We're going to have the Bible reading now. I'll be reading from John chapter 10, verses 1 to 30.
John 10, 1 to 30.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and 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.
He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees,
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd.
I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father,
and I lay my life down for the sheep.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.
I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason, the father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
This charge I received from my father.
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.
Many of them said, He is a demon and is insane.
Why listen to him?
Others said, These are not words of the one who is oppressed by a demon.
Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?
At that time, the feast of dedication took place at Jerusalem.
It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
How long will you keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.
Jesus answered them,
I told you, and you do not believe.
The works that I do in my father's name bear witness about me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish,
and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand.
I and the father are one.
Good morning, everyone.
For those who are visitors, my name is David.
I'm one of the pastors here.
We're going to be looking at John chapter 10 this morning.
Sometimes you find yourself thinking you're committed to an idea,
and you think you're committed to the idea
because you think it's something we need,
or something we want, or something we expect,
or something we even demand.
But then, when we actually experience the thing
that we think we're committed to in reality,
we actually quickly reject it
and decide we don't like it at all.
Let me give you an example.
It's been happening over this past few days.
So we want, we expect, we need,
we demand our government keep us safe from COVID.
That's their job.
But when we experience that strong lead,
when they exercise their jurisdiction, their power,
to enforce an extended lockdown,
to tell us to wear masks,
to use a QR code to check into a venue,
suddenly we feel the resentment rising up within us
because, at the end of the day,
we don't want them to use their power
to control us individually.
It cramps our lifestyle.
So we think we want something,
but we don't really want it when we experience it.
I think it's the same sort of principle
when we come to thinking about God's sovereign power.
We believe that we need it,
that we want it in our lives,
we expect it,
sometimes we even demand it.
We particularly say when it comes to God's sovereign power
and control in the world.
We expect God to be in control.
We expect him to use his power
for good in the world.
But again, you see,
we quickly resent that sovereign power
when we experience it in our own lives.
And we quickly move to crying,
that's not fair.
Especially when that sovereign power
impacts us in our lifestyle
or in our personal life.
So, for instance,
it might be loss of health
or the Lord bringing a circumstance to it
that robs us of happiness.
And we suddenly find ourselves saying,
well, actually,
no, I don't like God's sovereign power.
It's unfair.
I want you to bring that thought with you this morning
as we move into John chapter 10,
but I'll say more about it in a little while.
Because this morning,
we're continuing the series
of exploring how we experience
God's sovereign power in our salvation.
And this morning,
third in the series,
we're going to be looking at
Jesus as God's good shepherd
who lays down his life
for his sheep.
Now, again,
I want to ask you the question.
We all know the phrase,
God's good shepherd
who lays down his life for the sheep.
But the question I want to ask you now
before we jump into the detail is,
what sort of shepherd
do you have in mind?
Now, theoretically, I suspect,
we want,
we expect,
we need
a strong shepherd.
A shepherd who will guide us.
A shepherd who is capable
of protecting us.
A shepherd who wants to nurture us.
Nurture us into the green pastures
to follow the metaphor
or what the Bible would call
the good life.
Isn't that what we want
the shepherd to do?
Well, perhaps at a theory level,
but I think, again,
when it comes to practicality,
we actually
are more likely to demand
a shepherd
who will actually just be happy
to sit on the hillside
and stay out of our lives
and let us do
what we want as sheep.
Let us go where we want
and do what we want
and think what we want,
but still be there
to rescue us
if we get ourselves
in serious trouble.
By definition,
I think,
a shepherd
must have sovereign power
over his sheep
if you want to follow through
the picture with me.
Now,
a good shepherd
will exercise
that sovereign power
in love
and mercy
for the good of the sheep.
But even then,
we dig down into that.
What will that look like?
Well,
at times,
it will look like
the shepherd up the front.
Remember,
this is picture language.
Shepherd out the front
saying,
come on, sheep,
follow me.
I'm going to take you
to good pastures.
I'm going to take you
to the place
where you can thrive
and enjoy the good life.
But at times,
the shepherd
will need to be
behind the sheep,
giving them
a good prod
or a good thump
because they're being difficult.
They don't want to go
where he knows
they need to go.
They want to go
somewhere contrary.
They want to do
their own thing.
And it's at that point
the good shepherd
becomes evident
in how he
masters his sheep.
So,
with those two thoughts,
I'm just going to
leave them in your mind
for a minute
and you'll see
hopefully how they
come with us
and become relevant
as we move into
John 10.
But before we do that,
I just want to recap
the series thus far.
And we're saying
that we really need
God's sovereign grace
in our lives
individually
if we're to be saved.
Why?
Because we saw
two weeks ago,
three weeks ago,
that in our natural
born state,
we are spiritually
dead towards God.
That is,
unable
and unwilling
to come to God.
We're actually
hardwired to rebel
against God.
We're under God's
wrath and condemnation.
It would be
a terrible plight.
It is a terrible plight.
Except that then,
God also said
in Ephesians 2
that God
makes us alive
in the Lord Jesus.
God,
in his love
and mercy,
acts sovereignly
to call
spiritually
dead sinners
to new life,
to new relationship
with him.
and he does that,
as we saw last week,
both through
what I call
the outward call
of actually hearing
the gospel of Jesus
and the inward call
which is taking
those words
that we hear
by the Holy Spirit
and actually using
those words
to change us
from the inside out,
change our hearts,
our minds,
our desires,
our attitudes
so that we actually
are able and willing
to respond to Jesus
and come to him.
We need
the sovereign power
of God
at work
in our lives
if we're to be saved.
But it's more than that.
God's justice
demands that guilt,
the guilt of sin
cannot be ignored.
So not only does God
need to sovereignly
call us to himself
because otherwise
we wouldn't come,
but God needs to actually
do something
to deal with our sin,
something that we
couldn't do for ourselves.
And God does that.
He acts sovereignly
to deal with our sins,
clearing the way,
therefore,
to new acceptance
and relationship
with him.
And in Bible language,
God did this
through what we call
the atonement
or the sacrificial
substitutionary death
of Jesus
on the cross.
The word is,
another word we use
is redemption.
or in John chapter 10,
the language is
the good shepherd
laying down his life
for his sheep.
So let's jump into
John 10
and explore the atonement
or explore the redeeming
work of Jesus
under the metaphor
of shepherd.
I want to just ask
three questions this morning
to try and help us
walk through this.
And the first question
is if you're following
and if you've got
one of these coming in the door,
you can follow the outline
of the sermon.
First question is,
what was God's intent
for the good shepherd?
What was God's intent
for the good shepherd?
Well, let's have a look
at some of the verses
in John chapter 10.
Look at verse 18.
No one takes it from me,
but I lay down
my life of my own accord.
I have authority
to lay it down
and I have authority
to take it up.
Then this sentence,
this charge
I have received
from my Father.
And verse 30.
Jesus says,
I and the Father
are one.
Jesus is willingly
working in partnership
with his Father
and in the light
of his Father's purpose
and salvation,
which includes
the atonement,
which includes redemption,
the good shepherd
laying down his life
for his sheep.
Verse 9.
Jesus says,
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved
and will go in and out
and find pasture.
Jesus is the doorkeeper
of heaven.
And only his died-for sheep
will be allowed in.
But,
once they're in,
then they'll find pasture.
That is,
they'll be safe and secure.
They'll thrive.
They'll enjoy life.
The good life
for eternity.
verses 14,
15,
and 16.
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.
Jesus has been given
the responsibility
of doing
everything necessary
to bring
God's sheep
back to himself,
back to glory.
And thus far,
it's entirely consistent
with what we saw
back last week
in John chapter 6,
verse 51,
where Jesus said,
again,
a different metaphor.
He's talking about
being the bread of life
in the passage
in chapter 6.
And Jesus says,
the bread that I give,
sorry,
the bread that I will give
for the life of the world
is my flesh.
Jesus' mission
from heaven
was to be
God's
life-giving bread
to those
in the world
called by God.
Now,
step back
from John chapter 10
or John chapter 6.
This idea
of Jesus being sent,
Jesus on a mission,
is so important
to John
that across his gospel,
no less than
30 times
does John
put in the lips
of Jesus
or Jesus
speaks
and John records it
is a better way
of saying it,
that he's been sent
on a mission
by the Father.
He was sent
into the world
and the word
world there
is a theological
description of the world.
That is,
the world of rebellion
and sin
in opposition to God.
And he's been sent
into the world
to do what?
To save
God's sheep.
Now,
here's the point.
The Father
has a particular
intent
in sending
Jesus
into the world.
So that means
Jesus has
a particular
mission
in the world.
That is,
as I've already said,
to do
everything required
to deliver
or save
God's guilty,
condemned,
helpless sheep.
Now,
second question.
For whom
did the good shepherd
lay down
his life?
In other words,
who
and what
did Jesus
have in mind
when he died
on the cross?
Who
and what
did Jesus
have in mind?
Well,
John 10
gives a really
clear answer.
Who
and what
did Jesus
have in mind
when he died
on the cross?
He had
his sheep.
What
did he have
in mind?
Their
actual
or particular
redemption.
Look
at the
verses.
Verse 3.
The
sheep
hear his
voice
and he
calls
his own
sheep
by name
and leads
them out.
Now,
in past
life,
I come
off a
farm
and I
can tell
you
that
farmers
did not
know
their
sheep
by
name.
Nor
could
they
care
less
about
individual
preferences
of their
sheep.
In a
big spread
with a
big mob,
you
mastered
them,
and you
were doing
well if
they were
within 50
or 60
of what
should have
been there.
You
just lived
with
losses.
That's
life as a
sheep
farmer.
But
Jesus
knows
his
sheep
by name.
Personal,
individual,
particular.
Verse
11.
Sorry,
he knows
them and
they know
him and
will
respond
to
him.
Verse
11.
I'm
the
good
shepherd,
says
Jesus.
The
good
shepherd
lays
down
his
life
for
the
sheep.
See
how the
two things
are coming
together?
Jesus
has a
particular
group
of
people
in mind
that are
the focus
of his
mission,
and it
is for
this
particular
group
that
Jesus
will
lay
down
his
life
in
redemption.
Verse
14 and
15.
Same
thing
again.
I'm 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.
again, get
the impact
that Jesus
knows those
for whom he
will lay
down his
life as
distinctly,
individually,
and particularly
as the
Father knows
him,
Jesus.
Verses
16,
17,
and 18.
And I
have other
sheep that
are not of
this fold,
or this
sheep pen.
I must
bring them
also, and
they will
listen to
my voice.
So there
will be
one flock,
one
shepherd.
For this
reason, the
Father loves
me, because
I lay
down my
life that
I may
take it
up again.
No one
takes it
from me, but
I lay
it down
of my
own
accord.
I have
the
authority to
lay it
down, and
I have
the authority
to take
it up
again.
Jesus'
death will
be the
key act
of
mastering
God's
one
flock, a
flock made
up of
Jews,
Jewish
sheep, and
Gentile
sheep.
But
Jesus'
death will
be the
mastering or
the gathering
of this
one
flock, the
saving of
this one
flock, the
collecting of
specific
individuals known
to him, and
who will in
turn respond
to him.
Now, this
flock is
described in
other parts of
the Bible as
the church, the
bride of
Christ, or
the elect.
Verses
26 and
27.
You do
not believe,
remember he's
speaking to the
Jewish religious
leaders here
particularly, but
he's actually
speaking to a
bigger crowd.
he says, but
you do not
believe because
you're not
part of my
flock.
Again, we
see the
parameters and
the delineations.
Clearly, not
all people
belong to the
shepherd.
Clearly, the
shepherd is not
dying for all
people.
The fact that
the Jews and
the Jewish
religious leaders
as a whole
refused to
believe in
Jesus was
confirmation that
they're not
part of the
flock.
They're not
part of his
sheep.
They're not
the focus of
his mission.
27 to
30.
Jesus
affirms the
particularity of
his intention in
his forthcoming
death.
father and
son working in
an inseparable
partnership of
absolute sovereign
power to
gather the
sheep, to
bring them into
the sheep pen,
and to secure
them forever.
God's intent,
Jesus' mission.
Friends, hopefully
you don't think I've
labored that too
much, but I
did mean to
labor it.
because here's
the point.
The Bible never
speaks of Jesus
dying simply to
make salvation
possible.
The Bible never
speaks of Jesus
just sort of
putting it on the
table and saying,
well, look, here's a
great opportunity for
anybody who will
avail themselves of
it.
But you need to
decide for yourselves
whether you want to
embrace the benefits of
my death, says Jesus,
or not.
It's up to you.
No, the Bible
doesn't speak about
that.
The Bible doesn't
speak like that.
The Bible always
speaks about Jesus
dying to save or
secure the
salvation of his
sheep, his
people.
So, may I
suggest that
particular, the
word particular,
and I'm using a
theological term
now, the word
particular is an
important description
of redemption and
atonement.
So, we talk about
particular redemption
or particular
atonement.
Now, here's the
practical issue
here.
When it comes to
redemption or
atonement, all
Christians agree
about the necessity
of God's sovereign
power for
redemption through
the atoning death
of Jesus.
All Christians
believe that that's
necessary to deal
with sin, to
restore relationship
with God.
But apparent
unity quickly
vanishes because
many Christians,
and might I say
this morning, most
evangelicals, find
it impossible to
accept that Jesus
died for a definite
or particular group
of sinners.
sinners.
Instead, they
believe that
Christ's sacrificial
death made it
possible for
everyone in the
world to be
saved, but
doesn't directly
save anyone.
What's required
then for the
benefit for the
Christ's death to
be effective in the
life of an
individual is for
that individual to
decide to respond.
using their own
faith to embrace
what Jesus has
done in his
death.
And so I
argue with you
this morning, or
present to you
this morning, the
proposal, that that
is why the term
particular redemption
or particular
atonement is a
really important and
indeed helpful
term.
It helps us to
speak with the
same precision as
the Bible speaks.
It avoids
diminishing Christ's
sovereign power and
salvation by
thinking that Jesus
died simply in the
hope that some
would respond and
make use of that
which he's put on
the table for
them.
that would
diminish the
effectiveness of
Christ's death.
And it also
avoids diminishing
Christ's sovereign
power and salvation
by suggesting that
the quality or
sufficiency of
Christ's sacrificial
death is somehow
limited.
No, the quality of
Christ's death is
without limit.
it is a perfect
sacrifice.
Well, he'll
save anybody.
But what's
particular is God's
design, God's
intention in
salvation.
It's that that's
limited or
particular to his
chosen sheep.
So, at this point
then I need to
address an
objection.
What about all
those verses that
speak of Christ's
death as being
for the world
and for all?
And I've given
you three or
four of the most
common ones
referred to in
this objection.
Well, lots
could be said
about this and
so I'm giving you
a very, very
summary form.
Hopefully it's
not a trivialized
response but it
is going to be a
brief summary
response.
And I would say
this, that a
careful study of
these words in
their context
shows that the
first impression
of what they
mean is not
correct.
In context,
when you read
the word all
or the whole
world, it
never means all
people or the
whole of humanity
without exception.
Context will
show that fairly
easily, I
believe.
Now, sometimes
all or the
world actually
means all types
of people
regardless of
their social,
political, or
economic
circumstances.
That is, Christ
died for all
types of people.
And those
sorts of verses
are sometimes
emphasized against,
say, that the
narrow thinking of
the religious
Jews who
thought, well,
Jesus only died
for Jewish
people or
good people.
Sometimes, all
or the world
emphasizes the
fact that there
is no limit to
the power of
Christ's death to
forgive.
And so, it's
used to affirm
the genuine
offer of the
gospel to any
sinner in any
circumstance, in
any generation, in
any part of our
world.
The offer of the
gospel is the
same.
The outward
call of God is
the same.
And sometimes
all and the
world is used
in a theologically
defined context.
That is, it
emphasizes the
cosmic significance
of Christ's death.
sin had a
cosmic significance
in God's
creation.
Christ's death
has an
equal cosmic
significance
in undoing the
effects of sin
and restoring
God's creation.
It's right to
say that
Christ's death
is for the
world because
the world
theologically
represents the
kingdom of
Satan, the
kingdom in
rebellion against
God.
And Christ's
death is
powerful and
significant at
that same level
as he reconciles
the universe to
himself.
Now, I just
want to illustrate
that touched
down in 1 John
chapter 2,
verse 2.
So, if you
want to open
your Bible to
that, then I
just want to
take a couple
of minutes and
touch down on
one of these
verses.
Probably the
verses that
people would
go to most
commonly and
it's the
verse that
most, I
think, would
think was a
king hit to
this notion of
particular
redemption.
1 John
chapter 2,
verse 2.
Well, I'll
read the first
three verses,
the first two
verses.
John says,
My little
children, I'm
writing these
things to you so
that you may
not sin, but
if anyone does
sin, we have an
advocate with the
father, Jesus
Christ the
righteous.
He is the
propitiation for
our sins and
not for ours
only, but also
for the sins of
the whole world.
But also for the
sins of the
whole world.
Now, it seems
to be there that
Christ dies for
all people without
exception.
salvation.
But when you
look at the
context of
that verse, and
the context is
chapter 1, then
quite a different
perspective pops
up.
As I say, chapter
1 is the
context.
I don't have
time to get into
it in detail.
You can do it
for yourself.
John in
chapter 1 is
bursting with
excitement about
the eternal
fellowship or
salvation.
that is now
enjoyed by
those who
have come to
know and
experience the
word of life,
the Lord Jesus
Christ.
And he's
bursting with
excitement,
especially given
that these new
Christians are
struggling on a
daily basis with
ongoing sin and
failure in their
lives.
Christians.
And into that
situation, there's
been some
heresies thrown
in, some ways of
trying to reconcile
that.
And so if you look
at chapter 1, you'll
see in verse 6,
three things, three
options that people
have been given by
locals.
Verse 6, if we
say, verse 8, if
we say, verse 10,
if we say.
So what it means in
short form is that
some were encouraging
the Christians to
play down or find a
way to reduce the
notion of sin so
they could live
comfortably and not
be worried about
their daily failures
and sin.
And John says to
them, no, no, no,
that's not the way
to go at all.
One, it's not right,
but two, it's not
the way to go.
What you should do,
moving into chapter 2,
is not try and find a
way to play down
your sin, but look
to Jesus and play up
what he's done for
you in redemption.
Sin is a reality for
us as we move on in
our Christian life.
It's a daily struggle,
John's really saying.
And John's urging
believers not to
attempt to play down
the reality of
ongoing sin, but to
take comfort in
Christ.
Totally confident
that his propitiation
or that word just
means atoning
sacrifice, has dealt
with all the sins of
his people, including
past and future
sins.
So John's just
making a gospel
statement of comfort
and encouragement to
these Christians.
Christians.
And John reassures
these Christians with
all the warmth, the
authority, and comfort
of a father, speaking
to them as little
children.
He said, look, this
includes you in your
daily struggle with
sin.
So to put it all
together, John's saying
this, the salvation that
comes through Jesus'
death is not restricted
to the immediate circle
of disciples who had
actually seen, heard,
and touched Jesus.
That's where John
started his letter.
He's so excited because
he had seen, heard, and
touched.
Well, John says, well,
yeah, that's true.
But the benefits of
Christ's death aren't
restricted to that
group.
Nor are they restricted
to those who are
Jewish and who had
been converted through
the apostles, something
that John also speak
about.
Rather, says John, it
is equally real for
all Christians.
Any Christian, anyone
who has come into
union with Christ, has
this assurance that the
atoning death of Christ
has actually dealt with
their sins once for all.
Any nationality, any
part of the world, any
period of history has been
covered.
If you've come into
union with Christ, you're
covered by the death of
Christ.
Now, again, there's lots
more to be said on that
and those of you who may
differ from me may well
be thinking, no, that's
not fair.
But, anyway, that's an
attempt to be fair in the
dealing with that and I
can talk to you later or
you can talk to me.
Third question, and we're
not far from being done
now.
Did the good shepherd get
what he paid for?
Well, go back to John
chapter 10 now and look
again at verses 28 to 30
and the answer, we've
already read that out.
I won't read it again.
The answer is obviously
yes.
And it has to be yes
because the father in his
salvation plan entrusted to
Jesus a great number to be
saved.
Father's intent, the son's
mission.
And since he sent Jesus
into the world to secure
their salvation and master
the flock, the flock we call
the church, then this is
precisely what will happen.
Friends, it's inconceivable
that God the father in his
intent and God the son in his
execution or mission, that
those two would fail or that
somehow or other would get out
of sync with each other.
Both the cost of salvation
and the return on the
investment, God's investment
in salvation, was calculated
precisely by the father.
The cost was enormous.
The life is on precious son.
But the return on his
investment was also enormous.
Every one of his guilty,
spiritually dead sheep would
be saved.
That is, moved from spiritual
deadness to spiritual life and
vitality for eternity.
It must be yes.
Jesus did get what he died for
because logic demands it.
God's death.
The doctrine of total inability,
total depravity of all people,
the doctrine of God's sovereign
irresistible call of God's
chosen sheep to life,
demands the next step of God's
sovereign power in our lives.
That is, particular redemption.
God's determined that one dead
sheep should be brought to life.
God calls that sheep to life.
The sin of that sheep must be
dealt with in particular
redemption as Jesus dies for
that particular sheep.
God determines that not only,
sorry, God determines not only
that a great number of
spiritually dead people will be
made alive, but he also makes
it happen.
He makes it happen by the
sovereign power of his Holy
Spirit renewing a person from
the inside out and creating
those responses that would bring
a person to Jesus.
And he does it by dealing with a
sin that's a barrier to your
renewed relationship.
God's process from start to finish.
It's particular in its view going
forward.
It's particular in its application.
It's legally binding and it's
eternal in nature.
And it results in abundant life.
Now friends, as usual, there's
lots more that could be said
and perhaps lots more that
should be said.
But just let me conclude the
last couple of minutes by asking
this question.
Does it matter practically to
talk about particular redemption?
The answer is yes, it does.
It's enormously beneficial in the
area of assurance.
If you know anything of your
sinful heart and realize that at
one time you were dead, spiritually
dead, in response or in respect of
God, in terms of relationship with
God, if you know that where you've
come from, then it's lovely looking
forward to know that your security,
eternal security, is not rest on
yourself and what you've done, but
rest entirely on what Jesus has done
for you and has done in you and
continues to do in you.
And this in turn will mean that the
Father and Jesus are worthy of all
our praise.
So let me speak personally to you.
If you're a Christian here this
morning, you've already experienced
God's absolute sovereignty in your
salvation.
The sovereign power of God took hold
of you when you were spiritually dead
and couldn't have cared less about
God.
The renewing power of the Holy
Spirit changed your heart and mind
and desire so you responded to God's
irresistible call to come to him for a
new life and new security.
And Jesus has died specifically for
your sin.
So your relationship with God has been
restored.
Now go back to my very opening point.
What's not to like about that?
That's one of those things we long for.
We need.
We need God's sovereign power in our
lives.
And here when we see God's sovereign
power in our life, it's such a
beautiful thing.
And likewise, your friends and family
and neighbors and workmates, they too
are in a spiritual state of deadness
towards God.
And you know what?
As the Bible says, they don't even
know it.
They too need more than just the
possibility of salvation made available
to them.
They too need more than just an
opportunity for salvation provided by
Jesus and left conveniently on a table
saying, well, look, here it is.
You know, just make use of it if you
want to.
They need God's sovereign power to do
for them and do in them exactly what
he's done for you and in you.
That which they could never do for
themselves.
They need the good shepherd to rescue,
restore,
keep and lead them into green pastures.
And isn't it just wonderful to know
that that's precisely the description
of Jesus and precisely his intent
for his sheep.
Let me pray.
Lord, help us not to stumble over your
sovereign power.
Quite possibly, Lord, the point of
stumbling for each of us is that our
own sense of sovereignty gets in the
way of your sovereignty.
And Lord, quite honestly, we
pontificate and we cry unfair and we
raise all sorts of objections from a
point of view of great limitation in our
understanding of your plan and your
purpose and your character.
Help us, Lord, to hang on to that which
you say.
That you have chosen to act in a particular
way in salvation in our universe for your
own glory.
To show people that you're a loving,
merciful and good God who wants a vast
multitude to be saved.
Even those who deserve nothing but condemnation.
Help us, Lord, not to trip over that as
something abhorrent or unfair.
But help us to see something of your beauty
and your wonder and just to be amazed that
you have deigned to operate in your world in
this way.
And help us individually, Lord, to respond to
you as the one who is all goodness, all mercy,
all grace.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.