John 10. Gospel chapter 10. We've got two verses. We'll use
this text. John chapter 10. I almost read Psalm 29 tonight. If you know that psalm, it speaks
of the voice of the Lord over and over again. The voice of
the Lord. Thunder. The voice of the Lord. Powerful. The voice of the Lord on the
waters. The voice of the Lord breaking the cedars. Cedars of
Lebanon. And on and on it goes. Look at
John 10 verse 27 again. The Lord says, My sheep hear
My voice. And in chapter 11, I love this
verse, the Lord said this through a woman, a sister, to Mary. Martha said to Mary, verse 28,
she went her way, she so said she went her way, Martha, and
called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, The Master has come and
He called for thee. Apparently the Lord said, go
call Mary. The Master has come. The Master's voice is the title
of this message. When I sit down to read the Scriptures,
I'm looking for a message for you. I'm looking for a message
for me. I'm looking for a blessing from
the Word of God. I need to hear. from the Lord,
and I always ask Him, Lord, speak to me. How many times do we read
the Scripture and we get nothing out of it? We read it like we
would any other book. This is more than just a book. This is how God speaks to us.
But the Lord is mine, and I call
on Him in truth. The Lord will speak to those
who ask Him. The Lord speaks, right? The Lord first speaks to us when
we weren't calling on Him, right? He said, I'm found of them that
sought me not. But then after we're found, we call on Him. And we asked him, he said, ask,
you'll receive. Seek, you'll find. Knock, it'll
be open. I stand at the door and knock.
Amen. Open the door. That's the church.
So do you do that? Lord, speak to me. And I pray
for you individually. I do. I call your name, Lord.
Bless so and so today. Bless them. Be with them today.
And there are some that I have such a burden for. Lord, speak
to her. Speak to him. Speak to them.
Because His Word is His power. Like the centurion said to the
Lord concerning his servant that was sick. He had a burden for
his servant. He said, Lord, You just speak
the Word only and my servant will be healed. And that's what
I pray. That's what we all should pray.
Lord, speak. There's nothing we say. Nothing we can say. Nothing
anyone can say that will influence or have any effect or really
won't comfort, won't give faith. Nothing we say. Nothing. We try
as we may. But if the Lord speaks, He can
just speak one word, can't He? It's the word of His power. God's
word is His power. God's Word is His voice. I devoted
a whole message one time with this question. Why doesn't the
Lord speak out loud? And the whole world, well, if
He'll just speak, I'll believe Him. He did. He does. But you don't hear Him. You have
ears to hear and you won't hear Him. Turn away your ears. God has spoken once, yea, twice,
but men perceive it not. What's that? Old and New Testament. Hebrews 1, God in sundry town
and divers manner, spake unto the fathers by the prophet, hath
in these last days spoken by the Son. Did they hear the prophet? Did they hear the Son of God?
His sheep did. I hope to give you great comfort
tonight, if you've heard his voice and continue to hear his
voice, and you follow him, you believe him, and you hang on
his word, and his word speaks to you, speaks peace to you,
gives comfort to you, convicts you, you're his sheep. Goats don't receive it. So the
Word of God is His voice. He created all things by the
Word of His power, didn't He? In the beginning, God created
all things. God said, that's power, isn't it? This is what
makes God, God. The Word of His power. All He
has to do is speak and it's done. He said, I've spoken it, it will
come to pass. Try that. I can't do anything
by saying it. He does. He does all things by
saying it. The Word of His power. Oh my. He upholds all things by the
Word of His power. He commands all things. He performs
all things. He provides all things with the
Word. The Lord God. We're talking about
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God does not speak
out loud any longer. He did. He did. But He does it
now because we have a Peter said, Simon Peter said, we were on
the mountain and we heard a voice from heaven. Now, buddy, you'd
think if you heard a voice from heaven, you'd never forget it
and you'd believe and you'd never have any doubt whatsoever. Would
you? Not true. They all doubted. They heard
that book. Didn't they? They all fled for
fear. But Peter said, we have a more
sure word of prophecy. Know it. The Word of God. The written Word. God only speaks
through His Word. His Word is His voice. And He
said, My sheep hear My voice. The Word of God. All of His sheep. This is how you know them. They
hear his word. A stranger's voice, they won't
listen to lies. They listen to the truth. From
our birth to our death, all of our days, the sheep hear, believe,
and follow. They love the shepherd's voice,
and that's his word. They love the sound of his voice.
The beloved in Song of Solomon says, it's the voice of my beloved. The sound of his voice. Paul
told young Timothy, hold fast the form of sound words. Do you like sound words? Do you
like the sound of certain words? Here's how you know the sheep
from the goats. Goats love the sound of sound words. Predestination. It makes you
smile. The average person would be shutting
me off right now. Sovereign mercy. Election. Sound word. The sound of His
voice. The sound of His power. His person. Alright, I have three points. To whom does the Lord speak?
How does He speak? And what does He say? To whom
does the Lord speak? Turn to Proverbs 8. Proverbs
chapter 8. try to turn quickly and quote
some of these verses I wrote in that outline to you. To whom
does the Lord speak? All heaven and earth. The Lord
has spoken to all heaven and earth. Listen to Deuteronomy
32. Give ear, O ye heavens, I will speak. Hear, O earth, the words
of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as a rain,
my speech shall distill as it do, he goes on, I will publish
the name of the Lord, ascribe ye greatness unto our God. That's Deuteronomy 32. Listen, Psalm 50. The mighty
God, even the Lord, has spoken and called the earth from the
rising of the sun unto the going down of the same. He shall call
to the heavens from above and to the earth that he might judge
his people. That's Psalm And here in Proverbs
8, who is this speaking of when
it speaks of wisdom? It's clear to you, isn't it?
Christ. He's made unto us wisdom. Doth
not wisdom cry, verse 1, understanding put forth her voice? She standeth
in the top of high places, by the way, in the places of the
path. And you and I have seen the reason she is used here. It's because when you first heard
his voice, it was in the church. The Lord speaks in the midst
of his people in the church. She crieth at the gates, at the
entry of the city, at the coming in of the door. Unto you, O men,
I call. My voice is to the sons of man. This is all human beings have
heard this. Oh, you simple, understand wisdom. You fools, be of an understanding
heart. What does God call men? Fools. Here, for I will speak excellent
things, the opening of my lips shall be right things. Everything
he says is in righteousness. My mouth shall speak truth. Won't
God be listening to you? Man turns away his ears from
truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of
my mouth are in righteousness. There's nothing fraud or corrupt
or perverse in them. They're all plain to him that
understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Receive
my instruction, not silver, and knowledge rather than gold. Wisdom
is better than rubies. All things that may be desired
are not to be compared to it." Who's hearing that? Who's listening
to that? Paul said in Romans 10, 18, Have
they not all heard? Yea, verily, the sound is gone
to the end of the earth. But having ears, our Lord says,
they don't hear. They have eyes, but they don't
see. And so he told Isaiah, Go and shut their ears and shut
their eyes. So they won't hear. And God said,
I will, because they receive not the love of the true, I'll
send them strong delusion, they'll believe a lie. Reject the plain
truth, righteousness for evil, for lies. Not his sheep, not his sheep. Stephen was preaching, Stephen
in the, not that Stephen, but Stephen, not that Stephen. Stephen
the deacon was preaching in Acts 7. And he was just quoting the
Old Testament. Do you remember his message?
It was just the Old Testament. How people had rejected the prophets
and rejected Christ when He came. And it says, they stopped their
ears. And all the people just put their
hands up. Don't. Stop this. Not His sheep. They don't do
that. They incline their ear to speak, Lord. So all heaven and earth has heard
His voice, but He speaks to His people. To whom does the Lord
speak? Everybody's heard. But He speaks to His people in
particular. He said, My sheep hear My voice. Look at John 8. John chapter
8. This is good. John chapter 8. This is how you know the difference. Brother Stephen, you know, you
made me want to preach on that in Ezekiel 34. Especially that
line that said, I'm going to judge between cattle and cattle.
You said that three times. That really popped out of me.
Sometimes you can't tell the difference between sheep and
goats, right? Cattle and cattle. God's cattle have a brand on
them. And they have a mark on their ear. I'm marking it for
you. But John chapter 8, here it is.
Our Lord said, verse 1, He went to the Mount of Olives and early
in the morning He came to the temple. And all the people came
unto Him. He sat down and talked to them.
Who's this? Who is it? This is the Lord Malachi. You've read Malachi, haven't
you? Malachi 3. The Lord whom you
seek shall suddenly come to this temple. Well, the Pharisees,
the Jews, said they were seeking Him. Well, here He came. They
didn't hear Him. They rejected Him. He went to
His hometown of Nazareth. And they did that too. When they
heard Him preach an election, we're going to cast you off the
hill. They're not His sheep. He's teaching, sitting down and
teaching. He's speaking. God is speaking. God has spoken. The Son of God
is speaking. Verse 25, they said unto him, Who art thou?
Jesus said, The same I said unto you in the beginning. Who's that? You remember, he said, Moses
wrote of me. Moses wrote of me. Who? Moses
said, Who shall I say has sent me? Tell them I am. Exodus 3. You know those Scriptures.
I am come down. Who's that? Jesus Christ. Well,
there are millions. There are people that say they
believe Him. There's these so-called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. They don't believe He's God.
And they draw near with their lips.
They don't believe Him. Jehovah Witnesses, they don't
believe He's God. They believe He's less than God. They believe
He's a created being. Yes, they do, don't they? You
know something about the Jehovah's Witnesses. Who do you say that He is? To
His disciples. Who do men say that I am? I,
the Son of Man am. Here I am a man. Who does everybody
say that I am? Some say this, some say that.
Who do you say that I am? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the Father. Living God. Thomas said, You're my Lord and
You're my God. You're Immanuel. You're a wonderful
Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting God. Do you believe
that? Do you know what? You're His sheep. Get that through
your head. Let it go further than that.
Get it in your heart. He said, My sheep will never
perish. This is a good shepherd. Your
salvation is not up to what you believe. It's who? has revealed Himself to you. We're so fearful and unbelieving.
Brethren, all our peace, all our hope, all our comfort, all
our assurance, all of our salvation, all our faith is in Him. What He said. He can't lie. Quit disbelieving him. But I,
but I, we know all about you. We're all just like you. I'm
such a sinner. Not bad as I am. There's going
to be one argument in heaven. Who's the chief of sinners? Right? And nobody's going to
argue about who's the Savior is and why they're all there.
Because of him. All his sheep are black sheep,
sister. Do you understand that? That's what the Shulamite maiden
said. I am black. But come now. To who? Him. Not to myself. To him. He says I am. He says I'm his
beloved. He says I'm his sister. And I'm
his spouse. Is that good enough for you? I'm getting way ahead of myself.
That's what he's saying. That's two more points later.
Couldn't wait to get to that. He speaks to his people in particular.
Look at verse 27. They understood not when he spake
to them of the Father. They didn't understand. We didn't.
How can he and the Father be one? We don't fully believe it. We don't fully understand. Look at verse 30. He spake these
words, many believed on him. And Jesus said to those Jews
which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are
you my disciples in death. And you shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free. What is the truth? What
is the truth? Pilate asked that question. Jesus,
a man, standing in front of him, bloody in chains, bound, and
he's looking at him and says, what is truth? I've got you now,
don't I? He's looking at truth. True. Our Lord said in John 18,
37, everyone that is of the truth hears my voice. Look at verse
43 in John 8, verse 43. Why do you not understand my
speech? Speaking to these Pharisees. Why do you not understand my
speech? Because you cannot hear my voice. For you don't. You're
of your father the devil. You mean everybody's not a child
of God? No, they're not. Everybody in religion believes
that, don't they? God loves everybody and everybody's
His child. Is that what the Son of God said?
No, He did not. Read on. See, if God were your
Father, verse 42, you would love me. I proceeded forth and came
from God. Why do you not understand my
speech? Because you cannot hear my word. You're of your father
the devil. The lust of your father you will
do. You'll believe his lies. He was a murderer from the beginning,
a bowed knot in the truth, because there is no truth in him. He
speaks a lie. He'll speak of his own. He's
a liar, the father of it. Because I tell you the truth,
you believe me not. Verse 47, he that is of God,
heareth God's word. Ye therefore hear them not, because
ye are not of God. That's pretty plain. His word plain. It's all plain
to him to understand and right to them that find knowledge.
Where'd you get an understanding? Where'd you find knowledge? You
figure it out? No, his ways are past finding
out. How do we find out? He's come and given us an understanding
of Him. Who? His sheep. Do you understand? Are you beginning to understand
now? The only reason you have this understanding and believe
this is true is because you are His sheep. The only reason you came is because
He called you. And the reason you'll be saved
has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with
Him. Have you got any comfort yet?
This is His Word. Alright, how does the Lord speak?
Second point. How does the Lord speak? Psalm
19. Psalm 19. And you know, the Hindus and
the Buddhists and the ascetics and people like that, New Age
people think God is just some kind of spirit of whatever, love
and whatever. And he speaks to us through nature. Well, look at Psalm 19. The heavens
declare the glory of God. The firmament showeth his handiwork.
Day unto day are their speech. Night unto night showeth knowledge.
What does it say? God is. There's no speech, no
language. Their voice is not heard. day
and night, speaks, it does say, God is. His eternal power and
Godhead, Romans 1 says, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. It says the things of
God, His eternal power and Godhead are clearly seen in things that
are made, right? science, they're willingly ignorant to
look at these things and come up with the preposterous, the
absolute most preposterous theories of the origin of these things.
They're just shaking their fist in God's name because man doesn't
want a God. Man doesn't want a creator. Man
doesn't want to believe in an owner, a judge, a right, a lawgiver,
one we have to answer to, right and wrong. He doesn't want that. So he makes up his imagination,
everything. That's Romans 1. Professing themselves
to be wise are absolute fools. They're not God's sheep. They're
wise. The entrance of thy word, give me understanding, light.
Read on. Their line's gone out to the
whole of earth. Verse 4. The sun and the moon is what
he's talking about. To the end of the world, the voice. In them
he hath set a tabernacle for the sun. Read this now. Who is
this talking about? A tabernacle for the sun. That
is this big ball of helium that rises. No, it doesn't rise. The
sun doesn't rise. The sun is right where it is.
It stays there. Everything else revolves around
that sun, doesn't it? Everything lives because of that
sun. There it is, the sun. Who is that speaking of? Malachi
4, what does it talk about? The son of righteousness, arisen
with healing in His way. God made this whole universe
as a tabernacle to display the Son of God. The Son of God. Which is, who he is, verse 5,
as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, rejoicing as a strong
man to run a race. His going forth is from the end
of the heaven. His circuit ends at nothing hid
from the heat thereof. Nothing out from under the eye
and the reign and the rule of the Son of the Most High God.
Now you understand that, don't you? Isn't that clear to you,
who that's speaking of? Why? He's given you eyes. He's given you ears. He's given
you understanding. But you know, God is clearly
seen to his people who have eyes in nature. Yes. We clearly see
his eternal power in Godhead. And we even see Christ in everything. The water, the trees, the bread,
the sun. But you cannot know the mind,
the will, the purpose, the character of God, what's on God's mind.
The ways of God, His character, what He thinks, except through
His Word. Now look at the next verse. The law of the Lord. Verse 7. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord, that's
the covenant of the Lord, is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Does
His Word rejoice your heart? Are you rejoicing right now in
everything you're reading and hearing? Goats, the world, it
just doesn't interest them. Oh, these are words of life.
David said, they're sweeter than honey, than the honeycomb. He
says, the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightened in
the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever. The fear of the Lord, more desired
than gold, and on and on it goes. How does the Lord speak? He speaks
in creation. He speaks through His Word. He
speaks through His Word. God's people love it. They love
it. How does the Lord speak? Go with
me to Romans 10. Romans 10. The Lord speaks through
the preaching of the Word. Okay? Whosoever shall call on
the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's what Joel 2 said. As many as the Lord our God shall
call. You know Joel 2.32. Most people don't know Romans
10.13. They don't know Romans 10.13 came from Joel 2.32. And
they don't quote it all. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. That's what you read over and
over again. I'm going to get the glory. Didn't he say that? You're going to know I'm God.
You're just men. Did you read that? You're going
to know you're just men and I'm God. And I'm your God. And I chose you that you might
know me. I love this. I'm having fun.
I am. This word, I didn't mean to get
so familiar like that, but it is. It's joyful, isn't it? What
he says rejoices my heart. Romans 10, verse 13. Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Those that
aren't yet saved have not yet called. Just haven't. Because if you do, you will be. How then shall they call on Him
in whom they have not believed? How shall they believe in Him
of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a
preacher? How so? They preach, except they
go to seminary and apply for, no, be sent. Faith, verse 17, comes by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God. Not only is the Word of God,
we hear the Word of God, but He has to give us hearing. Hearing
comes. Hear and hear. See and eye and
hear and hear. The Lord has made them that.
Brother Cody preached on that. You won't hear unless He gives
you to hear. And you won't see the truth unless He gives you
eyes to see. Salvation is up to the Lord.
It really is. That's all through this Word,
isn't it? He pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Now,
preaching is not foolishness. Most preaching is. Most of what's
called preaching today is foolishness. It's a bunch of fools acting
like fools, preaching a bunch of foolishness. But God's Word
is not foolishness. It's eternal wisdom. And those
men God calls, none of them are fools. They're wise men. They
said of Stephen, they could not resist the spirit and the wisdom
by which he spoke. Stephen, not an apostle, Stephen,
the deacon. The Lord gave him an understanding,
gave him liberty, and gave him a knowledge of Scripture, and
he preached it. And those scribes and Pharisees
and those scholars of the Bible, they didn't understand what he
was saying. And what they did understand,
they didn't like it. And God gives His preachers wisdom
like Christ's. They're like Him. And the people
can't resist the wisdom by which they speak. Why? Because it's
God's Word they speak. It's not their opinions. It's
not their thoughts. It's not so-and-so said this.
It's not clever little clichés and stories and all that. It's
the powerful Word of God, which nobody can resist. The Word of
God is quick, powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword. Listen
to this. Oh, I love this. Hebrews 4.12. Oh, piercing. even to the dividing of the center
of soul and spirit. It will find you out. It will
tell you the very thoughts and intents of your heart. A joint,
a discerner of the thoughts and intents. There is no creature
not manifest, exposed, laid open by the Word of God. All things
are naked and open before the eyes of Him with whom we have
to do. These are God's eyes that run to and fro throughout the
earth. Sees all, knows all, hears all, exposes all, makes foolish
all the wisdom of man. The Word of God. And God's preachers
preach the Word, don't they? You know it so. I won't have
a man in this pulpit that doesn't just do that one thing. Preach
the Word. Preach the Word, Timothy, in
season or out of season. Preach the truth. What is the
truth? Christ is the truth. Our Lord said this. This is how
He has exalted the office of preaching and how He uses the means of preaching. It's
not the preacher. No power in the preacher. Nobody
is saved by a man. But it's the Word that He preaches.
And our Lord said to his apostles who were just fishermen, he said,
if they hear from me, if they hear you, they'll hear me. If they don't hear you, they
won't hear from me. That's what he said. Well, that's
talking about apostles. When he ascended on high, he
gave some gifts to men, gave some prophets, some apostles,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. And our Lord said,
I'll give you pastors that are from my own heart. They're going
to feed you with knowledge and understanding. Knowledge and
understanding of what? Christ. And my sheep are going
to hear my voice. John said, they're of the world,
and they speak of the world, and the world hears it. We're
of God, and he that is of God heareth us. A stranger's voice,
Christ said, they're not going to hear. You all have gone various places.
I have too. I hear them. I listen to them. I see their signs. It nauseates
me. But why do you keep coming here? There's plenty of places you
can go. It's a lot more exciting. Why do you keep coming here?
It's a good question to ask people wherever they go. Why do you
go there? I've asked that to people, haven't you? Why do you
go there? And you get replies like this.
Oh, our choir. You ought to hear our choir. One lady said, oh, my preacher
makes me feel so good about myself. Makes me feel like I'm not a
bad mother after all. I'm a good mother. Yes. One person said, Ron, you said,
because they have an early service, 930, and I can go there and get
out real quick. That's what they said. At 10
on the 220. Have a 930 service and get in there and go out.
That's like the Catholic place. They have an early service. You
can get there and go on your way and get your little religious
thing out of the way and you feel good about it and your conscience
is set and you go on your way and everything's fine and dandy. Why do you come here? Why do you come here? Why is it you can't tolerate
everything you're hearing around you? Because we do one thing here.
We preach the Word of God. And that Word we preach is Christ.
Christ said, if I be lifted up... The preacher's only as good as
that pole that held that serpent on him. If he's not holding up
the brazen serpent, he's just dead wood. He's no good. He's just fit for the burning.
But Christ said, if I be lifted up, I'll draw all men unto me.
Preach Christ. Paul said, we preach Christ.
That's not a slogan, not a cliche. It's the fact. I mean, types, pictures, prophecies,
everything in the Old Testament, we bring them out, pictures of
Christ, the gospel. gone through all of them, some
of them more than one. The epistles, it's all. Here's
what God said. This is my beloved son. Hear
him. You go where they preach Him.
You go where they worship Him. You go where two or three are
gathered in His name. And you know what? He'll be there.
And the Holy Spirit will take the things of Christ and show
them unto you. And He'll comfort you. And He'll
lead you and guide you in all truth. And you'll know the truth.
And He'll make you free. Free from what? Free from the
law or happy condition. How many people know that? What does the Lord say in my
last poem? What does the Lord say? Isaiah 40. Turn over there
real quick. Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40. You know, I had about
80 verses of Scripture. Oh, man. I need to make this
two-part message. But anyway, Isaiah 40. It says,
here's what the Lord said. To the world, He says, all flesh
is grass. Verse 8. Grass withers, the flower
fadeth. The Word of our God shall stand
forever. To all the world, he says, behold your God, verse
9. But to God's people. And he says
all that God has to say to the world is repent, turn, bow, repent,
or perish. Believe on the Son. Oh, and he says the same thing
to God's people, and he gives them this repentance and this
faith. But oh, he says so much more to his people. Verse 1,
comfort ye, comfort ye my people. You remember that? Speak ye to
her heart, tell her the warfare is accomplished. We're not waiting
on Armageddon, are we? No, we're not. Our Lord's already
won that battle. In any fight we are in, we overcome
by the blood of the Lamb. That's what the Scripture said.
We know His Word. He says to the world, enter into
the rock, hide ye in the dust for the fear of the Lord. The
loftiness of man will be brought down. The lofty looks of man
are going to be brought down. I say it to you over and over
again. Yes, it will be brought down. But we have entered into
the rock, haven't we? He's put us in the cleft of the
rock. What's that? It's who? Christ, the solid rock. His rib and side. Oh, my. My,
my, my. All his sheep hear his voice. Adam and Eve, the first two sinners,
they sinned and they were hiding, running from God. Hiding. Says they were afraid. What happened? Can you quote it? The voice of
the Lord came walking in the cool of the day. Where art thou? What have you done? Have you
eaten? Then what did they hear? After
they were convicted and confessed and were afraid, they said, the
woman's seed. He preached the gospel to them,
didn't he, John? The woman's seed is going to come and it's
going to crush the serpent's head. It's going to bruise his
heel. That's Christ crucified. To the
first sinner, my sheep hear my voice. They hear of Christ crucified. Noah being warned of God, moved
with fear. What did he do? Prepared an ark. Do you not love the story of
Noah's ark? Why? Because God saved animals?
Because you're an animal lover? Because you're a member of the
SPCA? No, because that's you. And that
ark is Christ in it. How do you know that? You heard
that through a preacher that God sent to tell you that ark
is Christ. Abram called, and Abram was called
from his idols, turned from his idols to the living God. And
he went out. He left his home. He left his
family. He left sojourned by faith in the wilderness. It's
all of it. Moses, he heard a voice in the
bush, burning bush that was not consumed. Take off your shoes. This is holy ground. What is
that bush? That's Christ crucified. The
sacrifice, the burn off for Him. Not consumed, but our sins were
in Him. That's where we hear it. Saul. Saul was a free will Armenian
preacher. Yes, he was. Saul of Tarsus.
He went to seminary, just like my dad. Saul was out to put Jesus out
of business. And he met the Lord Jesus. He
didn't know God. Saul saw if he heard a voice.
Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus. That's what he heard. I am Jesus. And he hit the desk. And then
what does he say? What wilt thou have me to do? And he said, you go and there's
a preacher going to tell you what to do. It was a Pharisee,
a Pharisee. He said, you're going to go and
you're going to submit to a preacher named Ananias and he's going
to tell you what to do. And you're not going to know me until he
reveals me to you. What does he say? He says, I
am. He says, I am thy God. He says, I am thy Lord, thy God.
You're just me, but I'm your God. I'm your shepherd. He says
in Matthew 11, this is what Christ said. He said, Come unto me,
all ye that labor in a heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you. Follow me. My sheep hear my voice
and they follow me. They all follow Him. They're
not following a denomination. They're not following this and
that and the other. They're following Christ. They're following His
Word. They're following Him, looking
to Him. Take up my cross, He said. What's
that? That's persecution for the truth. That's what that is. Take up my cross and follow me.
Confess me, He said. If you confess me, I'll confess
you. And they confessed Christ. They follow Him in believers'
baptism. He calls His people and they come. In John 11 there
where it says, the masters come and He calls for you, Mary. What
does she do? She came to Him. In John 11,
the latter part, Lazarus was dead. Okay? And our Lord came
to his tomb and called his name. Lazarus, come forth. What does
it say? If it was dead, it came forth.
Where did it come? To Christ. We don't have a mourner's
meds. We don't have an altar called.
We do have an altar. But it ain't a place. It ain't
a thing. It's a person. And he's in heaven. As Scott would say, come to Christ,
but don't move a muscle. We need to write a book on Scott's
sayings. It's just what the Scripture says. He communes with his people.
He comforts his people. He commands his people. He convicts
his people. He corrects his people. He chastens
his people. He encourages his people. He
strengthens his people through his word, through his word. Does
he do that to you? I've got to quit. Then you must
be his sheep. You've heard the master's voice.
And if you have, you'll continue to hear that voice. If He's called
you in the beginning, He's going to keep calling you. I keep bringing
up our pets. We love our pets, don't we? Those
two old cats, they were feral. Feral means wild. Two wild cats. I took them in. They come in
and out. Go in and out and find pasture.
But the other day I came out there and they were wild. They
were afraid of people. But now, I came over yesterday,
I think, at night, or no, it was the other day, it was real
cold. Ruth, Grace, pew! They were right in front of me. Let's go in today. I heard my
voice. They're not going to come if
you call. I'm their master. They trust me. I promised them
both. As long as I can, I'll take care
of them. And so they come to me, and I keep calling them.
I don't need it. Mindy said, do you wish you'd never took
those cats in? Yes. But I've made a promise. And it's such a good illustration,
you see. We're more worthless than those old white feral cats.
I'm telling you. Animals don't sin against their
creator. We do. But God. Some of these sheep,
these black sheep, he takes them in. And those he takes in, he'll
never cast out. Why? Because he said so. Because he's a good shepherd.
Okay, stand with me.