there 1260 days and war broke out in heaven Michael and his angels fought with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought but they did not Prevail nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer so the Great Dragon was cast out that Serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world he was cast to the Earth and his angels were cast out with him then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ have come for the accuser of our Brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not life love their lives to the death therefore Rejoice O heavens and you who dwell in them woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the Sea for the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the Earth he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child but the woman was given two wings of a great Eagle that she might fly into the Wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent so the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood but the Earth helped the woman and the Earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth and the dragon was enraged with the woman and he went to make war with the rest of her Offspring who keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ amen let us pray gracious Father in heaven we thank you that you have been Victorious that Christ has crushed the head of the serpent we thank you that this enemy of ours though he Roars like a lion and seeks those who whom he may devour is on your leash we thank you that he can only accomplish what you allow him to accomplish we thank you that we are on the winning side thank you for the victory of Christ and we pray Lord that you continue with us as we worship and as we Rejoice together in Jesus name amen for our last hymn we'll turn to Psalm 92 selection b as in bravo Psalm 92 please stand with me as we sing foreign [Music] Glory [Music] through foreign [Music] we can turn with me in your Bibles to the Book of John we're working our way through John's gospel and we're in John chapter 10. our Focus this morning will be verses 11 to 21 Jesus Good Shepherd discourse the only place in John's gospel where he gives something concerning or something like a parable or illustration concerning his mission so we'll read beginning in chapter 10 at verse 1. I'll read to verse 21. most assuredly I say to you he who does not enter the Sheepfold by the door but climbs up some other way the same as a thief and a robber but he who enters by the door is The Shepherd of the sheep to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own Sheep by name and leads them out and when he brings out his own sheep he goes before them the Sheep follow him for they know his voice yet they will by no means follow a stranger that will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers Jesus used this illustration but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them then Jesus said to them again most assuredly I say to you I am the door of the sheep all whoever came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them I am the door if anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find a pasture the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep but a hireling he who is not the shepherd one who does not own the Sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf catches the sheep and scatters them the hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the Sheep I am the Good Shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own as the father knows me even so I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again no one takes it from me but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this command I have received from my father therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings and many of them said he has a demon and is mad why do you listen to him others said these are not the words of one who has a demon can a demon Open the Eyes of the blind amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you that Jesus Christ is in fact the door of the sheep and that he is the Good Shepherd we thank you that he lays down his life for the sheep that he died and rose again so that we might have everlasting life and not just have life but have it abundantly we praise you for every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ we praise you for justification and sanctification and glorification we praise you for what you have purposed to accomplish in and through your son and we pray now that you would give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things may you strengthen us and encourage us as we we see afresh this Good Shepherd of the sheep and God for any and all who've come here this morning that are dead in their trespasses and sins may they hear the voice of the shepherd as it comes through scripture by the power of the spirit may they see their sin may they see their dead State and may they see that in Jesus Christ Alone is salvation forgive us all for all of our sin and cleanse Us in that precious blood and fill us now by your spirit or with your spirit so that we may understand your holy word and we pray these things through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well as I said in this particular passage Jesus uses parabolic teaching he uses two figures he says first that he is the door in verses 7 to 10 and then he says he is the Good Shepherd in verses 11 and following so we're going to focus on that part of his discourse this morning and in many respects we see it as an explanation of what he says in verse 10. if you look again at verse 10 the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy so he's making a contrast between himself and the religious leaders we know there's a close connection between chapters 10 and 9 chapter 9 we see the healing of that man who had been born blind we see the salvation of that man who had been born blind and we see him being cast out by the religious leaders of his day why because he owned and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior so Jesus does not stop and start a new subject but in chapter 10 one and following he condemns that religiously leadership and he does that in tan a the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy and by way of contrast he announces why he's gone he says in verse 10 B I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly so it's not only that God confers Upon Us eternal life but it's abundant it is profuse it is according to the riches of his grace our God is not a miser when it comes to the Salvation of his people our God rejoices over us to do us good as he prop uh promised to the Prophet Jeremiah he would plant as people in the land with all his heart and with all his soul our God is glorious and gracious and wondrous and he gives us eternal life and that life is abundant and then in verses 11 and following it's as if Jesus describes or answers the question how does he do that he's calm that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly well it's through his death it is through his resurrection it is through his life of obedience to the father it is through what we call the gospel of our Salvation so as we examine verses 11 to 18 Under The Heading of the Good Shepherd will notice three things first the Declaration concerning his role in verse 11. secondly the condemnation of his opponents in verses 12 and 13 and then the explanation of his mission in verses 14 to 18. so not only has he come to give us life but he's also revealed how he's going to do it so let's look at the Declaration concerning his role in verse 11. so similarly with verse 7 where he says I am the door of the sheep now in verse 11 the figure of speech changes but the truth is the same he says I am the Good Shepherd now this is one of those I am statements that John's gospel is filled with there are there are seven of them Jesus says I am the bread of life life in John 6 Jesus says I am the light of the world in John 8 and 9. Jesus says I am the door of the sheep in chapter 10 here he says I am the Good Shepherd in chapter 10. he says I am the resurrection and the life in chapter 11. he says he I am the way the truth and the life in chapter 14. and then he says I am the True Vine in chapter 15. so these are expressions concerning His function or his role and so this is the Declaration that has a lot of Old Testament teaching behind it we saw last week how the prophetic announcement concerning the coming messiah in Jeremiah 23 a Shepherd will come and we will call him the Lord our righteousness in Ezekiel the prophet in chapter 34 God is telling through that man the nature of the New Covenant and the Shepherd that will come and unify the people of God we see that all throughout this particular passage we saw it as well in the poetic illustration of the 23rd psalm the Lord is my son shepherd I shall not want that's the proposition that's the Declaration that's the truth claim made by the psalmist and then he goes on to illustrate that in verses two to six we see similar structure here Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd that's the Declaration the demonstration comes in that he gives his life for the Sheep as well this whole idea of him conferring benefit upon his people is summarized by Paul theologically in Ephesians 1 3. blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing this is the Abundant Life that Christ confers upon his people announced by the prophets illustrated by the psalmist realized in the first coming of the savior in terms of his death and Resurrection on behalf of his people it is a rich metaphor it is a rich uh uh figure of speech it is something that ought to cause us to stand in awe and amaze and to respond with love he's the the Good Shepherd we don't want because of what he's accomplished on our behalf this affords comfort and encouragement to the people of God whatever may be going on in your life whatever difficulties or trials or or hardships whether physically or spiritually you have this reality that Christ has come to give you life and to give it abundantly so whatever this world may throw at you whatever the devil may do in terms of molestation whatever the the remaining corruption in your own heart throws at you on a regular basis the reality is is that Jesus is your Good Shepherd Jesus does provide a context for you in which you shall not want he provides everything profusely according to the riches of God's blessed Grace we need to Muse on this and meditate upon this and find great joy and comfort so when we move through this present evil age we always have that to tether us we always have that to bind us down we always have that to ground us and balance us so we don't lose our mind Minds Christ is the Good Shepherd that's the the Declaration now in terms of demonstration look at what he says in verse 11 I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep so in a similar fashion the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want the uh the proposition and then the proofs come in two to six same here God or Christ rather is the Good Shepherd and he gives his life for the Sheep this is the Declaration or demonstration of the Declaration and it also functions to explain again how verse 10 B comes to pass I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly now brethren in terms of the shepherd you don't typically think of the shepherd giving his life for the Sheep acceptance so far as he's defending that right the bear comes the lion comes to sink their fangs into the to the into the sheep and the shepherd goes out there to fight the shepherd goes out there to defend the shepherd goes out there if necessary to give his life for the sheep in terms of Defense so the image is there the parallel is there but Jesus actually is going farther than that he gives his life actively for the sheep in defense certainly of the the enemies that Vex our souls but he gives his life positively so that the Sheep may have everlasting life when I was in the U.S Air Force there was a group called parrot rescue they're sort of like the special forces in the Air Force and what their motto was That Others May Live and that's an intriguing motto That Others May Live these were called pararescue guys and they they trained a lot they they learned medicine they learned how to go Behind Enemy Lines and find people that were captured and bring them out again well you'd need medical skills but you need skills to go in and be able to do that sort of thing but that was their motto That Others May Live Christ gives his life for us that we may live and that not only may we live but we we may live abundantly that we may know the joy of the Lord as our strength that we may be encouraged and comforted and helped and benefited John Gill says not only exposes it his life to Danger as David did his for the sake of his father's flock but he gives it away freely and voluntarily for the sake of the sheep and as we move through this passage you will not see an unwilling savior you do not see a savior that doesn't really want to to embrace the work that the father has purposed for him no it's very obvious the Good Shepherd gives his life for the Sheep now notice secondly by way of condemnation of his opponents in verses 12 to 13 we've not left left that close connection with chapter nine he's condemning these robbers he's condemning these thieves he's condemning these men that come to to steal and to to kill and to destroy he's come to condemn this religious leadership operative in the first century because they were bankrupt this is the same reason he goes in and he cleanses The Temple at the beginning and end of his ministry what is that it's an indictment upon what had happened in terms of religious or Israel's religious life and so he does the same thing in this section I've mentioned that the apostles do that in the book of Acts not positively and actively the way that the Lord Jesus goes after his opponents but the fact that the apostles preached the truth that is consistent with the Old Testament scriptures shows the bankruptcy of the Sanhedrin shows the bankruptcy of the religious leadership in that first century setting they had missed Messiah they had missed the promised one they had resisted and rejected the very man the very one that God sent forth according to his plan and purpose so notice how Jesus deals with his opponents here he speaks of them as higher links notice the conduct of the hireling in verse 12. he says but a higherling simply a Hired Man a hireling who he who is not the shepherd one who does not own the Sheep sees the the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and fleas and the Wolf catches the sheep and scatters that now in terms of this condemnation this is not the first time verse 1 verse 8 verse 10 a and again speaking to the situation in chapter 9 verse 34. they answered and said to him the man who had been born blind you were completely born in sins and are you teaching us and they cast them out that confirmed the fears of his parents in John chapter 9 at verse 22. they had been threatened they had been intimidated they had been coerced into compliance with that bankrupt system if they identified with Jesus if they sided with Jesus they would be cast out these men were functioning like that new testament character called diotrophies he loved the preeminence and he wanted to put out the people of God so notice the identification of the religious leadership here is higher link Clank makes this observation in the ancient world the hired worker was viewed in a derogatory sense those who acted for okay not from loyalty or friendship notice it's very obvious in the way that Jesus speaks verse 12. he says but a hireling who is not the shepherd one who does not notice owned the Sheep he has no vested interest in them he has no care for them he has no concern for them it is not his prerogative to put his life on the line in their behalf in their defense or in their behalf the the dereliction of the religious leadership this is what he's speaking to one who does not own the Sheep he sees the wolf coming he leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf catches the sheep and scatters them off if we ask the question who's the wolf in this illustration I think the wolf is a sort of a three-fold anime first the devil now the Bible tells us he roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour I can't think of a particular passage that ascribes to him sort of wolf-like Tendencies or characteristics but he is the Menace of the sheep he is the one that seeks to destroy the Sheep but as well the heretic the false prophet listen to Jesus in Matthew's gospel in chapter 7 at verse 15 beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves so the hireling sees the devil coming and what does he do does he fight for the Sheep does he defend the Sheep does he lay down his life for the Sheep No he he runs and he hides when the hireling sees the false teacher the the false prophet when he sees the heretic coming does he Mount opposition does he seek to defend does he contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the Saints does he have an answer for those who who question him no he runs he hides he flees whether through his own ignorance or whether through his own cowardice he does not face the threat of the false teacher but interestingly and I mentioned this before the Sanhedrin encompassed in Israel not only the religious aspect in terms of leadership and rulership but also political as they were subject to the Roman Empire it was the sanhedrad that made the shots politically for the children of Israel there's an interesting turn of phrase that the prophet Ezekiel uses in Ezekiel 22 27 to refer to civil tyrants he says her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey to shed blood to destroy people and to get dishonest gain so with this hireling he is supposed to be guarding and watching the flock he's supposed to uh supposed to be tending to that the Devil comes and the hireling flees the false prophet comes and the hireling flees the Civil State comes and the hireling flees he doesn't do his job in terms of defending the Sheep he doesn't do his job in terms of laying down his life for the Sheep if that is necessary now I'm not suggesting every Pastor is going to die for every single human being that that is in his church ultimately it's Christ who is the Good Shepherd pastors are under Shepherds and believe you me passages like this are very convicting they very much cut to the heart of those who are given that task of being under Shepherds because we're not good like the Savior we don't defend like the Savior we don't give our lives like the Savior but Brethren the savior is in view here and the Savior has Good Shepherd defends us from the devil he defends us from the false prophet or the heretic and he defends us from the Civil State and their tyranny we have the blessedness of our Christ at the right hand of God most high where he functions in the capacity of being a good shepherd to his people on Earth it is most wondrous it is most glorious it is Most Blessed so we see this uh higher laying flee now notice in verse 13 he gives the reason why he does this verse 13 basically he has no vested interest in the Sheep he doesn't care they're not his it doesn't matter to him at the same if the devil ravages them it doesn't matter to them to him if the the false teacher comes in and and upgrades them it doesn't matter if the Civil State enslaves them notice in verse 13 the hireling flees because he is a higherling and does not care about the Sheep it's it's pretty obvious it's pretty simple it's pretty expressive of the the conduct of these false teachers in religious leadership at the time of the Messiah and so Christ condemns that Christ obliterates them and Christ shows that what they had done is absolutely faulty and wrong and remember this is his present audience if you look back at chapter nine specifically at verse 39 for judgment I have come into this world those who do not see Macy and that those who see may be made blind than some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him are we blind also Jesus said to them if you were blind you would have no sin but now you say we see Therefore your sin remains now we have a chapter break there typically we finish our Bible reading there and we close it and then we come back to chapter 10 and we forget the close connection who's Jesus talking to according to John 10 verses 1 and following he's talking about the Pharisees or talking to the Pharisees about the Pharisees it's one thing for me to stand here and condemn the the false teachers in our generation insofar as they're out there and pretty much everybody in here is kind of on board I mean nobody's going to get up and say well maybe someday that's going to happen you're not you're you're you're you're whacked out you don't know what you're talking about for the most part though it's easy to condemn false teachers when they're far removed from you Christ is surrounded by these men many times I've emphasized again not to justify but to understand why they picked up stones to throw at him he was not their favorite fellow he was not their favorite person he was not somebody they would have had coffee with he was not somebody they would have had dinner with they constantly complain about him they constantly oppose him they constantly resist him in fact toward the end of this Exchange in chapter 10 at verse 20. they say he's he's he's a demon and he's mad he's out of his mind don't listen to him don't don't receive what he has to say so he's not surrounded here by his friends now there are some 21 tells us that that others you know rebuff that sort of concept that he was demon-possessed and he was mad but for the most part he's standing in the midst of the opposition condemning the opposition I suggest that Jesus would probably be thrown out of a lot of churches every single University campus and probably most buildings that house political leaders because he wouldn't shrink back from declaring the truth because it's ultimately the truth that shall set us free according to John chapter 8. and unless we traffic in and truck in the truth then we aren't going to make any advancement in the kingdom of God most high it is about the truth and so Jesus tells the truth even when it might possibly and it most certainly does offend the delicate sensitivities of those around him the narrative ends of the chapter ends with them picking up stones to throw at him to kill him you don't do that with somebody you're kind of all right with you don't do that with somebody you're kind of okay with you do that with somebody it despise you do that with somebody who is the target of your opposition and enmity you do that with somebody you absolutely to test they wanted to take Stones throw them on his head to kill him and to destroy him and to suggest that well you know they didn't really know what they were doing they knew perfectly well what they were doing and they ultimately fulfill their purposes in crying out away with them away with them crucify him they loved him so in that context he doesn't shrink back from saying you're the guys that are thieves you are the guys that are robbers you are the guys that were condemned by Jeremiah in his first temple sermon in Jeremiah chapter 7. the same sort of thing you've made my father's house a den of Thieves an iniquity Christ is a prophet and he condemns these people because they are up for or they are they are inconsistent with their calling now notice thirdly from 14 to 18. 14 to 18 he explains his mission see not only makes this declaration concerning his role in verse 11. he not only condemns his opponents in verses 12 to 13. now he's going to explain his mission in verses 14 to 18. something he does often in John's gospel remember John tells us who Jesus is in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God he tells us the word became flesh and dwelt among us and then when the word who became flesh goes about his Earthly Ministry we have that announcement in John 1 29 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so we've got theology in terms of Jesus relation to the father and we've got economy in terms of Salvation and Redemption and his functional role as mediator so he comes now to explain his mission and he does so with two things first he speaks of the love of the shepherd verses 14 and 15 and then he speaks specifically concerning the work of the Shepherd in verses 16 to 18. so notice the love of the shepherd He makes a contrast with himself in the hireling so verse 13 the hireling flees because he is a higher link and does not care about the Sheep now in contrast with that Jesus says in verse 14 I am the Good Shepherd and I know my sheep and am known by my own see there's that that that connection and I think as we read through this brief section in 15 and 16 we're uses the word no or knowledge we need to understand it as a term of intimacy we can see it as a term of love I I know my sheep not just cognitively the shepherd doesn't just say well that one's name is Bill that one's name is Jane that one's name is Marianne it's not just that kind of knowledge he has a knowledge that is intimate he has a knowledge that is predicated on love he has a knowledge that brings them into this relationship wherein he will lay down his life for that the hireling doesn't because he doesn't know them the hireling may know them cognitively his name is Bill her name is Jane her name is Marianne but he doesn't have that that knowledge that intimacy that that love so what is Jesus highlighting here again he's underscoring the proposition that I am the Good Shepherd notice the relation he Bears to the sheep in contrast with the hireling verse 14 I know my sheep and am known by my own he knows us brethren and again love and intimacy he he knows us and yet he still loves us isn't that glorious the more we get to know each other the harder at times it might be to love each other why because we start to see things we we didn't discover on the honeymoon takes about 05 10 15 20 years to realize wow you're really like this hopefully we don't verbalize it quite like that because we want to spare the marriage and and spare our hide and that sort of thing but but but the more that we know one another it's not always the case that it's I mean there is that better for worse there is that richer for poorer to be sure it strengthens us even admits even in the midst of our blemishes our our shortcomings our sins our our challenges our issues our our spouse still loves us in spite of us at times well this is what the shepherd says I I know my own I know what they're like I know their sins I know they're blemishes I know their faults I know their issues and their challenges but I'm not like that hired man that runs off I'm not like that hired man that's going to leave them pray for the devil for the for the heretic and for the Civil Tyrant I'm not like that I'm invested I have skin in the game is what Jesus is saying in essence I know them and I am known by them well how is it that we've come to know him through the gospel of our Salvation through the Blessed truth that Christ lived died and was raised again and that all who by Grace believe in him will have everlasting life the Apostle Muses on this in Galatians 4. it's not that you know God but rather have been known by God because God knows us because Christ knows us because Christ loves us because Christ gives his life for us he brings us into the place where we know him again and cognitively prior to our Salvation we knew who Jesus of Nazareth was I mean in the western world I mean I think it's deteriorating to some degree but for the most part people at least know what Jesus means that word oh that's associated with the Christian religion you don't have to have a a PhD to to have that cognitive understanding but the knowledge that Christ is speaking of here between the shepherd and the Sheep differs fundamentally qualitatively from what the hireling does the hireling doesn't own the Sheep the hireling doesn't care about the Sheep when the hiring sees a threat to the Sheep the hireling runs he wants to save his own bacon he wants to preserve his own life there is no interest in him of giving his life for others that motto That Others May Live guess what job he's not going to sign up for if he enters into the U.S Air Force that doesn't that that's not how he rolls it's all about him it's all about his Prestige it's all about his power it's all about his money and so Jesus makes this contrast I am the Good Shepherd verse 14 and I know my sheep and am known by my own but then notice he makes this comparison so not just the contrast with the hireling but the comparison with what he enjoys with the father and it's this that's calculated to encourage the people of God we've entered into a status we've entered into a relation that's not the exact same father to son but it's analogous it is comparable we have been led into this place of intimacy wherein we now enjoy communion with our blessed savior so notice what he says in terms of this comparison verse 15 as the father knows me even so I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep see what he's saying he's already made the statement as I know my sheep and they know me there is something comparative to the relation between the father and the son and so what holds in terms of Father and Son at the level of blessed wonder that we'll never be able to exhaust at least in some analogous ways enjoyed by the Sheep of Christ in this present evil age we have this intimacy that is similar in nature to the intimacy between the father and the son Jesus does this in Matthew 11. Matthew 11 at verse 27. just before he says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest before he makes that great gospel declaration or or this response to the gospel he says in 11 27 all things have been delivered to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father nor does anyone know the father except the Son and the one to whom the son Wills to reveal him that's what he's doing here in contrast with the hireling the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep in contrast with the higher length the shepherd knows his sheep the Sheep know the shepherd compared with that is the relation between the father and the son the father rather the son knows the father and the the the son of father knows the son there is this relation that obtains between those and we gain an analogy from that to warm our hearts notice in John 15 in the upper room Jesus does this several times John 15 it's as if he's letting us in it's as if he's demonstrating the nature of his good shepherdness and illustrating it by the way that we now have access into his presence and intimate communion with that in a manner similar to what he has with his father so notice in 15 9 as the father loved me I also love I have loved you abide in my love if you keep my Commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my father's Commandments and abide in his love see the comparison there again it falls flat when we go from Creator to creature but there is an analogy there is a similarity there is something that attains with reference to our relation to the to the Good Shepherd notice in 1627 1627 for the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came forth from God see where we're given access we're given entrance we're given position of intimacy so when he says that they may have life and have it abundantly one of the aspects of that Abundant Life is communion with God it is love to God and being loved by god notice in John 17 the high Priestly prayer that comes after The Upper Room discourse notice in verse 23 i in them and you in me that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me and then verse 26 and I have declared to them your name and will declare it that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them so going back to John 10 this is what he's Illustrated the contrast with the hireling the comparison with the relation that he has to the father and for the saint of Christ we should see this and rejoice we should see this and praise God we should understand that now Christ knows us and we know him by grace through faith in him based on the fact that he gave his life on our behalf seal of Alexandria said just as God the father knows his own son the fruit of his nature and holds him to be a genuine Offspring and the son in turn knows the father and holds him to be true God since he has begotten of him so also we since we were brought into relation with him are referred to as his offspring and called his children Brethren I feel like or fear that I might be confusing you I don't want you to be confused there is this contrast with the higher leg and there is this demonstration of the good shepherdness of our blessed savior it is comparable to what he enjoys with the father it is comparable to what the father has with reference to the son when we come into a saving Union with our Lord Jesus Christ we're not chump change we're not just sort of out there somewhere we're known by him and we know him and it is similar to what the father and the son share in terms of infinite glory and blessing as well Matthew Poole makes a similar observation Christ to show not only the sincerity but the degrees of his love to his people does often compare it to the love wherewith his father loved him you get the Trinity down in terms of what's happening with Father Son and Holy Spirit and you understand that analogously at a creaturely level we enjoy that kind of knowledge we enjoy that kind of love we enjoy that kind of intimacy that's the kind of stuff that the people of God need in a world filled with trial and hardship and affliction it's not your love necessarily for Christ that brings the beatitude but it's Christ's love for you it's Christ's blessedness for you it's Christ's work on your behalf and then Jesus repeats what he said in this statement he says as the father knows me even so I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep notice the constant emphasis John 15 13 greater love has no one than this than to lay down one's life for his friends so I don't I don't know if they still do this but when I was a kid there was this sort of activity that people would do they'd I think it was a daisy or some sort of flower with a petal and the girl would say he loves me and pull off a pedal and then he loves me not he he loves me and he loves me not I fear at times that that Christians do that man I had a bad day yesterday God must you know really be on the outs with me now I'm not suggesting that you pursue bad days and by that I mean sinful days but I am suggesting that there is nothing that shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord that is the sure word and promise of of Romans chapter 8. there is nothing not even your bad day yesterday not even the sins you committed this morning not even the sins you perhaps are committing right now again this is not to encourage sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous there is nothing that shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord the father doesn't ever not love the son the son never not loves the father that cry of dereliction from the cross my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me Christ is speaking obviously according to his Humanity there is no breach in terms of the first and second persons of the Triune God as Jesus has become sin for us he says my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me no breach no dissolution no separation there is never a time that the father will not love the son there is never a time that the son will not love the father and there is never a time when the father and the son and the spirit will not love one for whom Jesus died perished the thought Christ's love is sure God's love is secure Paul can challenge the entirety of the created order and rehearse that blessed truth there is nothing that shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord this isn't the he loves me he loves me not if you have believed the gospel of our blessed savior you are safe and secure Christ is going to end as Good Shepherd discourse on that note look ahead to verse 23 I'm sorry verse 25 I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name they bear witness of me but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep as I said to you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me notice and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish do you ponder that do you contemplate that do you think through that Brethren if it was possible that you could lose your salvation you'd have lost it the first millisecond you had it thankfully our Salvation is ultimately in the hands of the Savior himself so notice I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one theology proper affords great blessing in terms of soteriology who God is highlights the blessedness of what God does now as we proceed or proceed notice that Christ underscores or highlights his work on behalf of the sheep in verses 16 to 18. he does three things here my mind just kind of works that way so it kind of helps me keep on track but he does three things in verses 16 to 18. he highlights the beneficiaries of his work verse 16 the nature of his work in verse 17 and then the explanation of that work in verse 18. but notice the beneficiaries and in verse 16 and other sheep I have which are not of this full who's he talking about something about gentiles he's talking about the the the Oracle that was given at the time of Noah where where uh jfath would find rest and respite in the tents of Shem he's rehearsing the promises made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that in them or in him Abraham specifically all the nations of the earth will be blessed not because of Abraham ultimately but because of his seed the Lord Jesus Christ Gentile inclusion in the Covenant Promises of God were always consistent in the Old Testament this wasn't a new thought in terms of Jesus arrival on the scene in the First Century A.D but rather it had been prophesied Psalm 2 ask of me and I will what I will give you the Nations for your inheritance the uttermost parts of the Earth for your possession Isaiah 42 6 and again in Isaiah 49 6 the servant songs of Yahweh what does the servant do he's not only a light to Israel but he's a light to the Gentiles it's too small a thing for that servant to be given simply to save the tribes of Jacob but I will give you as a light under the Gentiles so Christ is foreshadowing Christ is speaking Christ is consistent with what the old Covenant promises is declared concerning Gentile inclusion in the Covenant Covenant of Grace So verse 16 and other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd so the Old Testament promise of Gentile inclusion in the Covenant of Grace we've got it all over Paul as well we're going through Ephesians Ephesians chapter 2 the Apostle tells us these two groups Jew and Gentile are now one new man in Christ Jesus Consolidated under Jesus Christ in Ephesians 3 he explains this as being the mystery of Christ what does he mean it means that Gentiles are going to come to Israel's God through Israel's Messiah they're going to be included in those Covenant promises of God but we don't have to leave John's gospel to get his Theology of a worldwide salvation the reality that both Jew and Gentile find their safety in the Good Shepherd I mentioned John 1 29 earlier you can go there John 1 29 and Behold the Lamb of God who takes away what the sin of the world and as we move through John's gospel we'll notice that world doesn't mean every man without exception it rather means every man without distinction so Jew and Gentile notice in John 3 16 God so loved what the world that he gave his only begotten son as well you've got John 4 42 after Jesus saving dealing saving dealings with that Samaritan woman he then goes to the Samaritan Village he talks to them and notice what happens in 442 then they said to the woman now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ the savior of the world and then notice in chapter 11. chapter 11 Caiaphas the high priest speaks truth concerning Jesus notice in John 11 beginning in verse 49. and one of them Caiaphas being high priest that you're said to them you know nothing at all nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish do you see how God does that from time to time he causes his enemies to speak the truth of the Gospel Luke 15 all the tax collectors and the Sinners draw near to Jesus to hear him and what do the Pharisees say well this man received Sinners and eats with that that's absolutely positively right the psalmist says even the wrath of man shall shall Praise You In fact John the Theologian explains Caiaphas is saying notice in verse 51 now this he did not say on his own but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that Nation only but also that he would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad and look across the page at John 12 John 12 verse 19. it says the Pharisees therefore sat among themselves you see that you are accomplishing nothing look the the world has gone after him well John doesn't leave us in doubt as to what they mean notice in verse 20 now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast then they came to Philip who was from bethsaida of Galilee and asked him saying sir we wish to see Jesus Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus so this inclusion of Gentiles in the Covenant Promises of God is replete through John's gospel so the Good Shepherd has come and the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep and other sheep I have that are not of this fold they're outside the Jewish Nation them I must also call and notice the calling of the sheep we've already seen that the voice of the shepherd is heard by the Sheep the the voice of the shepherd is responded to by the Sheep so he says in verse 16 another sheep I have which are not of this fold them also notice this next phrase I must pray so there there is a class of Christian or a class of theology out there that that that that does not teach this definiteness relative to Christ's work there's a hypotheticalness about it well you know Christ came he did what he did now it's up to you to exercise your free will and activate that reality again we would never do that our our Free Will is enslaved it's it's in bondage we we're dead in our trespasses and sins dead men don't choose for Jesus if salvation is not of the Lord there's no salvation these other sheep I must bring Christ's work is not hypothetical it's not General it's not possible it is definite it is secure it is sure and he will accomplish all that the father has given him that's the emphasis in our passage as he explains the tan B I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly he doesn't do that that partly he doesn't do that partially he doesn't just help us but he actually saves us so he says them also I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be one flock and one Shepherd in the Old Testament in Ezekiel the prophet we see that we see that one flock one Shepherd you see it in Paul's statement Ephesians 4 specifically at Verses 4 and 5. there is one body and one Spirit just as you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all the one body Brethren is from every tried tongue people in Asia the one body Brethren is Jew and Gentile it is too small a thing for messiah just to go after the Lost tribes of Jacob he's a light under the Gentiles there is a comprehensiveness about the work of the Savior on behalf of his people and then notice the nature of that work in verse 17 Again he highlights therefore my father loves me oh Brethren therefore my father loves me because I do these things well according to his Humanity according to his divinity he has the same nature as the father again impossible but in terms of his Humanity it's impossible as well Christ always does that which is pleasing to the father Christ always fulfills the law that he was supposed to fulfill Christ pleases the father in the sense that he comes from the father he takes on our Humanity he lives a life of obedience for us he dies on the cross in our place and in our stat and he's raised again the third day of course the father loves him of course the father is well pleased what does Paul say in Ephesians chapter 1 talking about the work of Christ now he's been stationed at the right hand of the father where he's over all power and dominion and every name that is named Philippians chapter 2 on the heels of his cross work what happens therefore God has highly exalted him this is the emphasis because he does what he was sent to do which means to save us from our sin through his life death and resurrection and bring us into this intimate connection and vital Union with himself therefore my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again he goes on to explain that work in verse 18 no one takes it from me but I lay it down on myself intriguing isn't it it was the Jews that were crying out away with them away with him crucified him it was pilate to whom they went so that they could get authorization so that pilate could give The Kill Order so that pilate could destroy him but Jesus was always in control Jesus was never out of control in fact look at Jesus words to pilate in John 19 John 19 specifically at verse 10 then pilate said to him are you not speaking to me do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you Jesus answered you you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin turn over to Acts chapter 4 this in addition to Peter's statement in Acts 2 that Jesus was delivered up according to the predetermined plan and purpose of God but notice this Apostolic prayer in Acts chapter 4 verse 27 for truly against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together notice to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done so back in our text I think the reason that he explains this the reason that he shines the light on this is to demonstrate a few things and we're going to close here in just a moment but he wants to show first the voluntariness of his work now imagine if you had come into this relationship of intimacy with the Savior but he kind of did it against his will now the father sent me you know that sometimes well why did you do that well you know my mom put pressure on me if I didn't do it I I'd have lost my allowance that's not the most virtuous reason as to why something is accomplished right well you know the father sent me but I yeah if this is how I got to do it this is how I got there's a voluntariness about the savior he doesn't know us and cause us to know him and bring us into this intimacy with him because he's not willing because he's not voluntary because he doesn't want to do this it is it's glorious the fact that he wants us again Brethren when you find that girl or guy that you're going to slap a ring on what's one of the chief benefits what's one of the the chief sort of things about that they actually want me again slap a ring on that finger if you find somebody on this ball that actually wants you marry that because that's a good thing wants us this is an amazing thought why we're not good we're not lovely we're not pure we're not law Keepers Brethren every single morning every single night every single day every single moment of every day we could confess transgression of the Ten Commandments we have other gods before God whenever we put ourselves first we don't worship God as he is a fit to be worship we are Blasphemous not perhaps with our language because we wouldn't want to do that but our conduct this is how Nathan upgraded David by this you've given reproach to the enemies of God most high by what by his adultery and by his murder Sabbath breaking we do that probably every Sunday insubordination I'm sure some of us have had to confess that sin in Spades over the last three years I mean we are struggling to be subject to this civil Authority murder doesn't mean you see somebody's life but if you you hate your brother in your heart if you character assassinate somebody adultery Jesus says if you look upon a woman if you inject that into your head for a moment and or if you're a woman and you look upon a man Saft in the eighth commandment lies in the ninth commandment covetousness in the tenth commandment perhaps you're like that Rich Young Ruler all these things I've kept from my youth well the tenth commandment is going to smash you it's going to smash you like a mallet Jesus says go sell everything you have give the proceeds to the poor and come follow me what happens to the man he goes away sorrowful why because he had many possessions okay he had never murdered anybody he had never committed adultery he had never done those outward outward acts in terms of the law though I would really really really question him our savior is very gracious that he does impressive but it's that covetousness that finds him out Jesus in terms of his work on our behalf he engages in it voluntarily notice as well the authority involved in his work it's not only voluntarily engaged in it but he has the power and the authority to carry it out imagine you might have the voluntary National leave the suffering of a fellow but you might not have the power the authority to do it that's what sympathy is about we we engage in Co simple a co-passion we don't have the necessary power to deliver them out of it but we'll sympathize with them and that's good I'm not suggesting otherwise but not only voluntarily voluntariness but he's got the authority and the power notice what he says no one takes it from me but I I lay it down on myself as well he highlights The Obedience involved in his work the end of the verse this command I have received from my father as mediator of the New Covenant the father bids him to go live to die to rise again so he lives in compliance with that for the benefit of the elect and then notice the efficacy of his work see Brethren Jesus doesn't die a martyr's death Jesus dies the savior's death there have been a lot of martyr Martyrs in Christian history in fact the 20th century was very bloody in terms of Christianity we see that rising in our own generation I don't think it's accidental that somebody wanders in to Covenant Presbyterian school and shoots people there there is that animosity toward the people of God and with reference to the efficacy of this work we don't just need a martyr who dies for the cause we need a savior whose work on our behalf does what God intended for it to do so the Lord Christ is in fact the Good Shepherd the Lord Christ in fact gives his life for the sheep and that life is abundant if you have not come to this savior don't resist him don't reject him don't say well I want nothing to do with him what in this savior could there be that you want nothing to do with a voluntariness an efficaciousness a faithful NASA of bringing you out of Darkness into marvelous the Forgiveness of sins you see when he gives his life for our life it is to forgive us of our sins when he lives his life for our lives it is to give us his righteousness there is everything in this Good Shepherd to argue that you don't tarry in your sin that you don't remain where you're at I don't mean come forward but I mean look to Christ in faith these things are written John will end his gospel with that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing in his name you may have everlasting life and that life is abundant that life is blessed that life is a Wonderful Life Of Love well let us pray Our God and our father we thank you so very much for your word we thank you so very much for your son the Lord Jesus Christ and what he's accomplished on behalf of his people we ask that you would just encourage our hearts as we reflect upon the Good Shepherd that you would cheer us when we are downcast cause us to reflect upon these truths in the midst of the trials associated with this present evil age and God may we worship you may we serve may we glorify and honor you and may it be the case that you'd open eyes and hearts today to receive the truth as it is in Jesus May Sinners hear his voice wherever that voice is proclaimed and may it be the case that every tribe and tongue and people in nation or sinners from those groups would come to the Savior and would know the joy of being found in him and we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn in your hymn books to 568 as we close our service today singing praise to our Triune God 568. before praise Christmas is [Music] bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace God in heaven we pray that these things would be realized in our lives she would bless and protect and keep us by your grace and For Your Glory thank you for the son of your love thank you for the Incarnation thank you that he completed the task that was given to him and has included Us in this Redemptive plan go with us now we pray and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation