last Lord's Day to show you three pictures of Christ, our Shepherd. We saw the Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, described in the Word of God as the Good Shepherd, with reference to his work of redemption, the Great Shepherd in his resurrection glory, and the Chief Shepherd in his glorious second advent.

My subject this morning is the Lord's Sheep. The title of my message is His Own Sheep. Turn with me, if you will, to John chapter 10, verses 1 through 5, and let's read this text together.

John chapter 10, verses 1 through 5. I want to show you from this passage of Scripture, and from the Word of God in general, something of what the Scriptures teach concerning the character of Christ's sheep, those whom he came to save.

John chapter 10 verse 1, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers."

Now, there are some people in this world some among the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, whom God Almighty has purposed to save, and they are designated His own sheep in our text. These sheep are sinners, sinners by nature, fallen, depraved, lost, ruined, doomed, and damned by nature, but sinners chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, sinners who all at God's appointed time of love mercy and grace are called unto life eternal and at last into everlasting glory by the Spirit of God.

I am on the trail of Christ's sheep. I'm here this day seeking the Lord's sheep. It is my prayer as I preach this message in this assembly that God the Holy Spirit will open the hearts of some of His sheep. Maybe today one of his sheep will be called by his grace. Maybe today he might be pleased to open the word and cause his sheep to hear his voice and follow him.

Now, according to the word of God, the whole human race is divided into two categories. Be sure you understand this. Sheep and goats. Sheep never become goats and goats never become sheep. Our Lord plainly tells us that some men and women are his sheep, and others are not his sheep. Some are goats.

You remember our Lord said in chapter 10 of John's Gospel, and verse 16, other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and there shall be one, they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. If you're still in John 10, look down at verse 26. And then our Lord turns and looks to the Jews who opposed his doctrine, who were divided against him because of his word. And they believe not. And our Lord explains why. He says in verse 26, but you believe not because you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep, hear my voice.

Do you see that? There are those in this world who are his sheep. and they were his sheep from eternity and shall be his sheep forever. And there are those who are goats who never were his sheep, are not now his sheep, and never shall be his sheep. They're goats. And the last day when the Lord Jesus gathers all people before him, Jew and Gentile out of every nation of the world, he will gather all the nations of men at his throne and he will set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. The sheep he will gather into glory, the goats he will cast into hell.

Now this division of the human race was made in eternity and God's sovereign purpose of grace in eternal election. He chose some to salvation and passed by others. I recognize that there are many who get upset with this, and they get upset with the idea that's revealed in the Scriptures, the fact that's revealed in the Scriptures of God's sovereignty in this matter of salvation. But I want you to understand, and I want to state it very clearly. God Almighty created this world for His sheep. Those sheep whom he ordained unto everlasting life from eternity. The goats he passed by.

They are described like this. Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. The only reason Esau existed was for God to demonstrate his love, mercy, and grace to Jacob. And the only reason the sheep, or the only reason the goats exist in this world is that God may glorify himself showing his love, mercy, and grace to his sheep by the way he deals with his sheep and the goats in their relative spheres.

What are you saying, Pastor? I'm saying exactly what you thought I said. I'm declaring to you that God does everything for his sheep. Folks say, well, there is a sense in which God loves all men. Try telling the folks in hell that God loves everybody. Now, that's utterly ridiculous. to suggest that God loves all men, that He desires the salvation of all men, that He's gracious to all men, flies in the very teeth of Scripture and in the very teeth of sanity. If God loves all men and He is indeed God, what's anybody doing in hell? That's utterly ridiculous.

Oh no, God Almighty created the goats for the sheep, but His love is on the sheep. God created all things for his sheep, all things. This division that was made in eternity is manifest in time. There is a time called the time of love, when the sheep are called by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel, called to life and faith in Jesus Christ. Now, this call of the Spirit and our resulting faith in Christ does not make the division between sheep and goats. It only makes the division manifest. In other words, we are not sheep because we are called, we are called because we're sheep. We are not sheep because we believe, we believe because we're sheep. So that those who are Christ's sheep, chosen and redeemed by him, called by God's grace, are made manifest in time as they believe the gospel by the power and gift of his grace.

And this division of the human race is a permanent immutable division. As I said a moment ago, sheep never become goats, and goats never become sheep. Now as the human race is divided into two categories, sheep and goats, so too the Lord's sheep are divided into two categories. Lost sheep and found sheep. Straying sheep and returned sheep. Wandering sheep and folding sheep. This is what Peter said in the passage we had for our text last Lord's For ye were a sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls."

Whenever I preach the gospel, wherever I go, whenever I sit down to write an article or study and prepare a message, whenever I sit down to write a letter, my mind is fixed upon the sheep. My heart is fixed upon the sheep. I'm not much interested in goats. I don't have anything for goats. And I don't let goats disturb me, no matter how much they burp and neigh. I'm only interested in sheep. I don't pay much attention to the goats. My business is with sheep. I'm seeking the Lord's sheep who are lost. I'm here to feed the Lord's sheep who are in the fold. And having my mind and heart fixed upon the Lord's sheep, I know that I am in harmony with the will of the shepherd, because the shepherd's mind is always upon the sheep. His heart is always fixed upon the sheep. The good shepherd's glory, his very glory, is wrapped up in the welfare and salvation of his sheep.

Now, as you consider this matter of sheep and the shepherd, it might be helpful to try to understand or to remember how it is that men come to get sheep as their sheep. The Lord Jesus says concerning his elect, They are his own sheep. They are my sheep. But how did we come to be his sheep? There are just four ways, only four ways, in which someone can get to be his sheep. The only way, if Bob Ponson wants some sheep, there's only four possible ways I can imagine in which you can get to have sheep for yourself.

First, you get them by gift. And so our Lord tells us that we were given to him by God the Father before the world began. All that the Father hath given me, he said, shall come to me. And they are given to him by God the Father through the operations of the Spirit in effectual calling. At the time of love, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And it is the Father's will that all those who were given him from eternity and are now being given to him in effectual grace shall be raised up again at the last day. They are all the same people. Those whom the Father gave to the Son, those whom he has given to the Son, those who see the Son, believe on the Son, and come to the Son, and those who are raised up for the last day, they are the sheep who were given to him from eternity.

Secondly, a man may obtain sheep by a lawful purchase. And so the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, purchased his sheep. out from under the hands of divine justice by the lawfully demanded price of his own precious blood. Here in John 10 verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. He gives his life in the place of the sheep He gives His life for the ransom of the sheep. He gives His life for the sins of the sheep. He gives His life to atone for the sheep. He gives His life to get the sheep. The Good Shepherd lays down His life to obtain the sheep by satisfying the justice of God. Don't ever imagine that somehow Christ has come by His blood to deliver His sheep from the hands of Satan. He didn't pay Satan to get His sheep. He broke his hands and got his sheep. He defeated Satan to get his sheep, but he satisfied the justice of God by his own blood to ransom us out from under the curse of the law.

Thirdly, if a man owns a flock of sheep, and those sheep give birth to other sheep, then the newborn lambs belong to the original shepherd, the owner by birth. And so the shepherd becomes the owner by birth as well. And this too is a picture of how the Lord got his sheep. He said, as soon as Zion prevailed, she brought forth her children. It's amazing to me. God could save his people in any number of ways. If he wanted to, he could shake the bushes and cause you to hear birds speak and hear the gospel. That's altogether up to him. And that may sound ridiculous, God could save his people by any means he chose. He could call them out by any means he chose. But Larry, God has ordained to save his sheep instrumentally by saved sheep. He has ordained to call sinners to life and faith in Christ instrumentally by sinners who have been called and experienced his grace. Not that we have anything to do effectively with accomplishing the salvation of His people, a thousand times no. But God is ordained by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. He uses His church, Zion, as a mother to give birth to His people, as a mother to give birth to His sheep.

And then fourthly, a man may become the owner of sheep by inheritance as well. If the original owner gives his sheep to another person as his inheritance, then the sheep become the property of this other man by inheritance, and thus we are called the inheritance of our shepherd, a heritage of the Lord, God's heritage. We are his as the inheritance that he's received from his father.

Now, this morning I want to show you what the Scriptures say concerning these sheep. And I'm not going to tell you anything at all new or complicated, but I want you to follow me through the Scriptures. Let's begin in John chapter 15 and verse 16. John 15, 16. Now I want you to see that these things are clearly set forth in the Word of God. It doesn't matter what I think or you think. It doesn't matter what I say or another man says. What does God say about His sheep?

Here's the first thing. All who belong to Christ as his sheep are chosen sheep. Our Lord says here in John 15, 16, you have not chosen me. Now you know that's so. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Sheep, you see, love the doctrine of election. They've all experienced it. All of them are caught. They've experienced it. They all know that had there been no election of grace, there would have been no salvation by grace. Election is the sheep's friend, and sheep are the friends of election. They all confess, "'Tis not that I did choose thee, for, Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse thee, but thou hast chosen me. My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst. This knoweth, if I love thee, Thou must have loved me first.

Now, sheep have no difficulty with that. They have no difficulty with that. Folks say, well, elections are a mysterious, deep, deep doctrine. It's nothing of the kind. It's one of the simplest things you'll ever understand. You make a choice. You decide what you want. The only problem men have with the doctrine of election is that the Bible declares the choice is not yours, it's God's. That's the only problem men have. You see, men's anger against the doctrine of election is not anger against the doctrine of election at all. It's anger against God. It's a manifestation of their hatred of God. They despise God determining to whom he will be gracious. Our Lord declares, you have not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain.

I received a letter just last week from a lady who's been listening to some of my tapes and hearing me some on the radio. And she said that her pastor, she talked to him about this thing of election. And he said, he said, well, the Bible doesn't teach election to salvation. It teaches election to service. That's utter nonsense. That's utter nonsense, that's a cop-out. And the fellow's lying who says it. He's not just mistaken, he's lying. How on this earth is Larry Criss going to serve God if he didn't choose you to save you to start with? And the election is unto salvation. God has from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth. That's Bible language, that's not my language. God's people rejoice in election, for we recognize that we were lost, and we were dead, and we were helpless, and there was no cause in us and no ability in us to bring ourselves to God, but he chose us. He chose us.

All right, secondly, turn to Isaiah 53 and verse 6. Isaiah 53 and verse 6. All the Lord's sheep are chosen sheep, but all of them by nature are straying sheep. The prophet says here, all we like sheep have gone astray. And no question about that. We went astray from our, in our father Adam, we went astray from our mother's womb, speaking lies. We have turned everyone, now underscore this, to his own way. Some to a way of immorality, profligate indecency, drunkenness, lawlessness, baseness. Some to a way of morality, uprightness, religion, and high esteem in the eyes of men, but each one to his own way. Do you see that? So that there's no difference. Men by nature strayed from God.

All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way, to the way of our lust. And it doesn't matter whether you run from God in religion or run from God in the gutter. It doesn't matter whether you run from God on the way to prison or run from God on the way to the White House. It doesn't matter. Runnin' from God's runnin' from God. Do you understand that? It doesn't matter whether you run from God and seek to have your way in the vile satisfaction of your sins you will lust, or run from God and seek to have your way in the vile satisfaction of your carnal ambitions. It's all the same thing. It's all the same thing. We put things in categories, we separate them, we decide, we like this and we don't like that. But those who turn their own way, turn away from God. And the Lord hath laid on Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, the iniquity of us all.

We went astray all the days of our lives by willful deliberate choice. Each one having our conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as others.

We went astray until God the Holy Spirit arrested us by his mighty grace. But God, how I love those words. who is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved us, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved."

But that's not all. We all know what it is to stray. None of us know what it is to return. And even after experiencing the grace of Even after experiencing God's grace in salvation personally, it is still the nature of our evil hearts to stray from our God.

This is one of the most difficult things I have to face every day. You listen, and you tell me if it's not so with you. Even now, when we stray, we would never return to Him if he did not fetch us back to himself.

How often do you find your heart empty, barren, cold heart? And you know full well that your heart is empty, barren, cold and hard. And you try to muster some reviving in your soul. And it just can't be mustered. You try to fire your soul again with love for God, and there's just nothing to fire it with.

We are compelled in our day-by-day experience to cry, turn us, O God, of our salvation. We shall be taken. Draw me, and we will run after you. If he leads us to our saviors, we will yet forsake him.

Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. I'm prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and seize it. Seize it for thy courts above.

Yesterday morning, I went out. I'd gotten some tar on the car while I was going. I wanted to get it cleaned off before it had time to set. I was sitting in the car wash places uptown, and I felt a tingling, a staggering tingling. I was astounded. I had no use for the Armenian free will religion. It's connected with what's further than religious. Most of the times since I've known him, he came in just falling down drunk, just falling down drunk, cussing with every, every vile word imaginable, just spewing out of his mouth. And when he saw me, he was sober enough to recognize me and took off. And my heart sank within me, for I recognized that unless God is pleased to hold my heart to Him, something will get me. Do you understand that? Unless God is pleased to hold our hearts to Him, something will get you.

So don't you believe in eternal security? Of course I do. Don't you believe that God keeps His elect? Of course I do. What I'm telling you is that we are still by nature strange sheep. And the only way we will ever continue to walk in his path is if he graciously compels us to follow after the shepherd. None of the Lord's sheep have any problem with the doctrine of total depravity. Because it's the bitter reality of our daily experience.

Thirdly, Look back in John chapter 10 again. I rejoice to read in the Word of God that the Lord God has his sheep and they are all redeemed sheep. Verse 15, As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I laid down my life for the sheep, redeemed how I loved to proclaim it. redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.

" Now, let me tell you five things about redemption. You jot these down. Jot them down, and I want you to jot down the Scriptures. Look them up. These are five facts revealed in the Scripture concerning the redemption of our souls.

Number one, understand that we are eternally redeemed. We were redeemed, Merle, from eternity, before the world began. And we are redeemed to eternity. Our Lord Jesus Christ, with His blood, has obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9, 12. He redeemed us before the world began. Revelation 13, 8 says He's the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And He redeemed us unto everlasting.

we are justly redeemed. Read Romans chapter 3, verses 24 and 25. The only way Christ could redeem us. Now, I said that deliberately. If God is just, and he is, if his word is true, and it is, the soul that sinneth, it shall That means, Lindsay, the only way Christ could redeem us is by the satisfaction of justice. This is where most folks miss the whole message of the gospel. Jesus Christ did not just die at Calvary just to make us know he loves us. That's utter nonsense. He died at Calvary because of his love for us, but he did so because in order to redeem us, justice must be satisfied. And the only one who can satisfy justice is a man who is God. A man whose death is of infinite merit before God Almighty.

Thirdly, we are particularly redeemed. What do you mean? I mean, according to Isaiah 53, 8, for the transgression of my people was his ticket. I mean, according to the word of God, he hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. I mean, the Lord Jesus Christ was made to be seen for us, who are his sheep, and he redeemed us distinctly and particularly. Jesus Christ did not shed his blood for those who are not saved by his grace. He shed his blood for those who were actually redeemed by him and saved by him.

Fourthly, we were vicariously redeemed. The Lord Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, assumed before God our guilt and our sin. And when he was made to be sin for us, He has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. What on earth does that mean? That means that the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us in such a personal, vicarious manner that it is as though we had force-filled all the demands of the law for ourselves and satisfied justice for ourselves so that now God in His justice has no cause to condemn us. No call to be angry with us.

And fifthly, we were effectually redeemed. In other words, the blood of Christ gets the job done. It's not a failure. The blood of Jesus Christ has put away our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ has purged us from all our sins insofar as God's law of justice is concerned. Now you talk to sheep about limited atonement, they'll rejoice. Tell them about effectual blood, and they'll sing. Proclaim to sheep how that they have been particularly redeemed, and they'll shout hallelujah. And they'll honor the man who preaches that message as God's messenger to their souls. You see, sheep honor the shepherd's precious blood.

Fourthly, at God's appointed time, in the time of His love, each and every one of these chosen, redeemed, straying sheep are called sheep. Now look at our text in John 10, verses 2, 3, and 4. We recognize that there is a general call. I preach the gospel and I call you, come to Christ. And this call goes forth with absolute sincerity, with the authority of God through the preached word, so that we call men to Christ and they're responsible to come. But if all you is my voice, the call won't do you any good. Because I can't give you life and faith and cause you to come.

But there is another call. Do you remember how Paul says you see your calling present? Remember how he describes whom he did foreknow, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified? To those who are the called, the preaching of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. There is another call set forth in the word of God as a particular, distinct, effectual, irresistible call. I read a lot of commentaries and listen to a lot of fussing about what the door is. Forget that part. Get down to the good stuff. To him, the porter opened. Whatever the legitimate door to the sheepfold is, the porter, the Holy Spirit, opens the door to him who is the genuine shepherd. And the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep, get it now, by name. And when he calls them, he leads them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

The good shepherd always seeks his sheep till he finds it. And when he finds it, he always fetches it home by almighty, effectual, irresistible grace. This irresistible grace is what David describes in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and chapter 9 as fetching grace. You remember when he inquired about the house of Jonathan, because of the covenant he made with Jonathan. And he said, is there any left of the house of Jonathan, of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And Ziba said there's one fellow left. His name is Mephibosheth. He's lame on both his feet. He's down in Lodivar. And David said, fetch him. Fetch him. I love those words. Fetch him. Fetch him. What does that mean? Well, Ziba, you go down there and you tell Mephibosheth that I'd like to see him, and if he will consent, I'd sure like for him to come up here. That's not what that word means. Oh, no, that means go get him and bring him right here. Go get him and bring him right here.

And I'm telling you that in the time of God's love, at the appointed time of mercy, every chosen redeemed sinner is fixed! by the grace of God to Jesus Christ, by the irresistible power of his Holy Spirit. Notice how it's described here. The good shepherd calls his own sheep. He never calls the goats or somebody else's sheep. He calls his own sheep. His personally chosen, redeemed, predestined sheep. When he calls his sheep, they hear his voice. He never calls in vain. He calleth his own sheep by name, particularly, personally, distinctly. And when the Son of God calls his sheep, he leads them out. You see, his call is an almighty, effectual, irresistible call.

I pray for you who hear my voice. I ask you to pray for me as I go from one place to another to preach. But I don't stand up here and plead and beg with you to do something for Jesus. I don't stand up here and plead with you as though somehow God's glory, God's purpose, God's plan, God's predestination, and God's salvation depends on you. It doesn't. It all depends on Him. And I plead with God for you. I plead with God for you that He may be pleased now to call you. And if He calls, Like Zacchaeus, you're coming down. Like Lazarus, you're coming out of the tomb. You see, God's sheep are sheep called by his grace and they rejoice in the knowledge of his almighty irresistible grace.

I hear folks fuss about irresistible grace. They don't like the doctrine of irresistible grace. I don't like that. That robs me of my free will. Let me ask you a couple of questions. What sane man, I mean a sane man, would quarrel with irresistible love? What sane man would get angry because of infallible grace and goodness? What man in his right mind would ever get upset with a friend who snatched him from the jaws of death when he was both unaware of his condition and unable to do anything about it? Who would get upset with him? Let's just suppose, right? It's a stretch, but let's just suppose. Let's just suppose that something happens, and Merle Hart is out here on the highway, and he's thrown out of his car in an accident, and I see what's happened. And I come by while Merle is in his unconscious state, laying on the side of the road, and here comes a tractor-trailer running 60 miles an hour down the road. And I rush out and grab that man by the nape of his neck. and drag him forcefully out of the road. Maybe even bruise him and scratch him along the way. And Merle gets up and he's angry. He says, what did you do that for? You should have left that up to me. Why, that would be utterly ridiculous. Insane men talk like that. Insane men and religious fools.

God's sheep. know that they have been snatched from the very pit of hell by the hand of God when they were unconscious of their condition and unable to change their condition. Fifthly, look in verse 27. Every one of the Lord's sheep are specially known sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them. I know them." Sometimes we think we know. I think sometimes we probably don't have any idea. But he says, I know them. The world doesn't know them. It's what John said in 1 John 3, what? Before they are called, the church doesn't know them. The preacher doesn't know them. And they don't know themselves. And sometimes, even after they're called, churches and preachers don't know them, and sometimes they still don't know themselves. But Christ says, I know them. That's enough. He knows them eternally, and He knows them distinctly.

People say, well, He's the Lord, He knows everything. Yeah, but that's not what this is talking about. That doesn't come close to what this is talking about. He says to those in the day of judgment on His left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed! I never knew you. That doesn't mean I didn't know about you. He knew all about him. That means I didn't know you. I didn't know you. This is the distinctive knowledge of personal love from eternity. He knows them universally. He knows who they are, where they are, what it'll take to get them, what they've been, and what they've done. And He knows what He's going to make them to be, and what He's going to do for us. I know my sheep. I know. He knows them, the saving man.

And now the Lord's sheep rest in His love. We rest in the distinguishing knowledge that He has of us. It is His knowledge of us, not our knowledge of Him that is the source and cause of our salvation, justification, and eternal life. I recognize that in the experience of eternal life, that is found in our knowing Him. But the cause is found in Him knowing us. This is what it says. By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

Look in John 10 and verse 14. Here's the sixth thing. Our Lord says concerning his sheep that they are all knowing sheep. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. Not only does the good shepherd know his sheep, he says my sheep know me. They know him and they know his voice according to verse four. And they will not follow the voice of a stranger for they know not the voice of strangers according to verse five. Now, John, the apostle explains this for us in first John chapter two.

If you want to turn there for a minute, first John chapter two. I've been preaching for nearly 30 years. And I've been pastoring for, oh, let's see, about 25 of those years, a little more. And I've watched a lot of folks come and go. I've watched a lot of folks come and go. Usually, those who sparkle the most burn out the fastest. Usually. And I know why they come and go. I know people say, well, he's the Lord, he just backslid. That's what this drunk said yesterday morning. The boy's washing my car. He says, hold on, what happened to you? He says, oh, I'm backslidden. No, no, that's not what happened. That's not what happened. I'll tell you why folks forsake the gospel.

I don't mean to suggest that this incident or that incident is an indication a person's lost. I don't mean that. I'm talking about Bob as the time comes. God forbid it should the time come. when you walk out those doors and never return. You walk out the door of God's house and turn your back on the gospel. I don't mean forsake me and get upset with me. Man, you got every reason in the world to do that. I mean when you forsake the worship of God. The reason is you never knew God. Never knew Him. Well, I remember what it used to be. Yeah, he'll tell you what he used to be. He's nothing. He's nothing. I remember how he used to act. I remember what he used to do for the church. I know he'll tell you in a hurry what he used to do. But I'm telling you, those who used to be are nobodies and nothings in the kingdom of God.

They went out from us because they were not of us. If they had been of us, they would have remained with us, continued with us until this day. Now pick it up in verse 20, 1 John chapter two, verse 20. What about us? Is Bob gonna leave too? I don't think so. I don't think so. And if he's God's, I know he won't. If he's God's, I know he won't.

You see, you have an unction from the Holy One and you know everything. You know all things. He's not saying you're smart alecks and not saying you have absolute perfect knowledge of everything. He's saying you know everything needful for your souls to know. You know the shepherd's voice. You know that which is of the shepherd. I'm not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it.

Folks talk about men and women being saved when they don't know the truth. That's utter nonsense. Utter nonsense. Somebody asked, when did you come to know the truth? When God saved me. That's when I came to know the truth. And until you come to know the truth, God hasn't saved you. You mean preacher, I wasn't saved back yonder when I was in that religious mess? No! God saves his people through the knowledge of the truth. And unless you know the truth, you're not saved. That's what it says.

You have an option from the Holy One, outwritten to you because you know the truth, and that no lies are the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is the Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son, who so denieth the Son, not denieth the Son's name, not denieth that the Son came, not denieth the Son's claims, denieth what the Son did, and who the Son is. That's what he's talking about. Men talk about Jesus all the time, who deny him. They talk about his work all the time, who deny him. For they deny his work in its efficacy, and thus do it, deny his being in his Godhead.

But he that acknowledgeth the Son, he says, all right, Christ alone is my Savior. Christ alone is my Redeemer. Christ alone brought in everlasting righteousness. Christ alone has put away my sin. He that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you shall continue in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised to us, even eternal life.

And these things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you, who would pull you away from Christ. But the anointing, the anointing, the unction which you have received of him abideth in you. And you need not that any man teach you. But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in him.

Now if you want to cross reference that, look in John chapter 16 verses 8 through 11. What is it that the spirit of truth has taught you? What is it that this anointing has taught you? He's convinced you of sin. Pardon me. He's convinced you of righteousness established. He's convinced you of judgment through Jesus Christ the Redeemer.

Now, goats. Man, goats will believe anything. Somebody says, how can a man believe that? Goats. They eat anything. They eat anything. Stink and eat anything. Just anything. Talk to them about circumcision and salvation. Yeah, I'll buy that. Talk to them about being baptized and getting saved that way. Yeah, I'll buy that. Talk to them about being saved by taking pilgrimages to Rome. Yeah, I'll buy that. Talk to them about being saved by being a bombardier on a fighter plane and diving deliberately to kill yourself as a kamikaze pilot. Yeah, I'll buy that. That's all right. Anything's okay for goats. Talk to them about being saved by their free will. Sure thing. We'll take that. They're tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine because they don't know the shepherd's voice.

Sheep. All of them. Smallest lamb to the oldest lamb. Sheep. All of them. Young and old. Smart and kindly slow. Sheep. All the sheep. All of them. The ones who are well-educated and deep thinkers and the ones who are less educated and just kindly, they just kindly float along. Sheep. All of them. Know the shepherd's horse. They know the shepherd's voice. Talk to them about free will, they'll run from you. Talk to them about work salvation, and they'll say, that's scarcity. Talk to them about baptismal regeneration, they'll say, that's damning. Talk to them about universal atonement, they'll say, that's inconsistent with the glory of God. No sir, we will not accept that. She stands firm in the truth. They know the shepherd's voice. They know his voice.

put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And get it now, a stranger will they not follow. They'll flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.

I don't mean to suggest that A man not saved but if he can't recite five points of Calvinism. Lots of folks who are lost who recite five points of Calvinism every Sunday. I do mean to say that man, that woman is not saved who does not know the difference between free will and free grace. Who does not know the difference between redemption accomplished and redemption tried. who does not know the difference between Christ who tries to save and Christ who saves. They're not the same. They're not the same. His sheep know His voice.

Then seventh, look in Ezekiel 34, a passage we read a little while ago. Ezekiel 34, verse 11. Thus saith the Lord God, behold I, even I will search my sheep and seek them out. as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among them that are scattered. So will I seek out my sheep and deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and I will bring them into their own land and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be, and there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord."

Here the Lord God tells us that His sheep, as soon as they are called, are folded sheep. When the Lord calls His sheep, He brings them into the fold. And it seems to me that he's here telling us that he brings his sheep into the church. I realize that when men and women are born again by God's spirit, they are born into the church and kingdom of God in the strictest sense of the word. But I think the prophecy here refers not to the church in its universal aspect, but to the local church. So that the promise is this, I will bring my sheep into the fold of my church. There he feeds them with good pasture, refreshes them with living water, and causes them to lie down in peace and safety in good folk.

I will skip over this, but I want to emphasize. I recognize that many make light of believers' baptism and church membership. I recognize, as you do, that neither baptism nor church membership has anything to do with our salvation. But we must never be seduced into thinking that the ordinances of Christ and the church of Christ are non-essential.

Ron, I hear folks say no. Now, we'll agree that's a non-essential. We'll agree to disagree there. Not me. No, sir. Who are you? Who am I to speak of that which is plainly revealed in the word of God and say that's non-essential? That don't matter. It does matter. I cannot find in the word of God. Now listen carefully. I cannot find in the word of God any evidence that the Lord's sheep are ever found outside his fold once they've been caught. Search the scriptures. Search the scriptures. I challenge you. Find me a man or a woman in this book referred to as a believer who willfully, deliberately, absence himself and pushes himself away from the worship and knowledge of God Almighty.

You know, in the New Testament, Christ's sheep are described as people who follow him in the waters of baptism, so much so that the Apostle says, as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. That is, when you, by your profession of faith, were baptized in the name of Christ, By profession, you put on Christ and you're His. You're His. And there's no identification with Christ without that. Christ's sheep dwell with Him in His fold.

Sheep, you see, need each other. I'll tell you, the only time you ever find sheep alone, the only time you ever find sheep alone are when they're lost. Give you a challenge. Sheep aren't real pleasant animals to be around. They're dirty, smelly. I remember a couple of years ago, Jim Bird and I were playing golf over at High Point Golf Course in Nicholasville, and there's one hole down there that comes up on a field full of sheep. Good thing it's a par three hole. You want to get out of that place in a hurry, because it'll burn your nose. They're just dirty, smelly, dirty, helpless animals. But I've never seen one by himself when there are other sheep around. Never. Don't happen. The only time you ever find sheep by themselves is when they're lost.

Eight. All of the Lord's sheep are called following sheep. In verse 27 of John 10, we're told, they follow me. In verse four, our Lord tells us in the parable, the sheep follow the shepherd. I've already shown you that none of the Lord's sheep follow the shepherd by nature. And yet our Lord says they follow me. How can both be true? He entices us to follow him by his goodness. You take a little child, I'll take That's Debbie's granddaughter, Alexis. For long, I'm going to get her. I'll find something to entice her, get her to roll something. I'll get her attention, get her to come to me. That's one way. Our Lord shows us his goodness and grace, the glory of God in the face of Christ, and he entices us to follow him. And he lovingly forces his sheep to follow him with his rod.

Years ago, I read or heard, I can't remember which it was, someone discussing eastern shepherds. Sometimes they have a sheep that is stubborn and rebellious and forever strange. This way or that way. And the shepherd takes his rod and he'll tap him on the rump and coax him into following him. He'll take him, tap him on this side, coax him into just leading him along the way. But if the sheep simply will not be guided, that shepherd takes that long stand, breaks one of his legs, and then he sets the leg, puts a splint on it, carries him around in his bosom. He carries him around for a good while, and that sheep has to depend on that shepherd for everything because he can't walk on his own. And the shepherd feeds him, and carries him, and feeds him, and carries him, and he nourishes him. And at last, at the legs healed, he'll take the bandage off and take the splint off and put the sheep down. Wherever he goes, that shepherd right there, that sheep right there, he can't keep him away from him because he has graciously forced him.

Force me, Lord, to do your will. I don't care how often you have to break my legs. And force these, your sheep, to do your will, no matter how often you have to break their legs.

These sheep, night and day, are described in verses 28, 29, and 30, as secure sheep. I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Isn't that good? Never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand, not Satan, not you, not any man, not even yourselves. My Father which gave them to me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father, we're one. Now that simply means that the Father's purpose can't be defeated. The Son's blood can't be wasted. The Spirit's seal cannot be broken. Immutable grace cannot be altered. Omnipotent power cannot be subdued. The will of God can't be resisted. His sheep are secure.

And then look at verse 16. One last thing. Here the Word of God speaks of some sheep in a very singular way. They're called other sheep. other sheep I have, which are not of this folk, them also I must bring." There should be one foal in one shepherd. As I said at the beginning of my message, I'm on the trail of these other sheep. I pray that there's some of these other sheep here today. That some of you other sheep have now been called by the shepherd's voice.

That, however, is altogether that he will bow to his will. But let me tell you what the scriptures tell us about these other sheep. These other sheep belong to Christ just as surely as the rest do. They've been redeemed by Christ just as effectually as the rest. And they are safe and secure in the hands of Christ, just as safe and secure as those who are caught. The other sheep shall be affectionately called by Christ. If you're one of these other sheep, the Good Shepherd says concerning you, them also I must bring. And if you're one of these sheep, the Good Shepherd will get you. He'll get you. Oh yeah, he'll get you. Satan will at last have his hold on you broken and the Good Shepherd will get you and return you to himself.

Now if you're one of these other sheep and Lord has called you, come on into the fold. If you're so, just let us know and we'll bring you into the bond of the covenant, through the waters of baptism, into the kingdom of our God by professing Him in believers' baptism.

Now turn with me if you will and let's read together Psalm 23. This will be our prayer, our praise, and our benediction.

Psalm 23. This is what the sheep say.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not walk. He maketh me. to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

And the sheep said, Amen. Amen. God bless you. You're dismissed.