You Only Live Once.

KJ Washington

[0:00] Good morning. [0:02] My name is KJ Washington and I have the privilege to serve on [0:04] staff here at Village Church. [0:07] If you haven’t been here the past few weeks, we have been [0:10] going through a sermon series entitled, all you need is love [0:13] and other lives that I used to believe.

[0:16] And throughout this series we have been studying different [0:19] phrases and philosophies that are within culture that has [0:22] shaped the way that our culture sees life. [0:27] So through this series what we have done is this, we have been [0:30] looking at these phrases and seeing what the Bible has to say [0:34] about this thought process, this mentality, and we will do the

[0:38] same today as we wrap up this series. [0:41] This morning’s title for the series is YOLO. [0:45] You only live once. [0:47] For some that might be a little bit wiser in age, you might not [0:51] be as familiar with this phrase. [0:54] And it simply means you only live once.

[0:57] I’m going to break this down a little bit for us this morning. [1:00] It originates from the great philosopher of my generation, [1:05] Drake, and his song, the motto. [1:08] And he shared this phrase through his song in my generation, the [1:13] millennial generation, and other generations that kind of grabbed [1:16] a hold of this phrase and it really has driven their lives.

[1:21] And it has really pushed them to live in a certain way, a way that [1:25] they just want to seize the day. [1:29] They want to make the most of every moment. [1:32] So we see that this phrase has a direct correlation to a Latin [1:36] phrase, carpe diem, which means seize the day, and it’s connected to [1:41] another Latin phrase that says seize the day and put little trust

[1:45] in tomorrow.

[1:48] For all of us, this phrase has drastically impacted our lives [1:53] because we want just to make the most of our lives. [1:58] We look forward to these high points in our lives where we’re just [2:02] living the thrill.

[2:05] So this leads people to tell you, go after big things. [2:12] Do whatever makes you feel good. [2:13] Some of the phrases we’ve talked about throughout this series are [2:18] reflected by this mentality of you only live once. [2:20] What do you have to lose? [2:23] This has led some people to do some crazy things, by the way.

[2:28] But in a very subconscious way, it has affected all of us because we [2:32] just want to make the most of our lives, whether that’s the way you [2:34] raise your family, you just want your family to have the best things [2:38] available to them because you know you only live once, so you want to [2:42] give them the best.

[2:46] For me growing up, I played soccer growing up, and I loved the sport. [2:50] But every Saturday, I looked forward to the opportunity to play soccer. [2:54] I could smell the fresh cut grass when I got to the field, and just [2:58] being able to see the dew roll off the ball as we kicked the ball in the [3:00] morning, I kind of lived for those moments. [3:03] I really looked forward to those moments because in some sense, I got

[3:07] a high off that moment because I knew I was going to play in the soccer [3:10] game, and for me, that kind of drove my life. [3:14] And this is the connection to us today because a lot of us in here this [3:17] morning, there’s different events or things that are driving our lives, [3:22] and we really look forward to those moments. [3:25] And we get a sense of a high from that.

[3:28] You kind of feel like you’re in your zone.

[3:31] YOLO, you only live once, is what affects that mentality because you [3:36] live for those moments.

[3:40] So this morning, we’re going to really look at and see what Jesus has to [3:45] say about our lives and what we should live for.

[3:50] So this is the hope. [3:52] This morning, I’m going to tell you where we’re going. [3:55] This is the hope that we see this, that Jesus is the good shepherd, and [3:59] because he’s the good shepherd, he has a plan for our lives that’s far [4:04] greater than what the world can give us, is far greater than the emotions [4:09] that’s welled up inside of you to make the most of every day by living for

[4:15] yourself or by living for what gives you a high or this joyful emotion that [4:22] you have. [4:23] And we’re going to combat that with the fact that Jesus is here to sustain [4:27] your life. [4:29] And what we’ll see about the good shepherd is this. [4:30] We’ll see that the good shepherd does this.

[4:32] He protects, sustains, and he provides life for his sheep. [4:39] And so through the good shepherd doing this, we don’t have to live for just the [4:43] high moments of life, living day by day, just looking forward to the weekend or [4:47] looking forward to the big game or looking forward to that pay raise, but [4:51] that we can trust in the fact that Jesus is good and that we’ll see in John [4:55] chapter 10, verse 10, that Jesus provides life and he gives it to you

[5:01] abundantly so that you don’t have to seek for these high moments, but you can [5:05] rest in the fact that Jesus is going to provide you all that you need. [5:10] That’s the life that Jesus wants you to live. [5:13] And we’re going to see that this morning. [5:15] I’m going to be reading John chapter 10, verses 1 through 15 this morning. [5:19] If you would follow along with me as I read this text, I’m reading verses 1

[5:26] through 15, but I’m going to preach out of 7 through 15 to give you a heads up.

[5:32] The word of God says this, truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter the [5:38] sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a [5:42] robber. [5:44] But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [5:46] To him the gatekeeper opens. [5:48] The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

[5:54] When he has brought all of his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow [5:59] him, for they know his voice. [6:01] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know [6:05] the voice of the strangers. [6:07] This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was [6:11] saying to them.

[6:12] So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [6:17] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to [6:22] them. [6:22] I am the door. [6:23] If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find [6:28] pasture.

[6:29] The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. [6:33] But I can that they may have life, and have it abundantly. [6:36] I am the good shepherd. [6:38] The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [6:40] He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the [6:44] wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees.

[6:46] And the wolf snatches them and scatters them. [6:48] He flees because he’s a hired hand and cares nothing for them.

[6:56] I am the good shepherd. [6:58] I know my own and my own know me. [7:00] Just as the father knows me, I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep. [7:06] That’s the reason of God’s word. [7:07] Let’s pray before we dive into this text this morning. [7:10] Father, we thank you.

[7:13] For your words that you’ve penned for your people.

[7:19] Father, I pray that we’re able just to entrust in you that you are the good [7:22] shepherd.

[7:24] And that you care for your people, and that you want to lead and guide your [7:28] people to pursue you.

[7:32] Father, break our hearts for you this morning.

[7:37] We need you.

[7:40] In Jesus’ name, I pray. [7:42] Amen. [7:43] The first way that we’ll see this morning that Jesus is the good shepherd is by [7:48] God provides life.

[7:51] God provides a way of life, and that’s through Jesus. [7:54] This is stemming from verses seven through nine for us this morning. [7:57] He says, truly, truly, I save you. [7:59] I am the door of the sheep. [8:00] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to [8:03] me. I am the door.

[8:04] If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture. [8:08] We need to realize the only way to really find life is through Jesus. [8:12] And this is what Jesus is saying in verse nine here. [8:13] He says, look, look, I am the door. [8:16] There’s no other way for you to find life, but through me. [8:22] And this is a really interesting illustration that he’s given for this time

[8:26] period because he’s building an analogy, an illustration for them, because when a [8:32] shepherd took care of sheep, they would build a fence, but they didn’t build a [8:37] fence in the doorway. [8:39] But literally the shepherd stood in the doorway. [8:42] And so the only way to come into the flock and be a part of this sheep fold is [8:46] that you had to come through the shepherd.

[8:50] So Jesus is literally telling them, hey, the shepherd takes care of the sheep. [8:53] He’s built a fence to protect, to sustain the life of the sheep. [8:56] And the only way to come in and find life is through me. [9:00] You have to come through me. [9:02] I am the door.

[9:07] This is why he’s the good shepherd. [9:09] He’s better than the rest of the shepherds because you have to come through [9:12] Jesus to have life.

[9:17] This I am statement that he makes here, I am the good shepherd is the first of [9:20] seven I am statements. [9:21] There’s a direct correlation to the Old Testament where Yahweh says, I am, I am.

[9:28] I am the God of the universe. [9:30] I am the God that’s in control.

[9:34] And in this text, he’s saying, I am the door. [9:40] There’s no other way to come to me. [9:43] But we see in life that so many people are trying to find life through so many [9:47] other ways, and it’s not through Jesus. [9:50] They’re trying to find their fulfillment, their hope and everything else.

[9:57] But not Jesus. [10:00] And that’s what the phrase, yo, is. [10:01] It’s pushing you to do.

[10:04] It’s pushing you to make the most of your life on your Saturday night. [10:10] Because it says, hey, you want to get that feeling, don’t you? [10:14] You just want to get that feel of life. [10:17] That feeling of life that’s not going to sustain you. [10:20] But this correlation that Jesus is making to himself says, look, if you come [10:23] through me and to my sheepfold, I’m going to protect, sustain your life.

[10:28] You’re not going to worry about trying to find that feel again. [10:32] Many of you would understand this because you’re in the situation right now, [10:36] or that’s been you in the past, where you live the day by day lifestyle, where [10:39] you’re just looking forward to that next big moment.

[10:43] And you live for that.

[10:46] But Jesus saying, come through me.

[10:52] We see in John chapter 14, verse six, Jesus says this says, I am the way, the [10:57] truth and the life. [10:58] No one comes to me and it comes to the Father except through me.

[11:05] Again, Jesus is making this connection to say, hey, there’s no other way to life. [11:10] I am the way. [11:11] There’s no other way. [11:12] So why do we keep finding ourselves in this position where we’re trying to [11:15] find life everywhere else?

[11:19] Why?

[11:22] We have to be honest with ourselves because we do that all the time.

[11:27] You’re wondering why your life is going going crazy right now. [11:30] And it’s because you’re not finding your hope and your fulfillment in Jesus.

[11:36] And this is a great reminder in this text is that he is the only one who can [11:41] provide life for us.

[11:47] Next thing he says, this is all who came before me are thieves and robbers, but [11:51] my sheep did not listen to them. [11:54] What are you saying here? [11:55] He’s laying out for the people. [11:57] He’s saying, look, before you were following me, before you had life in me, [12:03] you’re following the world.

[12:04] You’re following the thieves and robbers, the one that says they’re going to give [12:07] you life, but they can’t really. [12:09] But when you heard my voice, you turned away from that and you started following [12:13] me.

[12:15] And it’s really easy for us to get caught up in wanting to follow the world and [12:20] what the world has to offer us our far own hearts desires. [12:24] But what Jesus is laying out here saying, look, you heard my voice, you came to [12:29] me and you realize that life can only be found in me and me alone.

[12:36] But the argument can be made here.

[12:40] That we’ve seen God work. [12:42] All of us can attest to the fact that God works here in your lives. [12:47] Are you breathing right now? [12:48] God is working in your life. [12:50] That is him displaying common grace to you in your life that you’re here breathing [12:54] that you woke up this morning.

[12:55] There’s God being gracious enough to you say, hey, I want to provide you the [12:59] ability to live.

[13:03] You’ve seen the work of God. [13:05] You have no excuse.

[13:10] But yet we still don’t come to him and realize that he’s the only way to provide [13:13] life for us.

[13:17] We see this in John chapter six in the parable about Jesus feeding the 5,000.

[13:27] Jesus takes five barley lows and two fish and he multiplies them and he feeds [13:34] 5,000 people.

[13:37] These people, they partook in the food and they were happy. [13:40] They were satisfied. [13:41] They got their fill.

[13:44] But let’s look at the response that Jesus had towards them when they came back [13:48] to him.

[13:51] Seeking for more. [13:54] If you would turn for me to John chapter six, verse six through 26. [13:59] It reads as this. [14:01] Jesus answered them. [14:02] Truly, truly I say to you, you are seeking me not because you saw signs, but [14:07] because you ate your fill of lows.

[14:09] Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal [14:14] life.

[14:17] It’s really easy for us to get attached to the creation and not the source for [14:23] the creation.

[14:26] So what these people saw, they saw that God had provided for them what they [14:30] needed, which was the food to live because they were following him. [14:32] They were listening to his teachings. [14:34] They’re like, man, this is good, but you fed me as well. [14:37] They got so caught up that God had provided for them, but that they missed [14:42] out on the source.

[14:45] They saw the sign, but they were more worried about their fill.

[14:51] And that’s where we’re at. [14:54] We realize that God is here and that he’s among us. [14:58] And we realize that he’s provided things for us, but we’re so infatuated by those [15:04] things that we miss God himself. [15:07] The reason why God provided that miracle for those people is so that they would see [15:12] that he is God and that he’s the son of man.

[15:16] Not that they could just be happy and flourish in that food and just be satisfied [15:21] simply by being filled, but that they would see that he is the son of God.

[15:29] How many times for us when we get something that we’re really excited about, that we [15:35] don’t, we’re not thankful for the source of that Jesus himself being gracious enough [15:41] to allow us to have that or God getting you through a situation in your life. [15:47] And you’re just like, yeah, I’m just happy. [15:49] I just got through not being thankful for the source of that situation so that you [15:52] could, if we could show you who he is.

[15:56] So we want to live for these big moments, but we don’t want to live for the one that [16:03] provides for us the endurance of life.

[16:11] And that’s why Jesus says to him, says, look, don’t live for what perishes.

[16:20] Live for what’s going to give you eternal life.

[16:24] Jesus provides this life for us. [16:27] We just have to entrust in him with our lives and that he is going to provide what we [16:34] need.

[16:37] What’s stopping us from doing that?

[16:41] I pray that you consider that in your own hearts. [16:43] What’s stopping you from just entrusting your whole being to Jesus as the good shepherd [16:48] for your life that he has for you, what you need so that you’re not just trying to [16:52] find life in everything else.

[16:55] People sit here on Sunday morning saying, hey, I don’t understand. [16:58] I come to church. [16:59] I come to community group. [17:00] I serve. [17:02] But why is my life so hectic? [17:05] This is why, because you’re not finding your life in Jesus and delighting in him.

[17:13] You can see that he’s God and still miss out on Jesus.

[17:21] They literally saw Jesus face to face and still missed out on him. [17:28] So imagine how many times somebody can go to church for their entire lives and still [17:32] miss out on Jesus.

[17:38] Check your heart on that. [17:40] I’m pleading you. [17:43] Is Jesus your source of life? [17:46] Who are you living for yourself? [17:49] Because if he is, it’s going to endure in your life to eternity.

[17:56] Life with Christ is better than what the world has to offer. [17:59] Is better than the riches. [18:01] Is better than the glory. [18:03] You can try to have a perfect family. [18:04] You can try to have the most money. [18:07] You try to be the perfect husband.

[18:08] You try to be the perfect child. [18:11] But it doesn’t matter if you’re not delighting in Jesus and entrusting in him as the provider of life. [18:20] We see in John chapter 6 verse 35, Jesus said this. [18:24] Jesus said to them, I’m the bread of life. [18:26] Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, but whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

[18:35] Some of us are thirsty.

[18:39] And the only way to quench your thirst is through Jesus. [18:44] This is the first I am statement that he makes in the book of John. [18:47] And if you study the book of John, you see this this story line that’s working throughout the book that he’s trying to prove to him that he’s the son of God. [18:55] And so the way that he does that in this text, he says, I’m the bread of life. [18:59] This kind of freaked out the disciples a little bit because when he said this to them, they’re like, what do you mean? [19:04] You’re literally bread.

[19:05] We should literally part. [19:06] Take in you.

[19:09] Some people ran from this because they didn’t want to give themselves to Jesus in such a way that they part took in life with him.

[19:21] I love the words of Peter at the end of chapter six. [19:24] When everybody’s fleeing from them, when he’s like, hey, look, if you come to me, you’ll you’ll never thirst ever again. [19:30] You have life and I will always sustain you. [19:34] And people left. [19:34] They’re like, man, I’m not partaking of you. [19:36] I’m not eating your flesh.

[19:37] I’m not drinking your blood. [19:39] And I love Peter’s words at the end because Jesus looks to the disciples and says to them, do you want to go as well?

[19:48] And Peter says to me, says, Lord, where else would I go?

[19:57] There’s nowhere else for me to go.

[20:02] That’s the type of life that Jesus provides for you. [20:07] That when you are rooted in the gospel, you look at your life and you’re like, there’s nowhere else I would rather want to be. [20:15] There’s not life outside of this. [20:19] It’s only found in Christ.

[20:25] Peter realized that Christ is the food that would never perish. [20:31] And that he was the only way for life. [20:36] But we have to go through him for that life. [20:40] And just because you sit in church services or go to community groups doesn’t mean that you have life through Christ.

[20:48] The next statement he says in verse nine, she says this, I’m the door. [20:51] If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture.

[20:59] Jesus is building a picture right now of the covenant community that we have the ability to partake in. [21:06] If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, you see a story about God’s faithfulness to his people, how he builds relationship with his people. [21:14] He says, hey, I want to be faithful to you. [21:16] I just want you to follow me. [21:18] And he’s establishing this covenant community. [21:22] And in verse nine, he’s painting a picture to us of our covenant community with him.

[21:26] He says, hey, I’m sending my son to provide life for you to reconcile the broken relationship that was because of Genesis three, sin entering into the world. [21:35] So Jesus is going to provide the way for life. [21:38] And then you can be saved through Christ. [21:41] So for the purpose that you can dwell amongst God, so you can be with him. [21:46] And so you can go in and out and find pasture. [21:49] And this word pasture means a dwelling place.

[21:52] It’s a place where you can find rest. [21:53] You can find fulfillment in Jesus. [21:55] So it’s not that Jesus just saves you and leaves you there. [22:01] We need to have a better theology in this issue. [22:03] We think that sometimes that Jesus just wants us to get saved and he doesn’t care about our lives. [22:07] Jesus cares about your lives fully.

[22:10] He didn’t just die on the cross to leave you the way that you were before him. [22:13] He says, hey, I want you to abide in me, find your hope in me and dwell amongst me. [22:20] We see this principle within the Old Testament of God was the tabernacle. [22:25] So you had to come to be with God in the tabernacle. [22:28] If you want to be in God’s presence, you come to the tabernacle.

[22:34] But it’s beautiful because when Jesus came in flesh, God himself now tabernacles among us. [22:42] That’s beautiful. [22:44] So that we can dwell with him, find life in him, find our hope in him.

[22:51] Jesus is a provider of life. [22:54] And that’s better than anything that the world could ever offer us.

[23:00] But to have that life, we have to trust in the fact that Jesus is the good shepherd. [23:06] And that by him alone, we can have this life. [23:10] This leads us to the second way this morning that Jesus is the good shepherd. [23:14] The abundance of life comes through Christ alone. [23:19] So far, we’ve seen how Jesus is the only way to life. [23:22] But through him alone, we can have this life and come to him.

[23:27] And like I said, this is this is not for us simply to have an inheritance of salvation, but that he cares about our lives. [23:35] See, a lot of times in Christian circles, we care a lot more about the sanctity of life than the sanctification of life. [23:42] We get so caught up that, hey, life really matters, but you don’t really care about how you live your life. [23:48] And that’s what Jesus is getting at here says, look, I’m your shepherd. [23:51] I care about how you live. [23:52] I’m here to protect you and to lead you and to guide you.

[23:55] But a lot of times we don’t like that type of correction. [23:58] We think I can do bad all by myself. [24:00] I don’t need anybody to tell me what to do. [24:02] That means that you are your own God, that you think you’re good enough to be your own shepherd. [24:07] But what Jesus is saying here is that, hey, only I can lead you. [24:10] Only I can guide you.

[24:14] We need Jesus. [24:16] I love the analogy of the sheep.

[24:19] If you study anything about sheep, sheep are pretty stupid.

[24:24] So I’m making a connection that we’re stupid.

[24:29] And if you don’t realize that, think about how many times you sin. [24:32] You’re like, yeah, I’m pretty stupid.

[24:36] We’re desperately in need of someone to shepherd us. [24:42] And we should be thankful that we have a loving Savior that came and died on the cross [24:47] for our sins. [24:49] And He didn’t just leave us the way we were. [24:53] But He died to give us life and give it to us in abundance.

[24:59] A lot of times when we think about this abundant life, we get really confused. [25:04] And in today’s culture, we’ve seen people abuse the abundance of life. [25:09] We’ve seen the prosperity gospel work amongst communities and destroy communities. [25:16] It’s a tragedy. [25:18] This gospel is being taken to other continents and destroying civilizations.

[25:26] Because we have it twisted ultimately that we think the abundance of life [25:30] means that you’re going to be rich, you’re going to be prosperous on earth. [25:35] We fully disagree with Joel Osteen when he says, your best life is now. [25:38] Your best life is not now. [25:42] Your best life is when you get to long to be with Jesus one day in glory. [25:47] I’m looking forward to that day.

[25:49] But Jesus points to something in this text. [25:51] He says, look, the abundance of life that I want you to have is found in me. [25:55] So it doesn’t matter about your situation or circumstance. [26:00] But that you have me, that’s why you have this abundance of life. [26:04] And so we’re going to look at that this morning. [26:06] Verse 10 says this, the thief comes only to still kill and destroy.

[26:10] I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [26:14] So as we see in the shepherd’s role is to protect, sustain, [26:17] and to give the best possible life for the sheep. [26:20] That’s what he’s doing. [26:21] He’s building the gates so that nobody could try to hop in and tear apart the sheep. [26:25] But we’re going to see later on how the false leaders, the false shepherds,

[26:30] will let you be there and then they will leave you and allow you to get smothered and ripped apart. [26:35] But Jesus cares enough about you to protect your life and your well-being.

[26:42] That’s a pretty gracious God for himself to protect you, [26:46] even though it might not look like the ways that you think it should be. [26:51] And this is our biggest issue with the abundance of life. [26:53] We struggle with the fact that the life that you think that you deserve isn’t what God has for you. [27:00] Again, that’s another reason that you’re trying to say that you’re God. [27:04] And that you can provide a better life.

[27:08] You cannot provide a better life than what the good shepherd has for you. [27:12] That’s why we have to trust in him that he is the shepherd that is here to guide our lives. [27:19] See, this kills the YOLO mentality because it doesn’t matter about what you just do on the weekends. [27:25] It matters about your entire life. [27:27] You can’t just give yourself up to the high moments, [27:30] but you have to give yourself up to Jesus himself and trust in him that he has the best interest for you.

[27:38] You can’t do this alone. [27:40] You can’t do this just with your family.

[27:44] We’re the sheep that need the shepherd.

[27:49] So the question for you to ponder is, what are you living for?

[27:53] Where are you finding your life in? [27:56] Or whom are you finding your life in? [27:59] Are you looking forward to just that next big moment or that next raise?

[28:07] Or the next time your family goes on vacation?

[28:10] Where are you finding your hope at?

[28:15] Because if we’re really saying that our hope is found in Jesus, [28:21] then why can people identify our lives more with the things that we do than Christ himself?

[28:29] If you’re really saying that Jesus gives you this great hope, [28:33] why do you talk about everything else more than you talk about Jesus?

[28:38] These are things for us to really process and work through.

[28:43] We’re really famous for the lip service mentality of, oh man, I’m really about the gospel. [28:48] I’m really about giving my life to Jesus and giving my life to mission. [28:52] But our lives don’t display that. [28:55] If you say that and you miss being with the corporate body 36 weeks out of the year, [29:01] I don’t really know if you’re about the life in that way.

[29:06] If you have the opportunity to come together with believers, [29:09] you’re like, ah, I think I’d rather go away to a Nationals game.

[29:15] There’s an issue there. I love the Nats. I appreciate the Nats.

[29:21] But when other things are your priorities over Christ,

[29:27] I don’t know if you’re really finding your abundance of life in him. [29:31] Are you? Can you really say that?

[29:36] But this is the thing, though. [29:38] The thieves and robbers, they’re going to try to persuade you that, yeah, you are finding life. [29:44] A life that the next week you’re going to be like, oh man, I just need a bigger filling. [29:49] You’re just going to keep on searching and keep on searching. [29:52] And you’re never going to find hope in Jesus, without Jesus.

[29:58] See, this is the biggest thing. [30:01] Many of us that are in the world have felt like they’ve been following Jesus, [30:06] but they’ve never wanted Jesus to be their shepherd.

[30:13] You’re saying that you’re following him, but you’ve never have submitted fully to Jesus. [30:19] To entrust to him that he has the best plan for your life.

[30:25] You try to manipulate the gospel to work for your good,

[30:30] and try to say, no, this is what God has for my life. [30:33] When he’s laying out in this text and this passage saying, hey, look, I’m the good shepherd. [30:37] I protect you. I’m here to guide you. [30:39] Things are going to try to come in and to manipulate you and pull you away from me, [30:44] but I’m here to lay down my life for you so that you can have the best life in me. [30:51] And you don’t know how that’s going to look.

[30:57] I want to read Psalm 23 this morning with you all. [31:02] Because I think this text, this passage, clearly lays out for us the role of the shepherd.

[31:11] And as I read through this, I think you’ll realize the abundance of life that Christ provides for us [31:20] isn’t the way that we might always think it should look like.

[31:26] Let’s read Psalm 23.

[31:28] The Lord is my shepherd. [31:32] I shall not want.

[31:35] He makes me lie down in green pastures. [31:37] He leads me beside still waters. [31:41] He restores my soul. [31:44] He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. [31:49] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. [31:56] For you are with me.

[31:58] Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [32:01] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. [32:04] You anoint my head with oil. [32:08] My cup overflows. [32:11] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. [32:16] And I should dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

[32:23] As David is sharing this Psalm to us, [32:27] he’s not guaranteeing in this when he says that Jesus is a shepherd. [32:31] He’s not guaranteeing that Jesus is a shepherd. [32:33] That life is going to be grand at all times. [32:37] What he’s saying is that there’s times when the shepherd is leading you and [32:40] guiding you through moments of rest,

[32:45] but as well in moments of great anguish.

[32:48] But this is the truth that regardless of that situation, [32:52] that Jesus himself is going to restore your soul.

[32:58] So when we find our life in him, he is constantly restoring our souls. [33:05] This is why he’s the good shepherd. [33:07] And even the ad on top of that day, [33:09] he’s prepared a table for us so that we can sit with him at the table [33:14] and dwell in the house of the Lord forever. [33:17] That’s the abundant life that he has for us.

[33:22] It’s not get rich or die trying.

[33:27] But it’s the truth that we can just dwell with him.

[33:33] There’s nothing sweeter than that. [33:36] And you really can see in the heart of somebody when that drives their inner being, [33:40] when that drives their soul, [33:43] when they know that throughout life would, [33:45] no matter what happens, that they get to dwell with Jesus one day. [33:50] And that they know that regardless of the situation that Jesus is leading them,

[33:54] even when they’re in the valley of the shadow of death,

[33:59] there’s hope in Christ. [34:02] He provides life for us. [34:05] So why do we keep giving ourselves up just to the big moments [34:09] and trying to find our fill in that instead of Christ? [34:15] Hopefully you all see the argument I’m trying to make.

[34:19] Jesus is a good shepherd. [34:20] He protects, provides, and sustains life for his sheep. [34:27] This is going to lead us to the third way that Jesus is the good shepherd this morning. [34:31] Christ gave himself so that his people would have life. [34:36] Starting in verse 11, I’m going to read through this. [34:39] I am the good shepherd.

[34:40] The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [34:42] He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep [34:46] sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. [34:49] The wolf snatches them and scatters them, [34:52] and he flees because he is the hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. [34:57] I am the good shepherd.

[34:58] I know my own and my own know me. [35:01] Just as the father knows me, I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.

[35:08] There’s a staunch contrast between Jesus being your shepherd [35:12] and other people, places, or things being your shepherd. [35:17] So if your job is your shepherd, your job is going to be here for you in some sense, [35:22] but when life gets hard, rubber meets the road, something goes down, [35:29] you still got to report to work in two weeks if they even give you a two weeks break.

[35:35] Jesus is there for you regardless of whatever situation you go through. [35:40] See, a lot of times we give ourselves to our jobs or to our families [35:44] and to everything else in the world, and we expect them to be there for us like Jesus. [35:49] But when they fail you, you’re blaming God for it.

[35:54] Oh, why is my life like this? [35:58] Nobody cares. [35:59] Life’s not as happy as it should be right now for me. [36:02] I should be really joyful right now. [36:05] And Jesus is saying to you, look, find rest in me. [36:07] If I’m leading you, I’m going to protect you.

[36:10] I got your back. [36:12] I’m the one who provides for you the life.

[36:17] These other things won’t.

[36:21] I’ve laid down my life for you. [36:24] What better way for us to realize that Jesus himself cares about us [36:28] and that he should be our shepherd than him literally going to the cross [36:32] and dying for our sins, taking the death that we deserved. [36:36] So why can’t we trust in him? [36:39] I bet you your boss won’t do that.

[36:43] Your family, they might do that. [36:46] But I can guarantee you this fact and truth that Jesus Christ is already down the cross [36:51] and that the tomb is empty and he’s raised from the dead. [36:54] That’s the reason alone that I should trust in him as the good shepherd.

[37:02] If that’s not reason or proof, I don’t know what else you need. [37:07] For me, I want to give everything I have to him and trust in him

[37:13] because he already had your back if you’re in him.

[37:18] His sheep can find rest in the truth that he is God.

[37:23] And he lays down his life for his people. [37:29] That’s beautiful.

[37:32] John chapter one, verse 29 says this, [37:36] the next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, [37:41] behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. [37:45] This was John the Baptist.

[37:48] And as the people were watching him and speak, [37:53] they were curious, is this Elijah? Is this the Christ? Who are you? [37:58] And the moment that Jesus came up, he was saying, look, look, there’s the Christ. [38:04] There’s the Son of God that came to take away the sins of the world.

[38:10] And for us, we should have that adoration for Christ in the same way. [38:17] Because at that time, some of them didn’t understand that he was going to go and die on the cross for the McAlvery. [38:23] But for us, we look back at the cross and we should be thankful by the fact that the Lamb of God did come and die on the cross. [38:33] See the connection from the Lamb and the sheep. [38:36] He’s a sheep that was led for slaughter.

[38:40] Us, the sheep, deserved to be slaughtered. [38:45] But Christ took our place at the cross so that we could have life.

[38:55] And not just to live it, but to have the abundance in him.

[39:02] We don’t have to just live day by day anymore. [39:07] But we can live with an assurance, an assurance of the hope that is in him, in him alone. [39:16] Because no one else could die the death that he died for us. [39:20] Only him. But we have to entrust in him. [39:23] But when you delight yourself in Jesus, he provides everything that you need.

[39:30] This goes back to the theme of the text again. [39:32] He provides, he protects and sustains life for his sheep.

[39:39] So why do we still run to everything else?

[39:45] Why?

[39:49] Why are we trying to find life and everything else?

[39:55] In 2009, 60 Minutes did an interview with Tom Brady. [40:00] And this is fresh off of his three Super Bowl rings that he had gained.

[40:07] He’s a multimillionaire. [40:09] He’s had a few of those contracts kind of come in. [40:12] And they asked him the question, how are you dealing with all this?

[40:18] He’s like, man, it’s great. I enjoy it. [40:20] I enjoy life. [40:22] But he responded to them and said, man, there has to be more to life than this. [40:30] There has to be more. [40:32] I have all the riches. [40:34] I have the Super Bowl rings.

[40:35] Everybody wants to be where I’m at. [40:37] But I know there has to be more to life than this.

[40:44] Some of us want what he has. [40:48] And that’s sinful.

[40:52] As believers, we should just want to just be with Christ.

[40:57] We should yearn for Christ. [41:00] And I would love to have a conversation with Tom Brady one day. [41:02] But hey, man, your interview, I can tell you what you’re looking for.

[41:06] You know that there’s something greater out here for you, and it’s Jesus.

[41:12] A man that has all the things that sometimes we search for, admitted it. [41:16] There has to be more to life than this.

[41:22] I hope that he doesn’t look back on life later on and look and think, did I waste my life?

[41:29] After the hundreds of millions of dollars that he has, did he waste it?

[41:37] Think about that from your own heart today. [41:39] How are you living? [41:40] What are you finding your hope in? [41:43] Is it in Jesus? [41:44] Is he the one that provides life for you? [41:48] Are you trying to pave the way for yourself?

[41:52] I can guarantee you this. [41:54] Jesus will not fail you.

[41:59] It’s God in trust in him. [42:02] As the band comes up, I really want us to consider this.

[42:09] The question I’ve asked throughout this, our time together,

[42:17] is Jesus your shepherd?

[42:23] Are you entrusting in him alone that he can lead your life and that he has the best interest for you? [42:30] Or do you think you’re your own shepherd?

[42:36] Do you believe that he provides the best life for you? [42:40] Or do you believe that you can provide that for yourself and for your family?

[42:46] Jesus alone can only provide you that life.

[42:51] We have to entrust in him that he’s the good shepherd. [42:54] If you don’t do that, you won’t find that life.

[43:01] You don’t find that life. [43:02] You don’t have to run anymore to find that fill because Jesus says, [43:07] I am the bread of life.

[43:10] Whoever comes to me will never thirst again.

[43:18] So as we take communion this morning at Village,

[43:23] I want you to consider that.

[43:28] Are you giving yourself to Jesus in a way that you trust in him as the good shepherd and that he provides all that you need?

[43:39] Or are you trying to shortcut the good shepherd, which you can’t?

[43:48] But if you aren’t entrusting your life to Jesus as the good shepherd, [43:53] there’s grace in that you can come to him and say, I need you to lead my life.

[44:02] So come this morning to the table with that in mind.

[44:07] And if you haven’t entrusted Jesus with your life, come talk to him, the pastors or staff. [44:13] We would love to have that conversation with you [44:16] about what does it look like to give it all to Jesus and to find everything in him. [44:22] Come to the table this morning thankful that Jesus has provided life for you.