Lift Up Your Eyes (Part 2)
Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday October 29, 2006
© 2006 Life Church Ministries, Inc.
http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/
Introduction
Bible Reading 10/22 - 10/28:
Jer 39-52; 2Tim 1 - Tit 3; Psalm 90-100; Prov 26:1-19
Review
Follow The Shepherd
Jesus - Israel's true shepherd - John 10:1-21
Jesus introduces the shepherd metaphor - John 10:1-5
His audience doesn't understand - John 10:6
Jesus is the gate - John 10:7-9
shepherds lay across the gate at night
shepherds inspected their sheep
in the morning as they left the sheepfold
throughout the day
at night when they returned to the sheepfold
Jesus is the good shepherd - John 10:10-18
lays down his life for the sheep voluntarily
knows his sheep
his sheep know him
He has more sheep from another sheepfold
Wants his flock to be one.
gives his life freely
The Jews struggle with Jesus words - John 10:19-21
Application
Treat Jesus like the shepherd he is.
The new paradigm starts with the shepherd
Be one of his sheep.
Listen to God's voice
The Lord wants his people to know his voice.
The first thing we should pray for new converts to experience.
God's voice warns us, encourages us, directs us, rebukes us
Only those who know God's voice can operate in Canaan
How do you prepare yourself to hear God's voice?
Get alone with God!
At midnight - Psalm 119:62
Early in the morning - Psalm 119:145-152; Mark 1:35
Worship
Seven times a day - Psalm 119:164
Worshippers want relationship (e.g. fans of celebrities)
Recognize that the sheep pen has a gate - John 10:1-3
The sheep pen includes
Jesus' sheep
Other sheep
Thieves focus on the sheep pen and try to bypass the gate.
By claiming that "they could see" while rejecting Jesus the Pharisees showed themselves to be "thieves".
There are people with unholy agendas that want to steal and feed on others - including you.
The "gate" is the Word of God
Listen for the Lord's voice
You have to know him
Pay attention to what he says.
Jesus' words are spirit and life - John 6:63
Jesus' words are not his alone - John 7:14-18
Meditate on what God says and does
Josh 1:8; Psalm 77:12; Psalm 119:15,27,48,97,99,148
Work with others to understand what he says and do it.
Follow where he leads.
Following implies obedience - Mat 7:21-27; Luke 6:46-49
It's not enough to: follow a pastor, be religious, be a good citizen
You have to know the Lord and allow him to know you!
You must be led by God's Spirit - Rom 8:12-14
Mind the things of the Spirit - Rom 8:5-6
Put to death the misdeeds of the body - Rom 8:13-14
Sexual immorality - 1Thes 4:1-8; Eph 5:3
God wants truth in the inner parts - Psalm 51:6
Submit to spiritual authority - 1Thes 5:12-13; Heb 13:17
God won't lead you contrary to what he tells your leaders!
Submit to secular authority - Rom 13:1-5
The man who loves his life will lose it. - John 12:25
My food is to do the will of him who sent me. - John 4:34
Put the big rocks in first.
Don't follow strangers
The stranger's voice doesn't line up with God's Word.
Don't be unequally yoked - 2Cor 6:11 - 7:1
Don't associate with immoral believers - 1Cor 5:1-13
Jesus is the gate
The gate is where the shepherd accounts for the sheep.
The gate is where the shepherd inspects the sheep.
The gate is the place where you allow Jesus to inspect you.
Why do I need to let him know me - doesn't he know everything?
Knowing speaks of relationship
You must deliberately communicate with the Lord.
If you're looking for pasture follow the shepherd.
The thief has a goal
Steal
Kill
Destroy - render useless
Jesus is the good shepherd
People without a shepherd are harassed and helpless - Mat 9:36; Mark 6:34
Hired Hands and Wolves - John 10:11-13
Wolves attack in the pasture.
The Pharisees were "hired hands"
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 - Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
Who's your daddy?
Do you hear his voice, and hearing it, do you follow him?
You have to let him mark you - ASLAP23 p10
I shall not want
David does not necessarily have material hardship in view.
You will never lack the diligent care of the shepherd.
Phillip 4:19;
The rebellious ewe - pp. 20-22
He makes me lie down in green pastures
Requirements for sheep to lie down (pp 23-26):
freedom from fear
freedom from friction with other sheep
freedom from pests
freedom from hunger
Jesus addresses these - Mat 6:25-34; pp 35
He leads me beside still waters
Rise early to get the dew-soaked grass.
He restores my soul
Cast sheep - pp 50-54
Sheep shearing - p 57
He leads me in paths of righteousness
migrating to new pastures - pp 63-64
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your rod and staff comfort me
You prepare a table before me
You anoint my head with oil
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Psalm 23 - Lifestyles Of The Shepherd's Sheep
Psalm 23:6a - Surely goodness and mercy will me all the days of my life.
Hebrew:
radaf
- To Pursue, Chase, Persecute
Gen 14:14-15 - Abram pursued Lot's captors
Gen 31:23 - Laban pursued Jacob and his household
Ex 14:4-9,23 - Pharaoh pursued the Egyptions
Lev 26:7-8 - You will pursue your enemies; 5 will chase 100, etc.
Deut 28:45 - Curses will pursue you
Judges 8:4-5 - Gideon pursues Midianites
1Sam 30:8-10 - David pursues his enemies
Deut 28:1-14 - All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you
Hebrew:
nasaq
- To Reach, Overtake
Gen 31:25 - Laban overtook Jacob
Ex 14:9 - The Egyptians overtook the Israelites near the sea
Deut 28:15, 45 - These curses will overtake you
1Sam 30:8 - David will overtake his enemies
Zech 1:6 - God's words overtook the Israelite's forefathers
Psalm 18:37 - I pursued my enemies and I overtook them
Psalm 23:6b - I will dwell in the Lord's house forever
Align with the Lord's vision - Luke 6:46-49
Getting closer to God implies taking on his burden for the lost
Align with the local vision
Transform the way church is done
throughout the nation
one life group at a time!
Life Church is a growing community of Christians who:
Know and love God
Know and love each other
Fulfill God's mission for our lives
Foundation in Jesus Christ - Mat 16:15-18
We are called to be like the tree of life - Ezek 47:1-12; Rev 22:1-2
We are fruitful - producing souls for Jesus
We heal our communities by offering them genuine community
If you're not working to expand God's Kingdom and build up the life groups you're not in alignment with this vision.
Share in the household chores
Build up the house! - Eph 4:11-16; Hag 1:1-15
Know The Shepherd! - John 10:1-21
Jesus is saying: Here I am; I own the sheep; I'm good to the sheep!
Shepherdless sheep are harassed and helpless - Mat 9:36; Mark 6:34
Beware of trespassers - John 10:8-9
The Lord's sheep don't listen to thieves and robbers!
By entering through the gate (Jesus) we are kept safe.
Application
How do you see yourself?
As a sheep who needs a shepherd?
As a loner who does his/her own thing?
How do you deal with life's problems:
By listening to God's voice and obeying his Word?
By following your feelings?
Are you trying to enter through the gate or some other way?
Hypocrites (actors) want to look good to for the world.
Sheep want a relationship with the shepherd.
How do you approach God's Word?
Do you read the word to identify "rules" that will justify you?
Do you read the word in order to get to know the shepherd better?
Example - how I pumped Michael for information about S. R.
Example - investigating a musician's MySpace page
Example - studying a company before an interview
If you're really aligned with God's heart for the lost - Lift Up Your Eyes
John 4:27-42 - The disciples, Jesus, and the Samaritan woman
John 4:35 - Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe . . .
Literally "lift up your eyes"
Take your eyes off of your immediate vicinity and look up a little
Stop looking at your feet - get your mind off yourself
John 4:37-38 - One sows and another reaps
What we harvest is not necessarily what we've sown.
Give out oranges
Jesus had sent the disciples to buy food that they hadn't grown
Take A Risk
Unravel (destroy) the works of the devil. - 1John 3:8
1Sam 14:1-23 - Jonathan attacks the Philistines
Movie: "The Final Countdown" - Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katherine Ross, James Farentino, Ron O'Neal
U.S.S. Nimitz is sent back in time to Dec 6, 1941 by freak storm
Captain (Kirk Douglas) decides to engage the Japanese because he is a U.S. naval officer
God wants ordinary people to discover his power
"It's gotta be the shoes!" - NO - "It's gotta be the shepherd!"
Good News!
God's not mad.
He's throwing a party.
You're invited!
Our life groups take too long to extend God's love to others
We should be inviting people to coffee, lunch, or dinner frequently
We should be having fellowship events every month
What's stopping us?
We connect with our oikos every day - Invite them to the party!
Connect the unbelievers you know to the saints you know!
New Material
Answer some of last week's discussion questions
Preparation
Main Passage
NIV
Hebrew Study Bible
KJV
The Message
NASB
RSV
Exegetical Idea
Subject
Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why
Complement
Developmental Questions
Explain It: What does this mean?
Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
Homiletical Idea
Purpose of the Sermon
Make it plain
Use accessible language and modern parables
Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.
Lift Up Your Eyes (Part 2)
Lift up your eyes - John 4
A prelude to action
Mat 17:8 - the disciples lift up their eyes and see only Jesus
Luke 6:20 - Jesus lifts up his eyes and teaches his disciples
Luke 16:23 - in hell the rich man lifts up his eyes and sees Abraham
John 6:5 - Jesus lifts up his eyes, sees the multitude, and feeds them
John 17:1 - Jesus lifts up his eyes to heaven and prays
What happens when you lift up your eyes?
Take your eyes off of yourself
Look at what's immediately around you
Recognize the opportunities (e.g. ripe harvest)
How can I learn to recognize the opportunities?
You have to want to please God. - John 4:31-34
Ask God to show you.
Check with other believers
How should you respond to the opportunities that you recognize?
Build God's house!
Paneled Houses - Hag 1:1-12
Build God's House
God's house is built with people - 1Cor 3:16; 1Pet 2:4-5
Start gathering the harvest
How can I be more effective in gathering the harvest?
Exercise Faith / Be Faithful
Level 1 - showing up
Level 2 - obeying what you've been told
Level 3 - obeying even what you haven't been told
Take The Way Of The Cross - Mat 16:13-28; Mark 8:27 - 9:1; Luke 9:23-25
Kingdom Paradoxes:
The way to receive is to give - Luke 6:38
The way to lead is to serve - Mat 20:25-28
The way to be first is to be last - Mat 19:30
The way up is down - Mat 23:12
You fool - this night your life will be demanded of you - Luke 12:13-34
Rely On God's Power
Kingdom of God come with power - Mat 16:28
Power - Pentecost Sunday
power to make disciples
You already have what you need - like the scarecrow, lion, and tin man
God's power is available for getting his work done - not for building our private empires.
God's power is made perfect in our weakness - 2Cor 12:9
Discussion Questions / Topics
Reflect on John 4
Describe the last conversation you had with an unbeliever.
What opportunities do you have to spend more meaningful time with unbelievers?
Who are the people in your life who don't know Jesus? Name names.
Describe the last conversation you had in which someone asked you a question about Christianity.
Is there something simple you could do to include someone from your life group in your relationship with one of the unbelievers in your life?
When will you do it?
In what ways have you ever taken a risk to connect to an unbeliever?
Reflect on Hag 1:1-12; 1Cor 3:16; 1Pet 2:4-5
When did you first realize that God's house was built with people? How has this understanding affected your ministry?
What has your priority been lately - building your own house, or God's?
Who have you connected to God's house lately? Who are you trying to connect?
Reflect on Mat 16:13-28; Mark 8:27 - 9:1; Luke 9:23-25
What are some of the ways in which you've tried to "save your own life"?
What are some of the ways in which you've "lost your life"?
Describe a time recently when you "denied yourself" to follow Jesus.
Describe a time recently when you "took up the cross" by suffering public disapproval for Jesus.
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings (repeated from last week)
Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.
Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.
These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.
If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.
Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.
Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.
Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.
Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.
Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?
Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?
Has anyone invited him/her to a Sunday service?