I Am - Peace

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to John Chapter 10. We're in the 5th week of a 7 week teaching called "I Am." WE’VE been looking at the "I am" statements of Jesus, and then coupling them with the thanksgiving and advent season. Last Sunday, we discovered how Jesus is the light of the world - how His presence illuminates our darkness. And today, as we continue our journey through Advent, focusing on peace, Jesus gives us another powerful 'I AM' statement.

Lets read together, beginning in John chapter 10, and beginning in verse 11. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

Now, lets keep going into verse 14, he says it again.. But this time, theres a difference to how he describes how the good shepherd treats the flock… verse 14.. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.

Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. You know, as I was preparing for this message about peace, I couldn't help but laugh at this video. You may have already seen it, But every time I think of sheep, I think of this video. Now, if we're really honest with ourselves, we've all been that sheep, haven't we? I mean, think about it. How many times have we finally found some peace in our lives, only to jump right back into the very thing that was stressing us out in the first place?

For me.. That's exactly why Jesus uses this imagery of being a shepherd. He knows us. He gets us. And when He says 'I am the Good Shepherd,' He's speaking to something deep inside all of us - this need for someone who won't give up on us, even when we keep jumping back into our own holes. Now, what's fascinating about sheep - and stick with me here because this gets really interesting - is that they have four distinct characteristics that might hit a little close to home.

And when I learned about these, I started understanding why Jesus chose this metaphor, and what it means for our peace. The first thing about sheep is they're prone to wander. And if that doesn't hit close to home, I don't know what does. I am reminded of this old hymn that was written back in 1757, some of you probably know it… - 'Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.' The guy who wrote it, Robert Robinson, was just 22 years old.

And there's this line in it that gets me every time: 'Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.’ Can I be really honest with you for a moment? I feel that way sometimes. There are days when I find myself completely distracted, drifting away from the very peace I'm preaching about right now. I mean, I'm your pastor, and yet there are times when instead of having my heart and mind focused on Jesus - the One who literally gave His life for me - I'm...

wandering. Anyone else ever feel that way? Like you don't even mean to drift, but somehow you find yourself far from where you want to be? Do you know what's amazing though? Robinson wrote those words over 250 years ago, and they still ring true today. Why? Because this tendency to wander is part of who we are as sheep, its a part of our nature. Even King David, who wrote Psalm 119, prayed, 'With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!’ But Here is the beautiful thing though - and this is where it comes back to Jesus as our Good Shepherd.

Jesus knows this about us. He knows we're prone to wander. That's exactly why He says, 'I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own.' He doesn't just know our names - He knows our nature. He knows that like that sheep in the video, we might need rescuing from the same hole multiple times. But it's not just our wandering that makes us need a shepherd…” The second thing about sheep - and this one is kind of humbling - is that they're completely defenseless.

I mean, think about it. Most animals have some kind of natural defense mechanism, right? Bears have claws, porcupines have quills, skunks have... well, you know. But sheep? What do they got? Their only defense is being a big fluffy pillow. They’ve got nothing. Their not fast. They can't outrun predators, they can't fight back, they can't even blend into their surroundings very well. And in the face of danger, you know what their primary defense strategy is?

They panic. Anyone else feeling a little called out right now? Because if we're honest, isn't this exactly how we often feel when our peace is threatened? When life throws something unexpected our way, or when we're facing problems bigger than ourselves, we realize just how defenseless we really are. There are so many things in this life that we just cant battle alone. And we shouldn’t have to battle them alone.

When we learn that there’s peace in presence, I believe that should enable all of us that where the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we should never let people battle anything alone. Remember a couple weeks ago when Jeuss encountered and healed the blind man, and the gatekeepers, the pharisees kicked him out, what did Jesus do? He went after him. Last week, I reminded all of us, that we are the light of Christ.

We are living and moving sanctuaries brining the very presence of Jesus to others who live in darkness. And you know what's beautiful about this? When we understand that we're defenseless on our own, but we carry the very presence of Christ within us, it changes everything. It changes how we face our own battles, and it changes how we show up for others in their battles. Do you know what it means to show up?

What it means to show up into other peoples lives? Let me read this to you… (Read book) Did you hear that… The most single objective of being presence filled, and relational evangelism all comes down to one objective… to care. To care - it's that simple, and yet that extreme. When we're defenseless, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, doesn't just protect us - He cares for us. And now, filled with His presence, we get to do the same for others.

We get to be the physical representation of the Shepherd's care in someone else's moment of defenselessness. I call that… being compassionate. That’s what it means to care. There's a third thing about sheep that really helps us understand why we need the Good Shepherd's peace so much. You see, sheep are incredibly stubborn. Now, don’t look at your spouse right now. Play it cool. My wife is starting right at me.

(Hahah) There are actually documented cases of sheep getting themselves stuck between rocks and refusing to back up. Instead of just backing up to get out, They’d just keep pushing forward, getting more and more stuck. Let me tell you something fascinating about sheep and stubbornness - and this is where it gets really interesting. When sheep get stuck, it's not just that they don't know how to back up. It's that their stubbornness is actually a defense mechanism.

They're trying to protect themselves, even though they're making things worse. listen to this, being stubborn is having or showing persistent determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, esp. in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so. Difficult to move, remove, or cure. You know, there's this quote by Neil Gaiman in his book, American Gods that says, 'There's none so blind as those who will not listen.' And isn't that true of us?

Sometimes our biggest obstacle to peace isn't our circumstances - it's our own stubbornness. In my years of ministry, I've seen this play out in so many ways. And I'll be honest - I've seen it in myself too. We build these walls, thinking we're protecting ourselves, but really, we're just getting more stuck. Think about it - stubbornness shows up as: Acting like we've got it all figured out Refusing to ask for help Staying silent when we should speak up Or maybe just refusing to change, even when we know we should But here's what's amazing - remember, God knows this about us.

In Ezekiel 11:19, He makes this incredible promise. He says, 'I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart.’ And isn't this exactly what Jesus, our Good Shepherd, does? When we're stuck in our stubbornness, when we've built all these walls thinking they'll protect us, He doesn't just leave us there. He comes after us. He offers us something better than our defensive walls - He offers us His peace…

Because, what does a shepherd do? First, he guides. Psalm 23:3 tells us, 'He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.' But what's fascinating is how He does this. When we look at John 10, and go back to the begging of the chapter to verses 3-4, we get this beautiful picture: 'The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.’ Voices are interesting. I can walk into a room of 50 woman blindfolded, and I promise you, if my wife is talking, I can recognize her voice. Its true… I had learned her voice. . Its the same with our kids…

Alicia and I both know the voice and laughter and cries of our kids. But after 19 years of marriage and a 17, 16 and 12 year old, if I couldn’t can't recognize their voice, it's usually for one of two reasons: either I don't know them, or I haven't spent enough time with them. And it's the same with Jesus. If we're having trouble hearing His voice, if we're struggling to find His peace, maybe it's because we don't know Him well enough yet, or we haven't been spending enough time with Him.

There's this powerful moment in John 6 where Jesus turns to His disciples and asks them, 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' It's such a simple question, but it hits right at the heart of what it means to follow the Shepherd. Because true peace isn't just about believing in Jesus - it's about walking with Him. Its about following him… It's about that bold, reckless commitment to follow wherever He leads.

Maybe you're sitting here today, and you're wondering what it looks like to trust His guidance like that. Maybe you're at a crossroads, facing decisions that seem overwhelming. Just remember, Peace comes when we follow His lead, not our own logic" He also provides for us. I was reading something this week that really hit home. It said, 'Where God guides, He provides. Where He leads, He supplies all needs.' And it got me thinking about all the times in my life when I've sat at the dining room table, staring at bills, trying to figure out which one could be late so the lights would stay on.

Anyone ever been there? Maybe you're there right now - checking your account at the gas pump, trying to calculate exactly how much you can put in? Life happens, doesn't it? And sometimes it happens fast. But here's what's amazing about our Good Shepherd - He always provides. Now, here's the catch - and this is important - He doesn't always provide in the way we think He should. Sometimes we're praying for someone to give us money, but instead, we discover there was an error on our last bill payment, and suddenly we have a credit.

Or we're worried about how far we can stretch that quarter tank of gas, and unexpectedly, half our errands for the week get cancelled. Or, why not say this… How many of you ever prayed to win the lottery? I know I have. But instead, I’d wake up the next morning just to find someone else had won… You know who really understood this? Abraham. There's this incredible story in Genesis 22 where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.

Can you imagine? But Abraham trusted that God would provide - and at the last possible moment, God did. He provided a ram caught in the thicket. The Hebrew name for God in this story is Jehovah-Jireh - 'The Lord Will Provide.' And you know what I'm learning? He's still Jehovah-Jireh today. He provides. Not always in the way we expect, and rarely in the way we demand, but always in the way we need.

That’s why Jesus is called good. Peace isn't in having everything we want, but in trusting the One who knows what we need. The third thing our Good Shepherd does - HE CORRECTS. Now, if I'm being honest, this isn't usually our favorite part of having a Good Shepherd. I mean, who sits around thinking, 'Oh, I hope God corrects me today!’ I had a friend last night send me these photos, and I told her, I can relate and I know she can too.

There's this fascinating passage in Job that completely changed how I view God's correction. In Job 5:17-18, it says 'Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.’ Now, in Hebrew, this word for 'correct' - yasar' - it's such rich in meaning. It's not just about punishment or discipline.

It literally means 'to instruct while forming.' Like a potter shaping clay, or a shepherd guiding his sheep. It's correction with purpose, it’s correction that transforms. How many times in your life as you’ve grown in your faith, that God has used correction, or hardship to transform your faith? You know, I used to think correction was just about punishment - about God pointing out what I did wrong. But there's this verse in Hebrews that changed everything for me.

It says, 'No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.’ Did you catch that? The purpose of correction isn't punishment - it's peace. It's righteousness. It's transformation. Maybe you're in one of those seasons right now. Maybe you're facing something difficult and wondering, 'God, what are you doing?' How does this help?

Let me tell you something - The Good Shepherd never corrects without purpose. He never allows pain without planning for peace. It's like what happens with my own kids. Nobody celebrates when I say 'You're grounded!' Nobody jumps for joy and says, 'Oh praise the Lord, I'm getting disciplined!' But as a parent, I know that temporary discomfort is worth it if it keeps them from greater harm. And if we, as imperfect parents, know how to correct our children for their good, how much more does our perfect good Shepherd know exactly what we need to be transformed into who He's calling us to be?

When it comes to peace, Peace is found in surrendering to His shaping, not resisting His direction. Our final point is this - HE PROTECTS. Everybody say it with me - 'He protects.’ You know what David writes in Psalm 23? He says, 'Even though I walk through the darkest valley - I mean the valley of the shadow of death - I will fear no evil.' Now why would he say that?

Because his Good Shepherd was with him! When He is with you, what do you have to fear? When He is with you, your soul can be at rest. When He is with you, you know He's working everything - even the hard stuff - for your good. You know, Alicia tells me all the time... 'I can't sleep at night knowing you're not near.' When I was traveling state to state with my oil and gas job, or whenever I'd go somewhere away from her...

she'd tell me how she struggles to sleep knowing I'm not there. There's this feeling of protection she knows when I'm near. She knows that if there was an intruder I would throw down. And if we, as humans, can feel that kind of peace just knowing someone we love is near, how much more peace should we have knowing that Jesus is always with us? He never takes a business trip.

He never steps away. He's always right there. Look at what else David writes - 'Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’ Now, let me tell you something interesting about these tools. The rod wasn't just some walking stick - it was a weapon! The shepherd would use it to fight off anything that tried to harm his sheep. And that staff with the hook on the end? That was for rescuing sheep when they fell into ravines or got tangled up in trouble.

You know what I love about this? The very things that bring comfort to the sheep are the shepherd's tools for protection. Think about that - when the sheep sees the rod and staff in the shepherd's hands, they don't think 'Oh no, what's he going to do with those?' They think 'Oh good, he's equipped to take care of me.’ And whew I know I’m protected, I know I can be at peace.

As I close… and ask Peter to come up. You know what amazes me most about our Good Shepherd? All these things we've talked about - His guidance, His provision, His correction, His protection - He never meant for us to keep them to ourselves. Jesus says something fascinating in John 10:16. Its one of my pastoral life verses. He says, 'I have other sheep that are not of this pen.

I must bring them also.' Did you catch that? He didn't say 'I might bring them' or 'I'll think about bringing them.' He said 'I MUST bring them.’ It reminds me of that sheep we saw in the video at the beginning - you remember? The one that kept jumping back into the hole? Sometimes I look around and see people doing the same thing in their lives. Maybe you know someone like that.

Maybe you are that someone. I know I was that sheep that just keeps jumping back into holes God has rescued me from. Lets’s be really honest for a moment? We've all been that sheep at some point. We've all been stuck in holes we couldn't get out of on our own. But here's the beautiful thing - the Good Shepherd, Jesus didn't just rescue us and move on. He's still out there, still looking, still seeking.

And get this - He wants to use us in that seeking. Think about it - you know what it's like to be lost. You know what it's like to need guidance, to need provision, to need correction, to need protection. And now that you've experienced His peace? You're perfectly positioned to help someone else find it too. So let me ask you something - where are you in this story today?

Are you that sheep who needs to let the Shepherd find you? No shame in that - we've all been there. Or maybe you're already in the fold, and He's nudging your heart about someone else who needs to know about His peace? Because here's what I know - there's always room in the fold for one more sheep. We were once lost sheep We’ve been found Now, we're called to help find others And bring them and show them, the good Shepherd.

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