I Am: The Shepherd

You show up when nobody else shows up. You show up in a time when nobody showed up in your life, but you show up in somebody else's life. When they're going through a difficult time, when they're making a difficult decision, when they feel like everybody else has abandoned me, you can bring the presence of Jesus into that room, into that hospital room, into that house, into that workplace. You show up. Why? Because Jesus was willing to lay down his life for you, and it allows us the freedom to do the same for somebody else. [00:48:12] (31 seconds)  #ShowUpLikeJesus

There is nothing that you've done or thought about doing in your past or today or in the future that the shepherd does not know about. He knows every detail. When we say God loves you, not the you that you're pretending to be, the real you, the you that we're afraid. If anybody were ever to see my spouse or my friends or my coworkers, if they really knew the real me, we'd have a we'd be afraid that they would turn and cut tail and run. Right? We've all had that fear, fear of rejection. [00:30:09] (35 seconds)  #KnownAndLoved

What would they really think? If they really knew the real me I'll be honest with you as your pastor. I've had that thought. If the church really knew the real me, would anybody show up on a Sunday morning? Because we've all had that thought, that fear of rejection. They really knew The good news is Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. Not only do I know, not only do I care, I'm willing to give my life for you. [00:30:44] (28 seconds)  #GoodShepherdKnows

You take your eyes off the sheep for one second. Fall, you'll be dinner. Right? What's the point Jesus is making? We are completely helpless. You, my friends, you cannot save yourself as much as this sheep can save itself from a coyote. You cannot save yourself. You cannot find value. Now there's a reason Jesus does not say he's a horse tamer or he's a lion tamer. He says he's a shepherd [00:37:28] (31 seconds)  #HelplessWithoutHim

because unlike other animals that can run away from their prey, they can fight, sheep can't can't do that, and he likens us. There's nothing you and I can do, spiritually speaking, to save ourselves. A. W. Tozer says, the safest place to be as a sheep is in the arms of the shepherd because the devil is not afraid of the sheep, but the devil the devil's afraid of the shepherd. The wolf is not afraid of sheep. In fact, looks to see when the sheep when the shepherd is not around, [00:37:59] (34 seconds)  #FulfilledOnlyInChrist

If you are searching in a relationship, a job, finances, entertainment, a game, sports, anything else, you will be disappointed. There is only one shepherd that can fulfill your greatest needs. Now it's so important for me to understand that my wife cannot fulfill everything that I need, and I cannot fulfill everything she needs, but the good shepherd can. As much as I know about my wife and she knows about me, there's nobody on the planet who knows more about me and me her, the good shepherd knows much more. [00:33:20] (38 seconds)  #AllInWithTheShepherd

It's all or nothing. It's all or nothing. So they would be wrestled down. Their front legs would be bound up. Their hind legs would be bound up and then be thrown over the neck of the shepherd. You've seen pictures of this and then brought back. That wasn't comfortable. But the shepherd's like, I gotta bring you back. This might be painful. This might be difficult. Following Jesus isn't about easy. It's not about easy. [00:43:14] (31 seconds)  #ApprovedByTheShepherd

The creator of the universe, the one who made you, the one who knows more than anyone else knows about you, and he moves towards you, and he's willing to give his life for you. Oh, man. When you recognize that, now you can shepherd somebody else. Shepherd in the Bible is a noun, and it's a verb. Right? Jesus is saying, I am the good shepherd, noun. I am a shepherd, but he also shepherds. [00:47:19] (30 seconds)  #PresenceOverWords