WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.160 Well, good morning again, and welcome to Church of the Advent. 00:00:04.459 --> 00:00:05.160 My name is Jeff. 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:06.780 I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:07.560 --> 00:00:14.460 And as Tommy said earlier, this morning in the church calendar is the Sunday of the Good 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:15.519 Shepherd, the week of the Good Shepherd. 00:00:15.620 --> 00:00:18.160 And so that's what we're going to be talking about this morning. 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:23.379 We're going to be talking about what it means that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. 00:00:23.379 --> 00:00:30.679 And as I studied these passages this week, it became clear that it really boils down 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:35.320 to one word, authority, authority. 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:38.259 And that's what we're going to be looking at this morning. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:43.140 We're going to be looking at how the authority of Jesus and how He exercises His authority 00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:45.120 as the Good Shepherd. 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:50.200 So first of all, what does it mean for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd? 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:56.600 It means, first of all, that He has the authority to lead His sheep to flourishing. 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.840 He has the authority to lead His sheep to flourishing. 00:01:01.420 --> 00:01:04.740 Sheep are absolutely dependent upon their shepherds to flourish. 00:01:04.939 --> 00:01:10.579 They need to be led to graze in places where they can find grass to eat and water to drink. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:13.760 And they also need to be protected. 00:01:14.320 --> 00:01:16.820 Sheep are very vulnerable animals. 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:20.879 They are easy targets for predators like wolves and bears. 00:01:21.679 --> 00:01:26.000 They have little in their natural ability to defend themselves. 00:01:26.859 --> 00:01:30.280 They are frail and fragile creatures. 00:01:31.099 --> 00:01:32.599 They get injured easily. 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:34.399 Their legs are broken easily. 00:01:34.399 --> 00:01:38.000 And they often wander away from the flock and get lost. 00:01:38.699 --> 00:01:41.099 And that is why sheep need a shepherd. 00:01:41.979 --> 00:01:43.259 They need to be nourished. 00:01:44.199 --> 00:01:45.039 They need to be fed. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:46.340 They need to be led and guided. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:50.060 And sometimes they need to be rescued and healed. 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:56.840 Now, I think sometimes some people assume that because sheep are fragile and vulnerable, 00:01:57.520 --> 00:02:00.160 that somehow they are not intelligent animals. 00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:03.560 But that's actually not completely true. 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:06.500 I actually did some research on sheep this week. 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:08.840 And I learned some things about sheep. 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:11.640 And here's one of the things I learned about sheep. 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:17.939 They are, intelligence-wise, they're about on par with cows in terms of intelligence level. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:23.419 And they have these neural systems in their brain that kind of set them apart from other animals. 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:32.419 And these neural systems that allow them to actually recognize the individual faces and sounds of other sheep 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:38.119 and to recognize the individual faces and voices of human beings. 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:43.140 And this is a scientific fact that finds great resonance in our passage. 00:02:43.140 --> 00:02:45.240 Because in verse 3, Jesus says, 00:02:45.240 --> 00:03:08.820 There's a YouTube video out there that you may have seen. 00:03:08.819 --> 00:03:12.039 If not, you can go look it up later this afternoon. 00:03:12.239 --> 00:03:14.079 But it's a two-minute YouTube video. 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:18.959 And it is set on a farm in Norway. 00:03:19.799 --> 00:03:24.319 And there's a group of people standing in a sheep pasture at this farm in Norway. 00:03:24.859 --> 00:03:31.280 And they're standing at a fence in the middle of a sheep pasture overlooking this huge flock of sheep. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:38.300 And several people in the group, several people in the crowd, try calling the sheep to themselves. 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:42.439 So they are calling the sheep with loud voices. 00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:48.420 They are using different kinds of noises, different kinds of cries to call the sheep to themselves. 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:50.900 And the people look a little ridiculous doing it. 00:03:50.979 --> 00:03:51.920 It's pretty comical. 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:57.119 They're trying as hard as they can to call these sheep to themselves. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:00.719 But the sheep don't respond at all. 00:04:02.019 --> 00:04:07.079 And finally, after several people have tried this, the shepherd of the flock comes out. 00:04:07.879 --> 00:04:09.659 And he comes to the center of the screen. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:11.599 And he starts calling them. 00:04:12.739 --> 00:04:16.199 And at first, the ears of the sheep perk up. 00:04:17.180 --> 00:04:18.939 And then their heads start to turn. 00:04:18.939 --> 00:04:32.180 And finally, they start walking and finally running towards the shepherd, bleeding and making sheep noises as they run and gather around their shepherd. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:39.100 And what Jesus is saying here is that that is him and that that is us. 00:04:39.779 --> 00:04:40.639 Verse 10, he says, 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:44.279 The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy. 00:04:45.159 --> 00:04:49.399 But I have come that they may have life and to have it abundantly. 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:54.579 The thief here is directly referring to Satan, the evil one. 00:04:55.159 --> 00:05:01.180 Satan comes to steal and to kill and to destroy God's good creation and the flock of God's people. 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:05.560 But Jesus has come to bring us abundant life. 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:12.199 He has come to lead us into flourishing, to lead us to the green pastures and quiet waters that Psalm 23 talks about. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:19.019 He has come to lead us into the fullness of life, the life that we all long for, a life of flourishing. 00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:26.860 As the good shepherd, Jesus has the authority to lead his sheep into flourishing. 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:35.939 But here's what we need to recognize, that the flourishing of the sheep depends on their closeness to the shepherd. 00:05:36.840 --> 00:05:43.180 The flourishing of the sheep depends on the closeness to their shepherd because they can wander away and get lost. 00:05:44.540 --> 00:05:50.160 But if they have the ability to hear and to recognize his voice and stay close to the shepherd, they will flourish. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:58.660 Now, I understand that pray and read your Bible cannot possibly be the application of every sermon. 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:03.420 And if it was, sermons would get really old really fast. 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:05.820 Listening to sermons would get pretty old pretty fast. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.740 And it also would not do justice to the fullness of God's word. 00:06:10.220 --> 00:06:14.660 So I'm thankful that that is not the application of every sermon that we preach here on Sunday mornings. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:17.800 But it is the application of this one. 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:32.699 How do you develop the kind of ears and hearts that can hear the voice of Jesus in the same way that sheep know how to respond to the voice of their shepherd and not to other people? 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:35.360 How do you develop that kind of sensitivity? 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:41.100 You have to immerse yourself in God's word on a regular basis. 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:44.139 You have to become familiar with God's voice. 00:06:44.139 --> 00:06:47.379 You have to become familiar with the voice of Jesus. 00:06:47.379 --> 00:07:03.180 And you have to cultivate a life of prayer where you not only learn to speak to God, but where you learn to sit in silence and listen to his voice. 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:14.120 Are you close enough to Jesus that you can distinguish between his voice and the voice of strangers? 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:20.379 And you might be here this morning and you say, that sounds great, but I don't know how to do that. 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:24.100 I don't know how to cultivate a life of prayer. 00:07:24.220 --> 00:07:26.560 I don't know how to read and study God's word. 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:28.939 Quite frankly, no one has ever showed me how. 00:07:30.060 --> 00:07:36.139 I don't know how to study the Bible for myself or even learn how to talk to God or hear him talk back to me. 00:07:37.099 --> 00:07:45.120 And I just would want to say, like, we're so grateful that you're here and your pastors would love to meet with you. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:54.079 In fact, this is one of the greatest gifts that you could ever give us is to say, hey, we, I would love to learn how to cultivate a deeper prayer life. 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.079 I would love to learn how to study the Bible. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:02.719 You can ask Tommy or Dan or myself or Lisa, and we would love to meet with you and talk to you about that. 00:08:02.819 --> 00:08:04.300 That is literally our job. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:10.800 Our job is literally to meet with you and to help you learn how to listen to the voice of a shepherd. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:21.020 And so part of what it means that Jesus is the good shepherd is that he has the authority to lead us, his sheep, into flourishing. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:32.399 But our flourishing depends on our ability to stay close to the shepherd and to develop a sensitivity to his voice where we recognize his voice. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:44.980 Secondly, the other thing that part of what it means for Jesus to be the good shepherd is that he has the authority to hold all other shepherds accountable. 00:08:45.579 --> 00:08:50.679 He has the authority to hold all other shepherds accountable. 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:56.620 Just because Jesus is our good shepherd doesn't mean that we don't need other shepherds. 00:08:56.699 --> 00:08:58.220 In fact, it's just the opposite. 00:08:58.220 --> 00:09:04.340 God has ordained that there would be leaders who serve as shepherds in every area of life. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:06.720 This is how God has designed the world to work. 00:09:07.660 --> 00:09:09.540 Children need parents. 00:09:10.920 --> 00:09:13.879 Employees need bosses and supervisors. 00:09:14.920 --> 00:09:16.740 Athletes need coaches. 00:09:17.779 --> 00:09:19.019 Students need teachers. 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:21.759 Citizens need public leaders. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.019 And all of us need God. 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:25.460 And this is life in God's world. 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:29.440 This is a good part about how God has designed the world to work. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:30.720 We all depend on others. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.700 We all depend on other shepherds to lead us towards flourishing. 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:42.879 But as you might know and as you may have experienced, not all shepherds shepherd well. 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:46.460 Not all leaders lead faithfully. 00:09:47.340 --> 00:09:51.340 And this is the focus of our Old Testament reading, Ezekiel chapter 34. 00:09:51.340 --> 00:10:01.200 In Ezekiel 34, God is responding to the leaders of Israel who had become focused on feeding themselves rather than feeding the sheep. 00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:04.700 In verse 2, in Ezekiel 34, the Lord says, 00:10:04.700 --> 00:10:07.660 Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves. 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:10.200 Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 00:10:10.660 --> 00:10:11.720 You eat the fat. 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:13.100 You clothe yourselves with wool. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.180 You slaughter the fat ones. 00:10:15.400 --> 00:10:17.300 But you do not feed the sheep. 00:10:18.040 --> 00:10:19.740 The weak you have not strengthened. 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:22.060 The sick you have not healed. 00:10:22.180 --> 00:10:24.080 And the injured you have not bound up. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:26.840 The strayed you have not brought back. 00:10:27.280 --> 00:10:28.920 The lost you have not sought. 00:10:29.020 --> 00:10:31.759 And with force and harshness you have ruled them. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:36.460 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd. 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:42.220 In John chapter 10 verse 12, Jesus refers to the hired hands. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:44.100 Who are the hired hands? 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:51.340 Well, the hired hands are leaders whom God has put in place who are there to lead and shepherd God's people. 00:10:51.460 --> 00:10:57.200 But who nonetheless forsake their responsibility when trouble or conflict comes. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:02.500 They care more about themselves than the sheep that they are shepherding. 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:04.180 That's what a hired hand is. 00:11:04.860 --> 00:11:13.520 And Ezekiel 34 and John 10 show us that even though we are made for a world where we are meant to be shepherded, 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:17.560 in a fallen world, broken and fractured by sin, 00:11:19.640 --> 00:11:21.200 good shepherds are in short supply. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.500 Good shepherds are in short supply. 00:11:24.900 --> 00:11:33.000 Both of these passages refer primarily to the leaders that God has put in place to lead and shepherd his people. 00:11:33.640 --> 00:11:36.320 So kings and priests and elders in the Old Testament. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:42.340 And so as such, they are primarily a sober word of warning 00:11:42.340 --> 00:11:48.580 to anyone who exercises leadership over God's people in the church, 00:11:49.680 --> 00:11:50.660 especially pastors. 00:11:51.680 --> 00:11:53.540 Especially pastors. 00:11:53.780 --> 00:11:59.840 And as a pastor, this was a sobering passage for me to reflect on this week 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:05.360 because it means that God will hold church leaders like me accountable 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:09.879 if we use our position not to serve the sheep, 00:12:10.539 --> 00:12:12.100 but to serve ourselves. 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:14.220 He's clear in Ezekiel 34. 00:12:14.419 --> 00:12:15.320 I am against you. 00:12:16.180 --> 00:12:17.180 I'm against you. 00:12:17.680 --> 00:12:19.220 And I will bring justice. 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:25.480 To those who fail to neglect the flock that God has entrusted into their care, 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:26.560 God will hold them accountable. 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:28.500 And we see this in the New Testament. 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:29.820 In James chapter 3, 00:12:29.820 --> 00:12:32.040 we see that the shepherds of God's people, 00:12:32.180 --> 00:12:33.340 especially those who teach, 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:38.260 are held to a higher standard and are judged with greater strictness. 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:40.720 And so this is a sober word of warning 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:43.400 to anyone who exercises leadership in a church. 00:12:44.540 --> 00:12:49.020 But it is also a sober word for anybody who exercises leadership 00:12:49.020 --> 00:12:50.980 in any area of life. 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:52.600 In any area of life. 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:56.280 If you have leadership or influence over others, 00:12:57.580 --> 00:12:58.100 you're a shepherd. 00:12:58.760 --> 00:12:59.540 You're a shepherd. 00:13:00.140 --> 00:13:02.620 Maybe it's in the home as a parent, 00:13:02.760 --> 00:13:03.580 as a mom or dad. 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:08.260 Or maybe it's in the workplace as a boss or a supervisor 00:13:08.260 --> 00:13:09.600 or a team leader. 00:13:11.060 --> 00:13:15.900 Anyone, anyone who misuses their authority to harm others, 00:13:16.760 --> 00:13:19.379 to injure others, to neglect others, 00:13:20.760 --> 00:13:21.960 make no mistake, 00:13:22.280 --> 00:13:25.120 Jesus, the chief shepherd, will hold them accountable. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:30.200 And this is what Ezekiel 34 and John 10 both show us. 00:13:30.279 --> 00:13:34.799 If our image of Jesus as the good shepherd 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:41.620 only includes him holding lambs in his arms and cuddling them, 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:45.100 then it is an incomplete picture. 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:55.639 Because it should also include him wielding his staff and his rod that he sometimes uses to rescue wayward sheep, 00:13:55.779 --> 00:14:01.960 but also to discipline those who misuse their authority as under shepherds of his flock. 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:04.160 And whether in this life or the next, 00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:10.900 Jesus holds all leaders accountable for how they treat the sheep entrusted to their care. 00:14:10.900 --> 00:14:17.960 Because he is the one who has all authority in heaven on earth. 00:14:18.060 --> 00:14:21.960 He is the one who has the authority as the good shepherd. 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:26.340 But even though this is a sober warning, 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:28.879 it shouldn't remain a sober warning. 00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:31.700 It should also be an invitation. 00:14:32.540 --> 00:14:35.100 It should also be an invitation because it means 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:40.320 that it is possible to be a faithful shepherd leader. 00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:43.540 Not just in the church, but in the home, in the workplace as well. 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:47.160 It's possible to be a leader like Jesus, 00:14:47.780 --> 00:14:51.580 whose leadership causes others to flourish. 00:14:51.960 --> 00:14:53.860 And this is a beautiful possibility. 00:14:54.420 --> 00:14:57.740 We can't not talk about the workplace in this passage 00:14:57.740 --> 00:15:04.200 because the image of Jesus as a good shepherd comes directly from the ancient workplace. 00:15:04.780 --> 00:15:09.139 The work of a shepherd was central to the economic life in the ancient world. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:15.500 And so the image of the shepherd gets at the heart of what it means to be a leader in the workplace. 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:22.200 It means that a true leader is not primarily concerned with their own flourishing, 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:25.860 with their own success, with their own career, 00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:28.840 with their own achievements and accomplishments and resume. 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:34.300 But they are primarily concerned with the flourishing of those around them, 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:35.820 with the flourishing of those that they lead, 00:15:36.300 --> 00:15:40.740 their employees, their co-workers, their clients. 00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:45.340 True leaders put the flourishing of others before their own. 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:51.860 Now, let's just acknowledge that this is way easier said than done. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:00.460 Some of you work in workplace environments where it is more natural to be a shepherd. 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:08.560 Some of you may serve as teachers or nurses, doctors, counselors, social workers, 00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:13.759 where being a shepherd, caring for people, is literally written into your job description. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:17.080 The word shepherd is probably not on there, 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:22.660 but the idea that you are there to serve people and to lead them towards flourishing is literally your job, 00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:25.420 and therefore you have a workplace culture that helps you do that, hopefully. 00:16:25.419 --> 00:16:35.099 But others of you may work in companies or in organizations where you actually get rewarded for being cutthroat. 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:41.079 Perhaps it's business or sales or law or politics. 00:16:41.819 --> 00:16:46.679 Not that those places obviously can't have healthy workplace cultures because they can, 00:16:47.339 --> 00:16:52.219 but there are often entire workplaces where you are incentivized, 00:16:52.220 --> 00:16:57.580 rewarded for succeeding at the expense of others. 00:16:58.200 --> 00:16:59.840 You get rewarded for being cutthroat. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.680 But no matter how difficult or complex this may be, 00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:08.500 as people who follow the good shepherd, 00:17:09.360 --> 00:17:11.460 we are called to live differently. 00:17:12.600 --> 00:17:13.640 Even if we are, 00:17:14.100 --> 00:17:17.860 even if we're working in a place where we get rewarded for being cutthroat, 00:17:18.019 --> 00:17:21.460 we are still called to help others flourish. 00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:23.420 Sometimes, 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:24.420 sometimes, 00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:25.740 even at our own expense. 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:27.299 Sometimes, 00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:28.779 even at our own expense. 00:17:29.259 --> 00:17:33.140 Because that is what Jesus Christ has done for us as the good shepherd. 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:37.960 He has allowed us to flourish at his own expense. 00:17:39.140 --> 00:17:43.079 And so if you're in a workplace environment where you get rewarded for being cutthroat, 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:45.839 where you succeed when others fail, 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:49.559 this might be more challenging for you, 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:50.059 no doubt. 00:17:52.019 --> 00:17:56.500 But what if we actually believed that because Jesus is the good shepherd, 00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:01.779 that he is the expert on how to help our workplaces flourish? 00:18:01.779 --> 00:18:07.279 What if we believed that Jesus knows more about the flourishing of the financial industry 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:12.180 than the CEO of Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan or Wells Fargo? 00:18:12.180 --> 00:18:17.640 What if we believed that Jesus knows more about the flourishing of the retail industry 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:22.580 than the CEOs of Target or Apple or Amazon? 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:27.600 What if we believed that Jesus knows how to help schools and small businesses 00:18:27.600 --> 00:18:32.000 and restaurants and hospitals and nonprofits flourish? 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:35.700 What if we went to work as if that were true? 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:40.740 What would that mean for our relationship with Jesus? 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:43.839 Well, I think it would mean a lot of things, 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:45.400 but I think part of what it would mean 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:48.259 is that our prayer life 00:18:48.259 --> 00:18:52.259 would involve speaking to Jesus 00:18:52.259 --> 00:18:54.740 and listening to Jesus 00:18:54.740 --> 00:18:57.119 to help us 00:18:57.119 --> 00:18:59.819 be competent managers 00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:02.079 and bosses 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.299 and supervisors 00:19:04.299 --> 00:19:06.079 and leaders 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:08.879 knowing that he is the expert 00:19:08.879 --> 00:19:11.439 on how to help our workplace 00:19:11.439 --> 00:19:13.500 and those around us flourish. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.319 So the second thing we see 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:18.299 is that as the good shepherd 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:19.460 that Jesus holds 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:21.159 all shepherds accountable 00:19:21.159 --> 00:19:23.460 and this isn't just 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:24.759 a sober warning, 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:26.879 this is also an invitation. 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:29.799 It's an invitation to be the kind of leader 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:30.779 that Jesus is, 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:32.279 to be the kind of leader 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:34.440 in no matter what domain or field we are in, 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.700 to be the kind of leader 00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:39.139 that looks primarily to the flourishing of others. 00:19:40.980 --> 00:19:43.480 So he has the authority to lead us to flourishing. 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:44.680 He has the authority 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:46.639 to hold all shepherds accountable. 00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:47.379 And finally, 00:19:47.940 --> 00:19:49.220 as the good shepherd, 00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:51.579 Jesus has the authority 00:19:51.579 --> 00:19:53.779 to lay down his life. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:55.720 He has the authority 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:57.879 to lay down his life. 00:19:57.880 --> 00:19:58.960 Verse 11 says, 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:00.440 I am the good shepherd. 00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:02.100 And the good shepherd 00:20:02.100 --> 00:20:03.460 lays down his life 00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:04.200 for the sheep. 00:20:05.540 --> 00:20:06.220 In verse 17, 00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:06.560 he says, 00:20:06.620 --> 00:20:07.160 For this reason, 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.120 the Father loves me 00:20:08.120 --> 00:20:09.560 because I lay down my life 00:20:09.560 --> 00:20:11.340 that I may take it up again. 00:20:12.340 --> 00:20:13.600 No one takes it from me, 00:20:14.380 --> 00:20:15.420 but I lay it down 00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:16.560 of my own accord. 00:20:17.260 --> 00:20:18.520 I have authority 00:20:18.520 --> 00:20:19.400 to lay it down 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.060 and I have authority 00:20:21.060 --> 00:20:22.380 to take it up again. 00:20:22.380 --> 00:20:26.480 I think one of the most moving stories 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:27.160 in the whole Bible 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:29.600 comes from John chapter 21. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.380 After Jesus' resurrection, 00:20:32.700 --> 00:20:33.420 several days after, 00:20:33.540 --> 00:20:35.920 he meets the disciples for breakfast 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:37.960 on the shore of Tiberias. 00:20:38.540 --> 00:20:40.600 And he has this conversation 00:20:40.600 --> 00:20:41.900 with Peter 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:45.600 where he shepherds Peter's heart 00:20:45.600 --> 00:20:47.940 in a really beautiful way. 00:20:47.940 --> 00:20:49.759 On the night of his betrayal, 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:53.200 Peter had disowned Jesus publicly 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:54.860 three times, 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:56.720 telling three different people, 00:20:57.740 --> 00:20:59.539 I do not know that man. 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:02.100 And this was perhaps 00:21:02.100 --> 00:21:06.660 one of Peter's greatest moments 00:21:06.660 --> 00:21:09.480 of failure and shame. 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:13.320 Denying the good shepherd 00:21:13.320 --> 00:21:14.759 who had loved him 00:21:14.759 --> 00:21:15.720 for the past three years, 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:17.539 refusing to be identified with Jesus, 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:19.220 and at breakfast 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:20.519 on the shore of Tiberias, 00:21:20.740 --> 00:21:22.460 Jesus asked Peter three times, 00:21:23.620 --> 00:21:25.380 Simon, son of John, 00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:27.840 do you love me? 00:21:29.080 --> 00:21:31.000 And Peter responds three times, 00:21:31.580 --> 00:21:32.160 yes, Lord, 00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:33.960 you know that I love you. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:36.559 And Jesus then responds 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:37.759 again three times, 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:40.539 well then feed my sheep. 00:21:41.620 --> 00:21:42.420 Feed my sheep. 00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:44.400 In the place where Peter 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:47.180 had experienced colossal failure, 00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:51.680 Jesus assures him of his love. 00:21:52.180 --> 00:21:53.299 And in the place where Peter 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:56.519 experienced perhaps his greatest shame, 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:00.240 in the place of Peter's deepest shame, 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:03.820 Jesus gives him a ministry. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:05.860 He gives him work to do. 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:07.559 He gives him a vocation. 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:08.420 He gives him a calling. 00:22:08.900 --> 00:22:09.740 And he says, 00:22:10.320 --> 00:22:10.940 feed my sheep. 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:12.779 Why? 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:14.759 How is Jesus able to do this? 00:22:16.080 --> 00:22:17.700 Because as the good shepherd, 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:20.100 Jesus had already dealt 00:22:20.100 --> 00:22:21.559 with Peter's sin 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:22.539 and failure 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:23.559 and shame 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:24.480 at the cross 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:27.240 by laying his life down 00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:28.720 on his own authority. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:29.779 In the ancient world, 00:22:30.320 --> 00:22:31.440 the life of a sheep 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:32.799 had great economic value. 00:22:33.360 --> 00:22:33.860 No doubt. 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:36.120 But none of them 00:22:36.120 --> 00:22:36.920 were more valuable 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:38.259 than the life of a shepherd. 00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:39.980 A shepherd in the first century 00:22:39.980 --> 00:22:40.879 or in our century 00:22:40.879 --> 00:22:42.680 would never willingly 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:44.180 lay down their life 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:45.359 for one of the sheep. 00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:47.839 But that is exactly 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:49.680 what Jesus did for us. 00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:51.220 Jesus is the good shepherd 00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:54.119 who has also become for us 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:56.140 the Lamb of God, 00:22:56.619 --> 00:22:57.799 the atoning sacrifice 00:22:57.799 --> 00:22:59.420 for all of our sin. 00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:01.960 And because Jesus 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:03.559 had the authority 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:05.319 to lay down his life for you 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:07.500 and also the authority 00:23:07.500 --> 00:23:08.659 to raise it up again 00:23:08.659 --> 00:23:09.519 in his resurrection, 00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:13.599 he also has the authority 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.220 to bring healing 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:17.899 and restoration 00:23:17.899 --> 00:23:20.799 in the deepest places 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.619 in your life 00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:22.659 of sin 00:23:22.659 --> 00:23:24.279 and shame 00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:25.619 and failure. 00:23:26.200 --> 00:23:27.480 To heal you 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:29.079 in the deepest places 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:30.799 of your woundedness. 00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:32.519 He can take the largest 00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:35.240 of all your large failures 00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:38.220 and turn it into a vocation. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:40.139 Turn it into a ministry. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:42.920 And he also has the authority 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:45.139 to bring healing 00:23:45.139 --> 00:23:45.740 and restoration 00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:46.720 in your life 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.960 where you have been sinned 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:49.740 against. 00:23:50.859 --> 00:23:52.139 Where you have been wounded 00:23:52.139 --> 00:23:54.279 by somebody in your life 00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:55.500 who was supposed to be 00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:56.420 a shepherd 00:23:56.420 --> 00:23:58.599 but who ended up being 00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:00.079 more like a hired hand. 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:02.779 Maybe it was a parent. 00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:05.799 Maybe it was a family member. 00:24:06.859 --> 00:24:08.119 Maybe it was a boss. 00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:12.500 Maybe it was even a pastor. 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:14.659 Chances are 00:24:14.659 --> 00:24:15.419 you have been wounded 00:24:15.419 --> 00:24:15.939 by someone 00:24:15.939 --> 00:24:16.639 who was supposed 00:24:16.639 --> 00:24:18.279 to be a shepherd to you. 00:24:19.619 --> 00:24:20.699 Perhaps they were 00:24:20.699 --> 00:24:22.419 intentionally malicious 00:24:22.419 --> 00:24:24.559 but maybe they were faithful 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:26.019 in many areas 00:24:26.019 --> 00:24:27.659 but nonetheless 00:24:27.659 --> 00:24:28.839 did things to hurt you 00:24:28.839 --> 00:24:29.359 and wound you. 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:32.819 And what I want you to see 00:24:32.819 --> 00:24:34.679 is that in that place 00:24:34.679 --> 00:24:36.480 Jesus is the good shepherd. 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:39.419 He has the authority 00:24:39.419 --> 00:24:40.599 and the power 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:41.899 to heal you 00:24:41.899 --> 00:24:43.079 and to restore you 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:43.819 in that place 00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:45.579 because he is the one 00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:46.740 who has the authority 00:24:46.740 --> 00:24:47.819 to do so. 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:49.119 Maybe it may take 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:50.919 some time to heal 00:24:50.919 --> 00:24:53.960 but the person 00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:55.259 who has sinned against you 00:24:55.259 --> 00:24:58.399 the person who has wounded you 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.180 does not have authority 00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:01.140 in that place 00:25:01.140 --> 00:25:01.900 in your heart. 00:25:03.800 --> 00:25:05.300 Neither does your own voice 00:25:05.300 --> 00:25:06.440 of shame and criticism. 00:25:07.900 --> 00:25:08.480 Jesus does. 00:25:09.220 --> 00:25:10.440 Jesus has authority 00:25:10.440 --> 00:25:11.519 in that place 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:12.920 because he is the good shepherd 00:25:12.920 --> 00:25:15.000 and he is able to bring 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:16.360 healing and restoration 00:25:16.360 --> 00:25:18.440 where false shepherds, 00:25:18.600 --> 00:25:19.160 those who have failed 00:25:19.160 --> 00:25:19.759 to be shepherds, 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:21.140 have brought hurt. 00:25:21.140 --> 00:25:23.720 and so that is what it means. 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:25.480 That is what it means 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:26.360 for Jesus 00:25:26.360 --> 00:25:27.420 to be the good shepherd 00:25:27.420 --> 00:25:28.759 in our lives. 00:25:29.460 --> 00:25:30.400 It's about his authority. 00:25:30.920 --> 00:25:31.880 It's about his authority 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:32.759 to lead us 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:34.040 to flourishing 00:25:34.040 --> 00:25:34.680 and so we 00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:36.000 must attune 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:36.920 our hearts 00:25:36.920 --> 00:25:37.500 and our minds 00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:39.000 to hear his voice 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:40.400 by cultivating 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.720 a deep life of prayer 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:42.740 and study of God's word. 00:25:42.740 --> 00:25:44.460 It means that 00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:46.039 he has the authority 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:47.480 to hold all shepherds 00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:48.440 accountable 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.200 and this is 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:50.579 a sober warning 00:25:50.579 --> 00:25:51.599 to anyone 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:53.200 who exercises authority 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:53.759 and especially 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.339 in the church 00:25:54.339 --> 00:25:56.559 but on the other side 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:56.859 of this 00:25:56.859 --> 00:25:57.799 is an opportunity 00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:59.620 to become 00:25:59.620 --> 00:26:01.460 a shepherd like Jesus 00:26:01.460 --> 00:26:02.700 to lead 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:03.539 and guide others 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:04.700 towards flourishing 00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:05.220 in our homes 00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:05.920 and our workplaces 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:08.660 and he has the authority 00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:11.099 to lay down his life 00:26:11.099 --> 00:26:13.279 and to raise it up again 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:15.079 for our salvation 00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:16.259 and our healing 00:26:16.259 --> 00:26:18.000 and for the salvation 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.279 and the healing 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.599 of the world. 00:26:21.459 --> 00:26:21.939 Let's pray. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:25.279 Lord Jesus Christ 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:25.899 thank you 00:26:25.899 --> 00:26:27.699 that you are 00:26:27.699 --> 00:26:28.480 the good shepherd 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.279 that you have 00:26:30.279 --> 00:26:31.000 all authority 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:31.480 in heaven 00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:32.119 and on earth. 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:34.539 May our hearts 00:26:34.539 --> 00:26:35.500 and minds today 00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:36.919 be attuned 00:26:36.919 --> 00:26:38.599 to your voice. 00:26:40.019 --> 00:26:40.619 May we be 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:41.659 the kind of 00:26:41.659 --> 00:26:42.599 shepherds 00:26:42.599 --> 00:26:43.379 that you are 00:26:43.379 --> 00:26:45.199 and Lord 00:26:45.199 --> 00:26:45.839 in the places 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:46.819 that we have been wounded 00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:47.419 Jesus 00:26:47.419 --> 00:26:49.199 come and heal us 00:26:49.199 --> 00:26:50.539 and restore us 00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:51.659 by the power 00:26:51.659 --> 00:26:52.479 of your cross 00:26:52.479 --> 00:26:53.619 and resurrection. 00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:55.899 In the name of the Father 00:26:55.899 --> 00:26:56.459 and the Son 00:26:56.459 --> 00:26:57.199 and the Holy Spirit. 00:26:57.699 --> 00:26:57.899 Amen.