The Shepherd-King - Dr. Timothy Keller

18th Sermon in the Series: To Know the Living God

20 March 2011

Ezekiel 34:11-17, 23-29

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.

23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.

25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. 28They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations.

1) The Problem - We are all sheep and we get lost; we are helpless and foolish and it's difficult to hand over authority to someone else.

2) The Inadequate Solution - Human shepherds like parents or church officials; bad leaders can be self-serving and selfish. Neglectfulness or abusiveness flows out of selfishness.

Good leader makes people see reality

John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Revelations 7:17 - The Shepherd becomes the Lamb.

¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Sin is the spiritual predator and it can destroy you.

Jesus is the ultimate shepherd because he has the ultimate servant's heart and ultimate leadership skills in truth in love.

1) Jesus as the shepherd radically critiques Western ideas of leadership in that we should give ultimate control and authority over to him.

2) We don't trust human shepherds enough; we should try to open ourselves to church leaders.

3) Trust Jesus as the shepherd comprehensively and give spiritual dependence over to him.

The Glory of God I - Dr. Timothy Keller

16th Sermon in the Series : To Know the Living God

06 March 2011

Ezekiel 1:4-18, 22-28

⁴ I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, ⁵ and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, ⁶ but each of them had four faces and four wings.⁷ Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, ⁹ and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

¹⁰ Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. ¹² Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. ¹³ The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. ¹⁴ The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. ¹⁶This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. ¹⁷ As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. ¹⁸ Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

²² Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. ²³ Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. ²⁶ Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. ²⁷ I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. ²⁸ Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

What is the Glory of God?

It's described as being "like" something, because it is an infinite, indescribable, and superlative of the Glory of God.

What matters to you the most?

God or some other more meaningless stuff.

How does a Spiritual Grasp of God manifest itself in us?

1) Peaceful Humility---self righteousness and scorn generally disappear.

2) Unconditional Duty - We are here to serve God, not the other way around.

3) Enjoying His Beauty

How do we get the Glory of God?

By giving up all our freedoms to know how to live.

Prayer of Confession

Father, teach us not to sin with such abandon.

We do it all so easily

Pretend, lie

envy, lust

criticize, brood

ignore, deny

consume, hoard

defame, distort

make excuses

and then expect an easy forgiveness for the asking

God, forgive us for our negligence of your holy character. Let us not misinterpret your patience with our sin as though it were permissiveness. Loving Father, astonish us with a wholesome, godly fear which will not drive us to despair, but cause us to number our days and give our hears of wisdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Omniscience of God

27 February 2011 - Reverend Leo Schuster

15th Sermon in the Series - To Know the Living God

Hebrews 4:12-16

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• Perseverance through Faith.
• God is omniscient and comforting - to be completely known and loved.
• Plato - Be kind because everyone is fighting a great battle.
• God's love is attained by feeling his Sword of Criticism.
• Bible should filter our behavior instead of us filtering what we want to believe.
• Jesus brings this word to us to clear the way and provides a Throne of Grace that we don't have to fear.

The God of Truth

20 February 2011 - Dr. Timothy Keller

14th Sermon in the Series - To Know the Living God

Psalm 119 - Partial

¹ Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the LORD.
² Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
³ they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
⁴ You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.

¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

²⁹ Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me and teach me your law.

³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.

⁴⁵ I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.

¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, LORD,
and all your commands are true.
¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever.

• All of the Bible is authoritative and considered Law.
• In the Modern world, truth is subjective as opposed to the authority of God's Law.
• The entire book of Psalms 119 contains 176 things that the Truth can do for you.
• Truth frees you to think independently and helps you escape the tyranny of the cultural moment.
• Hospitals and orphanages are Christian based, not Greek---preaches compassion for the disaffected.
• The Truth empowers you to act decisively.
• Jane Eyre doesn't go off with the married guy.
• Believing in absolute truth gives you a humility.
• Study the Bible text closely and make it a part of you.