In his sermon 'The Great Shepherd at Work,' Peter Allison explores the multifaceted role of Jesus as the Great Shepherd, particularly in the context of Luke 22. Jesus exhibits a profound patience with his disciples, who frequently engage in disputes about greatness and often fail to grasp his teachings. Despite their shortcomings, Jesus recognizes their loyalty and praises their steadfastness during his trials, promising them future blessings in his kingdom. The sermon highlights Jesus' continuous efforts to prepare his disciples for the challenges they will face after his departure, equipping them both spiritually and materially for their mission. A significant portion of the sermon focuses on Peter's interactions with Jesus, where Jesus persistently warns Peter of his impending denial, emphasizing Jesus' compassionate and persistent nature as a shepherd. The sermon concludes by affirming Jesus' ongoing role in guiding and equipping his followers, both in his time and today, for the work of spreading the gospel.

Our scripture reading is from Luke 22, beginning with verse 24. And there is a handout today, so if you don't have it, you might pick one up in the back. Luke 22, verse 24. Now there was also a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And he said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors but not so among you on the contrary he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger and He who governs as he who serves.

For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as one who serves. But you are those who have continued with me in my trials, and I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me strengthen your brethren.

But he said to them, Lord I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death. And then he said, I tell you Peter the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know me.' And he said to them, when I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?' So they said, nothing. Then he said to them, But now he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack, and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is rich in must still be accomplished in me. And he was numbered with the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end.

So they said, Lord, look, here are two swords. And he said to them, It is enough. May the Lord cause us to walk in the path of his commandments and delight in them. Heavenly Father. We ask.

Now that as we look at Your Word, that Your Holy Spirit would illumine our hearts, that we might discern truths that we can only know by Your Holy Spirit. We ask, Lord, that you would give us joy and delight in your word. May it be more precious to us than gold and silver. And I ask that you would sanctify my lips this morning for this task in Jesus name. Amen.

We looked at a lot of this passage last week and in prior weeks, but I wanted to look at it again and step back as it were and look at this whole section in an overview with the specific purpose of looking at how Christ, our great shepherd, is shepherding his disciples in this time. And just look at an overview in all of these different interactions that are recorded here that we've looked at in detail in prior days, prior Lord's days, but look, step back and look at how in each situation, Jesus as the Great Shepherd is caring for his disciples. He's looking out for them. He's shepherding them. He has a concern and compassion for them.

And I wanted to just look at what he does as he is preparing them, not only for his departure, for his crucifixion. She knows it's going to be difficult because when the Lord strikes the shepherd, the sheep are scattered. But also, he's preparing them. He's looking forward to later on after his ascension and their ministry then that he's calling them to. And so we're looking this morning at these events.

And in particular, want to look at this interaction with Peter and where Jesus warns him of his impending fall and look at Peter's response in the context of Jesus' shepherding of Peter and the disciples. But we see in this opening dialogue that Luke records right after the Passover is, or the Lord's Supper is instituted that he talks about this dispute and we've seen how this is a, this has been an ongoing weakness for the disciples. This is not the first time they've had this dispute among themselves about who is greatest. And so we see in this Jesus is patient with His disciples' sins. Jesus is patient with his disciples' sins.

Jesus is patient with his disciples' sins and he teaches them the same message that he's taught them before because this isn't the first time they've had this debate and this isn't the first time that Jesus had has had to teach them What greatness is in the kingdom of heaven and how they are not to be like the Gentiles? Who measure greatness in very different ways. But there's no impatience in Jesus' instruction here. He simply teaches them again. He simply picks them up where they are in their sinful disputing, having seemingly forgotten everything that he's taught them.

You would think maybe that at least if they had learned what he said they wouldn't have this discussion in front of him. You think, well, he already knows what he's going to say about that, and so they would have it away. But no, right in front of him, as if they had never forgotten everything he's told them, they have this dispute about who is greatest and Jesus patiently teaches them the same truths that he's already taught them. He who is greatest let him be as the younger. He who governs is he who serves.

I'm, my example among you has been as one who serves. He is patient, even with his disciples' sins, even with their immaturity, Even though he's gone over these things before. Secondly though, Jesus recognizes the labors of his disciples and he blesses them. Jesus, in shepherding his disciples, his sinful disciples who get into childish disputes about who is the greatest, and who's gonna get to sit at his right hand or his left and it kind of reminds me of when I was little and we'd have fights with my siblings about who would get to sit in the front seat and so on but they're having these childish disputes and Jesus is patient with them and he teaches them but he also searches for fruit. Yes, even in these seemingly immature and sinful disciples he searches for fruit and he finds it.

He finds the fruit. Where we might be tempted to write these kind of people off as not good for much, not very fruitful, of little use to the kingdom because they're so immature and childish, because they're so sinful. They haven't overcome even some of these basic things about not fighting with each other. Jesus looks for fruit and He finds it. And finding it, He praises them.

He says, but, But, it's a contrast, but you are those who have continued with me in my trials, which they had. Jesus was not a popular teacher. The Pharisees wanted to put him to death. Remember the parents of that man that was born blind and the Pharisees were asking, well, how do you get better? And the parents were unwilling to commit to anything because they didn't want to get kicked out of the synagogue, they were afraid of the Pharisees.

And so they didn't want to be associated with Jesus, and they said, you know, Well, we know He's born blind, but how He was healed? We have no idea, they said. Because they didn't want to be associated with Jesus. But Jesus praises His disciples because they continued with Him in his trials. They didn't run away.

They were willing to remain with him, to be seen with him. It's interesting that Jesus praises them for the very point on which they will later fall in a few hours. But in this moment, he's recognizing that they have continued with him. You are those who have continued with me. And it's not that they were great students in continuing with him, right?

They took a lot of his time. They were dull of understanding. He had to explain things to them again and again. Remember when the storm rose on the Sea of Galilee and they got all afraid? And he said, why are you so fearful?

How come you have so little faith? And when he taught them about, when he taught the people about, it's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him, they didn't understand that either. And they had to ask him, what's the meaning of that parable? And so Jesus says, are you still without understanding? Do you not understand that what enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated, but is what comes out of our mouth, comes from the heart.

That's what defiles us. And then another time he cautioned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and they thought he was talking about the bread that they forgot to buy and they were Fighting or discussing among themselves probably blaming each other Maybe about who didn't buy that who was supposed to buy the bread that didn't whatever and Jesus said to them Do you not understand don't you remember how many loaves? Are the five lows that fed the five thousand how many baskets you took up afterwards? Don't you remember that? You would think that they would remember that.

How is it, he said, that you do not understand that I don't speak to you concerning bread, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And it was only then when he said that that they understood that He wasn't talking about bread, but he's talking about the doctrine and the Pharisees and the Sadducees. So, you know, if Jesus was a supervising professor of graduate students at the university, these would not be very promising candidates. They were very slow to understand His teaching. Very slow to recognize what was in front of them.

And yet Jesus finds fruit in these unpromising candidates. And he praises them that they have continued with him in his trials. They haven't become ashamed of him. They haven't run away and decided they had better things to do with their time than follow a guy around who people wanted to kill and who made rulers and powerful people mad. He said, I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my father has bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus holds out a promise to them of blessing, of a promise of sharing in his glory, a promise of eating at his table, sitting with him and judging the tribes of Israel. See nothing, nothing that is done for the Lord is ever done in vain. Nothing. Paul who went through some of the most terrific trials of any of the apostles, said therefore to the Corinthians, therefore, beloved brethren, be steadfast and movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Jesus is rewarding his disciples.

Their labor, their continuing with him in his trials was not in vain. And he encourages them with this. So after he's taught them again in their pride, addressed it, he finds fruit and encourages them with it. Then Jesus warns his disciples of danger. He's the good shepherd.

He's looking out ahead of the down the road. And when he sees danger and he sees them heading into danger, he warns them about it. Satan desires to sift the disciples, Jesus told Peter. And he asked God for permission to do so. The disciples, you know, weren't being vigilant here.

They were like a little child playing around, a venomous snake, completely unaware of the danger that they were in. The danger that their pride in this, as we saw the other week, and their dispute about who's greatest has set them up for a fall. They're completely oblivious to the great danger. They're like a little child, a toddler, running toward a cliff. They don't realize what's in front of them.

And so Jesus, our great shepherd, warns them. He warns, and here's I think the thing that we often miss. Jesus warns his disciples and especially Peter. Not just once, but on this very night, he warns them four different times on three occasions, over three occasions. And that's what I want to look at a little bit this morning.

I think this is often missed. The extent to which Jesus went to warn these disciples and the resistance that the disciples raised, as Peter raised particularly, against this warning, his inability to heed this warning. And Jesus' gracious, gracious persistence in warning them, not just once, not just twice, not just three times, four times. And I'd like to show you those four times, or on three different occasions. That Jesus warns the disciples about this.

So that's, and to do that we have to put together all of the gospel accounts. And that's why I've created this handout. I forgot to put a page number on it. So the red marking, that's page two. Page one is the site without the red on it.

But we have to put together all of the gospel accounts to be able to see what's I think going on here So each of these Gospels were written at different times and I believe that at least according to the annotations that are in many of the ancient manuscripts, Matthew was written first after his ascension, Mark second, Luke third, and John last some years later. Maybe 15 years later or so or more and so they each had a different purpose in in their in their accounts And they each left things out and included other things that other gospel writers didn't. And so Luke has the most material that isn't in other passages, other gospel accounts, and of course John has a very different perspective from the other three. But we can put they're all true and they all have to fit together. We know that because God's word is true.

It doesn't contradict itself. And my other reason, secondary reason for looking at this this morning is because this is a passage, this is a point where the unbelievers, the scoffers like to call out as The word of God is an error and even many translators seem to have difficulty here. And with the note considering the notes that they put in the text. So I'd like to look at this and put this event together. Now we're only going to do it half.

We're going to look at the warnings and later on when we get to the denials, we'll show that Peter denied Christ at least six times, but probably eight times that night. So let's look at this. Let's look first at John 13, 36 to 38. This is the first occasion of Jesus' warning. So we know John 13 is early on in the night in which he is betrayed.

John 14, 15, 16, 17, are all further discussions about in the upper room there. So this would be early on in the evening. In verse 36, Simon Says to Peter, Lord, where are you going? And Jesus answered, Where I am going, you cannot follow me, but you will follow me afterwards. And Peter said to him, Lord, why can't I follow you now?

I will lay down my life for your sake and Jesus answered him will you lay down your life for my sake most assuredly I say to you the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times and and there's actually no definite article in the Greek on the rooster. It's a rooster or no rooster. Sometimes we have to supply a definite article in English but there's no definite article. It doesn't say the rooster. It's a rooster or no rooster.

And there's also a double negative now in English, a double negative means a positive, right? We take the algebraic approach to things, but the Greeks in the Hebrews don't. And a double negative is an emphatic no. Jesus is emphatically saying here, the rooster will not crow. Till you have denied me three times.

So what's the context? It's an upper room. And it's relatively early in the conversation about Jesus leaving and his disciples won't be able to follow him. That's key to remember that. This is in the upper room, and it's in the context of Jesus saying, I'm going away and you're not going to be able to follow me.

And Peter asks a question, where are you going and how come I can't follow you? Okay, so this is the first warning. And notice Peter's response is in a question. Why can't I follow you? I will lay down my life.

Then we go to this passage in Luke here, Luke 31-34. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. So we see that the context is different here. In Matthew the context was the discussion of where he's going.

In Luke it's the context of Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you, but I have prayed for you. And then Peter's response, Lord, is not a question. It's not asking with some uncertainty, why can't I go with you? It's a much more emphatic declaration. But he said, Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.

Now Peter doesn't use a double negative but Jesus does Jesus Jesus more sternly says Peter no rooster shall crow till you have denied me three times when When parents want to get the attention of their children, we address them with their name. We don't just give them a command with no name to it. We say, Johnny, do this. Joseph, do this. So Jesus responds, Peter, Peter, no rooster shall crow.

So there's a little more urgency in Jesus' response. Then we come to, And so I believe these are two different occasions in this upper room. There's two different contexts that are given in Luke and in John. And then we come to Matthew 26. This is what I think is is a third occasion.

And says, And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. I think this is a different occasion because it's not in the upper room anymore. They've gone out to the Mount of Olives and then verse 31 says Jesus says all of you will be made to stumble because of me but after I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee. Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.

So he said, this is gone now to another degree with Peter's answer. The first time it was a question, the second time it was a declaration, I won't do this. Now this is, never do this, right? It's one thing to say, I won't go, I won't go wherever. I won't go there.

It's another thing to say, I will never go there. That's what Peter says here. I will never deny you. I will, I will never be made to stumble. And Jesus said to him, assuredly, that's the word in the King James that's verily, verily or truly, it's the word we get amen from, assuredly, I say to you this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times and then and Peter said to him even if I have to die with you I will not deny you okay so the context here isn't the Mount of Olives The other two occasions were in the upper room.

Peter emphatically contradicts Jesus. I will never be made to stumble. He's contradicting Jesus. Jesus said, you're going to do something. He said, I'm never going to do that.

And then Jesus adds, truly or assuredly, this night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Okay, then let's go to Mark 14, verses 26. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. So this is looking like it's going to be similar context to what Matthew recorded. Then Jesus said to them, All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night.

For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Gellie." So this is identical to what Matthew records. It's at the same place, the context of the discussion in which this warning happens is the same. Jesus is saying, I will strike the shepherd. It's written.

Scriptures say I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Okay, Peter gives the same response. But then Jesus says something different in according to Mark. Jesus says, Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And this is the point that the skeptics and the scoffers like to say, oh, the Bible got it wrong. This is the same occasion, the same context, and Matthew says that Jesus said, before you, the rooster crows, you will deny me three times, and Mark has Jesus saying before the rooster croaked even this night before the rooster crows twice you will deny me three times so which is it right well we know that both of these are true.

Both are true. And oftentimes what happens in these situations is one of the gospel writers has included a different aspect of the conversation from another gospel writer. And sometimes they've included parts that are the same and parts that aren't the same and and also the other thing we need to mention is if Jesus says the rooster you the rooster will not crow once before you deny me or you will deny me three times before the rooster crows once. That doesn't rule out that there weren't more denials. There has to be at least three, but there could be more the way it's said.

If you say You will deny me three times before the rooster crows could allow for for more times but not less but not less so that how do we put these two passages together well I've I've offered a way that I think maintains consistency, respects that these gospel writers, these aren't errors in the text, but that they are including different information, different aspects of this same conversation. So the context is the same. It's after they went to the Mount of Olives and the conversation is the same about the shepherd being struck. So I think these are the same occasion, but I think there are two separate warnings that are given on this third occasion on the Mount of Olives. And this is how I think they go together, and this is where I've kind of marked in red those parts that belong to, that are what Mark records of the conversation, and in black, the parts that are Matthew heads, and if we put them together, we can have the complete conversation.

Because remember, John said if everything that Jesus did was written down, everything that he said, the books, all the books in the world cannot contain what Jesus said and did so we know that not everything Jesus said and not everything he did is in every gospel And so I think this is on the basis of that, this is why we can take these two accounts and put them together as one conversation where Mark pulled out some things. And so what happens is, and this is this resolution if you look on your handout, they're the resolution of Mark and Matthew's account, this third occasion. Jesus says, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. Both Mark and Matthew record that. Peter says, even if all are made to stumble, I will never be made to stumble.

Both Mark and Matthew record that part of the conversation. Jesus then gives the third warning assuredly. I say to you that this night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Only Matthew records that. Mark does not record that statement.

Peter then says, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. Again, Mark does not record that exchange between Jesus and Peter. Mark picks up the next response. Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. That's only in Mark.

But here's why Mark says, but he, that's Peter, spoke more vehemently, if I have to die with you, I will not deny you and then they both math and Matthew quote record that they all spoke likewise. So Peter speaks more vehemently That's mark records this he he gave that answer the first time and then he speaks more vehemently The second time and this is not recorded in the other Gospels, but it is recorded in mark this twice Rooster crowing twice and denying him three times. He both have to be true. And we'll see that when we look at the denials that doing the same look, the same context, and who's doing the accusing and what Peter's answer is, we'll see that I believe there have to be at least six, but I think eight different occasions in which Peter denies. Now, that means that Jesus has now said that He's warned Peter with increasing emphasis that he would deny him.

Four times he said this and Peter denies it when he says more vehemently, Mark says he denied it more vehemently, Peter uses a double negative there for the first time. That's why he's speaking more vehemently. So the more Jesus is warning him, the more Peter is resisting that. Jesus is warning him again and again and again, and Peter each time gets more frustrated and more insistent that he is never going to fall that way. Do You see the heart of Christ?

It's been so easy. When one of your children says, no, that's not gonna happen to me, we might say, okay, well, I'll walk away and show you. And it happens to them. But Jesus doesn't do that. He doesn't just, okay, well you don't think you're gonna fall.

You'll see, you'll see. He warns him again. And he warns him more emphatically, and the more emphatically Peter resists, Jesus comes back and says, Peter, you will fall. That's a compassionate heart of a shepherd who dearly loves Peter who's willing to warn him again and again and not be put off by Peter's resistance, emphatic resistance, even just denial of what Jesus is saying. You would think, right, you would think That all that Peter has seen Jesus do and say.

Remember Andrew, you know, when they came to Jesus, Jesus knew what they had been thinking, the disciple that Andrew brought. All the times that Jesus told them what would happen, you would think that Peter would remember. If Jesus is saying I'm gonna fall, maybe I will. But he doesn't, and that is so often what pride does to us. We are resistant to the very clear warnings of our Savior of the Scriptures that what we are doing is wrong.

But how does Jesus. Demonstrate his love as a shepherd, he prays, he prays for these disciples, he prays for Peter. He doesn't leave him to his own devices and say, well, since you won't listen to me, I'll let him figure it out the hard way. Our great high priest, our friend, our brother, Jesus prays, he prays for his disciples. He prays for us too in John 17.

He says he prayed not only for the twelve, but he prayed for all those that would follow them. He's praying for us even when we're like Peter and resistant to his warnings and think that we know better. We think that we're smarter than God and that his word doesn't apply to us there in that situation, that we're the exception somehow. He prays for us. Satan desires to entrap us.

And he can do it in so many ways. He can throw questions at us, like is it free will or predestination? And in whatever way we answer, He has a way to tempt us. Either through the assurance of our salvation or you know if we understand one of his predestination we can become proud of our great knowledge. You might ask us when you know when what's the exact time you were saved?

If we can't answer the question, we may doubt our salvation. Instead of trusting in Christ, His words that say those who confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that God raised from the dead will be saved. And if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's His word, It's true. Satan wants to get us to doubt that.

Or maybe we know the exact time and the exact place. And we can say it with confidence when we made some decision. And so then Satan can get us to trust in our decision and in the things that we've done for our for the assurance of our salvation instead of in Christ himself. Jesus trains his disciples through through trials to shepherd his flock. Jesus says, return to me.

When you return to me, strengthen your brethren. When you go through trials, the Lord is equipping you for the work that he's calling you to. Whether you fall in that trial or are faithful, whether by his grace he upholds you, he is training you. How do you respond to God's trials? Do you receive them as His equipping, as His training, as His compassion for us to refine us?

Or do we resist it? We also see here that Jesus redeems the fallen and he uses them. Jesus redeems us when we fall and he uses us. Peter fell. He denied Christ.

He swore. He swore that he didn't know Christ. Yet Jesus restores him and he tells him here, when you have been restored, and you go and minister to your brothers. Now there are some cases where shepherds are not allowed to continue, that fall, are not allowed to continue shepherding. Ezekiel 34 talks about those shepherds that eat the sheep.

Jesus said, God says, I will never shepherd my sheep again. But there are many other sins and many other ways of falling that are not direct attacks on the weak in the flock. And in these cases where there's repentance, God restores. And lastly, this morning, Jesus instructs his disciples how to carry out their work for him, and he prepares them for this coming time when things are going to be different. He asked them, when I sent you out with money, bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" He's calling to mind the fact that over the last three years, they haven't had to worry about money.

There's never been an occasion when they need money. Judas apparently had a money bag, and he was stealing from it. But there was apparently enough there for all their needs. Right? When the 5, 000 people needed food and there was not nearly enough money in the money bag to buy food for all those people, God made the food.

And so he says, you went out without money. You went out without a knapsack, sandals, and you didn't lack anything. Did you lack anything, he asked. And they said, no, no, we didn't. But he said, but now, it's going to be different.

Now, He who has a money bag, let him take it. I'm not he's he's preparing them for when he departs and there will come these different trials. They're going to need to have money. And we do read in the book of Acts you know how there are gifts given of money for people that are in need there's a lack of money in one region and a surplus in another then Paul commends the churches in various places for for making up those lacks so there's a lot there would be a lack of money. And likewise a knapsack, and he who has no sword is even to sell his garments and buy one.

Buy a sword. They will need this weapon, this armament for their work. Now, I think there's some discussion, most commentators will say this is spiritual, This is speaking spiritually. They are to have a spiritual sword. The word of the Lord.

And and I don't deny that. I think that's definitely true, but this is also true in a physical sense. There is a need for money and we see that in the New Testament. The saints are encouraged and urged to give for monetary needs. There is a need for armament and protection.

And Paul enjoys the armament and protection of the Roman government on more than one occasion. And he makes even appeals to authorities for protection. He appeals to Caesar, so he recognizes this authority, he recognizes the need for weapons, physical weapons. But this is not, he's not telling them that they need a sword because somehow their sword and their money, the kingdom will be advanced. That is not what he's saying.

But we do need to use these things for our material and personal life. We need to have we need to be armed. We need to have money. We need and we need to be prepared for for the work that Jesus is calling us to do. See, Jesus has given them three years of preparation for this calling.

He doesn't hurry us into the battle while we are still untrained and inexperienced. That's I think one reason why this whole idea of little children being salt and light in government schools is so wrong. Jesus doesn't put untrained soldiers into His battle. He trains them. He equips them.

And he teaches his disciples here how to be equipped for this battle, both spiritually but also in the material things that are needed. Now, does God provide the material things? Yes, he does. But we still need to be equipped with them. We need to look to the Lord to provide for a physical place to meet, for money, to pay our elders, and we need to look to Him for all of these physical needs, which He has promised to supply.

But Jesus is telling them, before you didn't have to worry about this. When you were in your early training, you didn't have to worry about these things. But now you do. Now you do. He's reminding them that they were going to have afflictions and difficulties and that they need to be prepared for them.

Thus Christ is in this regard our great Shepherd. He is shepherding these disciples and equipping them to be his missionaries, to be his evangelists, the ones that he is sending out through all the world upon whom This New Testament church is built upon this foundation of the apostles and the prophets through people that Jesus, our great shepherd, prepared. May the Lord prepare us likewise and equip us for his gospel work. Let's pray. Almighty Father in heaven, you are the wise Master Shepherd, the great shepherd and bishop overseer of our soul.

Lord, we thank you for the care that you take of us as our shepherd. That you train us through trials even, through your instruction and through your word, through others coming alongside of us to minister to us through parents And through other Christians and believers We thank you father that You love us enough to warn us. Not once, not twice. But more. You send your messengers to us.

You warn us. You lead us. We thank you, Father, for that you are our shepherd, our great shepherd. And that you demonstrate your love for us in so many ways. So many ways that we are often oblivious to.

Lord, help us make us sensitive and aware of, sensitive to and aware of Your shepherding and your love of us that we may praise you for it and thank you And where we thank you that you use us even though we are sinful and broken You heal us and you use vessels of clay for to proclaim your gospel of grace that the glory might belong to you and not to us. Lord, we are so prone to wanting to glorify ourselves. Lord, may you receive the glory in our lives. And we are prone to doubts. Lord, may you strengthen our faith in all that you