LESSON SUNDAY MAY 5 2024  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CONFESSETH ? 1JOHN4:2, 1JOHN 4:15

Lesson Sunday April 28 2024   THE LORD IS MY SHEPERD

"JESUS OUR SHEPHERD"     Sunday April 28 2024

INTRODUCTION

Foretold in Old Testament prophecy is the promise of a Shepherd...

It would be glad tidings for the cities of Judah - Isa 40:9-11

He would gather Israel as a shepherd does his flock - Jer 31:10

He would feed them, a type of David (who would be his ancestor) - Ezek 34:23

Revealed in the New Testament is that Jesus is that Shepherd...

He is the Good Shepherd, who will bring other sheep into His fold! - Jn 10:1-16

He is the Chief Shepherd, who has other shepherds watching His flock! - 1Pe 5:4

He is the Great Shepherd, who through His blood makes us complete! - He 13:20

The motif of a shepherd is revealing...

It pictures the blessings enjoyed by those who follow Jesus

It should remind us of the duties we have as His sheep

[What can we glean from the Scriptures concerning "Jesus Our Shepherd"? Certainly there are...]

THE BLESSINGS OF JESUS OUR SHEPHERD

HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US...

He laid down His life for His sheep

As foretold in the Old Testament - Zech 13:7; cf. Mt 26:31

As Jesus told His disciples He would do - Jn 10:11,15

Thus He is able to offer eternal life to His sheep - Jn 10:28; cf. 1Jn 5:11-13

Offering security to those who continue to believe

Such that none can snatch them from the hand of God

Though one can fall from God's hand through neglect - He 3:12-15; cf. Re 2:10

HE NOW CARES FOR US...

Having called us (through the gospel) - Jn 10:3; cf. 2Th 2:13-14

Having gathered us into His one fold (even Gentiles!) - Jn 10:16; cf. Ep 2:11-22

As our Good Shepherd:

He knows us - Jn 10:14,27; cf. 2Ti 2:19

He feeds us - Jn 10:9; cf. Ps 23:1,2

He guides us - Jn 10:3,4; cf. Ps 23:3

He cherishes us tenderly - Isa 40:11; cf. Ep 5:25-29

He protects and preserves - Jer 31:10; Jn 10:28-29; cf. Jude 28-29

[Wonderful are the blessings of Jesus our Shepherd! Such blessings are prefigured in that most beautiful of psalms (Psalms 23).

But what does the Shepherd expect of His sheep...?]

OUR DUTIES TO JESUS OUR SHEPHERD

HEED HIS VOICE...

His sheep hear His voice - Jn 10:2-3

His sheep follow Him, for they know His voice - Jn 10:4

Thus Jesus expects His sheep to heed His voice

As proclaimed during His earthly ministry - Lk 6:46

As stated in the Great Commission - Mt 28:18-20

Which we do today by heeding the words of His apostles

To receive them is to receive Him - Jn 13:20

Thus the early church continued steadfastly in their doctrine - Ac 2:42

For they taught the commandments of the Lord - 1Co 14:37

-- Are we following the Shepherd by heeding His voice?

HOLD TO HIS FLOCK...

There is one flock (or one body) - Jn 10:16; cf. Ep 4:4

We should strive to maintain the unity of that flock

For which Jesus prayed - Jn 17:20-23

For which Jesus died - Ep 2:13-16

Which we do today by:

Not heeding the voice of "strangers" (false teachers) - Jn 10:5,8b; cf. 2Jn 9,10

Maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace - Ep 4:1-3

-- Are we doing our part to preserve the oneness of His flock?

HELP HIS SHEPHERDS...

The Chief Shepherd has shepherds to guide His flock

They are the elders in a local congregation - 1Pe 5:1-4

Their duty is to oversee and pastor the flock - Ac 20:17,28; 1Pe 5:1-3

Jesus expects His sheep to respect His shepherds

To submit to their oversight, make their duty a joyful one - He 13:17

To esteem them highly in love, being at peace - 1Th 5:12-13

-- Are we helping or hindering the work of the Lord's shepherds?

CONCLUSION

Wonderful are the promises for those who follow "Jesus Our Shepherd" - cf. Re 7:13-17

Yet Jesus warned of some who...

Are not His sheep, for they did not heed His voice - Jn 10:26-27

Though in His flock (kingdom), will one day be cast out - Mt 13:41-43; cf. also Jn 15:1-2,6

Yes, He described a Day in which the sheep and goats will be parted (Mt 25:31-34,41). What side will we be on? It depends on whether we fulfill our duties as His sheep...

RIVERSIDE CHURCH OF CHRIST TRULY GOD`S CHURCH GOD`S NAME IS ON IT, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IN IT.

LESSON MARCH 31 2024  LESSON1 A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

ISAIAH 54:15  THEY GATHER TOGETHER  LESSON MARCH 24 2024

Isaiah 54:15

Behold, they shall surely gather together - The idea in this verse is, that the enemies of the people of God would indeed form alliances and compacts against them, but it would not be under the divine direction, and they would not be able to prevail against the church. The word rendered here ‘gather together’ (גור gûr) means properly ‘to turn aside from the way’; then to sojourn for a time; then to assemble against anyone. It seems here to refer to the gathering together of hostile forces to form an alliance, or to wage war. Great variety, however, has prevailed in the interpretation of the passage, but this seems to be the sense of it. Jerome renders it, ‘Lo, a foreigner shall come who was not with me, the stranger shall hereafter be joined to thee,’ and seems to understand it of the proselytes that should be made. This sense is found expressly in the Septuagint, ‘Lo, proselytes shall come to thee through me, and they shall sojourn with thee, and fly to thee’ The Chaldee renders it, ‘Lo, the captivity of thy people shall be surely gathered unto thee, and in the end the kings of the people which were assembled to afflict thee, O Jerusalem, shall fall in the midst of thee.’ But the above seems to be the correct sense. Alliances would be formed; compacts would be entered into; leagues would be made by the enemies of the people of God, and they would be assembled to destroy the church. This has often been done. Formidable confederations have been entered into for the purpose, and deep-laid plans have been devised to destroy the friends of the Most High. See Psa2:2 : ‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed.’ No small part of history is a record of the combinations and alliances which have been entered into for the purpose of driving the true religion from the world.

But not by me - Not under my direction, or by my command.

Shall fall for thy sake - Hebrew, עליך ‛âlaı̂yk - ‘Shall fall unto thee.’ Lowth, ‘Shall come over to thy side.’ The phrase seems to mean that they should ‘fall to them,’ that is, that they should lay aside their opposition, break up their alliances against the church, and come over to it. In proof of this interpretation, Rosenmuller appeals to the following places: 1Ch12:19-20; 2Ch15:9; Jer21:9; Jer39:9. The passage, therefore, looks to the future conversion of the enemies of the church to the true faith. It has, doubtless, been partially fulfilled in the conversion of nations that have been leagued against the gospel of the Redeemer. There was a striking fulfillment in the times that succeeded the persecutions of Christians in the Roman empire. After all the power of the empire had been enlisted in ten successive persecutions to destroy the church, the very empire that had thus opposed the church was converted to the Christian faith. In a still more signal manner will this be fulfilled when all the powers of the earth now leagued against the gospel shall be brought under the influences of the true religion.  Albert Barnes  Presented by Steven Schiller Riverside church of Christ.