Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
How to not make yourself a “sheep emergency” S30e3
A solo sheep is a sheep-emergency. A solo sheep is a cause for worry and concern and intervention. A solo sheep is a sheep in trouble.
There is no good understanding of a sheep outside of a flock, protected by a good shepherd.
Perhaps you are a sheep fat and happy in the middle of a flock. Or, perhaps you have made yourself a SHEEP EMERGENCY. If so, be found. It will take 7 minutes.
Sorry no real video for today's Podcast. Technical difficulties. The listen is excellent though:
https://youtu.be/TX50uquEtoc
How to not make yourself a “sheep emergency” S30e3
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness f
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Big images: Lord as shepherd Lord as Host of meal
Lord as Shepherd
Big picture God, sees the landscape, is protector, guider, host, provider
He is SHEPHERD of ISRAEL
Little picture: I attend to my lambs. I give attention, I am in their lives
I am with them: 4 I will fear no evil for You are WITH ME
I carry a big stick
Me as a sheep
Need direction, need provision, need protection, afraid of things that are
PS 28Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
SHEPherd means there are sheep. Shepherd means He’s got resources and relationship to bring to bear for His sheep,
and exerts force upon those who are NOT His sheep, rod staff, witness to prepared table by enemies.
I know the enemies are near
HE KNOWS THE ENEMIES ARE NEAR****x 2
Somehow He is sovereignly using you for exerting influence on your enemies.
Somehow He is sovereignly using the enemies for exerting influence on YOU
I am supposed to be in a flock: a flock of the nation of God, of the people of God
The Good Shepherd tends to a sheep 100% true.— but HOW? How do we think of an alone sheep? in the NT is cause for worry and concertn and is basically a Shepherding Emergency Mt 18:12
If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nineTOGETHER on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
The good Shepherd tends to a FLOCK. 100% true
Are you a part of a flock.?.
Gone astray? A solo sheep is a sheep in trouble. A solo sheep is a sheep emergency Don’t make yourself a sheep emergency
Ps 23 is anything but a sheep astray emergency. It is a statement, a stake in the ground of a good relationship; ongoing, realistic
I’ve heard solo-sheeping referred to as some “higher-level” Christianity .
As if I couldn’t soil my spirituality with the knuckleheads you find in a church; As if doing this together in community is somehow less than doing alone
The on ly problem with that is that it is not in the Bible
There is no theological or practical understanding of a solo individual Christian today in the eyes of God, outside the Church********
God saves no one that He doesn’t put into arms of His Church.—
Scripturally, solo sheep are an EMERGENCY that take resources and the kind attention of God away from the flock that he was to be in the first place.
Maybe you have wandered away from the flock.
Maybe you have made yourself a bit of an emergency and have found yourself in trouble that you did not mean to get in.
There is a Shepherd for you. What might you like Him to Shepherd you through?
At What trouble can He meet you? In what trouble will you ask Him to help you out of it, Shepherd you out of it.
What problem do I need Shepherding now? Am I solo? Have I strayed? Have I not listened to the voice of my Shepherd?
Don’t be prideful, those regularly of the flock. Assess your flock status. Assess your “With me” status
Have you found yourself in green pastures, quiet waters, path of righteousness, comforted by the rod of the Lord, exposed to enemies but being pursued by the goodness and mercy of the Lord; find yourself dwelling in the house of the Lord?
If so, you are not in a sheep emergeny. You are in the flock of God, Shepherded by the best Shepherd this world has ever seen. Welcome to God’s flock.