"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." ~ John 10:14-16 NKJV
This passage contains a vital truth we need to hear again and again: The flock of God is not homogeneous, but multiracial and multinational. We see in the book of Revelation, chapter 5, that souls from "every tribe, language, people, and nation" are redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Most houses of worship in America are homogeneous, but the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God is made up of people from EVERY tribe, EVERY language, EVERY people and EVERY nation.
In John 10, Jesus is speaking to Pharisees and other members of the Jewish race. According to Jesus, they constitute a "fold." We might say His hearers were of the "fold of Israel." Our Lord points out that, "other sheep I have which are not of this fold." In other words, there are believers who are not in the fold of Israel.
Acts 15:14 shows us God is visiting "the nations to take out of them a people for his name." Notice He is not only visiting the nation of Israel to take out a people, but He is also visiting the other nations of the world to do the same! These believers from various ethnic groups are part of the "other sheep" that Jesus "must bring" into His multiracial flock.
For believers in the USA, from sea to shining sea, we're many folds in the same flock under the same LORD. Some folds in God's flock have brown faces, some folds in His flock have yellow faces. America is the land of many folds. We're Hispanics, Asians, Caucasians, African Americans, Native Americans and more, all under the same FLAG, in the same FLOCK, praising the same Chief Shepherd who gave His life as a ransom for us all.
Believers have been commissioned to take the glorious gospel message to EVERY tribe, EVERY language, EVERY people and EVERY nation. This great undertaking may require you to complete a few years of training as a foreign missionary, or it may require you to just start a conversation with a coworker or a next door neighbor. Many "folds" reside and work in America. Our mission is to ensure EVERY fold hears the message that has the power to translate them into the ONE Flock of God.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to EVERY one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16 KJV).
Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!
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