Jesus Unfiltered - Follow - Every Sheep Needs a Shepherd, Part 1

When you think about what comes in your mind for me. One of the most powerful pictures is Jesus as a shepherd in the ancient near East protection caring and nurturing the patient's is David, my confession is sometimes I feel like God is down on that. I don't think of Jesus as a shepherd. If you want to know what it's like to have that kind of see with Jesus. That's today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Living on the Edges of international teaching and discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching is a day trip heads into the final stretch of our current series with a message of comfort is in a series. Follow volume 2 Jesus unfiltered studying through the gospel of John, so let's jump for joy chip for part one of his message from John chapter 10 and all the time. The earth is ever been the most important thing that ever happened wasn't simply the birth of Christ is wonderful that and not simply his life.

But the fact of being fully God and fully man. He died, rose from the dead to give life. Here's the question in light of that, consciously or unconsciously. We all ask a question or two as we go through life and what I want you to know is how you answer these two questions will determine the course of your life. I'm not overstating that.

If you notice there's a pretty teaching handout at the two questions there. Question number one is in light of this resurrection.

This made a claim to be God all of history. The CAD how do you see God knew what comes to your mommy think God what see what you really like him. Is he harsh is he down on you as a kind is he angry is he mildly ticked off is a sort of distant is he like really engaged in what's going on her, impersonal the disorder set this whole thing up and you know whatever happens happens and when you think God what comes in your mind when you pray, what's the visual image of what God is like is listening to you the quote I put there by toes or I think is profound and accurate. What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about your whole life because what you think about God. There's an invisible law of the soul.

You will be drawn to or repelled by the image or the picture that you have and I would guess for most of us, who we think God is and who he really is are two different people. The second question might be more important. How do you think God sees you mean imagine if you will long before computers long before you know servers long before Google, Facebook, twitter Instagram anything, the infinite mind of God, who knows all things about all people every moment. Your thoughts, your behavior, your motives when the picture of you comes up on the screen of this infinite God.

How do you think he thinks about me.

What what's his response doesn't feel is it like manner. What you get with the program or company, never doing enough or rather still working with this one, or is it you cherished your special your loved you matter. I designed you get a plan for you.

There's a special purpose. You, how do you think God thinks about you is what I can tell you is most of us don't answer that question very accurately as well. In Matthew chapter 9 toward the end of Jesus life he comes into Jerusalem and sees a multitude of people not unlike in this room, and when he looked at the people and he wasn't just looking physically as he looked at their heart, their motives, their lives, their marriages, their singleness, their work, their pain, their hurt, their cancer the trails the struggles the infighting division. He says he looked at the multitudes and seeing the multitudes, he felt compassion for them. Just circle the word denotes compassion. I don't think most of us know what that means, he felt compassion for them for two reasons because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd put a line under distressed and alignment are downcast, distressed, but that doesn't take a lot of explanation right. I mean stressed out, worn out, burned out, struggling relationships not working. Looking for purpose in life.

But the word downcast is low but different. Downcast is the shepherd's term sheet wander around and they lie down and sometimes I get with the grass is very soft and there's little indentation and it feels really good and they will lean over and if it if it if a sheet leans over little too much and gets almost upside down. It can't get up. It can't get up. You know what happens to what's called a cast sheep 100% of the time they die unless a shepherd comes and lifts them and get some back on their feet when Jesus saw the multitudes when he sees us. He sees our distress. He sees our hurts, he sees our struggles. He sees her insecurities. He sees our pain. He knows our past.

He knows what people and done to us knows the mistakes we made. He sees her distress and he sees a sense downcast that we were in a situation that we can't solve on our own because were like sheep without a shepherd. And it gets what it stirs in him. This is how God thinks about you compassion, not down on you not get with the program not do more, not what's wrong with you why did you make that mistake. What you make that decision. It says he saw the multitudes, and felt compassion. The Greek word here means literally from the innermost parts or the bowels. The Hebrews thought that that the seats of your motions were or visceral you if you ever had your heart go out to someone were almost dewatered up just when you saw someone's pain is almost like something down in your stomach hurt that you had to do something to help them.

That's this word.

In fact, in English, I put a good definition there.

It's a deep awareness and understanding of another persons struggle or hurt or pain that compels you to want to help them sympathy and compassion are very different. Compassion is you are compelled and you just long to help solve it. Make it right.

I had a problem when most compassionate moments I've had in the last maybe 10 years or so on Tuesday I have a little grandson. His name is Noah so we got really close and Tuesday.

His mom was just kinda mopping the floor. He came running behind and in just slipped in a very unusual way came down on his knee and he broke his femur and I mean when he hit she eats tree trees have got a call from Annie my modern what's wrong he's crying. And no matter what I do mean he's uncontrollable. It's like he's in tear, so they took him to ER than it took him to the orthopedic guy. By the time I heard about it you I drove over the orthopedic guy across from good Sam's and I walked in. As I walked in the orthopedic doctor had put up his x-ray and I saw this bonehead was diagonal fracture in it and he was just beside himself, and if it if it moved at all. He just is poor little kid that I'm so close to an anti-had been in there for a couple hours and and so she had to go get a drink of water and the doctor and everybody left and I just there's this little guy and he looked at me with like tear in his eyes fixed me pop. What's wrong and everything in me. I just something happened is this ever happened you I meet something happen now deep inside me like I just wanted to say it's can be okay and it's can heal up and you know probably five years and I want to remember and and and and any course is 19 months old he can understand anything and that he just looked at me like hop. Why don't you help is what I want you to know what I felt inside when I saw his need is how God feels about you when he sees your need's block is the word he sees the divorce in your past.

When he sees the strife in your marriage when he sees that the depression and the anger when he sees the conflict.

It's happening at work when he sees what ever need the cancer that you're battling the parent that's dying the kid that just doesn't seem to get with the program. Your deepest hurts, needs and mistakes are like a magnet drawl. Jesus love and compassion to you. That's what the Bible teach God now I don't know about you but I was not the picture I've had of God. Most of my life and I been a pastor for over 30 years and I can tell you that's intellectually the picture I know is true, but I have this default mechanism but have that like on any given day. I can think.

I don't think I measure up. I don't think I'm doing very well. God's probably kinda mad at me and it's not that's true, but I act that way. And part of my family of origin part my personality and so we have to be reminded why did he come. It was compassion so old and New Testament.

Sometimes a word picture helps people grasp it, especially the comes out of the culture so we can take sort of these concepts and get them into real life and so 200 times in the old New Testament, God makes the metaphor of sheep shepherd sheep shepherd because that's their world and sheep are dependent, vulnerable have as anyone ever seen a wild sheep or documentary logic. You know why they don't exist, but they don't exist that they don't. I mean a sheep without a shepherd.

Here's here's here's the game plan die they can't find water on their own door vulnerable. They can't if they if they're not moved to get new food bill sit and eat the grass there down to the roots kill themselves if they rollover or cash they can't pick themselves up, they have to be led. Don't take this personally. God calls a sheep and pigs are way smarter than sheep. Sorry. And orangutans are way up there and so sheep are these not that intelligent animals but they're super valuable their wool their milk, whole villages, whole nations have lived on the great value and specialness of what she bring in so all through Scripture, God helps us understand compassion. What is really like by the shepherd and the sheep. There was a time where Israel had, you know, just to use a vernacular blown it big time and you would think God would be just like you know what I'm just and start over. In Ezekiel 34, after speaking to a group of shepherds who were fleecing the sheep literally and using them in and I just just messing up things. This is God's word to them.

Ezekiel 3411. He says forth, thus says the Lord God, behold, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out and here's the metaphor of the simile as a shepherd cares for his heard in the day when he is among his scattered sheep. So I will care for my sheep and I'll deliver them from all the places in which there scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day by myself is Yahweh Elohim. I think this is God, the Lord, and he looks at his people and he says I myself I'm going to go after them like a shepherd goes for scattered sheep and he doesn't stop me. Since I will feed my flock and I will lead them to rest. Unlike anybody here like the rest I'm just physical. I mean, in your soul declares the Lord God, I will seek Uzi after the lost I will bring back the scattered all bind up the broken and I will strengthen the sick. Even David when he was trying to express intimacy had with God. Member what he would say we here's a guy that was a king in the psalmist and powerful, and then on a really really weak moment on a bad day commits adultery and then covers it up and commits murder and yet the New Testament looks back on this very flawed person that was very gifted and said he was a man after God's own heart not because he never messed up but because of the tenderness of his heart. What he understood was here's what David got.

I see how God sees me. I see that God is a God of mercy and compassion and forgiveness and wants to restore and so the Holy Spirit let him one day to save the Lord Yahweh is my shepherd and I won't be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures and what he does. He's gonna leave me by quiet waters because he's going to restore my soul and he says even though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death I will fear evil because he's with me.

His rod his staff they comfort me to lead me in paths of righteousness. He's going to direct my life and will be a day when I come through all these difficulties and this can be. This victory banquet and he's going to allow me he's going to set a table a buffet if you will, in the very presence of my enemies. And then, just like in the big buffets in the huge moments he will anoint my head with oil like happens on these marvelous celebrations and then instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop, and something bad happened.

His mercy and his love will follow me and the word literally is pursue me come after me, chase me all the days of my life. Do you think of God like that so good so kind, so loving these he's trying to chase you down to, say, would you let me give you the best and then maybe the last thing and I know he says I'll dwell in the house Lord forever is a Jesus in John chapter 10 is speaking to a group of people that they just can't figure out some believe in him and some of rejected him and he wants them to know, even those that are trying to kill him about his compassion and his love of why he came, and you pick up the story in John 10, open your notes if you will. And as you do, John chapter 10 were going to get the story of Jesus speaking to a mixed group of people. Some trying to kill them, and some who believed and so he gives them this metaphor and what you can see first as you see some you see a parable he longs for people, even those on the killing.

He longs for them to understand God's compassion, so he gives him a picture in their world that they can understand. I tell you the truth. Jesus says the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate declines in some other ways a thief and a robber man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep, the watchmen or the Porter opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. When he is brought them all out his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will not follow a stranger. In fact, they will run from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice. Jesus used this figure of speech or parable, but they did not understand what he was telling.

Now I don't about you and I didn't grow up in the church in interpreting the Bible.

But if I wanted to know about God's compassion and I heard those six verses about parable, but sheep. It didn't do a lot for me. Okay, if you understand the culture you understand what he now says later.

What he basically said was, look you all understand how life works with sheep. It's an agrarian culture there shepherds. They can grow a whole lot. The land is and all that good. So if you're the youngest son. Your job is to be the shepherd and and then in the village you lived off the wool you lived off you could sell the wool the milk occasionally would sacrifice one and so I'm a shepherd your shepherd.

He's a shepherd she's a shepherdess and so at the end of the day we would go to the village and in our village would be a a shepherds pan if you will often would be about 4 feet high, all made out of stone. A large area and there would be a gate and so I would bring my sheep and I would stand.

I will put my rod I would count them and maybe have got 53 sheep and then the next shepherd or shepherdess comes and they got 35 5040 and so this whole big area is filled with sheep and there's an entrance. He's just describing their everyday life. But now he says something that they really get if you ever seen a documentary or this still happens today. Shepherds named their sheep and sometimes it's no strike leg door bad attitude or stuff like that are white spotted face, but they name all the sheep and they know them personally, but they build this intimacy and relationship is why Jesus uses it. So when a shepherd would come at the next morning all the sheep were there there safe. He would might come in and they almost have like talk Michael yellow yellow yellow and all. About 50 sheep. They look and he walks in the following none of the other sheep move and another shiver comes with 00 number 35 sheep and they walked out. So he's explaining how it happens and they since thieves and robbers see at night. This is about 4 feet or so stone and so might build a higher thief would come during the dark and he would climb over and have a couple friends slip the neck of the sheep and then get as many as they could. Robbers didn't just steal.

They would beat up who was on guard often kill them and trying to pull heard so he's just describing a world about the relationship between sheep and shepherds now listen carefully, because now he applies it to himself. We pick up the teaching in verse seven through 10 verse seven says therefore Jesus said, I tell you the truth I am the gate or the door for the sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the gate. Here's his offer. Whoever enters through me will be saved.

He's talking about spiritual salvation in the context of this book. He will come in and go out and find pasture to come to me and believe in me.

I will provide for you and I'll protect you a good shepherd. This is the part of your view of God. My view of God. Most people's view of God I think is completely skewed. We don't believe he's good and you can't trust someone they don't think is good as has had the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. And then he gives his purpose statement for why he came I came that you might have life and have it to the full, or have it abundantly literally the word means to x-axis and to overflowing, and so the teaching here Jesus is saying that door the entranceway in and out in relationship I'm the answer on the shepherd.

Jesus is the good she will be back in a minute just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with shipping chips message today is from follow volume 2, series Jesus unfiltered follower explores what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples follow me those two words of change the lives of countless millions over the centuries, and you can experience that same life-changing power. But that's an idea you'd like to pursue listening to this teaching again will help you get there to do that or to share the series with a friend. It's easy only up if you're a radio or podcast listener. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003.

We'd love to get this resource in your hands. Now here's trip with a quick reminder thanks Dave. I'll be right back with some specific application to today's teaching but before I do that I just want to remind you of something very, very important.

There's only two more days to take advantage of the special offers and discounts on this series right out of the book of John, chapters 5 through 10 called follow. So if you thought about it, someone came to mind that you thought you know I'll send it to them and you haven't done it yet, make sure to do it in the next two days go forget to check out the companion tool that goes along with them the Jesus unfiltered truth. Guards are a set of 21 cards, one from each chapter of the book of John.

You know the factors were constantly bombarded with lies, lies that come from within and from other people and from the culture. These truth cards are designed to help you expose the lies your believing strength in your mind and then remember the truth about God and about yourself whether there for you or someone else.

Order your set of Jesus unfiltered truth guards and get free shipping by calling us at 1-888-333-6003 tapping special offers ordering online that LivingontheEdge.org now here's trip with his application as we wrap up today's program. This is a very, very familiar passage and one that I hear people quote allotment down deep. I'm not sure we relate to it that much. I don't know anything about. She personally I've been around a few and I've read that there, you know, dumb that there helpless and they smell and I guess there's a picture with people there, but the fact of the matter is, the point is is that sheep are followers and sheep are helpless but I think many of us feel very self-sufficient a lot of the time and I think this parable. What Jesus taught really rings home when you're out of work when your spouse walks out on you when when your kids is in ICU or when you get a biopsy report and it says cancer.

You see, that's when were helpless.

That's when I realize I can't change things. I need a Savior I need God and Jesus is saying I am the good shepherd, and he says, whether you wandered from the truth. The writer drowning in alcohol. Whether you're sick on drugs or whether you're stalled, and selfishness. I want you to know that I want to rescue you that great song that people read it funerals it says the good Shepherd. He says he'll rescue your rod and your staff.

Sometimes he corrects, and sometimes he pulls us out of the ditch. But today is the day for you to know there's someone who cares about you there someone that knows everything in your life if you will admit that your helpless if you admit that you need help if you cry out for help and run to him. The promise of God is very clear. Draw near to God and he'll draw near to you today. What ever it looks like would you take a moment, would you maybe just go to a park maybe five minutes in the car would you bow your head and just draw near to God and let them draw near to you will just before we close. Would you pray for people who heard God's word and are struggling right now we have an enemy who loves to mess with any effort we make to align ourselves with God. So would you take a second and pray, and if you're the one who's being challenged.

Just what you know you have an army of believers were praying for you as you hear my voice, you're not alone. Thanks for being with us and until next time.

Thanks for listening to this addition of living on the