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if not very often that as I study, the passage that will be going through together during a Sunday that I realized that I had for my entire life, understood it completely wrong. But such is the case. Today has returned to Luke chapter 15 of some of you. If you were here last week, you'll notice hey, that's exactly right where we left off the week before, talking about the cost of being a disciple. If you weren't here last week, that's okay. We're going to jump into a completely different topic here today. You'll see that Luke chapter 15 is divided into several different passages. However, they are all very much related to one another. We're only going to be reading the first seven versus, but the two Parables that followed the parable of the lost coin is very similar to the parable of the lost sheep, that will be focusing on. And then it finally, the parable of the lost son, we are going to call at the parable of the prodigal, son. I like the lost son better. But that's probably one of Jesus's most familiar parable. And we're going to see that. It's very much red in the context here of the two Parables that come before it. You'll also want to put a bookmark or your finger in Ezekiel chapter, 34 wish that we had time to read that entire chapter here today, but we're only going to be able to reference a few verses that come out of it but we're going to be looking at it throughout the message here, this morning until you're going to want to keep that hand. That's on page, 1341 at Luke 15 here is on page 1623. Luke chapter 15, we'll start here at the beginning. Remember we're keeping the entire chapter in mind even if we're only focusing on the first 7 verses of it. You're not the word of the Lord. Now, the tax collectors and sinners. They were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of muttered, this man is welcome centers and eats with them. When Jesus told them this parable. Suppose, one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep, until he finds it? And when he finds it, jointly puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says Rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner. Who repents? Then over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. I think God for these words Father in heaven.

We thank you for these words of Jesus. We did thank you for the opportunity that you will give to us to come together and dwell on them and and be fed by them, what a privilege. This is, why do we have gathered here this morning to worship you? But we worship you. You are building us up. You are strengthening us. You are reminding us that we are sheep of your flock. You are telling us that everything is in your hands. And you have completed all that needs to be completed through Jesus Christ. We thank you for that father. We pray that we would come to realize. In the light of these words here this morning what it is that Christ has done for us. What it is that you continue to do for us all of this. We pray now in Jesus name, amen.

Well this summer. We're going it through these hard sayings of Jesus. Right, there's a different group of people here each and every week because we're traveling and things are busy during the summer. And so normally normally this is our this week, we pick up our reading right where we left off. That happens to be the case this morning, but are hard saying series of have been different elements of scripture that aren't necessarily related to one another. For the things that's in are in the gospel that that should make us. Scratch our heads at time, does things that there are surprising for us to hear because they kind of shatter or images that the society has put upon us as to what the gospel is. And I believe that we went through over the course of summer. We have a couple of more left, but somewhere around 12 or 13. I can't remember exactly. However, is this passage here today. Luke chapter 15, which led me to this series. The first place in my mind at least. This was the one that I was the most curious about because it's always rubbed me the wrong way.

Jesus seems to to lead his flock alone out there in the Open Country. Danger out there. There's, there's no Shepherd that's been put in their place and it's as if he's going to put his full attention on this one sheet that has wandered away from me while the rest of us are just left to contend for ourselves. And I don't understand why Jesus would do that.

However, what I learned this week is that my inability to understand what Jesus is saying here. Isn't it? Because this is a hard saying of Jesus.

The problem here is that understanding what Jesus is saying, my problem, and I think many of our problem here with this passage, at least as we read it. And they usually, here doesn't come because it's confusing or because we have to try and figure out what Jesus is saying. Our problem is, my problem was, is that I completely misunderstood myself

Misunderstood who I am. Knew I was. You see, we need to understand that we and the story are not 299 you and I were the lost sheep. Noticed. I put an italicized mark on that. Ward. We were past tense. If you are here this morning and your trust, and your security is in Christ, you were a lot if you no longer are lost. Maybe you're here this morning and you're not quite sure about that. We can make that into a past tense for you as well. Maybe you are a lot sheep here this morning and we can change up from our two were as well. Is he I thought that I was part of those 99 sheets, those obedient. She hadn't wandered off who had followed all of the rules who did what she supposed to do, who stayed near the other sheet, sheets that were self-sufficient who could let their Shepherd go off and can't find those disobedient or rebellious youth that has wandered away. And we would be just fine on our own sort of the way that when your kids get a little bit older, you don't need to call a babysitter for the many more that can kind of take care of themselves as you step away for a few hours as their parents.

The way to think of myself, maybe you're the same way thinking that you're part of those 99 that are just so good that Jesus really doesn't need to pay him much attention to you because you have things under control in your life. This isn't the case to look at how Jesus put this here in verse 5. He talks about leaving the 99 in the open country and going after the lost sheep, until he finds it. That's what Jesus does, doesn't he? And when he finds it, joyfully puts it on his shoulders. And brings it back to the 99. I don't know. It's not what it says though. Is it He brings it home. He brings it somewhere else. He does not bring it back to those 99 sheets that he left out there in the Open Country. This is what I did not understand. Know if you are like me. And I think most of us here are in this sense that we've had the blessing of being found by Our Shepherd, for most of us here at an age that was so young that we don't even remember being lost. That's how long that we've been found. Some of you here, can remember the exact date and time that your Shepherd found you but whatever the case is here, However, long, it's been that you have been changed or being a lost sheep to a found sheep. We have to understand here that as the Church of Jesus Christ, as a gathering of sheep who were lost but have now been found, we are not the 99 jeep that are mentioned in this parable. If he hears a problem with those 99 Jeep, that's a problem that we might share. Even if we don't identify with them, 99% of the sheep in this world, think that they're being our think that they're sick. Obviously they're Jesus who loves to use, hyperbole is using it. Here, it doesn't mean that ninety-nine percent of the world is is lost forever. And only 1% of the world has been found by Christ. He's using a parable. Here is a t. Let's remember what a parable is. It's a shocking story with a spiritual meaning, parables are meant to Shaka. That's why Jesus often uses hyperbolic language. As he tells these stories, They're meant to shaka's and they're meant to tell us who and what we are ninety-nine percent. Using Jesus's, hyperbole ninety-nine percent of the people out there, think they're sick and if you're wondering no such as to whether or not that claim is true again in the hyperbolic way just ask, just ask the people that, you know, that you work with her that you live next to 2002 simple question. What will happen to you when you die? And most people are going to say what I think. I'm going to go to heaven and then ask him why? Why is that the cake? But you would go to heaven and of course you know what their answer is going to be, don't you? Well, I think I've lived a pretty good life. I think I've done more good than I've done back. And so, because of this calculus is going on in their mind, they think they're sick. That they think because they're going along with the flow, especially in a community or like ours, but even if it's not as Christian as it used to be, is still riding those coattails of what Society expects and I'm from a Christian perspective. They think because they're a member of the flock. They'll even part of a church. Maybe even part of this church man. Say that there's strength in numbers, there's a lot of sheep around them is that most of the sheep are living, just like they are, they're thinking just like they are. And they couldn't all be wrong, right? Some of these chipoo think they're safe, even though they are the signs of the Covenant. Is he? I must be safe. I was baptized, I must be sick at some point in time. And maybe a lot of point in time I to celebrate the supper, I took in that bread and that why I must be safe. But it's not the case. even in the way that Jesus speaks in this Parable verse 4, he left the 99 in the open country. There's a lot to like about our English Bible translation. We can trust them implicitly, they will not steer us wrong. However, as we often mention to hear, it's a good practice for us all to be using several different English translation because there are time and language is difficult work. You might go this way or that way with how you translate a word. It doesn't necessarily mean that this way is wrong. It just means that this way is a little bit better and I think that this is a good example of where they might have gone in a different direction with this word, Open Country, because that sounds pleasant, doesn't it? It sounds like a place that he might like to go to just to get away from it. All, yes, Jesus. Leave me in the open country. Some of the other translation to even go a step further they say they believe they were left in the open pasture. That's a good place to be, isn't it? But that's not the one that gets used here. The word that gets used as used 48 times in the New Testament. And I'm 47 of those 48 times. Other than this one, it's always used to describe a place that's hostile and dry and dangerous. Where is difficult to live? It's the word that was used. When Jesus was brought by the devil, Into the Wilderness to be tempted. Any was left there for forty days and forty nights and had nothing to eat. It's the word that used to describe the country that the Israelites wander through for 40 years, went from there slavery in Egypt to the promised land. It's a dangerous place that these sheep relax.

These 99 sheep are lost. Why are they lost? Even though they're all located in the one spot in the Open Country Wilderness? It's because their Shepherd is not with them.

They've been separated from their Shepherd. They're being spiritually, starved and neglected. No. It's quite possible that these 99 sheep have no appetite. They don't realize that they're being starved because they're consuming all sorts of junk food along the way, they don't even realize that their body is wasting away because they're not being fed properly.

They're left, but yet they're content and the spot where we don't get any other sort of indication. No number one, these 99 sheep that are left by themselves. Are not the primary point of this. Parable will see that in a moment but what I want you to see is is they think they're safe these 99 sheep. They think that everything is okay for them and it's not

That's where Ezekiel 34 and helped us understand what's going on here. Ezekiel 34, that is talking about the Lord's sheep in the Old Testament. Did the Israelite people. Covenant people, and Jesus R Us. I'm sorry, the Lord here. He, he's, he's condemning those who were to be there Shepherds because they had fallen down on the job and the Lord conclude that his sheep were scattered. Why, because they had no Shepherd And look at the danger that there is if they were scattered and they became food for all of the wild animals. You and I are not designed to live in the wilderness either physically or spiritually, disconnected from our Shepherd. It's a dangerous place to be.

Maybe you think that we're reading too much into this word Wilderness here to come up with such a conclusion? And that's what I thought as well. Do I really want to hang this? Much theology on one word. We're not. There's a lot of good reasons to think this. Right from this passage itself, let's look at the final verse Do you see the similarities of parallelism there? The 99 in the wilderness are the same ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to read. Now, your Jesus, again, here is being facetious as he says that. Of course, he doesn't mean that they are so good and holy so much without said that they have no need to repent. Of course, that's not what he means. They're he's speaking after all to the Pharisees at this point. Will they think that they are the best-looking sheep at the fair? I was so impressed with your kids and have what you're able to do with those sheep of all of the animals. I know you put a lot of work into all of them but those sheep look so impressive at the fair, don't think they're all just so properly trimmed. And then they have the exact right amount of wolf still under a leg and so much care has gone into making those sheep. Look so good. That's what these 99c in themselves. They think that they are the Blue Ribbon sheep. And that all of the sheep that are wandered off from them, are somehow loser sheep, that they're still speaks nothing but themselves out of following all of these regulations that are meant to make us, holy and good, and pleasing to God. They think they're better than everybody else. That's the kind of righteous person here that Jesus is referring to as he gives them this parable.

If that's not enough for you, let's go on here in chapter 15 and we did not read those. Other two Parables, the parable of the lost coin is more or less the same scenario as the parable of the lost. Sheep a bit different here in the parable of the lost son and you know that story right there. The sun. That's why we call him the prodigal son because he went off to live up four digit. What, where he took in all of the sensual? Things that a person could end this world. Blew all of his father's money and then came wandering back home on his knee and his father is so Overjoyed to see him. Come back. And then there's that older son. Find that older son is quite upset with the situation he became angry and he's not going to go into the party that's being held for his younger brother. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father. Look, all these years, I have been slaving for you. Do you see the difference now and these 99 Jeep in, this older brother, how easy it is for us to fall into this trap, that we begin to think that the things that we are called to do on behalf of the Lord Mall. Do they are, are nothing but a requirement for us to leave for him and it makes us bitter because it's taking us away from the things that we'd rather be seeking. You see all three of these parables are completely and totally intertwined with one another. We can be quite confident that these 99 sheep who have been left on their own, because they're so self-sufficient. Are not who you. And I want to be associated with

the point here. Is that just being surrounded by sheep that look good. If it doesn't mean that they've been prepared by the blood of the Lamb, it means that they combed themselves that they made themselves look so nice. Here's how the Lord puts it in Ezekiel 34 I like the way that he opens up here in verse 17 for you Mike. But you need to understand here. Is it, is it is that this is not being said, in the same spirit that we heard Jesus call us his little flocked few moments ago as we came into worship. This is being said in a very sarcastic way. This is being said, the people who think they're part of the flock, but really aren't This is the Lord looking down upon them as an as for you. My this is what the Sovereign. Lord said, only time, we see that phrase, you know, something, right. This is like when your mom uses your middle name, when she's scolding you over something, you know. I'm okay. It's big. This time when you hear that phrase, this is what the Sovereign Lord says, you know, you've got to come in, I will judge. He says between 1 sheep in the other between Rams and goats. Do you see what the Lord is telling us? There is that not all of these cheap that you think you're surrounded by. Not all of them are part of my flock. There will be a day where I come, and I physically sort between the two of them. I never going to find out that not only are there both sheep and goats in this lot. But that even many of the sheep that maybe you thought were the best-looking of the entire plot. Really weren't part of the Flop at all.

Ninety-nine percent of what she's been this world think they're safe because they're surrounded by so many others who think they're safe. The here's the thing that we have to be worried about self-sufficient, sheep, they stay lost.

Because this is one of the of the way that the way the Lord has blessed us in so many ways with with a good life that we live here in this world with a comfortable life that we have. It is that we forget that it's the Wilderness we made this Wilderness, such a good and comfortable place to be. Don't we forgotten that we've been lost and separated from our Shepherd and need salvation. What we we forget. I said that.. Is it only not enough to have them down, but that's it is this ongoing aspect of it. We're going to talk about that tonight. And we take a deeper look at Luke chapter 9, where Jesus says, You must take up your cross daily and follow me.

and so it ought to be everybody here this morning, it ought to be without to have the same primary concern here. If it's so easy to get lost among these 99 sheep that are left on their own, how do I know that? I am not part of it. How do I know that this hasn't happened to me? How do I know that I'm not just going through the motions here, as I gather with what seems to be all of God's people?

Well, Jesus tells us here, John chapter 10, we read from John chapter 10, this past week as well. Jesus said, it's quite easy to distinguish my sheet. He said, listen to my voice, ask yourself. Are you listening to the voice of your Shepherd? Is that what's guiding you through your week? It is that the Clarion call that you're following though. You might wander off to the left or to the right. Are you hear that voice scolding you at times calling you back to the center? Do you hear the voice of the land? Is that something that's it? That the Bible calls, Jesus, both our Good Shepherd and the lamp because that's what he is, right? He's fully God and he's fully man. Do you hear his voice? Do you long for it? Somehow a day has gotten so busy. And so out of hand that you just completely forgotten to spend time and scripture, Sunday, goes by him. Something's going on that. They keeps you from coming here today to worship God is to be fed by his. Where does it hurt a little bit? Are you hungry? Do you need to hear the voice of the shepherd? Jesus said, you can know that you are my sheep. If you listen to my voice, I hope that they're not only gives you a call in your life to be focused on the word of God. It's these words come to you, not just as a challenge, but as a word of comfort, because if you are hearing the voice of your Shepherd, as you read the word, if you do feel his presence, As We Gather here to worship Him, if you know that your prayers are out today or not just being spoken into the wind, But are being listened to by your father in Heaven, you can have absolute assurance that you are not one of the 99 sheep. You are one of the lost sheep. That's been found. Jesus said my sheep, listen to my voice and not even know them and they're following me.

Look at your life. What can't what it is that important to you? Look at what it is that you spend your time and your resources, spend your money, and all of the things that you have and what are they focused on? Are they focused on the things of this world that the 99 other cheaper? So consumed by or are they focused on following price? Do you see how these words are God's words of. Absolutely tremendous Comfort to us and words of challenge? The more you follow Christ, the more assure that you are going to be that you're not just going through the motions. Here, you're not just being righteous. The way that the Pharisees were no, you are truly one of God's sheep. What a beautiful thing that is, you were a lot, she you no longer a lot. She doesn't mean you don't wander off in time to time but you are very much in the hands of your Shepherd. I think we're going to see that here in a moment from John chapter 10 that's completely out of the hands of your, what a tremendous promise that is you were alive cheap. This is the point of of the parable here today by Far and Away the primary point of our Parable today that all of God's sheep will be rescued. The good news of scripture. The point here is that God seeks and finds his lost sheep. That's the good news. I like the accusation that these that these Pharisees make the Pharisees in the teachings of the lung murdered this man welcomes Sinners and he eats with them. This is the most correct that these guys have been in all of the gospels. They got it right here. Yes, this is who Jesus is he? Welcomes Sinners. He has fellowship with them. He knows their names. He has an ongoing relationship with him. They work. Of course making an accusation weren't they, but they got it. Absolutely correct. We might make one copy. These guys, were centers in the eyes of the Pharisees because they weren't jumping through all of the Hoops that had been set before them. But these people that Jesus not welcomed in there no longer Center, they were likely in. Every sense of the word is something different about them. Now, they crucified their send and they're down. Following the shepherd, So if we're going to complain about anything that these Pharisees have said here is that don't know they're not centers anymore. They been made new in the blood of the Lamb. They're completely new and different people. But even the way they said it here is exactly the case. You see, you don't need to have yourself cleaned up before you're eligible to be found by the Good Shepherd. It's actually quite the opposite. He is the one who pulled you out of the mud in the month that you had gotten yourself stuck in it and he welcomes you back. We're going to see that joy that he received you with here as we go on verse three. Jesus goes after the lost sheep. That's the thing about Rashi. Enough of us here, have raised some sort of animal like this, haven't we? Whether it's cattle or sheep, or goats, as it's all somewhat the same in this ends here. And then they rarely what they get out, they spend all their time plotting how to get out of their enclosure, right? And then they get out for a few moment. That's all they want to do is get back in and then they just get farther and farther away. Rarely do they come back on their own. It's Our Shepherd that goes after us and hold us back home. And look at the ridge. We put this lamb on his shoulder. We we don't even have the strength to walk back on our own with him know, he's carrying us all of the wigs, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says Rejoice with me, I found my lost sheep. And then he says, I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven, over one sinner. A sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. That's a shocking elements of this story, right? That's what a parable is at a shocking with a spiritual meaning. And I guarantee you that these Pharisees who her this were shot, as they heard, Jesus say this one. It's about you carrying us home. It's about us following these rules to the T so that we can make ourselves acceptable, to you. Do you see how I act with the true gospel? Our expectations of it, so often are If there are rules that we follow as Christian commands, that we keep a better way to think of it, it's just how God created us. So why would we not live his way? But those commands that we keep, and rules that we follow are not with bringing us home. The fact of the matter is there not rejoicing over some decision that this lost sheep made, the rejoicing in heaven, is over the fact that our savior has gone out and victoriously brought another one home. So that brings up a question for us all here. This morning. You're one of two people in this. Parable is only two choices here. It's quite simple. Are you are you one of them? Who is rejoicing truly rejoice in it every time a lost sheep? Or. Are you on like, you spit orestes and like that older brother? Who's just expecting credit for this lady that you've done on behalf of the king. Difference between those two groups.

And I like the way that this is the way that that Luke opens, this passage here. It is with evidence of exactly what's going on. These tax collectors and sinners. They were traveling around to do what not to watch, Jesus, do Miracles, and I have to help him feed the poor night, not to do anything other than here. Bingo long to hear the words of their Shepherd because his sheep know his voice and follow him. That's exactly what this group is doing.

The problem in Ezekiel 34. Is that the Shepherd that God had placed over his people had failed?

the good news is it of Insidious chapter, 34 is not up to B's under chef Again words from The Sovereign Lord this time, good news, I myself will search for my sheep. I myself will look after As a Shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them. So, I will look after my sheet, Is my heart? Good Shepherd. You rescued us from all the places where we were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness in here and John chapter 10, this is how Jesus introduces himself and a very, very forward way. John's gospel is all sent it around these seven. I am statements, I am statements that were meant to be shocking because Jesus was using the Covenant name of God. Yahweh. I am who I am to describe himself and he says, here I am just like The Sovereign Lord with our Shepherd in Ezekiel chapter 34. IM That's Good. Shepherd. And the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. That's why we've been made new once again. So is God who seeks and finds his lost sheep? Tell her to hear. Is this? Here's the amazing. Part is that God often uses sound sheep. Like I remember where the phone sheep were not, the 99th we are the found sheep and we often are used by God to help find under lost sheep. Ezekiel 34. Here is is taking to task. Now, these Shepherd that he had put in place that the priests in the Levites who were supposed to be spiritually, care for his people. He said, you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthen the weak or heal the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays. You have not searched for the law.

I'll be honest with you, that really stings for me. To read these words because I find out just how inadequate I am as a pastor. How I failed to do what God expects of his undershepherd. To strengthen the weak to heal the sick and found up the engine. I have not brought back the Strays and I don't spend enough time and energy searching for the Lost.

But see, here's the thing. It's not all about me.

In this little aspect of God's flock Worthington. Christian Reformed Church.

We keep track of people because we've been commanded to and we we put people into one of two categories here. First of all, we called them active, for festung adults. These are people who help process their faith in Christ who come often to worship with us. And who take up the work of the church. That's ostensibly what it means to be active. No, not all of our active people are as active as what we would like them. To be very generous with that designation, almost to generous And there are 144 of them. This does not count the 37th baptized children that we have in the congregation. This does not count this somewhere around two, dozen of you. Whom we are very grateful. Come to us on a regular basis and are actually quite active in the life of the church. But when we had that all up, it adds up to 181 people actively involved in our congregation here. I don't take the time to count now, maybe you already have but there's not 181 people here. And it's been a long time. Since there have been. That's why we have this other category. We called them in active professing, the dog. Now, there's a lots of valid reasons that somebody might be considered an active there for somebody who have professed their faith in Christ. But but they've moved to another community and maybe they haven't quite settled on the church that they're going to be a member of and stay with him. And so we have them in this weird range of being inactive in our congregation part of us, but not part of them. But that's not very many. When is a whole bunch more that quite frankly, we just don't know a lot about because we don't ever see them or hear from him. There are fifty of them. 50mg, lost sheep from our little flaw. That says nothing of the community out there has never heard of Christ in the first place and needs to be called back in. This is Justice from our little group here. 50 lost wandering. She

the good news comes again, is Ezekiel 34 Where God himself says this. I will statements three times in a row. I will search for the lost and bring back the Strays I will bind up the engine and strengthen the weak but the sleep in the strong, I will destroy that it those who are self-sufficient in and of themselves and don't need me, I will destroy. I will Shepherd the flock with Justice. God is the one who cares for his sheep, but he does so ordinarily by using us. That's just surprises, right? Because we talked about God, Sovereign power all the time. But then, there are ordinary way that he often employs that power and ordinarily it threw us his people. Yes, he can do things in an extraordinary way and we all know the stories of that, right people who are just going through life as part of the 99 sheep without a care in the world and were struck with a bolt of lightning so to speak, that changed their life instantly, it happens, can praise God, it does. But that's not ordinary. Is it the ordinary way for our Shepherds to bring people? Back is through? Who is other found sheep? That's what he has designed for us. I like how Phillip Reich and explains this. We share this. We ought to. We ought to share. Jesus is Joy by joining his quest to seek and save people were lost spiritually. This means having compassion on their condition. How many times have we seen this in the last several times of us reading the gospels together? Even in the gospels goes, in the morning and evening. This is last couple of months, and we've come across this multiple times, when Jesus ought to be angry with people for what they're doing. And he has instead compassion on them. This is something I need to work on because look at what people are doing out there and make me angry. because they're not going the way our Shepherd told us to go, and instead of being angry odd to have compassion on the not blaming them for their problem, but seeing their spiritual need It means loving them and praying for them until they trust in price. I'm just leaving them to find their way into the full. The lost sheep can never do that. They need to be brought in going after them with the good news of the Gospel. It also means it's shouldering the heavy burden of servant Ministry. I like how he put that there is service manager. We're not leaving for our father. Its service Ministry, not complaining about all the trouble. We have of people who need to know Christ But ask him Jesus for the strength to keep on caring how easy it is to become, as cynical as described. Des. Peres, he's thinking that some people are Beyond Redemption and not wanting to get involved with their problem, how hard it is to be as compassionate as Christ. Searching and searching for Sinners until they get saved. But see if we are friends with the Good Shepherd, if we hear his voice and follow it, We will learn his patients in the looking and share and his joy in the spine to be. And you can have faith. This will happen. We already saw the first half of John 10 verse 27. Jesus telling us that his sheep. Listen to his voice. He knows them and they will follow him. And then he said I will give them eternal life and they shall never perish, no one will snatch them out of his hand. And then he goes on to say the same exact thing about his father, we are held by our shop.

My father didn't hear, I I forgot to included in my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one can snatch them. Out of my father's hands over help securing price 10 Sandra held secure in our father's hand. That's a double security is a did, we were locked cheap. We know that all of God's sheep will be rescued. We can have faith that even of those 50 that we're not seeing a not here that they are still in their Shepherd pants. And that through people like us when the time is, right? He will call them back home. But let's also understand you that rescued Chief need to be perfect. This is important here because verse 5 says that we have been brought home when Jesus finds US skeet, joyfully puts us on his shoulders and brings us home. But you've been here enough to know. In fact you did not even if you've not been here or even been in church enough. I read the Bible as you know that we're not home yet are we you know that the moment you walked back out those doors? This morning there's a whole host of problems that are waiting for you problem that you're worried about even though we've been commanded not to worry. And we have this tension that the Bible's always, are always putting us in, right? Is that we are already home in price, but we've not yet fully realized it. And it's difficult to live in this tension. And as we live in this tension, we have to be set. We have to be spiritually that. And a good news is what we've already seen this morning that the Lord has given us the Good Shepherd, who is the Good Shepherd? what we studied at this past Christmas season when we looked at John want, The Good Shepherd is the word. Frankie. Do you see how this fits together? We need to be fed by our Good Shepherd and our Good Shepherd feeds us through him self through his word. It has to be the bulk of our diet. The word of God. so, we've been given this Shepherd, we've also already spoken about it a couple of times this morning is that not only do we have the Good Shepherd, but we have these under chef Peter tells us about them. Call Albert. Under Shepherd's people who have been appointed as the same men who have been appointed by Christ himself to care for and leave and feed his sheep. That's what these Elders are. Peter says, be Shepherds of God's flock that is under your care. Watch over them. Don't Lord, it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock because, look at what is coming. The chief Shepherd is coming back to truly, take us home to eliminate the attention that we live in now between the already in the not yet. He's coming back. And when he does, you will receive the Crown of Glory that will never fade away.

People, you need to know that these men who have been entrusted over this church. Aren't there on their own? They didn't just wake up one day and said, you know, I think I will be an elder in the Church of Christ would be a good way to serve. No, they were called to it by the chief Shepherd himself and he has given them his authority I I, I know that it would what a blessing, it is that that we have the relationship that we have between our elders den and our congregation. We, we, we, we were not to Lord it over you to work or to be one of you were to be with you all of the time and there's times when will come and we'll talk. And we're just talking about the Vikings were talking about the weather for just enjoying life together and we're no different than you then there are other times when we come to you in the name of the Lord. Either to take to lift you off the way that Jesus Lift us up onto his shoulders. Or sometimes to scold you in the name of the Lord. The way that we see there in Ezekiel chapter 34, Are under Shepherds carry, the authority of the shepherd.

Is that for men? This is what you must ride for. This is your goal is lots of other goal than anythin that are all good things that you're working, but your primary goal and following Christ is a man of God is to be equipped for such a job as this to be preparing, it preparing yourself for it. Even from the time that you're a young boy, coming to know the scriptures. Well, because, you know, the day will come when you're going to be called upon by the chief Shepherd to the guide. His blond, there's nothing more valuable, you can do.

And the rest of us, men are just to grow in the ministry that the Lord has provided through them. To have our strength, preserve to experience the Peace of Christ. Infinity, share that piece. With those in our community and even those in our own number. Need it so badly. Let's thank God that we are found.

Father in heaven, we come to you this morning confessing that we often think. But the reason that were here and part of a group like this is because we're just a bit better than everybody else. I finally pray that you would watch that feeling and I that you would crush that has pieocracy a crush that hubris. And and the audacity that we would have even think such a thing. Remind us that without you, we would be so far away from you and your truth. We would just continue to put ourselves farther and farther away from it. Until we thank you for what Jesus has done that. He came out and found each of us personally that he placed each of us on his shoulder and is carrying us home. Why do we long for that day until we're all the way home fully in your presence again? And we thank you though that even in this difficult time that we live in. Now we're waiting for that fulfillment but you have provided for us. Thank you for everything that you have done for us. Father, help us to be I was altered to reflect the shepherding that you have given to us by calling those who have wandered away back. All of this, we pray in Jesus name, amen.