[0:00] This message was recorded at Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. This is the next message in our series on the book of John entitled, Jesus is God.
[0:14] Well, praise the Lord just to think that He loves us. Amen? What a wonderful, wonderful testimony. What a wonderful song. What a wonderful Savior. That was Whitney's dad and sister, and we're so glad to have them here today.
[0:27] Take your Bibles and go with me to John chapter 10 again, and we're going to talk about Jesus the Good Shepherd. Jesus the Good Shepherd, and I hope that you have your Bible ready and maybe a sheet of paper to take down some notes.
[0:40] There are many false religions and ways to get to God. There are many versions of the gospel today. The purpose of the Good Shepherd was to give us eternal life, not health, wealth, prosperity.
[0:53] Those are thieves and robbers. Religion would have you do something to get your salvation and to get your right relationship with God. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The message the church ought to preach is Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
[1:09] And He came to save us, to give us eternal life, to rescue us from our sins. He did not come to make us healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. He came to keep us out of hell. Amen?
[1:23] He came to save us. And today I hope that you'll get some wonderful truths about Him. Go with me, if you would, to chapter 10 and verse 11. Maybe you'll make a note of this.
[1:34] The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Look at verse 11. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.
[1:47] Now, He starts off with a very boastful statement. He says, I am the Good Shepherd. He doesn't, there's no question. I hope you'll accept me as the Good Shepherd.
[1:57] He just says right off the bat, I am the Good Shepherd. And that is in contrast to all these bad shepherds. To all these thieves and robbers that would come to the nation of Israel and offer them a salvation or a message that was different than the message that God has.
[2:13] Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd. By the way, would you look at this point just a second. All over the world, there are all kinds of religions being preached and all kinds of messages being given.
[2:24] But there's only one who died on the cross to pay your sin debt. There's only one who did what it takes to give you salvation. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
[2:36] The Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep. I want you to underline gives in the verses. I want you to realize they don't take His life. He gives His life and it's an intentional, on-purpose thing.
[2:49] In John chapter 15 and verse 13. John 15 and verse 13. If you'll open your Bible there. Giving His life was the greatest act of love. The Bible says in John 15, 13.
[3:00] Greater love had no man than this. That a man lay down his life for his friends. And we all understand that. We honor that as great heroic measures. When we see a military man, they bring him to the White House.
[3:16] Or they honor him posthumously. A grenade falls in there and one man jumps on the grenade. Or a man loses his arm because when he sees a grenade where it shouldn't be. And he throws it and they get honored by our president.
[3:28] They are risking their life for other people. We honor that. Would you understand what the Good Shepherd did? You deserve to go to hell. I deserve to go to hell. We were sinners against a holy God.
[3:40] We were on the outside, not on the inside. We had no way to God. And Jesus said, there's only one way. Somebody's got to die. The wages of sin is death.
[3:51] The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Jesus came and He gave His life. And when He died, He was dying in our place.
[4:02] Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 6. You know the verse very well. Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 6. The Bible says, all we like sheep have gone astray. That's the first thing you might ought to realize.
[4:13] If you got your Bible open or you're taking notes, y'all write down, we've all gone astray. See, you don't get saved until you realize you got off the path. You don't get saved until you realize you weren't good. You don't get saved until you realize all we like sheep have gone astray.
[4:27] We have turned everyone to His own way. Can I just say this? That the shepherd had to give his life for the sheep. Not because we all committed the same sin. And not because if you were to start judging sin and ranking us.
[4:39] That we'd all be the same kind of sinner. Because the truth is, you can be a very good moral man. And be doing your own thing. You can be a very good moral man. And be going astray.
[4:50] Not on his path. But doing your own way. Every man turned to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him. And God, Jehovah, has laid on him, Jesus, the iniquity of us all.
[5:01] Jesus gives His life for the sheep. And when He gave His life for the sheep, what was happening? Was God was taking all those things that we did when we went astray. All those things that we did when we did it our own way.
[5:13] And He placed all that on Jesus. And Jesus carried our sin debt and took our place on the cross of Calvary. Matthew 20, 28. He gives His life. He came to die.
[5:25] And He knew that when He came. In Matthew 20, 28. He said, To give His life a ransom for many. He didn't come to be ministered to. He didn't come to be served like a king or a big leader.
[5:38] He came to die. And He knew that. He gives His life for His sheep. The Bible says in Titus 2, 14. Look at your Bible.
[5:49] Titus 2, 14. Look what it says. Who, Jesus, gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people.
[6:00] A different people. A special people. An owned people. A people that belonged to Him. Zealous of good works. He came to the world. There was all this mass of humanity that had rebelled against Him.
[6:12] There's all this mass of humanity that's doing their own thing. That's going their own way. And He redeemed us. And He pulled us out of this world. And He said, I'm making me a people that will be purified by me.
[6:25] He purified unto Himself a peculiar people. A special people. An owned people. An esteemed people. That would have a desire to do great things. 1 Peter 2, 24 says He carried our sins.
[6:38] He carried them. That's the same thing from Isaiah. In 1 Peter 2, 24 He says, Who His own self bear our sins. Who His own self bear our sins.
[6:49] In His own body, on the tree. That we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness. By whose stripes you are healed. Did you know? Did you know He carried the consequences?
[6:59] My sin demands that I go to hell. My sin demands that I be separated from God. My sin demands that I die. But Jesus took all of that on Himself for me.
[7:10] He bore the consequences of my sin. He bore the consequences of me going in my own way. He bore the consequences of my rebellion. And He paid for it. But not for mine only. But for the sins of the whole world.
[7:22] In 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2. It uses a real big word. It's called propitiation. It's the sin payment. You know what He did? He paid the sin debt. He paid what was owed.
[7:33] He took the consequences. He took the punishment. The Bible says He is the propitiation for our sins. But not for ours only. But for the sins of the whole world.
[7:44] You should have this written down. This should be real in your heart. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Can you say amen? Listen to this. That's important. That's important.
[7:54] Because what does every religion ask of you? It wants to know what you'll give. Give your children. Sacrifice them to a crocodile. Throw them in a volcano. Send them over as terrorist bombers.
[8:05] Do whatever you need to do. You do something. But the God of heaven says, no, no, no, no, no. The good shepherd doesn't ask for the lives of the sheep. The good shepherd gives His life to the sheep.
[8:17] Second thing I want you to look at. Go to verse 14. Second thing I want you to look at. This good shepherd has a personal, intimate relationship with His sheep. Verse 14. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine.
[8:32] I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. There are so many impersonal gods in the world today.
[8:42] There are so many gods that the people are worshiping but they can't know Him. They don't think He knows them. He doesn't know them. But you and I serve a God who is the good shepherd and He knows me and I know Him and I know He knows me.
[8:59] Look if you would in verse 3. To Him the porter openeth and the sheep hear His voice. And He calls His own sheep by name and He leadeth them out.
[9:11] And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them and the sheep follow Him for they know His voice. I will give you two things that it goes right along with what Brother John said about the offer devotional.
[9:22] I wish you'd circle the word own. He said His own sheep. Do you see that? He calls His own sheep by name and He puts forth His own sheep. That means He owns us. He bought us with His blood.
[9:34] We belong to Him. You know what's happening here? The sheep trust the leadership of the good shepherd. The sheep trust the leadership of the good shepherd.
[9:46] And I would bring a couple of questions to you based on these verses. How intimate is your relationship with Jesus? How intimate is your relationship with Jesus?
[9:57] How much is He on your thoughts? How much do you want to know His will? How much do you seek to please Him? How much do you seek to know Him? How hungry are you for your relationship with Jesus?
[10:08] Do you recognize His voice? The Bible says here His sheep recognize His voice. Do you listen to Him as you read the scripture and listen to messages? Did you know why you're sitting here this morning?
[10:20] You ought not be listening to Austin Gardner. You ought not to be sitting there saying, there goes the preacher. There goes Austin. He's off and talking to us. Let's see if Austin's got anything good to say to us today. The truth is Austin can't say anything good because Austin's in the same condition you are.
[10:35] It's only God that can speak to our hearts. And the Holy Spirit will bring that message home to you. The Holy Spirit, you should listen for His voice. Do you trust Him and what He's doing in your life?
[10:45] Would you look at this point just a second? A lot of us are going through some really wild times. A lot of us are having some turbulence in our lives. Our airplane is being shaken.
[10:55] Our boat's being rocked. Our lives are not where we thought they would be and what they ought to be. Can you trust the shepherd? How many of you believe we have the good shepherd and we serve Him?
[11:08] Say amen. How many of you understand that a shepherd takes care of his sheep? Say amen. How many of you understand a shepherd calls his sheep with their own name? He knows you and knows where you live and knows what you're going through. If you know that, say amen.
[11:19] And if He does, I wonder if He knows about your job situation. I wonder if He knows about your health situation. I wonder if He knows about your family situation. I wonder if He knows what you're going through. How many of you believe He does?
[11:30] Say amen. Can you trust Him? Can you trust Him? He's the good shepherd. He gave His life for you. You can trust Him. You can know this.
[11:42] Though you don't know where you're going, and though you don't understand what He's doing, you can be sure of this. He's going to take care of you. Can you trust Him when you do not understand what He's doing or going to do?
[11:54] You do not have to wonder if He'll remember you. He knows you. He knows your name. He forgot your sin, but He'll never forget you.
[12:05] He forgot your sin, but He'll never forget you. You ought to repeat that one with me. That's a stinking good one. He forgot my sin, but He won't forget me. Can you say that with me?
[12:16] He forgot my sin, but He won't forget me. We know we can trust Him. 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1, 12, for which cause I also suffered these things.
[12:32] Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. I'm not embarrassed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day.
[12:44] I am going through some mess right now. My life is in turbulence. Things are not going right. They've been arresting me, put me in prison for preaching the gospel. My friends have turned on me.
[12:55] Sometimes it seems like things aren't going right, the Apostle Paul's saying. And then he says, but guys, I'm not embarrassed, and I'm not worried, because I know who I believed, and I know that He is able, and I know He's going to carry me through.
[13:07] The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The Good Shepherd knows you, and has an intimate relationship with you. You don't have to worry about that. Now, before I move on to the next one, can I just ask you to remember this?
[13:21] He's the Good Shepherd. I hurt for you. You know, when I hear about business isn't doing well, or when I hear about some health issues going on in your family, or when I hear about you lost a job, or when I hear about you being very discouraged, or when I hear about things are going wrong in your life, it breaks my heart, and I so wish that I could come to your rescue and do something, but I'm not the shepherd, and I'm not able, but there is a Good Shepherd.
[13:47] There is a Good Shepherd, and when you're in the hospital, the Good Shepherd will have led you there, know you're there, take care of you there, and meet your needs there. He is a Good Shepherd. He gives His life, and He knows you in an intimate way.
[14:00] The third thing I want you to notice from the passage of Scripture, go with me if you were to verse 15. He willingly lays down His life. He willingly lays down His life. This is important.
[14:11] There's so much in our heads, and so much in the way we've been taught, that we kind of believe that this sweet, innocent, little, effeminate kind of guy, with long hair, a blonde, long hair, a Jew with long blonde hair and blue eyes, was walking around in all of Israel, and these guys grabbed him, and they beat up the poor guy, and they killed the poor guy, and he had big plans, but he never got to do them, but he was a great teacher, and a great prophet, and history ought to remember him.
[14:40] No! He was God in human flesh. Jesus is God. Can you say that with me? Jesus is God. Well, did you know He willingly laid down His life?
[14:53] Look, if you would, at John chapter 10 and verse 15. Read the verse for me. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
[15:05] Now, the other night we looked at a sheepfold, and there was sheepfolds close to town, that they usually even built up nice places, and even like stables, and even hired a porter.
[15:17] But often when the shepherd was out in the wilderness with his sheep, and he was a long way from all the other sheep, he would build his own sheepfold, and he'd build up a wall around the sheep, and make it out of rocks just stacked on top of each other, and they often didn't have doors on those, and the shepherd at night would just lay down across the doorway.
[15:33] So he laid down his life, so that if any animal wanted to attack the sheep, they'd have to go over the shepherd first. And Jesus said, I lay down my life. I lay down my life.
[15:44] None of this was done without the Father's knowledge. This is important to me. Boy, I don't know if it's important to you. But look at verse 15. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father.
[15:57] Did you understand Jesus is saying, Hey guys, this isn't my plan. I'm not here working my own deal. I'm not undermining the Father. The Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I'm here to give my life, because that's what the Godhead, that's what God the Father, God the Son wanted to do.
[16:14] This is not a plan Jesus formulated, and God was not in agreement with. This is not a plan where God decided to punish or kill his son. This is a plan. For God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit said, Jesus will lay down his life.
[16:28] Look at what the Bible says in 1 Timothy 2, verses 3 through 6. 1 Timothy 2, verses 3 through 6. If you don't have these marked in your Bible, you should. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.
[16:42] Go back to that verse real quick there, Patrick. Look at this. Good and acceptable. Good and acceptable. Our Father said, this is good. This is the way I like it. This is how I like it.
[16:53] Look at verse 4, if you would, verse 4. Who will have, how many men to be saved? Who will have, I didn't hear you. Who will have, all men to be saved. And he will have all men to come to the what?
[17:07] Knowledge. To the knowledge of the truth. He said, who will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth? Verse 5. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
[17:18] Verse 6. Who gave himself a ransom for all. Who gave himself a ransom for all. He willingly, on purpose, laid down his life.
[17:32] In Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2, the Bible says, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
[17:43] God worked a plan. Now just listen to this. That's a very important, that's a very important verse. This isn't a badness plan. This isn't an American plan. This isn't something some other people came up with.
[17:55] This isn't what the apostles came up with. Jesus is the author of our faith. We believe what we believe, because Jesus told us, I come from God, my message comes from God, and what I tell you is the truth, and I love you, and I will lay down my life.
[18:10] But probably one of my favorite phrases in that verse is this. He is the author and the what? I didn't hear you. The author and the? You know why? Because we don't ever finish that well.
[18:21] I mean, we can start off doing good, and we can get started. We can probably start living a pretty good life. Most of us started out pretty cute little innocent babies, but boy, we mess it up before it's over. And most of us, some of you might have lived real good up till now, but will you finish?
[18:36] Let me tell you something. Jesus didn't just save me. He finished my salvation. On the cross, He said, it is finished. I can rejoice. I can relax.
[18:47] I can relax. I can rest in Jesus, because He is the author and the finisher of our faith. Jesus is. Go to verse 17. Look at this.
[18:59] The good shepherd gives his life. The good shepherd knows you. The good shepherd dies on purpose, but the good shepherd takes his life again.
[19:10] I'm afraid sometimes we miss this in Christian churches, and I just want you to really notice this. Somehow we focus on the death, but the gospel is not just the death.
[19:21] The gospel is the death, the burial, and the resurrection. The gospel is not just the cross. The Bible is not just that somebody died.
[19:31] Jesus was by no means the first to die on a cross, nor was He the last to die on a cross. Jesus died on a cross, but so had many, many others.
[19:42] Fact is, Herod and other men would light their gardens with bodies of Christians burning on crosses. So dying on a cross wasn't a big deal. The day Jesus died on a cross, so did two others.
[19:55] So dying on a cross wasn't the issue. It was the issue, because He was taking my sin debt, but the purpose was He went to the cross on purpose with a purpose. He went to pay my sin debt.
[20:05] How do I know the Father accepted it? Look, if you would, in chapter 10 and verse 17. Chapter 10 and verse 17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life.
[20:18] Boy, you need to focus on this. That I might take it again. I lay down my life. That I might take it again.
[20:29] He willingly gave His life, but He took it up again. He lives. No, that's not enough.
[20:40] He lives. We're not serving a dead Savior. We're not serving a guy who died on a cross and supposedly paid our sin debts and the apostles made up some stories and they wrote a book called the New Testament.
[20:53] No, He died, He was buried, and He rose again. He laid down His life, and He picked up His life. Nobody could do that but God. By the way, He said that in John chapter 10.
[21:04] He's not going to die for a while. He told Him up front. So y'all know who I am. I am Jesus. I am the Son of God. I'm the Messiah. I'm Jesus, God in human flesh.
[21:14] I'll just go ahead and tell y'all, I'm going to lay down my life because I love you. But don't worry, I'll take it back up again. Nobody else has ever done that. Nobody else can do that, but I can.
[21:24] He overcame death and the grave, and now He has the keys. Look at Revelation 1.18. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 18. I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.
[21:40] I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of death and hell. Do you understand what happened?
[21:51] Jesus, death was our last enemy. Death was what, it scares people to death. Death scares us to death. I mean, it's the one thing that we're all terrified of. What's it going to be like to die?
[22:02] And when death comes, how's it going to be? And so here's what Jesus did. He came and He died, went down into death, punched death in the nose, knocked hell on its rear, took the keys and walked back out and said, I am He that was alive, that died and is alive again.
[22:15] I got the keys. You serve a risen Savior. He said, I gave my life, but I took it back up again. That's very important. And everybody's got somebody in their history.
[22:27] Muhammad died. George Washington died. Abraham Lincoln died. We built memorials to Him. But Jesus is not dead. He is alive. And the Bible makes that very clear to you.
[22:39] Verse, 1 Corinthians 15, if you would, verse 13. That's why you won't find pictures in our church building of Jesus on a cross.
[22:50] A crucifix. Christ fixed on a cross. That's what crucifix means. He's not fixed on a cross. He's alive. 1 Corinthians 15, 13 through 20.
[23:03] Boy, you need to look at this. You need to mark this in your Bible. I'll just pick the high spots for the sake of time. Verse 14. If Christ be not risen, then our preaching is vain.
[23:15] Then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain. Look this way just a second. You got to get this. You can't be saved if you don't understand this. True salvation means you accept this belief that Jesus was God in the flesh, that Jesus died on the cross on purpose, that Jesus was dead and buried for three days, but that Jesus overcame the grave.
[23:38] If Jesus is not alive, your faith is empty and worthless. If Jesus is not alive, they're wasting our time preaching the gospel here. Look at verse 15.
[23:48] He said, Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God. Paul said, I'm telling you, we've told all of you Jesus is alive, and we're a bunch of liars if he's not alive.
[23:59] Look at verse 17. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 17. If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, you are yet in your sins. If Jesus died and was buried and the apostle stole his body away, then you're still going to hell.
[24:17] If Jesus died and was buried and the apostle stole his body away, and he's really dead, and he just pulled a big hoax, then you are still going to hell. But if Jesus died and was buried and rose again, then we have hope because Jesus is alive.
[24:31] Verse 18. Then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. Verse 19. Strongest one of all says, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
[24:44] If all we're doing is saying, listen, God, are you listening to me? Jesus was a good teacher, and he had a lot of good proverbs and a lot of good lessons, and if we put those into effect now and we can all have a happy life, he said, boy, you'd be miserable.
[24:57] He said, in fact, he'd be most miserable. He said, if you're just going to take the teachings of Jesus and apply them to your life like a good teacher, like a good prophet of all men, you'll be the most miserable. But then he said this. That ain't true.
[25:09] Jesus died and was buried and rose again. That is the gospel. I want you to repeat with me what the gospel is. The gospel is three things all together.
[25:19] They all go together. Can't have one without the other. And I'm going to tell them to you, then I want you to repeat them with me. He died, he was buried, and he rose again. That's it. The gospel. Are you ready? The gospel is number one, he died.
[25:30] Number two, he was buried. Number three, he rose again. We believe he's alive today. I believe that Jesus is more alive than I am. You see, I'm dying.
[25:43] Every day draws me closer to my death. But Jesus has died and was buried and has risen again and will never die again. He has no aches and pains. He has no issues with health.
[25:55] He has no diabetes, no glasses. He has no aging problems. He is God, dead, buried, and rose again forever. We believe in him.
[26:06] Knowing that Jesus not only died, but rose again, gives me confidence in him that I too will be resurrected from the dead. I truly believe that I will be resurrected.
[26:20] We took my dad and we lowered his carcass, his cadaver, into a grave, covered it with dirt.
[26:34] But my dad wasn't there. You see, my dad had long left that body. Before the morticians touched him, dad was gone.
[26:44] Before he was pronounced dead, dad was home. That's the whole point. And I would not have any of that confidence if I didn't know this.
[26:56] My savior, my leader, my shepherd, the good shepherd, my shepherd, has gone before me. He has gone down into death. He has brought the keys back out. And he said, if you trust me, you will live again.
[27:09] If you trust me, you will not die. Jesus paid the price. Fifth thing, I want you to look at verse 18 with me. Verse 18. His death, his burial, his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection are all father approved.
[27:26] I want you to write that down. Just write this down. Father approved. You need to understand something. There's some of these major doctrines that go around.
[27:38] And I'm not going to call names, but man, they got this idea of a, irate father in heaven with his fence clenched. And he is angry. And then Jesus steps up like a really nice guy and dies on the cross and pays our sin debt.
[27:53] He comes back and says, come on, God, be nice. I paid their debt. No, sir, no, sir, no, sir. When Jesus died, it was father approved. See, God, the father, God, the son, and God, the Holy Ghost.
[28:04] They all love us. He loves us. Chapter 10 and verse 18. No man takes it from me. I lay it down on myself.
[28:15] I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment I received to my father. Jesus wasn't down here on a secret agent mission.
[28:26] Jesus wasn't working without the father being aware of it. Jesus said, I'm here to die. I'm here to die. And I'm here to be raised again. And I got permission for that. I received that of my father, not just permission.
[28:38] I got commandment. My father wants me to come and do this. Jesus died because he wanted to die for our sins. Jesus died. He had the power to do what was needed for our salvation.
[28:49] It was a complete and total God thing. There's no division in the Godhead. There's not an irate father. There's division in other ways, but I'm talking about this in the plan of salvation.
[29:00] God loves you. Jesus loves you. The Holy Spirit loves you. It's a God thing. Jesus wanted to die.
[29:11] The father wanted to die. The spirit wanted to die because salvation is of God. In Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 10, if you got your Bible open there, you should underline these verses.
[29:23] Isaiah 53, 10, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. God was pleased to take all of your filthy corruption and put it on Jesus.
[29:36] To let Jesus take all of your bruising and all of your punishment and all of what you deserved. The father was pleased to do that.
[29:49] In 2 Corinthians 5, 18 through 21, some of the most wonderful, powerful verses in your Bible. 2 Corinthians 5, 18, And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
[30:05] God, the father, has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. God was in on it. It's a God thing. It's all father approved. The God of the heavens, the God of the universe, the father God, Jehovah, knew you sinned, knew I sinned, knew we deserved to go to hell.
[30:23] And God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. Verse 19, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. I love verse 21.
[30:35] It has to be one of our favorite verses. I'm just telling you, it's got to be one of your most favorite verses. Hard to pick favorites. We'll look at verse 21. 21 says, He, God, hath made him, Jesus, to be sin for us, who knew no sin.
[30:49] Jesus knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. God said, Jesus lived out everything. He fulfilled every law.
[31:00] He did not commit any crime. When they tried it, they could find nothing to write, but put above his head, Jesus, the king of the Jews. Jesus had no reason to die. No reason to die except this. He loved us. And the Romans weren't killing him and the Jews weren't killing him.
[31:13] Do you know what was happening? He was laying down his life and saying, I will give you my righteousness. And today you and I sit here and we can rejoice and they can sing a song that says, can you believe it?
[31:25] God loves us. Can you believe it? God loves us. Boy, that's the truth. Can you believe it? God loves us. He does because he's so wonderful. What a wonderful, wonderful savior we have in Jesus Christ.
[31:39] Last one. Chapter 10, verse seven. Chapter 10, verse seven. The shepherd, the shepherd is the door of the sheep. Now I want to go ahead and, you know, been pretty nice.
[31:54] Hadn't made you mad, but I'm fixing to. So get ready to get mad. You ready? The shepherd is the door of the sheep. Here's absolutely only one way into the father.
[32:05] Look, if you would at verse seven, then said Jesus unto them again, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Look at verse eight.
[32:16] All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.
[32:28] Jesus said, I'm the door. I'm the door. Can I just real quickly say, he didn't say I am a door. He's a, I am a door.
[32:39] Now listen to this. Hey, you're not going to go to heaven and pull out a long list of good things you've done. Well, man, I was, you know, my wife, my wife was Kristen as a baby, baptized again, or sprinkled again at 12, then got saved at 18 and, and really baptized.
[32:57] And she can't get to heaven and say, Hey God, I think I belong here. Let's just be honest. My parents were founding members of a, of a massive church. And, I was at a few weeks old.
[33:07] I was baptized. And at 12, I was confirmed and baptized again. And I got saved when I was 18. I've been married to Austin Gardner. That's more of a cross than any woman ought to have to bear. I have had four children.
[33:18] I have raised 17 grandchildren. And if anybody ought to get to come to heaven, it ought to be me. He's going to say, Nope, you don't get in lady. Cause there's only one way in. That's Jesus. He's the door of the sheep.
[33:29] Say amen. Say amen. I am the door of the sheep. I am the door of the sheep. He is the door. There's no other. Listen to what, this is, this is the message that offends.
[33:41] But let me tell you, a good, a good Muslim can believe with all of his heart, love his wife with all of his heart, treat his family good with all of his heart, never get involved in any radical Islam, and he will die and he will go to hell.
[33:53] Are you ready? A good Hindu can do everything and be the most kind and generous person that ever walked the planet. You could have, you could go to Calcutta and you could open a, an orphanage for children and you could feed all the children and clothe all the children and be nice to all the children.
[34:08] But when you get to heaven, none of that matters. When we walk in the door of heaven, there's only one thing that matters. I know the father through Jesus. I know Jesus. It is nothing I've done.
[34:19] Nothing in my hands. I bring. There'll be no bragging in heaven. There'll be nobody walking around in heaven floating in the air saying, woo, I was a lot better than you. There'll be nobody holding their hands up and pointing up and saying, father, I think I'm not like all these people.
[34:33] I'm not like them. Thank God. I'm a really good guy. There'll be none of that. Every one of us will walk in saying, oh, thank you, Jesus. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Everybody else in every other way, that's thieves and robbers.
[34:45] John 14, six. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the father, but by me.
[34:58] Everybody seems to memorize this. I'm the way, the truth, and the life, but they always want to leave out that next phrase. Would you read that last phrase of me? Start with no man. Could I get you to read that out loud in one voice?
[35:10] Are you ready? No man cometh unto the father, but by me. Let me just say, no man comes to the father, but by me.
[35:21] Let me say it this way. No man comes to the father, but by me. No man comes to the father, but by me. You only go to heaven through Jesus Christ.
[35:32] Well, you should be more bold when you witness. You said, no, my, my, my, the people at my workplace, they're all good. Fine. But do they know Jesus? No, the people at my workplace, man, when somebody gets sick, they all give money.
[35:45] And when somebody's dying, they all give money. And they're, they're just the most kind people. Nobody's a thief. Everybody's honest. And everybody does good. I believe they're all good people. Good people go to hell.
[35:56] The only people go to heaven are people that know Jesus. That's their personal Lord and savior. Men for a long time have been trying to build up good stuff. They do. But it's not about us. It's about Jesus.
[36:08] Two more little truths in the verse. And I close. It said in the verse of seven and eight, didn't say Jesus unto them, verily, verily, I send you, I am the door of the sheep.
[36:18] Verse eight, all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. Sheep did not hear them. Verse nine. I'm the door by me. If any man enter in, would you circle any man? He opened a door for, could you repeat those two words with me?
[36:32] He opened the door for, I didn't hear you. He opened the door for any man. If any man will enter in. And guess what happens to those that enter in? He shall be saved.
[36:44] Two questions. Do you trust Jesus today? Him and him alone for your salvation. Do you know that you're trusting Jesus and Jesus alone? I'll listen to what I'm going to say.
[36:56] We've been raised in Christianity so much that we believe up here, but we don't believe down here. We've been raised in Christianity so much that we've learned all the right answers, but we've never really put our trust in Christ.
[37:11] And I want you to know that it's a matter of, do you know, he's the good shepherd. He's the good shepherd. And you're trusting that he is God in human flesh. You're trusting that he died on a cross, but not that he died on a cross.
[37:23] Everybody already knows that, but they died on a cross for you. If you don't know that, you can't be saved. He died for you, for you, for you individually, for me.
[37:33] He died for me. And he was buried. He was dead, dead, dead, three days dead. And he arose literally and physically from the grave. He could eat. He could be touched.
[37:44] He could walk. He could be seen. He was alive. Do you know the Savior? Do you know the shepherd? Lord, have you placed your trust in him? He's the good shepherd.
[37:54] Fact is, all other shepherds are bad shepherds. He's the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other. Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior?
[38:06] Father in heaven, I ask you to work this morning. I pray that you'd magnify yourself. I pray you'd show your power. I pray, God, that somebody today from their heart would put their faith and trust in you. And I will give you honor and glory and praise for what you do.
[38:18] I pray, dear God, that you would show your power in convicting the lost people this morning that stay, that they would realize, I do not truly know that I'd go to heaven if I died. Then, God, I pray for Christians, that you would help them to see their sin and help them to realize they failed you and help them this morning to trust you, to witness about you, to talk about you, to be honest about you.
[38:39] God, help us to be bold because we know you. God, there's some Christians going through a lot of mess this morning. They need to trust you. They need to come and say, I cannot see down the path and I don't know what's about to happen, but I trust my shepherd.
[38:53] I trust my shepherd, Jesus. God, would you do a work? You have been listening to Austin Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church.
[39:05] For contact information, location, service times, or more audio and video recordings, log on to www.visionbaptist.com.