WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Culture – Household of God Part 3 Publishing Date: 2023-11-26T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/culture-household-of-god-part-3/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.080 We've been talking about the culture of the household and this might be the last of the 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:13.520 series. I was listening to what was taught last week. I love the questions Jillian asked and the 00:00:13.520 --> 00:00:20.800 stuff that Derek taught and so this might be the concluding part of this three-part series. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:26.240 And so today we talk about, when we talk about the culture of this household, 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:31.680 or any church for that matter, but some things are specific to this church. 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:41.120 Today we look at what must we expect of shepherds? What must we expect of shepherds? 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:49.920 What must we, if you need to tilt that thingy Brandon so that they can see it, feel free. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:54.480 What must we expect of shepherds? 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:03.200 Part of the reason we've kind of closed house churches now in this church for a month and a 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:12.800 half is so that we can get some things fresh, right and that we break from the old. One of 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:16.160 the things we have to examine is what are we to expect of shepherds? 00:01:24.080 --> 00:01:32.560 And so we look at scriptures and see what is expected and then try and use that as a plumb line 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:41.280 to see how well we do in the future and it applies to me and to the ones that are in charge of house 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:49.600 churches. And one must use the plumb line of the scripture, of scriptures to evaluate how one is 00:01:49.600 --> 00:01:58.400 doing. If you hold that plumb line, the only one who could match it perfectly was Christ. So you 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:04.720 won't find anyone else here on earth that matches it perfectly but Christ. But if I'm not changing, 00:02:04.720 --> 00:02:08.800 then you can hold that plumb line and say, hey, you're the same as you were last year. 00:02:09.600 --> 00:02:15.120 And so if that's the case, what's Christ's activity in you? Because if Christ lives in you, 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:22.880 you must change. How do you know something is alive? It's changing. How do you know something 00:02:22.880 --> 00:02:31.200 is dead? It doesn't change. So there is an alive Christianity and a dead Christianity. Both will 00:02:31.200 --> 00:02:40.000 go to heaven. One is changing, one is not. Yeah, so the same measure must be used for house church 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:46.000 shepherds, for Jacob who leads the church and for shepherds in general. 00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:53.440 So we can start with the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. If you go to Ezekiel 34, 00:02:54.320 --> 00:02:58.400 verse 16, Ezekiel 34, verse 16, 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.520 it says shepherds seek, 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:11.040 shepherds seek 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:13.920 for 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:15.920 strays 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:17.760 or the lost. 00:03:17.760 --> 00:03:18.560 Shepherds 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.280 bind the injured. 00:03:28.480 --> 00:03:30.000 Shepherds feed. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:35.040 Shepherds carry the young. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:44.320 And ultimately, shepherds lay their life on the ground. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.160 And ultimately, shepherds lay their lives down 00:03:51.440 --> 00:03:54.560 or pour out their lives. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:09.840 Seek for strays or the lost. Guys, strays are those who lose their way. 00:04:10.480 --> 00:04:15.280 And then there are ones that choose a different way. To lose one's way and to choose one's way 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:20.960 are two different things. Don't confuse it. Strays are those that lose their way and the shepherds 00:04:20.960 --> 00:04:26.240 go, a shepherd goes and finds those that are lost. Then there are those that choose the way. 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:32.720 They don't lose their way, they choose a way. And when they choose a way and they go down that 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:40.080 contrary way, sometimes a shepherd can do nothing. You've got to let them go. To lose one's way is 00:04:40.080 --> 00:04:47.520 different from choosing one's way. When you lose a way, you're supposed to go help the stray come 00:04:47.520 --> 00:04:52.880 back. But when you choose to go a certain way, then it's different. There's a difference between 00:04:52.880 --> 00:04:59.600 dogs and cats. Dogs lose their way, cats choose their way. So just remember that. It's the easiest 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:06.960 way to figure this out. Shepherds go after those that are stray. Shepherds must go out after those 00:05:06.960 --> 00:05:13.360 that lose their way. But choosing their way is different. If I choose to go a certain way, 00:05:14.080 --> 00:05:20.080 then what I'm saying is, I do not need you to come and look for me. I'm choosing this path. 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:27.040 That's different. Paul would say in 1 John 2.19, they weren't part of us and they left us. 00:05:27.520 --> 00:05:32.560 He didn't go hunting after them. He said they weren't part of us, they left us. To begin with, 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:42.560 they were not part of us. You've got to make that distinction. So they seek for strays or the lost. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:49.520 They bind the injured and there are different ways you bind the injured. Some injuries are very deep, 00:05:49.520 --> 00:05:55.360 they are traumatic, they need counsel, they need sometimes medical help. They need a doctor, 00:05:55.760 --> 00:06:02.800 sometimes they need psychological help. And to gloss over that by saying, hey, to get over this 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:09.840 clinical depression, just sing praise the Lord four times and you'll be fine is absurd. So we 00:06:09.840 --> 00:06:17.600 can't go down that route either. So you bind the injured, you feed, as in take instruction from the 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:24.240 word and feed. You carry the young. Some will need more carrying than others. It doesn't matter, 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:31.120 it's not age related, it's just how fragile something is or someone is. And then the last 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:36.320 one is lay down their lives or pour out their lives. We may not have much opportunity to lay 00:06:36.320 --> 00:06:44.720 down our lives, but we will have opportunity to pour out our lives. If you go to Acts chapter 6, 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:50.160 verse 3, or 1st Corinthians 2, 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:02.000 verse 3 and 4, you will find that shepherds were people who had not just the word 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.160 but the power of the Spirit. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:25.440 The same guy Barnabas or Philip or others that you see in Acts chapter 6, verse 3, who were deacons 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.600 were full of the Holy Spirit and with power and later on they did become shepherds in different 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:38.400 places. 1st Corinthians 2, verse 3 and 4, Paul says, I did not come to you with oratorial skills, 00:07:38.400 --> 00:07:43.760 but I came to you with the demonstration of the power of the Spirit. So it is important that 00:07:43.760 --> 00:07:49.440 shepherds not just know how to teach the word, but the word must have the power of the Spirit 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:56.320 evident even while it is being taught. It must affect hearts, it must bring instruction, it must 00:07:56.320 --> 00:08:01.040 bring conviction, it must immediately change because the Spirit of God wants to go somewhere else. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:09.520 It must leave someone cut, not to injure, but to set apart that which is dark from that which is 00:08:09.520 --> 00:08:10.800 light because that's what the word does. 00:08:14.880 --> 00:08:19.360 Remember the other thing that I've said many times, God does not make leaders and followers, 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:26.560 God only makes sons and servants. So there's no special group of people in a church called leaders 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:32.080 and there are no special group of people called followers. God does not make them like that. Why? 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:37.840 Because he makes them in his image. If he's made them in his image, he only makes sons and servants, 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:44.560 which means there is nobody who cannot rise up to be a shepherd if he is shepherded. I mean, 00:08:44.560 --> 00:08:49.280 I loved what Derek said last week. You cannot disciple unless you are discipled. 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:56.160 Would you trust me with your car, to fix your car? 00:08:58.560 --> 00:09:04.480 If you want me to pray over your car, great, I can and it might work, but would you really 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:12.080 trust me before you go on a long trip to fix your car? Dead silence, huh? 00:09:16.640 --> 00:09:23.920 Shepherds turn you, and now we look at 1st Thessalonians, these scriptures are from 00:09:23.920 --> 00:09:33.200 1st Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 5 to 10. When you read it, you'll find that shepherds turn you 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:46.720 from idols to the living God. From idols to the living God. It is the job of a shepherd 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:54.240 to be able to spot the idols in a person's life. What are the idols in Mark's life? What are the 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:00.320 idols in Diana's life? I want you to spot these idols, to call them out and say, Mark, are you 00:10:01.280 --> 00:10:08.320 going to let go of this idol? Diana, are you going to crush this idol so that it no longer 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:13.920 is something that makes you dance for it? Idols always have you dance for them, eh? 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:20.560 Anything I say to you, obviously applies to my life, but I'm not going to use the royal 00:10:20.560 --> 00:10:25.040 V and say, oh, I'm like you and all this. That's taken for granted, so I'm going to point it to you. 00:10:25.040 --> 00:10:29.040 Yeah? So I'm pointing at Diana, saying, can you get rid of the idols in your life? So that's part 00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:33.360 of the job of a shepherd. Show people the idols in their life so that they can turn to the 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:41.280 living God. First Thessalonians 1, 5 to 10 talks about it. From there you go to 00:10:45.040 --> 00:10:54.720 chapter 2, verse 7 to 12, and shepherds are supposed to be like nursing mothers, nursing mothers, 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:04.880 and charging fathers, nursing mothers, and charging fathers. Gentle among you like a nurse or a mother, 00:11:05.680 --> 00:11:12.000 caring tenderly for children, and as a father, charging, urging, encouraging children to do what? 00:11:12.640 --> 00:11:17.600 To live a life worthy of your calling. 00:11:17.760 --> 00:11:18.960 Worthy of your calling. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.960 That's what shepherds should do. This is required of me, this is required of every house church leader 00:11:29.680 --> 00:11:35.520 in the future, and this is required of you as you begin to raise ones that are placed in your charge. 00:11:37.680 --> 00:11:42.960 A shepherd is not measured by the number of sheep he has. A shepherd is measured 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:48.720 by the one or two that are put in his charge, whether he carries that heart to raise them. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:58.400 And so, nursing mother and charging fathers. Nursing mother is the one that cuts the stake for a child. 00:11:58.400 --> 00:12:02.000 Charging father is the one who takes a knife and stabs the stake and says, 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:08.320 learn how to cut it yourself. Both are necessary, can't opt for one or the other. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:14.720 The problem is, churches are full of nursing mothers, very few urging charging fathers. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:21.120 And churches and people have gotten so used to nursing mothers that when charging fathers, 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:27.760 urging fathers come along, they can't handle it. It's a culture that has been created. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:35.920 It causes me to remember Paul's words, which he says, you've been drinking milk for so long, 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:40.080 you've been drinking milk for so long, when are you going to start chewing meat? 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.920 But for meat you need certain kind of teeth. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:55.680 You have to be both, you can't be one or the other because God was both, Christ was both. 00:12:55.680 --> 00:13:04.720 Shepherds appoint, next one is chapter three, verse one to three, 00:13:05.280 --> 00:13:08.400 chapter three, verse one to three, shepherds appoint 00:13:11.680 --> 00:13:20.800 timides and titans, and these are gender free terms, so don't think of it as only guides. 00:13:21.760 --> 00:13:26.480 Shepherds appoint timides and titans who are like-minded 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.920 so that people can be strengthened, 00:13:42.640 --> 00:13:48.240 so that people can be strengthened and so that nothing hinders, so that nothing hinders 00:13:51.760 --> 00:13:54.880 I'm basically rewriting scripture, nothing hinders 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:03.040 establishment or discipleship. So yes, 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:08.400 Paul would appoint Timothy, he would say to the church in Thessalonica, 00:14:08.400 --> 00:14:12.720 listen I'm sending you Timothy, I've been hindered by the enemy, he actually says I've been hindered 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:17.440 by Satan from coming to you, therefore I'm sending Timothy so that you may be established. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:24.400 He appoints people and so are you ready to be appointed? How are you ready to be appointed? 00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:30.720 Again, by change shown measured by the word of God and measured by discipleship and nothing 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:37.840 can stop you from being appointed when that's the case, nothing. Why? Because God as in Christ the 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:44.160 bridegroom is seriously interested in his bride and there's a lack of laborers. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:55.360 And so one must appoint once it take over, one must be ready so that the drop of a hat 00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:03.440 you can be appointed. The beauty about this process is that we're not looking for individuals 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:06.720 without flaws, we're looking for flawed individuals. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:15.520 Treasure in jars of clay, always fractured flawed individuals and they have to be like-minded, 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:20.080 like-minded as in like-minded with Christ, like-minded with the vision of the church, 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:24.720 like-minded with the leader who's appointing them. Why would I appoint someone who is not 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:30.880 like-minded with Christ, the vision of the church and with me? Why would I? How absurd is this? 00:15:30.880 --> 00:15:33.760 So that's one way of looking at it. The flip way of looking at it is, 00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:39.680 Jacob will only appoint those that suck up to him. That's perspective, right? Potato, potato. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:48.000 Like-minded is very simple, man. Why would you appoint someone to run something who is not 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:54.320 like-minded? Like-minded with Christ, like-minded with the leader who's appointing them. 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:56.720 Like-minded with what you're asking them to do. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:08.720 On vision, no. No. Yeah. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:15.520 Perspective on scriptures, yes. Perspective on methodology, yes. But on what? 00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:17.520 On what? On what? 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:28.880 Perspective on scriptures, yes. Perspective on methodology, yes. But on vision, no. On mandate, 00:16:28.880 --> 00:16:36.480 no. I'll give you a simple example. Let's say we start a healing room and let's say you and I 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:42.320 believe that healing is the will of God and Nick believes God sends sickness sometimes to teach 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:47.440 us a lesson. Is it even remotely possible to appoint him to lead that even though he's 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:52.720 compassionate? Even though he's a better man than us? Even though he knows the scripture better than 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:59.120 us? He knows scriptures by heart. Can you and I take a risk with Nick? 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.320 Nick? Because it completely- 00:17:06.320 --> 00:17:13.040 Yeah, those things, in the things that are not major, yeah. But in the things that are major, 00:17:13.040 --> 00:17:15.920 no. Yeah. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:22.720 Yeah. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:31.120 Methods can vary, guys. Form can vary. Methods can vary. But not the foundation and the substance. 00:17:31.120 --> 00:17:37.200 Form can vary. I mean, you think I like what- you think I like the songs Toonie and Jane do? 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:42.640 They are new. Some of them I don't even know. I like the good old songs from the 70s and the 80s. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.480 Any time I come up, what comes out of my mouth? Some song from the 80s. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:57.520 So the point being, form and content- form and 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:05.920 the form doesn't matter. The content must serve the purpose that God has for any particular unit. 00:18:07.280 --> 00:18:12.720 The form doesn't matter. And the method of- methods also don't matter as long as they are 00:18:13.360 --> 00:18:14.400 not ungodly. 00:18:16.800 --> 00:18:23.920 Okay. So, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is, the point is, 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:35.760 not ungodly. Okay. The next one is from 514. 514, first Thessalonians 514. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:39.120 Shepherds are called to admonish 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:46.320 the idle and disruptive. 00:18:47.040 --> 00:18:55.680 They're supposed to strengthen the weak. This is in scripture, just rewriting it, and encourage 00:18:57.600 --> 00:18:58.720 the faint-hearted. 00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:09.760 By the way, the word admonish, at least from a biblical standpoint, means to call to attention. 00:19:09.760 --> 00:19:13.200 To rebuke 00:19:19.120 --> 00:19:24.160 gently and to warn. That's the meaning of admonish. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:36.160 So, shepherds are meant to admonish the ungodly. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:43.760 Shepherds are meant to admonish the idle or the disruptive. So, when people are idle, as in, 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:55.120 are not moving, stagnant, lazy, a shepherd is supposed to admonish, as in rebuke, gently, warn, 00:19:56.720 --> 00:19:59.440 call to attention. One who does not do it 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.400 is actually a lazy, idle shepherd. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.680 Suppose they admonish the idle and the disruptive. 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:20.560 So, it disrupts that which is the order or the plumb line of how a unit must function. In this 00:20:20.560 --> 00:20:25.840 case, the unit happens to be the bride of Christ, or disruptive, as in causing strife and discord. 00:20:25.840 --> 00:20:33.200 But it must be done gently, and it must then, the next thing is to encourage the faint-hearted, 00:20:33.760 --> 00:20:39.760 as in the ones who've been through situations which makes it very difficult for them to step out like 00:20:39.760 --> 00:20:44.880 others may step out. Encourage them. It's like a little child who, I remember taking this little 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:50.800 boy into an elevator and I wasn't holding his hand and he got shut in the elevator and I was outside. 00:20:50.800 --> 00:20:56.320 I panicked because it wasn't my child. And I'm running up and down. I've never run upstairs like 00:20:56.320 --> 00:21:02.160 that, man. Finally found the child, but I think after that he must have had this thing about 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:06.720 elevators. So, every time I'd walk with him, I'd hold his hand, otherwise he wouldn't get into an 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:11.520 elevator. Encourage the faint-hearted. I'd tell him all kinds of stories about how wonderful the 00:21:11.520 --> 00:21:15.920 elevator was before I could take him in. Encourage the faint-hearted. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:22.480 Strengthen the weak. Strengthen the weakest, people who are just not able. This is not laziness. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:29.520 This is not stagnancy. There is a deep bondage caused by it doesn't matter what. We don't even 00:21:29.520 --> 00:21:37.840 know people's stories. Which brings me to another point. Shepherds are slow to judge. 00:21:38.800 --> 00:21:43.040 Shepherds, which brings me to another point. Shepherds are slow to judge. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:45.920 Shepherds are slow to judge. 00:21:52.320 --> 00:21:54.960 How to be a, meant to be a nursing mother or a charging father. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:01.360 I think that everyone should start as a nursing mother, 00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:07.520 because most children start that way. And so I'm not saying one should look at someone as a child. 00:22:07.520 --> 00:22:13.760 I'm saying the attitude, the relationship is that of someone with a child or with someone they're 00:22:13.760 --> 00:22:20.880 raising. I'm not talking about child, like Phoebe. That should be the attitude. And so I think you 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:26.320 begin from the place of a nursing mother and as the person grows, you begin to give them things 00:22:26.320 --> 00:22:32.000 you begin to give them things and hold them responsible to it. Instead of Kuchiku-ing them, 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.160 mollycoddling them, which is what we do. And part of the reason we do that is because we 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:42.560 are scared that people will leave. You can never serve those that you are in bondage to. You can 00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:48.160 never serve freedom to those that you're in bondage to. You can never serve freedom to those that 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:52.800 you're in bondage to. You can never serve freedom to those that you're obliged to. 00:22:53.120 --> 00:22:57.840 Anyone who you're obliged to either because of relationship, finances, 00:22:59.120 --> 00:23:07.360 some past obligation, or even if they did something great for you and rescued you, 00:23:07.360 --> 00:23:13.680 the moment there's a sense of obligation that requires a payment of due, you can never serve 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:14.720 them freedom. 00:23:23.520 --> 00:23:30.160 So we start as nursing mothers and then at some point we need to flex between nursing mother and 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:37.200 charging father. And sometimes if your dominant mode is charging father, then have someone 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:42.480 alongside who can do the nursing mother thing. That's the beauty of a larger church. You have 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:50.720 more than one person. You have more than one person. So if Nick is someone who is like a nursing 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:56.640 mother and Mark is someone who's like a charging father, put them both in charge of Sheldon. Now 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:03.600 Sheldon gets both sides and he's taken care of from both sides. When you start initially, 00:24:03.600 --> 00:24:09.680 it might be difficult. You might only have one dominant kind. There's a reason why there's a 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:14.640 two-parent system that got created. It helps. There's a reason why one's called a mother and 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:23.440 the other one's called a father. It helps. It is difficult for a single mother to be both. There's 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:36.000 reasons. Strengthen the weak and courage the faint-hearted. Even, I mean, you can literally 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:39.840 define weak and faint-hearted taking this different scriptures. What do you do with 00:24:39.840 --> 00:24:48.880 Mefi Boshet, who is your enemy's son, who broke his leg and is lame and is not fully committed to 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:55.440 you? What do you do with him? Do you put him out or do you bring him to your table, cover his lameness 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:05.840 and feed him? What do you do? It differs. None of this is a blanket statement, but these are the 00:25:05.840 --> 00:25:10.960 things that a shepherd must begin to form in his heart. This is how every house-church shepherd 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:16.640 and Jacob should be towards the church. This is how you measure. You don't measure to find fault. 00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:18.640 You measure to see if the person is increasing. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:29.680 And in doing that, you can find fault. In that, there is no change. 00:25:35.840 --> 00:25:45.680 Yeah, so going back to that point, one of the things shepherds do, don't do, shepherds don't judge. 00:25:47.120 --> 00:25:54.960 And that is something that I have to sometimes struggle with because it's so easy to look at 00:25:54.960 --> 00:26:01.840 your past six months and judge you today based on the last six months when you could have changed 00:26:01.840 --> 00:26:07.840 over the last four weeks. But I'm still holding on to how you were five months ago or to that 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:13.280 one incident that has happened 20 times, not realizing that the Spirit of God has worked a 00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:20.000 marvelous miracle in you and you have changed. But I still judge you by that, by those 20 incidents. 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:26.800 Shepherds are slow to judge. That is something shepherds have to work at 00:26:27.280 --> 00:26:34.480 because otherwise the person, the sheep you're dealing with, and I'm not trying to make a 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:40.560 distinction between shepherd and sheep because like Derek said, you have to be a disciple to disciple. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:47.840 Otherwise, the people you are raising are already starting from not square one but minus two. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:56.560 As in, instead of starting from this point, you're judging them here when they've already moved 00:26:56.560 --> 00:27:03.040 here. That's something we do, eh? At least I do. When I was going through this, I was saying to myself, 00:27:04.320 --> 00:27:08.320 got to see with the eyes of the Spirit to locate where a person really is right now. 00:27:09.280 --> 00:27:11.280 So 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:35.280 in return, in the first, yeah, yeah, go ahead, Paon. 00:27:38.320 --> 00:27:55.280 Yeah, yeah, I'm talking more in terms of someone who shepherds people in the church. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:03.840 Yeah, so you can do the same thing outside but till the person is born again, the person has not 00:28:03.840 --> 00:28:08.640 entered the kingdom and those that enter the kingdom constitute the church where they're now 00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:14.640 being discipled or raised. So I'm talking in terms of that, the culture of the household. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:21.920 But to answer your question, what if it's outside the church? Then you are trying to bring them to a 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:27.920 place where the first part applies, trying to convert them from their idols to the Lord, 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:33.360 causing them to throw away their idols and turn to the Lord. So conversion is actually a process 00:28:33.840 --> 00:28:39.120 that is part of shepherding. We think conversion ends when a person gets born again. 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:44.320 That is part of conversion but the rest of the conversion is you causing people to throw away 00:28:44.320 --> 00:29:02.320 their idols. It says in 512 that one of the things we must do and this is not from the 00:29:02.320 --> 00:29:08.480 shepherds point of view but in terms of how we should deal with shepherds, we must respect them. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:14.800 Why? Who should we respect? What kind of shepherds should we respect? We should respect shepherds who 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:30.720 labor amongst us, B, who are over us, C, who admonish us. What a litmus test, eh? 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:39.440 In 1st Thessalonians 512 it actually says this, respect those that labor among you, 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:49.600 who are over you and who admonish you. Respect them. So the question then becomes, 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:56.240 do I recognize those that are laboring amongst us? Two, do I acknowledge that they are over me? 00:29:58.880 --> 00:30:05.040 Tough one, eh? And three, am I to respect them because they admonish me, rebuke me? 00:30:05.040 --> 00:30:09.440 The Bible says yes in 1st Thessalonians 512. 00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.760 All three are difficult. One, I got to recognize those that work amongst us. 00:30:19.760 --> 00:30:25.760 Two, I've got to acknowledge that they are over me. Yikes! I thought this was Eden, 00:30:25.760 --> 00:30:28.400 everything was equal. No, that was after the fall. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.880 And three, I must respect them because they rebuke me. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:51.440 Thank God this is scripture. Any questions before we move on? 00:30:54.720 --> 00:31:03.520 Any questions? Cool. What else is expected of shepherds in this church? 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:14.000 They must follow. Let's put them on the spot. If you lead a house church or wali or anything of that sort, can you stand? 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:33.840 Okay, this is what is expected of these and anyone else who is missing. This is the measure. 00:31:35.840 --> 00:31:43.840 And if they don't change six months from now, then you can begin to say, but I find fault based on this plumb line. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:51.440 You can sit. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.440 Shepherds, follow the example of the good shepherd. 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:57.440 Shepherds follow the example. 00:31:59.840 --> 00:32:01.840 Follow the example of the good shepherd. 00:32:03.360 --> 00:32:10.400 And if you want to find out what that looks like, read John 10 or Psalm 23 and you get a decent idea 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:16.400 where it all culminates with just one simple sentence. 00:32:16.400 --> 00:32:20.400 A shepherd lays down his life for a sheep and in Jesus's case that was real. 00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:26.400 In your case, it should be a shepherd pulls out his life for a sheep, pulls out his life. 00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:32.400 And so do the ones that lead you pour out their lives for you. 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:34.400 What is pouring out their lives looks like? 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:38.400 It must inconvenience them and they must be depleted because of you. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:40.400 They must have less power than you. 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:48.400 They must have less strength, less money, less time, less self-focus, less time for their families. 00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:56.400 They must have less so that you have more. 00:32:56.400 --> 00:33:00.400 Oh my God, yeah. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:06.400 I feel embarrassed to read this because none of us measure up to it. 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:14.400 So, what is pouring out their lives for you? 00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:18.400 It's a question of what is pouring out their lives for you. 00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:20.400 What is pouring out their lives for you? 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:24.400 I feel embarrassed to read this because none of us measure up to it. 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:32.400 I mean, to begin with, he became poor so that we become rich. 00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:38.400 And we think it's money and it is money, but it's more than money. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:42.400 Let's go to this terrible passage. 00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:56.400 Working together with him then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 00:33:56.400 --> 00:34:00.400 For he says, in a favorable time I listen to you and in a day of salvation I've helped you. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:02.400 Behold, now is a favorable time. 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:08.400 We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:16.400 But as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way by great endurance in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:24.400 imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger, by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, 00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:30.400 the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, power of God, weapons of righteousness on right hand and left. 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:36.400 Through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise, we are treated as imposters and yet are true. 00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:42.400 As unknown, yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as punished and yet not killed, 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:50.400 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:54.400 We have spoken freely to you Corinthians. Our heart is wide open. 00:34:54.400 --> 00:34:58.400 You are not restricted by us. You are restricted in your own affections. 00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:01.400 In return, widen your hearts also. 00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:08.400 This is Paul talking to the Corinthians, saying, this is what I'm doing for you so that you become rich and I become poor. 00:35:08.400 --> 00:35:15.400 Later on he goes on to say that I'm going to pour out my life as an offering so that you increase and I decrease. 00:35:15.400 --> 00:35:23.400 Later on in sarcasm he says in 1 Corinthians, we are the scum of the earth, but if you live as kings, so be it. 00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:30.400 Time and time again Paul talks about how he was lessened so that his people may increase. 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:33.400 Oh sorry, 2 Corinthians 6. 00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:41.400 The reason I don't read it is when you read this, it is definitely not the resume of anyone in this church. 00:35:54.400 --> 00:36:00.400 Yeah, very good question because this happens often especially in Asia and South Asia in particular 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:10.400 where people turn their backs on their own families to serve the church and particularly their own spouses and children suffer a lot. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:18.400 That is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about there is a sacrifice that comes with taking... 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:24.400 Let me put it this way. As parents, is there a sacrifice when your children arrive? 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:29.400 Is there a sacrifice of sleep? Is there a sacrifice of time with each other? 00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:36.400 Is there a sacrifice of space? Is there a sacrifice of hours spent? Is there a sacrifice of staying up? 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:42.400 Is there a sacrifice? I mean is there a limit to the sacrifice your parents have for your children? No. 00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:49.400 But it is willingly given. It's the same that is supposed to apply to the church. 00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:54.400 Hopefully one of us will show how this is to be an example. 00:36:54.400 --> 00:37:04.400 Yeah, just one sec, Mari. Where you go to an extent where you pour out your lives because you actually see the ones you're raising as your own. 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:11.400 When that happens, the ones that you're raising begin to actually take care of your family also. 00:37:11.400 --> 00:37:22.400 It hasn't happened. That is why we see these terrible situations where a pastor ignores his wife and children and serves the church. 00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:32.400 But the reality would be, can I take care of your family so intensely that as I raise your family, you begin to look after mine? 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:39.400 Because ideally, according to Christ, the church is supposed to be the family of families. 00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:45.400 It is not supposed to be like a family. It is supposed to be the family. 00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:53.400 Church is not supposed to be like your family. Church is to be your family. 00:37:53.400 --> 00:38:03.400 And the reason we struggle with that is because we want it to happen to us first before we will reciprocate. 00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:11.400 And you might have a measure that is completely skewed. 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:24.400 But the ideal thing would be, can Derek and Iris lay aside things that they would spend time on to take care of someone else 00:38:24.400 --> 00:38:32.400 so that when it comes time to taking care of Iris, when Derek is in Dubai, let's assume the parents weren't here, his brother wasn't here, 00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:41.400 would people just gather around her and do everything in their power without overcrowding to make sure that Derek doesn't have a thing to worry about? 00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:52.400 When one of the young mothers in this church is struggling, can other people go around and do it as if it's the easiest thing in the world? 00:38:53.400 --> 00:39:01.400 Can it even happen? We might think, but that's so unreal. Why is it unreal? Because no one's done it yet. 00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:22.400 I have seen it in my life. I've seen what I did for Derek when Derek first came here. And I see how Derek takes care of me and it blows my mind. 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:32.400 I'm just giving you one example. I can pick others in this church. 00:39:34.400 --> 00:39:42.400 I love how 2 Corinthians 6, that bit I read, end. It says, Corinthians, we've opened our hearts to you. 00:39:43.400 --> 00:39:50.400 Open wide your hearts so that you can embrace us too. And I say to you, to many of us who are sitting here, I say to you, 00:39:51.400 --> 00:40:01.400 some of your leaders have opened their hearts to you. You now, open your hearts so that you can embrace them. 00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:09.400 Because if you're waiting for people to jump off the steeple to prove how much they love you, it ain't going to happen. 00:40:09.400 --> 00:40:18.400 Because this is not a test. It's a relationship. A relationship does not happen unless it's two ways. Surely by now you know that. 00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:21.400 How many? 00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:43.400 Let me read it. 00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:51.400 First, Timothy. 00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:06.400 Yeah, if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 00:41:06.400 --> 00:41:24.400 And so the way we look at it is, yes, you have to take care of your household, which is part of the larger household. 00:41:25.400 --> 00:41:32.400 Or if this is your family, this is the family of families. If you take care of this well, you actually end up taking care of this well. 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:39.400 If you take care of this well, you actually end up taking care of this well. It goes both ways. 00:41:40.400 --> 00:41:50.400 If I take care of the larger family well, my family is taken care of. If I take care of my family well, then I can take care of the larger family. 00:41:51.400 --> 00:42:00.400 So let's assume these two are my family. If I take care of them well, I now set myself up to take care of you well. 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:08.400 But if I take care of you well, then you will take care of them for me. It works both ways. 00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:22.400 But open wide your hearts to receive this. Often the restriction is, no, don't believe this. No, things will go wrong. No, it happened in the past. No, don't trust you. 00:42:22.400 --> 00:42:28.400 And so there's always a hundred reasons why. There is a risk in relationship always, guys, always. 00:42:32.400 --> 00:42:41.400 Don't stop. All I'm saying is don't stop. If you are not there, keep working towards it. Next year get there. But don't stop. Don't shut the heart off. 00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:46.400 Let me read 2 Corinthians 6 again. 2 Corinthians 6. 00:42:53.400 --> 00:43:02.400 Verse 11. We have spoken freely to you Corinthians. Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us. You're restricted in your own affections. 00:43:03.400 --> 00:43:09.400 In return, I speak as to children, widen your heart also. Reading from the NLT. 00:43:11.400 --> 00:43:15.400 Oh, dear Corinthian friends, we have spoken honestly with you and our hearts are open to you. 00:43:15.400 --> 00:43:24.400 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. I'm asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us. 00:43:31.400 --> 00:43:37.400 Message. Dear, dear Corinthians, I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter into this wide open spacious life. 00:43:37.400 --> 00:43:45.400 We didn't fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way. 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:54.400 I'm speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively. Beautiful, eh? 00:43:54.400 --> 00:44:02.400 Another thing that is expected of shepherds. Shepherds must display their lives. Shepherds must display lives. 00:44:03.400 --> 00:44:11.400 Must display lives. Hebrews 13, verse 7. Hebrews 13, 7. They must display their lives. 00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:19.400 So that others can so others can consider outcomes, can consider outcomes and imitate. 00:44:20.400 --> 00:44:28.400 You can't have a life that you live as a shepherd, as a shepherd when you want to be a shepherd. 00:44:29.400 --> 00:44:35.400 Not only do you lose your life, but also your life. 00:44:35.400 --> 00:44:38.920 and imitate. 00:44:38.920 --> 00:44:45.860 You can't have a life that you live as a shepherd and a life that you live privately. 00:44:45.860 --> 00:44:51.020 Shepherds must display lives so that others can consider outcomes and imitate. 00:44:51.020 --> 00:44:53.220 You can't have a private and public life. 00:44:53.220 --> 00:44:59.520 I'm not saying you can't have private, your own secrets or your own thing between husband 00:44:59.520 --> 00:45:00.520 and wife. 00:45:00.520 --> 00:45:01.520 I'm not talking about that. 00:45:01.520 --> 00:45:05.040 But try to live your life as openly as possible so that people can consider how you live, 00:45:05.040 --> 00:45:17.080 see the outcomes and imitate or not imitate. 00:45:17.080 --> 00:45:18.080 Next one. 00:45:18.080 --> 00:45:33.160 They must admonish, must admonish, must rebuke, must warn, must correct with tears sometimes. 00:45:33.160 --> 00:45:40.720 To some it will be life-giving, to others it will be controlling. 00:45:40.720 --> 00:45:43.320 To some it will be life-giving, to others it will be controlling. 00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:45.680 And there's nothing you can do about it. 00:45:45.680 --> 00:45:46.680 Nothing. 00:45:46.680 --> 00:45:47.680 Nothing. 00:45:47.680 --> 00:45:53.000 To some it will be life-giving when you admonish them, when you rebuke them. 00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:55.160 It will be life-giving. 00:45:55.160 --> 00:45:58.760 To others you'll be someone who's trying to control their lives. 00:45:58.760 --> 00:46:00.760 There's nothing you can do about it. 00:46:00.760 --> 00:46:06.520 One of the things you must be willing to as a shepherd is understand that your reputation 00:46:06.520 --> 00:46:10.040 may be sullied, that there might be accusations. 00:46:10.040 --> 00:46:12.280 You have to take that as part of the job description. 00:47:00.760 --> 00:47:07.760 It's like a patient going to the doctor and telling the doctor, I don't want to be a 00:47:07.760 --> 00:47:08.760 shepherd. 00:47:08.760 --> 00:47:09.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:09.760 --> 00:47:10.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:10.760 --> 00:47:11.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:11.760 --> 00:47:12.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:12.760 --> 00:47:13.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:13.760 --> 00:47:14.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:14.760 --> 00:47:15.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:15.760 --> 00:47:16.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:16.760 --> 00:47:17.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:17.760 --> 00:47:18.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:18.760 --> 00:47:19.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:19.760 --> 00:47:20.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:21.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:21.760 --> 00:47:22.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:22.760 --> 00:47:23.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:23.760 --> 00:47:24.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:24.760 --> 00:47:25.760 I don't want to be a shepherd. 00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:32.880 It's like a patient going to the doctor and telling the doctor, I do not like that diagnosis 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:34.760 or that prescription. 00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:37.760 I know what's good for me, so can you change it? 00:47:37.760 --> 00:47:38.760 Yeah. 00:47:38.760 --> 00:47:39.760 Yeah. 00:47:39.760 --> 00:47:40.760 Yeah. 00:47:40.760 --> 00:47:41.760 Yeah. 00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:42.760 Yeah. 00:47:42.760 --> 00:47:43.760 Yeah. 00:47:43.760 --> 00:47:44.760 Yeah. 00:47:44.760 --> 00:47:45.760 Yeah. 00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:46.760 Yeah. 00:47:46.760 --> 00:47:47.760 Yeah. 00:47:47.760 --> 00:47:48.760 Yeah. 00:47:48.760 --> 00:47:55.680 Ripper strip would be not good in any circumstance, but rebuke and do the mother father thing 00:47:55.680 --> 00:47:56.680 is important. 00:47:56.680 --> 00:47:58.680 And this is the thing. 00:47:58.680 --> 00:48:03.680 I want to be treated a certain way when you correct me. 00:48:03.680 --> 00:48:08.680 And if it is not palatable, I find it offensive. 00:48:08.680 --> 00:48:14.680 Little knowing perhaps that the way you are dealing with me is perhaps the only way that 00:48:14.680 --> 00:48:18.680 will get me from point A to point B. And that if you're not here to cater to me, you're 00:48:18.680 --> 00:48:19.680 here to raise me. 00:48:20.680 --> 00:48:26.680 I mean, some of the people who kicked me in my pants, if they hadn't kicked me in my pants, 00:48:26.680 --> 00:48:27.680 I would not have made it. 00:48:29.680 --> 00:48:32.680 The husband was sitting and saying, don't say anything. 00:48:32.680 --> 00:48:33.680 Poor guy. 00:48:33.680 --> 00:48:34.680 He's on his own. 00:48:34.680 --> 00:48:36.680 The wife was saying, I don't care if he's on his own. 00:48:36.680 --> 00:48:37.680 He needs a kick in his pants. 00:48:39.680 --> 00:48:40.680 Past a couple. 00:48:40.680 --> 00:48:42.680 And thank God they did. 00:48:42.680 --> 00:48:43.680 Okay. 00:48:43.680 --> 00:48:51.680 So there's substance to what Jill is saying in terms of you cannot rip a strip of a person. 00:48:51.680 --> 00:48:53.680 You have to be mindful of where the person is at. 00:48:53.680 --> 00:48:58.680 You have to be mindful of how Mark responds the first two times you deal with him. 00:48:58.680 --> 00:49:02.680 And perhaps there's a different stroke that has to be used so that the next time it's 00:49:02.680 --> 00:49:03.680 more palatable. 00:49:03.680 --> 00:49:09.680 But it does not mean that you end up playing Mark's tune because Mark's tune hasn't worked 00:49:09.680 --> 00:49:10.680 for Mark. 00:49:10.680 --> 00:49:12.680 It's time to play a different tune. 00:49:12.680 --> 00:49:15.680 We are here to raise up warriors. 00:49:18.680 --> 00:49:23.680 We are here to raise up people that measure up to the stature of Christ. 00:49:25.680 --> 00:49:30.680 I don't know if Peter was particularly impressed with Get The Behind Me, Satan. 00:49:34.680 --> 00:49:37.680 Said loudly enough to be recorded in all the gospels. 00:49:40.680 --> 00:49:48.680 There must be a balance. 00:49:48.680 --> 00:49:54.680 I think one of the things that will bring balance is if I do not prejudge you. 00:49:54.680 --> 00:49:56.680 That's one thing that will be helpful. 00:49:56.680 --> 00:50:03.680 Two, can I always keep in the back of my mind the fact that a shepherd is a parent? 00:50:03.680 --> 00:50:10.680 This is a good side. 00:50:10.680 --> 00:50:12.680 This is the heavenly side, by the way. 00:50:12.680 --> 00:50:14.680 Go ahead. 00:50:14.680 --> 00:50:17.680 Marco, if you want to change places, you're allowed to. 00:50:17.680 --> 00:50:18.680 Go ahead. 00:50:18.680 --> 00:50:19.680 Go ahead. 00:50:30.680 --> 00:50:31.680 Yeah. 00:50:33.680 --> 00:50:34.680 What's towards him? 00:50:34.680 --> 00:50:36.680 But what did the father do? 00:50:39.680 --> 00:50:40.680 Yeah. 00:50:40.680 --> 00:50:42.680 Waited for him to? 00:50:42.680 --> 00:50:45.680 You lose your way, go find the person. 00:50:45.680 --> 00:50:48.680 You choose your way, wait for the person to come back. 00:50:50.680 --> 00:50:55.680 The prodigal came back and the father was there waiting for him. 00:50:55.680 --> 00:51:01.680 You come back, I'll embrace you and I'll cut the calf as many times you go and come back. 00:51:01.680 --> 00:51:03.680 And have a party. 00:51:03.680 --> 00:51:07.680 But you must choose to come back, just like George has now come back. 00:51:07.680 --> 00:51:08.680 Lost your way, huh? 00:51:11.680 --> 00:51:25.680 Shepherds must not covet, must not fleece the ones under their charge, must not ignore, must not be harsh. 00:51:28.680 --> 00:51:31.680 All this is said in Ezekiel, and I'll tell you what I said. 00:51:31.680 --> 00:51:33.680 Must not be harsh. 00:51:35.680 --> 00:51:59.680 All this is said in Ezekiel 34, verse 2 to 5, where God is quite upset with shepherds that fleece their sheep, that covet what is their sheep, that ignore sheep, that favor certain sheep over the others, that are harsh with sheep. 00:51:59.680 --> 00:52:04.680 Actually the language used is pretty strong, so let me read from Ezekiel 34. 00:52:06.680 --> 00:52:10.680 Ezekiel 34, verse 2. 00:52:11.680 --> 00:52:14.680 I'm reading from, let's read from the NIV. 00:52:15.680 --> 00:52:19.680 You eat the curds, you clothe yourselves with wool and slaughter the choyed animals. 00:52:19.680 --> 00:52:21.680 You do not take care of the flock. 00:52:21.680 --> 00:52:24.680 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. 00:52:24.680 --> 00:52:27.680 You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. 00:52:27.680 --> 00:52:29.680 You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 00:52:30.680 --> 00:52:45.680 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, as surely as I live, because my flock lacks a shepherd and I have been plundered and I have become food for the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock or care for them. 00:52:46.680 --> 00:52:49.680 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord, I am against the shepherds. 00:52:49.680 --> 00:52:51.680 I will hold them accountable for my flock. 00:52:51.680 --> 00:52:56.680 I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. 00:52:56.680 --> 00:53:00.680 I will rescue my flock from their mouths and it will no longer be food for them. 00:53:01.680 --> 00:53:02.680 Strong words. 00:53:08.680 --> 00:53:17.680 As in, I take advantage of you, take your car, take your fleece and hoodie. 00:53:18.680 --> 00:53:20.680 Basically, fleece the sheep. 00:53:21.680 --> 00:53:23.680 But when it comes to you, I can't fleece you. 00:53:23.680 --> 00:53:26.680 So, take. 00:53:32.680 --> 00:53:38.680 I love what Paul says in Acts chapter 20, verse 35. 00:53:39.680 --> 00:53:41.680 He says, go to Acts 20, 35. 00:53:41.680 --> 00:53:43.680 Acts 20, 35. 00:53:53.680 --> 00:53:58.680 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak. 00:53:59.680 --> 00:54:04.680 Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, it is more blessed to give than receive. 00:54:05.680 --> 00:54:07.680 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 00:54:08.680 --> 00:54:13.680 So the idea that shepherds must be crazy givers, crazy givers. 00:54:15.680 --> 00:54:17.680 Not small-time givers, crazy givers. 00:54:18.680 --> 00:54:20.680 Go to verse 26 and 27. 00:54:20.680 --> 00:54:25.680 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 00:54:26.680 --> 00:54:29.680 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 00:54:30.680 --> 00:54:31.680 That's another thing shepherds must do. 00:54:32.680 --> 00:54:37.680 That I have done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you. 00:54:41.680 --> 00:54:44.680 I've said this before and I say it again today. 00:54:45.680 --> 00:54:49.680 I've never held back any Sunday at Acts 29. 00:54:50.680 --> 00:54:54.680 Everything that God has for you or that I have in me from God to give you. 00:54:55.680 --> 00:54:56.680 Not held back. 00:54:57.680 --> 00:55:03.680 You've received only the best, always the best, entirely the best every Sunday since 2006. 00:55:04.680 --> 00:55:05.680 You've not received anything less. 00:55:06.680 --> 00:55:11.680 That I assure you and I say it with absolute humility, knowing that God is my witness. 00:55:12.680 --> 00:55:14.680 And I am a super generous guy. 00:55:15.680 --> 00:55:18.680 My left hand should not know what my right hand is giving. 00:55:18.680 --> 00:55:22.680 But as it says in 2 Corinthians 12, let me boast a little like a fool. 00:55:29.680 --> 00:55:30.680 Yeah. 00:55:31.680 --> 00:55:34.680 When I look at some of the guys that stood up, I know their lives. 00:55:35.680 --> 00:55:36.680 I know how much they've given. 00:55:37.680 --> 00:55:38.680 I know how much they earn and how much they give. 00:55:39.680 --> 00:55:40.680 It's stupid. 00:55:42.680 --> 00:55:43.680 This is a decent church guys. 00:55:48.680 --> 00:55:59.680 But all these guys I talked about including this wonderful guy is severely flawed and must be measured using this plumb line to see if it gets better. 00:56:01.680 --> 00:56:02.680 They must get better. 00:56:15.680 --> 00:56:17.680 How do you measure shepherds over a period of time? 00:56:18.680 --> 00:56:20.680 One, fruitfulness. 00:56:21.680 --> 00:56:22.680 Fruitfulness. 00:56:23.680 --> 00:56:26.680 As in, are they Christ-like? 00:56:29.680 --> 00:56:31.680 Are they Christ-like? 00:56:32.680 --> 00:56:36.680 Every year, are they increasing in Christ-likeness? 00:56:38.680 --> 00:56:40.680 How do they respond under pressure? 00:56:48.680 --> 00:56:51.680 That's one of the measures I use to measure the ones that stand up. 00:56:52.680 --> 00:56:57.680 I want to see how Dawn will react under pressure this year compared to last year. 00:56:58.680 --> 00:57:03.680 I want to see how when Diana is put in situations, is her response the same as last year? 00:57:04.680 --> 00:57:05.680 That's one of the ways I measure leaders here. 00:57:06.680 --> 00:57:07.680 How are they responding? 00:57:08.680 --> 00:57:13.680 Under the same circumstances, under increasing pressure, did they respond the same way as they did last year? 00:57:18.680 --> 00:57:22.680 And Christ-likeness. Fruitfulness is Christ-likeness. 00:57:24.680 --> 00:57:27.680 Do the same circumstances provoke the same response from me? 00:57:28.680 --> 00:57:29.680 Or is it different now? 00:57:30.680 --> 00:57:34.680 Is there a greater calmness? Is there a greater wisdom? Is there less fear? Is there less reaction? 00:57:35.680 --> 00:57:39.680 Is there less defaulting to the same ways? I always react to a situation. 00:57:42.680 --> 00:57:46.680 Am I holding on to the same things that I was gung-ho about two years ago or have I changed? 00:57:46.680 --> 00:57:47.680 Is the heart kinder? 00:57:49.680 --> 00:57:53.680 These are the things one must measure under the same responses. 00:57:54.680 --> 00:58:00.680 I'm not just saying leaders. I would use the same measure to see if I put Pawan in a situation that I put him two years ago, how would he respond? 00:58:06.680 --> 00:58:07.680 That's a good measure, isn't it? 00:58:16.680 --> 00:58:17.680 Alrighty. 00:58:19.680 --> 00:58:20.680 Why do we need shepherds? 00:58:23.680 --> 00:58:26.680 Ah man, we won't be able to finish this today. 00:58:29.680 --> 00:58:34.680 Before we go to why do we need shepherds, here are some things that we have to be careful of going forward. 00:58:35.680 --> 00:58:36.680 Acts 20, verse 29. 00:58:37.680 --> 00:58:38.680 Acts 20, verse 29. 00:58:38.680 --> 00:58:48.680 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come among you. I will not spare the flock. 00:58:49.680 --> 00:58:54.680 Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples. 00:58:55.680 --> 00:59:01.680 So, be on your guard. Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 00:59:02.680 --> 00:59:10.680 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all the saints. 00:59:11.680 --> 00:59:13.680 He's talking to the ones he appointed. Verse 28. 00:59:14.680 --> 00:59:19.680 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. 00:59:20.680 --> 00:59:24.680 Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 00:59:27.680 --> 00:59:28.680 Crazy. 00:59:28.680 --> 00:59:33.680 That is the thing that is most important. Listen, this was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:59:34.680 --> 00:59:39.680 I have placed you as a shepherd over it. Guard it well because there will be savage wolves that attack from outside. 00:59:40.680 --> 00:59:44.680 And there will be people that rise up from inside that distort the truth. 00:59:45.680 --> 00:59:51.680 That is what we have to take a stand against. Those that distort the truth from inside and savage wolves that attack from outside. 00:59:52.680 --> 00:59:53.680 And therefore you need shepherds. 00:59:53.680 --> 00:59:59.680 You have Psalm 23. Your rod and your staff, they protect me. 01:00:00.680 --> 01:00:06.680 The staff is instruction. The staff is used to draw in. The staff is used to protect. 01:00:07.680 --> 01:00:11.680 The rod is a rod of authority and discipline, a casting out. 01:00:13.680 --> 01:00:20.680 And a true shepherd who knows how to rise up and stand tall has the ability to use that rod of authority. 01:00:20.680 --> 01:00:21.680 Powerfully. 01:00:23.680 --> 01:00:29.680 Because battle is not against flesh and blood, but against evil forces using men and women. 01:00:36.680 --> 01:00:38.680 Suddenly you don't want to be a shepherd. 01:00:41.680 --> 01:00:42.680 Yep. 01:00:51.680 --> 01:00:54.680 Yeah, their comfort. Because the sheep are comforted with the rod and the staff. 01:00:55.680 --> 01:00:57.680 Their rod is used to chase away predators. 01:00:59.680 --> 01:01:04.680 The shepherd, sometimes they use the same thing with a hook to draw the sheep into safety. 01:01:05.680 --> 01:01:08.680 And then flip it around and then take it and whack the predator on the head. 01:01:10.680 --> 01:01:12.680 So it brings comfort to the sheep, absolutely. 01:01:14.680 --> 01:01:17.680 But it is the expense of a split skull to the predator. 01:01:17.680 --> 01:01:20.680 Yeah, yeah, yeah. The rod and the staff do comfort. 01:01:21.680 --> 01:01:25.680 But to one it's comfort, to the other one it's a cracked skull. 01:01:26.680 --> 01:01:27.680 Go ahead, Marco. 01:01:37.680 --> 01:01:45.680 Yeah. Yeah. Shepherds, just like parents, have the ability to see in their children things that the child is good at before the child knows it. 01:01:45.680 --> 01:02:00.680 And then find either people that can help them walk in it or encourage them in that without having them escape simple chores like washing the dishes, drying them, cleaning the toilets, etc. 01:02:01.680 --> 01:02:02.680 Yeah. 01:02:02.680 --> 01:02:04.680 Because otherwise you get so specialized that you won't do any of that. 01:02:04.680 --> 01:02:07.680 Shepherds found the community. 01:02:09.680 --> 01:02:11.680 They shape the community. 01:02:12.680 --> 01:02:13.680 They stabilize the community. 01:02:13.680 --> 01:02:27.680 Therefore, if anyone comes from the outside to shake the foundations, to distort the shape of the community, they are not going to be able to do anything. 01:02:27.680 --> 01:02:46.680 If you want to shake the foundations, to distort the shape or destabilize that which is being stabilized with falsehoods or distorted teaching 01:02:46.680 --> 01:03:00.680 or discord, then it is a job of a shepherd to stand against it despite accusations, threads, etc. 01:03:00.680 --> 01:03:01.680 You're supposed to do that, man. 01:03:01.680 --> 01:03:06.680 Wouldn't you do it as a dad over your house or as a mom over your children? 01:03:06.680 --> 01:03:07.680 You would do that. 01:03:08.680 --> 01:03:09.680 Do it for the church, too. 01:03:10.680 --> 01:03:15.680 If someone has a different teaching, well, go start your own flock. 01:03:15.680 --> 01:03:20.680 supposed to do that man. Wouldn't you do it as a dad over your house or as a mum over 01:03:20.680 --> 01:03:36.480 your children? You would do that. Do it for the church too. If someone has a different 01:03:36.480 --> 01:03:41.640 teaching, well go start your own flock. Don't come and destabilize some other one, someone 01:03:41.640 --> 01:03:45.760 else's flock. Because if you do, shepherds in the flock, and thank God there are plenty 01:03:45.760 --> 01:04:03.320 of them, should stand up and say, you have no authority here. We are creating a counter 01:04:03.320 --> 01:04:09.200 culture guys, a community that is different from the communities of the world. And they 01:04:09.200 --> 01:04:15.160 are so, this is important. Let me end with why do we need shepherds? I'll try and finish 01:04:15.160 --> 01:04:27.120 in five minutes. Why do we need shepherds? Go to Matthew 9, 35 to 38. Matthew 9, 35 to 01:04:27.120 --> 01:04:34.600 38. Jesus went through all towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming 01:04:34.600 --> 01:04:38.520 the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowd, 01:04:38.520 --> 01:04:43.880 he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without 01:04:43.880 --> 01:04:48.600 a shepherd. Then he said to the disciples, the harvest is plentiful for the workers, 01:04:48.600 --> 01:04:54.080 a few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into a harvest field. When you 01:04:54.080 --> 01:05:02.400 read the full scripture, you realize that what Jesus is asking for there is shepherds. 01:05:02.400 --> 01:05:06.000 We always say laborers are few, laborers are few, and we leave it as, oh maybe you need 01:05:06.040 --> 01:05:12.160 some more people to arrange the chairs and to play music. No, he's asking for shepherds. 01:05:12.160 --> 01:05:16.320 He saw them and he saw that there was sheep without a shepherd. And then he says, pray 01:05:16.320 --> 01:05:23.520 to the Holy Spirit that there are more shepherds that are raised. It's a good thing to desire 01:05:23.520 --> 01:05:30.760 because the Holy Spirit is looking for it too. Because there are many more flocks to 01:05:30.760 --> 01:05:35.120 be built, many more sheep that have to be brought in, and sheep that have to be raised 01:05:35.200 --> 01:05:41.080 so that sheep become shepherds. There's never going to be a time when you could say, oh 01:05:41.080 --> 01:05:47.080 too many pastors. And the great thing is you don't even have to go to Bible college for 01:05:47.080 --> 01:06:06.280 this. Acts 14, 21 to 23. Acts 14, 21 to 23. They preached the gospel in that city and 01:06:06.280 --> 01:06:11.400 won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 01:06:11.400 --> 01:06:16.400 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. We must 01:06:16.400 --> 01:06:20.560 go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed 01:06:20.560 --> 01:06:24.760 elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord in 01:06:24.760 --> 01:06:30.280 whom they had put their trust. There was need for shepherds when sheep were gathered together. 01:06:30.280 --> 01:06:38.400 So shepherds are critical to sheep. Let's change the word sheep to sons and daughters 01:06:38.400 --> 01:06:58.280 because there's only one good shepherd being raised. John 10, 16. John 10, 16. I have other 01:06:58.280 --> 01:07:02.960 sheep that are not of the sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my 01:07:02.960 --> 01:07:12.480 voice. There shall be one flock and one shepherd. More sheep pens means that the good shepherd 01:07:12.480 --> 01:07:24.680 needs more shepherds. Why do we need shepherds? Because shepherds that have the heart of a 01:07:24.680 --> 01:07:39.760 father, shepherds that have the father's heart will raise churches that are not orphanages. 01:07:39.760 --> 01:07:59.360 But homes where the solitary can be settled, you should read Psalm 68. 01:07:59.360 --> 01:08:19.880 Verse 5 and 6, it talks about that. This is one of the difficult things if you're not 01:08:19.880 --> 01:08:28.960 discipled. If you resist being discipled, then you do not end up being in a position to disciple. 01:08:28.960 --> 01:08:33.000 A part of being discipled is very simple. I've said this before. What is a disciple? 01:08:33.000 --> 01:08:39.640 A disciple is someone who understands divine sonship and divine ownership. Divine sonship, 01:08:39.640 --> 01:08:46.040 divine ownership. That's a disciple. One who understands what it is to have a father and to 01:08:46.040 --> 01:08:52.600 convey his attributes and to have a master and serve at his command. That's discipleship. It's 01:08:52.600 --> 01:08:59.960 beautiful. Discipleship at the end of the day is divine sonship, divine ownership. One that knows 01:08:59.960 --> 01:09:04.760 the father and is able to convey the attributes of the father to the ones that he's raising. One 01:09:04.760 --> 01:09:16.440 that knows his master and serves at the pleasure of the master. Those are the two things. And so, 01:09:16.440 --> 01:09:22.720 when one is not discipled, one does not get to a place where one can then raise a church 01:09:22.720 --> 01:09:43.680 that is not an orphanage. Read Numbers 11, 10 to 15, and we'll close Numbers 11. Shepherding is a 01:09:43.720 --> 01:09:50.800 difficult process. Shepherding is a very difficult process. Before you sign up, 01:09:50.800 --> 01:10:04.000 it's not easy. Numbers 11, 10 to 15. Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance 01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:09.200 to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, 01:10:10.200 --> 01:10:15.200 Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the 01:10:15.200 --> 01:10:21.280 burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do 01:10:21.280 --> 01:10:26.320 you tell me to carry them in my arms as a nurse carries an infant to the land you promised on 01:10:26.320 --> 01:10:31.000 oath to the ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 01:10:31.000 --> 01:10:36.440 give us meat to eat. I cannot carry all these people by myself. The burden is too heavy for me. 01:10:36.440 --> 01:10:41.680 If this is how you're going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me. If I have found favor in 01:10:41.680 --> 01:10:51.760 your eyes, do not let me face my own ruin. He was one of the first shepherds in the Bible. In the 01:10:51.760 --> 01:10:58.400 matter of a few years, he wanted God to take his life. Smart guy, didn't want to commit suicide. 01:10:58.400 --> 01:11:11.920 Take my life. Now go to Hebrews 13-7. Hebrews 13-7. 01:11:22.400 --> 01:11:27.560 No, that's not the one I'm looking for. But it says, but it'll do for now. Remember your leaders 01:11:27.560 --> 01:11:32.160 who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their 01:11:32.160 --> 01:11:37.280 faith. There's another one which says, try not to be a burden to your leaders. Try not to be a 01:11:37.280 --> 01:11:43.960 burden to your leaders. Oh, Hebrews 13-17, sorry. 17, not seven. Have confidence in your leaders. 01:11:43.960 --> 01:11:50.640 Submit to their authority because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do 01:11:50.640 --> 01:11:56.000 this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. 01:11:56.000 --> 01:12:10.280 Occasionally, if you are able to walk with some of the guys who are shepherds and who lead, 01:12:10.280 --> 01:12:18.000 they're able to draw on God and give you a destiny by the Spirit of God, reserved for you like nobody 01:12:18.000 --> 01:12:25.720 else can. There's nothing that you have that does not come from God. I cannot give you anything. 01:12:26.240 --> 01:12:32.560 But here are the things I can do for Mark. I can tell him what is reserved for him in heaven. I 01:12:32.560 --> 01:12:42.400 can stir up that which is already in him. I can impart to him gifts that already exist. Paul says 01:12:42.400 --> 01:12:50.560 that in Romans chapter. I can encourage him to see with clear eyes the destiny that he may not be 01:12:50.560 --> 01:12:58.600 able to see with clarity. These things one can do for him. I can take that which is upon me that I 01:12:58.600 --> 01:13:07.040 see in him and say, he run in this. Those are things that leaders can do for people. But it 01:13:07.040 --> 01:13:15.480 all depends on whether Mark desires it, wants it, chooses it, runs after it. An opportunity must be 01:13:15.480 --> 01:13:27.040 given. But the prerogative is mine to give an opportunity his to run in it. And a day will come 01:13:27.040 --> 01:13:31.880 and you will have to do that for someone else. But you go and say to an Elisha who's waiting and you 01:13:31.880 --> 01:13:36.520 say, here I'm throwing a mantle upon you. I want to give you this opportunity to grow in it, to rise 01:13:36.520 --> 01:13:44.120 in it. I see what God has for you. I know you know it too. But perhaps you can't run in it. Let me help 01:13:44.160 --> 01:13:48.200 you. Let me impart to you a gift that will help you. Let me stir up within you that which already 01:13:48.200 --> 01:13:52.640 exists. Let me tell you what God has. Let me open your eyes so that you see with greater clarity 01:13:52.640 --> 01:13:58.840 that which lies ahead of you. Let me paint an attainable milestone that you can walk towards. 01:13:58.840 --> 01:14:07.320 Let me help your lame legs and your blurred vision. Am I special in doing that? No. But I've run this 01:14:07.320 --> 01:14:13.240 before you and people did it for me. Let me pass on the gift. And now that it has been offered to 01:14:13.240 --> 01:14:18.760 her, the question is, does she want to step into it? The prerogative to give it is mine. The prerogative 01:14:18.760 --> 01:14:28.800 to pursue it is hers. This is why Elijah walks away after throwing the mantle. And then Elisha says, 01:14:28.800 --> 01:14:38.440 I've got to say goodbye to my parents. Elijah says, what is it to me? It's deliberate. Numbers 11, 01:14:39.280 --> 01:14:49.320 14-17. Numbers 11, 14-17. This is an Old Testament pattern. Please don't think that this is how it 01:14:49.320 --> 01:14:55.820 happens now because the Holy Spirit is upon all of us. But there are traits in a church or in the 01:14:55.820 --> 01:15:01.560 life of someone who is learning under the leader. There are traits that get transferred to the people 01:15:01.560 --> 01:15:22.280 under that leader. Numbers 11, 14-17. Numbers 11, 14-17. So he says, I cannot carry all these people. 01:15:22.280 --> 01:15:28.600 And he says, kill me. The Lord said to Moses, bring me 70 of Israel's elders who are known to you as 01:15:28.600 --> 01:15:34.360 leaders and officials among them. Have them come to the tent of meeting that they may stand here 01:15:34.360 --> 01:15:38.820 with you. I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the power of the spirit that 01:15:38.820 --> 01:15:43.600 is on you and put it upon them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will 01:15:43.600 --> 01:15:50.200 not have to carry it alone. Sometimes when I watch how things go on here when I'm not here, 01:15:50.200 --> 01:16:06.000 you think it's not evident? You think a Tooney or a Remy or a Jane who do worship, they don't carry 01:16:06.000 --> 01:16:13.920 the same genes? You think the ones who speak here don't carry the same genes? It's not Jacob's genes. 01:16:14.040 --> 01:16:20.200 It's the spirit of God who gives certain places traits and those genes get transferred. 01:16:20.200 --> 01:16:32.480 That's close. Father, thank you. Love this series, Culture of the Household. Thank you that there 01:16:32.480 --> 01:16:41.360 are measures that you want us to aspire to attain. Thank you that it says in Ephesians 4, to be 01:16:41.400 --> 01:16:48.040 conformed to the nature of Christ, to the stature of Christ. Thank you that you, Jesus, are the great 01:16:48.040 --> 01:16:53.840 shepherd, the good shepherd. Thank you that you lived your life openly. Thank you that there is a 01:16:53.840 --> 01:17:00.080 person to imitate, a person to model our lives after. Thank you for the writings and the letters 01:17:00.080 --> 01:17:06.120 written by Paul, Peter, John that show us how shepherds should walk. Thank you that there's 01:17:06.120 --> 01:17:14.480 nobody here who cannot one day walk in being shepherds and raising up others that in turn 01:17:14.480 --> 01:17:21.420 can lead. Thank you. Our desire is to be able to continue towards this end where pouring out our 01:17:21.420 --> 01:17:28.240 lives for the sake of others is most normal, natural thing to do. Once again, I pray that 01:17:28.240 --> 01:17:33.960 starting with me, down to all the shepherds that are in this church right now, that self-preservation 01:17:33.960 --> 01:17:41.920 will end, that self-preservation will end, that self-preservation will end. Thank you that we are 01:17:41.920 --> 01:17:50.820 establishing a culture. Thank you that Acts 29 is going back to its core roots. Thank you that what 01:17:50.820 --> 01:17:59.080 will emerge will be strong in 2024. I bless you, Father, for your kindness to us. And then finally, 01:17:59.320 --> 01:18:06.320 this is your flock brought with your blood. You are the great shepherd. We acknowledge you. 01:18:06.320 --> 01:18:11.640 Before we acknowledge man, we acknowledge you. We take our direction from you. These things that 01:18:11.640 --> 01:18:20.800 we have talked about are things that you have said. We obey you. I obey you. But we will take 01:18:20.800 --> 01:18:26.800 on our responsibility seriously and walk in it as shepherds because you've set a plumb line for us. 01:18:26.800 --> 01:18:35.960 In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, Mike. Hi, Karen. We started five, but next week we are starting at three.