Podcasts about good shepherd jesus

Pastor Jeff continues to look at our value and worth according to our Good Shepherd: Jesus. The world wants to belittle, God wants you to see who you are in Christ. You are big on the inside.

Send us a texthttps://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/In this powerful episode of Reverend Ben Cooper, we dive into the extraordinary privilege of worship and how it shapes our relationship with God. Through Romans 9, we explore how worship is not a burden but a gift that transforms us. Additionally, we hear a compelling testimony from a Messianic Jew who encountered Jesus in the very scriptures he once thought he knew, revealing the life-changing power of God's Word.Key Discussion Points:The Gift of Worship: In Romans 9, we see that God “gave them the privilege of worshipping Him.” Worship is a divine gift that allows us to draw closer to God and experience His presence in profound ways. This perspective shifts our view from seeing worship as an obligation to recognizing it as a transformative experience that deepens our faith journey. Worship is not a task but an invitation to be in intimate communion with the Creator.Unshakeable Assurance in God's Love: Romans 8:38-39 reminds us of an unshakable truth: “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons... can separate us from God's love.” This scripture is a beacon of hope, especially for those struggling with anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges. When faced with these battles, it's important to understand that they don't mean God has abandoned us. Instead, these struggles can become the sacred ground where His presence is most deeply felt. God's love remains constant and unwavering, offering peace and hope even in our darkest moments.Jesus as the Good Shepherd: Jesus' role as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) gives us an image of sacrificial love. Unlike hired hands who flee in the face of danger, Jesus positions Himself as the gate to protect His flock. This sacrificial love was most profoundly demonstrated on the cross, where He fulfilled Isaiah 53:5, “He was pierced for our transgressions.” This beautiful imagery shows us that Jesus is always with us, even in the most difficult seasons of life, offering protection, guidance, and peace.The Power of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in empowering believers to live out their faith. The baptism of the Holy Spirit equips us with spiritual gifts that not only build up the Church but also extend God's kingdom on earth. These gifts—when exercised with love—become powerful tools for healing, transformation, and bringing light into a broken world. The Holy Spirit is not just a promise for the past; He is active today, enabling us to live out God's purposes.Walking in Peace Amidst Life's Challenges: Life can be challenging, but God's peace transcends all understanding. Embracing His promises allows believers to walk through difficulties with unshakable hope and confidence. This peace is a powerful testimony of God's presence in our lives, helping us find stability and joy even amid struggles. By focusing on His faithfulness, we can experience His peace, which guards our hearts and minds.Conclusion: This episode is filled with encouragement and practical wisdom for those facing personal struggles, seeking deeper spiritual experiences, or desiring a closer relationship with God. The insights shared remind us that God's love is unfailing and that His presence in our lives is a source of profound peace and transformation. Whether you are experiencing joy or walking through pain, this episode will help you understand the depth of God's love and how to embrace His promises fully.Call to Action: Join Reverend Ben Cooper as we explore the depths of wSupport the showhttps://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/

Send us a textIn a world that's always changing, finding peace in your faith and strength through Christ can make all the difference. In today's episode, we explore God's unchanging promises, drawing inspiration from Malachi, the Gospel of John, and Romans 8:37 to help you navigate life's ups and downs with confidence and hope. This episode is designed to give you spiritual renewal, offering a deep dive into biblical wisdom and practical insights on living out your faith.We begin with Romans 8:37, reminding you that, through Christ's love, you are more than a conqueror. In a world filled with uncertainty, this powerful truth offers a foundation of hope and strength. If you're struggling with stress, fear, or doubt, this episode will encourage you to stand firm in God's promises and trust in His unfailing faithfulness.Next, we explore the theme of Jesus as the Good Shepherd—the one who leads you to abundant life, guides you through life's challenges, and speaks peace over your soul. With all the competing voices in the world, the voice of the Good Shepherd is the one that offers true direction, clarity, and spiritual peace. Whether you're new to faith or a seasoned believer, you'll learn how to hear and follow His voice with confidence.We also explore the powerful miracle at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. This miracle speaks of grace, sacrificial love, and the abundance that God desires to pour out on your life. It's a call to embrace blessings, break generational curses, and live a life full of joy, abundance, and freedom.To close, we invite you to join us in prayer and unity, seeking spiritual transformation and celebrating the life-giving presence of Jesus—the Bread of Life. This episode is not just an encouragement; it's an invitation to experience the fullness of God's love and transformation in your life.Key Takeaways:Trust in God's promises and embrace His unfailing love to navigate life's challenges.More than conquerors through Christ's victory: Stand firm in faith during tough times.The Good Shepherd leads to an abundant life filled with peace, clarity, and purpose.Experience the power of Jesus' miracle of grace at Cana—breaking generational curses and living in abundance.Embrace spiritual transformation and the life-giving presence of Jesus as the Bread of Life.This episode is perfect for anyone seeking spiritual growth, Christian encouragement, or biblical insights on how to overcome life's struggles and embrace God's love. If you're searching for faith-based motivation and a deeper connection with Jesus, this is for you.Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to join us on this journey of faith, healing, and spiritual abundance. If you're ready to see life transformation through Jesus, tune in and be encouraged.Support the showhttps://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/

Sheep we be

Chapter 12 of Heroes in the Bible: Jesus is inspired by the Gospels. The Good Shepherd - Jesus is faced with a challenge. Does he choose justice and be seen as a tyrant, or does he choose mercy and lose his credibility as a Rabbi? While any other person would have to choose between the two, Jesus does not. He balances love and justice like a good shepherd. Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app. Sign up for Heroes in the Bible devotionals at https://www.heroesinthebible.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life's full of its ups and downs. You and I we know that. Jesus knows that.  That's why when He promised us an abundant life, He made that promise in the context of a story, a parable, about life's ups … and downs.   The Shepherd and His Flock As we race through life day after day, one of the things that happens is that we somehow get conned or duped into the great lie of our times: if you earn lots of money and you spend it on this and this and this and this – this toy, these clothes, that holiday, this dining experience – if you live your life like that, then you are going to be happy. So, we try it again and again and again. Many spend their whole lives chasing happiness, only to be disappointed at every turn. And before you know it, they are looking back on a wasted life. I mean, how tragic is that? So, what's the answer? I think, as we head into yet another new year, now is not a bad time to be asking that question. What is life all about? What's my life all about? Am I going to be happy this year? And so, that's why today, we are kicking off a new series of programmes that I have called, “An Abundant Life in Jesus”, because so many of us have spent so much of our lives chasing happiness – me included. That's what I was looking for and that's what I could never find. So many of us wish we could be happy and yet we don't really know what happiness is, so we go looking for it in the wrong places. Jesus promised something outrageous to His disciples – to all those who follow hard after Him – He promised them an abundant life. In fact, a super-abundant life! Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Someone once asked me, ‘What does that mean, an abundant life?' That's a good question. I mean, ‘super-abundant' sounds fantastic but what is it? What does it look like? Well, let's kick off by having a listen to what it is that Jesus actually says, so if you have a Bible, come with me please to John chapter 10 – we are going to begin reading at verse 1. Jesus said: Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep then follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.'” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 'The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 'The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.' That's a really interesting passage. It's a beautiful picture of a shepherd and his flock. Back in those days – let me explain the shepherd. The shepherd normally had a small number of sheep, fifty or a hundred sheep and literally, he knew each of them by name. Now sheep aren't stupid animals; they are actually quite bright but they are short sighted so the shepherd calls them and they hear him, they follow the voice; he leads them; he goes ahead of them and his job is to find them pasture and water and keep them safe. Now, being a shepherd was a tradition handed down from father to son. A real shepherd; the true shepherd who owned the sheep would literally protect the sheep with his life from wild animals and robbers. We will look at that later. And they would wander this rocky plateau and in winter he would bring them into the sheep fold, into the town or village by night and all the different shepherd's sheep would be in the one pen. And the next morning, each shepherd in turn would come and call his sheep. And he had a personal relationship with them – the sheep knew his voice and so they would follow just their shepherd, not anyone else's shepherd, just their shepherd and they trusted him and they felt safe with him. So this is the picture that the people had in their minds in the first century as Jesus was telling this story. This winsome picture of the lonely shepherd tending his flock, protecting them with his life - that's what Jesus was drawing on in this story. But did you notice they didn't understand what He was saying. Verse 6 of John chapter 10. Jesus used this figure of speech with them but they did not understand what He was saying to them. You and I, we wander through some difficult places in life – we truly do. When we are young, we think we are invincible; we think we can conquer every mountain, but life soon teaches us that we are more of a small boat on a great big, mighty ocean. And yes, Jesus promises an abundant life – we had it there in that passage. Again we will look at what that means, over the coming weeks. But look at the context … the context of that abundance, is as one of His sheep in His flock under the safety and the care of the True Shepherd. It's this picture of safety and protection and of a Shepherd who did, in fact, lay down His life to save us … to save us from the ravages of the devil; to save us from our own sin; to save us from God's judgement. Storms will come and go, wild animals will come in life and tear at our flesh, thieves will come to steal, kill and destroy, bad things will happen to good people. Is there any one of us who doesn't have something going on in our lives right now, that's hurts - something we wish wasn't there? Is there? Jesus never, ever, ever promised His disciples a comfortable ride - in fact, quite to the contrary. He said to them, at a time when there was fear in their lives, in John chapter 16, verse 33. He said: I have said these things to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will face persecution but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. The promise of this abundant life comes not as a promise to make all our circumstances, all our relationships, all our finances, all our futures rosy – that was never, ever what He promised. No! The promise of this abundant life comes to us in the context of the rough and tumble of life; in the context of a shepherd leading his sheep through a rocky plateau to find pasture and dangers all around. As we live our lives under the protection and the safety and the sacrificial love of this One True Shepherd, Jesus, then He says to us, “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.” And because of the world in which we live, that abundant life was purchased for you and me at a price … at a very great price.   The Thief and His Plan I was speaking recently with a group of people. It was a church service on a Sunday morning and I asked them this question. I said, “Is there anybody here in this room today that doesn't have at least one thing going on in their lives that hurts? One thing that they wish wasn't there? One thing that they want God to heal or to change or to solve or to take away? If you don't have at least one such thing in your life, raise your hand up in the air." There would have been, I'm guessing, over a hundred people in the room. Absolutely silence! I cast my eyes around the room – I just allowed the silence to hang there for a moment and not a single hand when up in the air – not one. These were people who believed in Jesus, these were people who had all heard Jesus say: John chapter 10, verse 10, that: The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. They had all heard Jesus promise an abundant life to them. Literally what Jesus says here – the original Greek language – it means a ‘super abundant life' and yet, everyone had something in their lives that was troubling them. And you know what it's like: your whole body can be healthy but you jam your finger in a door and the excruciating pain in that one finger is all that you can think about. The fact that the rest of your life is just fine at that point, is pretty much irrelevant. It's all about the bit that hurts – that's what we focus on. It's true isn't it? It's so easy to live our lives, focusing on that one bit in our life that hurts just at the moment: that difficult relationship, that financial pressure, that problem at work, the worry about what other people are thinking about us. It's pretty much different for each one of us. But when we have that one thing, or perhaps even two or three, that ache, that we wish would just go away - then it can consume us. It actually robs us of life. And as we saw earlier, the context of this promise of an abundant life was the story; the parable of the Good Shepherd - Jesus the Good Shepherd, we the sheep in His flock. Now this was a really familiar metaphor to those who were listening. They knew that the profession of the shepherd was one of honour, one of protecting his sheep. They knew that as a shepherd led his sheep out over the stony plateau of Israel in search of pasture, thieves would come and often attack and try and steal the sheep. Wild animals would sometimes come and attack and steal a sheep to eat for dinner. It was the reality of life for a shepherd and a true shepherd's job was to defend his flock. But let's focus for a moment in this story, on the thief. John chapter 10, verse 10: The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus is telling a parable here, a parable that's meant to reach into our lives – and the thief in this story is the enemy; the devil; the tempter; the deceiver He had referred to elsewhere. The one who dangles glittering baubles under our noses – trinkets and treasures that are so alluring, so seductive. They appear to promise so much. Can he get us to wander off? And other times … other times he simply comes to attack us: through circumstances, through other people. We see that in Job's story in the Old Testament, how the devil uses financial collapse, sickness, family breakdown, to attack Job. Paul the Apostle gives us a glimpse into the spiritual realm to tell us what's going on when we are under attack from this enemy, this thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12. He says: ... our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. See, there is a spiritual dimension to life and we ignore it at our peril. There is a devil who is our enemy; who sometimes comes dressed as an angel of light to deceive us. Other times, he sneaks up like a thief or attacks us openly, like a wolf. All that is in the Bible and we ignore it at our own peril. But look with me again, if you will, at what Jesus says about Himself: So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come and go and find pasture. In summer, the shepherds would stay out overnight with their flocks and dotted around the place, were pens that had been built using really dense hedges. So by night, the shepherds would lead his sheep into one of these pens. But those pens had no gate, so he would sleep across the opening and, in effect, the shepherd became the gate – to keep the sheep in overnight, to keep them safe and sound so that none would wander off and to keep the thieves and the wild animals out. He would fight any that came, with his shepherd's staff and with his rod, a kind of club with spikes. He was the gate. He was their safety, so that they could come and go in peace. He gave them protection and so, safety and peace. And that is Jesus in our lives today, my friend. Make no mistake about it. The thief will come to steal and to kill and to destroy, to rob us of the abundant life that Jesus has planned for us. The wild animals will come to tear at our flesh, to corrupt our flesh. And yes, we can wander off in our own directions, but out there on our own, we are sitting ducks. The place of safety is with Jesus. The place of safety is close to our Shepherd – the one true Shepherd who would lay down His life for His sheep. Think about it. If we are constantly being ravaged by the devil, how can we have an abundant life? There are going to be struggles in our lives, and when they come, when things hurt, the place to go is Jesus – the One True Shepherd, the One who lays down His life for His sheep. He is meant to be our refuge. He can and He will protect us. What a pity that so many suffer through things alone when all along Jesus is waiting for them? The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. "I came,” said Jesus, “that you might have life and have it abundantly.”   A Super Abundant Life Happiness is great – it's great to feel on top of the world but then, some of the most satisfying moments in life don't always involve happiness. You can be exhausted; a complete wreck and yet experience a deep sense of satisfaction at what you have just been through or achieved. Or we can experience a deep sense of contentment in life even if all our circumstances and relationships and finances and all those things aren't quite what we want them to be. And we can experience a sense of peace knowing that we are safe, even though we might have some things going on in our lives that might be a threat. Or we can experience fulfilment at being comfortable with who we are and what we are able to do with our lives. And even more, being happy to let go of things that we aspire to, that maybe we are not able to do. Do you see my point? Happiness ain't everything! There are so many other things that go into making a rich and abundant life. And it's that abundance that we are taking a look at today on the programme. And with good reason – an abundant life is something that Jesus promised to His disciples. For me, one of the most fantastic revelations of God and this promise from Jesus of an abundant life, is that everything in my life doesn't have to be going perfectly well for me to be living an abundant life. Let me say that again because I believe it's incredibly important: everything in my life doesn't have to be going perfectly well for me to be having an abundant life. Now, this was a huge revelation because I don't think I can ever remember a single time in my life – maybe a week or two or a month or two, here and there – but over all very few times in my life where absolutely everything was perfect: every relationship, everything to do with my finances, everything to do with my work, everything to do with my hopes and dreams and aspirations and sense of self worth. Do you know what I mean? There is always something there to take the shine or the gloss off life. The Apostle Paul found that too. He had a thorn in his flesh. Now, we are not quite sure whether that was a physical ailment or a spiritual ailment, the Holy Spirit in His wisdom chose not to tell us that. Good thinking too! But have a listen to Paul. Second Corinthians chapter 12, beginning at verse 7: To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness'. So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Humph! And this, from a guy who wrote almost half the books in the New Testament! See, there is always something, isn't there? And I wonder if that isn't God's plan. I wonder if everything was always going swimmingly well in my life, whether I would even bother seeking God out at all! I wonder if everything in my life was perfect, whether I would be of any use to you in these programmes. Much of what I talk about, in fact, pretty much all of what I talk about, is born out of the struggles and realities of life, bringing God's wisdom to bear in our lives. And interestingly, this passage where Jesus talks about His promise to give us an abundant life is set amidst the story of a struggle – the struggle of a shepherd to protect and feed his sheep. We read through it earlier in the programme. The life of a shepherd was a hard one – thieves, robbers, wild animals – the shepherd was called to protect those sheep with his life and many a time it cost the shepherd his life back then. Without the shepherd, the life of a sheep was precarious. A sheep out there on its own would be a sitting duck, to be picked off by a wolf or stolen or fall down some ravine. Jesus is telling a story here about life and death struggles. It's a parable that reaches deep into the realities of our lives. It's a story about a life lived out there in a challenging world in which Jesus Himself, through His death and His resurrection, becomes our True Shepherd. A pastor friend of mine told me a story once. He was ministering in a country area and one of his parishioners was a farmer, of sheep. Now the farmer told him, when he was a young lad, he always observed how the sheep would be standing grazing, but as soon as his father would go into the field, they would often lie down. So he asked his dad about that and his father told him that sheep only lie down when they feel safe and that when the shepherd is close, they know that they are safe, which is why they will often take that opportunity to lie down and have a rest. Brings a whole new meaning to Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me by still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk into the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures”, which means I feel safe. And even though you and I can end up in the valley of the shadow of death, we don't have to fear any evil because God is with us – His rod and His staff comfort us. So often, friend, an abundant life is not about being taken out of the difficult circumstances of life. It's about experiencing the peace and the protection of Jesus – that One True Shepherd – right there; right in the middle of the difficulties of life; right there, smack, bang in that valley of the shadow of death. And the incredible power of that is this: if we choose that sort of abundance of life; the one that Jesus has to offer – the true one, not the imposters, not the false shepherds, not the ones that come to rob and to kill and destroy. If we choose the TRUE life, with the TRUE Shepherd, then it doesn't matter much what our circumstances are – good, bad, up, down, positive, negative – it doesn't matter, because even though we may walk through the darkest valley, we fear no evil because He is with us. People sometimes ask me, "How can you be so upbeat in the middle of a trial?" and my answer is: this is how – it's not me, it's Him because I have decided to live my abundant life through Jesus. The abundant life that Jesus promised – my One True Shepherd!

What does Jesus mean when he said, "I am the gate", and "I am the good shepherd"?

[1 Peter 5:1] 1 Peter 5:1, “To the elders among you… be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care.” Shepherding is the most frequently used metaphor for leadership in the Bible. [Numbers 27:15-18] MOSES had to be a shepherd before he could shepherd God's people. [Psalm 78:70-72] DAVID had to be a shepherd before he could shepherd God's people. [Jeremiah 3:15] God wants us to learn how to Shepherd His People too. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. Psalm 23 shows us the core functions of a good shepherd. Good Shepherds provide, protect and guide. [Mark 6:34-37] The Good Shepherd Jesus provided for his people too. Please be patient as we work through audio quality issues related to our new location in the coming weeks.

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Chapter 12 of Heroes in the Bible: Jesus with Dr. Tony Evans is inspired by the Gospels. The Good Shepherd - Jesus is faced with a challenge. Does he choose justice and be seen as a tyrant, or does he choose mercy and lose his credibility as a Rabbi? While any other person would have to choose between the two, Jesus does not. He balances love and justice like a good shepherd. Today's opening prayer is inspired by John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app. Sign up for Heroes in the Bible devotionals at https://www.heroesinthebible.com/  Learn more about Dr. Tony Evans at https://tonyevans.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It's the best thing to be rescued by the Good Shepherd Jesus.” A sermon in TCC’s The Stories Jesus Told series, preached at Tradewind Community Church in Amarillo, TX, on Sunday, April 28, 2024, from Luke 15:3-7, by Pastor Brad Newman. Learn more about TCC at tccamarillo.com.

Thank you for joining us at Horizon West Church! In today's passage from John 10, Jesus described three characteristics of a great leader. As Jesus teaches us, a great leader is committed to care for his followers, is able to protect his followers, and is willing to sacrifice for his followers. In Jesus' day, those who claimed to be the great leaders of the Jewish temple didn't practice any of these characteristics. Most of us today have worked for leaders who made our jobs miserable because they didn't follow these characteristics either. In Jesus, we see the perfect leader in this One who cares for us, protects us, and gave Himself for us -- praises be to God for such love and mercy for us! If you prayed to make Jesus your Lord today, we want to rejoice with you! If you would want someone to pray with you, we are eager to do so! If you would like more information about our church, we're want to share. Please text the word "NEXT" to 407-77 so we can engage with you. For more information about our in-person Sunday morning services, visit https://horizonwestchurch.com. You can also learn more about our midweek events at https://horizonwestchurch.com/events.

This week, Pastor Dan continues the "Jesus In His Own Words" series as we learn about Jesus being the Door and the Good Shepherd.

In this message Ps Dan, explores the nature of the sheep, us and the amazing news of the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for the sheep Unfortunately the last 5 minutes or so of the message were not recorded due to a technical issue.

In this week's episode of our limited Philly Faith series, we go off the script again (due to the absence of Big Mike) to walk through the entirety of Psalm 23.  It leads to a great study, and some great conversations.  Are you following after the Good Shepherd (Jesus), and are you learning the lessons He has for you along the way?   Bible Study:  Psalm 23   Thanks for listening.  We pray that it's a blessing to you!  If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out to us via email or social media:   Email:  brokenrecordministries@gmail.com  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/brokenrecordministries  Twitter:  @BRM44   Also, we're on TikTok and Instagram.  Follow us on those platforms for short video devotionals:   @brokenrecordministries   Music Credits:   "Worthy" by Mason Clover   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/71B0FaEsng8B7QMFRpyrYm   Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mason-clover/288604183   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Masonclover    Website: https://www.masonclover.com/     "Crazy" by ASAP Preach "War Ready" by ASAP Preach   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/32Sk85U3n2U9ji9PxvGAUC  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/asap-preach/1125535193  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialASAPPreach  Website:   https://www.asappreachmusic.com/ 

David Eldridge John 10:11-15 As a Good Shepherd Jesus invites us to follow Him. We have to be intentional in walking in relationship with Him because the pull of the world is so strong.

David Eldridge John 10:11-15 As a Good Shepherd Jesus invites us to follow Him. We have to be intentional in walking in relationship with Him because the pull of the world is so strong.

David Eldridge John 10:11-15 As a Good Shepherd Jesus invites us to follow Him. We have to be intentional in walking in relationship with Him because the pull of the world is so strong.

Jesus Lives to Be My Good Shepherd! Scriptures to read along with this message.... Acts 2:42-47 This is a beautiful description of the early Christian church - Christians enjoying one another, devoted to the Word, and under the care of the Good Shepherd Jesus. I Peter 2:19-25 (sermon verses) Sometimes life as a Christian means persecution and suffering. Yet, not even suffering and tragedy can remove us from the care of our Good Shepherd. John 10:1-10 Christ alone is our Good Shepherd, there is no other! Christ alone is the gate for the sheep, there is no other! As sheep, we follow him exclusively. Psalm 23 -  Martin Luther said, "Psalm 23 is a psalm of thanks, in which a Christian praises and thanks God for teaching it and leading it in right ways. Christians recognize that they are sheep, and their true Shepherd Jesus comforts and protects them in every need through his holy Word. With that Word, the Good Shepherd grazes us in fresh grass and at cool waters, while the table, cup and oil are Old Testament references to divine worship."   We hope you enjoy this message!  If you have any questions you can email us at: votl.podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @votlchurch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votl.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbssSY_GyJMabh9W-sSVQpQ  Online: https://votl.org

The Gospel of John 10:1-21 (John 10:1, John 10:2, John 10:3, John 10:4, John 10:5, John 10:6, John 10:7, John 10:8, John 10:9, John 10:10, John 10:11, John 10:12, John 10:13, John 10:14, John 10:15, John 10:16, John 10:17, John 10:18, John 10:19, John 10:20, John 10:21)----------In addition to the CC Podcast: Daily Dose Devotions, which includes today's Bible overview devotion and many other Bible study texts, Christian Crusaders also publishes two other Christian podcasts: a weekly 30 minute worship service, The CC Broadcast, which is aired on secular and Christian radio stations around the world AND The CC Podcast: Conversations, where we feature inspiring stories from interesting Christians in an interview format.Along with thanking our Daily Dose Devotions sponsor, The FAMiLY LEADER, we want to highlight two other Christian ministries:(1) The Cedar Falls Bible Conference, which has gathered annually since 1922 in Cedar Falls, Iowa and features world-class, Bible-based, Gospel-centered preaching, as well as children's and student ministry programming ... all for FREE from the last Saturday in July through the first Saturday in August.(2) Power to Change Digital Strategies, which recruits and trains anonymous, online Christian mentors to help people who are searching for answers to life's problems on the internet. If you or anyone you know could benefit from an anonymous, online Christian mentor, please visit IssuesIFace.com, a website built and maintained for the purpose of connecting people searching online with Christian mentors willing to provide love, encouragement, and truth.Please subscribe to or follow this Christian podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or through our free mobile app (see below), leave a 5-star review, and prayerfully consider supporting us financially. All these steps will help us more effectively promote the Truth of God's Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Thanks!Our regular Daily Dose Devotions contributor is Matt Reisetter, Executive Director for Christian Crusaders Radio and Internet Ministry. Other contributors include Steve Kramer and Tim Boettger, who are preachers for The CC Broadcast, as well as Andrew Nordstrom, Technical Director for Christian Crusaders.Special thanks to, Terri, our podcast announcer!Thank you for listening, and may God richly bless you!To listen or subscribe to our podcasts and free content on various platforms, click here:Apple Podcasts:Daily DoseConversationsBroadcastGoogle Podcasts:Daily Dose

Welcome to the Come Follow Me Podcast for Kids! We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and we create this podcast for primary aged children (2-12) following along with the church's Come Follow Me Manual. This is a New Testament Bible Study podcast for children. If your children would like to be guests on our podcast email us at comefollowmekidspodcast@gmail.com and we will send you an assignment for a future week. This week we are reading John 7–10 “I Am the Good Shepherd” Jesus taught that we can gain a testimony of the truths He shared as we live them. The peace we feel when we obey the commandments helps us know they are true. This week children will come away knowing: Keeping the commandments will help me know they are true. And The truth can make me free. We also have a very special mystery guest!

Luke Pew continues our series on "Jesus in His Own Words" in John 10.

Rob continues in our I AM series and takes us through John 10:11-21. The sheep know the shepherd so intimately - they recognize his voice apart from any other. As we seek to know the Shepherd, will we allow our mind and soul to be controlled by regret and pain or will we trust the Good Shepherd to restore our souls?

Further explaining Himself as the Good Shepherd Jesus tells that because He calls, knows, cares for & protects His people they have promise of security, with Him we are safe.

Read John 10:1-10. Are you a worrier? Do you worry so much that if you're not worrying, you start to worry that you're not worrying? Worrying is a scourge. It robs us of any joy there is in the world. How can we rid ourselves of worry? One of the best ways is to remind ourselves that God is God. We are not! That means he is in control. We can relinquish control! When we understand that, we can start to let go of worry. The God who is God has promised to take care of us. He is a good God and he wants to provide all of our needs and more. Jesus said, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10 MSG). If we relinquish control then he will feed us, lead us and meet our needs today. Perhaps one we can combat worry is to remind ourselves of this each day. If we begin each day reminding ourselves that God is good and that as the Good Shepherd Jesus will feed us, lead us and meet our needs for today, we can let go of worry and trust him. Why not give it a go? THINK IT OVERThink about the following: •          How might Jesus' promise of “more and better life than they ever dreamed of” help you not to worry?

This week we had the privilege of hearing from Valerie Bellamy with Compassion First about the powerful work they are doing to care for precious people impacted by trafficking in Indonesia. This is the organization that our own Andrew and Dira Soreano will be serving with as they head out on the mission field in early 2023. Valerie encouraged us to follow our Good Shepherd Jesus in pursuing the one lost sheep; may we all be attentive and responsive to who Jesus is calling us to pursue with his love! For more information visit: www.gracechapelknoxville.net/sermons

Text: Psalm 23:2Last week we discovered the confidence that we should have when we know that we belong to the Good Shepherd – Jesus. In this imagery we begin to grasp the depths of His concern, compassion, and care for us as His sheep. But how does this impact our lives? What is the result? What does this look like in our everyday living? In this message we discover two powerful results of the Good Shepherd's care that nothing in this world can offer. We encourage you to listen today to personally discover these truths in your own life. Sermon Notes

(Deliverance 1 cont'd) As we continue to build the foundation necessary to begin examining, understanding and applying God's Word to our lives for deliverance, keep in mind that deliverance requires the working together of Life Principles 1-3 as outlined by Charles Stanley. Think of these core principles as general education. Preparation, time, and effort applied to intimacy with God, obedience to God and anchoring in the Word of God prepares you to walk the path of deliverance that only God (the Good Shepherd) can lead you from or through. The Good Shepherd (Jesus) cares for, defends, and protects his sheep (believers / followers) from the ravenous wolves of the kingdom of darkness (deceptions, lusts and temptations). It is imperative that you know the voice and Word of God to follow Him. Have you ever been in a dark place where you could not see as there was no light, but you could feel and hear your way towards safety or the voice of a trusted parent or friend? While far away, those familiar voice are faint, at times hard to hear. But as you move closer to their position, their voices are louder and less influenced by other noise. The same is true when Christ's sheep follow him, heeding his commands and instructions. When following Jesus, one must believe God's goodness, trustworthiness and faithfulness to His Word. The Bible testifies of the Father's, Son's and Holy Ghost's integrity, immovability, immutability. Wherever God leads, be willing to follow, even when it looks scary. God knows just what to do and how to do it so that the only chains His sheep are bound to are love, peace, joy and liberty in and through Him. Recommended Bible Study: Psalm 23, 91** Deliverance, Protection and Restoration Proverbs 3** Instruction and Wisdom Isaiah 53** Immutability of God 2 Kings 18-19 ** Deliverance Matthew 11: 25-30** God's Care 1 Peter 5: 5-11** Deliverance through submission to God

Delivered by Sister Maria Fe Silva, FMA from Salesian Sister Community in Sumba Barat Daya, Diocese of Weetebula and Dylan Christian Kosim from Santo Yakobus Church in Jakarta, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 13: 13-25; Rs psalm 89: 2-3.6-7.16-17; John 13: 16-20 THE GOOD SHEPHERD ENLIGHTENS UNDERSTANDING The theme for our meditation today is: The Good Shepherd Enlightens Understanding. Our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ illuminates the world and our hearts with His word. If the Word only reaches the human ears, the work of evangelization is still like a half ripe fruit. From hearing, we need to proceed to understanding. God continues to help us understand Him. We begin with our hearing then we come to understand Him. From the Sacrament of Baptism we were endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit and through the Sacrament of Confirmation we were graced with the fullness of the Spirit. One of the gifts of the Spirit that we have received is the gift of understanding. In today's Gospel, our Good Shepherd Jesus teaches us that by understanding His teaching we become the blessed ones. He is so pleased with people who not only listen, but also understand. Because through understanding one's character is formed and from there his acts and life shine out. It does not mean that there is not enough understanding in every human being, or in a group of people and culture. What is often a problem is that human understanding is limited and tends to vary in perceiving different things. Especially in the teachings of certain beliefs, the danger of lack of understanding and different interpretations often provoke conflicts and clashes between us. This had become the experience of Saint Paul. He had experienced how Jesus made himself a new person. His thought and understanding changed from the old type of belief. Then it was his turn to enlighten the minds and understanding of those who knew nothing about Jesus Christ. Often our efort of explaining people who know nothing in order to obtain a proper understanding of something or a new thing would become an easy work to do. On the contrary, it will be very hard to do the same to people who already have their own thoughts and understanding. For us, our understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings indeed has already certain measures of quality from one person to another. But the work of enlightening and deepening this understanding should be of something else. Then how to do with this matter? Maybe this simple suggestion can become a useful help. Students in school have to read one textbook ten times to face the exam, rather than reading ten books once to do the exam. So it would be the same thing, we have to meet and learn from Jesus over and over, again and again. It is ineffective if only occasionally or rarely. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... Our good Lord, we thank you abundantly for your Son Jesus Christ, our good shepherd. He enlightens and refreshes our understanding to know Himself and You as the One who sent Him. May we always eager to understand You through every moment of our lives. Glory be to the Father ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Pastor Oelhafen preaches from John 10:1-10 on May 8, 2022. 1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Pastor Oelhafen preaches from John 10:1-10 on May 8, 2022. 1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Ezekiel 34:11-16; 1 Peter 2:21-25; John 10:11-18

May 1, 2022 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/stjohnrandomlake/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stjohnrandomlake/support

Welcome back to EDEN! This is EDEN, where the remnant gathers. In today's Bible study, we are diving into the passage from John 10:7-21. God gave specific instructions today: LOOK OUT FOR THE HIRELINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE LEADING YOU ASTRAY AND WILL FLEE WHEN THE WOLVES COME! He is instructing you to get your own Throne Room Thoughts from Him today! He wants you to draw near to Him in this hour and not only be depending on people or resources to fill you up with the things of God. Go to God to know about the things of God! If you scroll down, you will find the Bible Study Questions to go deeper into today's scripture. Enjoy your time with God! ••••••••••••••••• Now it is time for you to work the Word Say a prayer asking God for wisdom, correction, direction and revelation. Grab your Bible and read John 10:7-21, pause and ask God for your own Throne Room Thoughts Open your reference tool: http://blueletterbible.org Grab your notebook, pens and highlighters Answer the following Questions: Exhortation: What is God urging you to do here? What are your prophetic instructions? Etymology: Which words from the scripture are God leading you to study further? Discipleship: What is the context of this scripture? Who was it addressed to? Who is speaking? How does this passage apply today? How does this apply to you? Application: How can you use this passage in your life? Emancipation: What do you need to be free from to live this scripture? What things of this world are you holding on to that hinder you from receiving this word? What idols or strongholds is God revealing to you that are holding you bound? How is God convicting you through this scripture? Nourishment: What other verses can you find that relate to this passage? What questions do you have for God? What is the daily declaration you can make from this scripture? ••••••••••••••••• WORD • WORK • TEND Remember being in the Garden of Eden means God needs us to tend to it (see Genesis 2:15) God loves you, God wants the best for you and God is not mad at you– TURN TO HIM! Remember: SEEK first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you! Go out and let God's light shine through you today! ••••••••••••••••• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisedenpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/conecia/ © 2022 CONECIA International. This is EDEN Podcast.

Recently discovered off the cost of Caesarea, this ring is thought to represent Jesus among a host of other finds in 2 shipwrecks. Thank you for listening and God bless you!! Please subscribe, share, and leave a 5 star review!!

You may have heard Jesus called "The Good Shepherd", but have you experienced Him as YOUR Good Shepherd?

Saint JOHN CHAPTER 10

BASED ON THE "GOOD SHEPHERD - JESUS" FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER 10 - WE HAVE AN INTERVIEW TODAY WITH A REAL SHEPHERD, WINFRED!!  IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!

This sermon was preached at Trinity Lutheran Church, Murdock, NE. The text is John 10:11-18 (Psalm 23). Enjoy.

Follow the lead of the Good Shepherd Jesus. His lead is eternal life. John 10:11, 14, 28 Dominionsonship.com

This week's One Thing: "Amidst the noise this week, listen for God’s voice (prayer, scripture, circumstances, and the church). When you hear it, follow His lead. John 10:3-5 - 'The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize...

This week's One Thing: "Amidst the noise this week, listen for God’s voice (prayer, scripture, circumstances, and the church). When you hear it, follow His lead. John 10:3-5 - 'The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize...

Marc Joshua & Robert share about the life of sheep. The Good Shepherd Jesus can only impart Himself to His sheep. "...just as my Father knows my heart and I know my Father's heart. I am ready to give my life for the sheep." John 10:15 'Don't replace the Good Sheperd Jesus with leaders.' - Robert van Loenen Scriptures used in this video: John 10: 9 - 16 | Psalm 23 | Romans 8:32 Love & Shalom in Yeshua!

After His resurrection Jesus continued to appear to His followers at various times and in various places for a period of forty days until He ascended back to his Father in heaven. In fact, a man named Paul who had an encounter with Jesus after He had ascended reports in one of his letters, “He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive” (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). Before His death Jesus had used the imagery of sheep and their shepherd to illustrate His relationship to His followers. Like a Good Shepherd Jesus used the time between His resurrection and His ascension to secure and care for His sheep. That imagery is still powerful for us today. As we gather in our homes for worship, hear your shepherd Jesus’ words, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Vicar Hayden Lukas After His resurrection Jesus continued to appear to His followers at various times and in various places for a period of forty days until He ascended back to his Father in heaven. In fact, a man named Paul who had an encounter with Jesus after He had ascended reports in one of his letters, “He appeared to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive” (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). Before His death Jesus had used the imagery of sheep and their shepherd to illustrate His relationship to His followers. Like a Good Shepherd Jesus used the time between His resurrection and His ascension to secure and care for His sheep. That imagery is still powerful for us today. As we gather in our homes for worship, hear your shepherd Jesus’ words, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

We examine the distinction between the wicked shepherds and the Good Shepherd Jesus refers to in John 10.

https://www.faithbiblechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Sermon20191103.mp3 Colossians 2:1-7 (NASB) 1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. The Big Idea: A Pastor/Shepherd's love for God's people should reflect the love that our Good Shepherd Jesus has for His people. Outline: Four characteristics of a Pastor's love for the Church that should be encouraging to your faith in Christ. Last Sunday:   1) His Care for the Church (2:1-3, 5)  2) His Concern for the Church (2:4) Today:   3) His Celebration of the Church (2:5)  4) His Charge to the Church (2:6-7)

Colossians 2:1-5 (NASB) 1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. The Big Idea: A Pastor/Shepherd’s love for God’s people should reflect the love that our Good Shepherd Jesus has for His people. Outline: 3 Characteristics of a Pastor’s love for the Church that should be encouraging to your faith in Christ (2:1-5) I. His Care for the Church (2:1-3, 5) II. His Concern for the Church (2:4)

If you have more than one passage of scripture committed to memory, chances are one of them is the 23rd Psalm. We encounter it often at funerals. It's appropriate in times of grief, but it's also a powerful daily reminder about what discipleship is. Jesus often used the same metaphor of a shepherd that the Psalm uses, so it's not hard to find Jesus in Psalm 23. This week we will look at this familiar, comforting word from King David and see what Jesus can teach us about it

Scripture: John 10:1-21 / Speaker: Reverend Steven Jo / Date: February 4, 2018

The Good Shepherd (Minden) Confronted with crowds of people confused and divided over who He was, and the meaning of His miracles, Jesus tells another parable for them to connect what they are witnessing unfold in front of them to the prophetic scripture they all knew of the long awaited Messiah. In the parable of the Good Shepherd Jesus reveals His true identity, His purpose, and the outrageous grace of a God that would lay down His own life to rescue His people. In just a few sentences Jesus skillfully unpacks the meaning of His coming death, and the purpose of His sacrifice. (Minden Bible Church message)

ACTS Church Leander

Week Five of our series - Who Do You Say I Am - I Am the Good Shepherd - Jesus

Henk Smit looks at how Jesus himself embodies the character of the Good Shepherd, and what this means for us.

Steve Withington continues our Good Shepherd series with a look at the parable of the lost sheep, and what that tells us about the nature of God.

God's beautiful words in Psalm 23 gives us a picture of just how great God love for us is shown ultimately in the Good Shepherd Jesus!

Andy Davis preaches a verse by verse expository sermon on Isaiah 40:18-31. The main subject of the sermon is how God faithfully gives strength to His weary saints. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - Are You Weary Today? While studying this morning the text, going over it again, thinking about it this morning, I can make this true statement about every one of you. Either you are weary right now, spiritually weary, physically weary, or someday, perhaps even soon, you will be. If you look at verse 30, it says, "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall." Even the strongest and the mightiest among us get weary and weak, and need sustaining, renewing grace. Some of you may be weary and weak because you're outside of Christ. The Bible in other places says that you're dead in transgressions and sins, and I am so thankful that God brought you here today because I believe that God speaks, in this text, a word of comfort, a word of encouragement and strengthening. In effect, in this text, almighty God is saying what Jesus says to us so plainly in Matthew 11, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest." He is saying that in this text, and this is a magnificent text. For the third week, we get a chance to look at this. If I had my druthers, we'd just keep on going, and going, and going in Isaiah 40. The problem is Isaiah 41's so awesome, and Isaiah 42's so awesome, and on and on we go. But what I want to urge you very practically to do is take your Bibles and open to Isaiah 40, and look along with me. If they're electronic, that's fine, scroll up. We'll assume you're doing Bible, and not something else. Alright? We'll just make that judgment of charity that that's what you're doing with your iPhone. Alright? But the rest of you pick up, and just... I'm going to be walking through Isaiah 40:18-31, and my desire is that you would know this incredible, this majestic God found here in Isaiah 40, and that God would speak a word of strengthening and encouraging to each one of you. That's my desire, that's my prayer because that's what He did for me this morning. We all need it, the text says all of us need it, no one's exempt. You may not feel you need it right now, and I understand that. There's some times that just so many good things are happening, and you don't feel weak and weary, you feel strong, and that's good. That's... We have times like that, and we need that. But there are going to be those times that you just need to be refreshed in the Word, and I would commend for the rest of your lives Isaiah 40 to do precisely that. This chapter has the power to present to you the greatness and the majesty, the infinitude of almighty God in the service of your own refreshing and renewing. That's what the whole chapter is about. We have this majestic, infinite God, who can't even barely be described, tending his flock in verse 11 like a shepherd, and carrying them close to His arms. At the end of the chapter, in effect saying, "Come to me all you who are weary and weak, and I will renew your strength." That's the scope of the entire chapter. What a great, great God we serve, and what an incredible universe that He's made. All of these things point to the might of God. We're going to be looking again at the cosmos, at the universe, and what it shows us about God. Did a little research on this this week. Do you know that there's a star out there somewhere that is so large that if it were at the center of our solar system, its diameter would reach somewhere between Saturn and Jupiter in orbit? That's how big the thing is, it's absolutely massive. If you flew around its equator in an airplane at a normal airplane speed, and wanted to go one time around the circumference of that star, it would take you over 1,000 years to make the trip. That's one star, and yet it is so far away from us that it cannot be seen by the naked eye. That star is dwarfed by the cosmos. The Bible reveals that God sustains that star at every moment of its existence. This massive, powerful ball of burning gas needs God to stay alive, in effect, to keep on burning. That's the God who is ready to minister to you today. All of these infinite thoughts are to be applied in that way. This God is ready to strengthen you today, and to minister to you. I. The Context: The Good News is God Himself (vs. 1-17) Let's get a little bit of context here. The context here, verses 1 through 17, we've already had two sermons, and just go over it very, very quickly. God here is speaking the Gospel, a timeless message of good news to the human race, in verses 1 through 17. Now there's an immediate context. The Jewish nation was raised up as a priest nation to the world, and in the midst of that would be special people, prophets like Isaiah, and God gave them special visions about the future and of Himself. Isaiah was an incredible prophet. At a certain time, 7th century BC, he is speaking about the future of the Jewish nation, and he's... We're going to talk more about this, God willing, in subsequent weeks; but the Jewish nation, called out by God, given the Ten Commandments, the covenant, were violating that covenant, disobeying God's laws, going after idols. In due time, after the time of Isaiah, God would cast them into exile by the Babylonian Empire, which wasn't even an empire when Isaiah was speaking these words. But after that, He would judge the Babylonian Empire, and restore a remnant, a very small remnant of Jews back to Judah and Jerusalem to rebuild the city, rebuild the temple. This, Isaiah 40, is, immediate context, speaking a word of encouragement to the Jewish nation, to Judah and Jerusalem, to those people, for what they're about to go through, and you could imagine even a direct word to the exiles in Babylon, saying God is powerful enough and strong enough to keep His promise and restore you back and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. That's the immediate context. But friends, you must know, as you read these words, that that's not enough. It's too small a thing to quote Isaiah 43, too small a thing for Isaiah 40 to just speak to the remnant of Jews in exile in Babylon, that he's going to bring 'em back. That's just too small a thing, these words soar above that in redemptive history. God Speaks a Timeless Message to a Sinful Human Race I believe this chapter speaks to every generation of God's people, in all of the circumstances they would ever face, a word of encouragement and strengthening. It starts right away with just the good news of the Gospel, verses 1 and 2, "'Comfort, comfort my people,' says your God. 'Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her warfare is completed, that her sins have been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.'" What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is no reconciling power, there is no atoning work that there is in the universe, other than the cross of Jesus Christ. Immediately for me, as a Christian, I read verse 1 and 2, saying, "There is comfort in the cross of Christ, and there is infinitely enough atonement for all of my sins. There is forgiveness for me," and that is incredibly comforting. Then he talks about this messenger John the Baptist, who's going to come verse 3 and 4, "A voice of one calling: 'In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.'" Now we know that that was fulfilled in space and time by another prophet, John the Baptist, who came. These words are ascribed to him over and over in the New Testament. John the Baptist came immediately before the ministry of Jesus Christ, and got everything ready. He just leveled things, and raised up these valleys. He got human hearts ready for the grace of God. Before the grace of God can come into a heart in a saving way, God must first prepare that heart, and so there was a preparatory work of grace going on through John the Baptist. So it is with each of us, before any of us comes to Christ, God must humble us, and God must convict us and show us our wickedness and sin, and that we need a savior. John the Baptist went ahead of Jesus and prepared the way and got everything ready, and then the beautiful message of the Gospel in verse 5, "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." The glory of the Lord revealed, that's the Gospel. Jesus is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word, as it says in Hebrews 1:3. The radiant glory of God is clearest on display in the cross of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1, it says the cross of Christ is a display of the power of God, and the wisdom of God. In Romans 5:8, it's a display of the love of God. In Romans 3, it's a display of the justice of God. All of these attributes radiating out from the cross of Christ. But I bring them back to verse 5 of our chapter here. The glory of the Lord will be revealed, be unveiled in Jesus, and all mankind together will see it for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. We need this message, don't we? Because we are mortal sinners. Every one of us is mortal, we are going to die. We're under Adam's death penalty. Verses 6 through 8 talks about this. "A voice says, 'Cry out.' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.'" Oh, we need to hear that. You may be in your prime, you may be in the strength of your life physically in terms of your beauty, your intellectual prowess, in terms of your achievements, of your careers; but just know this text stands over all of us. Some day, God's breath will blow on you, and you'll wither, and you'll shrivel, and you will die. If the Lord doesn't return in our lifetime, we will all die. Therefore, we must have this good news. Amen. Because it is appointed to each one of us to die, and after that, to face judgment. Some day, we're going to die, and we need this eternal word that stands forever speaking a word of forgiveness and life to us, and so we've got to have that verses 6 through 8. Then the glory of God, the centerpiece of this good news is God Himself. God is the Gospel. He's what we get by coming to Christ. He's what... You get God, forever and ever. And God gets you, as we heard earlier about the inheritance. Isn't that amazing? Why would God want us? But he does, and he loves us. The Glory of God is the Centerpiece of the Good News But look at verse 9, "You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Behold... your God!'" As I preached on that, I said this is how you do it. You pick up the Bible, and you ask the Holy Spirit to take the scales off your eyes, and to give you the eyes of faith; and then you look in the text, and you behold God. Behold your God. That's the good news of the Gospel. We see the glory of God spanning an astonishing range. In Verse 10 he is the powerful judge of all the earth. He comes with power, and His arm rules for Him. His reward is with Him, and His recompense also accompanies Him. This is the sovereign God of the world, the judge of all the earth. That's what God is in verse 10. But then as I've already mentioned, he turns right around and says in Verse 11, "He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms, and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that have young." We need that. We are frail, we are weak. We are like flickering flames ready to be extinguished. We are like bruised reeds ready to be severed, and to fall to the ground. We are fragile and weak, and we are assaulted every day by powers that are too strong for us in the world, the flesh, and the devil. Every day. We must have this sovereign God tending us and carrying us and picking us up, and he does that for us in this Good Shepherd Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd. Verse 11 points to me immediately to Christ. Last week, we looked at verses 12 through 17. The infinite magnitude, the staggering majesty of Almighty God in these verses. "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" We talked about how those who questions, who, are humbling to the human race. They show that infinite separation between God and us. Which one of us has enough wisdom to tell God anything, or give Him any advice? Who was there when he spread out the heavens, and stretched out the earth, and laid its foundations? None of us was there. We're meant to be humbled by this, and also encouraged because this is our God, who has done all of these things. Verse 15, "Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket, they're regarded as dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor all its animals for burnt offerings. Before Him, all the nations are as nothing. They're regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing." That's where we're at in Isaiah 40, 1 through 17. II. The Absolute Folly of Idolatry (vs. 18-20) Now in verse 18, the prophet addresses immediately a theme that we're going to see again and again, as Isaiah 40 through 49, and that is the utter folly of idolatry. Again and again, we're going to come face-to-face with this issue of idolatry. You look at it in verse 18 through 20. "To whom then will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman crafts it, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashion silver chains for it. A man too poor to present an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple." He addresses this issue of idolatry. We're going to see this again and again, God challenges the idols. He takes them on and challenges them. He comes after them. He's aggressive towards these idols. He's fighting against the idols that are luring his chosen people away from their faithful devotion to Him. A constant pull, a gravitational pull of idolatry away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. God is going aggressively after these idols. He's in bitter warfare for the affections of His people. He wants your hearts, and my heart. He wants us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The idols are a very grave threat, and so He's going after these idols hard. The idolatry of His people is the very reason why they would be going into exile in Babylon. Even before that happened, God was exposing the wickedness of idolatry. "God is going aggressively after these idols. He's in bitter warfare for the affections of His people. He wants your hearts, and my heart. " What exactly is “idolatry”? Now what is idolatry? What do we mean by that? We hear about it over and over. It is an issue that still stands before us in the New Testament. 1 John, final verse, "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." It's an issue for all of us. What is it? I go again and again to Romans 1:25 as a good, strong, clear definition of idolatry. It's a root essence. There it says, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things, rather than the Creator, who's forever praised. Amen." That's the essence of idolatry, is an exchange of truth for a lie. There's this lie being told about all the false religions. They're all idolaters, or about secular materialism, it's idolaters too. That we would put as an ultimate goal for our lives something created, that's the essence of idolatry. It's a lie. Anything that... What Tim Keller calls functional saviors. Anything you turn to, to save yourself from sickness or depression, anything you would turn to save yourself from ultimate damnation, that is not the God of the Bible, is an idol. Anything. It could be money, it could be pleasure, it could be power, it could be achievements or attainments, whether academic or in professional life. It could be sports, it could be beauty, it could be sex, it could be possessions or entertainment, it could be fun or food, or anything that's lower than God that you put ultimate value on, and that you pursue and go after as a functional savior. That's an idol. Now in Isaiah's day, as in ours and other places of the world especially, but we could argue that it's going on in factories here in our country too, there are idol makers shaping and crafting idols that become the focus of people's worship. They use their imaginations to come up with artistic representations of deity. They'd look around at the world, and think about what aspect of the god or goddess they were trying to capture, and they would make some artistic representation of that, and shape it and mold and put it in a statue. They would use perhaps a bull to represent the god's strength, gold to represent the god or goddess's worth or purity. Or they would sometimes reach for a conglomeration of animals or animalistic virtues, like eagle's wings, or fish scales, or lion's teeth, or bear's legs. Who knows? They would put together a conglomeration representation of the god or goddess they were trying to worship. That's idol making. Now the artist's activity is being highlighted here, and Isaiah will do it actually again and again in these chapters. He's going to go into the craftsman shop, and watch him while he works, will do this again and again. He's going to ridicule it, he's going to make fun of it. "What can you make that compares with me?" He's saying, the God of Isaiah 40. "What can you shape and craft that actually even comes close to me? What are you going to compare me to?" He's mocking this. Now he looks for this craftsman, the woodworker. He looks for a certain kind of wood that won't rot. You don't want your god or goddess to rot. That would be bad. You're looking for a kind of wood, and you're an expert in the types of wood. Some are more expensive than others, etcetera, and so if you could... If you've got the cash, you can get an idol that will last a little bit longer. Or you're going to cover it with gold or silver. Silver, if you can't afford the gold. Not only that, but he's adept at a kind of the mechanical engineering of idolatry. You need some chains to be sure it won't topple, or maybe you'll need to nail it to its platform. Moving on it like Dagon that falls over, or gets decapitated, that would be really bad symbolism. We don't like that. So we need to have a chain to set it up so it won't topple, so it won't rot, it won't topple. God’s Absolute Forbidding of Idols Now God has absolutely, adamantly forbidden all idolatry. In the 10 Commandments, He said, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them and worship them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God." God is jealous for your heart, affection, and you can't make any representation of God. There is nothing in this universe that's like God, nothing. Now we are the closest. We humans, created in the image of God, are the closest created thing to God; but there's nothing that perfectly captures the essence of all that God is. Now in scripture, God uses comparisons in language to teach us what He's like, but no one of those verbal images completely captures God. God is mighty and fearless like a lion in Isaiah 31:4, but he's vastly more powerful than any lion. He isn't only mighty and fearless, he's other things besides. A lion's not enough to capture God. God is tender and compassionate like a nursing mother, Isaiah 49:15. He is protective like a mother eagle over her young, Deuteronomy 32:11. But He's vastly more compassionate than any nursing mother, infinitely more so, and He's more protective than any eagle. He isn't only compassionate and protective, He's other things too. God is a warrior, but He's greater than any warrior you can possibly imagine. And He is so much more than just a warrior. God is a refuge, He is a strong tower, He's a solid rock, He's a mighty wind, He's a spring of water in the desert for the weary and the thirsty. He is a father, He is a king, a singer. He is light. God is love, God is Spirit. He is all of these things, but He's not any one of them all by itself. Scripture's full of such language, but no one image fully captures all that God is. That's the beauty of the Word of God. But no representation, no idol can fully capture God, and we're forbidden from even trying. To whom can you compare God? The answer is no one. There is no one like Him. This is the infinite holiness of God, the uniqueness of God, the infinite separation between God and all of the universe. III. The Supremacy of God over Earth and Heaven (vs. 21-26) Now in verses 21 through 26, we see the supremacy of God over earth and heaven. He makes an appeal twice in this text, in Isaiah 40, to their theology. He appeals twice to what they already know. Look at verse 21. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?" I am not going to tell you anything categorically that you've never heard before today. I'm not here to rock your world with some new ideas of God. There may be images you haven't heard before, there may be logical connections you haven't made before, but these are things you've already known. God has been telling them to the human race for millennia now, through his prophets. Little by little, line upon line, book upon book, with greater and greater clarity, as redemptive history unfolded, God made Himself clear to the human race, what He's like, line upon line. He says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard?" So go back to your theology. I just want to stop here and give you a point of application. Alright? You need to go back again and again to Isaiah 40 and to other scriptures, and feed yourself on theology. Go back to what you've already known. When you are weak and weary and struggled, go back and feed on God's word again. That's where the strengthening comes from. You already know these things, I'm not telling you anything new. Then he establishes God's position as sovereign over all the earth. Look at verse 22, "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers." From time to time, members of my household will get afraid, inordinately afraid of insects. I'm not saying who, I'm not describing that, I'm just saying it happens. I want to say, "Look, let's look at this logically. Do you know how much you outweigh that spider by? It's not even close, it's not fair. Here, watch." Squish. "Ugh, gross." They don't want to see that, they don't... They just want me to take care of it, while they're out of the room. They don't want to hear the thing... Never mind, I'm not going to do that. Yeah, we just outweigh these spiders by more than you can imagine. God uses the image here of grasshoppers. All of its people are like grasshoppers to Him. That's what He's saying. He's not impressed by human power at all. Now He's already declared for us that the nations are like a drop from the bucket, and dust on the scales, the nations taken as a whole. But now in this section, he zeroes in on the mighty men, the rulers, the kings, the leaders. Those powerful ones in society. Look at verses 23 and 24, "He brings princes to naught, and reduces the rulers of the world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff." Deism Destroyed Now verse 23 and 24 completely rejects the concept that appeared in church history called deism, the idea that God the Creator, God set up the universe like a vast complex clock with all of its sprockets and its springs, wound it up and just lets it run, and He just stays out of it. The God of Thomas Jefferson, the God of other deist, he just stays out of it. No, he doesn't stay out of it, not at all. God gets actively involved in raising these princes and kings up to their position. He plants them, he establishes them in their position. Like God says to Pharaoh, "I raised you up, I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and My name might be proclaimed to the ends of the earth." But God raised Pharaoh up, He established him. He raises up every prince, every king, every mayor, every select... Or woman. Every ruler, everyone in authority, in every society, God raises those people up, all of them. Good and evil, all of them. He establishes the rulers of the earth in their position, He lets them flourish for a very short time, and then He brings them to an end. He blows on them, and they wither and die. It isn't an accident. He has raised them up, He has measured out the span of their time of rule, and then He brings it to an end. How apt are we to forget this, how apt are we to stand in awe of human achievement, human intellect, human glory and power. Don't do it, God rules these rulers with absolute power, including the day of their installation and the day of their death. Here, Isaiah focuses on the brevity of their reign. "No sooner, no sooner, no sooner," He says. As soon as they're established, it seems, they die. But God, His Kingdom, lasts forever. Nebuchadnezzar understood this in Daniel 4. After God humbled him, and changed his mind to the mind of an animal, and then restored him after seven years, Nebuchadnezzar said this about Almighty God in Daniel 4:34-35: "Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?'" God’s Power Extended Vastly Beyond Anything Man Can Reach Now God's power extends vastly beyond anything that man can reach. Verse 25, "To whom then will you compare me?" And he says, "Who is my equal?" The scope of God's immeasurable power reach is not merely to the ends of the earth, but to the ends of the cosmos itself. Verse 22, "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in." God created and controls the atmosphere of planet earth, the air that we breathe. Since the space program and all that, and satellites, we now have those pictures of this blue planet against a completely black backdrop. It's this bubble of air in which the perfect mixture of oxygen, not too much, so things just don't ignite all the time. He just measured it out. In that life, it's flourishing. God is the one that did that, that stretched out the heavens, meaning the immediate earth and atmosphere that we breathe. But then he goes beyond that, in verse 26, to talk about outer space. Look at verse 26: "Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens, who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing." You could spend hours thinking about Verse 26. Have you ever been out on the mountains, in the mountains at night, and gone out and looked at the stars? You may even be up maybe several thousand feet, so you're up above. The atmosphere is a little bit thinner, away from the city. Air is clear. Wow, night sky. Maybe until that day, you'd never really seen the Milky Way, but now you can see it. There it is, this white, blurry cloud going across in a narrow band, and they tell us that that's our home galaxy, 104,000 light years across. The Milky Way. The Milky Way has over 100 billion stars. If Abraham had begun counting them, and had continued until he was done, all the stars in the Milky Way would have taken him 3,000 years. In recent years, the Hubble Space Telescope has greatly expanded our sense of the incomprehensible immensity of the cosmos. There are hundreds of billions of galaxies in outer space, and a number of stars. It just boggles the mind. It just goes beyond any effort I could put to put words to it. Just... There's just a lot of stars out there. That's an understatement, if ever there was. That's just rhetorical technique, use understatement. I can't help but use understatement when it comes to the number of stars. But look what the text says. The text says that God calls each one by name, one at a time. Now naming in the Bible shows power and understanding, so He's in charge, and He understands the difference between this star and that one. That's amazing. Now the only difference to us is the size of the star, its location, and its color. That's what they're working with out there. There's just not enough difference between those three things, from dot to dot to dot to dot to dot to dot to dot, to name them. Instead the cosmologists name sectors of the sky. They just give them boring names with numbers and letters in them. No, no, God names each of these stars. Not only that, He says because of His understanding and his power, none of them is missing. Would you notice if one of them were? Wait a minute now. Wait, wait now. You say, "Actually, Pastor, what if it were in the Big Dipper? If one of the stars in the Big Dipper were missing, I would notice. So would you and the whole world, I think." But this text tells us why that won't happen. Because God knows and understands those stars, and what it's going to take to keep them burning; and because of His power, they're still there. They depend on God to continue to exist. It's amazing. You know what that says to me? If I can just speak to you who are the elect children of God, He's not going to lose track of any of you. Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me…and I will raise him up at the last day." He's not going to lose you. If He can do the stars, He can do you, and He will not lose track of you. IV. The Lesson Applied: The Majestic God Gives Strength to the Weary (vs. 27-31) Let's take all of this, and apply this lesson. Now look at verses 27 through 31. Isaiah takes this amazing chapter and presses it home to the hearts of God's people. It comes in three stages, and we'll cover these quickly. First, our despair. Secondly, God's greatness. Third, our renewal. Our Despair First, our despair, our discouragement. Look at verse 27. "Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord, my cause is disregarded by my God'?" Friends, this right here, right now is where the rubber meets the road. You may not use this language, but I know that circumstances can be crafted that will get you to say similar things. "God is tired of me. He's weary of my sins, He's tired of bearing them. He's sick of me, and He's going to throw me out. He's weary of carrying my load. He's bored with me. I'm going through this right now, and it seems that God doesn't even notice. Been praying for months, some could say been praying now for years, and God hasn't answered my prayer. I've looked at my prayer, it looks biblical, it looks right, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with it, and yet God will not answer it. I don't understand it. Why? Why, Oh God? How often do human beings say that three-letter word up to God, 'Why? Why are you doing this to me?'" But here, the tables are turned, and God is saying that to us: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do you think that I don't know you? Why do you think I don't notice what you're going through?" Now I know that there are some dire circumstances that many of you are going through. I'm aware of some of them, I will not say I'm aware of all of them, but I'm aware of some of them. Some of them are just flat-out heartbreaking, heartbreaking. Some of you have been crying out to God in regard to that, and you just wonder, "Why isn't God hearing my prayers?" Extend your imagination going out to other places in the world. Think about, let's say, a house church pastor in China that's been arrested, and been held now for months. Or in Iran. He's been praying and praying to be released, and be able to resume his ministry, and go back with his wife and kids. They're praying the same thing. God said in Luke, that he's going to hear the cry against the oppressor, and He will not make them wait long, but it's already gone longer than they thought it should have. They don't understand why God hasn't answered their prayer yet. They're apt to say, "God has forgotten me, God doesn't see my suffering." Or it could be some of you going through extreme pain through medical situations. The pain is just day after day, and you're like, "God, all You have to do is just alleviate the pain. I may not even be asking for healing now, just a reduction in the pain. Why won't You do that?" People are tempted to say this, "My way is hidden from God, my cause is disregarded by God. Why don't You care about me?" But God is saying this to you now, "Why won't you trust me? Why won't you love me? Why won't you live for me? Why don't you cast all your burdens on me? What more do I have to do to prove my might and my power and my love for you than the creation, and also the redemption in Christ, at the cross and empty tomb? What more do I have to do? Why are you saying these things to me?" Every generation of His people, and every nation on earth, there will be times that every individual Christian is tempted to say these kinds of things to God. If you're not being tempted right now to say them, sometime soon, some circumstance will come, and you'll be right here, verse 27. You will be tempted to despair, you'll be tempted to be discouraged. It's the language of despair. "God doesn't see, God does not know, God does not care. Or if He does see and know and care, He's not powerful, He can't do anything about it." God is turning around, saying, "Why are you talking to me like this, oh my people?" God’s Greatness Step two, God's greatness. Verse 28. "Do you not know? Have you not heard?" Again, notice, let's go back to your theology. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary. His understanding, no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak." God goes back to the theology, and he teaches them who He is. "You've already... You know me. You already know enough." What have you learned? You've learned God's eternity. The Lord is the everlasting God. He has no beginning, and no end. He's not trapped in time as we are. For us, we're always in now, we're always in today, for God is the everlasting, the eternal God. Yesterday, today and forever, all equally in front of God all the time. Yesterday, He remembers that He promised to be a God to you, faithful to the end. He remembers that promise, like a husband remembering his marriage oath. He's not going to forget his oath to you. Now He knows what you're going through right now, and He knows where you're heading. You know where you're heading? You're heading to a perfect world of resurrected people where there'll be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. He knows that. And that your present sufferings are light and momentary compared to that, and they're actually working out that eternal glory. He's the everlasting God, and He is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He made all things. There is nowhere you can go that God is not there. It does not matter what you're going through, He is the Creator of the ends of the earth. Whether God's people are in exile in Babylon, or whether they've been captured in a raid by Vikings, and hauled away as captives, or whether they're homesteading in the deep woods of Kentucky during the French and Indian wars, or maybe they're lying in a hospital bed during an influenza epidemic in 1919 in which thousands, even tens of thousands have already died, or maybe running through the streets of London during the blitz, looking for a bomb shelter before the bomb comes to kill them or destroy their home. Or waiting in a hospital here in Durham for a pathology report that probably might change your life. God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He's in all of those places at all of those times. He's the everlasting God, and He never grows tired or weary. God's arms don't get tired of holding you up. Isn't that awesome? As I was going over the sermon this morning, this is what moved me the most. I sometimes feel that God is weary of carrying me because of my sin, just weary. God said to me in the text today, I believe, "I will never grow weary or tired. Ever. I just don't get tired like you do. I will never grow weary." God isn't tired of you, dear friend. He isn't weary of saving you. He isn't worn out with your sin. He's not suffering from battle fatigue in defending you from Satan's attacks, or restoring you. God's as fresh in the battle as the day He started. You may not be, but He is. He's ready for more, and he always will be. He does not grow tired or weary. "God isn't tired of you, dear friend. ... He's not suffering from battle fatigue in defending you from Satan's attacks, or restoring you. God's as fresh in the battle as the day He started. You may not be, but He is." Then lesson four, God is wise, and His understanding is unsearchable. He is working out an unsearchable plan that is infinitely wise; and everything, dear friends, is right on schedule. He knows exactly what He's doing. This is our God. Do you not know these things? Haven't you heard this? Hasn't it been told you from the creation of the earth? This is our God. Our Renewal Now it's time for our renewal, dear friends. Let's be renewed, amen. Look at Verse 30 and 31. "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah brings up the strongest among us. Back then, it was the warriors, alright? Now we would think perhaps Olympic athletes. Really at the absolute fringe of the bell curve, the best that there is, honed and shaped through years of training. Or perhaps you could think of Navy SEALs, or special ops guys. They're just absolutely the best, strongest people there are in the face of the earth. Even they grow tired and weary, and the young men stumble and fall. All of us get weary. All of us have what Spurgeon called "fainting spells." We're not always equally strong, we're not always equally mighty. Some days, we just get flat-out worn out, discouraged, and down. The journey seems so long, and the enemy seems so strong; but those who hope in or wait for the Lord. Some translations go one way, some... I'll give you both. Alright? Hope in the Lord, and wait for Him. While you're waiting, hope. Okay? Wait on the Lord, and hope in Him. Let the scripture renew your conception that the future is unspeakably bright. That's what hope is, a sense of feeling in the heart that the future's bright. Immediate future, long-range future, eternal future, all of them bright. God's at work in all three, and He will give you hope. As you hope in the Lord, your strength will get renewed. What does that mean? You'll start feeling more physically energetic. You just have more energy. God did that to Daniel, and Daniel was just wiped out on the ground. He touched him, and he got strength, and he stood up. Just how does God do it? I don't know how He does that, but He does that. "God, I'm really weak and weary right now. Give me emotional, physical strength." And he will renew your strength, and all of it's in Christ. He is the vine, we are the branches. As we abide in Him, He will renew our strength, and then you will be able to do just supernatural things. Look at verse 31. You're like, "I would love to do this." "They will soar on wings like eagles." That's amazing. "They will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not faint." We will... You are able to do infinitely wise and powerful things through the Gospel. We're going to come now to a time of celebration of the Lord's Supper, and this is a time also of renewal. As we come to the Lord's table, I'd like to ask that you meditate on the things that we talked about. Know this, that God is calling on us in the Gospel to repent and believe in Christ, and trust in Him. If you are an unbeliever, and you have never trusted in Christ, we're going to ask that you refrain from the Lord's Supper, but just look to Christ crucified and resurrected. Believe in Him, and trust in Him. Then when you receive the ordinance of water baptism, you'll be welcome to come; but all of... Those of you that have testified your faith through baptism, come to faith in Christ, you're welcome to the table. I'd like to ask the deacons to come now as we celebrate the ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

Scripture: John 10:11-18. This Memorial Day, we remember not only those who laid down for life for freedom, but are reminded of the Good Shepherd Jesus who laid down His life for His flock.

Scripture: John 10:11-18. This Memorial Day, we remember not only those who laid down for life for freedom, but are reminded of the Good Shepherd Jesus who laid down His life for His flock.

Calvin College LOFT, May 11, 2014

Children’s Bible Reader, part thirty-two, 2006, Greek Bible Society, Scripture Quotations taken from Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995, American Bible Society. Used by permission. Illustrations by Martha Kapetanakou-Xinopoulou. "Two of the disciples want the best places" "The Good Shepherd" "Jesus heals ten sick people" "Jesus heals the blind beggar" "Jesus comes to Zacchaeus" "Mary and Martha" "Lazarus"

Karl Nebbia continues the series on the 7 I Am Statements with part 4 - I am the Good Shepherd. Learn how this message coincides with His statement on being the Door. www.newhopechapel.org