And as you look at that diamond, it reflects different parts of that beautiful gem. And as we look at Jesus, we see one facet of His life and person and character. We see another facet of His nature. And we have learned so far so many things about Him. how He is to the thirsty, the living water. To the hungry, He's the bread of life. To those in darkness, He's the light of the world. To those on the wrong path, He said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. To those who are disconnected from life, Jesus says, I am the true vine. To those who are misguided and don't know which door to enter, He said, I am the door. By Me, if any man shall enter in, he shall be saved. But today, out of John 10, we are going to see that to those who are His sheep, He's the Good Shepherd. But before we look into it, let's begin with a moment of prayer and ask God's Spirit to speak to us. Shall we pray? We ask you, Father, now, in the name of Jesus, that you would speak to the hearts of your people, that you would comfort them with the knowledge that they are your sheep, that you love them, that nothing can take them out of your hand. And we pray that those in here who are not your sheep, that they will come to see that they need to trust the Good Shepherd for salvation. For neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, except the name of Jesus. May they trust You, Lord. We pray now that You would open our eyes and help us to behold wonderful things out of Your law, help us to see the wonderful person of Jesus, today. We ask this in His name. Amen. Jesus says, if you would notice it please, in John 10 and verse 11, I am the good shepherd. In the original language, He literally uses two definite articles. He says, I am the shepherd, the good one. I am the Shepherd, the Good One. I am the Good Shepherd. He is the only Good Shepherd. It is not as if there were many other shepherds that we could follow. It's not as if there were any other that were good. Only Jesus is the one and only Good Shepherd. And we who are saved are His sheep. Now, we saw last week that the reason why God uses that picture, that word picture, of Him being the shepherd and us being the sheep, the reason why He calls us sheep is because all we like sheep had gone astray. We had turned everyone to His own way. But the Lord God the Father hath laid on Him, the Son Jesus, the iniquity of us all, Like sheep, we went astray. Like sheep, we were lost. Like sheep, we would wander if left to ourself. Like sheep, we are dirty and need the cleansing that comes from the shepherd. Like sheep, we are dependent and require a shepherd to lead us, feed us, and stay with us. That's why David said, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. It's all about Him and what He does for us. And what a blessing it is that although I am dependent, I can depend on Him and He will supply this sheep's needs. Sheep like people are vulnerable. They are open to attack. If abandoned, they would be lost and ravaged and devoured by wolves. They would die. We are vulnerable, but we need the Shepherd to protect us. And that's why David said, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. And so the Lord uses this word picture to teach us about ourself and to teach us about Himself. Now, we need to keep in mind that the Jewish shepherds, they did not tend the sheep in order to slaughter the sheep, unless they were to give them in sacrifice. But shepherds tended them that the sheep might give wool, that they might give milk, that they might produce lambs, and I believe that Jesus has a good purpose in being our shepherd and we His sheep. Now, he says, I am the good shepherd in verse 11. If you study Scripture, you will find he also said that I am the great shepherd in Hebrews 13. The great shepherd who died and rose again to care for his sheep. He said in 1 Peter 5 that he was the chief shepherd who would one day return for his people. He is the chief shepherd because everyone who would pastor a flock of people is an under-shepherd. But he is the chief shepherd who is coming back for his own. Well, today we see him as the good shepherd. He says, I'm the Good One, the Good Shepherd. For Him to be good, you remember, He must be God. Do you remember in Matthew 19 how a man came up to Him and said, Good Master, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus responded with an unusual statement. He said, Why do you call Me good? There is none good but One, that is God. Was Jesus saying, I am not good? No. He is implying, if I am good as you say I am, I must be God, because the only one who is good is God. Nobody else is any good. You may think you're good because you measure yourself by man. You measure yourself according to how you appear before others or how they measure up to you. But you know, all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are depraved and wicked and sinful, but Jesus was not. Therefore, He is good, and being good, He has to be God. Because there's none good but One, that is God. Now here He says, I am the Good Shepherd. Now, by calling himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus is really calling himself the fulfillment of Ezekiel chapter 34, where in Ezekiel chapter 34, God indicts the false shepherds of Israel who were leading his sheep astray, that were using the sheep to make themselves fat, that were exploiting the sheep and not tending the sheep, not feeding the flock, And therefore, God says, and if we can skip down to Ezekiel 34, verse 10, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more, for I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. But now he contrasts the false shepherds mentioned in verses 1-10, these men who were supposed to be leading Israel, supposed to be feeding Israel, but he contrasts them with the true shepherd, which is the Lord Jesus. Verse 11, For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day, that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so I will seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and bring them into their own land, feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country, I will feed them in a good pasture. And upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be. There shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, bring again that which was driven away, will bind up that which was broken, will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with judgment." Jesus there is that shepherd who says, I'll seek out my people. And now we come from Ezekiel prophesying about that event to the fulfillment of that in Jesus Christ, who says in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd. But the question is, what do you mean by good? He says, I'm the Good Shepherd. Well, goodness is as goodness does. Goodness is as goodness does. What does the good shepherd do for his sheep that makes him so good? I want to show you today some of the good things the shepherd does for the sheep. Because that's what Jesus is emphasizing here. What does the Good Shepherd do for His sheep? Well, look in verse 11 to 13, we find the Good Shepherd sacrificed His life to save the sheep. Notice verse 11. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. I'd say that's a pretty good shepherd. If you had a shepherd like David, that would dare to stand up against the bear, dare to stand up against the lion that sought to eat one of his sheep and rescue that sheep out of the lion's mouth and out of the mouth of the bear, then that's a pretty good shepherd. But you know Jesus is the ultimate good shepherd because He gave His life for His sheep. to give, speaks of a voluntary willingness to hand over His precious life for the salvation of His sheep. When He says, I give My life, that means they didn't take it from Him. Who killed Jesus? The answer is nobody. He gave His life. Nobody could kill Jesus. He is God. Unless He had given Himself to be crucified, they could do nothing against Him. He even says that in this context. If you notice there, down in verse 17, Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. He said, I'll lay it down on that cross. I will rise again. Verse 18, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." And so, Jesus gave His life. Roman soldiers didn't kill him. Jews didn't kill him. He allowed himself to be killed. Why? To provide salvation for you and me. He says, the good shepherd giveth his life, notice, for the sheep. The word for means in behalf of, or instead of. It is the usual preposition for substitution. Jesus' death was not for the purpose of providing an example for the sheep, like so many assume. You ask them, why did He die on the cross? Well, to provide a good example so that we could follow and do likewise. That is not why He died. Certainly He is an example. But that's not His purpose. His purpose is that He might make a payment on behalf of the sheep. He died as the substitute for the sheep. Now, it is very important to note that the Bible says, Jesus says, that the Good Shepherd giveth His life, notice, for the sheep. What does that mean? That means, in the final analysis, only His sheep will benefit in His death. In the final outcome, only His sheep would benefit by His death. Christ's sacrifice was made specifically for those who would eventually believe His Gospel and become His sheep. Now, it is true and we have to balance every scripture with other scripture to come up with a proper interpretation. It is true. that He is an infinite God who made an infinite sacrifice to pay an infinite price, and His death is sufficient for all, but His death is only efficient to those who believe the Gospel and who would become His sheep. Scripture indicates that Christ's atonement was broad in its provision, but it's narrow in its application. In other words, when Jesus died, He died an infinite death, paid an infinite price. As a matter of fact, His death, as we see in some Scriptures, He shed His blood even for people who will eventually perish. But they will not partake of His blood. The gift is broad enough for everyone, but it's limited to the sheep. I want to show you that in 2 Peter 2. Here the Bible says in verse 1, But there were false prophets also among the people. Now is a false prophet saved? No. Notice it says, there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily, which means secretly, with deception, shall bring in damnable heresies. What is a damnable heresy? It is a teaching that will result in the damnation of those that believe that false teaching. So here are false teachers peddling a false message who are going to end up being judged themselves, and notice it says, even denying the Lord that bought them, and shall bring upon themselves swift destruction. What does that mean? It means what it says. that there are people that will end up in hell because they denied the Lord Jesus who bought them. They never would become His sheep. They would never partake of His atonement. But His atonement was still broad enough to cover their sins had they believed and had they were elected by God. You know, the Bible teaches in 1 John 2.2, He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Hebrews 2.9 states that Christ tasted death for every man. in his omniscient eye, in his mind's eye, it was for his beloved sheep that he ultimately went to Calvary. His atonement will only benefit his sheep. The Bible does not teach universalism. It does not teach, as some heretics would preach, that everybody's going to heaven, everybody is going to be saved. No, only his sheep will be saved. And Jesus will go on and tell the Pharisees, if you would notice over there in verse 26 of chapter 10 of John, but you believe not because you are not my sheep, as I said unto you. And so there would be people who would perish. And so even though Jesus made a payment that is infinite in its provision, it is limited in its application to only His sheep. It is sufficient for all, but only efficient to those who believe. I think 1 Timothy 4.10 bears out that point very well, where Paul writes, For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe. Now what does that statement mean? He is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. I'll tell you what it means. It means that Christ's payment on Calvary was broad enough for the whole world, but it is limited to those who believe. His death is sufficient for all, but only efficient to those who believe the gospel. And those are the sheep of the Lord Jesus. So the Bible says, back to our text in John 10, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And so, in the final analysis, only the sheep will benefit in his death. Verse 12, But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth. And the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. You see, the hireling here is not necessarily the thief and the robber that Jesus talked about in verse 1 and verse 8. He may be just a nominal shepherd, just a nominal pastor of the flock, who serves only for one reason. He serves for money. And so there would be shepherds that would... hired shepherds, hirelings. They don't own the sheep. But they were hired to take care of the sheep. And when they would see a wolf coming, they would flee to save their own skin. They'd run. They'd say, I don't care about these sheep. I'm out of here. And that's the way a hireling would be. When he senses danger coming, whether Satan or his forces, he flees. That's a hireling, but that's not the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Verse 13, the hireling fleeth because he's a hireling and careth not for the sheep. He doesn't care about them. He doesn't have a heart for them because they don't belong to Him. However, the sheep belong to Jesus. And Jesus loves His sheep. They are His own. Well, we have seen that the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep, but I want to show you another reason why He's a Good Shepherd. In verse 14, He says He knows His sheep. The Good Shepherd personally knows each and every one of His sheep. I am the Good Shepherd, notice, and know My sheep and am known of Mine. He says, I know them. And that's more than an intellectual awareness. It speaks of an intimate relationship between the shepherd and his people. He knows his sheep by name, as he mentions in verse 3 of this chapter. He knows us by name. He knows us by nature. He recognizes the traits and needs of his people just like a shepherd would understand his sheep's nature. He understands our needs. He knows us by name, by nature, by needs. He knows all about us. And his personal knowledge of his sheep is reiterated in verse 27, where he said, My sheep hear my voice, notice, and I know them. Isn't it good to know that if you're a sheep, he will never say to you, depart from me. I never knew you. Because he knows those who belong to him. to think that Jesus takes interest in us. To think that we are not just a number to Him. You're not just a social security number. But to Him, He knows His sheep, and He loves His sheep. But He knows those who belong to Him. He says, I know my sheep. A shepherd does not tend sheep that don't belong to him. And Jesus is not the shepherd of those people who do not belong to Him. As He said in verse 26, Ye are not of My sheep. He only tends His own flock. He only knows in a personal way His own people. He knows those who know Him. You say, how do I know I know Him? Well, if we could just skip ahead a little bit, in verse 27, He said, My sheep hear My voice. Hey, that's one way you could know you're a sheep. Do you hear His voice? I'm not talking about dreams. I'm not talking about some audible sound that may come in and, oh, I just heard something. Do you hear that? No. I'm talking about how God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. And Jesus speaks to His sheep and He teaches them. And His sheep listen. But those who are not His sheep, they don't care. They don't listen to His voice. They're not interested in the Bible, not interested in the things of God. But those who are His sheep, they hear His voice and they also follow Him. They do His will. Not perfectly, for there's none that are perfect among us sheep, but the characteristic of our life that overshadows everything else will be a desire to do the will of God. Jesus knows those who know Him, and you can know that you know Him if you hear His voice, you follow His Word. But then, Jesus says in verse 15, as the Father knoweth me, Even so, I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." What does that verse mean in light of verse 14? It simply means this. He says, I know my sheep the same way that the Father knows me and I know the Father. How well does the Father know the Son? Very well. How well does the Son know the Father? Very well. And he's saying here that I know my sheep the same way my Father knows me and I know Him. which speaks of a very special knowledge and interest that the Good Shepherd has in every one of His sheep. Isn't it good to know that to Jesus, you're special? To Jesus, you are not just a number, you're a special sheep of His. And He knows everyone. Just as a shepherd would know his sheep, give them names, Jesus knows every one of His own. That's why He's so good. Not only that, the Good Shepherd gathers and unites His sheep into one fold. Verse 16, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. What does that mean? It means that Jesus had some sheep that were Jewish people, His disciples, for example. Others who were following Him here in the Gospel of John. But He says, this is not all I have. Because the Pharisees would say, yeah, I see your sheep, Matthew, and I see that sheep, Peter, and I see all these sheep. But Jesus says, I've got more than this. This is not all I have. I've got some sheep coming that are not of this Jewish fold. I have some Gentiles I'm going to save. I'm going to go to the Gentile with my Gospel and summon them unto myself. And so he says that I have other sheep which are not of this fold, meaning not yet of this fold. Because prior to salvation, we are not part of Christ's fold. We are not part of the sheepfold prior to salvation. We enter in by faith in the sheepfold. And he says, other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, that they shall hear my voice. He says, I'll speak to them as well. And there shall be one fold and one shepherd. One fold. You know what that means? All Christians, all believers, both Jew and Gentile, become one big family of sheep. Ephesians 2.16 says, and that he might reconcile both, Jew and Gentile, unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby. And so, my friends, there are not many folds. There's one fold. Jesus is one Shepherd who has one fold, and all of His redeemed make up that one fold. Now, what is amazing is that I'm looking at sheep in here, different skin color, different backgrounds, different cultures, different countries represented. But do you know something? There's only one sheepfold. Jesus is not the one who makes a sheepfold for this denomination and some other sheepfold for that. No. When He speaks about one fold, He's not speaking about a denomination. When Jesus speaks about one fold, He's not speaking of a denomination, as the Roman Catholic Church falsely argues, but rather of a collection of all true believers, no matter which denomination of true Christianity they might attend. But I'll tell you, there might be people we don't agree with, and among Christianity there will be points at which we differ, But on cardinal doctrine, we will agree, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, based on the Bible alone. And all Christians will believe that. But we'll differ on some points here and there. We shouldn't fight over those points, by the way. But we should talk about them. But do you know something? Everyone who is saved throughout this world is part of the sheepfold. That's why Steve Avery and Fran are heading over there to Trinidad. And they're going to be with some brothers and sisters over there, right? And you have love and unity over there. Why? Because they're part of the same sheepfold. That's right. By the way, today's Steve's birthday. Later on, we'll sing happy birthday to him, and also Jessica Velez, and also Oliver Bosto, and whoever else has a birthday in here today. But anyway, there's one sheepfold. And all of us who are redeemed are part of that one fold. As the Bible also uses the analogy of a body. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jew or Gentile, bond or free, doesn't matter, male or female, everyone has been made to drink into one Spirit. According to 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 13. And so, Christ's sheepfold includes God's people in all lands, not just Palestine. In all ages, not just the New Testament era. I am not one of those who would believe that there's two categories of people up in heaven. I don't buy that. I believe that when we're up in glory, there's going to be one big group of God's people. God will have special things for different people to get done for Him, yes. But we are all saved by the same way, through the same blood, through the cross. Abraham, he's part of the sheep fold. King David, Daniel, Joseph, anybody who's ever been saved has been made part of the one fold. And to teach anything else is to teach, I believe, borders on heresy. Because it almost implies that there's different modes of salvation and different ways in which people get into the family of God or the kingdom of God. And there's different compartments of people. You know, I know of some people that literally believe that unless you are baptized in a Baptist church, you're not part of the Bride of Christ. They are what we call the Baptist Briders. That's a cultic mentality, my friends. The Bible does not speak of that. There's not one group in heaven that are the bride of Christ and then there's another group up there which, you know, they got saved, but they weren't baptized right, therefore, they're not part of the body. No. Everybody who is truly a believer is part of that one fold and enjoys that relationship to that one shepherd. And so the good shepherd gathers and unites his sheep into one fold. And that's another reason why he's a good shepherd. But I'll give you another one. The good shepherd speaks to his sheep and leads them throughout life. He speaks to his sheep. Now, let's skip down to verse 22. Here's some time goes by. By the way, as Jesus finished that statement about Him laying down His life, taking it up again, there was division among the Jews because of what He was saying. Some said, He's demon-possessed. Others saying, He's mad. Why are you paying attention to Him? Others said, these are not the words of Him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? You know, devils specialize in closing eyes, not opening them. But you know, in verse 22, now some time passes, perhaps three months of time lapse. We are now in the middle of December, the time of the Feast of Lights or the Feast of Hanukkah. And it says in verse 22, and it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter, and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch, and then it's going to talk about another event that occurred. But this was now the time of Hanukkah where the Jews would remember the deliverance that was brought about by Judas Maccabeus, who in 164 BC cleansed the temple from the defilements of that pagan worship of Antiochus Epiphanes. And the Jews now are celebrating that time of deliverance. By the way, Antiochus Epiphanes is a picture of the future Antichrist. And the abominations that he did will be done to a greater extreme in the future. But the Jews still celebrate this time of Hanukkah. remembering the deliverance. And Jesus is walking in the temple in Solomon's porch. Verse 24, Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me." Jesus is saying here, I already told you, I am the Messiah. He not only said so in words that He was the Son of God, which would mean He's the Messiah, but He said in John 5, 17 to 47, John 7, 14, John 10, 10, where He said, that He has come that we might have life and more abundantly. In all these ways, what He is saying is, I am the Christ. But you know, He not merely said it, He proved it. He told them not only with His words, but with His works, with His miracles, and His kind deeds. He says, the works that I do, they bear witness of Me. So Jesus didn't have to toot His own horn as the typical wannabe messiahs would. But His life and works and the testimony of others on His behalf would testify of His Messiahship. Anybody could run around claiming, I'm the Messiah, I'm the Messiah. Jesus had works, miracles, signs that proved that He was the Messiah. And He had a lot of other testimonies on His behalf, like the testimony of God the Father, testimony of John the Baptist, testimony of His own disciples, but we won't get into that too much further today. But in verse 27, He said, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. There the sheep hear His voice and follow Him, which implies two things. He speaks to His sheep and He leads His sheep. He said, My sheep hear My voice. That must mean He speaks to us. What makes Him a good shepherd is that He speaks to us. He does not give us the silent treatment unless, of course, you're living in sin. Then He may not be speaking. He may be spanking. The Good Shepherd may be breaking some legs and spanking some people, but the Good Shepherd speaks to His sheep when they're walking right with Him. And as those sheep are walking close to Him, He speaks to their hearts through the Word of God by means of His written Word. And His sheep, they hear His voice. And they only hear His voice. They recognize His voice. They can discern truth from error. As the Bible says, and we studied this last week, that they will not listen to the voice of a cultist or a false prophet. As He said in verse 4 of this chapter, when He put forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him. Why? For they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from Him, for they know not the voice of strangers. Verse 8, All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. So God's sheep, they don't listen to false voices, false prophets, false leaders. They know the true Word of God. They know the voice of Jesus. We recognize His voice. We know He's speaking truth to me now. When God speaks to your heart, when God ministers through His Word, you can discern His voice from the voice of those false prophets, cult leaders. I don't believe that a true child of God will become saved and ever revert back to some pagan religion Or some cult somewhere, some Jim Jones group. No, God's people, they'll recognize that in a heartbeat. They will know that's not the voice of my Jesus. That's not the truth of God. And they will flee from that. Those who defect and go back into apostasy simply manifest that they were never sheep to begin with. because God's sheep hear His voice, because He speaks to them and they recognize His voice. But not only that, He says, they follow Me, which implies He leads them. As Psalm 23 states, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He leads His people along. He doesn't leave His sheep to themselves. He is with us always, even to the end of the world. And that's why Proverbs 3.5 says we can trust in the Lord with all our heart. We don't lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him. Lord, where do you want me to go? What do you want me to do? And He shall direct your path. Why? Because the Shepherd leads you. And as the footprints in the sand goes, there are times the Shepherd carries you. But He leads His dear children along. He speaks to His sheep. He leads His sheep. But I want to show you finally, He protects His sheep. He gives them security. The Good Shepherd is good because He eternally holds His sheep in His hand and He keeps them secure forever. Notice verse 28, And I give unto them eternal life. Who's the giver of eternal life? Jesus is. He said, I give unto them eternal life. By the way, if he was not God, if he was not the Messiah, how could he ever be so arrogant as to claim to have the ability to give eternal life? That's something only God gives. But I'll tell you, He is God. And He has the authority and the power to give eternal life. He's the giver of salvation. And the fact that He says, I give it, means it's free. It is a gift. It is not earned. It is not deserved. It is a result of grace. That's what the word gift means. It means it's the result of grace. He says, I give eternal life, not temporary life, like so many believe. There are some who believe that a true child of God can be saved and it loses salvation. How is that possible? If He gives His sheep eternal life, then His sheep have something that will not end. It will last forever and ever. It is not temporary. It's everlasting, as John 3.16 says. And he says, they shall never perish. And if you've studied the original language, you would know it's a double negative. which means there is absolutely no way that any of God's sheep will ever perish, which means be destroyed. They will never be destroyed by Satan's deception, nor will they ever be destroyed by the wrath and judgment of God. God's people will never perish. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. We're in, you know, the Allstate. You're in good hands with Allstate? No. You're in good hands with Jesus. Because if you're in His hand, there is nobody, nothing that could pull you out of His hand. Now, when I illustrated this to some teenagers some time ago, I took something, put it in my hand, and I said, I want the biggest, strongest teenager to come up here and try to get it out of my hand. Some kid came up with some big, long fingernails and started digging them into my hand. I wasn't going to let Him win. I held on to that thing. Whatever it was I was holding. And I told the teens, I'm nothing, and yet I could hold on to this. Jesus is God. If He's got you in His grip, can anybody yank you out? If you're in His hand, nobody can take you out of His hand. Not even the devil. And if you notice the word any man, man is italicized, it simply means anyone, which could include the demons, not even yourself. Not even you can take yourself out of His hand. By the way, once you're in His hand, why would you ever want to be taken out to begin with? a place of security, a place of peace, a place of joy, a place of fulfillment, a place of direction and wisdom and blessing. You've got to be a fool to take yourself out of His hand. There are some who say, well, you can be in His hand, but then you can take yourself out of His hand. Nobody can take you out, not even yourself. Jesus is saying here, no wolf, no thief, no bandit, no hireling, no demon, not even the devil himself can pluck you out of his hand. Now it's important to keep in mind that Jesus was talking about sheep here in the context. He's talking about true believers and not counterfeits. The dog and the pig, which are two unclean animals, will go back into sin according to 2 Peter 2.20-22. They will defect, the dog to its vomit, the pig to its mud. And they will manifest their true nature by doing that. But a true child of God? He's not going to defect like the dog and the pig. Because he's a different animal altogether. Now, Jesus goes on to say in verse 29, My Father which gave them Me, and it's interesting that the sheep are given to the Son by the Father. Did you see that? Just as in many marriage customs, the father selects a bride for his son, so God the Father selects a bride for His Son. And all that the Father gives to His Son, He says, My Father which gave them to Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one. You see, you're in Jesus' hand, you're in God the Father's hand, And because of that, God will have the power to keep you saved. Because both the Father and the Son are God, and the Bible says in 2 Peter 1.5 that we are kept by the power of God. Not by our power. We are kept saved by the power of God. So, verses 29 and 30 are teaching us a combined to keep the sheep secure. And I'm glad that my salvation is not depending upon myself to keep it. If keeping our salvation depended upon our works, we would lose it, for sure. But the Bible says salvation is of the Lord. Jonah 2.9. It is a work originated by God the Father, wrought through Christ the Son, applied by the Holy Spirit, and the very definition of the word salvation argues for eternal security because it means a saving, a rescuing, a deliverance, and a preservation from the bondage of Satan's sin and sin's consequences. It implies a permanent restoration and renewal unto God, making us a partaker of the infinite riches of God. And that's why, my friends, we have security. We're in good hands in Jesus. You know, belonging to Him means I've got benefits already. I don't have to wait to die to get salvation benefits. I already have the benefits. Salvation is a present possession. It is something that's already mine. The Bible says I've already been blessed with all spiritual blessings, Ephesians 1.3. I've already been accepted in the Beloved, Ephesians 1.6. Presently I possess redemption and forgiveness, Ephesians 1.7. I already have an inheritance, Ephesians 1.11. I've already been sealed with His Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1.13. I've already been quickened or made alive with Christ, Ephesians 2.5. I've already been raised up and seated together with Christ, Ephesians 2.6. And the Bible puts it in the already tense to indicate it's as good as done. It's a done deal. Salvation declares that the believer has already been saved from the curse of the law, Galatians 3.13. From the wrath of God, 1 Thessalonians 5.9. From death, 2 Corinthians 1.10. From destruction, 2 Thessalonians 1.9. And the believer, the person who trusts Jesus, becomes a child of God, regenerated, a new creature, a heavenly citizen, an heir of God's grace, and complete in Christ. And boy, I'll tell you, it is wonderful to know that. Hey, the God who saved me is of unchanging character. He is totally trustworthy. He abides faithful. He cannot lie. His Word is truth. And my assurance is based not on my trustworthiness or my goodness, but on His trustworthiness. That's why Paul said, I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. And so Judgment Day need not be feared by believers because we're kept by Jesus Christ. God saved me by His love. The love that met me was unconditional when I received it and it's unconditional now that I've obtained it. Paul states that if Christ was willing to die for men, though they were sinners, how much more will He keep them saved once He has saved them? Much more than being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5, 8 and 9. God's love is undeserved. I didn't deserve it when I got it. I don't deserve it now that I have it. 1 John 4.10, the Bible teaches that a man having been saved for many years is no more worthy of God's saving grace than he was before salvation or at the time of salvation. Men are saved by unmerited grace and kept saved by that same unmerited grace. God's love is unending and we can't read it today, but Romans 8 talks about how absolutely nothing can separate one who has been justified by God from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. My friend, we're secure. The Bible says that our God is a God who is powerful to save us to the uttermost. As somebody said, He takes them from the guttermost and takes them to the uttermost. Hebrews 7, 25. He is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless before the presence of His glory. Jude 24. And the Bible also says He's a God of justice, and because of that, we won't lose our salvation. Because you know, my friends, if God judged our sin on Christ, once you put your faith in Him, He cannot turn around and judge your sin a second time. Because the sin has already been judged upon Jesus, And the payment has been applied to you the moment you believe the Gospel. You've received a pardon at that moment. And those whom God pardons, they are never ever under condemnation anymore. God's salvation is by grace. Now, it's interesting. He doesn't say, by faith through grace. He says, by grace through faith. Which puts the emphasis on grace and not faith. The emphasis is on grace. which tells me that it's God's unmerited, unearned, undeserved kindness and favor that is the basis for my salvation and my security. That's where the emphasis is. The grace of God. Do you know when we become saved, we become joined to Jesus, inseparably united to Christ's body? And the Bible teaches nothing about dismemberment, We are members of His body, of His flesh, of His bones, Ephesians 5.30. Now, if you're a part of the body of Christ, don't expect that He's going to amputate you. You are part of Him forever. You are a part of Jesus, His body, His bride. By the way, that's why He hates divorce. Because divorce violates the picture of His permanency with His people. And every bride should remain with her husband, and vice versa, because that pictures the security that is in Christ. And then the Holy Spirit. I've got a salvation that's guaranteed because I've been sealed with the Spirit. meaning security. I've got the earnest of the inheritance. I've got the down payment, the guarantee that God will fulfill His promise. He has sealed me with the Spirit until the day of redemption. And we could go on and on. There's many other doctrinal proofs that would show you've got security. But you know, so many doubt their salvation. So many go through struggles with this. But that's the work of the devil. Because once you put your faith in Christ, you're trusting not just any old shepherd. You're trusting the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd who takes care of His sheep forever and ever and ever. Aren't you glad you belong to the Good Shepherd? Let's give Him thanks, for He is a Good Shepherd. Lord, we are not good sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to His own way. but you are a good shepherd. Thank you for saving our souls, for giving us eternal life. Thank you for giving your life for your sheep. We therefore know that your sheep will never, ever perish. No one can take your sheep out of your hand. And we thank you for that security. that promise. And you cannot lie. You cannot say something and go back. And so we thank you that we cannot lose our salvation. Because you're a good shepherd. You never lose one sheep. If one of yours goes astray, you go out, leave the 99, go get that one. But Lord, I thank you that you care for every one of your sheep. Not one of them slip away. And Lord, I pray that You would bless all of us with that assurance. And for anyone in here that is not yet one of Your sheep, because they have not yet believed on the Lord Jesus, may today be the day they trust You, Lord, so that they could be part of that one sheepfold, part of the family of God, part of the kingdom of God. May they put their trust in You, Lord. Please, work in them, Lord. We thank You so much. for making us your fold, your sheep. May we always listen to your voice. I pray that you would forgive all of us who do not know your Word better. Forgive us for not having more of the Bible memorized. Forgive us for not reading more of your Bible and letting you speak to your sheep. And then forgive us for the times we haven't followed You closely. We know Your sheep will follow, but Lord, there are times we've failed. We thank You that You always come and get us and bring us close again. I pray that You would remind us constantly to stay close. Stay close. Follow the Shepherd. May we not wander astray and hurt the testimony of Yourself. I pray that you would meet the spiritual need of everyone in this room, Lord, whatever that need might be. Thank you for teaching us your Word today. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray and we thank you. Amen.