WEBVTT 00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:01.165 Two bags of popcorn. 00:00:01.165 --> 00:00:02.424 Here's all we're doing. 00:00:02.424 --> 00:00:15.073 What we're doing is we are showing how some of Hollywood's most iconic thrilling movies that we love got their theme from scripture. 00:00:15.073 --> 00:00:21.687 And today we're gonna see that a super iconic movie got its theme from scripture. 00:00:21.687 --> 00:00:23.341 What is the movie, you may wonder. 00:00:23.341 --> 00:00:26.682 You may wonder, you may be dying to know. 00:00:26.682 --> 00:00:36.569 You've been staying awake every night for the last week, even though we shared it last Sunday the movie Avengers Endgame. 00:00:37.509 --> 00:00:39.470 How many of you guys have seen Avengers Endgame? 00:00:39.470 --> 00:00:41.292 Yeah, that's right. 00:00:41.292 --> 00:00:42.072 Avengers Endgame. 00:00:42.072 --> 00:00:44.853 How many of you are like you're big into? 00:00:44.853 --> 00:00:45.975 Like the Marvel movies. 00:00:45.975 --> 00:00:47.115 You love the Marvel movies. 00:00:47.115 --> 00:00:48.276 Some of you okay, that's right. 00:00:48.276 --> 00:00:51.298 Avengers Endgame how many of you are like you're big into like the Marvel movies? 00:00:51.298 --> 00:00:51.857 You love the Marvel movies. 00:00:51.857 --> 00:00:52.819 Some of you okay, that's right. 00:00:52.819 --> 00:00:54.920 Okay, how many of you are like I could care less about Marvel movies? 00:00:54.920 --> 00:01:00.634 Y'all could take care of him later. 00:01:00.634 --> 00:01:11.081 Okay, If you've seen Avengers Endgame, you know it goes down spoiler to Iron man laying down his life for his friends. 00:01:11.102 --> 00:01:23.030 And in Scripture, Scripture goes down to it shows one person laying down their life, not just for their friends, but for the whole world. 00:01:23.030 --> 00:01:25.450 His name starts with a J. 00:01:25.450 --> 00:01:26.971 Can somebody tell me what is his name? 00:01:26.971 --> 00:01:30.174 His name is Jesus, that's right. 00:01:30.174 --> 00:01:36.578 So what we're going to do for fun because it's OK to have fun in church right, yeah, we're going to have fun in church. 00:01:36.578 --> 00:01:42.512 We're going to watch a one-minute movie clip from Avengers Endgame, the end showing him laying down his life for our friends. 00:01:42.512 --> 00:02:41.745 Let's check it out. 00:02:41.745 --> 00:02:46.798 I am inevitable and I am Iron man. 00:02:46.798 --> 00:02:49.301 Amen, Iron man. 00:02:49.301 --> 00:02:54.907 Rest in peace, Iron man, and with that, Iron man lays down his life. 00:02:54.907 --> 00:03:00.253 And this is what we're going to see today that Jesus is the good shepherd that lays down his life for us. 00:03:00.253 --> 00:03:03.056 And what does it mean that he's a good shepherd? 00:03:03.056 --> 00:03:05.700 And we're going to see. 00:03:05.700 --> 00:03:20.022 This might surprise some of you, but what we need the most in our life is a good shepherd that we can look to for guidance, for direction, for strength, for protection, for all the things that Jesus offers to all of us, if we'll let him be our shepherd. 00:03:20.763 --> 00:03:22.805 So let's pick it up in John, chapter 10, verse number 11. 00:03:22.805 --> 00:03:24.407 If you're ready for it, would you say amen, Amen. 00:03:24.407 --> 00:03:26.168 That's what Jesus says. 00:03:26.168 --> 00:03:29.770 He says I am the here's two words I am the. 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:30.331 What are they? 00:03:30.331 --> 00:03:33.574 I am the Good shepherd. 00:03:33.574 --> 00:03:36.236 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 00:03:36.236 --> 00:03:47.598 Now, if he's the good shepherd, does somebody know who the sheep are? 00:03:47.598 --> 00:03:49.741 Us, that's right. 00:03:49.741 --> 00:03:50.040 His followers. 00:03:50.061 --> 00:03:56.032 Now, a lot of times when we think of sheep we think, oh, they're so cute, Like, it's like a you know a nursery rhyme. 00:03:56.032 --> 00:03:57.703 They're cute, they're cuddly. 00:03:57.703 --> 00:04:06.741 But if you see sheep through a Eastern first century mindset, through a Eastern first century mindset, they ain't really cute. 00:04:06.741 --> 00:04:17.485 In fact, sheep weren't exactly known as how do I say this the smartest animals they were known to. 00:04:17.485 --> 00:04:25.148 Instead of walking the direction they're supposed to walk, they would constantly drift and get themselves into danger and trouble. 00:04:25.148 --> 00:04:36.012 They were known to, instead of eating what they're supposed to eat, if it was on the ground, they would eat it, whether it was poisonous or toxic. 00:04:36.012 --> 00:04:43.601 And the good shepherd a shepherd in this time would always have to make sure they're in the right green pasture so they'll eat the right stuff. 00:04:43.601 --> 00:04:50.428 Sheep were also known to like fall on their back and then they couldn't roll back over and get up. 00:04:50.428 --> 00:04:52.107 So they're just like on their back, like this. 00:04:52.107 --> 00:04:55.024 They're like, I don't know what to do. 00:04:55.024 --> 00:05:00.389 In fact, there's no such thing as wild sheep. 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.086 You know why there's no such thing as wild sheep? 00:05:03.086 --> 00:05:06.033 Because they would die on their own. 00:05:06.033 --> 00:05:07.781 Wild horses, yes. 00:05:07.781 --> 00:05:08.663 Wild pigs, yes. 00:05:08.663 --> 00:05:20.444 Wild sheep no, Wild sheep didn't exist because they need constant care and protection and help from a shepherd. 00:05:24.387 --> 00:05:31.033 And you know what God calls us Sheep? 00:05:31.033 --> 00:05:33.394 We think who me? 00:05:33.394 --> 00:05:35.096 That's not me. 00:05:35.096 --> 00:05:40.490 It might be somebody sitting next to me or somebody around me, but I'm not a sheep. 00:05:40.490 --> 00:05:45.939 I mean, you know, I can do it on my own, Like I'm pretty strong, I'm pretty smart. 00:05:45.939 --> 00:05:47.081 I mean I got experience. 00:05:47.081 --> 00:05:48.202 I'm 16 years old. 00:05:48.202 --> 00:05:55.714 I just, you know, I've worked hard, I've done it. 00:05:55.714 --> 00:06:01.269 I'm not a sheep, but hold on, hold on, hold on, bro. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:07.451 Let's think about this through the lens of our life. 00:06:07.451 --> 00:06:29.767 Up to this point, If we're honest, how many times have we wandered off the path and got ourselves into trouble because we went the wrong direction and got ourselves into trouble because we went the wrong direction? 00:06:29.767 --> 00:06:44.759 How many times have we gotten ourselves in some situations, maybe because we were a part of some toxic, poisonous things, or we allowed some things to happen that were toxic and poisonous? 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:52.127 How many times have we found ourselves flat on our back in a pickle, thinking I don't know what to do. 00:06:52.127 --> 00:06:52.387 I need help. 00:06:52.387 --> 00:06:56.254 Can I say all of us at some point in our life. 00:06:56.254 --> 00:07:04.014 Can I say, in the words of jesus, we're all sheep. 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:05.000 Now this can kind of be offensive, can it? 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.863 In fact, right now, even as I'm talking about this, in the words of Jesus, we're all sheep. 00:07:06.863 --> 00:07:08.406 Now this can kind of be offensive, can't it? 00:07:08.406 --> 00:07:13.495 In fact, right now, even as I'm talking about this, some of you are like there's something welling up in you, Like, no, you know what that is. 00:07:13.495 --> 00:07:14.922 That's pride. 00:07:14.922 --> 00:07:23.920 And can I be honest, when I think about sheep, I have pride welling up in me. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:31.341 And then, when I look back at the history of my life, I'm like, actually, and you know what Jesus does? 00:07:31.341 --> 00:07:33.886 Even though we're sheep, he's the good shepherd. 00:07:33.886 --> 00:07:40.346 He wants to lay down his life for the sheep and he wants to give protection for us. 00:07:40.386 --> 00:07:41.735 Verse number 12, this is what it says. 00:07:41.735 --> 00:07:43.178 It says the hired hand. 00:07:43.178 --> 00:07:51.021 Since he's not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, he leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. 00:07:51.021 --> 00:07:55.988 The wolf then snatches them up and scatters them. 00:07:55.988 --> 00:07:59.083 This happens because he's a hired hand. 00:07:59.083 --> 00:08:00.901 He doesn't care about the sheep. 00:08:02.694 --> 00:08:06.125 And then, verse 14, Jesus reminds us again. 00:08:06.125 --> 00:08:10.122 He says I am the. 00:08:10.122 --> 00:08:10.904 What are those words? 00:08:10.904 --> 00:08:12.139 I am the good. 00:08:12.139 --> 00:08:19.420 I know my own and my own know me, Just as the father knows me and I know the father. 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:30.302 I lay down my life for the sheep, but I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen and I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. 00:08:30.302 --> 00:08:34.725 Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 00:08:34.725 --> 00:08:41.323 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 00:08:41.323 --> 00:08:46.278 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. 00:08:46.278 --> 00:08:50.067 You realize the Jews did not take the life of Jesus from him. 00:08:50.067 --> 00:08:51.756 It wasn't well. 00:08:51.756 --> 00:08:53.503 The Jews are the reason why Jesus died. 00:08:53.503 --> 00:08:57.841 No, the reason why Jesus died is because Jesus willingly laid down his life. 00:08:57.841 --> 00:09:03.635 He willingly laid it down because he had to do it for our sin. 00:09:03.635 --> 00:09:12.404 I have the right to lay it down and I have the right to take it up again, received this command from my father. 00:09:14.606 --> 00:09:24.744 Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd, somebody that wants to guide, somebody that wants to protect. 00:09:24.744 --> 00:09:27.708 Here's the reality for all of us. 00:09:27.708 --> 00:09:29.197 You know you have a shepherd in your life. 00:09:29.197 --> 00:09:33.125 You have somebody that you look to for strength. 00:09:33.125 --> 00:09:35.096 You have somebody that you look to guidance. 00:09:35.096 --> 00:09:41.457 You have somebody or something that you look to for direction in your life, For you to say am I doing this right? 00:09:41.457 --> 00:09:42.701 Am I not doing this right? 00:09:42.701 --> 00:09:44.726 For a lot of us, it's a social media influencer. 00:09:44.726 --> 00:09:51.667 For a lot of us, it's somebody that we see on TV, it's a podcaster, it's somebody. 00:09:51.667 --> 00:10:10.765 But here's the reality is that Jesus is the good shepherd that wants to guide you, and what Jesus does in this text is what we're going to see, is what he does, is he protects us, he personally knows us and Jesus wants to prosper us as his sheep. 00:10:10.765 --> 00:10:17.313 This is what Jesus does, and I want us to lean into this. 00:10:17.313 --> 00:10:21.525 I kind of want us to lock in here because for some of us, we haven't, like, really thought of it this way. 00:10:21.525 --> 00:10:25.345 We haven't thought of Jesus being the shepherd and what does this actually mean? 00:10:25.345 --> 00:10:27.917 I want us to lock in and see this number one Jesus protects the sheep. 00:10:27.917 --> 00:10:29.580 Why does Jesus protect the sheep? 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:30.740 Protects the sheep. 00:10:30.740 --> 00:10:32.443 Why does Jesus protect the sheep? 00:10:32.443 --> 00:10:36.288 Verse number 12, because there are wolves. 00:10:36.288 --> 00:10:47.941 A wolf is coming and a wolf will snatch and scatter the sheep, so he wants to protect us. 00:10:47.961 --> 00:10:54.797 Some of y'all, many of y'all, probably heard or read the 23rd Psalm, the Psalm that says the Lord is my shepherd. 00:10:54.797 --> 00:10:55.438 How many guys have heard that? 00:10:55.438 --> 00:10:56.481 One right Heard that at a funeral. 00:10:56.481 --> 00:10:57.625 Some of you may have memorized it. 00:10:57.625 --> 00:11:02.571 In fact, I memorized it years ago and I memorized it in the good old King James English. 00:11:02.571 --> 00:11:04.576 I don't know if you guys know about that. 00:11:04.576 --> 00:11:05.616 The Lord is my shepherd. 00:11:05.616 --> 00:11:16.711 I shall not want right, and what I want us to do is I want us to read this Psalm and then I want to show you guys something about how this Psalm shows the protection of God in our lives. 00:11:16.831 --> 00:11:17.413 As the shepherd. 00:11:17.413 --> 00:11:18.014 This is what it says. 00:11:18.014 --> 00:11:21.038 It says the Lord is my shepherd. 00:11:21.038 --> 00:11:22.981 I have what I need. 00:11:22.981 --> 00:11:26.467 He lets me lie down in green pastures. 00:11:26.467 --> 00:11:29.236 He leads me beside quiet waters. 00:11:29.236 --> 00:11:31.081 He renews my life. 00:11:31.081 --> 00:11:46.357 He leads me along the right paths for his name's sake, Even though I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me, your rod, your staff. 00:11:46.357 --> 00:11:47.581 They comfort me. 00:11:47.581 --> 00:11:51.869 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 00:11:51.869 --> 00:11:53.236 You anoint my head with oil. 00:11:53.236 --> 00:11:54.360 My cup overflows. 00:11:54.360 --> 00:12:03.265 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live. 00:12:04.875 --> 00:12:07.664 Some of us have never thought about this through the lens of God's protection. 00:12:07.664 --> 00:12:15.769 But JD Greer breaks this psalm down and shows us this through the lens of the protection of God. 00:12:15.769 --> 00:12:21.167 If we can get that next slide up, Notice the protection of God in our life. 00:12:21.167 --> 00:12:24.139 It is beside us. 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:27.966 He's my shepherd, it is beneath us. 00:12:27.966 --> 00:12:31.279 He protects us by leading us into green pastures. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:33.004 It is near us. 00:12:33.004 --> 00:12:35.270 He leads us beside still waters. 00:12:35.270 --> 00:12:36.875 It is ahead of us. 00:12:36.875 --> 00:12:39.341 He leads us in the righteous path. 00:12:39.341 --> 00:12:41.004 It is within us. 00:12:41.004 --> 00:12:41.645 What does he do? 00:12:41.645 --> 00:12:44.578 He protects us by restoring our spirits. 00:12:44.578 --> 00:12:51.538 It is against those that are against us in the presence of my enemies, His rod and his staff. 00:12:51.538 --> 00:12:53.360 They protect us there. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:13:01.907 His protection is for us, it's around us, it's upon us, it's above us, it's behind us, it's before us. 00:13:02.307 --> 00:13:10.482 We have a good shepherd that wants to protect us, and if that is awesome, would you say amen, this is who we have. 00:13:10.482 --> 00:13:20.567 You realize also, there are hundreds and probably thousands of times in your life where the good shepherd has protected you and you don't even realize it. 00:13:20.567 --> 00:13:27.568 You may not have thought about this, but there's a real spiritual realm. 00:13:27.568 --> 00:13:45.268 It's an unseen reality where there are evil spiritual forces at work and you can deny its existence, but we see it all around us, we see the results of it, and what the good shepherd does in the spiritual realm is he fights for us, to protect us. 00:13:45.268 --> 00:13:47.610 This is what good shepherds do. 00:13:47.610 --> 00:13:50.871 They watch out, they stay alert, they care for us. 00:13:50.871 --> 00:13:54.458 This is what good leaders do. 00:13:54.458 --> 00:13:57.158 They protect the sheep, the people that are following them. 00:13:57.158 --> 00:14:01.015 They care more about how people are doing than what people are doing. 00:14:03.581 --> 00:14:11.240 Good shepherds, good leaders they don't lord over people and dominate people and use people, but they humbly serve people. 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:15.227 They lay down their life for the betterment of other people. 00:14:15.227 --> 00:14:24.701 It's not about them, and sometimes what it looks like to love people well and to serve people well is having a hard conversation with somebody. 00:14:24.701 --> 00:14:37.042 Sometimes what that looks like is sitting with somebody and their challenges and their hardship and just being present with somebody and their challenges and their hardship and just being present. 00:14:37.042 --> 00:14:42.239 Sometimes what that looks like is encouraging people to take steps of growth in their faith, because growth happens one step at a time. 00:14:42.239 --> 00:14:45.565 This is what it looks like. 00:14:45.926 --> 00:14:52.567 I'll be honest, guys, it'd be a whole lot easier for me as a pastor if I never challenged y'all, because y'all would like me a whole lot more. 00:14:52.567 --> 00:14:56.499 There's sometimes I talk about stuff. 00:14:56.499 --> 00:15:01.307 It'll be in the text or maybe something going on in society and I'm like, well, somebody's not going to like this, but guess what? 00:15:01.307 --> 00:15:05.357 I have to love you enough to speak the truth of the word of God into your life. 00:15:05.357 --> 00:15:14.071 And I'll say this too if you move somewhere, and you move to Oregon or Idaho or Arizona gosh, if y'all move to Arizona, it's real hot out there. 00:15:14.071 --> 00:15:23.567 Guys, Y'all move somewhere, and you guys looking for a church, Can I just say look for a place that is grounded on the word of God, not on what is popular in culture. 00:15:23.567 --> 00:15:26.859 Look at what does the word say? 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:37.158 And what shepherds do is shepherds teach the truth of God's word and we have a good shepherd that loves us and cares about us and wants to protect us. 00:15:37.158 --> 00:15:38.620 That's what we have. 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:43.090 Some of us I just want to talk for a second. 00:15:43.090 --> 00:15:46.445 Some of us it's really hard to be in a church. 00:15:46.445 --> 00:16:00.705 It's really hard to trust the good shepherd, because we have a history of being around leaders that have either been toxic or insecure or unhealthy, and it caused us to have a general distrust for leadership. 00:16:00.705 --> 00:16:11.667 Can I say if that's you, I get it, I do, I've been around some of it, I get that. 00:16:11.667 --> 00:16:15.456 I just can't trust, because this happened and that happened. 00:16:15.456 --> 00:16:26.341 And can I lovingly say don't let a bad leader keep you from following the good shepherd that loves you and protects you and lays his life down for you. 00:16:26.341 --> 00:16:34.225 Don't let that happen, Because we have a good shepherd that he protects us, but he also, second of all, he personally knows us. 00:16:34.225 --> 00:16:42.440 He says I'm the good shepherd, I know my own and my own know me, they know me. 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:49.541 You realize that God loves you, knows you, and God actually likes you. 00:16:49.541 --> 00:16:54.721 You realize that God likes people that you don't like. 00:16:54.721 --> 00:16:57.047 You realize that. 00:16:57.047 --> 00:17:00.663 You realize that God loves people that you don't love. 00:17:00.663 --> 00:17:09.064 It's hard to admit that, Hard to see that, but he loves us and he likes us and he knows us. 00:17:09.134 --> 00:17:10.982 In fact, there's this verse that I got to show y'all. 00:17:10.982 --> 00:17:13.618 It's a mind-boggling verse, Psalm 139,. 00:17:13.618 --> 00:17:20.440 It says this God, how precious your thoughts are to me, how vast their sum is. 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:24.815 Hold on Vast, the sum of God's thoughts. 00:17:24.815 --> 00:17:27.865 We're using math terms here. 00:17:27.865 --> 00:17:29.058 The sum of God's thoughts. 00:17:29.058 --> 00:17:30.284 Well, what's the sum of them? 00:17:30.284 --> 00:17:37.263 He says if I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. 00:17:37.284 --> 00:17:38.948 He goes on to say in the sea, in a beach. 00:17:38.948 --> 00:17:40.432 Let's think about this. 00:17:40.432 --> 00:17:44.619 God's thoughts towards you are so vast. 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:48.987 They outnumber the grains of sand on a beach. 00:17:48.987 --> 00:17:50.349 You ever done this? 00:17:50.349 --> 00:17:54.476 Have you ever picked up at the beach some sand and tried to count it? 00:17:54.476 --> 00:17:58.260 Good luck. 00:17:59.963 --> 00:18:01.686 So I did a little research this week. 00:18:01.686 --> 00:18:04.696 You know my good old friend ChatGPT. 00:18:04.696 --> 00:18:06.142 How many of you guys know ChatGPT? 00:18:06.142 --> 00:18:08.236 You know it's starting to become a friend more and more these days. 00:18:08.236 --> 00:18:11.924 I want to see how much sand was on the seashore. 00:18:11.924 --> 00:18:12.606 Okay, here we go, Ready. 00:18:12.606 --> 00:18:14.510 I want to see how much sand was on the seashore. 00:18:14.510 --> 00:18:15.934 Okay, here we go, right. 00:18:15.934 --> 00:18:29.795 The number is eight quintillion, that's eight, with 18 zeros after it. 00:18:30.337 --> 00:18:32.211 God says. 00:18:32.211 --> 00:18:37.027 God says that's what my thoughts are towards you. 00:18:37.027 --> 00:18:41.161 That's how much God loves you. 00:18:41.161 --> 00:18:52.217 That's God's thoughts towards you, because God personally knows you and you may have been in an environment that tells you that God doesn't care about you and God doesn't like you, and you've been made to feel less than can I just say. 00:18:52.217 --> 00:18:53.864 The good shepherd knows his sheep. 00:18:53.864 --> 00:18:55.622 He knows his sheep by name. 00:18:55.622 --> 00:18:57.521 He lays down his life for his sheep. 00:18:57.521 --> 00:18:59.080 You are more than just a number. 00:18:59.080 --> 00:19:00.401 You are more than just a person. 00:19:00.401 --> 00:19:14.450 You are somebody that Jesus came and gave his life for, and let your heart rest in the fact that you are known by Jesus and Jesus protects you and Jesus personally knows you and Jesus wants to prosper you. 00:19:14.450 --> 00:19:17.162 He wants to prosper you. 00:19:17.162 --> 00:19:18.675 Jesus wants to prosper you. 00:19:18.675 --> 00:19:19.837 He wants to prosper you. 00:19:19.837 --> 00:19:21.381 Number three he prospers the sheep. 00:19:22.603 --> 00:19:26.769 The text says in verse 10, a thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 00:19:26.769 --> 00:19:37.143 But I have come so they might have life and have it in. 00:19:37.143 --> 00:19:38.411 Somebody tell me what's that last word in verse 10? 00:19:38.411 --> 00:19:38.633 Have it in. 00:19:38.633 --> 00:19:40.961 Somebody tell me Abundance. 00:19:40.961 --> 00:19:41.804 You know what this is. 00:19:41.804 --> 00:19:45.606 This is a holistic flourishing. 00:19:45.606 --> 00:19:58.690 This is a life that's filled with purpose and joy and transformation, and this can be found in the good shepherd. 00:19:58.690 --> 00:20:05.238 The good shepherd wants to flourish your life. 00:20:05.238 --> 00:20:08.003 The good shepherd wants to give care and guidance and protection to you. 00:20:08.003 --> 00:20:13.961 But what we have to do is we have to look to the good shepherd for everything. 00:20:16.044 --> 00:20:21.858 In the text, when Jesus says he's the good shepherd and telling these people they're the sheep, this is what the people realized. 00:20:21.858 --> 00:20:26.808 Sheep needed the good shepherd, a shepherd for everything. 00:20:26.808 --> 00:20:28.576 Literally. 00:20:28.576 --> 00:20:32.584 Sheep could not go on without a shepherd's care and protection. 00:20:32.584 --> 00:20:36.998 We need the shepherd for everything. 00:20:36.998 --> 00:20:40.423 Now my self-righteous heart pushes back on that. 00:20:40.423 --> 00:20:44.808 I'm like well, I need God to stand up and preach a message. 00:20:44.808 --> 00:20:52.119 Like I can't do this, but I'm like I can like wake up and like do my routine thing, Like I can kind of do that on my own. 00:20:52.119 --> 00:21:04.902 Oh, really, you know, I need God for, like, if I'm having conversations with somebody and they're like a harder conversation, like God help me, or I'm in a pickle, I need some help. 00:21:04.902 --> 00:21:10.125 Like God help me in this situation, but most of the time I can do this thing on my own. 00:21:10.125 --> 00:21:20.464 Jesus says nope John 15, without me you can do nothing. 00:21:24.615 --> 00:21:26.683 Here's a question for us to kind of think about for a second. 00:21:26.683 --> 00:21:31.142 What if Jesus is actually right? 00:21:31.142 --> 00:21:38.066 What if we're actually sheep and we can do nothing apart from him? 00:21:38.066 --> 00:21:51.489 What if his spirit is what we need to comfort us in our grief and pain and sorrow? 00:21:51.489 --> 00:22:00.883 What if his presence is the very thing that can empower us with confidence that we've been looking for our entire life? 00:22:00.883 --> 00:22:08.784 What if his promises can anchor you when life is tossing you to and fro? 00:22:08.784 --> 00:22:18.805 What if his hope can stabilize your emotions when you are emotionally all over the place? 00:22:18.805 --> 00:22:22.740 What if it's true? 00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:44.463 Next week we're gonna spend the whole message in John 11 talking about the intersection of our emotions and our Christian life and the intersection of them and how both of them matter, and how we all have very real emotions and how Jesus allows us to feel our emotions and be real with them, but not let our emotions to control us. 00:22:44.463 --> 00:22:48.382 And we're gonna talk about how we can be spiritually, emotionally healthy people. 00:22:48.382 --> 00:22:54.986 Next Sunday is a not miss Sunday, and what if, emotionally, Jesus can anchor us? 00:22:54.986 --> 00:22:58.922 What if he is the answer? 00:22:58.922 --> 00:23:00.185 I end with this story. 00:23:02.496 --> 00:23:12.449 There's a New York Times reporter named Nicholas Kristof who went to Cambodia to fight the battle with human trafficking. 00:23:12.449 --> 00:23:17.480 What he saw changed him forever. 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:44.008 He went to Cambodia and he saw these brothels with girls of all ages being sexually exploited and sexually abused and used and a pimp pimping them out to person after horrendous things. 00:23:44.008 --> 00:23:50.021 And it did something to him. 00:23:50.021 --> 00:23:53.903 He said I got to do something about it. 00:23:53.903 --> 00:24:01.878 And he came to this realization as he looked at the situation and looking at everything that was happening. 00:24:01.878 --> 00:24:03.344 And this man had some resources. 00:24:03.344 --> 00:24:13.317 He said the only way I can rescue some of these girls is by actually buying them from their pimp and buying their freedom. 00:24:13.317 --> 00:24:16.381 This man had some resources. 00:24:18.865 --> 00:24:41.855 He tells a story in his New York Times article about how he fought the freedom of two girls and he freed them and the first girl went to her family and she was thrilled and it was a grand reunion Went to her family and she was thrilled and it was a grand reunion. 00:24:41.855 --> 00:24:51.381 But the second girl, she didn't want to leave. 00:24:51.381 --> 00:24:57.589 He writes about how she had all these reasons why she couldn't leave and she came up with all these excuses Listen, listen, listen. 00:24:57.589 --> 00:25:01.684 You have been sexually exploited for years. 00:25:01.684 --> 00:25:05.740 There's a better life, Come on, Come on. 00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:15.519 Finally she agreed and she was home and her family accepted her. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:20.063 It was incredible and it was amazing and you can only imagine how he felt. 00:25:20.063 --> 00:25:52.314 He was able to buy the freedom of these two girls and he went back home to New York and he came back a year later, back a year later, and he was shocked to see that the second girl had returned back to the brothel. 00:25:52.314 --> 00:25:52.914 He couldn't understand it. 00:25:52.914 --> 00:25:53.938 He's like I paid for her freedom. 00:25:53.938 --> 00:26:02.486 She did not have to live in this environment anymore where she sexually exploited, and he writes an article about it was a few things that brought her back. 00:26:02.486 --> 00:26:09.989 One, it was the familiarity and this ironic safety that she felt being in that environment. 00:26:09.989 --> 00:26:36.055 It was self-esteem, because when she was getting so much attention from all these people, it made her feel like she was somebody and because of that she went back with no desire to ever experience freedom. 00:26:36.055 --> 00:26:38.040 And here's why I tell you this story. 00:26:38.982 --> 00:26:42.941 Some of us have some things that tend to be pulling us back into the world. 00:26:42.941 --> 00:26:49.342 Whether it's our trauma, whether it's our past, whether it's our familiarity, whatever it is. 00:26:49.342 --> 00:27:10.826 There's like something in us, and maybe we haven't even told anybody, but there's something that's pulling us back into the old life, when Jesus has bought our freedom on the cross of Calvary, when we have a good shepherd that gave his life for us, when we have a good shepherd that died on the cross for us so we can experience freedom of walking. 00:27:10.826 --> 00:27:33.005 In Christ, Jesus stood between the consequences of sin and death and he says in him there is no condemnation, there is no abandonment, there's no reason to live in fear, there's no reason to live in shame or the curse or the chaos of life, because inside Jesus we are safe. 00:27:33.005 --> 00:27:36.517 And sometimes we think it's so complicated. 00:27:36.517 --> 00:27:42.182 We're like man I got so much going on in my life Like I can't really run to him, I can't really trust him, I can't really follow him. 00:27:42.182 --> 00:27:44.121 Guys, it's not that complicated. 00:27:44.121 --> 00:27:45.865 He's the good shepherd. 00:27:45.865 --> 00:27:47.459 He died on the cross for us. 00:27:47.459 --> 00:27:48.461 He loves us. 00:27:48.461 --> 00:27:50.406 We can trust him Game over. 00:27:51.976 --> 00:27:53.099 Three questions and we're done. 00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:54.525 Here's the first question. 00:27:54.525 --> 00:28:03.279 Will you run to the good shepherd for protection in your life? 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:06.203 In your life, are you like running to like I just need finances? 00:28:06.203 --> 00:28:07.866 If I have more money, I'll have more protection. 00:28:07.866 --> 00:28:10.009 Man, I just I need this relationship. 00:28:10.009 --> 00:28:22.027 If I have this relationship, then I'll have protection. 00:28:22.047 --> 00:28:23.351 Will you run to the good shepherd for protection? 00:28:23.351 --> 00:28:24.654 Will you run to the good shepherd for guidance? 00:28:24.654 --> 00:28:28.167 Is your default for guidance? 00:28:28.167 --> 00:28:29.673 How do I feel about this? 00:28:29.673 --> 00:28:33.994 Our feelings are not the enemy, but they can go up and down and all around. 00:28:33.994 --> 00:28:37.499 Will we look to the good shepherd for guidance? 00:28:37.499 --> 00:28:40.843 And third, will we trust the good shepherd for life, for abundant life? 00:28:40.843 --> 00:28:46.550 Here's what I want us to do in our reflection and response time. 00:28:46.550 --> 00:28:54.442 It's really simple. 00:28:54.442 --> 00:28:57.796 I want us to run into the arms of the good shepherd for protection, guidance and abundant life. 00:28:57.796 --> 00:28:58.297 Here's how you can do it. 00:28:58.297 --> 00:28:59.538 Just a simple prayer, Lord, here's who I am. 00:28:59.538 --> 00:29:01.279 Here's what's going on in my life. 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:07.008 I'm looking towards you, I'm not looking towards all these other things, and let's just have a holy moment. 00:29:07.008 --> 00:29:11.630 I know we're a little bit past time, but it's okay, People can wait outside. 00:29:11.630 --> 00:29:15.363 This is a holy moment for some of us because we're like listen, listen, listen, listen.