Well turn with me then to 1 Peter
chapter 5. We're coming to the end of this
series of messages from Peter's first epistle and we come to
the first seven verses of chapter 5 this morning. So one more message
next week. So 1 Peter chapter 5 in the first
seven verses and I've called this message the care of God's
sheep. The looking after, the provision
for looking after God's sheep. You know, Christians, all who
are Christians are sinners saved. That's it. I can't remember who
it was, but he had on his gravestone, he said, put this, I can't remember
who it was now, I ought to be able to, but SS, sinner saved. That was the best that he could
say about himself. He was just a sinner, but a sinner
blessed with the grace of God, a sinner saved. No better than
the others. As I said, when we read the psalm
earlier, the righteous and the wicked is not talking about their
own personal qualities they're not righteous because they're
good better people they're righteous because God has counted them
righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ and the wicked it's not that
they are more evil than those who are called righteous it's
because they don't believe the gospel of his grace that's that's
the scriptural definition no better than others Christians,
sinners saved by grace no better than others just as weak in the
flesh because we're still in the flesh just as vulnerable,
just as wayward. And if I am anything to go by,
occasionally, maybe a bit more than occasionally, quite stupid
at times, quite stupid. And therefore, have you seen
sheep? Sometimes sheep look awfully stupid creatures, don't they?
They really do. Stupid creatures. And so well
did our Lord Jesus Christ call His people His sheep. His sheep. They're vulnerable. They're wayward. They wander off. They get themselves
lost. They get stuck in a thorn bush.
All of these things. They're stupid creatures. They're
not particularly intelligent. But they're a tender, vulnerable
flock that needs His care. And so He says that He is the
Good Shepherd. You see, He gathers His people,
His sheep into flocks. It says in Psalm 68 and verse
6 that He takes the solitary, those on their own, and puts
them in families. He puts the solitary in families
where He cares for them. Now some of these families are
very, very small families of God's people. Very small flocks. Some of them even in these days
in which we live, I believe, are virtual families. Do you
know what I mean? I'm talking in the terms of the
internet and technology. We have people who listen to
our messages who effectively gather with us now as congregations
and they're just ones and twos on their own in their home. Virtual
families. He puts the solitary in families.
He associates them together. And He cares for them in those
families. He, our Lord Jesus Christ, is
the Good Shepherd. He said this in John chapter
10 and verse 11. I am the Good Shepherd. He gives
His life for the sheep. He's the Good Shepherd. Because
why? He's not hired to do the job. No, not at all. They're His sheep. You know? There are lots of very,
very good care workers who look after children in nurseries.
But I tell you what, nobody quite looks after the children like
their own mummy or daddy. You know, they really don't.
Because they're their children. They're their children. They
love them. And so he is. He is the good
shepherd. They're his sheep. He cares for
them. And who is our shepherd? You
and me if we're Christians today. Who is my shepherd? Psalm 23
verse 1. The Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. there's
no man between me and God the Lord is my shepherd he is the
chief shepherd it says in verse four here when the chief shepherd
shall appear he our Lord Jesus Christ is the chief shepherd
but he also gives us under shepherds while we walk through this life
under shepherds and so what I want to look at in these seven verses
is care from the chief shepherd and also from the under-shepherds
I want to get to verse 7 particularly because that's where we read
of the care of the chief shepherd casting all your care upon him
for he careth for you but before that we'll go in the order in
which Peter presents it he talks about the under-shepherds first
of all and there are things that we must note and we must say
here these verses are not primarily instructions to elders or pastors
as to what they're to do it's instruction about the care and
provision that God provides for his flock his little local flocks
of sheep in this world these under shepherds here they're
called elders in verse 1 the elders which are among you I
exhort he's encouraging and he says I'm also an elder Peter
is also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and
a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed and he's exhorting
them to do certain things These elders are amongst the gifts
that Christ gave to the church. When he rose, we read in Ephesians
4 verses 11 and 12, he gave some, Christ gave some apostles and
some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry,
for the edifying, for the building up, that's what edifying means,
the building up of the body of Christ. He gave gifts, he equipped
men with gifts to do these things. Just as all throughout the Old
Testament, He raised up prophets to preach His Word, to speak
His Word. You know, they just weren't highly
qualified or capable men in themselves, but God equipped them for a job
that He had at the time. He equipped them. He took them.
You know, in the case of Jeremiah, I am a child. I cannot speak.
You've got the wrong guy, Lord, said Jeremiah. You've got the
wrong one. Surely, you know, I can't speak. Don't tell me
Oh no, you're the one. God equipped him with his message
and sent him gifts to the church. What are these elders? Ordinary
sinful men. Most important that we understand
that. Oh, don't put these men on pedestals. Yes, yes. Think of our friends in the United
States. We love and admire them for the gospel's sake. for the
work of the gospel in which they engage themselves, that they
commit themselves to. But let's not forget that at
the best they're just men, like anybody else. Because I stand
here, that doesn't make me any different. Just a man, just a
man. Only sheep themselves. This is it. These elders, they're
sheep themselves, who need the good shepherd. They're ordinary
sinful men. They have recognizable characteristics
in the church, We're not going to turn to it now, but you can
read about it in 1 Timothy 3 verses 3 to 8, talking about the qualifications
for a bishop or an elder or a presbyter, as the word is. Basically, it
comes down to experience and maturity in God's kingdom. You
know, he mustn't be a polygamist, having more than one wife. He
mustn't have a bad reputation in the world for being dishonest
and all of these other things. He must have experience. He mustn't
be a novice because you know, experience, time, can only come
through through the passage of time he must have experience
and maturity in God's kingdom but this is the most important
thing like Peter, look in verse one, a witness of the sufferings
of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed
these elders these pastors, call them what you will they're witnesses
of the sufferings of Christ not physically I'm not talking about
those who stood at the foot of the cross and saw Christ, our
Lord Jesus Christ, die there. There were many, many men and
women who watched Him die on that cross, who are today in
hell. Many, many. No, that's not what it means
by witnesses. It means witnesses in the heart. Witnesses in the
heart, knowing the power of the gospel of grace, knowing the
power of Christ's death, knowing the power of His precious shed
blood to forgive sins, to establish justice, that God might be just
and the justifier of those who come to God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. And having that hope, having that confidence
that comes through justification in Christ, being a partaker of
the glory that shall be revealed. They're men who have this hope
of eternal glory. They have this hope within them.
They know the power of the gospel of grace and the hope that that
brings. They're witnesses of the suffering
and experience of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, in verse 1, the elders which are among you, I believe quite
clearly here that this is not addressing a plurality of elders
in a local church. No, I don't believe that's the
case. This is a general letter to many churches you can see
that from from chapter 1 don't turn to it now but this is a
general letter to many churches I don't believe this is speaking
to the plurality of elders in a local church there may well
be more than one elder in a local church there may well be more
than one person who has the qualifications to be an elder in a local church
but I do believe this I do believe this God appoints one to be the
pastor of a local church He appoints one shepherd to lead that local
church. He appoints one, not a multiplicity
of them, not co-pastors, as some people like to say, but one man
called and equipped to preach the gospel to that company of
people. To me, it's the main thing that
marks out a church, that God has provided somebody to minister
the words of Christ to them, whether it be through the technology
we have these days whether it be through a man visiting them
on a regular basis whether it be raising someone from within
their midst it's one man called to lead and I think this is speaking
to the individual pastors of the individual local churches
this is what it's saying to the single one equipped to lead and
they are commissioned look in verse 2 This is their commission. This is the exhortation that
Peter gives. Feed the flock of God which is
among you, taking the oversight thereof. Feed the flock of God. This is the only qualification. This is the only qualification
for one who takes this role of preaching the gospel of grace.
Is this man speaking to my believing heart with the voice of Christ
from his word? That's the thing. the individual
sheep in that assembly. Is this man speaking to my believing
heart with the voice of Christ from his word? Has he rightly
divided the word of truth? That's a scriptural phrase, rightly
dividing the word of truth, because so many wrongly divide the word
of truth and come up with all sorts of spurious doctrines.
Has he labored in the word of God and doctrine? Because that's
Paul's commission to Timothy, laboring in the word of God,
digging digging, studying, getting the message from God. As I believe
it was Scott Richardson, Pastor Scott Richardson said at one
of Don's conferences many years ago, that the job of preaching
is getting a message from the heart of God to my heart as the
preacher and passing it on to your hearts as believers. That's
it. A message from that. That's the
laboring in the Word of God and doctrine. That is that laboring.
That is that rightly dividing the Word of Truth. And Christ's
sheep, His true believing people, hear the voice of Christ through
His ordained servants. You see, it isn't a human ceremony,
a religious ceremony of ordination that marks out a man for the
ministry, to minister to the people of God. It isn't an academic
qualification in a theological college. Absolutely not. Absolutely
not. Definitely that is not the case.
It's, do the people, do the sheep, hear the voice of the Son of
God through what this man says? Do they hear the gospel of his
grace through those things? A pastor is not appointed by
a committee of other elders or deacons. This is the qualification. Do the sheep, the ordinary sheep,
hear the voice of the Good Shepherd through what he says? These elders,
they're to feed the flock of God which is among you. Feed
the flock of God which is among you. It's another reminder that
they remain themselves no more than sheep. The flock which is
among you. They're sheep. So often they
get up on a high pedestal and have people look up to them and
bow down and scrape and their obedience becomes servile obedience
to every word that these men say. But they're sheep. They're
sheep among sheep. Just equipped. by the Savior
for the ministry of the Word. And they're to be motivated,
look, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre,
but of a ready mind. You see? Motivated by willingness
to use the gifts that God has given for His service. It's not
for monetary gain, not for filthy lucre, that's what that word
means, it's not for monetary gain, it's not to have an easy
life in this world, you know, Going out into the world and
earning your living in the private sector or even the public sector.
I suppose there are some what we might call cushy positions,
but there are not many. There are some jolly difficult
ones. Very, very difficult ones. And the avoidance of that is
not a qualification or not something that ought to motivate the one
who is going to speak to the people of God with the voice
of God. Absolutely not. I've heard that before. That
a prime motivation was avoiding the necessity to work in the
world of work. You know? Easy life. Easy life.
I've heard that before and it's totally wrong. No. It is to lead
by the Word of God and by example. Look in verse 3. Neither as being
lords over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock.
This isn't a position of authority so that you can tell people what
to do and what not to do. No. It's to lead by the Word
of God, by the voice of Christ, by the message of the Gospel
and by the example of what that knowledge, that witness of Christ
in the heart does to the life of the person. It's not to interfere
in people's lives. You know, when the man stands
and speaks from this book, it is, thus saith the Lord. It really
is. You know, when rightly equipped
and rightly rightly carried out, it is thus says the Lord. It's
the voice of Christ to his people. But in other matters, in other
matters, all other matters, there's no position of authority. So
many, so many pastors it seems in our day feel that they have
a right and a duty to interfere in the private lives of their
people. And they don't. There's no authority
on the basis of the Word of God for that. Not at all. It's to
minister the Word of God, to labor in the Word, not interfering
in people's lives. In matters of advice, yes, people
can ask advice of their pastor, but it's as a friend and as a
fellow sheep in this world. It's not as a Pope asking a Pope,
what am I to do? What do you want me to do? Tell
me to do this or tell me to do that. No, not at all. No. not as being lords over God's
heritage but in samples to the flock and verse four when the
chief shepherd shall appear conscious that there is a chief shepherd
who is overseeing all things when the chief shepherd our Lord
Jesus Christ shall appear you shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away there are so many that interpret this that
that those who have been pastors in this life qualify for so much
of a better reward The reward is exactly the same reward that
all of Christ's people receive. A crown of glory that fades not
away. It's the same reward. How can
it be other than that? Do you know the parable in Luke
17 verses 7 to 10? Look at it yourself. Jesus says
to the disciples about the one who's been a really good servant.
You know, he's been out in the field. He's been doing everything
he needs to do. And he comes back and he says,
Is the Master going to say to him, oh you've done a fantastic
job, you sit down there while I cook you a meal and I serve
it to you. No, not at all. The Master's going to say, right,
you've done a good day's work out in the field, now go and
get my food and come and serve me. And when you've done all,
say only this, we have been unprofitable servants. We have been unprofitable
at best. And so it is that the servants
of Christ at best are unprofitable servants and their reward is
only exactly the same. as the reward of all of God's
people that same crown of glory that fades not away because it's
earned not on the basis of their works and their faithfulness
it's earned on the basis of the works and the faithfulness of
the Lord Jesus Christ and what if you can't find a
local pastor you see God cares for his people by putting them
in families in flocks and bringing them a message of the gospel
through somebody that He has equipped for that purpose. And
what if you can't find it in this day? I know, I've already
said, virtual congregations, virtual flocks, virtual families
of the people of God. Well, use the technology that's
available. We have it available today. Use
the technology. I'll give a plug again to Free
Grace Radio. There it is. Excellent ministry.
Loads and loads of sermons. I know we make use of it as a
company of people. But in that way, God cares for
His people. by bringing the ministered, the
preached Word of God you know you can read the Scriptures for
yourself and we should and it's very profitable and you can get
so much from it but God has especially especially anointed that process
of preaching it's by the foolishness of preaching it pleased God to
save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching it's
by this the foolishness of the message preached and even I guess,
in the eyes of the world, the foolishness of the concept that
by a man standing up and spouting a message, people might be saved
for eternity. That's it. That's God's method.
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, says
Romans 10, quoting the Old Testament. Whoever calls shall be saved,
but how shall they call on Him whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear unless a preacher comes to them and preaches that
message? and how shall they preach unless they're equipped unless
they're sent of God to preach it whoever calls on the name
of the Lord shall be saved now in verse five I don't want to
move on until we've just looked at this briefly but in verses
five and six likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder
yea all of you be subject one to another that's including the
elders and the pastors all of you be subject one to another
and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and
giveth grace to the humble." Submit to one another. This is
a spirit of submission and of humility amongst the people of
God, amongst the sheep of God. Submission one to another. The
young, it says here, young in years, you who are young in years,
listen to the advice of the older. I know it's very unfashionable
for the young to listen to the advice of the old. You know,
you sort of think, well, they've got nothing to tell us. It's
like It's like the young man growing up and his relationship
with his dad. And he says this about his relationship
with his dad. Do you know, when I was a young
man, my dad used to come out with all sorts of stupid things.
But do you know, the older the fella gets, the wiser and wiser
he becomes. He's coming out with some really
wise things these days. Now, he's an old man. Of course,
what's happening is the young man's growing older himself and
seeing the wisdom of it. It's always wise to listen to
the advice of those who've trodden the path before you, isn't it?
Which of you, we've just been up to the Lake District, which
of you and took a wrong turning up a mountain? We took a wrong
turning up a mountain because I went in the confidence that
I knew it so well that I didn't need to look at the map. I'd
been up there so many times and we took a wrong turning and we
missed it completely. It's foolish, it's foolish to
set out on such a venture without taking a guidebook with you.
You know the Wainwright books for the Lake District are so
popular because it's the advice of one who's been there before.
He tells you which gate not to go through and which style not
to trip over. He tells you those things. And
so the younger listen to what the old have to say. They're
wise. They've been your age before.
They've trodden that path before. They can tell you what to watch
out for. They can tell you. They can give you advice on how
to order your steps. And so it is. The younger, submit
yourselves to the older. But all of you, all of you, be
subject one to another. Don't be proud in your own understanding. Don't, as we read in Proverbs,
trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him
and he shall direct thy paths. And he often does that through
the advice of those who've trodden the same path before you. And
then he says, God resists the proud. He resists the proud and
gives grace to the humble. Who are the proud? They're those
who are very pleased with themselves of what they've achieved and
what they've done and who they are. He breaks proud hearts. God breaks proud hearts. He resists
the proud. He gives grace to the humble.
We're going to see this evening when we look at Isaiah chapter
6 how that prophet who had been a prophet in Israel who was quite
pleased with Israel in his day how he was broken under the mighty
hand of God. He was humbled under the mighty
hand of God when he saw that vision of the Lord Jesus Christ
in all his glory, and he saw what he really was. Rather than
proudly asserting himself as the prophet in Israel, all he
could cry was, woe is me, I am undone, for I am a man of unclean
lips. That was the best he could say
of himself. And what about the Apostle Paul when he was Saul
of Tarsus? strongly going to take prisoners
and lock up those who were Christians. And the Lord broke him down.
He resisted the proud. He gave grace to the humble.
He humbled him that he might exalt him. The Lord is nigh unto
them. We read in Psalm 34 verse 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that
are of a broken heart. That's who the Lord is near.
Those who are of a broken heart. He saves such as be of a contrite
spirit. contract not proud in themselves
not confident in themselves and so we have this exhortation in
verse six humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God
that he may exalt you in due time if you're not a believer
this morning this message comes to you humble yourselves under
the mighty hand of God for he is the God of the universe he
is the God with whom we must reckon He is the One whom we
must face in eternity. Humble yourselves under the mighty
hand of God. He is the One who is sovereign
over all things. Don't shake your fist in the
face of this One. Humble yourself under the mighty
hand of God. Recognize, recognize and acknowledge
your true state before Him. Your true state of utter dependence
upon Him. That He is the One who gives
you your life and your very next breath. Oh, the problems that
people have in various stages of life and yet if they would
only humble themselves under the mighty hand of God that he
may exalt you in due time because this is the reason the God of
the universe humbles people that he might exalt them it says in
1 Samuel chapter 2 and verse 8 he raiseth the poor out of
the dust they're poor because that's where they are they're
in the dust in terms of spiritual goodness he lifts up the beggar
from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them
inherit the throne of glory. Humble yourselves under the mighty
hand of God. And believers, not just unbelievers,
but believers, oh, let's constantly walk aware of how great our God
is and how dependent we are on Him for absolutely everything.
And how much we can, how much, as the next verse says, and this
is what we're coming to, verse seven, how much we can cast all
our care upon Him. For He cares for us. We can cast
all of our worries, our anxieties, all our need to be looked after
upon Him. For He cares for you. He cares
for you. And so we see the care of His
people by the Chief Shepherd. By the Chief Shepherd. I use
that term because Peter does in verse 4. The Chief Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd. He cares
for His people. So cast all your care upon Him. you know, humble yourselves,
casting all your care upon Him, all your concerns, all your anxieties. This is available to all believers
individually. This, if you're a Christian this
morning, a believer in Christ this morning, you are exalted
here by the Word of God to be constantly casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you. You don't need a pastor to intercede
for you regarding that care. You cast that care upon Him. There's no need of human intercession
for this. It's casting all of your care
upon Him. And note it says, all your care. Now, we may cast some care that
proves to be ill-founded. Won't it all prove to be ill-founded
care, really? But we cast care upon Him that
proves to be ill-founded. But He still says, cast all your
care upon Him, all of that care, even that which turns out to
be ill-founded. What do I mean by care? I mean
anxieties, worries, concerns. We have spiritual cares, spiritual
cares. We have the care of my sin, my
sin, my sin that would drag me down to hell, my sin that would
separate me from God. That's a spiritual care. Oh,
Christ has taken it all. I can cast it all upon Him. I
need not worry for those things. for He's taken care of it. My
sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part
but the whole, is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. My weaknesses, the
things that I start and I cannot complete, He completes it. He,
says Philippians 1 verse 6, He who started a good thing in you
will complete it. He will complete it. Isaiah 43,
the early verses there, talks about when you go through all
of these difficulties, He will be with you. He will bear you
up. He will take you through. In all temptations, He is there. Cast your cares of temptation
upon Him. Your future. Where am I going
to be? What about my family? All of these things. What about
judgment in eternity? Cast it all upon Him for He's
taken care of it for you. He cares for you. What about
your souls? What about your unbelief which
we're all afflicted with as believers in this world? We're afflicted
with unbelief and doubts. Cast them all upon Him. leave
them with Him. He's able to keep, we sang in
that hymn, able to keep that which I've committed unto Him.
What's that? That's my eternal soul. I've
committed it unto Him and to His safekeeping and He's able
to keep it against that day of judgment. This is such a practical
answer to anxiety. You know those worries and concerns
that we have spiritually? But not just spiritually but
earthly cares. You see, if God in Christ has
taken care of all of our spiritual cares all of our spiritual anxieties
surely he is able to unburden us regarding our family concerns
we all have those concerns family members he's able to unburden
us regarding those things we can leave them with him for he
orders all events for the good of his people all of our troubles
all of our welfare we can leave it all in his hands where am
I going to earn a living in a few years time I don't know, but
he knows I can leave it all in his care. He orders all things. We read that in Psalm 37, verse
25, I have been young and now I'm old. And this is the testimony.
Yet have I not seen the righteous, he doesn't forsake his people,
nor his seed begging bread. Oh, he'll take care of your welfare.
He'll take care of my welfare. We don't need to worry about
these things. That's not to be irresponsible. We have responsibilities
and we must make right provision, but not to be anxious for these
things. He cares for us. Cast all your care upon Him.
No weapon, says Isaiah 54 verse 17, no weapon that is formed
against thee shall prosper. This is what God says to His
people. No weapon, whether it be a family anxiety weapon or
a financial welfare weapon or troubles of this sort or troubles
of that sort or troubles of health, or troubles of old age or whatever
it might be, no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. And that is His promise. And
look, it's not just His ability, for He is sovereign and omnipotent
and able to do all His holy will. He's able, He has the power to
do all of those things. It's not just His ability, but
it's the fact that He cares for you. He cares for you. It's not
just as if you have access to somebody who's very rich with
a very big bank account on whom you can draw when difficulties
come along but this one is one who loves you as his child he
loves you as Jeremiah says Jeremiah 31 verse 3 I have loved you with
everlasting love therefore with cords I have drawn you everlasting
love you see this is his motivation he's motivated in his care for
his people by the fact that He loves His people with an everlasting
love. So, casting all your care upon
Him, for He careth for you. Oh, we need to mull this over,
don't we? Don't we need to think on these
things? Don't we need to practically
put this into effect? Be anxious for nothing. Be careful
for nothing. Careful means anxious. Be worried
about nothing. Really, casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you. The things that trouble us come
to us at His behest. You know, they don't just happen.
Things don't just happen. Everything, there was a hymn
we used to sing, everything by Him is planned. I know who holds
the future. He guides me with His hand. Things
that trouble us come to us at His behest for our eternal good. Think about Job. you know how
good was Job's life and his family and all that around him and how
it was all taken away from him and even his health was taken
away from him but you know where it started? in the mind of God
not in the mind of Satan, Satan was the instrument but it started
in the mind of God for the eternal good of his servant Job didn't
it? that's the way it is look at
Mark's gospel chapter 6, just turn to Mark chapter 6 I want to show you something
here verse 45 we've had the five thousand being
fed they that did eat verse 44 they
that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men and straightway
he that is Jesus constrained his disciples he Jesus constrained
his disciples to get into the ship the boat and to go to the
other side of the lake Sea of Galilee, unto Bethsaida, while
he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away,
he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come,
the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the
land. And he saw them toiling in rowing,
for the wind was contrary to them. And about the fourth watch
of the night he cometh unto them, walking on the sea, and would
have passed by them. And when they saw him walking
upon the sea, They supposed it had been a spirit, and cried
out. For they all saw him, and were
troubled. And immediately he talked with
them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not
afraid. And he went up unto them, into
the ship, and the wind ceased, and they were sore amazed in
themselves beyond measure, and wondered, and wondered. You see,
he ordained that storm for them, He put them into that situation
that they might see something that they wouldn't have otherwise
seen. He did that for their good because He loved them. He ordered
it for their good. He orders all things for our
good. He's in control of all things. He is the one who caused
that storm to rise and He is the one who calmed that storm
with just a word. Peace be still. He calmed that
storm. And He is the one who came to
them walking upon the sea and saying, Be of good cheer. Be
of good cheer. it is I do not be afraid and
so in those troubles and difficulties and cares that we have as believers
individually and as companies of believers we hear his voice
saying this be of good cheer be of good cheer it is I don't
be afraid don't be afraid that you're so small in number that
nobody will recognize you anywhere in the world rest in him casting
all our care upon him for he cares for us. He cares for his
people. Be careful for nothing, said
Paul to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 6. Be careful for nothing,
but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known
to God, casting all our care upon him, for he cares for us. We've already sung, as I've said,
I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded. That's 2 Timothy,
chapter 1, verse 12. and have persuaded that He is
able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that
day. I know whom, not what, I know
whom I have believed. It's believing a person, it's
trusting a person, it's casting all our care upon a person who
is this. He's Jesus my friend. He's Jesus
my... I call you no longer servants
but friends. He's Jesus my brother. Go into Galilee and tell my brethren
that He's risen from the dead. He's my master. Yes, He is my
friend, but He's also my Master, but He's a loving Master, a caring
Master. He's my Lord. He's my God. He's
my Savior, who has accomplished all things for me, casting all
your care upon Him, for He cares for you. You see, human pastors
are gifts to the church to bring the Word of God, but they may
well let you down. They may well let you down. They're
very likely to let you down. They're still in this flesh,
and this flesh is corrupt. especially if they were never
really pastors in the first place but the chief shepherd verse
four the chief shepherd he cares for you so cast all your care
upon him well we're going to sing number
eight hundred and