Well, last week we looked at
the verse in Psalm 74, we see not our signs, missing gospel
signs, and made the application to today that there are missing
gospel signs in much that is reformed and orthodox, those
churches that in their preaching and teaching are devoid of the
true signs of the gospel of grace. Oh, they seem so right in their
outward form, But they're lifeless. Because the life of Christ and
the gospel of his grace is not there. It's missing. We see not
our signs because they're missing. You know it. If you know the
gospel of grace, and you go to one of those churches that sounds
so straight-laced and so strict and so right and so orthodox,
and you hear the preaching, and there's no gospel in it. And
there's no Christ in it. There's just obligation. There's
just law. There's just what you must do
and what you have to do. There's nothing about what Christ
has done. Instead of coming out looking
to Christ, you come out looking to yourself and what a mess you've
made of things. No, missing gospel signs. that
they're like Madame Tussauds, you know you go to Madame Tussauds
and you see the waxworks dummies and from a short distance they
look like real people and you go and stand next to them and
you have to look two or three times before you see that they're
not at all, they're lifeless, they're empty, they're dead.
That's what it's like compared to the true gospel of Christ-centered
preaching. And those who keep gospel signs
from the people. God says He is against them. Verse 10 of Ezekiel 34, He says,
Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds. They think they're doing God's
work, but God says, I am against them. He's against them. They
think they do God's work, maintaining biblical purity of practice.
Oh, they're so strict, so straight about this. but they're not doing
the work of God. I remember many, many years ago
being in such a reformed Baptist church and they were so straight
about the way that they maintained discipline in the church and
I remember I'd come to the conclusion that we had no choice but to
leave it because the gospel of grace was not there. The gospel
of grace was most definitely not there. And they put us in
a position where it became obvious that we had to leave it. And
at the start of every service they would read out some texts
of scripture as the kind of the call to worship aspect of it. And that particular night when
I had decided, I'd gone on my own, I'd left the family at home,
and I'd gone on my own because I was convinced I had no choice,
I just couldn't go to this church anymore because of the lack of
gospel signs there. And the verse that they read
out was this at the start of the service. It was John chapter
16, the first couple of verses. I'll just read verse 2 to you.
This is what Jesus said to his people, to his sheep. about those
that think they're doing God's work but are not. He said this,
they shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh
that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service.
These things will they do unto you because they have not known
the Father nor me. And as I sat there in great emotional
turmoil at what we were doing, I said, thank you, Lord, for
making it so clear to me that that's what they were doing.
They were thinking they were doing God's service, making it
impossible for those that love the gospel of grace truly to
be there. And they read that out without
any thought of what they were doing, but to me that spoke so
powerfully. That's what they were doing.
God is against those shepherds. Despite these modern day Pharisees,
God comforts his people. He tells his ministers, Isaiah
40 verse 1, what does he say to those that preach the gospel
of grace? What are they to preach? What are they to say to his sheep?
Comfort my people, saith your God. They're to comfort them.
But these Pharisees do nothing other than discomfort them. Instead
of always and only pointing to Christ, what they do is what
Jesus said in Matthew 23 verse 4. He said of the Pharisees and
the scribes, he said, they load burdens, grievous to be born,
heavy burdens on people's backs. They load burdens on their backs
that they cannot bear, and they themselves will not lift so much
as their little finger to do it. They put burdens of guilt
and of law and of self-doubt. They put burdens of lack of sanctification
on the people. They do all of these things,
but God promises to comfort His people. He promises to comfort
His sheep and His flock. He promises to do most of what's
needed for, no, all of what's needed for salvation. He leaves
nothing for his people needing to do in order to be saved. He
does it all. He completely saves his flock.
That's the text. If you want a text, it's in verse
22, where God promises. Therefore, he says, will I save
my flock? God does the saving of his flock. God promises to do all of this.
In Ezekiel 34, I want to look at it. I don't often do this.
I want to look at the entire chapter. You think, wow, we're
going to be here a long time. I hope not. We're going to read
it with comment fairly quickly through it. But I want you to
get the message here. what God promises the sheep that
are his flock. He calls them his sheep. He calls
it my flock. I want to show you how God is
against those errant shepherds, even the modern day ones. And
I want to encourage any that might listen to this to separate
from them to the gospel and fellowship of true the fellowship of the
true sheep in the gospel of his grace. As we see with our brethren
who join with us via the internet, talking to one another and rejoicing
in the things of the gospel of his grace. So first of all, the
first ten verses. I want you to follow this with
me. You know, this is really, it's so clear God is just saying
this directly to us. Let's see what he's saying. The
denouncement of the false shepherds in these first ten verses. And
the word of the Lord came unto me, this is Ezekiel, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. prophesy
and say unto them thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds
woe be unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves
should not the shepherds feed the flocks the mark of a true
shepherd of God's people is this the sheep hear the great shepherd's
voice, and follow him. Christ is the great shepherd
of the sheep. He is the chief shepherd. He
has under-shepherds, but the mark of a true under-shepherd
is that when he speaks, the sheep hear the voice of the good shepherd.
He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep.
He is that true shepherd, not a hireling. He is the true shepherd
of his sheep. And when his under-shepherds
speak, if they're truly his, the sheep hear the voice that
there are false shepherds. There are false shepherds amongst
the so-called people of God, amongst Israel. And God says
woe to them, because they're in it for what they can get out
of it. They're in it for what they can get for themselves.
They feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed
the flocks? What do the flocks need to be
fed with? What do the sheep of God need
to be fed with? It says in Proverbs 30 verse
8, feed me with food convenient for me, suitable for me, fitted
for my need. What am I? I'm a sinner. I know
I'm weighed down with sin beyond anything I can do. I know I must
have holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. What
is food convenient for me? Is it not food that shows me
that Christ has led me into green pastures? He's done all that
is necessary for my salvation. He is my righteousness. He is
the Lord. Is that not food convenient for
me? Is that not the food that I need
to hear constantly? Do I need to be whipped and rounded
up by sheepdogs snapping at my heels or do I need to see the
true shepherd and what he has done? He says furthermore to
these shepherds, you eat the fat. You're self-indulging. You clothe you with the wool.
You kill them that are fed, but you feed not the flock. What
should they be fed with? Manna from heaven. Who is the
manna from heaven? Jesus said, I am the bread that
came down from heaven. He is the manna that comes down
from heaven. He is what God gives for his people. We feed on him.
When we partake of the communion, we eat bread and we drink wine
in remembrance of him. They're just symbols, they don't
ever transubstantiate into anything else, they're just bread and
they're wine, but they're unleavened bread, speaking of that perfect,
sinless, broken body for us. And that wine speaks of that
pure, precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood as of
a lamb without blemish and without spot, slain for his people. to
pay the penalty of sin, to pour out his life blood, for the life
is in the blood. This is what we need to be fed
with, that manna, that bread from heaven, that news of that
shed blood again and again. Tell me the old, old story, for
it is ever new. The old, old story of Jesus and
his love for his people and what he has done for his people. The
sheep of God never tire of it. The sheep of God never ever get
overfilled with it. They're constantly hungering
and thirsting after righteousness. As Jesus said, blessed are you
that hunger and thirst for righteousness. Why? For you shall be filled.
Always hungering and thirsting. Always being filled. Always hungering
and thirsting for that which he alone can give. Always finding
that he has done all that is necessary. Verse four. Again,
speaking to the shepherds, the diseased have you not strengthened? Neither have you healed that
which was sick? You know how leprosy is a picture
of sin? So often in the scriptures, leprosy
is a picture of sin. And he says, the diseased with
sin, have you not strengthened? They're preaching to sinners,
sinners. Sinners who have nothing in and
of themselves to recommend them to God. Sinners who have no currency
with which to pay their sin debt. They're diseased. You have not
strengthened them, he says to these false shepherds. Neither
have you healed them. There's an allusion here to the
Good Samaritan. You know the parable of the Good Samaritan?
Who is the Good Samaritan? Is it teaching us that we need
to be friendly and nice to our neighbors? The Good Samaritan
is our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who came down. Where
religion could do nothing for that man that was set upon by
robbers and thieves, that was totally overtaken by the powers
of darkness, was left wounded and bleeding and with no hope.
Religion came by. Religion could do nothing for
him. The Pharisee with his law could do nothing for him. The
scribe with all of his right thinking could do nothing for
him. But the good Samaritan, who is our Lord Jesus Christ,
they said to Jesus, are you not a Samaritan? When they hated
his doctrine. As the Jews hated the Samaritans,
are you not a Samaritan? He is our good Samaritan. He
came down and he healed the sick, he healed the wounded with sin,
but these shepherds, they haven't done that. Neither have you bound
up that which was broken. There's no balm in Gilead, it
says in Jeremiah 8 verse 22, there's no physician, no physician
of the soul, no one to pour in that soothing balm of Gilead
into the broken soul. Oh, bless God, if you're of a
broken spirit, blessed Blessed, he says, blessed are those who
mourn, mourn over their sin, blessed are those who are meek,
blessed are those who are humbled by what they truly are, for they
shall be filled, for they shall be comforted, for they shall
be strengthened. But these shepherds haven't done it. Neither have
you brought again that which was driven away. They didn't
go out seeking for that which was lost. Neither have you sought
that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have you
ruled them. Oh, how is that true? With force
and with cruelty have you ruled them. by putting on them the
burden of the law which they could never keep. Binding these
burdens, cruel burdens on their backs, laden them with grievous
burdens, heavy burdens that they wouldn't themselves be bothered
to do. As Peter said at the Council of Jerusalem, he said about whether
we should require the Gentiles to keep the law of Moses, he
said this, let's be realistic, neither we nor our fathers could
keep that law. In the flesh it's impossible.
We keep the law of Christ. We keep the law to Christ. He
has fulfilled the law. He has honored the law. And then
he goes on to say of these shepherds. And they were scattered, the
sheep were scattered because there is no shepherd. These were
not shepherds to them. And they became meat to all the
beasts of the field. And they were scattered. Verse
six. My sheep. Just stop for a minute. What
does God say? My sheep. God has his sheep. They're his sheep, my sheep,
he says. He owns a people that are his
sheep. Who are these sheep? The ones
that might choose him at some state in the future of their
own volition? No. No, those who are His by
His sovereign choice. They are His sheep because He
chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world. They
are His sheep because He set them apart in Christ and married
them to His Son in eternity. He justified them and called
them with the name of Christ in eternity. They're his sheep,
but look where they are. They're wandering through all
the mountains and upon every high hill. Yea, my flock was
scattered upon all the face of the earth. A multitude that no
man can number, of every tribe and kindred, upon all the face
of the earth. And none, especially not you
false shepherds, did search or seek after them. Therefore, you
shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, you false, self-seeking,
cruel tyrants. who go with the name of the shepherds
of the church of God. You're not. You're false. You're
self-seeking. You're a cruel tyrant, says God.
This is what God says to them. As I live, saith the Lord God,
surely because my flock became a prey and my flock became meat
to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither
did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed
themselves and fed not my flock. Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear
the word of the Lord. God is against them. The Lord
says, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I'll hold them
accountable. I will require my flock at their
hand. I will hold them accountable
for what they've done, and cause them to cease from feeding the
flock. Neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore, for
I'll stop them being exploited. I'll deliver them from their
mouth, that they may not be meat for them. Verse 11. There's a
promise then. This is the woe pronounced against
false shepherds who set up a regime where the gospel signs are missing. But this is what God promises.
He promises his sheep, he promises his flock that he will rescue
them and he will put them in a place of safety. Verse 11,
for thus saith the Lord God, behold, I, even I, will both
search my sheep and seek them out. These false shepherds are
not doing it, but God will. God will. Who? The Holy Spirit
will go out on the trail of his sheep. He will go out. He will
quicken. Where there is no life, he will
give life. He will give an ear to hear. He will give faith to
believe, for by grace are you saved, and that not of yourselves,
by faith, through faith, and it's that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God. he will go out and he will give
that spiritual life he will seek them out as a shepherd seeketh
out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are
scattered as shepherds do they go off into the hills they look
and they've got ninety nine out of the hundred but they know
there's one missing and who's sheep is it? it's their sheep
They want it. They don't say, oh, well, never
mind, the foxes and the wolves can have it. No, they go out
for it. So will I seek out my sheep, and I will deliver them
out of all the places where they have been scattered in the cloudy
and dark day. Jesus said that he was that good
shepherd. There may be ninety and nine
in the fold, but he goes out for the one that is missing.
He goes out and finds it, that one wayward sheep. Why does he
go for it? Because it's his sheep. When
did it become his sheep? In eternity, when the father
gave it to the son. That's when. And he goes out for his lost
sheep. And he finds it. And does he let it wriggle and
run away? No, he gets hold of it. And he puts it on his shoulders. And he brings it home. This is
what God does to his sheep. This is salvation, biblical style. Salvation is not, as it says
on the back of the bulletin, you know, I found that doctrinal
statement this week and it shocked me, quite honestly, it shocked
me, that those that claim to stand for the true gospel of
grace can look to an organization for their teaching that says
this, we believe that a person is saved by God's grace alone,
made possible through the shed blood of Christ, whereby he died
a substitutionary death for mankind, and through the resurrection
of Christ salvation becomes effective when a person by an act of faith
acknowledges Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord.
What on earth has that got to do with the biblical doctrine
of salvation in Christ? I'll tell you, absolutely nothing. And those that peddle it We don't
regard them as our brethren in Christ. They're false shepherds.
They're peddling a false gospel. Let's be absolutely clear about
it. It's error. It's falsehood. It's not the
truth of God. What we do is we go with the
message of the gospel of grace and we cry to God's sheep out
there that He has done all that is necessary. He has accomplished
salvation for His people. He has gone out to rescue His
sheep and done everything that is necessary. He hasn't left
it to the whim of their decision whether they, by an act of faith,
decide to choose him and thereby make that which he's done for
everybody without distinction effective for them. Where on
earth in the Bible does it say that? Nowhere at all. So why
do men peddle it? Why do men? Because of what it
says about these false shepherds. They get fat on it. They get
comfort from it in their own way. But our God says this, he
says, I'll bring them out from the people. I'll gather them,
verse 13, from the countries, and will bring them to their
own land. This is Zion. He brings his people to Zion.
Where's that? Oh, all over the world, where
his people are. I find it amazing. Who would
have known the way in which God is bringing his dispersed sheep
together in their own land, and yet they're dotted all around
this world, and yet they're in their own, what's it called?
It's called Zion, the city of the living God. It's called the
New Jerusalem, it's called the Church of Christ. They're in
their own land. He's feeding them on the mountains
of Israel with the word of God, with the manna that comes down
from heaven, by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of
the country. I will feed them in a good pasture. He gives us food that's convenient
for us. And what does he tell you about
those sheep? If he says, I will feed them,
those sheep are hungry. Are they not hungry? He feeds
his hungry sheep. His sheep are hungry and He feeds
them with the word of life. Of those that are not hungry,
you know that somebody's not well when they have no appetite.
You know that somebody's recovering from sickness when their appetite
returns and they're hungry. The sheep of God are hungry and
He feeds them in a good pasture. And upon the high mountains of
Israel shall their fold be. There shall they lie in a good
fold. Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. By the
still waters he leads me. He provides all that I need,
yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
He is doing all for his sheep. There shall they lie in a good
fold and in a fat, rich pasture. Do you ever watch Country Fire? And you know Adam with his farm. We like watching Adam with his
farm. And this is true. I mean, do
you know why his sheep are skinny and thin some years? It's because,
well, it was particularly last year, wasn't it, when at this
time of year the grass didn't start growing. And the sheep
didn't have enough to eat. And therefore the sheep were
skinny and thin. But these, he says, they'll be
in a fat pasture where there's rich grass, plenty of it. They'll
feed on the mountains of Israel. They'll feed on the gospel of
grace. They'll feed on the bread of life. And God says, I will
feed my flock. And I will cause them to lie
down, saith the Lord God. He does it. He does it. He raises
up his under shepherds to do it, but it's him. He does it. And he says, I will seek that
which was lost and bring it again, that which was driven away. And
we'll bind up that which was broken. That's the good Samaritan.
And we'll strengthen that which was sick. But then we get back
to false shepherds and maybe making a distinction between
the wheat and the tares that are in the church. He says, I
will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them with
judgment. What's he talking about? He's
talking about the self-righteous. Those that are fat and strong
in their own strength and not with the strength that he gives.
Jesus said, I came not for the righteous. I didn't come looking
for them. They think they're righteous
in their own strength. No. It's to those that know their true
state. The doctor doesn't come to the person that's well or
thinks they're well. He comes to the one who is sick,
who needs help. Jesus said he's the great physician
who came for those that are sick. Sick with sin, sick with the
effects of the fall Verse 17. As for you, O my flock, thus
saith the Lord God, behold, I judge between cattle and cattle. This
is where I think maybe there's an allusion to the wheat and
tares here. Between the rams and the he goats.
Seemeth it a small thing to you to have eaten up the good pasture,
but you must tread down with your feet the rest. This is what
the self-righteous do. You know, you see animals making
a mess of their pasture, and the strong ones charge around,
and they eat the good grass, and then they make the other
that's left unfit for the weak to eat. And they drink the clean
water, and then they trample in it, and they make the pond
muddy. They foul it so that the others can't feed or drink there. Verse 19, skip on there. And
as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your
feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
This is the fat and the strong versus the sick and broken. God
saves the sick and broken. There are those out there in
the church of God that have, in this false shepherd way, a
sort of a dog in a manger. You know, a dog doesn't like
to eat hay. It's cattle that like to eat
hay, and yet in the farm, you might find in the manger, which
is that feeding trough made out of wood with hay in it, that
there's the dog sleeping in there. And the cattle want that which
is good for them, but the dog won't let them have it. And how
is that so often the case? Where these, in the name, thinking
they're doing God's work, are keeping the food from the sheep.
Verse 20, therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them, behold
I even I will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean
cattle. You know the Psalm 73 which is about enviousness at
the wicked. One of the things that he says
is I've done all of this seeking to serve God but look at those
that have paid no attention to the things of God. They look
fat and prosperous. He says I'll judge between them.
God will be vindicated. God's truth, God's righteousness
will be vindicated. He says, because you have thrust
with sign and with shoulder and have pushed all the diseased
with your horns till you have scattered them abroad. Verse
22, now what glorious words are these. What glorious promises. for his people therefore will
I save my flock this is what God says therefore will I save
my flock and they shall no more be a prey they shall no more
be a prey to Satan they shall no more be a prey to the fear
of judgment and I will judge between cattle and cattle and
how then how is God going to save his people he promises it
here it is verse 23 and I will set up one shepherd over them
This flock of his, he will give them one shepherd who will be
over them and he shall feed them. Who is it? Even my servant David. What does he mean King David?
Can't possibly do. This is long time after the time
of David. He's speaking of Christ. This
is, in scripture so often, Christ in the Old Testament is spoken
of as David. He shall feed them, even my servant
David. He shall feed them and he shall
be their shepherd. I am the good shepherd, said
Christ. I am the good shepherd. I feed my flock. I give my life
for the sheep. He shall feed them. And I, the
Lord, will be their God, and my servant David, Christ, a prince
among them. I, the Lord, have spoken it.
If God has spoken it, he will accomplish it. He will bring
it to pass. And I will make with them a covenant of peace. This
is how he saves his sheep. His sheep are sinful. His sheep
have a debt to the law of God. His sheep must suffer the penalty
of that judgment against their sin. that there's a covenant
of peace. What's the covenant of peace?
It's the covenant of grace that the father made with the son
before the beginning of time where the son covenanted for
those that the father gave to him that he would come and be
their representative, would stand in their place. would come at
the right time when the fullness of the time was come. God sent
forth his son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
those who are under the law. Cursed is everyone that continues
not in all things written in the book of the law to do them,
but Christ coming has redeemed us. has bought us back, has paid
the price from the curse of the law. How He came in flesh, being
made a curse for us, bearing the sins of His people, that
His people might be made the righteousness of God in Him. I will make with them a covenant
of peace. How can God be at war with those that he's made the
righteousness of God in Christ. If he's made his people the righteousness
of God in Christ, God cannot be at war with them. God cannot
be at enmity with them. There must be peace, and so therefore
Paul can say time and time again, grace and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace and peace. It's a covenant
of peace that we have with him. We have issues that arise daily. We have anxieties and cares that
well up every single day. But look at the long term. Look
at the long view. For the child of God, God has
made peace in the blood of Christ. God has made peace. There's peace
with God. I have peace with God. Therefore,
why should my soul be troubled? Be still, my soul. Why does the
Psalmist say, be still, O my soul? because God has made peace
in the blood of the cross. I will cause evil beasts to cease
out of the land. We're surrounded by principalities
and powers, but fear not, little flock, fear not. Fear not. God is going to give you the
kingdom. Fear not, he says to them. Fear not. When you walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, don't fear. For all
of those principalities and powers are on a leash of God's controlling. And though they may roar on either
side, they cannot reach you. They cannot touch you. They shall
dwell safely in the wilderness. Revelation chapter 12. Revelation
chapter 12, the woman is the church from which Christ comes. And the dragon tries to devour
the Christ of God that comes from the woman. and he's taken
up to heaven, he's accomplished his purposes and it says in verse
6 of chapter 12 that the woman is driven out into the wilderness
the church is in the wilderness where God has a place for her
in the wilderness of this world is this not where we are? in
the wilderness of this world, look around you, is it a wilderness,
oh it's a nice place to live, no I'm talking about the hearts
and minds of fallen man and fallen society all around us, it's a
wilderness But God has a place for his people to keep her and
to feed her there. They shall dwell safely in the
wilderness and sleep in the woods. Sleep in peace, why? Look at
the long game, look at the end view. God has saved his people
from their sins. He's done all that's necessary
to save his flock. And I will make them and the
places round about my hill a blessing. and I will cause the shower to
come down." What are the results of this salvation of his flock? They're blessings that God showers
down upon his church. I will cause a shower to come
down. There shall be showers of blessing. He's blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
What are they? Righteousness, forgiveness, the
payment of the sin debt, a hope of eternal glory, when all around
are without hope and without Christ in this world, who have
nothing other than the fear of death to which they're in bondage.
But for this flock, for this flock of his sheep, showers of
blessings, spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit. It's a fruitful
gospel. And the earth shall yield her
increase. And they shall be safe in their land and shall know
that I am the Lord when I have broken the bands of their yoke.
He's dealt with the false shepherds. He's delivered them. out of the
hand of those that serve themselves of them. He's delivered and will
deliver his sheep from those false teachers. They shall no
more be a prey to the heathen. Look, let's be clear, these shepherds,
they're heathen. Neither shall the beast of the
land devour them, but they shall dwell safely and none shall make
them afraid. None shall make them afraid.
Romans 8. 33 to 35, you know what it says
there? Who shall bring any charge against
God's elect? How am I going to be on that
day before the bar of divine justice? We must all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ. What's it going to be like for
me? Have I done enough? Who shall bring any charge against
God's elect? Christ lived for them and died
for them. They're the righteousness of God in him. Who shall do anything
that will cause God to convict them of sin? God will look for
iniquity in Jacob, in his people, and shall find none, because
there is none, because Christ has taken it out of the way.
And I will raise up for them, verse 29, a plant of renown.
This is the Messiah, again, this is Christ. And they shall be
no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the
shame of the heathen anymore, for they shall be the righteousness
of God in him. Thus shall they know that I,
the Lord their God, am with them." He's promised to be with them.
He promised it throughout the book of Jeremiah. He promised
it in Ezekiel chapter 11. He promised that His people shall
be His people and He shall be their God. They are His people
from before the beginning of time. He will call them out.
He will put them in a safe place, a gospel place, and He will feed
them there. And they shall know that I, the
Lord their God, am with them, and that they, even the house
of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God." Who can do anything? Who can bring anything against
God's elect? We're more than conquerors through
Him who loved us, who did all that was necessary for us. Shall
anything be able to separate us from the love of God that
is in Christ? The clear message of scripture
is no. They shall be my people, and I will be their God. And
ye my flock, he says to those who truly hear the gospel of
his grace in Christ, who look nowhere other than the gospel
of grace in Christ for acceptance with God. The flock of my pasture
These men and women, these mankind creatures that he's chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world. He says, I am your
God, says the Lord God. What do we conclude from this?
God is against those who oppress and exploit his sheep. This flock
of his people that he's chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. God has promised to gather his true sheep. God
has promised to send them true under-shepherds, to call with
the voice of the great shepherd of the sheep, with the voice
of Christ, with that voice that they hear and they know. My sheep,
says Christ, hear my voice and they follow me. They won't follow
a hireling, one who's just doing it for the money he can get out
of it. They follow the true shepherd, the good shepherd, and those
that he's put in place to speak with his voice. Has he called
you? into a good place? Has he called
you into a good gospel place? Rejoice in it. Rest in it. Feed in it. Make the most of it. Think of
the blessings that you have. But what about others? There
may be some listening who can hear him calling out of a situation
of bondage that they're currently in. Bondage of tradition. Oh, we've always gone there.
fear of social loss, oh what will it be like? I tell you,
you know I mentioned that leaving of that church early on in this
message. There's a real fear of social
loss. Do you know that's how Islam
keeps its people in bondage? It's the fear of social loss
with the threats that go with it. They even threaten to kill
people that leave them for walking out on their family situation.
You have to look beyond those things. You have to hear God
calling you. Come out from among them. Find
true fellowship with his true sheep. The message of this chapter
is so clear. There are false shepherds, but
oh, thank God, he will save his flock. He has promised. And he
has promised to bless with every spiritual blessing in heavenly
places in Christ.