Jesus Unfiltered - Follow - Every Sheep Needs a Shepherd, Part 2

What comes to your mind when you hear someone say Jesus is if you're made it's a hallmark card with a white Jesus with long hair him on those long sticks with Kirk on it doesn't exude a lot, maybe you understand whichever might thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, living only edges of international discipleship and history treatment daily Bible just a minute to wrap up the second ball park Jesus on the series with the rest of his message. She passed several programs is teaching us how we can more been encouraged by the series would you take a minute after this message and share it with her friend to do that easily through the chipping roadmap or by sending them the free MP3s minded Living on the Edge with applets during chip as he continues explaining what a good Shepherd, John chapter 10. Finally, the good Shepherd reveals his identity as Savior and God… This is critical to say is I'm not one of many to please and the Robertson is talking about Josephus makes is, he's a Jewish historian of the time and talks about Jesus and talks about that period of history and he is a little hyperbole here, but before Jesus the last 50, 60, 80 years before Jesus. He said there were tens of thousands of messiahs will obviously there were really that many but what happened is there were groups and must the Messiah similar claim on the answer. Follow me will take down Rome and listen very carefully because this really hits close to home today. These messiahs would willingly be martyred. They didn't care if their followers were killed because they all had the same core theology. They believe that they were ushering in a new apocalyptic day and the way that they would come is that you follow him and he would die and you might die. But that is going to bring the end of the world. How many people done much reading on ISIS start reading there not a bunch of crazy people who just are bloodthirsty who just want to kill people for no reason to very clear theology and is not a new theology.

ISIS believes that they're bringing in an apocalyptic age that the end of the world is coming, that their role is to kill all infidels, which means if you're not ISIS you're an infidel.

Even if you're a moderate Muslim urine infidel, and so they believe that as they kill these people. They're doing a great act of serving a lot and it will bring in the ushering of the end of the world and Jesus is saying those calls messiahs.

That's what they were trying to do and what did it bring killing, stealing, and death. That's what we see today. He says I came to bring life and bring it abundantly not not a religion of fear and death and intimidation, but a relationship of life and love and forgiveness and restoration infected your hurts and your needs and your mess ups and your problems causes Jesus to feel about you the way I felt about my little grandson. I so wanted to fix it so wanted to help them but he couldn't understand well you notice there's two responses to this good Shepherd makes a promise in verses 28 and 29 he reveals his identity in verse 30 and then at the very bottom you'll see there's in B2 responses were one group wants to seize him and arrest him in a great many other people instead believe the story verse 22. Then came the feast of the dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus went was in the temple, walking in Solomon's colonnade. The Jews gathered around him and said how long you keep us in suspense. If you are the Christ.

If you, the Messiah, just tell us plainly.

Jesus answered, I did tell you but you do not believe me the miracles I do in my father's name speak of me, but you do not believe because you're not my sheep my sheep listen to my voice.

I know them and they follow me notice Pierce's offer and it wasn't just for them. For every person in this room I give them grant grace I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand. My father, who is given them to me, is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my father's hand and then he makes the statement where they want to kill him again. The father and I are one and grammatically here.

He's not saying one person coming.

He saying one essence in grammar. You have right now female and in Greek, you have neuter. This is this is grammatically and the father and I are one being, or one essence two people. Third one is the Holy Spirit.

And so, what's the response.

Again, the Jews picked up stones to stone. But Jesus said, I shown you many great miracles from the father, for which of these do you stone me was when I raise a little girl from the dead was when I fed the 5000 was on the blind man could see about the lame man by the pool, when I fed the 4000 about that. The young man who was in the coffin near the village and attach the coffin. These are all historical things happen. These are not in this these are not nice tales. These are not competing religious salad bar diet.

This is a man who historically lived both inside and outside the Bible and then after he died and rose from the dead.

It's not like he told tube his special friends were supposed to believe them or they had a dream for 40 days space-time history, walking a resurrected body over 500 eyewitnesses hold up in any portable. That's the Jesus that were worshiping.

That's why all of history as a DBC. Here's the big question if this whole resurrection and visit by God to the planet was that he could help us restore us, love us and cleanse us with our hurts. Actually demote compassion from him. Here's his big request is just amazing. If you get this it'll radically change your life. Jesus wants to be your Shepherd. That's the goal is not trying to sign you up to be. You know some rigid Christian is not trying to sign you up and become some religious fanatic. He wants to be your personal Shepherd. I want to tell you what you can expect of Jesus.

If before you walk out these doors you said you know something everybody trust something or someone.

I've got a family of origin.

I was educated here.

I've basically thought about life here. I'm trust a lot of the people what they said when I look at the evidence. I think the smartest, wisest thing to do since he's the only one that's come back from the dead. He is the central figure of history and there's all this. I think the smartest thing to do was allow him to be my shepherd, I'm can ask him to forgive me come in my life and be my shepherd and I want to start following him. I want you to know what it would look like and what he wants to give you okay this is not how you see God and this is how most people can't even dream. God would see them.

Jesus wants to be your Shepherd number one to meet your deepest needs.

Jot down what you mean he wants to meet your deepest needs your deepest needs is not just health is not finding the right person is not your kids to come out right is not to get a better job is not to get a second home is not to remodel your kitchen is not because get the right school, but those are fine is not the someday some way go public. Your greatest need is to be deeply loved and accepted, to feel significant and who you already are not what you do do have a deep overwhelming sense of security that it is well with your soul and you can handle any circumstance and have a very clear purpose in your life that your deepest need, not what I will tell you is our workaholism and we have to this. We have to have that I got a look a certain way and try to earn so much money and drive certain car. My kids got to be in the school and I got on single getting married if I married I don't like to get a single all of that is not what trying to meet these needs of now I'm a somebody on significant look at what I have now got security.

I added one more as you are to my portfolio now got purpose in life, I'm can raise the greatest kids in the world when their success will feel like my curiously have really done something we run our lives like crazy trying to meet needs that only God can meet and what he would say is if you let me be your Shepherd, then you know what all those things the right time the right way become tools that I can love you and you can actually have in your hands to help and love other people because at the end of the day all of us release. Most of us.

We have at least enough relationships with people that have all that and all that and are super successful and ask him is it enough and it never is.

So we run around trying to gain what other people who were already there.

Their life screen. I've been through three marriages of got lots of zeros. I have a house here a house here in house there. The most unhappy people I've ever met my life are people not in abject poverty. People who have run it and thought if they had this this this this this and this then and they have it and they can do whatever they want any day of the week and go ever and simply bad things they just can't deliver life eye candy you have life and have it abundantly. Second, he wants to restore your soul. He makes you lie down in green pastures he lead you beside quiet waters he restores your soul board so we get our word psychology from its psyche suitcase and art. Think of think of what's broken in us. Our shopping addictions are sexual addictions are alcohol addictions are work addictions are pleasing people addictions are codependency ditching our addiction and everything everyone has to see me a certain life. We run around like crazy.

What we have is a soul problem with our souls messed up its warped.

He says I want restore it literally the word restore means I want to turn it back and bring it to where it really belongs in notice he says how he does it two ways because I will make you that doesn't sound very fun. He says I'll make you what, I'll make you sit down or lie down in green pastures.

This is where it's good but see sheep are not all that smart and some cheaper hardheaded to have sort of a Ingram tendency in them that I want to do my own thing is that right.

You cannot lead us in paths of righteousness. There's a bad path. Here's a good path some sheep, even from the time their lambs don't listen very well.

So what Shepherd would do in that day with the sling. They were really good. Put a rock in it and about 2 feet from the she visits will strengthen and smart.

She will go.

I think I'm to get back to the of sheep, but some sheep aren't very smart and they just keep wandering and wandering.

It was can happen there going to die a will scan again so the shepherd literally is called the Bell sheet the shepherd on purpose would go over and break the leg of the Lamb. And then he would set the leg and we take the lamb and put it on his shoulders and for the next few weeks. While that is healing that Lane would be on his shoulders all the time we heard his voice, it built in seatbelt connection and then I'm guessing 4 to 6 weeks of her here with every broken bone, he would put a little bell around the sheep and was called the Bell sheet and because of what happened.

One the pain. The shepherds love and the pain the intimacy that sheep would never leave the shepherd site closer than any others. So all the other cheek when I hear ding ding ding ding. There's a shepherd cannot come I just say this gently.

Some of you are going through horrendous times right now in a relationship in your finances or at work Karen this there's bitterness in her to the trail and struggle or cancer. And God doesn't cause evil because he's good, but he uses evil and difficulty and sometimes he doesn't discipline his sheep and you know what, so he'll make you lie down in green pastures, you know that's not a good relationship while I lost my job. I'm spending my money here. My times going here a forgotten cut. While this happened sometimes the kindest thing God ever does is bring difficulty in sure life is when difficult things happen. What happens to your attention. All this right.

I have a kid in ICU. I pray differently I lose my job. I pray differently. I have a friend going through horrendous time. I pray differently than a pastor for little over 30 years and this is what I can tell you is just personal observation, but the people who been hurt deeply seem to have the greatest appreciation and intimacy with God and seem to display the characteristics of Christ more fully. More brightly and more powerful than other people that I know. So, he wants to restore you. So sometimes the difficulty is he wants to get your attention on your here right I mean some of you if you are likely grown up something you come to church like him. What made on purpose. Are you kidding you know I had a very warped view of God. I met a lot of Christians would help me get the best 30 wants to guide you and direct your life. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his namesake, but we don't we all have personnel decisions to make. Should I marry this person not marry this person.

Good roommate bad roommate should take this job will take this job are this person we have personnel decisions to make. Do we have wisdom decisions to make. Should we should I change jobs. I should I go to this university that university. Forget universities know I should probably have decisions to make right do you want to make good decisions that put you on a good path you want to make bad decisions or wrong decisions that put you on a bad path that was a rhetorical question now now just just for a moment, lean back if God is who he says he is all-knowing and all-powerful eternal, all wise, knows all things actual and possible in your hurts. Even your hurts and pains, and struggles and mistakes, and your sin causes his compassion to well up infinitely more than me for my grandson and he wants to help you. And here's the offer.

I know everything tomorrow next year and to the world.

I know how you think I know everything about everyone. Would you like me to give you my counsel on what to do tomorrow what relationship to get Anna out of on what school to go to put your kids and would you like to know where to invest and what to do with your time, your energy, your money, because you're my sheep and what shepherds do, they take care of light because they love them, don't bail out so you sort have this option. He could be your shepherd or you could just read Wall Street Journal the right all the time read on the Internet and you know that's true right now messing with you.

Or you could just say I got it. I know what's best for me will look at some of your past decisions on honest meaning of this is the Dr. Phil moment. How's that working for you and Jesus is saying I want to be you shepherd, I want to meet your needs and restore your soul.

I want to direct your life want to protect you from evil. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This is not talking about dying. This is talk about the sheep in the summer in the low lands.

The grass starts to dry out. You have to take them through these ravines up into the mountains and the plateaus were the grass is green and so when you do that instead of the big group coming. There's these narrow places and there's all it gets dark and the shadowy will. That's where the walls take out a sheet and so David is saying I been in some of those times, partly because I got myself the sheep a deal was all me. I blew it. The murder that was me. Other times when I got betrayed me. Here's the most amazing thing about God whether you mess up your life or someone else messes up your life the moment you compensate.

I just need help you what you receive compassion. I don't understand compassion. I'll forgive all restore or reset it make it right. So he says what you must to protect you from evil. It says there's a rod and a staff and it's interesting because the rod was a power thing it was out like a billy club of the policeman would and then had a big ball at the end and had spikes or nails that would come out of it and sheep's you know wolves that they would fight with that and then the staff was of comfort.

It was in of the long thing with the hook in sheep's in the briar you pull it out hurts and ravine you know you help it out or maybe little nudge to keep them on track and all I can say is I grow up as a follower of Jesus and a member I was a young pastor maybe 28 years old, coming out to California and this I saw God's power.

And since I've had multiple things like this and is not because I'm a pastor system sheep in my shepherd was take care me so I'm on my way to California. Going to the airport and living in Texas young pastor little tiny church and and I wanted to come learn action was coming out to this church way back with to learn some stuff and so I it's Texas it's super super hot.

Has it rained a long time and starts to drizzle and in Texas. The color black ice. There's oil it's been there and when it just mixes right it gets literally like black ice. And so, my friend, my buddy and I are driving and all of a sudden I look like, three, 400 yards and the cars are spinning like a movie which they're all spinning of all my gosh you know and so being the intelligent person I am. I slam on the brakes right and so you you know it's not like it's snowing so I wouldn't thinking a minimum up as I slam on the brakes and the brakes locked and I mean we start speeding up on going about 69 one about 70 and all I can tell you is FORD and it was there and pretty soon it filled the complete windshield and I don't if you ever had one of these have had to, at least in my life I thought I didn't think little of the thought was I didn't think this is how I would die. The car does this with no one on the steering wheel like this and then shoots through fast through spinning cars. I believe in angels is impossible and I look back and there's like 25 cars all strewn over to my heart's going God to save my life. Now I'm not saying that he does that all the time for all you saying he wanted me to know chip on your shepherd. I won't protect you from evil. In fact, sometimes he doesn't use the rod.

Sometimes it's the staffs a few years ago my wife got cancer and I pray she prayed, God didn't remove the cancer is a promise he takes us out of the world went to Stanford every week. We had treatment after treatment after treatment. I do know she would live or she done but he comforted us to praise God for smart and great doctors and medicine and technology, and I will pay this. This happened in my marriage… You know, I thought I had a four-speed car and I had no idea that there was 1/5 gear that are fifth gear came because I did not fight, however, and there was a level of intimacy and connection that happened after cancer with us and with God that I would never trade because God says even though you go through the valley of the shadow of death rod my staff with you. Do you want to shepherd like that.

The fifth thing.

He promises he says the I want to fill your life with joy. It's that picture that I shared of you know the big battles happen then there's the big buffet. This is hard to get because so many people think God's arms across her knees down on you and when you you mess up God wants to deliver you from your enemies. And he wants you have a divorce life of joy in any wants his goodness and his mercy and his kindness to to pursue you.

You have to live with all the shoes going to drop what about this.

I'm sure some bats can happen when people live in fear like that you make really dumb decisions and you don't enjoy what you have.

Most people in the world don't enjoy what they have. There was fearful about how they might lose it or what's going to mess up in the final thing he says is just beyond my wildest dreams.

He says I want to give you eternal life. He says I will dwell in the house of the Lord. Notice forever. This is why he came your hurts your need your struggles and mine your mess ups did something down deep and if I can use this word into the bowels of God, of his compassion and he ordained it on a certain time at a certain day, you would walk into a room so he could tell you I love you. I want to be your shepherd. But in order for that to happen. You must recognize that I'm king that I'm God and that I forgiven you, and you had an empty hands of faith, you need to turn away from sin that you know is wrong and asked me to forgive you and I will come into your life.

On this day. Forgive your sins. And then we will walk together. Let me go. This moment right now might be the most important moment entire life, God is speaking directly to you and he's offering you eternal life. Jesus wants to be your good Shepherd. He wants to forgive you once to restore you wants to put you on a new path and that he wants to live inside of you and walk with you all the days of your life. And then he was to prepare a place for you in a very real heaven that you can be with him forever. Your response will determine whether that becomes a reality or an intellectual fact that you simply became aware of today. If you turn from your sin in the Bible word is repent, you realize I'm on the wrong path.

What I'm doing how I'm thinking it's not right you turn from it and you list the empty hands of faith and you say God please forgive me.

I fall short. I've sinned, I need your forgiveness and today I believe that Jesus death on the cross paid for my sin once and for all, and that his resurrection from the dead, proved its reality, I invite you now to come into my life I receive the gift of salvation now make me your son make me your daughter that prayer, believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth comes with the promise that you will be made a son or daughter of God by the Spirit of God for giving you and entering your life and what a precious time, it is do it right now. Where ever you are in your own words, tell God that he'll meet you kill love you will forgive you and afterwards go to the website and and let us know what's going on and we have some information there to help you absolutely free to get on the road to growing in Christ and by the way, make sure you tell someone today that you really respect. Maybe the greatest Christian you know, just let them know I put my faith in Christ today, and I think I need some help if you prayed with chip we'd love to put a resource in your hands.

It's called starting out right and it's absolutely free. This resource will help you gain a clear biblical understanding of what it means to put your faith in Jesus. That's her whole missionary Living on the Edge helping Christians really live like Christians. So let us help you get started in your faith journey you request this resource by calling us at AAA 333-6003 or by visiting a LivingontheEdge.org and clicking on the new believers, but that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 chip in the series you're revealing a few of the common law is believers bought into about Jesus for themselves, and how those false ideas are ruining our relationship with God.

So to help us refocus on the truth. I know we've created a set of cards that debunk those lies with God's word. Could you illustrate how they work. Yeah, Dave what's being challenged. Here is what we believe. That's what we call these truth cards. Let me give you an example ally says there are many paths to God, and no one really knows what God is like, and you put a stop sign on the bottom of that, and I flip that card over and right there in John chapter 1 verse 18 no man has seen God at any time.

But Jesus, he has explained him literally the word is he exegete it him. He explained him full of truth and grace what I want you to know is that you can quench the lies and fill your mind with God's truth in a way that literally is transformational. So what we would love to do is put these in your hands so you can just review my time doing it at night before I go to bed not trying even to memorize just pondering and thinking and doing three or four or five cards you do if you have those before you go to bed. It goes into your subconscious mind. It's amazing how your mind is renewed because what we all know what did Jesus promise in John chapter 8 you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. I hope you order a set of these cards for you and maybe someone you love as well, but strip also order these truth cards go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 there are 21 cards in this set, each with a common lie or spiritual battle we all face on one side and a scripture passage from the Gospel of John, on the other.

Our prayer is that you will use these cards to renew your mind with the truth of God's word.

Let me encourage you to get a set for yourself, and then maybe another one or two for those in your life again to order your truth cards call AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listener steps special offers. As we close, let me take just a second and think the generous people who make monthly donations to support the ministry of Living on the Edge your faithful gifts help us inspire Christians to live like Christians. Every gift makes a huge difference.

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Would you prayerfully consider joining the Living on the Edge team make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling AAA 333-6003 that's LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 hapless nurse Don't well. Until next time, this is Dave say thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge