There Is Safety In the Fold
Exe. 34:22-26 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
And I will set up one Shepard over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them and be their Shepard.
And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them: I the Lord have spoken it.
And I will make them a covenant of peace, and I will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing: and I will cause the shower to come down in the season; there shall be showers of blessing.
There is one Shepard, which is Jesus Christ! There is one church, (one flock). If Jesus Christ is not the Shepard, it is not God's church. You have to be under Jesus Christ to be in his church. You have to take on his name, according to Acts 2:38. One Shepard over the fold. Sheep are humble, they are not fighters. If you are one of those sheep you will be humble. God will take care of his sheep. It's the ones outside the fold that are lost.
Exe. 37:22-24 And I make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all:
(Jew & Gentile)
Neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellings places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one Shepard: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statues, and do them.
There is one nation, one king, which is Jesus Christ. One ark, One church, One family. One door, Jesus Christ is the door. The ark may not have been great but it was better than what was happening on the outside. Stay with the church, it is the only thing going up.
Eph. 4:1-5 I Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love: Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. One God, and father of all who is above all, and in you all.
Jesus Christ is Lord, You have to have faith in Jesus Christ, and you have to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Matt. 16:13-18 When Jesus came into the coast of Caesarea Philip, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I the son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elias; and others Jeremiahs, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
Flesh and blood cannot reveal this one Shepard to you. Jesus Christ said I will build my church. (The Fold)
St. John 10:7,14-16 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the good Shepard, and know my sheep, and I am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: (the Gentiles) them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one Shepard.
Jesus Christ is the door of the sheep. You cannot be saved unless you enter in the door, which is Jesus Christ! The wolf always catches the sheep. If you stay outside of the fold, (the church) you are in danger. You have a space of repentance, don't wait to long. Other sheep he must bring into his one fold. We the Gentiles have been grafted in. One church – One plan – One gospel – One truth!
You are not going to make it outside the fold! God placed man and woman in the garden and they were safe. When Noah built the ark there was safety in it. All outside were destroyed. God has built a church and there is safety in it.
The Church of Jesus Christ
Bis. Jarret R. Spence, Pastor
Portage, IN