Awakening to Our Mission: The Good Shepherd's Call

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Seeks and Saves His Sheep

God’s people have often suffered under poor leadership, but God promises to be the true Shepherd who seeks out His scattered sheep, cares for them, and provides for their needs. Even when human leaders fail, God Himself steps in, searching for the lost and bringing them home, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus who lays down His life for the sheep. [38:02]

Ezekiel 34:11-16 (ESV)
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel lost, scattered, or overlooked? How can you invite Jesus, the Good Shepherd, to seek you out and bring you home today?

Day 2: Beware of Becoming “Fat Sheep” – The Danger of Comfort and Self-Reliance

When life is comfortable and going well, it’s easy to become complacent and start trusting in ourselves rather than in God. This spiritual “fatness” dulls our sense of need for a Savior and can lead us to neglect those who are struggling, forgetting that all we have is a gift from God and that we are called to care for others. [40:45]

Ezekiel 34:20-22 (ESV)
“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.”

Reflection: In what ways have you grown comfortable or self-reliant, and how might God be calling you to notice and care for those who are struggling around you?

Day 3: Jesus Has Overcome the World’s Brokenness

Though we live in a world filled with trouble, pain, and loss, Jesus assures us that He has overcome the world. Even in the midst of suffering and confusion, we can take heart and find hope in Christ’s victory, knowing that He is present with us and working through every circumstance for our good and His glory. [50:48]

John 16:33 (ESV)
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Reflection: What is one area of brokenness or trouble in your life or in the world that you need to bring to Jesus today, trusting that He has already overcome it?

Day 4: Grace Is Freely Given—Receive and Share It

God’s grace is not something we can earn; it is a gift poured out through Jesus, especially in the forgiveness of sins and the tangible grace of communion. We are invited to bring our failures, sins, and emptiness to the cross, receive forgiveness, and then go out to share this grace with others who are hungry for hope. [58:40]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Reflection: What is one specific failure, regret, or area of emptiness you need to bring to Jesus today, and how can you intentionally receive His grace and then extend it to someone else?

Day 5: The Call to Boldly Share the Good News

The world desperately needs the hope and truth of Jesus, and God calls His people to rise up, trim spiritual “fat,” and boldly share the good news. When others are silent or gone, it is our turn to step forward, serve, and speak the name of Jesus to those who do not yet know Him, trusting that God will work through us. [49:52]

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Reflection: Who is one person in your life who does not know that Jesus has overcome for them, and what is one bold step you can take this week to share His love and truth with them?

Sermon Summary

This week, we gathered as a family of God, reminded that in a world full of trouble and brokenness, we have a Savior who has overcome. The recurring image of shepherd and sheep in Scripture points us to the reality that God is not distant—He is the Good Shepherd who seeks out His people, especially when earthly leaders fail. We reflected on the dangers of becoming “fat sheep”—those who grow comfortable, self-sufficient, and forget their deep need for God. In our comfort, we risk losing sight of our dependence on Christ and our calling to care for others, especially those who are hurting or marginalized.

The events of the past week—tragedies, violence, and the loss of bold Christian voices—have shaken us, exposing the brokenness of our world and our own hearts. These moments are not caused by God, but He uses them to wake us up, to remind us of our mission, and to call us out of complacency. When we see the suffering around us, we are confronted with our need for grace and the urgency to share the hope we have in Jesus.

God’s answer to failed shepherds and fat sheep is Himself. In Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we find the one who lays down His life for the sheep, who feeds us with grace, and who calls us to follow Him in serving others. The parable of the lost sheep reminds us that Jesus draws near to the outcast and the sinner, and He calls us to do the same. Whether we identify as the “fat sheep” who have grown complacent or the “lean sheep” who feel empty and overlooked, Christ’s forgiveness and love are for us.

We are invited to bring our sin, our comfort, our emptiness, and our pain to the cross, to receive tangible grace in Word and Sacrament, and to be sent out as bold witnesses. The world desperately needs the good news of Jesus, and God is calling us to step into the void, to be His hands and feet, and to share the love and truth that only He can give.

Key Takeaways

1. Complacency is a Spiritual Danger When life is comfortable and we feel self-sufficient, we risk becoming “fat sheep”—forgetting our need for God and neglecting the needs of others. True spiritual health requires us to recognize our dependence on Christ and to resist the temptation to trust in our own achievements or possessions. God sometimes allows discomfort or hardship to awaken us to our need for Him and to move us toward greater compassion and service. [41:44]
2. God Seeks the Lost and the Broken Even when human leaders fail or when we ourselves stray, God does not abandon His people. He promises to be the Good Shepherd who searches for the lost, heals the wounded, and gathers the scattered. This relentless pursuit is not just for the obviously broken, but also for those who have grown distant in their comfort—His grace is for all. [38:02]
3. Tragedy and Brokenness Can Be a Call to Action The pain and chaos of the world are not orchestrated by God, but He uses them to stir His people to action. The loss of bold witnesses and the presence of evil remind us that the world needs the hope of Christ. Rather than retreating into despair or comfort, we are called to step forward, to be bold in our faith, and to fill the void with the good news of Jesus. [49:08]
4. Confession and Tangible Grace We are invited to bring our sin, our failures, and even our emptiness to God, trusting that He forgives and restores. The act of confession—naming and releasing what weighs us down—opens us to receive the grace of Christ, not just in words but in the tangible gifts of bread and wine. This grace is meant to fill us and send us out renewed for service. [57:56]
5. Our Mission: Feed the Hungry, Share the Shepherd Jesus draws near to the outcast and the sinner, and He calls us to do the same. Our calling is not to hoard grace or remain comfortable, but to seek out those who are hurting, marginalized, or far from God. As forgiven people, we are sent to share the love, truth, and hope of the Good Shepherd with a world that desperately needs it. [52:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:30] - Announcements and Giving
[09:03] - Opening Worship and Prayer
[13:00] - Confession of Faith: The Nicene Creed
[17:44] - Unity in the Global Church
[21:00] - Introduction to the Shepherd Theme
[33:56] - Lessons from Youth Ministry and Leadership
[36:09] - The Problem of Failed Shepherds
[38:02] - God’s Promise to Seek His Sheep
[39:44] - The Danger of Becoming Fat Sheep
[41:44] - Comfort, Complacency, and Spiritual Need
[43:53] - Responding to Tragedy and Brokenness
[48:04] - God Uses Trouble to Awaken and Send Us
[52:22] - The Lost Sheep and Our Mission
[55:54] - Confession, Forgiveness, and Prayer
[61:20] - Community Prayer and Intercession
[64:48] - Communion: Receiving Tangible Grace
[78:33] - Closing Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ezekiel 34:1-16, 20-24 (ESV) — > The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ... For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. ... And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”

John 10:11-16 (ESV) — > “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ... I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ... And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Luke 15:1-7 (ESV) — > Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ... Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Observation Questions

In Ezekiel 34, what were the main failures of the shepherds (leaders) of Israel, and what did God promise to do in response?
According to John 10, what sets Jesus apart as the “Good Shepherd” compared to other shepherds?
In the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15), who are the “lost sheep,” and how does Jesus describe the shepherd’s response to them?
The sermon described the “fat sheep” and the “lean sheep.” What do these terms mean, and how do they relate to the people in Ezekiel’s time and to us today? [[39:44]]

Interpretation Questions

Why does God take such a strong stance against the “fat sheep” and the failed shepherds in Ezekiel 34? What does this reveal about God’s heart for His people? [[38:02]]
The sermon talked about the danger of becoming comfortable and self-sufficient (“fat sheep”). Why is spiritual complacency so dangerous for believers? [[41:44]]
How does Jesus’ willingness to lay down His life for the sheep (John 10) change our understanding of leadership and care in the church?
The sermon mentioned that tragedy and brokenness in the world can be a wake-up call for the church. How might God use difficult events to move His people to action? [[49:08]]

Application Questions

The sermon challenged us to consider if we have become “fat sheep”—comfortable, self-sufficient, and forgetting our need for God. In what areas of your life do you see signs of spiritual complacency? What is one step you could take this week to depend more on Christ? [[41:44]]
When you look at the suffering and brokenness in the world, do you tend to retreat into comfort or feel moved to action? What is one way you can respond to a need you see around you this week? [[49:08]]
The parable of the lost sheep shows Jesus seeking out those who are hurting or far from God. Who in your life might feel like a “lost sheep” right now? How can you reach out to them with the love of Christ? [[52:22]]
The sermon invited us to bring our sin, comfort, emptiness, and pain to the cross and receive tangible grace. Is there something you need to confess or let go of today? What would it look like to receive God’s forgiveness and move forward? [[57:56]]
Communion was described as “tangible grace”—a way to experience God’s forgiveness in a real way. How does participating in communion impact your sense of God’s presence and grace? [[01:04:48]]
The world needs bold witnesses for Jesus, especially when strong Christian voices are lost. What is one way you can be a bold witness for Christ in your daily life this week? [[49:08]]
The sermon said, “Our calling is not to hoard grace or remain comfortable, but to seek out those who are hurting, marginalized, or far from God.” What is one practical way you can serve or encourage someone who is struggling or overlooked? [[52:22]]

Sermon Clips

It was a lot this week, and I think the right place to be is here. To be reminded that we have a God who is with us on the journey every step of the way. A God who says, yes, in this world there will be much trouble, and we've seen it, right? But he never ends it there. He says, but take heart, I've overcome this world. And so today we celebrate the one who is overcome. Today we receive from the one who is overcome. Today we are moved by the one who is overcome to go and share good news, because this world desperately needs it. His name's Jesus. [00:08:44] (40 seconds) #OvercomeAndShare

He says, look, the shepherds that I gave you, they're not doing their job. So I, I myself am going to seek them out. And it tells us later that I'm going to give you a good shepherd. I'm going to set up them one shepherd, my servant David, who shall feed them. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God. And my servant will be prince among them. I am the Lord. I have spoken. [00:42:43] (24 seconds) #GodSeeksAndShepherds

Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. We also find in our Ezekiel text, it talks to us about they shall lie down in good grazing land because that's what a good shepherd does. Jesus, when he feeds the 5,000, what does he do? Have the people sit down. Now, there was much grass in this place, so the men sat down about 5,000. Jesus is the one who seats them in the good grass. He's telling us, I am the one that you need. I am what you need. And in order to know what we need, we have to first know that we have need. [00:43:24] (39 seconds) #GoodShepherdProvides

The poorest person in this room right now is rich on the world scale. Rich on the world scale. And man, do we get comfortable. And man, do we have a hard time getting out and sharing the good news of who Jesus is because that makes us uncomfortable. That, my friends, is a fat sheep kind of statement. [00:47:24] (28 seconds) #ComfortHindersWitness

Why does God let things like this happen? Not why does He cause things like this to happen. This world is broken. Jesus tells us, in this world, you're going to have a lot of trouble. It's just the way it is because it is so broken. Until He comes back, we are going to deal with trouble in this world. But here's the thing. God's going to use the trouble. God's going to use the mistakes. God's going to use the assassin and the shooter. God is going to use all these bad things to help work us out. To remind us we have work to do. Remind us what it is to be saved by grace and move to go and share the good news that we have a God who loves us that the good shepherd has come. [00:48:01] (48 seconds) #GodUsesTroubleForGood

Maybe instead of having one guy out there preaching who Jesus is to college campuses all over the place, He's going to have thousands. Because they're going to be moved to do it. Maybe by letting one guy be martyred, thousands upon thousands get out and get to work. It's time for us as a church to work out. It's time for us as a church to trim up. It's time for us as a church to start serving the world around us that desperately needs what we have. We have grace and love and real truth. And we are called to give it away because we have a God who will never stop pouring it into us. [00:49:21] (54 seconds) #ChurchCalledToServe

The love of Jesus poured out upon you, spoken to you, and not just spoken to you, but then given to you in bread and wine, body and blood of Christ, given for you, tangible grace that you get to taste and touch and smell and take into you and know goes with you. That is God's gift to you today. His love and His grace and His peace and His overcoming for you. And now that the Holy Spirit would move from there to move us to get out and get to work, to be bold in our faith, to let people know that Jesus has overcome for us and He can overcome for you too. [00:51:35] (45 seconds) #TangibleGraceGiven

The reason they're drawing near to Jesus because if you read in the book of Luke before this, Jesus drew near to them. Jesus went to them and they saw that Jesus loves them and so now they're drawing near. Why? Because they're the skinny sheep who've been put down and put out so much and now they're seeing someone who wants to feed them and so Jesus has come for those people and we are the ones to go out and share that good news. [00:53:20] (22 seconds) #DrawNearToJesus

So we have a call to take up the mantle and get to work. Get to work. And that starts on our knees asking for forgiveness today. And I guarantee you, God's going to give you that grace. He is going to forgive you because Jesus has overcome it already. And he has risen from the grave. And now, by the power of his Spirit, he's ready to work through me and you to bring good news to a world that desperately needs it because they're not going to find it anywhere else. Because Jesus is the only answer. [00:55:03] (36 seconds) #WorkStartsWithPrayer

If that's you, come and receive what our God has for us. If you're not sure about those, don't feel like you have to come forward. You're welcome to stay where you are. We'd love to talk to you more about this. You're also welcome to come up and say, I'm not quite ready and we'd be happy to pray over you. Bring your kids up. We'd be happy to pray over them as well. Let us receive what our God has for us. Amen. [01:05:43] (20 seconds) #WelcomeToReceive

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