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!

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

Lift Up Your Eyes (Part 2)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday October 29, 2006