Following the Good Shepherd

Well, good morning, it's good to see you. Welcome to Bedays.

I'm not sure, Jonathan, glad you here with us, worshiping with us

this Easter. If everybody was turned to John chapter ten, John chapter ten,

the Gospel of John, you know, at the very early age,

we all learn that there's good things and bad things in life. We all,

at some point we learned that. I remember, at a very early

age, I learned some good things and bad things. And one thing that

I enjoy as a as a child and still today is candy. And I

don't know about you, but when I was a little boy, you know,

everybody got some jelly beans at Easter, and I learned very quick though

there's good jelly beans and there are bad jelly beans. I hate to inform

you. Now today you can't even find these like their way. But I

remember when I was little, we'd get the back of jelly beans at Easter,

and and there's all kinds of different flavors, and there's different ones in

here, but there is one in here, and I'm gonna break some people's

hearts. And there's a rare few in here. But I'm telling you there's

some good jelly beans. But right there. That is what you call a

bad jelly bean. You know what that is. That's licorice. If you

don't know what it is, you don't want to know what it is.

You hear me, it's terrible. And you know, you could you could

get a back at jelly beans and you could be chomping along. That's just

going along, and you know, you grab a hold of one of those

and it just ruins everything else in your mouth. Right And but you know

we used to in my growing up. You know, we get a bag

and there's always one in the bunch. And my sister, my oldest sister,

Micah, she used to love these things and I thought something was wrong

with her. Still today she likes them. I still hate them. But

you know, there's good and bad things in their life. You know,

there's good food, there's there's there's good candy, there's bad candy. There's

good candy. There's you know, you're learning life. There's good friends and

there's bad friends, right, you're learning life that there's there's good teachers that

you try to find when you go into college. What's the good teachers?

What are the teachers you want to stay away from? Whether the bad teachers.

Reality is there's good pastors and there's some bad pastors out there. Well.

As we come to John chapter ten. John chapter ten is the fulfillment

of Old Testament prophecy. In Ezekiel thirty four, Jesus or God tells the

prophet Ezekiel to proclaim and to preach against bad shepherds, which were bad religious

leaders. The reason why they were bad they were bad because they didn't care

for the sheep. They didn't feed the sheep. They were bad because they

didn't care for the weak sheep. They didn't care for the sick or the

injured sheep. They were bad because they didn't seek for the ones that were

lost. And as a result, God brought a word against the bad shepherds.

But in that passage of scripture in Ezekiel thirty four, not only did

God say that they were as bad shepherds, but he made a promise that

he would give Israel in God's people, a good shepherd. And this good

shepherd, he says, because of what the bad shepherds have done, God

says, I will feed the sheep. Because they didn't care for the weak

and the sick and the injured. God said, I will care for them.

And God says he would care for the sheep, he would care for

the laws, he would care for the weak, the sick, and the

injured. He would feed them how by providing them a good shepherd. And

in Ezekiel thirty four twenty three through twenty four, he says, I will

set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed

them. He shall feed them, He will be their shepherd, and I

the Lord, will be their god, and my servant David shall be prince

among them. I am the Lord. I have spoken. In Ezekiel thirty

four, God tells Israel there's bad shepherds and there's good shepherds. And because

the bad shepherds have not done what they're supposed to, I the Lord,

your God, will be the chief shepherd, and I'll give you a good

shepherd. In John chapter ten, Jesus is preaching. He's teaching the disciples

and many others, and he gives a parable of shepherds. He talks about

how there's shepherds and there's these from robbers, and he describes the difference between

the shepherds and the thieves and the robbers. And then in verse eleven,

Jesus does something. Jesus declares that he is the good Shepherd. And by

declaring that he's the good shepherd, Jesus declares that he's fulfillment of Ezekiel thirty

four. All the religious leaders and many of the religious leaders in the past

have not been what God wanted them to be, and therefore God was going

to provide one good shepherd today as we come to this passage of Scripture,

I hope today I want you to see from John ten why Jesus is the

good shepherd. That's what this passage. What's this what Jesus wants you to

hear? Why is he the good shepherd? And number two I want to

see. Secondly, today I believe Scripture wants you and I to see if

Jesus is the good shepherd, then why should we follow him? Why should

you follow him? And so this morning, that's what we want to look

at. It is to come to John chapter ten because that and why is

Jesus the good shepherd? And why should we follow him? Amen, let's

stand again, unlet's read John chapter ten. We're gonna start. We're gonna

go back to verses one through five in a little bit, but I'm wanna

jump right to where Jesus says that he is a good shepherd, and verse

eleven, he says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays

down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hen and not

the shepherd, who sees not his own sheep, sees the wolf coming,

who does not own this sheep. I'm sorry, but sees the wolf coming,

he leaves the sheep and flees. The wolf snatches them and scatters him.

He flees because he's a hired hen and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own

know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father.

I lay down my life for the sheep, and I have other sheep

that are not over this fold, but I'll bring them also, and they

will listen to my voice, so there'll be one flock, one shepherd.

For this reason, the Father loves me, because I laid down my life

that I might take it up again. No one takes it from me,

but I laid it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay

it down, and have authority to take it up again in this charge I've

received from my father. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you that

there is good things and bad things in life. But God, we thank

you today that Lord, we come to acknowledge that God you are good and

God you are the good Shepherd and God. Today, may we learn more

about you and why you are the good Shepherd and God. May we be

called today of who are we following and why we should follow you? Father.

Today, Lord we love you. We thank you Jesus for Easter and

whatever means that you died on the cross for our sins and you rose again

that we might have eternal life, victory of her sin, forgiveness of sin.

So Lord lead us today through this message. I pray that you give

me clarity of thought, clarity speech, and Lord, I might declare,

Lord, not my words but your words. Lord, and I pray that

your Holy Spirit would speak through me to the hearts of people. Today.

Hears people here in person were watching online and God, I pray the day

it will not be moved by me, but God did be moved by you.

Father, So move now we pray you. Then we pray them in

So why is Jesus the good Shepherd First, Jesus is the good Shepherd,

because the good shepherd is sacrificial, not self serving. In this passage of

scripture, Jesus starts and he says, I am the good Shepherd. Do

you know if we as we last few weeks, we've been reading through Exodus

as far as our Bible reading planned as a church. In Exodus, we

saw Moses and God calls them Moses out in the Median and God tells Moses

to go to the people Israel, to lead the people Israel. And then

Moses says to God, God, you're sending me out to the people of

Visual. But when I go to them, they're not going to believe me.

They're not going to believe that that I am sent from you. So

how can I convince the people of Visuel that I have been sent by you?

And then Exodus thirty, I mean Exodus three fourteen, God to Moses

these words, tell them that I am who I am, and say to

this people of Visual, I am has sent me to you, he says

of Moses. When you go to the people of Visual and they're not sure

if you're good or if you're bad, and they don't know if they should

follow you. You tell them that the Great I Am as sent you.

It's very powerful passage in scripture. As we come to John chapter ten,

and all through John and John, the writers showing that Jesus has been sent

by God. Throughout John's Gospel, he identifies that Jesus also has been sent

by God by declaring that Jesus is that I am. He says in John

chapter six thirty five, Jesus says to them, I Am the Bread of

life. Jesus ten seven says, truly, I say to you, I

am the door. In these passages of scripture, he's echoing the words of

Moses that he is the Great I Am, to show the people he is

truly from God. And as he comes of this passage of scripture, the

people of Israel would have known the prophecy Ezekiel thirty four. They had known

that God said they were bad shepherds. But there's coming, I promise you,

there's coming a good shepherd. And he's from the line of David.

And here Jesus stands up and he looks at verse look at verse eleven to

chapter ten, and he says, I am, I am the good shepherd.

I'm the one you've been looking for. And then in this passage of

scripture begins to unpack why he is the good shepherd. First, he's the

good shepherd because he Scripture says, look at the verse eleven, I am

the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

In the Old Testament, we know the king David. He referenced that this

shepherd would come from the line of David, and David, before he was

a king, was a shepherd. And then Scripture in the first time one

of seventeen David talks about as he was a shepherd, that there was time

that animals would come against the flock. He even tells the story that a

bear and a lion came and gainst the flock and grab one of the sheep

and carried it. And David says that there was a time when that happened

that David pursued the bear and the lion, and he defeated the bear and

the lion, and he took this lost sheep from the mouth of the lion,

of the mouth of the bear. But you know, as valiant as

that is, that David would do such an amazing thing to go after one

lost sheep and to defeat a lion or a bear to save the life of

a sheep. David never lost his life for a sheep. He didn't lay

down his life for the sheep. If you think about it, the shepherd

would never willingly lose his life for a sheep. You think about it.

If a shepherd is a human life, a sheep is an animal, and

although an animal was valuable, no animal is more valuable than human life,

not even an entire human I mean an entire flock as sheep would be more

valuable than a human life. And then this pastor of scripture, Jesus says,

I am the good shepherd. And why am I the good shepherd?

Because I am sacrificial I willingly. You know, if a shepherd would lose

his life like David going after a bear or lying, it would only be

out of accident. It wouldn't be that he willingly died. Jesus says,

I'm the good shepherd because I lay down my life for you. I sacrifice.

He does this kind of compare and contrast in this passor scripture. He

says, I am sacrificial, but there's others who they are hired hands.

They're like the bad shepherds of the past. And the reason why they're not

good because they really don't care for the flock. They're just they're just in

it for the money. Many years ago, and Brandie and I were I

was at another church and and we were I was pastoring there and in one

night, the middle of the night, I have some have two labs,

and two labs are outside, and we had an underground fence. And one

night I heard my labs just barking, going crazy in the outside, and

there was an animal in the tree that they had treat. And I didn't

know if the animal was rabbit or not. It's about eleven o'clock. We

Milik midnight woke us up. We went outside and I said, Brandie,

there's an animal. You know, I think it I don't know if it's

rabbit it or not, but I think I'm gonna need to to kill it.

And so I went and got my little pistol and went outside. I

didn't have a flashlight. You know, when you leave flashlight middle night,

you can't find one. So I used my iPhone that was really smart.

And so what I decided to do was I couldn't hold the gun and hold

the flashlight. So I got Brandy outside in her in her pajamas, in

her robe, no kidding, and I said, okay, this is what

we're gonna do. You hold the flashlight on the animal and I'm gonna count

to three and I'm gonna shoot. And she said, what happens that the

animal comes at me? I said, Brandy, I have a gun.

Okay, that animal is not coming here. You see you hear me.

Don't worry, baby, I'll protect you. And so and so I said,

don't worry. And so she got the flashlight, the iPhone up,

she's holding it. I'm right beside her, and I said, I'll count

to three, okay, and she said, what happens? I said,

it's not coming after this, baby. I got a gun. And so

by that time, I said, I counted three and I went one,

two and I fired on two because I knew if I said three is you're

dropping that phone. And she was gold by that time. I shot the

animal to the tree, hits the ground and I'm no choking. It came

toward me, and so I just kept shooting until the animals stopped moving.

And I said, Brandy, Brandy, I got it Brandy, I got

it. I look around, Brandy's gone. She's in the house, die

door locked. So Brandy, brd. I mean I could have died out

there, you know, and so it would have been okay. I mean,

as long as you know, I guess she was okay. And the

reason I tell you that story is because Jesus says here that those there's there's

bad shepherds out there and the reason why they don't lay down their life is

because they don't that care more about their life than they care about others.

But Jesus listened, so loved you that your life was more valuable than his,

and that he willingly laid down his life for you. He's not He's

a good shepherd because he's sacrificial. He's not self serving. It's not interest.

He was in in it for his own interest. He was in it

for you. Jesus is the good shepherd because he's relational, he's not careless.

I love this passage Scripture to look at verse eleven. He says,

a heard hens not the shepherd who does not own the sheep. He sees

the wolf coming, and he leaves the sheep. He flees, and the

wolf snatches them and scatters them. That's the imagery that the heart hand don't

care. When trouble comes, they run. Can I tell you that night

in the garden Gyssemite, when the soldiers came to get Jesus, Jesus didn't

flee. Jesus laid down his life for you. But look at the passage

of scripture. It continues, he says in verse thirteen, he flees because

he's a herd hen and he cares nothing for the sheep. It's the imagery

that his life is more valuable than the sheep. He doesn't care as much

for the sheep as he cares for his own life. But look at verse

fourteen. I am the good shepherd again, he declares, I am the

good shepherd. Well, I am I the good shepherd because I know my

own, my own know me. I love that imagery that I know.

As a good shepherd, I know the sheep. Imagine I knew the different

sheep as a shepherd had a flock. He knew the different personalities and animals.

You probably could see the different the different sheep and know them by name.

Can I tell you that as a as a husband and as a father,

I know my family Brandy calls me on the phone, even though it

may say on the collard. If I hear her voice, I know her

voice. I know her likes and her dislikes. You know Caroline and Chloe's.

I know the things that they love, the things that they don't.

I know what other beans I like, what ones they don't. I know

what their favorites are. Can I tell you just as much as intimately I

know my children and I know my family. God knows you, Scripture says

in some ninety one. Because he holds me fast and love, I would

deliver him. I would protect him because he knows my name. Can I

tell you, Jesus, the one who died on a cross, knows your

name. He knows your likes, he knows your dislikes, He knows you.

He's relational, he cares for you. Scripture says and loots twelve seven

that he even knows the hairs on your head, how they're all numbered.

You're fearfully and wonderfully made. Scripture says, he's a good shepherd because he's

sacrificial. He's a good shepherd because he's relational. He's not this disconnected God

that doesn't care for you. He's a god who knows you, cares for

you. He's a good shepherd. No on because he's sacrificial and only because

he's relationable, but also because he's missional. You know. Scripture says,

and let's look at the passage of Scripture. Verse sixteen says, I have

other sheep that are not of this fold. But I will bring them also,

and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock,

one shepherd. Scripture says. Jesus says that I have other sheep that

are not of this fold. The fold that Jesus was talking about in this

pastor of scripture was the people of visual was visual that God's showsen people,

and that's the flock that Jesus was talking about. But Jesus says that there

are sheep who are not a part of the Jewish nation. They're Israel who

are not over this fold. But let's come to the passage of scripture.

But I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

You know. Genesis twenty two eighteen, God made a promise to Abraham,

the father of Israel. And in his promise to Abraham, he promised that

through Abraham's all springs, all nations will be blessed. Hear me God's promise

to Abraham that not just Israel will be blessed, right, but all nations

will be blessed through Abraham. So from the very beginning, God always desired

to bring salvation not only to Israel, but to every nation. In this

passage of scripture, Jesus shows his desire to complete God's mission, not only

to reach the loss of Israel, but the reach the loss of every nation.

God is not. Jesus was not only the good Shepherd because he was

sacrificial. He's the good shepherd because he is also relational. But he's a

good shepherd, and the good Shepherd was missional. God's mission always about reaching

the loss, and Jesus was about reaching the loss. And we go.

I don't know about you, but I keep talking about food. And I

know that's dangerous here on Easter and it's eleven thirty, but I like Chick

fil A. It's not up and on Sundays, so don't be thinking about

going there for Eastern But we like to go to Chick fil A. And

a lot of times we'll do a mobile order and I'll go get it and

I'll come home and I you know, you get them, You get that

to go order in your car and that bag sitting there, and then waffle

fries just start calling you by name, right, try me hot, and

now you know, and it's just it's every bit of temptation I have in

me not to reach in. And you know, like the cup bear,

I've got to try out and make sure it's good for my family. Right.

So I'm just doing what any good man husband or father would do for

their children. So you know, I'll get home and I'll snap, I'll

sample the fries, you know, and then I'll bring the food back into

the house. And the girls are opening up, daddy and man, they're

looking out waffle fry little container and they'll know there's some fries that are missing,

you know what I mean, how many of you eat, daddy and

so? And you know I have to confess, well, I had a

few, and so I had to tell them that, yes, I took

some. But you know, for Brandy, I told you, I like,

I know what she likes and what she doesn't. Brandy doesn't like the

French fries, the waffle fries that have a lot of skin on. We

call them ends, and you know what we're talking about, the ones that

have the lot of skin on. She doesn't like those. And so you

know what I do. I look in her little container, and any one

of those I see, I'm getting, buddy, hey cause she don't care

that those are missing. You what I'm saying. Can I tell you many

times that we in life, it's okay if there's certain things that we don't

like, it, it's okay to let them go. But listen, can

I tell you today that God the Father doesn't want any souls missing. He

loves all the sheep, no matter what color they are, no matter what

race they are and what class they are. God loves all the sheep,

and God wants them all to come home. First second, Peter three says,

the Lord is slaw to fulfilled promises. Some count slowness, but it's

patient towards you, not wishing listen that any should perish, but that all

shall reach repentance. Jesus is missional. He wants all the sheep to come

home. What's the old song we used to sing when we were children.

Jesus loves the little children, red, yellow, black and white. They

are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Jesus says the good shepherd. The good shepherd is sacrificial, the good shepherd

is relational, the good shepherd is missional, and the good shepherd is obedient.

Verse seventeen describes God's love for the shepherd. God loves Jesus, he

says, even Jesus declares, for this reason, the Father loves me.

Listen, that's powerful. Because I lay down my life that I might take

it up again. No one takes it from me. But I laid it

down of my own accord, and I have authority to lay it down,

and I have authority to take it up in this charge I received from my

father. Jesus says, God loves me. And the reason he loves me

is because I willingly lay down my life for the sheep. And only did

I willingly, No one I didn't. It wasn't by accident or nobody forced

me to do it. The pilot's not going to force me to do it.

The religious leaders not forcing me. I willingly lay down my life for

you. You imagine this is John ten. Jesus has not been to the

cross, but you can imagine when the disciples there and they see the soldiers

come in to guard against smite, and he says, Judas, do what

you must do. They must remember those words. Nobody's making me do this.

I'm willingly laid down my life. As Jesus hung on the cross,

and they putting the nails in his hands and the nails in his feet,

and he hung there, pushing off of his feet just to take one breath

as he took the whipping of the cataine tails over and over the torture that

Jesus endured. They must have remembered, I'm willingly laying down my life for

you, and that's why God loves me. Jesus said, and know that

he willingly laid down his life again. But he said he would also raise

it up again. And then and then scripture in Matthew twenty eight. As

the women came to the tomb, there was an angel there, and the

angel says, don't be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus,

who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen and he's come.

Come and see the place where he lay. Not only Jesus willingly laid

down his life, but he willingly rose it again for you. But he

also did that in obedience to the Lord. You know, when I was

a kid, we lived right beside a chicken farm, and that's not very

common here, but back home there was a there was a big chicken farming

was big, and we had a chicken farm just basically across the street.

And the worst job, the worst job ever was Daddy would many times after

you know, there would come the chicken trucks would come and they eighteen wheelers

and they'd put them in these little baskets on the top on the eighteen whelers

and they would carry the chickens off to the to the factory, and they'd

drive right by my house and they would be I don't know how, I'll

say, they're probably like hundreds, but I felt like there were thousands of

chicken feathers in my yard. And the worst thing ever was Daddy's saying,

all right, come on, let's go outside and we're gonna get the feathers

out of the yard. That was miserable. I did not want to do

it, and I can be just totally honest and transparent with you. I

did not do that because I love my dad. I did that because out

of duty because he told me to the last year. Most of y'all know,

my dad died last May, and just for my dad died, I

cared for him as he was dying, care for him taking into the bathroom,

cared to put him in bed, cared for him helping him take a

shower. And I tell you those were much harder days. As much as

I thought picking up chicken feathers was hard, nothing would compare about caring for

my dad as he was dying. But you know, I did things out

of duty when I was a child, But as things got hard at the

end, I did it because I loved him. Listen to me today,

hear me. Jesus endured the nill. Jesus endured the cross. Jesus endured

the beatings out of obedience to the Father because he loved the Father, but

also because he loves you. Jesus is the good shepherd because he is sacrificial.

He's a good shepherd because he's relational. He's a good shepherd because he's

missional. And he's a good shepherd because he's obedient to the Father. Scripture

says it was the will the Father and Isaiah to crush him. He was

obedient to the Father because he loved the Father. And scripture says, the

Father loves you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only

son, that who whoever believes in him should not perish, but have every

lasting life. So can I ask you today? Can I tell you today?

Why is Jesus the good shepherd? He's the good shepherd because he was

sacrificial. He's a good shepherd because he was relational. He was a good

shepherd because he's missional. He's a good shepherd because he was to get to

the Father. So now the question is why should you follow him? Here

you come today on Easter and God is speaking to you. He's telling you

about who he is and how much he loves you. Why should you follow

him? You know, we all have followers today. That's kind of a

big thing now that we have. If you have social media, you have

followers on social media that you follow. You know, you find them on

Facebook, you search their name and it says follow right, or Instagram or

whatever it may be. You go to YouTube and you like somebody's videos and

something they do, and you hit the like button, order the follow button.

That's a big thing now following means that we're we or we're following them.

We like something they're doing. Sometimes it may because they're funny, because

they're interesting. But can I tell you only do we follow people on social

media? We really follow people with our life, you know, and our

scripture reading. Last yesterday we actually read Philippians I think yesterday, maybe it

was Friday, Philippians thirteen. And Paul actually truck believers to imitate me.

He says, what is he saying? Paul saying, Okay, if you

want to follow somebody, Paul says, following me, follow the way I

live. He even says this same thing. Second and first Corinthians eleven be

imitators of me, as I'm imitating Christ. What Paul is saying? He

says, you're going to follow someone, And Paul says, following me,

And I'm telling you I'm following Christ. Da Carson, talking about this devotion,

says, the assumption is that inevitably we imitate someone. There's always an

abundant supply of bad models. Therefore, Christians must be intentional in choosing whom

they imitate or whom they follow, unless they may drift towards poor models.

You know, ba Carson is right. You all of you are following someone,

and it may not just be on social media. You're following someone's life.

And today, Jesus, this is the same to you. You should

follow me? Why because there's some bad models to follow, and I'm telling

you I'm a good model to follow, So why should we follow him?

Very quickly today, he says this in ten John ten, he kind of

the beginning of John ten one through five. He talks about kind of good

good models and bad models are good sheep, good shepherds, and really a

thief and a robber who are bad. This is what it says, just

quickly says truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not

enter the sheep fold by the door, but climbs in another way, that

man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters the doors the

shepherd of the sheep to him, the gate keeper opens the sheep. Hear

his voice, and he calls his own by name, and he leads them

out. When he's brought them out all of his own. He goes before

them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A

stranger, they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for

they do not know the voice of a strangerer. So why should we follow

Jesus today? One? Because we hear his call? He say, Pastor,

why should I follow Jesus? Because you hear his call? Scripture says

in John chapter three, listen this that the good shepherd listened to. This

to him. The gatekeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, and he

calls his own sheep by name. He said, pastor, why should I

follow the Lord? Why should I follow Jesus because he's calling you? You

know? Today? I remember one time Brandy and I dad was he came

to the house and he had this truck and it had some pieces outside near

the window, and it was it was the wind. As it was driving

down the road. It was making a noise, but he couldn't hear it.

Say he wanted me to help him go down the road, help me

hear it and try to see if I could figure out where it was because

he couldn't hear it. It was at a frequency that he could not hear.

Scientists tell us that there's certain sounds that are low frequencies that we can't

hear. Brandi's dad, in particular, has hearing laws, and so there's

the certain things he couldn't hear. So we were driving down the road.

Now listen, we were both in the car and the wind was hitting that

plastic piece that was making the whistle noise. I could hear it. It

was coming to both of us. But I could hear and he cannot.

And I tell you that because listen today, I believe with all my heart.

Today God is calling some but not all. Were here. And you

know how I know that because I've been pasturing so many years and I've preached

the same message as same people. And you'll see people say, God's really

spoken to me. And then you will see some people walk out the door

and they will go through the motions of the service and they'll never hear the

voice of God. Both were in the room, and God calls some.

The Holy Spirit speaks to some some it's because of hardening of a heart.

But today, why should you follow the Lord because the Gods calls you,

calls you by name? Why should we follow the Lord not only because he

calls us? And by the way, Hebrews thirteen fifteen says this today,

if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as in rebellion. Not

only should we follow the Lord because he calls us, but lastly, we

should follow the Lord because we know his voice. You remember that old TV

show named that tune? Name that tune does what? It plays a song

and you get like a ten second clip or whatever, and then when listening

to a few words of the song, you hear the voice, You hear

the tune, and you play the game by what by saying who's the artist

and what's the name of the song? Right? And isn't it amazing if

you've heard played that game that you'll hear a song and just in the ten

seconds you can say who the artist is, and you can you can say

what the name of the song was. Now, you don't know that person.

You don't know their mom and daddy, you don't know where they grew

up. You don't know what kind of fries they like, what kind of

jelly beans they like. You don't know them, but you know their voice.

It's amazing just today, all of you may know different people's voices,

But my question is to you today scripture says we should follow the Lord,

and look what verse four says. When verse three says to him. The

gatekeeper opens the sheep what hear his voice, and he calls his own by

name, and he leads them out. When he's brought out all his own,

he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know

his voice a stranger. They will not follow, and they will flee from

him, for they do not know the voice of a stranger. Leon and

marrish for it's a book on John, and he tells us that there's people

who actually go to Israel where there are sheep, and they're still today who

people who are leading shepherds who are leading flocks, and they when they go

to the flock, there's probably be a three hundreds together and the sheep.

But the shepherds will come out and they'll call their sheep, and their sheep

out of the three hundred, maybe there's one hundred that's theirs will lead the

other two hundred and they will follow just the voice of their shepherd. Other

shepherds come, but they only follow the voice, and they've this is such

an amazing feat that people have actually taken the clothes of the shepherd. Put

the clothes of that shepherd who owns the hundred flock, put the clothes on

that they look like the shepherd, and they'll go to the sheep and they'll

call the sheep by name. And although the sheep see the shepherd and it

looks like the shepherd, they won't follow the shepherd. Why because it's not

the shepherd's voice. Can I tell you today, a sheep know the voice

of the shepherd. You may know the voice of Elvis. You may know

the voice of Garth Brooks, you may know the voice of Swipt, But

do you know the voice of God? I tee you today God calls and

in ta passage says he's the good shepherd and we should follow him because we

know his voice. God, I tell you today he's calling. Will you

follow him? We pray with me, Father, we thank you Lord for

today. We thank you for your word. God. We thank you that

you call us today. We thank you Lord that you want us to know

your voice. Father, and Lord, I pray in this time of invitation,

I pray that be those who maybe the very the first time they've heard

you call them call them by name. Lord. Your word tells us that

if we confess with our mouth that you are a Lord, and believe in

our heart that you rate that God you raised him from the dead, that

will be saved. I pray that be those today that would hear your call

today and they would confess you as Lord, they would believe in their heart,

and today they'd be saved. I pray, however you lead us respond

today. I pray that there'd be those that would follow you. Lord.

Maybe they'd those today that says, you know what, I've been following a

lot of different people, but I really haven't been following you, Lord.

Maybe be some today it says I know the voice of God, but I

haven't been following his voice. I pray there be those today would respond and

repentance to today, Lord, on this Easter Sunday, because what you've done

for me. God, I don't want to serve you out of duty.

I want to serve you out of devotion, out of love, because of

want you how you've loved me. And I pray they'd be those Lord that

would Lord, listen to your call and your name. We pray. Amen.

Tanner's going to lead us to a song. I'd love to pray with

you if I can be down here at this altar, the altars I've been

here. If you once come this altry and pray. However, the Lord

leads you to respond, would you respond, let's stand and sing mm hmm.

I was arreged. I remember who I was. I was salt I

was fine. I was running out of time since separated. The breach was

far too wide. But from the far side of the castum you had me

your side. So you made away across the great divide, left me mine

never throw to wielded here inside there and the cross you paid the debt.

I broke my child, my soul for the first time I had hold,

say Jesus, for the apl Jesus, it has wash me. Why Jesus,

you have saved caught me from the darkness into Colorius took my clipt pes

latest sun not to let's see you day and then you won't run out the

cayu half no see and mysy b has transple my not Jesus, more chess

Us in half. Jesus has six my probi from the darkness and called sack

so ard. That's so called St. Jesus. Name Jesus, love Jesus

classic broadly from the darkness into the breast, love cruelory to his name globeory,

to hissday day to my heart was the blood blod glood to every bout

every eye close. God's calling you today. Maybe today is to day that

you've never put your trust in Jesus. Maybe today I's calling you for the

very first time today year his voice. Can I just say today, would

you follow him Roma's ten says and I if we confess worth the mouth,

believe in our heart that he died on the cross for our sins, you

will be saved. That He's faithful to forgive us if we confess so right

now, right where you are, if you've never done that, would be

today? Be today? Did you said, Jesus, I want to follow

you with my life. Jesus, will you forgive me my sins? Or

I'm admit I'm a sinner and I need your forgiveness. Jesus. I believe

that you died and you laid down your life for my sins. Today,

I give you my life, I give you my heart. I put my

trust in you for salvation. Today, save me Jesus. Today you make

a prayer like that today or whatever prayer that Lord leads you to, But

will you surrender your life to Jesus today? If you're here today, and

maybe you are a believer. Maybe today just simply the Lord is calling you.

How you've been following some other things today I want you to renew your

commitment to follow me. Maybe that God. Today you hear God's voice calling

you, reaffirming how important it is that you follow Him with your life.

Today if the day right now, right where you are, said today,

Lord, I renew my commitment to follow you with my life. I know

you're my savior. I know you're my Lord, but today I haven't been

following you. Lord, I want to follow you today. You made that

your prayer. Father. I thank you Lord for who you are, and

that you are the good Shepherd, and Lord, what you've done for us,

That you were sacrificial, That you want a relationship with us. Father,

that God you are missional, that you want all Lord, it is

your desire to bring all the lost sheep in from every nation from no matter

where we are from out where we come from. God, you desire Lord,

that we would come to repentance. Or I thank you today that you

were obedient to the Father's command and you did it because you loved us.

So Lord, lead us to follow you. Lord today as we hear your

voice. Or may we not harden our hearsh to you, But God,

may we surrender Lord to you today. Well, we love you, We

thank you Lord for this morning, and your name. We pray, Amen Jesus to