The Peace of the Good Shepherd- John 10.11-18 Cody Harlow

Mon e everything together Le well good morning church hey it's good to see y'all this morning amen it's good to be together in the house of the Lord and it is good seeing you here if you are new Welcome to our church my name is Cody I'm the pastor here if you could do me a huge favor and fill out one of those connection cards that's in the chair in front of you drop that off in the offering place that goes by that'd be a huge help in us being able to connect with you also if you have prayer requests that's the best way for me to be able to remember that and also for us as a staff to pray over those different prayer requests and we want to invite you to do that we've got a lot of different things that are coming up this week one of the things is that the angel tree gifts are due on the ornaments it gave the wrong date that they're due back it had on there that they were due next week okay if we could get them in by this Wednesday that would be absolutely fantastic because we're we're sending the gifts with our deacons as they do the Deacon food boxes this upcoming Saturday so when are they do church Wednesday awesome great also we start our week of prayer for international missions we've got our lmon Christmas offering that's going to be taking place next week during the service our church goal is $113,000 every penny of that goes to support our International Mission board missionaries all over the world and so that's our church goal and we want to be able to meet that and so be praying about that there's also a guided prayer or a prayer guide I should say that's in the bulletin and this goes from today through Saturday

And it helps prepare your heart for Missions and how to give and so for us as a church we believe in giving prayerfully we believe in giving generously hilariously sacrificially and specifically and so just be praying about that about how you can do that we've got all sorts of other things that are coming up I know that Austin would fuss at me if I didn't say that next Sunday night we are going out caroling we start that at 5: and finish up around seven or so and then we're going to have some cookies and different things like that so just be sure to do that also if you want to see where these beautiful poinsettas came from who they were given in memory or in honor of please be sure to note that in the bulletin as well now we got some friends that are a part of our church and as you guys know we've got some wonderful missionaries u in training through the ethnos 360 cross-cultural training and Linguistics and all that kind of stuff and we' got some that are going to be leaving us and we're going to say bye-bye and we like to give them an opportunity before they leave to just kind of share about their Ministry before they go and so if y'all would welcome Lydia and Ellie up to the stage as they share a little bit about their [Applause] Ministry yeah y'all can well good morning it's good to see you guys today first off thank you Cody for giving us the opportunity to share it's really an honor and a privilege to just be up here to give you guys an update also thank you guys for we I look out here and I see a lot of people who have invested in us and have welcomed Us in for the last two and a half years and I look out here and it's like I see friends but I also see family and so thank you guys so much for being that for us the last two years like Cody said Lydia and I have

Been in missions training with ethnos 360 for the past two years where we've been equipping being equipped to be sent overseas to work with unreached people groups and now sadly our training time has come to an end and so the next phase for us is to enter into a season of support raising in order to be sent overseas and so what that looks like for me is going back to my hometown or where I call home which is Branson and I'll be there for a year just raising support something that you guys can be praying for me about is I'm right now considering two different fields and I haven't made a decision on the field yet and so I'm still trusting the Lord and relying on him for direction and Clarity in that and so that's kind of what my next year looks like is just being in Branson investing in my community there and trusting the Lord to make my next steps clear with a field yeah I would also just like to Echo a lot of the things that Ellie said it's been when we first got here to the training we were encouraged to get involved and serve and bless a local church but as I reflect back on these years I just see a lot of different ways that you guys have served us and blessed us and I know I'm sure it's difficult because you guys have a lot of ethnos students coming and then just going and so I know it can be hard to invest in people just to have them leave again but I just wanted to thank you for doing that for us as I reflect back on these last couple years I just see how much this church has been part of my training how much just coming week after week and hearing the word of God preached and the body of Christ how that's grown my walk with the Lord I was thinking back of all the different books we went through I was thinking first Peter we did marks of a healthy church we did Daniel and Esther and so we've gone through a lot and I've just grown a lot and it's been

Extra special too because growing up my parents were missionaries to an unreached people group and so really the only Believers I knew for most of my life were just my parents and my siblings and so there wasn't the opportunity to go to a church every week and to fellowship with a group of Believers and have Community groups so it's been extra special to be here during these last couple years and I'm just encouraged that you guys love the Lord that there's people stepping up and leading and yeah it's been a real blessing we're going to miss this time with you guys and we hope to still stay in contact with you guys if you guys want to hear what we're doing oh yeah I forgot I'm going to go I'm planning to go to Mexico that's where I'm hoping to go towards so I'll be well from here I'll be going to Maryland to connect with my reconnect with my home church and support raise as well and then I'm hoping to move to Mexico of August of 2017 or 2024 wow I do not like talking in front of people it makes me nervous yeah so I will be doing hopefully to go to Mexico to work with a people group that doesn't have a church in their location a Bible or even another believer that they could hear about the Gospel so yeah if you guys want to stay in contact let us know if you want to get our newsletters give us your email and we would love just to know how to stay in contact with you guys too so thank you and at the conclusion of our service today thank you guys so much at the conclusion of our service today there we're going to have an opportunity to just pray over them and ask the Lord's blessing on their lives as they go from here and it's the hardest but also the best part because we're commissioning missionaries to go and reach the world for Christ amen all

Right well hey why don't you find a neighbor tell him Merry Christmas that you love him and welcome to First Baptist Church e well good morning church good morning it's good to see you all here and it's good to be in the house of the Lord this morning I thought I was ready to talk but I was wrong excuse me well we've come to the part of our service where we like to just take a moment and ask God to prepare us for corporate worship it's not something that we should enter into without you know without thought or without reverence but also it's not something we should enter into without Joy this is something that is a special thing that we get to do to worship with one another the one true God loudly and boldly to Proclaim who he is and what he's done so I'd invite you to Bow your heads and close your eyes and just ask God to prepare your hearts and Minds for worship and so Lord we ask that you would help us to put aside the distractions to put aside those things that would would VY for our attention as we turn to look together upon you God I pray that you would help us to think about what we say together today to think about what we hear Lord that it wouldn't just be another Another Sunday that we get to check the box off but Lord that it would be a time where we are encouraged a time where we are not just not just here but Lord active participators in worship Lord help us help us to declare your worthiness to one another and to world it's in Jesus name we pray amen I'd invite you to stand now and join us as we sing Hark the Herald Angels Sing glory to the newborn king Mark the Herald Angels Sing glory

To the newborn king peace on Earth and mercy mild God and siners reconcile joyful all ye nations rise join the Triumph of the Skies with angelical Proclaim Christ is born Bethlehem hark the heral Angels Sing glory to the newborn Christ by highest heavenor Christ the Everlasting Lord late in time Behold Him come offspring of the virgin's W bail in flesh the godhead SE P incarnate deity pleas as men with men to dwell Jesus ourmanuel the heral Angels Sing glory to the newborn king hail the H born Prince of Peace ha the son of righteousness might and Life to all he brings risen with healing in his wings mild he lay his glory by born that man no may die Born to Raise the sons of earth born to give them second birth the her Angels Sing glory to the newb kingk the heral Angels Sing glory to the newborn king you may be seated as representatives of our young adults group come up to light the Advent candles this week we again light the candle of Hope now we light the candle for the Second Sunday in Advent this is the candle of Peace as we prepare for the coming of Jesus we remember that Jesus Is Our Hope and our peace from the prophet of Isaiah For unto us a child is born to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder his name shall be wonderful counselor Mighty God Everlasting father Prince of Peace of the increase of his government and of Peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with Justice and with righteousness from this

Forth and forever more the Zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this and from John 14:27 peace I leave with you my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you let not your hearts be troubled neither let them be afraid let's pray gracious God grant that we may find peace as we prepare for the celebration of our Lord's birth May divisions in ourselves and our families be peacefully resolved May there be peace in our cities and the countries of the our world please help us see the paths of peace in our lives and then give us the courage to follow them Lord let us remember that you only are The Giver of lasting peace and that you are always with us amen the Christmas season is a time that reminds us of Peace one thing that I always look forward to is those quiet snow mornings did you know that snowfall actually dampens sound which is why it feels quiet because it literally is quieter but that's something that I always look forward to every winter as we approach the Christmas season I think oh I can't wait for that first time we get a few inches of snow and things are just dead quiet but yeah sorry for those of you who disagree but as we approach this season the piece that we're looking forward to is not just a piece that's literal quiet it's not just a piece where we can finally get over that argument we have with that family member member that spouse it's the peace the Everlasting peace that the Prince of Peace brings it is the peace that is divine that comes from the Savior that we have been waiting for and that we are waiting for even now for his return I'd invite you to stand with me again and join me as we continue to sing this [Music] morning come behold the wonderous

Mystery in the Daw of the king he the theme of Heaven's Praises robed in frail Humanity in our longing in our Darkness now the light of Life Has Come look to Christ to condescended took on flesh to Ransom us come behold the wonderous mystery he the perfect son of man in his living in his suffering never Trace nor stain out see the true and better Adam come to save the Hellbound man Christ The Great and sure fulfillment of the law in him we stand [Music] come behold the wonderous my Christ the Lord upon a tree in thead of ruined siners hangs the lamb in Victory see the price of our Redemption see the fire mother's plan unold bringing many sons to Glory Grace unmeasured love [Music] Untold come behold [Music] theous No Grave could a restrain him praise the Lord he is alive what a for tast of Deliverance how uning our hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes what a for of Deliverance how unwavering Our Hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes what a for Taste of Deliverance how uning our [Music]

Hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he [Music] comes I'd invite you to be seated again as our ushers come forward to take up the offering let's pray Father in heaven we come before you as we continue our worship this morning corporately we thank you Father for the opportunity to at this time to return into the ministry that which you've given us a portion that we can give back Lord and be involved in min Ministry and Lord we pray that you would use these gifts as a way to extend the Gospel in our neighborhoods father right around the church and around our own neighborhoods and throughout to the ends of the Earth father to those who have never had an opportunity to hear about the king of Peace who has come father we lift these things to you in Jesus name amen in Luke Chapter 2 we read and in the same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear and the angel said to them fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be a sign for you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on Earth peace among those with whom he is pleased the next song we're going to sing is The First Noel and that word Noel literally means Carol so what we're seeing is the first Christmas Carol was proclaimed by the angels to these Shepherds out in the field that's

What we're declaring to one another as we sing this song not only here but e even as you hear it out in the secular world out there as the Christmas music plays on and on that's what we're talking about is the first Christmas Carol sung about the joy of the coming Messiah so I'd invite you to join me as we sing The First [Music] Noel [Music] the first no the angel did say was to certain poor sheers in Fields as they lay in field where they lay keeping their sheep on a cold winter night that was so deep Noel no born is the king of [Music] is they look it up and saw a star shining in the East Beyond them far and to the Earth it gave great light and so it continued both day and night no born is the king of Israel and by the light of that same star three wise men and came from country far to seek for a king was their intent and to follow the star wherever it went no Noel no born is the king of [Music] Isel then let us all with one

Accord sing praises to our Heaven the Lord who ha made heav and Earth of not and with his blood mankind hath bought Noel born is the king of [Music] Isel the king is come the Christ is born he has offered us peace he has offered us a life that we couldn't live on our own and that's what we celebrate this morning and into the Christmas season and it's certainly what we'll celebrate once my keyboard starts working again all right well we'll celebrate it after the sermon at this point I guess so let's pray together don't you love technology let's pray dear Lord we love you because you have first loved us and you have shown us such great love in the birth of Jesus in your coming to the world to live a perfect life to take on the punishment for our sins that we deserve so that we might be reconciled to you Lord let us never stop rejoicing in that whether we're singing about it or whether we are talking about it whether we're reading in your word or praying to you Lord let us rejoice in the great gift of salvation Lord as we continue through this Christmas season I pray that you would continually over and over again remind us of who you are and what you've done for us it's in Jesus name we pray amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to John 10 as I said last week we are continuing our study of the I am sayings of Christ This Christmas because the best gift that

Was ever given was Jesus's own life on the cross and we are going to continue learning about this over the coming weeks first week brother Austin he preached about Christ being the bread of life that God he satisfies us last week we talked about Jesus being the door and Jesus being the one way that God provided for us to have a personal relationship with him and today we are talking about Jesus being the Good Shepherd and the peace that he offers to us in Christ and why are these I am statements important well is because they are Christ's very own descriptions about himself when he takes the time to describe himself he is hearkening back to the time of Moses and in that story of the burning bush and he when Moses encountered the Living God and the name that God gave to Moses at that time is that name I am and in the U in the Greek that word is egoi right I am that is who God is and today we're talking about the Peace of the Good Shepherd and we're going to identify seven reasons that Christ is the Good Shepherd just a bit of a way for you here I wasn't able to get the sermon slides done so y going to have to listen real close I'll try to cue you there because I know some of y'all are pretty good notetaker so ask for your forgiveness on that but John chapter 10 that's where we're going to be verses 11 through 18 this morning please stand with me in honor of God's word as we read this passage together God's word says this I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep he who is a Hired Hand and not a Shepherd does not own the Sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf snatches them and scatters them he cares or he flees because he is a Hired Hand and cares nothing for the Sheep I am the Good

Shepherd I know my own and my own knows me just as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and I have other sheep that are not of this fold I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice so there will be one flock one Shepherd for this reason the father loves me because I laid down my life that I may take it up again no one takes it from me but I lay it down of my own accord I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again this charge have received from my father let's pray so Lord we do thank you for being the Good Shepherd we thank you that you do love us that you care about us that you provide for us and that you are the one way God that you are the door to Salvation to enter into the Sheepfold of Eternity God where it is secure Lord we thank you for the Green Pastures and the and the Quiet Waters Lord we thank you that you do lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and that you are with us and that you watch over us with a Shepherd's Care not just a hireling care but the good Shepherd's Care and we just pray God that as we dive into your word today that you would help my voice help it not to go away I pray that you would open up our hearts to be receptive to your word today as we talk about different things and hard things but also really good and encouraging things God we ask that your peace would be on us and that if there's anyone here that maybe they don't know the Peace of Christ that today they would have that in Jesus name amen so igos poy that is I am the Good Shepherd Jesus he crowns himself with that lofty most deserved title of the highest sort because he has Authority he is the Good Shepherd when you think of

Good I mean you know it's a Christmas season we're all partying we're all eating good food right you know you might H might have who has special Christmas breakfasts or stuff like that I know that we do well my wife she makes these awesome little hem rolles that you know with the sliced with cheese and the poppy seeds on top and the kids really look forward to that anybody do pineapple around Christmas a lot of pineapple I know that we do right my son's raising his hand that makes sense but we have all these different things that you know we look at and we think of good we might think of delicious or we might think of good as in like oh that's that's good news that's right that's good news but when Jesus uses this word good it means morally excellent it means the best premium amazing why because there were shepherds that God had appointed that had abandoned their posts when we read in the Gospels we see words that don't appear in the Old Testament systems that were never prescribed by God like Sanhedrin like where did that come from Pharisee where in the Old Testament was that prescribed Sadducees we see lawyers and scribes serving in the place of prophets and priests so when Jesus talks about Hired Hands here he is talking about the priests and the Levites who had abandoned their posts as the ministerial leaders of God to a whole group of these Pharisees that were religious and they knew a lot but they didn't have the heart of shepherds so why don't we see priests operating the way they're supposed to the way that God had called them to well it's because they were Hired Hands you see in the Middle East shepherding was not simply just a profession it's not just what you what you did as a vocation it was a way

Of life and not just a way of life but it was a way to measure your wealth wasn't wealth wasn't measured in the amount of gold that you had although that was true or even lands because the lands were given to the tribes actually it was measured by sheep and their flock the men that were hired they may care about the Sheep as long as they were getting paid but they also would abandon the flock if a wolf came their way why would they die for something that's not theirs why would they lay down their life for something that doesn't personally belong to them would any of us die for a paycheck I wouldn't I hope that you wouldn't and so you know for us we look at that and we go okay I understand why they may not lay down their life because they didn't belong to them but for Christ he is the Good Shepherd and the Sheep are his and that's why if you're taking notes write this down the first point he sacrifices himself for the Sheep he sacrifices himself for the Sheep it's not like Christ just thrust himself off a cliff and said see how much I love you and die frivolously in that way the truth is much better than that because you see that his sheep are in danger and the defense that Christ offers to them is to die on their behalf it is by his death that you and I are saved and it is the act of Christ's laying down his life that we have eternal life this phrase laying down his life it's repeated over and over and over In this passage look at verse 11 it says that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep in verse 15 it says I laid down my life for the sheep in verse 17 it says I laid down my life in verse 18 I lay it down of my own accord it's not just that Christ was willing to die for the Sheep it's that Christ actually planned on doing it was the plan from

The foundation of the world it's the plan it's the divine plan of God to redeem his flock and I lay it down it means that Jesus he was giving up the very right to live did you know that Christ is the only one who fully had a right to live in the history of the world every single one of us lives under the condemnation of death that means that we deserve to die but not so with Christ Christ did not deserve death at all that's why he could say I lay it down was because he was the only one who had the right to life but he tasted death he willingly humbled himself to be the sin offering sacrifice for us the John he wrote in his first epistle in chapter 3:1 16 by this we know love that he laid down his life for us a Shepherd he wasn't expected to die for his sheep he was expected to live for them he was expected to take them into Green Pastures and lead them beside Quiet Waters he was expected to bring them into the Sheepfold and defend them from predators but not die yet the only way forist Christ to defend the flock was to die and this is what makes him the Good Shepherd Jesus even clarifies no one takes it from me why because they can't they don't have the power of life and death only God does no one could kill Christ unless Jesus allowed it and in fact he lays down his life he's not simply willing it's that his whole Ministry was about dying so that he may sh save his sheep and Rise Again to secure our Salvation you know one of the names of Christ is son of David Son of David in that Christ is the fortold king who would rule on the throne of David eternally and it's not that Jesus is a shadow of David it's that David David is the shadow of Christ and we read this in 1 Samuel chter 17: 33-37 listen to this and Saul said to David you are not able to go against

This Philistine to fight with him for you are but a youth and he has been a man of war from his youth but David said to Saul your servant used to keep sheep for his father when there came a lion or a bear and took a lamb from the flock I went after him and struck him and delivered it from his mouth and if he arose against me I caught him by his beard and struck him again and killed him it's awesome your servant has struck down both lions and bears and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them for he has defied the armies of the Living God and David said the Lord who delivered me from the Paw of the lion and from the Paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine Saul said to David go and the Lord be with you Jesus is the greater David who delivered us from the jaws of the roaring lion to place us safely in his presence and many people may think of Jesus as a good shepherd and they just picture Jesus as this like really a feminite guy that's like snuggling up with lambs and really well-groomed goatee and nice looking hair and you know I mean he's just he's kind of picturesque and something that you would expect to see in your grandma's house but the truth is much better in that yes Jesus did hold the Lambs but sheer were also known for being tough knowing how to strike down a bear and to kill wolves and being watchful over the flock and how to use tools and one of the regular scenes of a shepherd's life was to watch over the flock in peace to count them one by one and make sure that none of them are wandering away and one of the beautiful things that Christ offers is last lasting peace with God and with others and I think we should also note secondly if you're taking notes how concerned Jesus is for the flock Jesus doesn't just allow for sheep to wander away and

You know be wounded by the world but he actually intervenes on our behalf because we are helpless to do anything about our wounds I mean who Among Us can heal a sore thumb at our own will there's nothing more a aggravating than when you have an injury that just kind of lingers around whether it's your back or your wrist or your neck none of us can keep our bodies from wearing down none of us can prevent our bodies from getting sick none of us can and so what hope do we have of defeating the giant that condemns us the answer is nothing other than Christ nothing other than Christ three times in this passage Jesus he repeats the pra phrase for the Sheep because he's concerned about them this is why he lays down his life this is why he helps when they are abandoned is because of their great love that word for and for the Sheep it literally is that Greek word hyper which is translated on behalf of he lays down his life on behalf of the sheep and this teaches us that Christ's death for us was substitutionary for his flock it was my sin that was judged on that cross and it was your sin that was judged on that cross and so he beckons you to trust in him thirdly note that Jesus he never disowns the Sheep he never disowns the Sheep when Trouble Comes A hirling runs away when wolves come the Good Shepherd gets involved and he delivers the sheep from its mouth well who are the Wolves well in the New Testament there's three times that the word wolf is used lyen is that Greek word and we see it in Matthew 7:15 Matthew 10:16 and Acts 20: 29 and in Matthew 7:15 it says beware false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves so we learned that false prophets are wolves so watch out for them in Matthew 10:16 it says

Behold I am sending you out a sheep in the mid of wolves so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves and so the passage there is in the context of the antagonistic world that persecutes Believers and in Acts 20: 29 it says I know that after my departure Fierce wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and the context here is the people that twist the word of God but in spite of all the various wolves that God allows to roam in our world we can take confidence that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he has already given us everything that we need to thrive we just have to follow him as a sheep we will notice a change of peace in our lives when we follow Christ obediently when we walk in the path that he has for us according to his word Jesus he also if you're taking notes WR this down he knows the Sheep so what does that mean Church it means that Jesus knows every single sheep that God has entrusted to him and one of the main jobs of the shepherd was just counting the flock counting the flock naming them calling them out making sure that none of them were lost and when the psalmist writes Your Rod and your staff they comfort me it's that as he was he would call in the sheep or send them out of the Sheepfold they would pass under the rod which was you know basically a walking stick and he would name them one by one there you are there you are there you are Cody you ran away for a while you know like I mean that's what they would do and he would count them and he would recite their their names and so Christian I want you to know this that Jesus he knows you that the very hairs on your head are numbered and he knows what makes you tick he knows every single thought that you have in Psalm 139 veres 1-6 it says this oh Lord you have searched me and known me you know when I sit and when I Rise Up you discern my thoughts from afar you search

Out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways even before a word is on my tongue behold oh Lord you know it all together you hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain it isn't that wonderful that God he knows you so well and not only does he know you and who you are as a person and a being but he also knows you through your trials and he is intimately aware of the struggles that you endure the pain that you experience he knows the sickness that you're battling he knows the Heart Break heart AE that you feel he knows all of those things and he knows them in truth you see for us when we experience those things we are very limited in our perspective but Jesus he knows them as they actually are and he doesn't minimize them which is beautiful but he invites us to come to him even when we are weary and even when we're heavy laden in he says I will give you what rest Jesus even knows your sins he knows your sins and he loves you in spite of them he knows your heart he knows your hates he knows your bitterness he knows your lusts he knows your actions he knows all your history that you hope no one ever finds out about and he invites you to lay them down at the foot of the cross he invites you to receive forgiveness and to trust in him and leave your sin behind and walk in the freedom of God Christ it was a man by the name of Peter Cameron Scott who established a group called African Inland Ministries and he was born in the 1860s in Scotland and he like many others in his generation felt called to go to Africa for Missions and so he goes there and he's he's doing Ministry he's not seen a lot of fruit and then he gets sick with malaria and so he has to go back to

Britain and then he gets better and he convinces his brother to go back with him his name was John and he does a lot of mission work there but shortly after John develops a fever and he has malaria and unfortunately his brother does not make it and he buries his brother there in Africa once again he gets malaria and he has to go back to Britain once again he's lost his brother and his health is deteriorated and he is just so discouraged so disheartened and he goes to London Lon and he visits Westminster ABY and he stood at the tomb of a man named David Livingston and he read the words of verse 16 on the grave stone look at look at verse 16 again says other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring God he used those words to give them the confidence to return to Africa for the rest of his life and the fruit of that Ministry still exists to this day and why is verse 16 such a confidence well this means that there are neighbors there are tribes there are nations where people who are a part of God's flock they simply just need to hear the Gospel because no one will ever be saved except by them hearing the Gospel I was talking with a gentleman earlier this week who was evangelizing a cooworker this man he's he's been in Camden County he's in his mid 20s firstly how amazing is it that people are evangelizing at work amen that's awesome but secondly this man who was evangelizing his coworker he said you know he doesn't know anything about the Bible he doesn't even know who Noah is and so this man in Camden County that's in his mid 20s is completely ignorant about the Bible That's the culture that we're in how sad is that I hope that devastates you a bit because that's just that's really

Sad but let me ask you this when's the last time that you sat down and explained the Gospel to someone I mean just explain the Gospel have you ever explained the Gospel I think the statistics are like 20% of church members have actually sat down and explained the Gospel to someone their entire walk if you're nervous about it take confidence in verse 16 that there are other sheep which are not of this fold them also I must bring and if they reject the message then they reject the message they don't reject you they reject the message of the Gospel but if they receive that message then praise God praise God that someone comes from Death to life through the proclamation of the Gospel but it's important to note that Jesus has them he has them and it may not be here in camton it may be in New Guinea it could be in West Africa could be in IND Indonesia or India or somewhere else but that word must is important it's as John Piper calls it a Divine necessity the father he has chosen them Jesus he lays down his life for them I must bring them in Jesus says in other words there's no question that they will be brought it's impossible that the father would choose a flock for the son and give them to the Sun and yet the Sun not bring them in but how does Christ bring them in it is through Christians sharing the good news of Jesus Christ Jesus also cares about the lost sheep if you're taking notes Jesus cares about the lost sheep he genuinely does this is why we can evangelize with confidence that there are some out there that just need to hear the plain and simple Gospel the Gospel is this is that every single person is a sinner by nature and by choice and that there is nothing that you can do to be saved it's hopeless you are without hope you can't be good enough you can't earn your way to heaven you can't be strong enough you

Can't give enough you are a sinner and you deserve death that's where I am that's where we all are we're all in the same boat death on this side of Eternity and death eternally that's what we deserve separated from God but God wasn't okay leaving you in that desperate state where only death is your future and so God sent his one and only son to live the life that we couldn't live and died the death that we deserved he's the one that paid that sin penalty for every single person that would trust in him and so what can you do you can repent and believe the Gospel you can turn away from your sin you can trust in Jesus Christ and his resurrection you don't have to do anything except but believe in Jesus Christ that's it so turn from your sin and trust in him Jesus also look at this he also unifies us if you're taking that taking notes write that down he unifies us because we are A Flock under the good Shepherd's leadership we are united by his blood and we are blood bought he owns US completely whether you're Jew or Gentile whether you're slave or free rich or poor black or white male or female We Are One flock under the Good Shepherd and that is the heart of the local church to be unified to be United in our loyalty and our affection toward God many times we make mountains out of Mills the reason many churches aren't effective at reaching the lost is because they have division that crops up and Brothers and Sisters in Christ fight one another and devour one another listen to how similar the language is here in John 10 as it is in John 17 turn over in your Bibles to John 17 this is called the high Priestly prayer I like to call it the Lord's Prayer even though there is a Lord's prayer that we're all familiar with this one is Jesus pouring out his heart before the father and so I'd like to consider

Jesus's prayer to the father and it says this in verses 20 through 23 I do not ask for these only remember back at verse 16 I do not ask for these only but also for those those who will believe the sheep that are not of this fold in me through their word that they may all be one just as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me there is a there is a direct parallel between this and the glory that you have given me I have given to them that they may be one even as we are one I and them and you and me as the father knows me remember that verse as the father knows me and I know the father that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you loved me what happens is that as Believers we can get into this cycle where we don't have peace because we're at contention with one another and that happens and what H what we should do and I think this is good for us to do is seek reconciliation with one another to pray for one another to be at peace for one another not a void earlier this week I got to experience that a bit and I got to experience some reconciliation and you know I think that's good for every single one of us to shoot for why it's because we reconcile ourselves to each other in Christ when we offer forgiveness and we obtain peace with each other you know what happens we become more effective for the Gospel Jesus also has all authority if you're taking notes Jesus has all authority twice here at the end Jesus he proclaims his authority throughout the Book of John Christ he claims authority authority to execute judgment authority to speak on behalf of the father authority over All Flesh when pilate said that he had authority to release

Jesus or to crucify him Jesus said you would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given to you from above why because Christ was laying down his life for the sheep and what greater peace can be offered than peace with God all these points that we've covered they point to the work of God in Christ this Christmas the Good Shepherd he offers you peace peace because he has laid his life down peace because he loves you peace because he is concerned for you peace because he won't abandon you peace because he knows you and he still loves anyways peace because when it comes to evangelism there are lost sheep that need to hear peace because he unifies us at his cross peace because he has all authority and I pray that you would know his peace today head heart hand head I want you to know that Jesus offers peaceful confidence as the Good Shepherd he leads his sheep and we can live with confidence that as we walk by obedient faith that he will guide us heart I want you to believe that Jesus's sacrifice is what gives us peace with God and with others anything else that we try to do on our own accord would just ultimately Le let us down but if we come to God in Christ and we do business with him we say God I am so sorry I need peace with you I need to be reconciled to you can you do a work in my heart can you save me Jesus never turns those people away in hand I want you to find rest in the Peace of Christ because that's what he offers you as the Good Shepherd let's pray and so God we do pray that your peace would be on us that you would guide us and lead us Lord as we've struggled with this passage a bit today we know that you grant us peace and we just pray that your peace would be on us I ask Lord that you would continually work in our hearts and I ask

Father that you would that you would let us experience more of your peace this day and every day as we walk in obedience to you Lord thank you for the peace that I have with you and I pray for maybe those who don't have that peace Lord that you would just really work in their hearts Lord if there's people here that maybe they don't know you as their Lord and Savior God I pray that they would have that before they leave today father thank you for your mercy thank you for your kindness thank you for your reconciling power in the freedom that we experience Lord once again I just want to pray that we would all know your peace as we leave here today we give ourselves over to you we ask that you would guide us guide us into your truth and help us to Feast upon your word lead us in green pastur lead us beside the Quiet Waters God because you are the Good Shepherd and we know that you will Lord but we just pray that we would see that more and more abundantly Lord keep us safe from wolves and help us God to just walk in that path that you have for us in Jesus name amen [Music] Oh Come All You Unfaithful come weak and unstable come know you are not alone Oh Come baren and waiting ones weary of praying come see what your God has [Music] done Christ is born Christ is born Christ is born Bor for [Music] you oh come bitter and

Broken come with fears unspoken come taste of his perfect [Music] love Oh Come guilty and hiding on there is no need to run see what your God has [Music] done Christ is born Christ is born Christ is born for you he's the lamb who was GI slain for our part his promise is peace for those who believe he's the lamb who was g slain for our pardon his prise is peace for those who believe so come though you have nothing come he is the offering come see what your God has done Christ is born Christ is for you Christ is born Christ is for [Music] you well at this time we are going to lay hands on Ellie and on Lydia and if you guys know these folks if y'all would come up forward and pray with them because we love these folks we're so thankful for them and for the ministry that they've had and as I said Ellie and Lydia this is their last week here and so be sure to give them give them hugs and you know get on their prayer list as well yeah y'all go ahead and y'all can surround them Father we're so grateful to be here

What an exciting moment to stand in Union and unity with these two ladies that have responded to your call as Cody just preached that there are other sheep that must know just pray that you would make their Ministries so effective in calling those lost sheep Lord you say how beautiful the feet are those who take the Gospel and we see these people as representing us here and we just pray they' be encouraged by the church and supported by them prayed for them supported financially for those that you touch just pray for their their next year of partnership development that you would pave that way for them help them to plug into their home churches back in Branson and back in the east coast and just to be able to be a blessing to continue to be a blessing that people would rally around them in supporting them and we just pray that your name would be glorified in their future Ministry and that we would be able to praise you when we hear those reports in Jesus name we pray amen