The Difficult Way That Leads To Life | Frank Brancato

Welcome, everyone. It's good to see everybody

that's here. We do have several of our number

that are, is this loud. We do have several of our number

that are missing. But it's great to see all of you

and we have a wonderful crowd because you're here and it is

great to see you. We've been praying for you,

Jason, and it's wonderful to see you with us today.

And our prayers have been answered.

That's wonderful. This morning we're going to

continue our series on the great Sermon on the Mount, and we come

to Matthew Chapter 7 and verses 13 and 14 where Jesus is going

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

to teach us a lesson about the difficult way that leads to

life. I want to notice these passages

first of all, beginning in verse 13.

Jesus said this entered by the narrow gate, for wide is the

gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there

are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult

is the way which leads to life and there are few that find it.

In chapter 6 and verses 19 through 21, the Lord teaches us

that there's life after this life, that man's existence is

going to extend or go beyond this life.

We know that in Chapter 7 and verses 13 and 14, the Lord's

going to tell us that that existence is going to be in one

of two places. So the choices that we make are

very important in our life because they're going to

determine where it is that we spend eternity.

We all know that. And Jesus gives in this

masterful sermon really, I guess, a reality check.

The Lord was great about keeping it real.

What I'm going to say is we're going to talk about some things

that are difficult to grasp. And sometimes as we go through

this, we may get a little discouraged, but have No Fear

because in the end, we're going to show that it's worth it.

We're in the end, we're going to show that we really can do it

regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the difficulties

and even the persecutions and tribulations that would come our

way in entering the gate that leads to the narrow way that

leads to life. That's why Jesus in the very

beginning of this passage, he says this.

You got to enter by the narrow gate.

Now I'm just going to say this in advance.

So you don't think, man, he's spending a lot of time on this

first phrase. We got a lot to cover in two

verses. We're going to be here for a

really long time. Have No Fear.

The majority of our lesson is going to be focused on this

phrase because that's the point, the choice of entering by the

narrow gate. And why is it narrow and why is

the way difficult? You know, the Lord is the was

the master at everything. He was the master at preaching.

And he as he had this this audience of people on the great

Sermon on the Mount, they would have understood the context of

what he's talking about. And the reason for that is he is

drawing a picture, a very vivid picture of two different walled

cities with two very different gates.

One is difficult and one is easy.

Now, why is that significant? It's very significant because

all ancient cities, or may I just say most ancient cities,

were walled. In fact, you can go back to the

Old Testament. You remember Nineveh.

I read historians that said that Nineveh's walls were so wide to

keep the enemy out that you could take two Chariots and

drive them side by side on the top of the wall.

That's how thick those walls were.

There was another thing that was very common too, by the way, and

Jerusalem very important. Around this time, Jerusalem was

exactly the same. They were fortified with walls

and how many gates? 11 main gate.

And there was a reason for that, to protect himself from the

enemy. Nobody can go back and

circumvent the deal and come in the backside.

You had to come in one gate and the guards would guard that gate

to keep the enemy out. So they understood the

illustration. The Lord is saying this to us.

Please get this, Our life is the preparation ground for eternity.

In fact, Diana reminded me of she called it one of my Frank

isms a while back. But I've said this many times

over the years. Here's the point.

Our life is the trial, meaning we are on trial now.

Where we're going to spend eternity is determined by the

trial. Our trial is the life that we're

living now. When we die, our fate is sealed

in death and one of two things, we are either acquitted or we

are convicted at death. Then when the Lord comes back at

the resurrection, that is the sentencing day when the Lord

will separate the sheep from the goats.

So our life is the trial. It is the preparing for where we

spend eternity, and that's what the Lord is saying here.

I like what Fowler said. He said it this way.

The emphasis is not on the entering as opposed to remaining

outside, since all humanity is regarded as entering one gate or

the other. So here's the emphasis.

The emphasis is on the choice of the right gate.

That's the emphasis of this passage, choosing the right

gate. Now, why is the narrow gate the

most unlikely? You know why?

Because it's the one that's the hardest, the one that leads to

life is the one that is the most difficult.

But in order to be saved, you have to enter the gate.

You can't just admire it. You can't just meditate on it.

I want to make a little side point here, OK?

I know a lot of people in my life that admire Jesus.

I know a lot of people that even quote Jesus.

I know a lot of people that speak words that Jesus spoke.

Here's the problem. Far too many people today lack

the commitment that it takes to commit themselves to the Lord so

they can get enter the narrow gate that leads to the way of

righteousness, that leads to the way of life.

You ever heard people say this? You ever heard people say that

we live in a godless society? You know that's not true.

We do not live in a godless society.

And I know it's very convenient for people to say, oh, look at

all the stuff going on in the world.

We live in a godless society. There are godless people,

absolutely. There are people that don't

recognize God. That's all true.

But make no mistake about it, we really don't live in a godless

society. Stay with me.

I'm going to prove my point here in the city of Bakersfield.

Did you know that we are not only #1 when it comes to bad

air, but we are #1 in the entire state of California?

By way of a survey that was taken regarding how many people

are likely to attend church services or profess

Christianity, Bakersfield, CA is number one in the state.

Does that sound godless? Not to me.

What's the problem? The problem isn't godless.

The problem is commitment. That's the problem.

It's commitment. If our society has a problem,

it's commitment. And that stems in all aspects of

our life. I remember coaching youth

athletics. I used to tell the parents, take

your vacations all year long. Do it.

But during this time, that's my time.

That's our time. Don't take vacations.

You know what they did? Some of them, they didn't care.

Took vacations. Commitment, commitment issues.

That's our society. So Jesus says enter by the

narrow gate. That's the new King James.

The old King James says straight gate, and the word means narrow.

That's why I love how the new King James says it, because it

just says what the meaning is. Enter by the narrow gate.

OK, what else? What does it mean?

It means to groan as being under pressure.

That's what the word means. The word straight or the word

narrow, in a figurative sense, it denotes a restriction or

constriction. That's what the word means.

In other words, it's this. The path that leads to the

Kingdom of heaven is extremely narrow and the only thing that

there's room for. In other words, there's not room

for anything other than these two things.

Number one, God's plan and #2 the Lord's teaching.

And that's found, by the way, in the New Testament.

That's all the New Testament. The New Testament is the last

will and testament of Jesus Christ.

In other words, that's why it is narrow.

That's why it is difficult. There's not room for anything

else except God's plan and the Lord's teachings, and that's all

that's revealed in the Word of God.

OK. In other words, the gate is not

wide enough for self righteousness, sinfulness, or

even pride. I like how Luke records this.

Notice what the Lord said in the Gospel according to Luke chapter

Luke 13 · chapter mention

13 and verse 24. He said the word strive.

I got to talk about strive for just a moment.

Have you ever heard somebody say we got to strive for perfection?

I was coached old school and my coaches said we don't practice

doesn't make perfect unless you practice perfect.

And you know, they thought they were pretty wise by saying that.

It's wisdom. That's great stuff, right?

You know, it's a ridiculous concept to strive for perfection

because you cannot ever attain it.

When I coach football, I tried to emphasize something

different. We're not going to strive for

perfection. That's that's not attainable

because everybody makes mistakes and nobody's perfect.

We're going to strive for excellence, which is attainable.

When the Lord talks about this word strive, He means something

we can attain. We can actually attain

something. What is it?

The narrow gate, if we strive for it.

You know the word, the Greek word for strive is the Greek

word that we often come up with another English word too.

And it's this word here, agony, that sounds painful.

That doesn't sound like fun at all.

Here's the point. To enter the Kingdom, to live

the Christian life. It's not going to be a leisurely

stroll. There's going to be some

striving. There's going to be some

struggle and even a little agony in our life.

In other words, it comes with painful dedication.

And bear with me, it's going to be worth it.

We'll get to all that in Luke 16 and 16.

Notice how he says it here. The law and the prophets were

until John. Since that time, the Kingdom of

God has been preached and everyone get this is pressing

into it. The word actually means through

intense pursuit. The American Standard version

renders it like this. Every man entereth violently

into it. Now, this doesn't suggest, by

the way, it doesn't suggest that we can force our way into the

Kingdom. That's not what that's talking

about. The striving that we're talking

about is this. We enter by pushing past all of

the barriers that would stand in our way and sometimes that

selfish desires, sometimes that selfish ambitions, sometimes

that is things or anything in our life whatsoever you plug it

in that stands in our way of being fully devoted and

committed. There's that word again and

committed to our Lord. That's what it is.

That is the violently part. We press through those things,

through those barriers aggressively.

By the way, you've heard me say this before, but living the the

Christian life is not a life of passive acquiescence.

In other words, I'm just going to passively sit here and just

hang in there till the Lord comes back.

That is not Christianity. Christianity is a fight.

Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit.

That's the Word of God. And our life is about standing

for the truth of the Word of God and following the Lord all the

days of our life. And sometimes that means that's

going to be really hard. Sometimes it's going to be

really difficult. OK, what about this aspect right

here? What about the violent part?

What about that? The violence refers to the

extreme demands that are on the Christian, but it also refers,

get this to spiritual crucifixion.

I'm going to get back to this in a minute, but I'm going to put

one verse up. When we talk about spiritual

crucifixion, notice then he said to them all, if anyone desires

to come after me, let him deny Himself and take up His cross

daily and follow me. That is spiritual crucifixion.

May I just remind us that sometimes with this intense

pursuit comes hard times. So don't be, don't be

discouraged because it's always been that way.

Notice with you some Bible for that in Acts chapter 14, a long

Acts 14 · chapter mention

time ago these were brethren that were being warned of what

was coming in their life. And in Acts 14 and 22, it says

strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to

continue in the faith, and saying we must through many

tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.

These were people that lived a long time ago, and they were

told through many tribulations that were going to enter the

Kingdom of God. I think it's important to

reflect on the sacrifices that the forefathers had gone through

in the days of the early church. That's true.

But please understand, just because we are not persecuted

like they were and we're not being martyred for our faith and

really that in our life we may say that we have it easy.

Make no mistake about it. The Bible says that all that

will live godly will what, suffer persecution of some kind,

something. It may be a lost job because you

said I'm not going to forsake the assembly.

It may be that you lose out on something in your life and you

didn't get a promotion or you didn't get something that you

had coming that you deserved because you put the Lord first.

Or you wouldn't side with people that are sinful doing sinful

things and then you're being avoided as a result of it.

Or somebody may make fun of a young person because they say,

no, I'm a Christian. I don't do those kind of things.

Regardless in your life, whatever it is, if you live

godly, the Bible says you will suffer persecution.

So let's just understand, tribulations come our way too,

even in the modern time. And do you know why?

Because Satan is still working. Satan is the enemy.

He's still working. He was working when these words

were spoken, and he's still working today.

He just changes his tactics a little bit.

He's cunning and crafting and he changes his tactics.

OK, but just remember this. It's only going to be for a

short time and then it's glory forever.

Then that make you feel a little bit better when the words to the

seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation went out.

I love this passage. You've heard me preach on this

passage in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 10.

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

Smyrna was the persecuted church.

So John the Revelator penning these words of Jesus, divinely

inspired by the Holy Spirit said this.

Do not fear any of those things which you're about to suffer.

Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison

that you may be tested and you will have tribulation. 10 days.

I'm going to get back to 10 days in a minute in a figurative

sense, but let me just tell you what I can do anything for 10

days. I can do anything for 10 days

when I know that the outcome is great and the suffering is only

for a short time. I remember when I had cancer, I

remember the treatments were awful.

OK, they were awful. And there were times when, man,

I had to do a lot of praying just to get through it.

Just to get through it and bear it.

It was awful. Chemo was terrible, but

radiation was even worse for head and neck cancer was

terrible. The pain was awful.

OK. But I always knew that I had the

Lord #1 #2 the prognosis was good, my test results were

getting better, and I knew if I just endure it for a little

while, I'm going to be OK. It's amazing what we can do when

we only have to endure it for a little time.

You know what Jesus says, if you're going to have

tribulation, it's only 10 days. It's only 10 days.

But then he says be faithful until death.

And by the way, this does not mean, although you can lump it

in a general sense, it doesn't mean be faithful all your life

and you'll get a crown of life. Although that's true, that's not

what he means here. The context of the passage is

really this. You're going to have tribulation

10 days, but be faithful even if it means your death.

That's the context. And even if it means your death,

don't worry, Jesus said I'm going to give you a crown of

life. So here's my point.

People talk about the days of tribulation.

I was holding a meeting in Kentucky recently and there was

a visitor that came one night and he came up and he wanted to

talk to me after services about the period of tribulation.

He want to talk about the rapture and the period of

tribulation at the end of time. And I, I just said, look, I

don't have time to go into all this with you today, but I will

in the future if you'd like. But what I said is I said the

period of tribulation is not at the end of time.

The period of tribulation is right now in your life.

It was in these people's lives. And by the way, the Book of

Revelation, scholars say, was either written in the eighty 60s

or in the eighty 90s and we don't know for sure.

Scholars are all over the map. I'm just going to say it this

way. That part doesn't matter.

What I'm saying is when Jesus made this promise about the

period of tribulation, it was a long time ago and every one of

those people are dead now. OK, So what does it mean?

What did the Lord mean when he said tribulation?

10 days? What is 10 days?

Here it is, one short lifetime. You're going to have tribulation

1 short lifetime. Don't worry though, if you're

faithful even to the point of even if they come and kill you,

don't worry about it. The Lord said, I'm going to give

you a crown of life. Another passage, John 1633.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples, OK.

Early eighty 30s he's speaking to his disciples.

These things I've spoken to you, that in me you may have peace in

the world, you will have tribulation speaking to his

disciples, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

And one more final passage in Acts 14 and 22, strengthening

the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in

the faith, and saying we must through many tribulations enter

the Kingdom of God. OK, Because of that, because of

the tribulations, because of the difficulty.

That is why Jesus said few there be that find it.

And the reason for that is because not everybody is willing

to make the sacrifice. Do you remember in the days that

the Hebrew writer wrote to the Hebrew Christians, it was

looking forward to the point of the destruction of Jerusalem and

they were under great persecution.

That's why Hebrews 10/25 says not forsaking the assembling of

ourselves together as a manner of some is, but exhorting one

another so much more. You see they're approaching and

I know there's different variations of opinions and

there's merit to it. Is it the first day of the week?

That day is at the end of time. There's merit in that, but the

context really is the destruction of Jerusalem because

that's what they could see. And as they were going toward

the destruction of Jerusalem, they were being persecuted

greatly. Oh, tribulations.

And many of them quit and went back to the old Law of Moses

because they said we don't want to pay the price, folks.

That's why Jesus said few there be that find it because not

everybody wants to pay the price.

That's why it doesn't mean few are going to have access to it.

It means few are going to make the willful choice to choose it

because of what all of it comes with it.

OK, all right, here's the contrast though.

For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to

destruction. And there are many who go in by

it. OK, that's the contrast.

Another way people flow where the gates wide.

It's a place that has no restrictions, No restrictions.

The path is broad. One scholar said it this way.

It suggests the fact that the Broadway is wide open country.

In other words, it's not like going through a narrow gate to

get on a path. It's like going through a big

gate to a pasture. That's what it's like with no

fences or boundaries. There's no rules or regulations

to hinder one from doing what they want on the Broad Rd.

One may go anywhere he wants to and live as undisciplined a life

as he chooses. Does that kind of sound like

the? World a little bit where people

choose. To do whatever they want.

When they place. Themselves in control instead of

God being in control. Because they don't want.

To have any restrictions. They don't want to have.

Any rules at all? Now trust me.

Living the Christian life is not just about obeying rules, but

rules are part of it. The Word of God does give us

rules to abide by in our life. Surely it is.

I'm just saying being a Christian is more than just

rules. But yes, make no mistake about

it, it does include rules. Those that follow this way,

please get this. It's like a wayward sheep that

leaves a Good Shepherd. Now we know we have the Good

Shepherd. I'm going to get back to that in

a moment. We're going to get to that

later. But a Good Shepherd tended his

flock. When a sheep.

Wandered away from the shepherd. The sheep was in danger.

You know why? No restrictions go wherever I

want to. But he was in danger.

And often times a wild beast would come and kill the sheep.

You know why? Because the Shepherd wasn't

there to protect it. That's what happens.

When you wander on your own without the Shepherd, there's no

protection at all. Then Jesus.

Says this in Matthew 714. Because narrow is the gate and

difficult is the way that leads to life and there are few who

find it OK. The King James.

Version says narrow, but the word actually means this.

It means press or compress. That's what it means.

And the illustration of the picture is this.

It's like the squeezing of grapes, right?

You squeeze the grapes to get the juice.

That's the compression here. That's what he's saying.

Narrow is the gate and difficult meaning press or compress is the

way. But there's another.

Illustration to another analogy. Robertson says it like this.

Robertson says that the analogy is like this, like a tight place

between high rocks. Now you might remember this a

long time ago when I preached on the I AM statements of Jesus and

I talked about when Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd.

You might remember when I said that often times keeping the

same analogy of between two rocks, sometimes those sheep

would be taken by the shepherd early in the morning outside of

a great big pen. OK.

The. Place that they had to go graze

was not a great big pasture of plush grass.

They had to take him up the side of a mountain oftentimes, and

rocky terrain. And when they did, you know what

often happened? One of those little sheep would

get their legs stuck in between two rocks.

Would the shepherd do? That's the difficult way.

That's this difficult thing we're talking about.

But you know. What the shepherd did, though,

the shepherd was watching all of his sheep, and the shepherd

would go and pull that leg out between those two rocks.

I actually read that a shepherd worked so hard during the day

watching his sheep. He wasn't just kicking back,

taking a snooze. He worked so hard during the day

that scholars say that they were absolutely exhausted at the end

of the day. That's what the Shepherd.

Does. Kind of a picture of.

Another shepherd I know. It's the same word.

By the way, the root word that's translated afflicted in Second

Corinthians one and six, and hard pressed in 2nd Corinthians

4 and 8. Let's notice those two passages.

Now if we are. Afflicted it is for your

consolation and salvation which is effective for enduring the

same sufferings which we also suffer, or if we are comforted,

it is for our consolation and salvation.

Difficult also means same root word afflicted.

Here's another one. We are hard pressed on every

side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in

despair. You know what Paul was saying?

I'm going to have some hard times, but it's not going to

beat me. And I'm not going to.

Quit. Paul says we're.

Perplexed. But not in.

Despair, the King James says. We are cast down but not

destroyed. He was not going to.

Be counted out. The way that leads.

To life is opposite from the wide open way that the mass is

trod. Barnes says it this way.

It's a tight, narrow, lonely path where one travels in

solitude and singularity. OK, and I know that comes with

difficulty. We all understand that.

Let me get specific and let me talk about the.

What I was talking about. Before about.

Spiritual. Crucifixion.

It's a path where the cross is carried.

Where the cost? Must be counted.

And even. If it's necessary, it's a place

where one's household may be his enemies.

Matthew 10 and 36 in Luke chapter 14 and verse 27.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Notice what Jesus said. Whoever does not bear his cross

and come after me cannot be my disciple again.

Here's the Lord being brilliant. Jesus said these words.

You know what happened 24 years before this?

Please get this picture. There was a man by the name of

Judas of Galilee, and he was a Zealot, and he led a revolt

against the census for taxation purposes in Rome.

You know what happened historically.

You know what happened? Hundreds of Judas's followers,

not Judas Iscariot, but hundreds of his followers, were executed

and crucified on a Roman cross. So what did they?

Understand 24 years later, because that happened in 86.

What did everybody understand that was listening to Jesus when

he spoke these words in Luke 14 and 27 when he said bear his

cross, they would have known this very important fact.

Crosses are for dying. They would have known that.

Crosses are for. Dying.

OK, Whose death? Our death.

My death. Everybody.

Everyone's death. Now how do we do?

That Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our

sins. But how is it that I bear my

cross? How do I do that?

How do I do that? Two ways.

Here we go. We do that by dying to sin, and

that's at baptism. Remember, crosses are for dying.

Number one. We do that by dying to sin.

That's at baptism. But it doesn't stop there when

we died of the world with our life.

And we separate. Our life and we live a Christian

life. That's not a life of sin.

You know, that's actually. Beautifully illustrated before

this passage. In this passage and in the one

before, because in verse 26 Jesus says this, if anyone comes

to me in this passage, he says and comes after me.

I like what Caldwell said. He explains this subtle

difference. He said this coming to Jesus

suggests the establishment of relationship and that's it,

Baptism. That's it.

Baptism when we die to sin. But I like this.

Here, let's not brush past this. Let's look at that right there,

Relationship I. Have made a.

Determination in my mind that I'm going to spend the rest of

my life trying to explain to people.

From a scriptural. Standpoint The importance of

having the proper relationship with the Lord.

And don't. Minimize the statement or reject

the statement if somebody says the only thing that matters is

having a relationship with Jesus.

Because that's true. The question.

Is not that. The question is, how do you

actually have one? You can't do it on.

Your own, You have one by being baptized for their mission of

your sins and living a Christian life and following the Master.

That's how you have one. A relationship.

OK, so the idea of coming to Jesus suggests the establishment

of a relationship. But notice in this passage

coming after me suggests the continuing of that relationship.

Even though it may be. Faced with persecution in

difficult times. And because of all.

Of those things. Jesus says.

There are few who find it. Meaning there are a.

Few that choose it. The word find according to fair

means to come upon, to hit upon, to meet with, to find something

that's sought. In other words, we're talking

about a choice. My question is this.

OK, find what Jesus says. Few there be that find it what

we want to do. We'll stay in the context of

what he said, because this is really the general popular

interpretation. Well, few.

That be that. Find heaven.

In other words, only a few of us are going to heaven, and we're

the few. So everybody, what did he say in

context? Few there be that find it.

What's the IT the difficult way that leads to life?

Because that's a. Choice.

That's a choice, you know. The narrow.

Path is wide enough for all Christians though.

All of us. It's wide enough.

For all Christians, if we do, what if we follow the Lord our

shepherd, single file on one narrow path?

I thought about this this week. I was driving down the road and

I thought I remembered back in the 70s.

Growing up on a ranch. Was the greatest life for a kid,

having horses and cattle and dogs, Greatest life for a kid?

I didn't need anything. I didn't.

We didn't have. One of that Nintendo Wii didn't

have any of that or Xbox or we didn't do any of that.

None of that. That's back in the days, eight

track. Yeah, didn't have any headphones

or nothing like that or OK, So what we had is we had we had to

go outside and do stuff. It was the greatest life.

We had a dude ranch in Ojai. We had a hundred horses at one

time. People would.

Come from all over and they would pay money to go on a trail

ride up through the mountains of our property and there was a

leader, a guide out in the front.

And there was one that. Always was in the tail, like the

caboose in the back of a train and would be in the very back.

Do you know that every one of our horses were so trained you

could drop the reins and we'd get these city folk that come

from all over, man, they'd be scared to death just holding the

horn like this, thinking they're really doing something.

And those horses, you could take the bridle off of them and they

would just walk straight after the horse that's in front of

them all the way around on that entire trail.

That is the picture of the sheep which we are following our

shepherd. And he's leading us.

Straight to heaven. You know what happens?

Though if one of those horses peeled off, another one would

peel off behind it. So it's kind of like.

This let's be like the Apostle Paul.

May I just say this too? I may have a tiny bit of

influence with you. I don't know, Maybe I got a

little. But if I got any.

At all. Only follow me if I follow

Jesus. Like Paul says, follow me as I

follow Christ. What happens is sometimes people

are on the path and one guy decides to go off the

reservation and peel off and look at the damage.

People follow. Got to get back on the path and

follow the Master, the Shepherd. That's the path that the Good

Shepherd leads his followers with love.

I'm going to share with you a story.

Maybe you've heard it's a very old story.

Long time. Ago, there was an old preacher

and he was celebrating his 50th year of ordination.

And he called up the. Famous actor Richard Burton.

And Richard Burton. Had had a lot of success and a

lot of experience even as a Shakespearean actor.

He was a wonderful orator and the preacher said I want you to

come to my 50th celebration of my ordination and when you do, I

would love it. If you recited.

The 23rd Psalm with all of your oratory skill.

Richard Burton said. Sure, I'll do it on one

condition. He said preacher.

When I'm done, you do the same. And he said, OK, there was a

huge. Crowd in that auditorium.

And Richard Burton. Got up and with oratory skill he

absolutely beautifully recited the 23rd Psalm without flaw and

people stood and applauded. Because it was.

Beautiful. He turns to the old.

Preacher, he says. Now it's your turn.

And the old preacher. Just got up, he had no speaking

skill. But from his.

Heart He recited the 23rd Psalm like this.

He said the Lord. Is my shepherd.

And I shall. Not want He maketh me.

To lie down. In green pastures.

He leadeth. Me beside the still waters.

He restoreth. My soul.

He leadeth me. In the paths of righteousness.

For his name's. Sake.

Yeah, though I walk. Through the valley of the shadow

of death. I will fear no.

Evil. For thou art with me thy rod,

and by staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before

me. In the presence.

Of mine enemies. Thou anointest.

My head with oil, my cup runneth over, surely?

Goodness. And mercy shall follow me all

the days of my life. And I.

Will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

When he was. Finished.

The crowd was dead silent. There were no.

Applause. They were just tears.

And as he sat. Down there was a man sitting

next to Richard Burton. He leans over and he said, hey,

Burton, why was it when you got up and recited the 23rd Psalm,

the result was thunderous applause.

But when the old preacher. Got up.

They were just silently. Moved.

And Burton said. Here's the difference.

I know the 23rd Psalm, but that man knows the shepherd.

That man knows. The Lord.

You ever stop to? Consider how valuable it is to

know the Shepherd. And for the Shepherd to.

Know you? Back in Bible.

Times when that shepherd would go to that sheepfold in the

morning. There was a number.

Of shepherds, and they would all have all their sheep in one

great big pen. But every day.

That shepherd had to go get his own sheep out.

Now, I don't know about you. Sheep look all like to me.

A shepherd, though, knew his sheep so well that every one of

them were named. He knew him by.

Name. That's how much the shepherd

knew the sheep. And the sheep.

Knew the Shepherd so much they knew his voice.

So when the. Shepherd would come to the gate.

He would call. The sheep.

By name and they would come. Because they knew his voice.

And that shepherd. Would have his sheep.

That is our Lord. That's our Lord.

Let me ask you something. Do you know the Shepherd?

If you don't know the. Shepherd, nothing matters.

I just. Gave you a picture of what a

shepherd did. Why is Jesus?

The Good Shepherd #1 he gave. His life for his sheep on

Golgotha's brow. He died for the sheep.

And why I love this? Because he loved his sheep.

And he brings us into intimate unity with himself and with each

other. You.

Know what that's called? It's called having a

relationship with Jesus and having a relationship in the

body of Christ with each other to all because of our Good

Shepherd. Can we live the?

Christian life, you better believe we can.

Is it going to be worth it? Absolutely.

You may have some tribulation 10 days, but it's only 10 days.

Jesus said I'll give you a crown of life.

I love it. Jesus further said in my

Father's house are many mansions.

If we're not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place

for you, that where I am, there you may be also.

Isn't that great? The word prepare.

Means reservation. I'm going to go make a

reservation for you, for his people.

So don't ever think in your life, no matter what goes on in

your life, no matter how difficult it may be, don't ever

think for one minute you're alone.

You are not. You got the shepherd.

I'm finished. Thank you for your kind

listening. We never close.

A time that we teach from the Word of God without extending an

invitation. And by the way, this is how you

know the shepherd. This is the only way to know the

shepherd. You got to hear the Word of God.

Romans 10/17 So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word

of God. Upon hearing the word of God,

you got a choice to make. You got to believe it with all

your heart. Hebrews 11 and 6.

Without faith, it's impossible to please Him, for he who comes

to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of

those who diligently seek Him. Then we got to.

Repent, got to change some stuff.

Repent of our sins. Acts 17 and 30.

Truly these times of ignorance got overlooked but now commands

all men everywhere to repent. Then we must be willing to say

the greatest thing we will ever say.