Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the importance of knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd, urging believers to evaluate anything in their lives that hinders their relationship with Him. He highlights that Jesus is both the door to the sheepfold and the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, inviting everyone to come to Him for guidance and peace. The sermon encourages listeners to discern the voice of the Good Shepherd amidst the noise of the world and to trust in His care and direction. Beach Jr. reassures that true satisfaction and abundant life can only be found in Jesus, who knows each of us by name and leads us to green pastures. Ultimately, he calls for a deeper relationship with Christ, encouraging believers to listen for His voice and follow Him faithfully.

Just like to make a few observations Okay, this is so very important for us to understand the goal of all that we do is To come to know him the Lord Jesus Christ I'd like to just make a statement now listen carefully, please. I'd like to make a statement Whatever is in your life right now, whatever you're doing whatever you're hoping to do if you find That this thing is keeping you From hearing him Keeping you from knowing him from loving him from worshiping him from ultimately Growing in your allegiance and devotion to him Whatever it is Then you need to go before the Lord and ask him whether this thing is Really beneficial in your life, and it might even require that you let go of this thing Because the ultimate intention of the heart of God for you and I is that each and every one of us would discover not just Theologically, but in a very real living way the truth that we're about to read John chapter 10 Verily verily I say unto you whenever Jesus says verily verily Those two words mean truly truly. He's wanting to emphasize something You remember in John chapter 3? Verily verily I say unto you except a man be born again. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God And then he said in another place Verily verily I say unto you except you be converted and become like little children You shall in no wise enter the kingdom of God. So this verily verily is something that ought to get our attention It's like an exclamation point Verily verily I say unto you He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold But climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him the porter or the gatekeeper Opens and the sheep hear his voice and He calleth his own by name and leadeth them out and when he put it 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 This parable spoke Jesus unto them But they understood not what things they were which he spoke unto them and he said unto them again Verily verily, there's that verily verily Verily verily I say unto you I am the door of the sheep All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers But the sheep did not hear them. I Am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved And shall go in and out and find pasture the thief cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy Now in context the thief here is not essentially speaking about Satan per se it's speaking about a what a false shepherd You watch here, but I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly I Am the good shepherd the good shepherd Giveth his life for the sheep but he that is a hireling and Not the shepherd Whose own the sheep are not? see if the wolf coming and Leaves the sheep and fleas and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep the hireling fleas Because he is a hireling listen and Careth not For the sheep I am the good shepherd and Know my sheep and am known of Mayan as the father knoweth me even so I the father and I lay down my life for the sheep It would be very very beneficial for each and every one here To take these few verses John chapter 10 1 through All the way down to verse number 18 We'll read the whole thing Verse 16 and other sheep I have which are not of this fold Them also must I bring and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this Commandment have I received of my father? Everything the Lord is doing in your life and in my life is intended for us to come into a greater understanding a greater Participation and a greater reality of the wonderful truth that Jesus teaches us in John chapter 10 It's all about himself. It's all about his ministry as the good shepherd You know that coming to understand the truth here in John chapter 10 can deliver us from Tormenting fear how many have been plagued with tormenting fear? You see the way to be free from tormenting fear is to pray that the Lord Jesus will make these words of his so real to you because it's impossible to be plagued with Tormenting fear when we understand and recognize that he is the good shepherd and we are his sheep and he truly cares for us as it says Now Let's just make some observations for these few last minutes here. Listen carefully. This can transform your life in my life 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 and So Jesus is talking here about trying to get into the sheepfold a different way He's a thief and a robber But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd and so this whole passage of Scripture opens up with Jesus proclaiming himself to be not only the good shepherd But verse number seven verily I say unto you. I am the door of the sheep So Jesus is not only the good shepherd, but he is the way into the sheepfold There's no way into the sheepfold There's no way to be a part of the sheep that Christ is the good shepherd Over unless you go through Jesus Christ This is a gospel message right here. It's an invitation if you want to be part of the flock of God part of the Lambs of God part of the sheep that Christ claims are his own you have to go through Jesus You know, we've gotten so complicated in the day that we live in haven't we? So many people have lost their way and you know Not only people in the world, but people in the church have lost their way. They don't know which way to go They don't know which way to turn Jesus said I am the way the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ is Reverberating this morning within our hearts and Jesus is saying to each and every one of us behold I am the way it doesn't get any more complicated than that brothers and sisters Have you lost your way? Have you felt like you just don't know where to go go to Jesus? Behold, I am the door. I am the good shepherd. You don't need direction He will give you direction Doesn't he care for the sheep? Doesn't he lay his life down for the sheep? Do you believe this this morning? Do you truly believe that Jesus is truly the good shepherd and he is the door? Through which we enter into the fold To him verse 3 the porter openeth the gatekeeper to him the gatekeeper Opens When we go to Jesus Jesus Leads us to heaven Jesus leads us into the Father's heart and to him the gatekeeper Opens if there's gatekeepers in the heavens if there's gatekeepers guarding the heart of God Let me tell you if you come to God through Jesus the gatekeepers open there Jesus said he that cometh to me. I shall in no wise cast out the heavenly porter the heavenly gatekeeper opens the gate to Jesus and if we go through Jesus, we have an open gate and the sheep hear his voice listen carefully the most important voice To your heart today ought to be the voice of the shepherd Don't clutter your mind With a lot of different voices dear ones Because we live in a day when you could be listening to a hundred and one different voices Don't clutter your mind with foolishness don't clutter your mind with with the unprofitable Entertainment where voices and thoughts and ideas are in your mind because brothers and sisters these things will eclipse the voice of God as You read through the Song of Solomon you discover the greatest joy within this woman's heart This love story is to hear the voice of her lover The Lord wants to reveal his voice to you. He wants you to hear him. He wants to lead you He wants to guide you. I'm not talking about high flutin words and high flutin Voices of of you hearing God tie you to do strange things No, I'm talking about the voice of God speaking to you saying I love you peace Be still the way he spoke to his disciples the voice that says Be tender be gentle The voice that says don't be so harsh to your son or your daughter your husband or your wife the voice that says ask for forgiveness When you sin against someone did you know that you can know God's voice My sheep Hear my voice Jesus said he calleth his own by name When was the last time you heard Jesus call you by your name he called Peter he said Simon Simon He said Saul Saul why persecute us thou me He called every one of his disciples by name. He said Mary Mary. He said Martha Martha You are troubled with many things He said Paul my grace is sufficient for you. Have you heard him call your name lately? Have you heard him call your name and say I love you with an everlasting love and there's nothing that can satisfy You dear one. There's nothing that can satisfy you. You can't find satisfaction in the world Or what the world offers you could only find it in him He's calling your name this morning Yes, he is he's calling your name Listen Listen to him all the joy and privilege of having him call our name He calls by name and he leads them out He leads them out he leads them out into a field of green pastures and When he put it forth his own sheep he goeth before them the Lord has gone before you this morning He is already in your tomorrows Oh He asked is that you would take hold of his hand and he'll lead you He'll gently lead you and when the storms of life come to you dear one When you feel that your boat is in a great storm and the waves of life are coming and you feel like you're sinking Don't think for a moment that Jesus has forsook you What were the words of the Apostles when Jesus was in the ship and the ship was in the midst of a great storm? They didn't know the shepherd because this is what they said Carest thou not That we perish Jesus said here Jesus said in John chapter 10 That verse 13 the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling and careth not for the sheep a Hireling doesn't care for the sheep, but the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep What did Peter say in first Peter chapter 5? Cast all your cares upon him because he Careth for you. Where do you think Jesus got or Peter got that revelation? He careth for you He was probably right there when Jesus was teaching John chapter 10 And he heard Jesus say the Good Shepherd cares for the flock He doesn't flee when the wolf comes, but he lays his life down for the sheep He careth for you. Do you believe do you really believe he cares for you? Do you really believe that he is aware of exactly what you're going through right now? And that he's saying trust me. Trust me I'll speak to the storm of your heart and I'll calm it by my word. Let him speak your name He cares for you Verse 5 a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers Oh, it's so important for us to become acquainted with the voice of our shepherd Because the true sheep don't want to follow a stranger don't want to follow a Voice that's not their shepherd Whose voice are you listening to today? Whose voice are you listening to today? The thief verse 10 cometh not but to steal to kill and to destroy the thief The effects of the thief is they destroy they kill they rob But Jesus that I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly and that abundant life that Christ is talking about Is the abundant life of living in the fullness of his joy? That abundant life is not connected to circumstances or what we own or what we don't own That abundant life is being able to walk down life's Difficult paths and be able to sing and say I walk with a Savior who loves me He gives me his joy and peace and when in the midst of darkness and storms I hear him say peace be still that's joy. That's peace That's life abundantly Christ is competing Seeking to win our affections from the things of this earth Because he knows that if we turn to the things of this earth to try and Satisfy us and try to meet our needs and try to bring joy that they're only going to bring bitterness You can't find peace Except that be in Jesus Christ and as we wrap it up here Verse 14. I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep and in known of mine as the father knoweth me even so I the father and I lay my life down for the sheep and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one shepherd Now, let me tell you dear brothers and sisters the Good Shepherd Wants you to take great comfort this morning in these words Get to know him Spend time with him. Let him speak your name listen for him and those listen carefully those in our midst Who would aspire to be? under shepherds Overseers of the flock Will possess the same qualities of the Good Shepherd himself They will not be after you For something they can get they will love you with his love They will seek his interests in your life They will lay their lives down For the flock They will speak his heart and they'll truly care For you So do you aspire? to be a blesser one who walks among God's people and encourages Then let me encourage you to study the Good Shepherd and pray God will form in you the heart of the shepherd and you will weep as he weeps and Your heart will be filled with the same care that he has for his own and you won't be after anything but his will to be wrought in the lives of your brothers and the lives of your sisters and So the Good Shepherd stands in our midst this morning and he says Come unto me learn of me I Trust each one this morning will be Awakened more to the reality of the Good Shepherd take time to listen to him Expect him to call your voice call your name and follow him learn of him and Your life will never Be the same let's bow our hearts for a few moments in prayer as we Get ready to close out here and leave the auditorium father We thank you Lord for your faithfulness this morning we thank you Lord for the Lord Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd of the sheep and Lord we ask that you would grant to each one of us an ever increasing capacity to hear the Good Shepherd Speak to us and To obey his voice and to believe and trust in his care and his love that he has for us calm the fears Within our hearts through your voice Lord We commit ourselves into your hands and pray you'll fulfill the good intention of your heart in our lives We love you Lord because you first loved us and gave your life a ransom And we praise you in the mighty name of Jesus Hallelujah, amen You