The Father's Hand, honour, house

I'd like to read in John's Gospel, the Gospel according to John, chapter 10. Gospel according to John, chapter 10, verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

And I given to them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man, notice it's in italics, so it could be read, neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I and my Father are one. Now, John chapter 12. Gospel according to John chapter 12.

We're going to read verse 26. If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be.

If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. The final reading in John chapter 14. John chapter 14, verse 1. Let not your heart be troubled.

Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.

The Lord will add a blessing to what we have heard, and also this reading from his good word. Now we've read this afternoon three simple things. John's Gospel chapter 10.

We read about my Father's hand. So we're going to talk about my Father's hand. In John's Gospel chapter 12.

We read about my Father's honor. And we might speak about my Father's honor. And then we read in John's Gospel chapter 14.

And we read about my Father's house. So notice three things. When I think of the Father's hand, that's where you and I commence.

When I think of the Father's house, that's where you and I are going to end. But remember between the Father's hand and the Father's house is the Father's honor. Now let's think of the Gospels very quickly.

It's nice to go through the four Gospels and notice how Christ is presented in the Gospels. For example, when I come to Matthew's Gospel, I see the dignity of a king. I see his majesty.

I see his meekness. I see his dignity, royalty. I see his authority.

I see his power. It's the dignity of the king. When I come to Mark's Gospel, I see the diligence of the servant.

You know, it's only Mark. You read those words. He hath done all things well, maketh the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.

You read that in Mark's Gospel. When you and I come to Luke's Gospel, we notice the dependence of the man. You read about his public life.

You read about his private life. And you read about his prayer life. His private life with God.

His public life for God. And his prayer life to God. The dependence of the man, Luke's Gospel.

But when I come to John's Gospel, I notice the devotion of the Son. You read about his love for the Father. You read about his love for his own.

You read that Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. And time and again you read the disciple that Jesus loved. So Matthew, the dignity of the king.

Mark, the diligence of the servant. Luke, the dependence of the man. And John, the devotion of the Son.

Now I'm interested today how Christ is presented in John's Gospel. Now for example, he's the true light. He's the true bread.

And he's the true vine. As the true light, you and I follow him. As the true bread, you and I feed upon him.

As the true vine, you and I abide in him. You and I fellowship with him. Come again.

Go through John's Gospel, you'll discover this. Christ is the light. Christ is the lamb.

And Christ is the life. But what we've read today in John chapter 10 is Christ is the shepherd and you and I are the sheep. And what we're going to think about today, dear child of God, is this.

We're going to think about the sheep in relation to the shepherd. Now before I touch that, let me say this. In John's Gospel chapter 10, Christ is contrasted in three different ways.

For example, he's contrasted with the stranger. Then he's contrasted with the hireling. And then he's contrasted with the thief, with the robber.

Now the question might be asked today, in which way is Christ contrasted in those three different ways? The contrast is this. When I think of the stranger, the sheep flees from the stranger but the sheep follows the shepherd. That's contrast number one.

And then there's the contrast between the hireling and the shepherd. The hireling and the shepherd are contrasted. The hireling is prepared to give the sheep to save him.

But the shepherd gives himself to save the sheep. And then the third contrast is this. The robber comes to get but the shepherd comes to give.

The thief cometh not but to steal, to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Now very quickly, let us come to our subject.

I'm thinking of the sheep in relation to the shepherd in three different ways. Now for example, I'm thinking of Isaiah chapter 40. I'm thinking of Luke chapter 15 and I'm thinking of John's Gospel chapter 10.

Now the question this afternoon is this. Where is the sheep in relation to the shepherd in Isaiah 40? Where is the sheep in relation to the shepherd in Luke chapter 15? And where is the sheep in relation to the shepherd and the father's hand in John chapter 10? Listen to Isaiah 40. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs in his arms, carry them in his bosom, and gently lead them that are with young.

What I want to emphasize this afternoon is this. As I think of that lamb, that sheep on the bosom of the shepherd, remember it's a place of nearness. It's the place of communion.

It's the place of fellowship. There we see the shepherd having the genuine care for the sheep. So remember the sheep is on the bosom of the shepherd in Isaiah chapter 40.

But then secondly, when I come to Luke's Gospel chapter 15, I want you to notice the sheep is on the shoulders of the shepherd. Now remember not the shoulder. The verse in the book of Isaiah goes like this.

The government shall be upon his shoulder. Singular. But when I come to Luke's Gospel chapter 15, I discover this.

The sheep is on the shoulders of the shepherd. And it's the place of strength. The place of communion, Isaiah chapter 40.

But the place of strength, Luke's Gospel chapter 15. But now when I come to my text today in John chapter 10, I read a verse like this. I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they shall never, never perish.

Neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all. And no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I and my Father are one. Now get this today. I'm going to tell you something today what the devil can do.

And I'll tell you when he does it. But I'm going to tell you today something that the devil cannot do. And we'll prove it from the Bible.

Now you might say to me today, what can the devil do? I turn to Matthew 13. You remember that chapter? The seed is sown. And then we read a verse like this.

Then cometh the wicked one. And if I read Matthew chapter 13 correctly, I discover this. The devil can pluck the seed that has been sown in the heart.

Let me repeat that. The devil can pluck the seed that has been sown in the heart. Now let's stop for one moment.

When does the devil do that? Our brother Smith has emphasized it. And I'm going to emphasize it again. Very often.

After a solemn, solemn gospel meeting. When the gospel was preached in the power of the Spirit of God. And Christians talk.

And the solemnity of the meeting is taken away. I remember being at a meeting in Northern Ireland 40 years ago. First speaker was William Bunting.

The second speaker was Jim Hutchison. I'll never forget that meeting as long as I live. They stood to sing.

They made their way to the door. And you could almost hear the clock tick. The devil can snatch the seed that has been sown in the heart.

I'm going to tell you something today the devil cannot do. The devil cannot pluck the sheep from the hand of the shepherd. And the devil cannot pluck the sheep from the hand of the son.

Listen very quickly to the words of the hymn writer. No condemnation. Blessed is the word.

No separation forever with the Lord. With his blood he bought us and he cleansed our every stain. With joyful hearts we'll praise him.

The lamb for sinners slain. The father's hand. Very quickly in closing, my father's honour.

Let me ask this audience today one question. Does every Christian honour God? And the answer to that question is no. Every Christian does not honour God.

Oh yes. Every Christian should honour God. But every Christian does not honour God.

And I think I could prove that one from the Bible. You remember 1 Samuel chapter 2? Listen to it. Them that honour me I will honour.

Them that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. You find that in 1 Samuel chapter 2. Do you remember the early chapters of Samuel? You have the sin of the young men. You have the blindness of Eli.

You remember Penini provoked Hannah. In 1 Samuel there were those that honour God. We heard about Hannah.

In 1 Samuel there were those that did not honour God. Come again. I come to the days of Malachi.

And I read a verse like this. If I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? There were those in the days of Malachi who feared God, who honoured God. But there were those in Malachi's day that never honoured God.

Let me close with a story. A young woman, she left the country for the city. And she was invited out to special gospel meetings.

And the young woman was gloriously reached and saved. And she put her life on the altar for God. She came from a very wealthy family.

And her father hearing about it. I don't think he would text her on that day. I don't think there was such a thing.

But got in contact with her. And told her to come home immediately. So she obeyed her father and came home.

Father had a straight talk with her and said something like this. He called it the new religion. He said, it's either my wealth.

Or this new religion that you have got. I'll give you till tomorrow morning to make up your mind. The young woman went upstairs and she never slept.

She thought about the new found joy she had found in Christ. And she thought about her father's wealth. She packed her case.

She came downstairs in the morning. And then she made for the piano. She started playing and singing something like this.

Jesus, I my cross have taken. Leaving all to follow thee. Destitute, despised, forsaken.

Thou henceforth my all must be. And then she made for the door. Her father had been looking.

And her father had been listening. And he stopped her daughter, said something like this. If what you have got.

Means more to you than all the wealth that I possess. I want it now. And she had the joy.

Of pointing her father. To the Savior. What did she do? She did one thing.

She. Honored. God.

My father's hand. My father's. Honor.