The Shepherd Watches for the Wandering Sheep

``And when the shepherd finds a sheep, what does he do? He doesn't scold it. He doesn't lecture it. He doesn't shame it. He picks it up and he carries it. Why? Because wandering wears you out. It exhaust you trying to go through life without the lord. And by the time people realize they need him, they're tired, they're ashamed, they're broken, and the shepherd says, I'll carry you back. That's the heart of the shepherd. [01:01:37] (36 seconds)  #ShepherdCarriesYou

This story is not about the careless sheep. It's about the committed shepherd. A shepherd who notices you when you're drifting, who notices you and watches you while you wonder, who searches when you're lost, and who carries you when you're found. Also, I want to point out something. Are you ready? The sheep doesn't find the shepherd. The shepherd finds the sheep. How many times have we said this bad theological statement? I found god here and you have never now nor will you ever find god. That's that's not biblical. God found you. [01:02:17] (48 seconds)  #GodFoundYou

Because before you know it, you end up further than you ever intended to go. Sheep don't stay safe because they're strong. They stay safe because they stay close to the shepherd. When you stay focused on the shepherd, his voice corrects you before you drift too far. His presence calms you when fear tries to scatter you. His direction keeps you from dangerous places. You didn't even see coming. The enemy doesn't need to destroy you. He just needs to distract you and you will destroy yourself. [00:52:05] (37 seconds)  #StayCloseToTheShepherd

And here's something we often miss. We often miss on this story that the shepherd is watching for you. The lost sheep is not the main character in this story. We just had this conversation. We put ourselves as the main character in this gospel story. Read that story. That story is about the shepherd. That story is about what he does and he's willing to do. Everything is about him. [00:59:22] (39 seconds)  #StoryAboutTheShepherd

He's watching for you. He's watching the patterns. He's watching the movement. He's watching because he knows something. Wanderers often get to a prodigal pit where they have to figure out what to do next. They would love to come back to the shepherd. They just don't know how. And here's the great news. God isn't waiting for you to figure it out. God isn't standing with his arms crossed with a I told you so. God isn't saying come back when you're better and you've cleaned it all up. He's actively watching for you even while you're lost. [01:01:04] (33 seconds)  #GodWatchesForYou

Wandering does not usually happen in one big moment. It happens in small, quiet steps, one distraction, one compromise, one moment of drifting your attention away in the Bible. How did David lose everything? It was not because he saw that woman bathing It was not because he saw that woman bathing on the roof naked. That was not his fault. It was because he looked back the second time. We live in a world where you can see anything. You don't have to look for it. It'll show up. But the one compromise of turning back and looking the second time led to the downfall of the man after god's own heart. [00:51:15] (50 seconds)  #GuardAgainstSmallDrifts

It noticed and that tells me something. You can't wander so quietly that god doesn't hear. You can't drift so suddenly that god doesn't see. Before anybody else has realized the sheep was gone, the shepherd was already watching. Some people will go through a season in their life and think nobody sees me slipping. Nobody sees me struggling. Nobody hears me. Nobody notices me. Nobody, I'm going through hell and nobody sees it and I wanna remind you that the shepherd sees and is watching for you. [00:46:48] (45 seconds)  #ShepherdSeesYou

Listen, How can you follow the word if you don't know the word? How can you follow what god is wanting you to do if you don't know it? I have told I have told people that I've taught this in in in youth ministry for years. Most of the time, you spend your life with your wheels turning trying to figure out where's the right decision, what's the right turn to make, and you can't figure it out. God, how do I know which one's god? My sheep know my voice. It all stems back to this. [00:49:50] (52 seconds)  #KnowTheWordKnowHisVoice