Why Follow Thieves and Robbers - When We Have The Good Shepherd? | Pr Jack Ling

You're listening to a message to go from Acts Church. We hope this message

will light up your day this morning. I want to share with you,

you know what I believe the Holy Spirit has helped me to prepare. Right

from John chapter ten? Why follow thieves and robbers when we have the good

Shepherd? Okay? I was in chapter I was in John nine the last

time, So now John ten, Okay, why follow thieves and robbers when

we have the good Shepherd? This is the question I have even as I

prepared this. You know, we all follow somebody. We're following someone.

Okay, whether it's on social media, you're following, right, you're following

someone on your Instagram or whatever. It is. Why you follow because you

have an interest in what they're doing. Right, You're checking them out,

You're checking them out. Okay. Some of you, I don't know,

like you simply follow people even you don't like if you just follow, that's

kind of strange. Okay, So check who you're fo following. Okay.

If you don't like that, what you're finowing, remove it. You're obliged

to. I don't know how you actually feel pressured, like as if yeah,

I gotta follow because everyone's following I follow, all right, So no,

you don't have to, Okay, you have the choice to follow or

unfollow, okay, because sometimes when you follow something you not you don't need

to follow, you you're not supposed to follow. It does more damage to

you, right, and it takes up your time. You're scrolling and you're

looking at stuff that you don't need to look at. So actually takes up

your time, your energy, your sleep. Okay, right, So think

about who you're following so now, and the Bible here today teaches us about

this who we're following? So who are we following? Okay? Of course

we talked about social media one thing, but not only social media. There's

many other things, right that you're following for example, Uh, you know

when you think about let's think about just say, when you when you speak

right, your language, your language right, when you're speaking, you think

about it for a while. You actually followed someone you learn or the way

you speak from somebody? Yeah, yeah, from some character some movie.

Some of you speak with an accent, right, why because you're following following

someone? You followed someone to do that, right? Some of you you

know, I don't know, you know that there are some people who they

live in Malaysia, but they speak like British. You know, they followed

someone, right, Okay, they learned it up and they followed. And

I'm not just talking about accent, but I'm talking about even the content of

your of your words, the way you speak, you know, like you

know, sometimes some of us can be a bit more aggressive in the way

you speak, maybe more rough maybe, uh, you know, lacking gentleness.

Why because you followed someone. Someone had an influence over you and you

allowed it, you know, sometimes didn't even realize it, you know,

like subconsciously, it just happened and you caught that. And you are following

somebody could be parents, could be someone close to you, could be your

friends, especially your friends, right maybe. And then you know, I

mean every young people maybe even adults. The language, the foul language,

right, inappropriate words, you know sometimes you know, we got it from

somewhere. Yeah, yeah, so we're following someone. So even things like

you know, how you think about money, how you think about money,

how you think about church, what you think about church, like how you

decide whether to come to church or not, whether to serve or not.

Someone had influenced over you and you followed it, right, So let's be

watchful about that. We are actually following people. And let's just like I

said, just now about your Instagram. Check out who you're following. And

if if it's like stuff, you don't, you know, your spirit tells

you this is not right. Unfollow, unfollow. It takes a bit of

effort and time and you know, awareness, but we can right, So

think about that now. Let me tell you just uh, you know,

I've been talking to different people. I've been talking to different people, and

one of the topics you know that I I we we talk about, you

know, in these more serious conversations, is about the Word of God.

The Word of God. Let me tell you a little bit about my own

challenge. As I spoke to to the different people, I realized, you

know, the challenges I face as well. You know that it's actually quite

a struggle. Two, it's not a struggle about you know, you know,

the enemies at work, and it can become and perhaps it creates you,

creates these things around you to distract, to make you struggle to read

the word of God, to get the word of God into your into your

system. Right. So like for example, you know when even when I

prepare the message, it's not all smooth sailing and flowing like yeah, you

know, everything just comes freely, and I'm like, got it all kind

of thing, right, although I will tell you it gets it's getting a

bit better, it's getting a bit easier these days. But when I try

to get into the Word of God, my word right instructions all over and

of course you know it's not I didn't get hired to read the Word of

God, you know, so I can't. I don't, you know,

open up the Bible in my workplace all the time and read. But thank

god, I can teach Bible class. I teach Bible class, and I

have to read the Bible a Bible, so that's part of my job description.

So thank god, ra maybe she'll get a job like that. Then

you can read the Bible in your working hours, right, Otherwise it's it's

it's challenging, right, You've got to make time for it. And when

is that time? It's you Unless you are good with time management, then

when do you ever read the Bible? Right? So, unless it's maybe

some of you, it's been a habit already for you. But I want

to challenge you to do that make time to read the Bible. Like I

said, you know, when I was trying to when I try to prepare

message, you know, by the time I most times, by the time

I actually sit down and I'm like about to really type out the stuff and

put down the stuff, I'm gonna what I'm going to say, concentrate,

you know. Uh, then I'm already so tired and sleepy, and you

know, I don't know, the brain probably doesn't work fully at that moment,

and uh and uh, you know, and then I'm on a computer,

and you know, on computer you can do many things on a computer.

So suddenly like, oh, yeah, that that email I haven't And

then suddenly I'm so tired. Maybe I should watch a movie first to stir

my mind up. I'm just telling you the challenges I face, but probably

doesn't face that as much. But I don't know. I don't know,

Olidia, I don't know want what kind of other? Yeah? And then

you know, how many of you here you have a Netflix account? Just

be honest, yeah, just yeah, yeah, yeah, wow, students,

Wow, who's paying for it again? Anyway? Family family account?

Hey, very honest and truthful. There's all kinds of stuff on Netflix is

right, Okay, I'm not talking about all your social media yet. Right,

there's all kinds of stuff on Netflix that you shouldn't be watching, right,

right, right, all rated stuff. And at that end, when

at night I'm trying to prepare the message, suddenly I want to watch a

movie I'm thinking, And when you turn on the Netflix thing on the browser,

all the choices are there, and most times is like the trending whatever

trending. Everyone's watching this. Now you're like the enemy. The enemy knows

how to use his stuff. Right, I'm telling you we are really in

a battle, and we've got to be aware of that. We are all

in a battle, and we're not in a battle against each other. Please,

right when I when I tell you to tell you this in my mind

as were you know, people are going to get angry, like they're thinking,

like I yell, I already feel so so sinful, you know,

so struggling, and then this passa jack is like making me feel worse,

you know, Like, so I'm not against you, You're not against me.

We're not against each other. Right, let's make that clear. We're

battling against uh, the spiritual Yeah, And and and that there are forces

against the people of God. Right, So if you're you're people of God,

child of God, son and daughter of God, there is an enemy,

and so don't let the enemy mess you up. Okay. So that's

why today, who are we following? All right? Why follow roberts and

thieves when we have the good shepherd? Okay, So that's a question.

Hallelujah, praise the Lord. Okay, we move on a hey, verse

one. That's the way it is. Chapter ten, Verse one. True.

Literally, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold

by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a

thief and a robber. Okay. So just remembering chapter nine. Okay,

what happened in chapter nine was there was a blind man. There was a

blind man. Jesus saw he then I mean, long story shot is the

blind man got healed when Jesus made mud and put it on his face.

He didn't get heal immediately there he said go to the pool Silua. The

guy obeyed, and then he received his healing. Right about after that.

What happened was the religious leaders at that time they couldn't get this, They

couldn't understand this, and they didn't like Jesus, so they were trying to

They were questioning the guy, how did you what happened to you? You

know, how did you get this healing? And they were doubting, and

so he just gave great plain answer. He said, you know, this

man told me, you know, he came and he he put the mud

in my eye and told me to wash and I did, and I now

I'm seeing. That's all right. He couldn't explain anymore anything else, but

he said. But then I think in the middle of chapter nine he did

say that no one, no one can make the blind sea right. This

must be someone special, all right. And so after all the talk,

what happened was the religious leaders actually cast him out. Cast him out.

What does that mean? They excommunicated him, and they pushed him out and

say, you cannot come into you cann't come and worship God anymore. You're

you're just bestly mean, right, you're just talking nonsense. Get out.

And so he got rejected, this blind man away. Sorry, he's not

blind anymore at that time, right, he could see. And then what

happened at the end of chapter nine is that Jesus actually met the guy founder

Guy and said, you believe in me. You believe in me, And

he says, and you know, long story short again, he said,

yes, he believes, and so Jesus redeemed him in that sense. All

right, Yeah, you got rejected by the religious leaders, but I accept

you. I receive you. Okay. So that's the background of this.

And so Jesus saying this is he's trying to contrast his leadership with the leadership

of those religious leaders. Okay, and so let's see, let's look at

this. He says, this does a true He does not enter the shipfold

by the door. He's talking about how someone who is in leadership, right,

how he got into that role, how he got into that position.

Okay, And he's he says that these people who come in not by the

door, because there's only one door, Okay, They climb in from every

other, you know, from the side whatever, all illegitimate, right,

they are thieves and robbers. I want to tell I want to let us.

I want to challenge us to think a little bit here. I was

talking about who we're following just now right now, think about it. There

is only one true authority in our lives, and that is God. Right,

Anyone else who tries to come in and replace God. They're actually trying

to take over the leadership of God in your lives. So let's be careful

who is leading you or who you're allowing to lead you in your lives.

All right, Even if it sounds okay, like it sounds nice, some

of these things, right, could could even be studies, could even be

job or you know, even in the name of let's say, I want

to, you know, earn enough to help my family. That's all noble

and good stuff. But be careful if it's taking over God's place in your

life, because these things don't come in by the door. They're coming in

from everywhere else, trying to distract you and steal you away from God,

who is the true authority of our lives. Amen, So Jesus puts it

very strongly. These are thieves and robbers. Now we move on next.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep, all

right, God, who is the true authority of our lives. He comes

in and he does not force his way, He does not come in illegally.

He comes in by the right way, all right. So yeah,

I'm just trying to see though I don't lose the points. All right.

Look, as I was preparing I read this, Okay, quite interesting.

The religious leaders at that time, many of them, how did they become

really religious leaders? Right, it's quite interesting? All right. Uh,

there was an article that I read. It says many of them went became

religious leaders by connections. Connections. Someone knew someone and said, hey,

I recommend this guy, he should be in So it was okay, right,

connections formal education. Wow, wow that when I read that said quite

interesting. A lot of people get in positions through formal education. Like many

of us here, you got your job because you're qualified because of your formal

education. But how many of us know, especially those who who have hired

people, there's a method of formal education. It's guys got papers and stuff.

But there's so many other things that matter, right when you hire someone

that formal education is just one thing to look at to see maybe you can

do the job. I don't even know anywhere you've got the paper from just

a piece of paper or anyway. I'm not putting formal education down. Please

study, especially your parents here, right, I'm not saying don't study,

Please study, all right, pay a lot money for it. Please study?

Right, it's quite interesting, right right. Education is actually a lot

of is money money education not a bad thing. I'm a teacher, Okay,

I love education as well, but this is quite interesting education all right?

Then some of it through ambition. They all have an ambition. I

want to be this and I will do anything to get there. Did God

tell you to? Doesn't matter. My ambition tells me I gotta do it.

Wow. Okay, I'm not saying, you know, maybe God uses

ambition as well to lead you. All right, but check it all right?

And he says here manipulation and corruption, Okay, that's that's obviously right.

Manipulation could be I don't know, they pay their way to get there.

And corruption. Okay, So this was how many of those of the

leaders at that time, not really religious leaders, political leaders, leaders generally

at that time even now get to where they are, right, But true

leaders like Jesus, they go by faith. It's faith most importantly. Right.

So are you there? Are you where you are? Where you're at?

Are you in a position where you're at because of faith? Or is

it because of form education, connections? You know, ambition only and you

made your way there and sold. You're a self made man. I'm here

because I worked hard for it. Sounds good, sounds good, It's okay,

and please do work hard in your life. But was their faith in

where where you're at? Is there faith in serving God? Even in church?

All? Right? Even in church? Sometimes you go with it like,

yeah, because I'm so skilled, because I'm so skilled, you know,

they want me on on I can pleat git out really well, so

what to do? I'm so cool? Right, But no, come on,

we don't need that. Yes, we need the skills. It's good.

The skills are good. Please do serve You've got skilled yourself. Right,

Thanks Rianna for the first playing the right. But there needs to be

faith. There needs to be love. You love God, you love the

people that God put in your life. That's why you're where you're at.

Can you answer it that way? And I hope you do. Even if

you can't now, I hope you do in a in the future. Right,

what you take up your the job, you take up the studies,

you take up what you're what you're doing, you know, the actions that

you make. Let it be filled with faith. Let it be filled with

love, love of God, love of the people that he has placed in

you, and most importantly obedience. Obedience. There needs to be obedience,

all right, In obedience their sacrifice. In obedience you will you will serve?

All right? So are you? Are we all getting something here?

Yeah? Hallelujah? All right? So where was I? Now, shepherd,

go through the door? Okay, don't be like the leaders in those

times and even nowadays, right all because of you know, maybe their ambition.

They want to get there. They they use connections and just all the

man made things around them to get to where they are. But let's think

about it. Can we instead be led by faith, be led by obedience,

and be led by the love of God. I love God and I

love what he is telling me to do. That's why I do what I

do. Amen, all right, move on, Sarah, Okay, hey,

yeah, all right? To him, the gatekeeper opens his verse three.

The sheep hears his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name

and leads them out. Now, what is the gatekeeper? Who is the

gatekeeper? All right? When I read this, I go like, Okay,

Jesus, you know, he will say he's the good Shepherd. Then

he'll say he's the door. Then there's the gatekeeper. So who's who?

Who is who? Who is who? Okay, don't worry, let's be

clear. The good shepherd Jesus He later on says he's also the door because

the shepherd is the door, meaning in those days the door wasn't always a

physical, you know, wooden door. The shepherd himself sits at the entrance

as the door to God, the sheep from enemies and danger, right,

because that's the that's the entrance. So the cheper but is the door?

Which is correct? But what okay, what's the gatekeeper? The gatekeeper?

What I understand, How I understand is as I prayed, you know,

uh, you know some people say it's the Holy Spirit, but I mean,

I just take it as this. The gatekeeper is the authority is whoever

has the authority? Uh? And uh for of heaven. You know,

the gate is like the gate of heaven, and this is the authority.

So whoever has the authority? Uh, he recognizes who the shepherd is?

All right, So I would I'm just I would just say this is heaven

because you know we're in we're talking about heaven rules, right, Heaven rules,

So heaven including which includes the Father right and all who is in heaven.

They're all in unity, and they are the authority of who goes in

and out. And so the authority knows who the sheep, who the sheper

is, and he says that the sheep hear his voice, and he calls

his own sheep by name and leads them. What I understands from here is

also you know, those who believe in Jesus. Our names are written in

the Lamb's book of life. Amen, so written in heaven. So meaning

those whose names are written in the book of life, we know Jesus.

We know the shepherd, and he calls us by name, and we know

each other. We know him and he knows us, all right. So

that's the simple understanding I would use for this part here. So does Heaven

know you? Does Heaven know you? Does Heaven recognize you? Whether you're

a shepherd, you're a leader, all right? And who you're leading?

And does Heaven know your name? Something to think about, right if you

know? Just the way we take communion, all right, I want us

to be careful with taking communion as well, all right, Yes, we

say, those who believe in Jesus. Correct, those believe in Jesus take

communion but you know, when when you take communion, I remember what Jesus

said in chapter six of John. He says, he says this to the

people, you know, he says, right, if you believe, you

eat my flesh, you drink my blood. And that kind of scared a

lot of people off, and you know, many people left him. But

what does that mean when you say eat his flesh and drink his blood.

I was teaching this to my students in school, and you go, like,

did you way together where to get the meat? Arown? There?

Whether the flesh of Jesus, said, the blood of Jesus, I said,

obviously it's not in the market, you know, you can't find in

the butcher store whatever. Right, No, it's not that because it's not

literally eating the flesh and the blood. But in a way, it's literally

consuming Jesus in your life. And if and if we don't and if you're

not consuming Jesus in our lives, then our communion does not fully symbolize that.

Right, when you take communion, you're actually saying, Jesus, I

receive you into my life, and I want to I want to have your

word in my life. I want to eat your word and when I eat

your word, I will produce You know, when you eat mangoes, what

comes out of you? Okay, as this is my studios, go toilet?

All right, Yes, that's the that's the one part of it.

Okay, that's the stuff you don't need. Right. But when you eat

fruits or mangoes or my food, it energizes you and you do things,

You do things out of that energy. But of course if you eat poison,

it's not gonna work. Right. So when you consume Jesus, take

his word, right, what will come out of you? Whatever his word

you know, is produced in you, so you will do his word?

So now what was I talking about? That communion? Back to heaven?

Right? Does Heaven know your name? Do you commune with Jesus enough that

he actually knows you? And Heaven knows your name? Right? If you

know all this? While you say I believe in Jesus, but you have

not prayed once. You don't even know God's word, I'm not sure whether

you actually believe in Jesus. Because if you believe, you will read his

word and you will do his You obey his word, all right? So

believing can't be just can't be just saying I believe, but there's no action.

Right, That's what we read in James right says, I show my

faith by my action, by my words. Okay, now, all right,

back to this. So does Heaven know you? Does the gatekeeper recognize

you? Right? And here he says, here the gatekeeper definitely recognizes Jesus

because he is the good shepherd, and he can walk in right the door

and they'll open it up for him and he'll come in. Anything else they

cannot enter, so they climb in from wherever and try to get into our

lives. Okay, move on verse four. When he has brought out all

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

know his voice. Now listen, Jesus goes before he leads us. Now,

Jesus is always leading us. And but but are we following? Is

Jesus leading? You know? Look at the front of you know, I

was challenging all of us to think about it just now, right, think

about who were following? Look look at the person in front of there that

you're following. Right now, think about that. Who is there? Who's

there? Who's there? By the way you speak, who are following?

Who's in front there, right, Are you sure you're following Jesus or is

that someone else? The hair looks like Jesus. When you look at a

face someone else, Stop following, Stop following someone else? That's that's leading

you think about that, right? And uh, please do recognize Jesus.

Recognize who we're following, and follow the right Jesus. Hey man says here

they know his voice? Do you know the voice of Christ? Okay,

from the story I told you just now in the beginning, I was talking

to some people, right, and I'll share my own challenges as well.

Very interesting, right, I hear. And this is myself as well.

Every time, like I said, when the Netflix thing comes up like that,

he says, watch this, no trending. Everyone's watching this, and

I go, I want to click it because it does look tempting, and

no one is around kids. I'll sleep. My wife normally sleeps before me,

as so I like just a few minutes. Right, temptation. But

you know, there's always that voice inside of you, especially if you're a

believer, says no, And that voice inside of me has gotten stronger and

stronger, and I obey quicker and quicker, Praise God. Hallelujah, thank

God, thank God. All right, thank God? Right, thank God.

So you're not listening to rubbishit, Okay, I thought all the temptations

right now. Okay, I didn't really have to go through it last night.

But but I'm telling you, all right, it's real the temptation there,

and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, and so that the

voice will say no. And I'm telling you the people that I've spoken to,

they have the same experience. They will also say pasta, you know,

yeah, to watch this and that, and sometimes I give in.

I just watch it, but then there's this thing insight We'll say like,

ah, no, it's not right, don't do it, you know,

and then I'm not sure, you know, sometimes obey, sometimes don't obey.

But but after not obeying, so there is like something like you know,

there's a bit of like a discuss maybe make you feel down and you

go like you did something wrong, and that I believe is the Holy Spirit,

you know, And I believe that the Holy Spirit stirring me saying don't

do it. Hey, you're going to preach this Sunday. What you're doing

right? You can't be doing this, you know, all these people are

my people, and they need to hear my word, and the spirit that

you have needs to be right, right. And so what I'm saying is

many of us we say we believe in Jesus, and he's gracious and he

gives us the Holy Spirit to firstly convict us and to help us out of

sin. But you know, without the word, without the word, it's

hard for the Holy Spirit to communicate with you because you don't have his word

inside of you to tell you right, the word of God will be very

clear to us. When we get into his word and we feed ourselves with

consume Jesus and his word, he can use the word of truth to convict

us easily, easier than before. So I want to challenge us again,

how are we going to make time to have the Word of God with us?

All? Right? Right? Where are we now? So? Do

you know the voice of the Shepherd? Right? If you're truly his sheep,

we need to know his voice, right. Some of us know the

voice of Jesus a bit more, some of us here maybe very honestly,

You're like, yeah, sure, I don't know. I don't know what

voice of Jesus. Jesus, right, I want to tell you that God

is gracious. He also uses people to speak to you. If He can't

get to you yet straight he uses people around you. And that's why,

thank God, we have homes. We have homes, leaders, we have

huddle. You know, I pray the Lord uses me as well. Yeah,

passor Kenneth. We've got so many people that God can use to speak

to your parents, your parents. God can use your parents definitely to speak

to you. So be open to that and be ready to hear the voice

of God. Better still, if you have the word of God inside of

you, then God can speak to you directly straight away, and you will

not be confused. When the Holy Spirit stirs right, he will remind you

through the word of God. All right, hallelujah. Now we move on

verse five. A stranger, they will not follow, but they will flee

from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Now I've

already meant this, right, check out the person in front there, who's

the head you're following? Right? And if you yeah, the hair looks

like Jesus. You look front someone else. It's not Jesus. I'm following

someone else right, looks like Jesus. From there. Okay, I thought

it sounds like Jesus, but obviously it's not because when I hear the word,

he doesn't speak the truth. So he's a stranger. And what do

you do when you when you realize you're following a stranger? Keep following?

Flee, flee, he says, Flee. Run. Okay, if we

are truly the sheep of God, we want to run away from these strangers,

right, don't keep following them, because they are going to lead you

where. They will lead you to the butchers. They leads you to the

fire, to you know, know the barbecue. Yeah, okay. The

robbers and the thieves, they have their own desires, right, they have

their own agenda. They maybe go like, hey, sheep, come come

come. They might dress up a little bit so look like Jesus. Maybe

they come, come come. They look so nice, they look you know,

they style their hair well, right, maybe come come come, And

you're like, yeah, go go following, following, and and they have

their own agenda. They want to they want to do something for their own

benefit, for their own benefit, all right, So be careful who we're

following, all right, what we're following. It might sound good at that

moment, But check out the agenda because in the end who benefits from it?

For whose benefit they want you to follow? So flee when you know

this is the voice of the stranger, it is not from the word of

God. Flee all right, don't keep following. Don't be so nice.

I nobody follow. I follow. Yeah, let me let me help,

let me support, support, right, But if it's not the Shepherd,

stop following. Right, don't have to give face we call it because that's

the enemy and they want to destroy you. Now, moving on this figure

of speech, Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he

was saying to them. This was the religious leaders obviously showing the example of

they couldn't understand the voice of the Shepherd, so they didn't understand. And

uh, that's the thing, right, that's what happened to those of us

who don't recognize the voice of the Shepherd, we won't understand. So I

want you you know today I'm speaking to you. Please, if you all

rely on today to have the word of God, that's not fully right.

You need to have the word of God every day, you know, I

mean in your own time and when you come here to hear this, you're

just gonna yeah, I'm confirming it, all right. I'm also I also

get the same thing. So don't just rely on a Sunday to get the

word of God, all right, because it's all our responsibility to eat,

right, because I can't just cook a big buffet and a feast here for

you, right or whoever is preaching here on Sunday, and then the rest

of the week you're starving. Please don't starve sheep, all right, and

let the good shepherd lead you. I wish I can be the good shepherd.

I mean, I try to be right as good as I can,

but I can't. I'm not good like Jesus. Jesus is the best because

he can be there with you every day. He can be there with you,

feeding you every moment. Right. I wish I can be in your

house every day. So by no, I don't wish. I actually I

don't wish I can be in your house. I want to be in my

house. I want to be a sheep sometimes good shepherd feed me, all

right, So right here, take a responsibility feat from the good shepherd.

Amen. Why say this that you know it's not all about you feeding yourself

right, yeah, don't you don't feed yourself, right, it's a good

shepherd feeding you. And but of course the sheep still need to take the

bite. The good shepherd is not going to stuff the sheep with food,

right. He leads you to green pastures and he says, there it is

you want to eat or not. The sheep go like, I don't want

the sheep, want to fast up to them, all right, But the

good shepherd has already brought them to the green pasture. Okay. Means he

does not lead you to bear in land and dryness. He does not.

He leads us to green pastures. If you're follow in the right shepherd,

okay, then we are at the right place. There. We still need

to take the bite. Okay, so that's where you are taking the Bible.

Take the bite, right, hallelujah, and then move on. So

don't be like these guys. They didn't understand, because yeah they're not.

They're not God's sheep. They don't recognize Jesus. Okay, this figure of

speech. We still here. Okay, so now we move on. We're

gonna wrap up soon already. So Jesus again say to them, truly,

truly, I say to you. I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not

listen to them. Okay, move on, we finished this seventh nine ten?

All right, I am the door. If anyone enters by me,

he will be saved and will go and will go in and out and find

pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came

that they may have life and have it abundantly. All right, So now

I was mentioning as well. Jesus says, I am the door. He's

the shepherd, and he's the door as well, because the shepherd is the

door. Okay, just think of a human door. He's the one standing

at the entrance, guarding, making sure his sheep are safe, making sure

the wolves and the wild animals and the enemy and the robbers and the thieves

stay out. And he says here very clearly to us, those who come

in illegally trying to get into your lives and distract you and force you to

follow them. Right, they are thieves, and what do they want to

do. Like I mentioned earlier, they have their own agenda, and what

are they trying to do? Steal? Kill, and destroy. They are

following their father, the enemy, Satan, the devil, who is here

to still kill and destroy. And we also know the enemy as the father

of lies. And many times it's through deception, through lies. So let's

watch it, watch it, amen. You know, sometimes we are like

sheep. You know, actually we are. We are like sheep. Sheep

are not very clever. Sheep are not very clever. Stop trying to be

clever. We're sheep. I'm sheep. Yeah, we're not very clever.

Let's be honest, and we are weak. Today we sang a few songs.

That's all weakness, weakness out there, you know, in my weakness.

You know, we all don't like to sing that. I'm not weak,

lord, but actually we are. We're weak, We're not very smart,

so don't try to be too clever. Let's depend on the shepherd.

We depend on the shep, but right, because then we are strong with

the shepherd, then he gives us ability to be smart, all right,

because we hear his voice and the shepherd says, stop that, stop watching

that, Stop following this person, all right, don't be so close to

this person because they're influencing you this way. Let's listen to the shepherd because

the thief comes to still kill and destroy. But what does Jesus do?

And he's not lying, he's just telling it plain and straight. He's here

to give us life and have it abundantly, life abundantly. What is life

abundantly? What is abundant life? We say that a lot, but what

is that? What is that for the sheep? Let's just use sheep as

an example. A sheep that has abundant life, Okay, right. A

sheep that has an abundant life is not wrapped up, you know, in

armor, in metal armor, locked up somewhere nobody can ever harm him.

A cube in the mouth feeding all day, you know, it's not.

A sheep that's an abundant life is protected by the shepherd, and he's always

led to a good place to be able to feed what what he needs,

to have what he needs. Amen. And it's good nourishment of the soul.

And there's always enough living water for him to drink. Amen. So

this is a sheep that is abundant life. Now the word is the key

word is the sheep is satisfied. Everyone said to your neighbors, satisfied.

So are you satisfied? You know a lot of things around us. We

are never satisfied, never satisfied. You have this much already, still not

satisfied. You tasted this already satisfied. I want more. I want to

do some more, right, But a sheep that has abundance is attis fight.

I give you an example, you know, especially let's say when we

serve God. When we're serving God, when we do what God wants,

you get like maximum satisfaction. Nothing can compare to what you do for the

Lord. When you serve, Yeah, it takes your time or so yes,

it does. You know. Sometimes some servers here we sacrifice like family

as well. We you know, like for example, doctor Jill's not here.

I can I can argue about that, you know, like why why

can't I be with my family? You know? Uh? And that time

when she went to Laharda too. Oh the pain that I had. And

I think soon I'm going to soon, I'm going to man my own dangerous

space. Okay, the Lord protects us, and you know it's not dangerous

when we when we have got with us. Yeah, but when we do

these things, the world won't do these things, are you know? But

when you go you and when you do it unto the Lord. And because

God has called you and you obey him like I said earlier, and it's

faith, then there's maximum satisfaction. All right. Those of you you've served

the lot before, you know that. I want to encourage you, please

do serve the lot. If you're not serving the lot anymore, now,

I want to encourage you to serve the Lord. There's many ways to serve

the lot. It's not just you know, of course, please do sign

up for our you know, Sunday service x TV. There's sound, there's

the worship band. You don't know where to go to sign up? You

know where to go? Where? Come to me here? Huh me alone?

You know our homes leaders can go talk to homes leaders. All right,

Hey, leaders on your stand up lead us. Stand up leaders.

We're talking about good Shepherd here. Leaders stand leaders of X church stand up?

Right. I know there are many other leaders here, but just specifically

our ex church leaders. Okay, right, okay, right, these are

our leaders. Right, These are homeless leaders and they also help to run

many other things. Okay, And we are looking for more leaders. We're

always looking for more leaders. So uh is okay? Okay, she's standing

there a right, okay, all right, so you can actually approach any

of our leaders here to talk about if you want to serve all right,

and we'll make the way for you. Will. We'll tell you how it

happens, the things that you need to go through to be able to serve.

Amen. All right, you seeest leaders, Thank you? Now?

Where was I again? Serving the Lord abundant life is satisfaction, all right?

And how do you get maximum satisfaction? It is through loving God,

having faith and serving him. There's no other thing that gives you as much

satisfaction as that. All right. Many things around us they give us momentarily

satisfaction. It's like wow, so nice for a while, like chocolates,

yeah, and then it goes right. But serving God it gives you a

long term satisfaction. Amen, hallelujah. I want to encourage all of us

serve God now. Next one, and Jesus says, I am the good

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

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own

the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and

the wolf snatches them and scatters them. Okay, move on first, Yeah,

finish reading. 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 or know me, just as the father knows me,

and I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Look, just now, we say it. If you see the person,

you know, the whatever is leading you in, run there. It's

not your shepherd, It is a stranger. You should flee. You know

why you should flee first, because they're gonna flee. Right, The high

d hand is gonna flee when at the moment he sees danger and he sees

you know, it's not benefiting me anymore. This person, you know does

not help me gain anything. You're gonna get dumped. They're gonna go away

from it. You're gonna flee from you. They're gonna, you know,

betray you. So this is what This is the price of following something that

is not worth your time, your you know, your energy. They're gonna

leave you. Okay, right, could even be like relationships, right,

it could, Yeah, it could be so many things. But I believe

the Holy Spirit can speak to you and tell you what it is that he

wants to say to you this morning about who are we following? And if

we are not putting a priority on the word of God, we're not putting

priority on the House of God. We're not putting priority on the mission of

God. What's the mission of God? What is God's mission to us?

Right to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of

the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, right to teach them to obey

all that I have taught you. Amen. So if we are not prioritizing

God's word and his instruction to us and his direction to us, then who

are we following? Who are we following? All right? Because the person

who are following, most chances are not. They don't care for you.

Okay. And the shepherd says, here, I know my own and my

own know me. Can I just backtrack a little bit the next slight before,

just in case you're right? Okay? The good shepherd, right,

Jesus, is not only a shepherd, he's a good shepherd. Turn to

your neighbor and say he's a good shepherd. It's a good shepherd. You

know, just like fathers. There are many fathers, many dads around,

right, but there are many types of dads. But when you say my

dad is a good dad, wow, it's amazing, you know. And

then but by then you will ask why, why why is he such a

good dad? Well, he never speaks to me, he never kisses me

good night, he's rarely around. Is that a good dad? Okay?

Some ways A feeling pain here, okay, because it's quite real that here

some of us, our dads maybe didn't. We're not very good law okay,

and that's reality. But we know a good dad, right, or

a good mom, especially dads are. We're very sensitive, Okay, moms

are. Mother's Day man, you know Mother's Day is always yay. Mother's

Day, you know, flowers everything, Father's Day not true? How to

celebrate okay, okay, okay, okay. Anyway, yeah, it is

a very painful thing. I mean these days especially now you know we we

many people say that it's it's like a fatherless generation. But you know,

we all know what a good dad is and what a good dad can be.

All right, and Dad's here on the courage you press on. It's

not easy, but let's all try to be good dad's husband, be first,

to be good husband first life. Right, you don't have children that

might you be good husband first. But dad's let's work together. And if

you're struggling to be a good dad, let's talk. Let's talk, all

right. I used to struggle, right, honestly. Yeah. A few

days ago, I just shouted and my kids shouted and I lost my voice,

and I said, God, shout anymore. And then I apologize to

them because I know I shouldn't be shouting at them. Okay, anyway,

good dad can admit his mistakes, right, good dad, We'll try to

spend time with you. Right, good dads, So we all know what

good means. So how about a good shepherd? Right, he's not just

a shepherd. He doesn't just you know, let the ship go freely.

What he does the best and God and Jesus is a good shepherd. Why

here, very very obviously here, this is the ultimate thing he does.

He lays down his life for us. He lays down his life for us.

And you know, you know how how he's he's better than any good

You know that many humanly good shepherd they may also be laying their lives down

for the sheep. But you know how great Jesus is, how much more

greater he is. He laid on his life, then he takes it back

up again. Here he has resurrection. Nobody, nobody can do that.

So only Jesus can lay down his life and then he can take it back

up again and resurrect. That's powerful. That's not only good like kind all

these things are. He's powerful. Jesus is powerful. The good Shepherd.

That is powerful, So no one can mess with Jesus. And it's the

best. It's just wonderful to be a sheep under the good Shepherd, who

is Jesus Christ a man. Okay, we move on. We've gotta close

soon. Now we go to sixteen right, yeah, okay, here we

go. 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. One For this reason, the Father

loves me, because I laid down my life that I may take it up

again. As I said, it's powerful. No one takes it from me.

But I laid down on my own accord. I have authority to lay

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

have received from my father. I want you to sure help me to go

back to verse sixteen. I have other sheep. Tell your neighbor, other

sheep, other sheep. Who are these other sheep? Who are they?

Right? So, at that time Jesus was talking about actually was talking about

us, because we were not believers yet. We were not we didn't even

exist yet, right, we were not born yet. But Jesus was talking

to he said, Okay, you guys are the sheep here, but I've

got other sheep who is to come. And now we're in the fold,

right with the sheep in the fold right now, Praise God, hallelujah.

We've been saved. And so let's not take this salvation for granted, let's

serve him and so, But then he's also talking right now, still talking

about the other sheep, for all the other sheep. Right, look at

the empty seats beside you. Look at empty seats beside you. One you

all right now, just let's just lay our hands on the empty seats around

us. If don't have don't lay your hand on anyone. Okay, that's

been a wife still okay again, right, but empty seats, look around

you, right. Let's pray that God can fill these seats right with more

more of the other sheep who needs to come in. And that's our mission,

isn't it right? Okaa, good reminder, right. We're not here

just to sit down right in the church, but we are here to serve

Him and to help lead all these other sheep into the Kingdom. Amen.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church,

please visit as church org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless