WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Shepherd & Sheep Publishing Date: 2024-10-06T06:04:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/shepherd-sheep/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 We thank you. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:19.280 We are your people. 00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:29.640 Your love is dearly. 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:35.480 Jesus, we want to honor you. 00:00:35.480 --> 00:00:45.160 We want to give everything that we have to you. 00:00:45.160 --> 00:00:47.000 It's a Sunday. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:52.840 In about an hour and a half, we all return home. 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:56.240 But you're after our lives. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:00.680 You take deep interest in us. 00:01:00.680 --> 00:01:09.560 There is no one who cares for us like you do, Jesus. 00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:20.240 It's great that it's a Sunday, but there is so much more, so much more that you want for us. 00:01:20.240 --> 00:01:25.920 So, Holy Spirit, we come here. 00:01:25.960 --> 00:01:31.840 Today we are here because we want to experience your touch. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:41.480 So I come first, we come together to say, Jesus, everything that you have for us, we desire. 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:50.800 Everything you have for us, we want to appropriate, we want to take claim of it, we want to inhabit it. 00:01:50.800 --> 00:01:53.200 We thank you in Jesus' name. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.000 Amen. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:59.480 So the topic for today is sheep and shepherd. 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:04.680 Sheep and shepherd. 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:11.520 When I got a sense of today and the father said talk primarily from Psalm 23, but a few other things as well, 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:20.960 and that you should go down the route of sheep and shepherd, my immediate response was, everyone knows about it. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:23.160 Everyone knows Psalm 23. 00:02:23.200 --> 00:02:27.440 Everyone knows how to go over the verses again and again. 00:02:27.440 --> 00:02:30.000 Someone was saying it's the crib Psalm. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:32.640 It's the Psalm that you read out to kids. 00:02:32.640 --> 00:02:34.360 Everyone knows it. 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:40.640 One of the things though that happens when we know something too much is familiarity kicks in. 00:02:40.640 --> 00:02:46.720 And when familiarity kicks in, what can happen is it can curtail discovery. 00:02:46.720 --> 00:02:47.720 It can happen with people. 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:53.160 So it can happen with spouses where if you've known each other for a long time, you kind of know each other. 00:02:53.160 --> 00:02:55.320 What more is there? 00:02:55.320 --> 00:03:00.320 And then you're putting a limit to discovering that person more. 00:03:00.320 --> 00:03:05.000 So I want to talk about shepherd and sheep. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:12.880 All through the Bible, you go back to the Old Testament, you go through the New Testament, you see the theme over and over again, 00:03:12.880 --> 00:03:22.880 where the Father tries to communicate who he is and his nature to me, to you, as that of his shepherd. 00:03:22.880 --> 00:03:26.160 It's not a passage, Psalm 23 alone. 00:03:26.160 --> 00:03:29.600 It's not just a few verses in the Gospel of John. 00:03:29.600 --> 00:03:32.640 You go back to the Old Testament, you see it. 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:34.840 You read through the New Testament, you see it. 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:37.360 So there is something that he wants us to catch. 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:43.480 And what I want you guys to do today is on one hand, while you know some of these scriptures, be open hearted. 00:03:43.480 --> 00:03:46.160 Be ready to say, Abba, there is more here. 00:03:46.160 --> 00:03:49.720 And I want to take claim of everything that you have for me. 00:03:49.720 --> 00:03:50.400 Yeah. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.480 So we're going to look at a few scriptures first. 00:03:52.480 --> 00:03:56.480 I don't know, Brandon, if you're here, maybe the first two, three slides. 00:03:56.480 --> 00:04:03.240 We'll go through a few scriptures in the Old Testament and in the New Testament that talk about this. 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.400 The Father's nature of his shepherd. 00:04:06.440 --> 00:04:09.960 OK, so Ezekiel chapter 34, verses 11 and 12. 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:12.600 Ezekiel chapter 34, verses 11 and 12. 00:04:12.600 --> 00:04:21.280 For thus says the Lord God, behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:30.120 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep. 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:37.560 And I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on, on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:45.400 So you begin to see in Ezekiel prophecy after prophecy where God actually says, I am like that of a shepherd. 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:49.920 You are my flock and my heart for you is that I'll seek you out. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:51.040 I'll find you out. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.960 It doesn't matter where you are scattered. 00:04:53.960 --> 00:04:55.080 I will run after you. 00:04:55.080 --> 00:04:56.360 I'll seek you out. 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:57.960 Next slide. 00:04:57.960 --> 00:05:01.000 You see another scripture this time from Isaiah, I think. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:01.520 Brandon. 00:05:04.080 --> 00:05:06.080 Isaiah chapter 40, verse 11. 00:05:06.080 --> 00:05:08.680 He will tend his flock like a shepherd. 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.560 He will gather the lambs in his arms. 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:16.360 He will carry them in his bosom and generally lead those that are with young. 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:18.720 Guys, begin to think like this now. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:19.320 Think with me. 00:05:19.320 --> 00:05:20.160 Go with me. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:23.600 Over the next 30 minutes, an hour, let's think like this. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:33.760 That he, my father, your father, wants to relate to you and I like a shepherd does to his flock. 00:05:33.760 --> 00:05:34.360 He wants it. 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:36.400 He desires it. 00:05:36.400 --> 00:05:39.280 It's not one time that he says this. 00:05:39.280 --> 00:05:42.160 He keeps saying it throughout the Bible. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:43.680 I am the shepherd. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:46.360 Jesus said that later. 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:49.200 But it was said way before that. 00:05:49.200 --> 00:05:50.880 He is like a shepherd. 00:05:50.880 --> 00:05:53.640 He wants to be a shepherd to my soul. 00:05:53.640 --> 00:05:55.800 He wants to be a shepherd to you. 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:56.760 What does that mean? 00:05:56.760 --> 00:05:58.680 And that's what we're going to dig out today. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:02.800 There is way more to what seems to be. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:06.400 There is way more to it than what we sometimes grasp. 00:06:06.400 --> 00:06:16.000 And I want the Holy Spirit, I pray, that he will give me, give you a sense of what it really looks for us to relate to him as our shepherd. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:21.160 And then to walk every day as the sheep of his pasture. 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:23.120 Next one, please, Brandon. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:24.920 Here's something from Psalm. 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:26.240 Psalm 100, verse 3. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:28.520 Know that the Lord, he is good. 00:06:28.520 --> 00:06:29.440 He is God. 00:06:29.440 --> 00:06:32.400 It is he who made us and we are his. 00:06:32.400 --> 00:06:34.960 I am part of his people. 00:06:34.960 --> 00:06:40.280 You are part of his people, the sheep of his pasture. 00:06:40.280 --> 00:06:42.320 And there is more in the New Testament. 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:52.000 But what I want to do first is establish this thing that it's not Psalm 23 alone, that it's not just Jesus in the New Testament saying that he is the good shepherd. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:52.840 Yes, he is. 00:06:52.840 --> 00:06:56.200 But this is something that spans throughout the scripture. 00:06:56.200 --> 00:07:00.640 This is how he wants to relate to me and to you. 00:07:00.640 --> 00:07:09.920 And oftentimes, when God says certain things, if we can latch on to what he wants to give me through it, I can access more of him. 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:22.480 So when God says I am healer and he names himself Jehovah Rafa, there is so much to it that's for me to appropriate as I begin to relate to him as he is my healer. 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:24.440 It goes beyond physical healing. 00:07:24.440 --> 00:07:26.840 It goes beyond just spiritual healing. 00:07:26.840 --> 00:07:35.880 It goes beyond realms of my being because he is so much more and he wants to give all of himself to me. 00:07:35.880 --> 00:07:37.200 So that's my prayer, guys. 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:38.560 Truly, truly, truly. 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:47.120 That today you will begin a new walk with him, where you associate with him as sheep, sheep, sheep. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.880 And he is shepherd, shepherd, shepherd. 00:07:49.880 --> 00:07:50.920 And it's different. 00:07:50.920 --> 00:08:02.400 As I began to, as my eyes began to open up to new things, this is something I've not really, I'm not used to relating to God like this personally. 00:08:02.400 --> 00:08:05.040 It's new to me. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:09.400 And it could be new to some of you. 00:08:09.400 --> 00:08:11.560 Psalm 23. 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:17.080 Let's go to Psalm 23 and read it out and we'll go from there. 00:08:17.080 --> 00:08:18.720 Psalm 23. 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:24.840 So that's David, who used to be a shepherd. 00:08:24.840 --> 00:08:32.040 What's interesting with Israel and being a shepherd in Israel is this. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:35.800 It's not like New Zealand. 00:08:35.800 --> 00:08:44.000 A lot of mountainous areas, lots of places where it's really not easy to have your sheep go and find good pasture. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:50.600 If you have a year with really good rain, then yes, you can have a few spots of good pasture. 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:58.000 But year round, you don't get a whole lot of good pasture in Israel, not in the Jewish lands. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.680 So think about it that way. 00:08:59.680 --> 00:09:04.000 And then two, there is an enemy to the sheep. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.400 And that's usually the wolf. 00:09:06.400 --> 00:09:08.920 Lots of wolves, they try to attack. 00:09:08.920 --> 00:09:13.360 And so as the Psalm goes on, it talks about how God is a protector. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:18.160 It goes on to say that he makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:09:18.160 --> 00:09:20.880 So there is so much more here. 00:09:20.880 --> 00:09:24.760 And how does that relate to me living today in Vancouver? 00:09:24.760 --> 00:09:29.440 How does that relate to you living today in Surrey? 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:31.400 What does that look like? 00:09:31.400 --> 00:09:33.360 How can I get more of him? 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.040 This thing that he's opened up, it's like a door. 00:09:36.040 --> 00:09:40.320 It's something that he says, I am this, I am this, come access me. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:41.880 I am this, come touch me. 00:09:41.880 --> 00:09:44.680 I am this, come experience me. 00:09:44.680 --> 00:09:46.760 How can we do it? 00:09:46.760 --> 00:09:48.320 So the Lord is my shepherd. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:49.480 I lack nothing. 00:09:49.480 --> 00:09:52.120 He makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:54.760 He leads me beside quiet waters. 00:09:54.760 --> 00:09:56.040 He refreshes my soul. 00:09:56.040 --> 00:10:01.360 He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:01.840 Brandon? 00:10:05.280 --> 00:10:07.440 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:09.800 I will fear no evil, for you are with me. 00:10:09.800 --> 00:10:12.080 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:17.760 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 00:10:17.760 --> 00:10:21.200 Surely goodness and mercy said, follow me. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.360 All the days of my life. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:27.160 And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:10:27.160 --> 00:10:28.640 Forever. 00:10:28.640 --> 00:10:34.040 So number one, guys, the Father wants you and me 00:10:34.040 --> 00:10:37.840 to move away from flock familiarity 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:41.000 to personal association. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:45.160 So if all of us here is sheep and he's the shepherd, 00:10:45.160 --> 00:10:47.480 we can relate to him two ways. 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:50.400 One is as part of the flock. 00:10:50.400 --> 00:10:56.680 Two is a personal, deep understanding of who he is. 00:10:56.680 --> 00:11:00.320 And in many things in our lives, we have to ask, where are we? 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:02.880 Is it a flock familiarity? 00:11:02.880 --> 00:11:06.280 Or is it something beyond that, where I really know who he is? 00:11:06.280 --> 00:11:08.840 And the truth is, there are areas in your life, 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:12.200 areas in my life, where we really know him personally. 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:13.600 We know who he is. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.160 So for Nick, something could be that Nick is absolutely sure 00:11:17.160 --> 00:11:21.040 who God is when it comes to him being a provider. 00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:21.600 He gets it. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:22.680 He understands it. 00:11:22.680 --> 00:11:25.400 He can turn around, teach every single person here 00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:30.000 what it means when God says God is a provider. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.440 But Nick may not, in the same level, 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:36.760 know what it means that God is a protector. 00:11:36.760 --> 00:11:39.040 Someone else may know exactly what it means 00:11:39.040 --> 00:11:41.880 and the full depth of it. 00:11:41.880 --> 00:11:43.800 But there may be another facet of God 00:11:43.800 --> 00:11:45.240 that you haven't fully explored. 00:11:48.880 --> 00:11:51.000 So Abba, we come. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:54.600 We come because this is what your interest is for us, 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.120 in that you want us to be not flock familiar. 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.800 You want us to be deeply associating with you, 00:12:01.800 --> 00:12:04.720 so that everything you have for me, for us, 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:07.040 we can appropriate in our lives. 00:12:07.040 --> 00:12:09.360 So Father, over the next few minutes, 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:13.160 with what we are wanting to do, it's quite simple, Holy Spirit. 00:12:13.160 --> 00:12:16.320 You're opening up our eyes to the different ways 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:20.600 we need to associate with you, so that our days and nights 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:23.800 begin to look different. 00:12:23.800 --> 00:12:28.520 So that our days and nights begin to look different. 00:12:28.520 --> 00:12:32.320 So we'll go back to the first point, number one. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:35.160 The greater your association with the shepherd, 00:12:35.160 --> 00:12:38.320 the richer your experience of him. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.280 The greater your association with the shepherd, 00:12:41.280 --> 00:12:43.520 the richer your experience of him. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:49.560 You know what's interesting in the Psalm 00:12:49.560 --> 00:12:51.960 that we just read out? 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:54.600 In the next five seconds, if you answer my question, 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:56.160 there is a gift. 00:12:56.160 --> 00:12:57.320 Psalm 23. 00:12:57.320 --> 00:12:58.600 You get five seconds. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:12:59.800 That's it. 00:12:59.800 --> 00:13:01.720 OK, ready? 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:02.960 Ready? 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:04.160 Ready? 00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:04.920 That's not enough. 00:13:04.920 --> 00:13:05.840 Ready? 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:06.560 OK. 00:13:06.560 --> 00:13:07.440 Five seconds. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.840 If you get the answer, there is a gift. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:11.160 Psalm 23. 00:13:11.160 --> 00:13:16.040 How many times do you see me, my, or I? 00:13:16.040 --> 00:13:19.120 How many times do you see me, my, or I? 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:24.000 One, two, three, four, five. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.680 No, guys, 17 times. 00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:28.760 Six verses, 17 times. 00:13:28.760 --> 00:13:30.160 What's the point? 00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:31.480 Here's the point. 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:32.480 Xavier, you didn't say it. 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:34.960 You didn't say it. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.000 Here's the point. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.840 See, six verses, 17 times. 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:39.960 What am I saying? 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:44.560 David wasn't talking about a shepherd. 00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:48.200 David was talking about his shepherd. 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:52.840 And as soon as you move from a shepherd to my shepherd, 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:55.920 you have much to tell the world about who he is. 00:13:55.920 --> 00:13:58.200 So that's why you keep reading through it. 00:13:58.200 --> 00:14:02.640 You go, I, me, my, I, me, my. 00:14:02.640 --> 00:14:05.840 This is about him and the shepherd. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.880 That's where we want to get to, guys. 00:14:07.880 --> 00:14:10.040 These are not scriptures that we just know. 00:14:10.040 --> 00:14:10.720 Yeah, go ahead. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.080 The richer your experience of him, 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:19.640 the greater your association with the shepherd, 00:14:19.640 --> 00:14:22.480 the richer your experience of him. 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:27.600 So I must move from flock familiarity to association, 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:33.160 to intimate association, so that in all areas of my life, 00:14:33.160 --> 00:14:35.800 when it comes to provision, when it comes to protection, 00:14:35.800 --> 00:14:38.800 when it comes to him redeeming things for me 00:14:38.800 --> 00:14:43.880 in all areas of my life, I've moved away from knowing him 00:14:43.880 --> 00:14:46.200 as part of what he does for the flock 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:50.240 to knowing him intimately. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:53.720 And what I want us to do is, maybe there's a slide there, 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:54.960 Brandon, you can bring up. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:00.480 There are seven things that God has promised for us. 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:01.960 This is who he is. 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.720 And if you've been coming to Acts 29, 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.160 the seven essentials is something 00:15:06.160 --> 00:15:08.320 we've talked about before. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:13.000 These seven things God has promised, it's set. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:14.560 It's written. 00:15:14.560 --> 00:15:19.360 If he made you and he did, these things are guaranteed for you. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:20.960 Number one, dignity. 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:22.400 Two, authority. 00:15:22.400 --> 00:15:24.360 Three, blessing and provision. 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:25.720 Four, security. 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:27.320 Five, freedom. 00:15:27.320 --> 00:15:30.000 Six, companionship and intimacy. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:32.560 Seven, purpose. 00:15:32.560 --> 00:15:33.920 Can you take a minute? 00:15:33.920 --> 00:15:37.400 Because I'm not interested in just going into the next thing. 00:15:37.400 --> 00:15:40.480 Can you take a minute, look at what you have here, 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:46.720 and ask yourself, where are you intimately, intimately 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:47.600 associating with him? 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:51.160 Where you know that in this area, when it comes to freedom, 00:15:51.160 --> 00:15:53.160 I have it. 00:15:53.160 --> 00:15:55.840 But when it comes to purpose, I don't really 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:59.200 know him fully well how that pans out. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:02.000 Maybe when it comes to authority, you understand it. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:04.120 But when it comes to companionship, 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:06.320 you find it different. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.240 And this isn't just him giving you things. 00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:10.640 This is also how you live on Earth. 00:16:10.640 --> 00:16:12.960 So when it says blessing and provision, 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.640 this is you and me walking on Earth and God promising, 00:16:16.640 --> 00:16:20.480 the Father promising that I want to give you blessings, 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.400 that I am a blester of man. 00:16:22.400 --> 00:16:24.440 I bless you day and night. 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.280 I bless you wherever I go. 00:16:26.280 --> 00:16:30.320 The Psalms and the Bible is full of blessings. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.520 But how do you really know him like that? 00:16:32.520 --> 00:16:36.600 How much do you know him as someone who blesses you? 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:38.200 Guys, you following me in this? 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:41.720 Because it's so easy to go through life. 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:44.080 Sometimes in certain areas of life, 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.440 we know him actually as part of the flock. 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:52.360 We haven't gone beyond that to a personal revelation, 00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:56.240 a personal understanding where it's different. 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:58.240 This is me and him. 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:03.240 This is why David kept saying, I, me, my. 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:09.920 17 times in six verses, I, me, my. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.000 Look at this. 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:11.760 Take a second. 00:17:11.760 --> 00:17:13.680 Take a minute. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.080 When I was thinking through this, 00:17:15.080 --> 00:17:17.800 there are two areas where I really 00:17:17.800 --> 00:17:21.800 want him more than I've ever experienced him. 00:17:21.800 --> 00:17:25.720 Two areas where I really want to know him more than I've ever 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:28.000 lived in those areas, more than I've ever 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.080 experienced him, I want those. 00:17:31.080 --> 00:17:33.000 What are those things for you? 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:37.280 What are those things where you say, give me more, shepherd. 00:17:37.280 --> 00:17:39.320 Give me more. 00:17:39.320 --> 00:17:43.080 I come here to associate with you, to be with you, 00:17:43.080 --> 00:17:46.960 to be intimate with you so that I can know you in this way 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.480 so that, like we were saying last week, 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:53.640 Enoch knew him in a way that others did not. 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:57.960 Right now, the truth is the Holy Spirit wants all of us 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:04.640 to catch certain facets of himself, certain facets of God, 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.440 and say, hey, these areas, I want 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:09.840 to make this so real to you. 00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:13.280 I want to make this so meaty for you. 00:18:13.280 --> 00:18:18.440 Flock familiarity is more like, it's like the breadcrumbs. 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:20.520 Luke 22 or something. 00:18:20.520 --> 00:18:23.720 It's what falls off the table. 00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:28.400 But moving from that to intimate association with him, 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:30.520 that's like marrow in the bone. 00:18:30.520 --> 00:18:32.760 That's so much more. 00:18:32.760 --> 00:18:35.360 So much more. 00:18:35.360 --> 00:18:36.360 There's so much more. 00:18:36.360 --> 00:18:38.880 So if you're listening to this, I'm 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.200 hoping you're going through this and say, that, this, 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:44.640 and this, Holy Spirit, I'm ready. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.000 Shepherd, I'm ready. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:49.720 I want to experience you so that next year, this time, 00:18:49.760 --> 00:18:54.360 you can actually begin to say, I've lived with him this way. 00:18:54.360 --> 00:18:58.160 This is not something I can, this is not a verse I recite. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.720 This is not something I can just say. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.600 This is him. 00:19:01.600 --> 00:19:02.840 This is me. 00:19:02.840 --> 00:19:04.800 I have my own psalm. 00:19:04.800 --> 00:19:07.360 I have my own song for him. 00:19:07.360 --> 00:19:09.040 And that's when others around you 00:19:09.040 --> 00:19:12.800 begin to get a glimpse of who he is. 00:19:12.800 --> 00:19:15.800 David had to write this for us to see 00:19:15.800 --> 00:19:20.440 how you can associate with God as Shepherd. 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:23.400 What is the song that you're writing? 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:26.800 What is the song that I'm writing? 00:19:26.800 --> 00:19:31.520 And as seasons change, songs change. 00:19:31.520 --> 00:19:34.080 As life progresses, he wants to show me 00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:37.880 more and more and more, which is why we 00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:40.200 can't get stuck in one place. 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:43.440 We can't get too comfortable with one thing. 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:45.600 We know, we understand, we mourn, 00:19:45.600 --> 00:19:49.880 because he's like, you can peel the onion so many times. 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.680 There is so much more. 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:56.880 Really, really, guys, this is my prayer, that you take this 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:00.680 and you say, Lord, help me. 00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:02.720 Show me what it means. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:04.480 I'm willing. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.040 Change my thinking. 00:20:06.040 --> 00:20:08.200 Change my understanding. 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:12.720 Come flood in with your awareness 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:17.200 so that I begin to change in how I see myself in this. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:17.640 Any questions? 00:20:27.080 --> 00:20:28.320 OK, next. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:36.840 It is possible that while we do all of this, 00:20:36.840 --> 00:20:40.520 we can get familiar with what we're doing, and we stop. 00:20:40.520 --> 00:20:43.680 And so we have to look back to certain scriptures, one 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:48.200 where Aqsa, the daughter of Caleb, approaches Caleb 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:51.800 and says, I want more. 00:20:51.800 --> 00:20:56.600 Aqsa approaches Caleb and says, you promised me something. 00:20:56.600 --> 00:20:59.240 I want more. 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.520 Is this the daily way we live, guys? 00:21:03.520 --> 00:21:09.320 How often do you go back to him and say, you promised me this? 00:21:09.320 --> 00:21:09.920 I need it. 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:16.920 You promised me this. 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:18.200 I will contend for this. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:24.920 Brandon, can you go to the next slide? 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:26.160 How often do you do that? 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:33.960 It's his desire, where he actually wants me and you 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.680 to go beyond these things. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:42.920 Because you can see here, Caleb basically says, 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.760 if you capture this land, then I'm 00:21:46.760 --> 00:21:50.640 going to give my daughter as wife 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:52.680 to whoever captures the land. 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:56.360 And Ogniel, he captured it. 00:21:56.360 --> 00:22:03.320 And then Aqsa, Caleb's daughter, tells Ogniel, 00:22:03.320 --> 00:22:06.400 go to the father and ask him for a field. 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:10.000 And she, Aqsa, dismounted from her donkey, 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.080 and Caleb said to her, what do you want? 00:22:13.080 --> 00:22:16.120 She said to him, give me a blessing. 00:22:16.120 --> 00:22:19.080 Since you have set me in the land of Najib, 00:22:19.080 --> 00:22:22.400 give me also springs of water. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.160 She initially wanted a field. 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:28.280 Then she wanted springs of water. 00:22:28.280 --> 00:22:30.200 And what does the father do? 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:31.640 Caleb does. 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:35.240 Caleb gives her the upper springs and the lower springs. 00:22:38.360 --> 00:22:40.560 Ask him. 00:22:40.560 --> 00:22:42.440 I'm not satisfied. 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:44.560 I want more. 00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:47.420 And I know that you know me by my name. 00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:50.240 The thing with the shepherd is, he is not, 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.240 we are not, this isn't a room where, 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:53.720 how would you perceive this? 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:57.880 If he were to walk in right now, if Jesus were to walk in right 00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:00.880 now, and let's say he walks in and he begins 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:07.560 to talk with Matt, begins to interact with Matt, 00:23:07.560 --> 00:23:11.400 begins to ask questions to Matt, how will May 00:23:11.400 --> 00:23:14.400 perceive this conversation? 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:17.200 Will May be there thinking, hey, I really 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.960 hope he comes to me too. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.600 I really hope he sees me. 00:23:20.600 --> 00:23:23.600 I really hope he knows me. 00:23:23.600 --> 00:23:30.280 Or is May so confident that he knows me by name? 00:23:30.320 --> 00:23:33.640 See, he's not any shepherd, and you're not any sheep. 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:35.600 This is different. 00:23:35.600 --> 00:23:39.440 He's a shepherd who takes personal interest in you. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:41.760 I've often thought of it this way. 00:23:41.760 --> 00:23:43.600 Can you go into rooms? 00:23:43.600 --> 00:23:44.880 Can you go to places? 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:45.920 Can you go to cities? 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:50.280 Can you go to wherever God sends you with that confidence 00:23:50.280 --> 00:23:52.400 that all of him is for me? 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:58.840 Think about it this way, guys. 00:23:58.840 --> 00:24:01.680 It's easy sometimes to just rush through things. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:05.680 If he walks in right now and he starts talking with someone, 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:07.520 how would your heart feel? 00:24:07.520 --> 00:24:10.760 Are you confident? 00:24:10.760 --> 00:24:12.640 Are you confident? 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:15.600 Are you sure of his love? 00:24:15.600 --> 00:24:18.280 Are you sure of how he sees you? 00:24:18.280 --> 00:24:22.600 Or as minutes go by, will your heart begin to shake? 00:24:22.600 --> 00:24:28.080 As minutes go by, will you begin to wonder, oh, or are you? 00:24:28.080 --> 00:24:29.680 You know it. 00:24:34.120 --> 00:24:36.560 I like thinking about these things this way 00:24:36.560 --> 00:24:38.840 because it makes things practical. 00:24:38.840 --> 00:24:40.600 Otherwise, we just rush through a verse 00:24:40.600 --> 00:24:45.720 and we think we understand it, but there is more. 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:50.760 And it's a question that each of us has to answer. 00:24:50.760 --> 00:24:54.560 And his desire is that I go through life day by day, 00:24:54.560 --> 00:24:55.880 you go through life day by day. 00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:59.200 We are so confident of this nature of him 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:06.000 that he knows me by name, that he knows you by name. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:12.640 Second, surrender yields control. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.240 Surrender yields control. 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:19.120 Control resists surrender. 00:25:19.120 --> 00:25:20.400 And I'll explain this. 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:24.400 Surrender yields control, and control 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:26.120 resists surrender. 00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:37.160 I saw Dilna with his dog, Penny. 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:44.200 And so Penny is in a new place that Penny is not familiar in. 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:48.320 And so Dilna keeps telling Penny, Penny, lie down. 00:25:48.320 --> 00:25:49.480 Lie down. 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:53.560 And Penny is resisting because new people, new place, 00:25:53.560 --> 00:25:55.360 Penny doesn't know where she is. 00:25:55.360 --> 00:25:58.280 Penny is not lying down. 00:25:58.280 --> 00:26:01.960 Sheep doesn't lie down unless three or four conditions are 00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:02.800 met. 00:26:02.800 --> 00:26:04.080 One, sheep has to be. 00:26:11.080 --> 00:26:12.040 Is that on camera? 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:20.640 All right. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:27.680 Sheep doesn't lie down unless four conditions, three 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:29.240 or four conditions are met. 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:32.840 One is it needs to have eaten enough. 00:26:32.840 --> 00:26:36.200 Two, sheep doesn't lie down if it 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:37.680 thinks that there is danger. 00:26:40.560 --> 00:26:43.040 If it senses the presence of wolves around, 00:26:43.040 --> 00:26:45.160 it's not going to lie down. 00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:48.600 Three, if there is inter-sheep conflict, 00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:51.280 sheep doesn't lie down. 00:26:51.280 --> 00:26:55.640 So if there is chaos in the flock, it doesn't lie down. 00:26:55.640 --> 00:27:01.080 Four, if it's being bothered or tormented by flies or pests, 00:27:01.080 --> 00:27:03.840 it doesn't lie down. 00:27:03.840 --> 00:27:06.400 But when these four things are taken care of, 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:09.680 sheep will lie down. 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:16.000 Just like Dilna's dog, Penny, when things are familiar, 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:17.960 Penny knows no one is going to harm, 00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:19.560 no one is going to do anything wrong. 00:27:19.560 --> 00:27:20.880 I'm good, I'm safe. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:24.120 Penny will lie down. 00:27:24.120 --> 00:27:25.320 Four things. 00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:27.920 So when the psalmist says, when David says, 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:31.440 he makes me lie down in green pastures, 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:35.200 it is this quiet confidence that everything around me 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:36.720 is taken care of. 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:39.240 Everything in me is taken care of. 00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:41.600 He has got me. 00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:44.000 He has got me. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:45.680 He knows me. 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:46.800 He knows what I need. 00:27:46.840 --> 00:27:49.560 He has taken care of my needs. 00:27:49.560 --> 00:27:51.000 I'm well fed. 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:53.560 I'm well taken care of. 00:27:53.560 --> 00:27:56.880 And he makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:00.560 So surrendering, meaning yielding my control to say, 00:28:00.560 --> 00:28:03.960 I will lie down, is surrender. 00:28:03.960 --> 00:28:05.960 When I'm saying, I know you. 00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:08.120 I know how your heart is towards me. 00:28:08.120 --> 00:28:09.880 I know how good you are to me. 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:11.760 You are my shepherd. 00:28:11.760 --> 00:28:14.640 And I'll lie down. 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:18.040 And sometimes we don't really live 00:28:18.040 --> 00:28:20.440 like that in certain areas of our life. 00:28:20.440 --> 00:28:25.040 We still want that control so that just in case, 00:28:25.040 --> 00:28:28.720 we still have something we can hold on to. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:31.680 Surrender yields control. 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:36.720 Control resists surrender. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:39.920 Control is you taking charge. 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.680 Surrender is him taking charge. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:47.240 Control is you taking charge. 00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:49.480 Surrender is him taking charge. 00:28:56.920 --> 00:28:58.920 Let's put it this way, guys. 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:03.920 There is something called daily surrender, where I wake up 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:06.800 and I say, you're my shepherd. 00:29:06.800 --> 00:29:11.960 For today, everything that I need, you're going to give me. 00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:14.880 I look back and I see your faithfulness and your goodness 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:16.480 to me. 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:17.440 You've kept me safe. 00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:19.400 You've given me what I need. 00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:22.080 Things may not be all pretty, but I 00:29:22.080 --> 00:29:26.400 trust that you're good to me. 00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:30.920 You say, therefore, where you want me to lie down, 00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:34.240 I will lie down. 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:41.000 Because I trust that you have my best interest in your mind. 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:46.440 Daily surrender leads to lasting transformation. 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:50.640 Daily surrender leads to lasting transformation. 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:54.240 This is what happened with Peter, a guy who said no 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:58.360 to Jesus three times, then tried to control his life 00:29:58.360 --> 00:30:03.080 to go and do his own thing, then in Acts chapter 4, 00:30:03.080 --> 00:30:05.480 stands up as a changed man. 00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:06.680 Why? 00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:09.200 Daily surrender. 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:10.720 It's not a one time thing. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:12.400 It's a daily surrender. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:15.760 Daily surrender where I say, I will lie down wherever 00:30:15.760 --> 00:30:21.720 you want me to lie down, because you've got my best interest 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:23.800 in your mind. 00:30:23.800 --> 00:30:26.200 So the question is, how often do you 00:30:26.200 --> 00:30:29.280 go through moments of surrender? 00:30:29.280 --> 00:30:32.240 Is it something that happens whenever you sing a worship 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:32.760 song? 00:30:32.760 --> 00:30:35.520 Is it something that happens when you pray? 00:30:35.520 --> 00:30:38.640 Or is it a posture of your heart? 00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:41.080 A daily surrender. 00:30:41.080 --> 00:30:42.680 I've seen you yesterday. 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:44.440 I've tasted you yesterday. 00:30:44.440 --> 00:30:47.800 And today I come. 00:30:47.800 --> 00:30:49.600 Take it, Abba. 00:30:49.600 --> 00:30:50.800 Take it. 00:30:50.800 --> 00:30:51.320 Here I am. 00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:01.840 Daily surrender leads to lasting transformation. 00:31:01.840 --> 00:31:07.800 Three, shepherd heals every hurt and restores every brokenness. 00:31:07.800 --> 00:31:12.080 Shepherd heals every hurt and restores every brokenness. 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:20.560 So sheep can't heal itself. 00:31:20.560 --> 00:31:23.560 Sheep needs the shepherd. 00:31:23.560 --> 00:31:26.760 Sheep can't heal itself. 00:31:26.760 --> 00:31:29.600 It needs the shepherd. 00:31:29.600 --> 00:31:36.200 And the whole idea is things from the past that's undelt 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:38.480 delays progress. 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:41.680 Undelt past delays progress. 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:53.120 Things that happen in the past where you keep going back to it, 00:31:53.120 --> 00:31:55.720 because it happened, it's a real thing. 00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:58.120 But it hasn't been fully dealt with. 00:31:58.120 --> 00:32:04.640 This is why, again, the psalmist says, he restores my soul. 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.200 There is a restoration that he offers for free. 00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:13.320 Every time you run to him, he restores you. 00:32:13.320 --> 00:32:14.360 Restore what? 00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:17.960 Whatever from the past. 00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:19.320 Could be hurt. 00:32:19.320 --> 00:32:20.880 Could be a wound. 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:25.640 It could be things people did to you, things that happen to you, 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:28.080 nasty things. 00:32:28.080 --> 00:32:31.160 The sheep can run to the shepherd. 00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:35.480 And the shepherd always heals the sheep. 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:37.520 Sheep can't heal itself. 00:32:37.520 --> 00:32:40.880 And the more we carry these things in our lives, 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:45.760 we delay the progress God wants to bring in our life. 00:32:45.760 --> 00:32:49.600 Undelt past prevents progress. 00:32:49.600 --> 00:32:52.480 Undelt past prevents progress. 00:32:56.120 --> 00:32:59.240 So let him restore your soul. 00:32:59.240 --> 00:33:04.240 Let him do things where all these things from the past, 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:08.640 whatever it may be, are taken care of. 00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:12.760 Where you go through life knowing that your past, your present 00:33:12.760 --> 00:33:14.360 is taken care of. 00:33:14.360 --> 00:33:18.040 One of the things that last year or so, 00:33:18.040 --> 00:33:20.320 God began to talk to me about joy. 00:33:20.320 --> 00:33:22.320 And here is how I understood it then, 00:33:22.320 --> 00:33:28.800 that any time my past I know is painted by his goodness, 00:33:28.800 --> 00:33:32.600 my present is marked by his presence. 00:33:32.600 --> 00:33:39.040 And if my future is anchored in his promise, I have joy. 00:33:39.040 --> 00:33:42.240 When my past, present, and future, 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:45.120 when I know that all these three things are taken care of, 00:33:45.120 --> 00:33:45.560 I have joy. 00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:52.160 I don't know exactly what I said. 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:53.080 OK, let's try it. 00:33:53.080 --> 00:33:59.040 So when my past is painted in his goodness, 00:33:59.040 --> 00:34:03.560 when my present, what did I say? 00:34:03.560 --> 00:34:05.520 Is marked by his presence. 00:34:05.520 --> 00:34:11.400 And when my future is anchored in his promise, 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:14.560 then I have joy. 00:34:14.560 --> 00:34:16.120 All three. 00:34:16.120 --> 00:34:18.240 All three. 00:34:18.240 --> 00:34:19.760 So I love him, guys. 00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:25.000 This is one of those teachings where for me, 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:31.400 as I wrote things down, this is more about living it. 00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:33.480 It's not a new thing. 00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:34.880 We know it. 00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:39.480 But somehow, the Holy Spirit wants to tell this to us today 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:44.240 so that we don't take things into the new year, 2025. 00:34:44.240 --> 00:34:47.040 Certain things, mark it in your mind 00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:50.400 that today, God is saying, this stuff, 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:53.120 you ain't taking it into your new year. 00:34:53.120 --> 00:34:55.400 You ain't taking that into 2025. 00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:56.160 It's done. 00:34:56.160 --> 00:34:57.520 It's dealt with. 00:34:57.520 --> 00:35:02.960 And some of you will have to practically go to him 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:04.960 and say, here's the stuff. 00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:07.280 These are things that you feel like you've dealt with, 00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:09.440 but you haven't really dealt with it because it 00:35:09.440 --> 00:35:13.240 re-emerges from the shadows. 00:35:13.240 --> 00:35:15.200 That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about, 00:35:15.200 --> 00:35:19.080 where you've tried. 00:35:19.080 --> 00:35:22.040 You've made progress, but it's not dealt with fully. 00:35:22.040 --> 00:35:23.560 Can you take it to him? 00:35:23.560 --> 00:35:30.240 Because he is saying that he'll do it for you, whatever it is. 00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:33.320 The thing with a good shepherd is that when you run to him, 00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:34.840 he doesn't ask you more questions. 00:35:34.840 --> 00:35:35.760 He'll fix your problem. 00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:43.200 Sheep and shepherd. 00:35:43.200 --> 00:35:46.800 Number four, sheep hear and follow 00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:48.720 the voice of the shepherd. 00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:52.560 Sheep hear and follow the voice of the shepherd. 00:35:56.040 --> 00:35:58.000 I love this. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:58.800 I really love this. 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:06.160 Someone needs to hear it. 00:36:06.160 --> 00:36:10.320 See, the most natural thing for the sheep to do 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:13.480 is to hear the voice of the shepherd. 00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:15.640 Sheep by itself has a nature. 00:36:15.640 --> 00:36:19.680 It keeps wandering, keeps going wherever it wants to go. 00:36:19.680 --> 00:36:23.080 But that very weakness that the sheep has 00:36:23.080 --> 00:36:26.520 can become the sheep's greatest strength 00:36:26.520 --> 00:36:29.040 because the sheep can say, I need to listen. 00:36:29.040 --> 00:36:29.760 I need to hear. 00:36:33.720 --> 00:36:35.320 And what am I saying? 00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:39.320 Because if you're new to axe or you've 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:42.480 been here for a few couple of years, 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:49.120 one of the things that this church, this body is marked by, 00:36:49.120 --> 00:36:53.200 is this thing where we actually truly believe 00:36:53.200 --> 00:36:57.000 that God can speak to us clearly and that it's not 00:36:57.000 --> 00:37:00.080 limited to a few people. 00:37:00.080 --> 00:37:05.240 I grew up in a church where I saw people operating 00:37:05.240 --> 00:37:07.280 in all sorts of gifts. 00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:10.960 But I said, as a kid, I looked to them and I thought, wow, 00:37:10.960 --> 00:37:11.880 how can this be? 00:37:15.200 --> 00:37:18.280 So if you're here and you're hearing me, 00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:22.600 sheep hear the voice of the shepherd. 00:37:22.600 --> 00:37:25.640 There should be something inside you that rises up 00:37:25.640 --> 00:37:28.520 to say, this is who I am. 00:37:28.520 --> 00:37:32.200 Nothing can stop me from hearing his voice. 00:37:32.200 --> 00:37:34.840 It's normal to me. 00:37:34.840 --> 00:37:38.560 I think it's 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verse 17 or something. 00:37:38.560 --> 00:37:43.880 For me, that was the thing that changed my life. 00:37:43.880 --> 00:37:45.400 When I really began to understand 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:48.560 what that verse means, which is His spirit and my spirit 00:37:48.560 --> 00:37:54.400 is one, that my spirit is united with Him, that did it for me. 00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:57.400 Because all of a sudden, light came into my mind 00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:01.440 to inform my being that my spirit is united 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:04.680 with His spirit, 1 Corinthians 6, 17. 00:38:04.680 --> 00:38:07.280 It should then be the most natural thing for me 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:09.960 to know what His spirit wants to do. 00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:11.560 My spirit is united with Him. 00:38:11.560 --> 00:38:14.880 There is no separation between my spirit and His spirit. 00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:17.920 It's united with His spirit. 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:19.520 That changed it for me. 00:38:19.520 --> 00:38:22.200 That was the day I realized that it's 00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:26.160 natural for me to hear God. 00:38:26.160 --> 00:38:29.600 It's normal for me to hear God. 00:38:29.600 --> 00:38:31.400 And yes, there is practice. 00:38:31.400 --> 00:38:33.280 Yes, there is progressing in it. 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:35.120 Yes, all those things are true. 00:38:35.120 --> 00:38:40.400 But the greatest truth is this, that sheep hear His voice. 00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:44.200 His sheep hear His voice. 00:38:44.200 --> 00:38:45.920 So if you're new to Acts for Indiana 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:47.640 and been coming here for a little while 00:38:47.640 --> 00:38:50.160 and you see things happening where you're like, 00:38:50.160 --> 00:38:53.400 this is different from other churches and I want more of it, 00:38:53.400 --> 00:38:54.200 excellent. 00:38:54.200 --> 00:38:57.720 This is exactly what God wants for you, 00:38:57.720 --> 00:39:03.240 for you to hear His voice so that others can benefit from it. 00:39:04.240 --> 00:39:09.160 When I was in India, completed my undergrad, 00:39:09.160 --> 00:39:14.000 and I wanted to come here, my mom took me to a prayer meeting. 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:15.480 And in the prayer meeting, a pastor 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:16.840 who was preaching in the front, he 00:39:16.840 --> 00:39:19.120 makes his way through the crowd to the very back 00:39:19.120 --> 00:39:20.960 where I was at, like Ashish. 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:24.720 You didn't change from there, bro. 00:39:24.720 --> 00:39:27.040 He made his way to the back and he laid his hands on me 00:39:27.040 --> 00:39:30.760 and he said, I see you going to a land where there is snowfall. 00:39:30.760 --> 00:39:31.920 I wanted to go to England. 00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:34.600 That was a setback in my mind because England isn't 00:39:34.600 --> 00:39:36.800 known for a lot of snowfall. 00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:41.440 And he said, I see you with people with white skin color. 00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:44.840 And so I thought, OK. 00:39:44.840 --> 00:39:47.080 I go to a second prayer meeting a week and a half, 00:39:47.080 --> 00:39:51.480 two weeks later, when another pastor at another church 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:53.800 is ministering and he makes his way through the crowd, 00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:57.400 lays his hands on me, and says the exact same thing. 00:39:57.400 --> 00:39:59.720 I see you going to a land where there is snowfall 00:39:59.720 --> 00:40:02.000 and I see you sitting with people who have white skin. 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:03.880 That's what they said. 00:40:03.880 --> 00:40:04.920 And it settled it for me. 00:40:04.920 --> 00:40:08.280 At that time, for me, it was this thing of, OK, 00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:10.400 it's not England and God is speaking. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:11.880 I got to do something about it. 00:40:11.880 --> 00:40:12.640 It's not England. 00:40:12.640 --> 00:40:13.640 There is another place. 00:40:13.640 --> 00:40:15.800 And God brought me here. 00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:18.520 So in certain stages, he uses others 00:40:18.520 --> 00:40:21.600 to tell you what you need to do. 00:40:21.600 --> 00:40:23.220 And it can happen any time in your life 00:40:23.220 --> 00:40:26.480 where he begins to talk to you through others. 00:40:26.480 --> 00:40:29.800 But the expectation is always that he knows you 00:40:29.800 --> 00:40:34.200 and you know him, that he speaks and you hear. 00:40:34.200 --> 00:40:38.680 The expectation is not to rely on someone else all your life. 00:40:38.680 --> 00:40:41.640 The expectation is for you to say, he is my father. 00:40:41.640 --> 00:40:42.640 I am his son. 00:40:42.640 --> 00:40:43.640 He is my father. 00:40:43.640 --> 00:40:44.800 I am his daughter. 00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:49.960 This is me and him, father, son, father, daughter intimacies, 00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:52.680 where his voice I will always hear. 00:40:52.680 --> 00:40:56.880 There is no power, no nothing that can stop it. 00:40:56.880 --> 00:40:59.720 My spirit is united with him. 00:40:59.720 --> 00:41:01.160 This is the reality. 00:41:01.160 --> 00:41:05.680 And if you dare do this, you will walk into a place in life 00:41:05.680 --> 00:41:10.600 where you will get the hang of what it really means. 00:41:10.600 --> 00:41:13.160 It will change you. 00:41:13.160 --> 00:41:19.240 It will open up your eyes to a lifestyle 00:41:19.240 --> 00:41:22.200 that you wouldn't even think of today. 00:41:22.200 --> 00:41:23.200 That's the truth. 00:41:27.520 --> 00:41:29.720 The shepherd leads you. 00:41:29.720 --> 00:41:31.640 He guides you. 00:41:31.640 --> 00:41:34.520 Another thing, guys, is this. 00:41:34.520 --> 00:41:39.440 If he is one who leads, if he is one who guides, 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:43.200 I've got to ask him where he wants to go. 00:41:43.200 --> 00:41:46.040 Because oftentimes, it's possible to go through life 00:41:46.040 --> 00:41:49.120 assuming things. 00:41:49.120 --> 00:41:51.680 And one of the things that we need to be aware of, 00:41:51.680 --> 00:41:54.880 careful of is this. 00:41:54.880 --> 00:42:00.000 Are we making assumptions, or are we inquiring of him? 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:03.160 Are we making assumptions because we know him, 00:42:03.160 --> 00:42:05.840 because we are familiar with him, 00:42:05.840 --> 00:42:09.240 because we know his ways, or are we inquiring of him? 00:42:09.240 --> 00:42:11.000 All of that is true. 00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:13.960 We know him. 00:42:13.960 --> 00:42:14.880 We know his ways. 00:42:14.880 --> 00:42:16.040 Moses knew his ways. 00:42:16.040 --> 00:42:17.120 That's the whole idea. 00:42:17.120 --> 00:42:18.400 I want to know his ways. 00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:19.880 I want to grow in it. 00:42:19.880 --> 00:42:23.240 But don't make assumptions based on that. 00:42:23.240 --> 00:42:26.280 A place of inquiry, where when it comes to, 00:42:26.280 --> 00:42:28.760 and this isn't about just big things. 00:42:28.760 --> 00:42:30.680 I was thinking about it the other day. 00:42:30.680 --> 00:42:33.560 It would be very sad if Brielle comes to me and says, 00:42:33.560 --> 00:42:37.000 well, I'm a year and a half now. 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:40.040 When I am 12, when that happens, and 18, 00:42:40.040 --> 00:42:43.640 when I decide to choose college, and then 24, 00:42:43.640 --> 00:42:48.920 when I get married, I definitely need your counsel. 00:42:48.920 --> 00:42:51.200 That would be heartbreaking for me. 00:42:51.200 --> 00:42:54.520 I would love for her to come to me every day, 00:42:54.520 --> 00:42:57.160 to tell me things every day. 00:42:57.160 --> 00:43:00.000 So this isn't about major decisions in your life. 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:03.760 This is about a way of living with him, 00:43:03.760 --> 00:43:08.360 where the shepherd is key to your next step. 00:43:08.360 --> 00:43:10.560 You want to be close to him. 00:43:10.560 --> 00:43:12.160 You want to ask of him. 00:43:12.160 --> 00:43:14.240 You want to know what he is speaking. 00:43:14.240 --> 00:43:17.200 And you want his guiding step to lead you. 00:43:20.560 --> 00:43:22.000 Guidance. 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:24.560 It's a promise. 00:43:24.560 --> 00:43:29.320 The first time I started understanding hearing, 00:43:29.320 --> 00:43:37.200 and I was in downtown, it was like 14 years ago. 00:43:37.200 --> 00:43:40.120 And I was like, if this thing is true, then surely this could 00:43:40.120 --> 00:43:42.480 actually be applied to every area of my life. 00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:44.160 And I said, how about this is downtown. 00:43:44.160 --> 00:43:45.960 I don't really know downtown much. 00:43:45.960 --> 00:43:50.840 I want to go to an A&W. So how do I get there? 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:52.000 And really, I asked him. 00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:54.040 He said, left, right, left, right. 00:43:54.040 --> 00:43:58.440 I ended up in front of an A&W. For me, that was it. 00:43:58.440 --> 00:44:01.080 Kalash did it for me. 00:44:01.080 --> 00:44:02.880 Because I was like, this is true, man. 00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:05.120 He can actually do this. 00:44:05.120 --> 00:44:07.400 This isn't just spiritual stuff where 00:44:07.400 --> 00:44:10.640 you have to say things to people, or you have to make it. 00:44:10.640 --> 00:44:15.000 This is everyday sheep and shepherd. 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:17.440 This is everything. 00:44:17.440 --> 00:44:19.360 This is day and night. 00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:21.000 This is morning and evening. 00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:23.240 This is everyday thing. 00:44:23.240 --> 00:44:25.360 Everyday decisions. 00:44:25.360 --> 00:44:26.840 Not just big decisions. 00:44:29.880 --> 00:44:32.160 He leads you. 00:44:32.160 --> 00:44:34.280 My prayer is that even as I'm speaking, 00:44:34.280 --> 00:44:36.680 some of you are in the spirit lifting up your hand 00:44:36.680 --> 00:44:39.080 and saying, I need this. 00:44:39.080 --> 00:44:40.240 I need more of it. 00:44:40.240 --> 00:44:41.960 I'm not satisfied with it. 00:44:41.960 --> 00:44:43.960 I want to walk into greater depth. 00:44:43.960 --> 00:44:48.200 And so that you can then have us say, I want that. 00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:55.440 We'll wrap it up at 6.15. 00:44:55.440 --> 00:44:59.480 A few days ago, I was praying. 00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:06.080 And while I was praying, I shared this with some of you 00:45:06.080 --> 00:45:08.880 in a different meeting, I think. 00:45:08.880 --> 00:45:13.160 So I was praying and I heard Haryana. 00:45:13.160 --> 00:45:15.680 As I'm praying, I was praying in tongues, 00:45:15.680 --> 00:45:18.080 and I heard Haryana. 00:45:18.080 --> 00:45:21.440 Haryana is the name of a province in India. 00:45:21.440 --> 00:45:23.440 And a few minutes later, as I'm praying, 00:45:23.440 --> 00:45:24.800 I heard Haryana again. 00:45:24.800 --> 00:45:27.280 And a few minutes later, I heard Haryana. 00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:28.960 So three times I heard Haryana. 00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:32.440 And in my mind, I'm like, OK, but you're saying Haryana. 00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:34.000 There is something in Haryana. 00:45:34.000 --> 00:45:35.240 I don't know, but I heard it. 00:45:35.240 --> 00:45:39.160 A week or so later, James, Mark, and I were in Wally, 00:45:39.160 --> 00:45:40.840 and we were walking the streets. 00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:42.640 And that day, we felt like we're not 00:45:42.640 --> 00:45:44.240 going to talk to a whole lot of people. 00:45:44.240 --> 00:45:48.760 What we're doing is around the city center, we'll pray. 00:45:48.760 --> 00:45:53.160 So all four sides of the city center will stand there, pray. 00:45:53.160 --> 00:45:54.480 And so we decided to do that. 00:45:54.480 --> 00:45:56.600 And then the second side we were on, 00:45:56.600 --> 00:46:00.160 James actually felt that we should pray for people's mind 00:46:00.160 --> 00:46:01.880 to be open to God's truth. 00:46:01.880 --> 00:46:03.160 So we started praying. 00:46:03.160 --> 00:46:06.080 And I see a guy on the other side sitting in the back 00:46:06.080 --> 00:46:09.760 of his shirt said, fear of God. 00:46:09.760 --> 00:46:11.320 And so we talked to each other, and we 00:46:11.320 --> 00:46:12.960 felt like we should go and talk with him, 00:46:12.960 --> 00:46:16.960 and with him were two other two girls. 00:46:16.960 --> 00:46:19.200 And so we begin to have a conversation. 00:46:19.200 --> 00:46:21.520 I tell him, it's written, fear of God. 00:46:21.520 --> 00:46:22.560 What does it mean for you? 00:46:22.560 --> 00:46:24.600 He said, it definitely means nothing. 00:46:24.600 --> 00:46:25.520 It's just fashion. 00:46:25.520 --> 00:46:26.480 It's just nothing. 00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:27.000 Nothing. 00:46:27.000 --> 00:46:27.760 It means nothing. 00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:30.000 He was almost like I was making fun of him. 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:32.000 And then he said, I'm going to pray for you. 00:46:32.080 --> 00:46:32.960 Making fun of him. 00:46:32.960 --> 00:46:36.560 And then I turned to him, and I say, it means something to me. 00:46:36.560 --> 00:46:37.440 Can we talk to you? 00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:39.680 So the three of us begin to talk to them. 00:46:39.680 --> 00:46:41.960 And they're from Punjab. 00:46:41.960 --> 00:46:48.040 And so as I'm talking, because I knew they are from Punjab, 00:46:48.040 --> 00:46:50.920 I thought, OK, kids, they're going to school here. 00:46:50.920 --> 00:46:52.040 What's happening? 00:46:52.040 --> 00:46:55.800 And when I asked more questions, one of them said, no, no, no. 00:46:55.800 --> 00:46:56.800 We're not from Punjab. 00:46:56.800 --> 00:46:57.640 We're from Haryana. 00:46:57.640 --> 00:46:59.640 And about a week and a half ago, this thing 00:46:59.640 --> 00:47:02.560 had happened where I had in my mind locked this thing 00:47:02.560 --> 00:47:03.880 that God communicated to me. 00:47:03.880 --> 00:47:05.760 Haryana, Haryana, Haryana. 00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:07.920 And at that time, in front of me are three kids. 00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:09.280 Haryana, Haryana, Haryana. 00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:11.520 All three of them are from there. 00:47:11.520 --> 00:47:13.680 We progress to share the gospel. 00:47:13.680 --> 00:47:15.600 We tell them about who God is. 00:47:15.600 --> 00:47:17.520 If I know the shepherd, I can surely 00:47:17.520 --> 00:47:20.760 say this is what the shepherd can do for you. 00:47:20.760 --> 00:47:21.800 Why am I sharing this? 00:47:21.800 --> 00:47:25.360 Guys, guiding steps, leading steps, 00:47:25.560 --> 00:47:28.520 guiding steps, leading steps. 00:47:28.520 --> 00:47:30.360 His leadings are so clear. 00:47:33.240 --> 00:47:37.600 Our days and nights can be so much adventurous with him. 00:47:37.600 --> 00:47:38.440 So adventure. 00:47:38.440 --> 00:47:39.640 What is your role? 00:47:39.640 --> 00:47:41.920 What do you ever have to do with three kids from Haryana? 00:47:41.920 --> 00:47:43.280 Nothing. 00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:47.160 But with him, he opens a door. 00:47:47.160 --> 00:47:50.920 With him, he says, you're not just about, you're my sheep, 00:47:50.920 --> 00:47:52.320 because I had a few other points. 00:47:52.320 --> 00:47:53.840 I don't have time. 00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:56.240 Let's just conclude by this. 00:47:56.240 --> 00:47:59.600 The fourth thing I wanted to say is this. 00:47:59.600 --> 00:48:00.280 Protection. 00:48:00.280 --> 00:48:01.400 But that's for another day. 00:48:01.400 --> 00:48:03.320 If you have time, we'll cover it another day. 00:48:03.320 --> 00:48:10.160 Protection is something that you should interest him with. 00:48:10.160 --> 00:48:12.360 Interest him with your protection. 00:48:12.360 --> 00:48:17.000 Because the truth is, anyway, we can't do it. 00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:19.120 Anyway, we can't do it. 00:48:19.120 --> 00:48:20.880 Interest him with your protection. 00:48:20.880 --> 00:48:23.720 There is a scripture from Amos, if you can bring it up, 00:48:23.720 --> 00:48:29.680 Brandon, that I had read before, but I hadn't read it like this. 00:48:29.680 --> 00:48:32.560 Thus says the Lord, as the shepherd rescues 00:48:32.560 --> 00:48:37.680 from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of a ear, 00:48:37.680 --> 00:48:40.320 so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria 00:48:40.320 --> 00:48:43.560 be rescued with the corner of a couch and part of a bed. 00:48:43.560 --> 00:48:47.360 The whole idea here being this. 00:48:47.360 --> 00:48:50.360 Amos actually is known as a shepherd prophet. 00:48:50.400 --> 00:48:54.400 So he was also a shepherd while being a prophet. 00:48:54.400 --> 00:48:55.600 I didn't know that. 00:48:55.600 --> 00:48:57.760 But then the thing that I had read before, 00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:03.000 but I'd never really thought much of, is this idea that, man, 00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:07.600 in this case, the Lord is saying this one sheep, let's say, 00:49:07.600 --> 00:49:11.760 part of its ear was already in the mouth of a lion or whatever. 00:49:11.760 --> 00:49:13.720 God rescues it. 00:49:13.720 --> 00:49:16.760 Two legs were already in the mouth of a lion. 00:49:16.760 --> 00:49:17.600 God rescues it. 00:49:17.600 --> 00:49:18.720 What's the deal? 00:49:18.720 --> 00:49:20.000 The deal is this. 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:23.040 He has authority. 00:49:23.040 --> 00:49:26.040 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 00:49:26.040 --> 00:49:27.520 So on one hand, the staff is something 00:49:27.520 --> 00:49:30.560 that the shepherd uses to guide. 00:49:30.560 --> 00:49:33.720 The rod is something that he uses to make sure nothing 00:49:33.720 --> 00:49:36.680 comes near you. 00:49:36.680 --> 00:49:38.000 So protection. 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:42.320 I hope some of you can go back and meditate on this verse. 00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:45.520 It's beautiful. 00:49:45.520 --> 00:49:46.480 So things from the past. 00:49:47.360 --> 00:49:51.920 When you meet people who seem to be in a place where 00:49:51.920 --> 00:49:54.960 a part of the ear is in its mouth, 00:49:54.960 --> 00:50:00.280 a two legs are in its mouth, the lion or a wolf 00:50:00.280 --> 00:50:04.000 or whatever it is, you can have the confidence 00:50:04.000 --> 00:50:06.680 that we serve a shepherd who can pull them out. 00:50:11.560 --> 00:50:15.640 And a couple more things, but I'll wrap it up this way. 00:50:15.640 --> 00:50:23.080 The idea, though, is that as we walk like this, we are sheep. 00:50:23.080 --> 00:50:25.160 He is the shepherd. 00:50:25.160 --> 00:50:28.120 The idea, though, is that he wants 00:50:28.120 --> 00:50:33.080 to transform us as we relate to him like this day after day 00:50:33.080 --> 00:50:41.440 so that one day he can ask you the question, do you love me? 00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:44.440 And you can say, yes, I do. 00:50:44.440 --> 00:50:47.240 So he can say, feed my sheep. 00:50:52.280 --> 00:50:53.920 That's the idea. 00:50:53.920 --> 00:50:57.720 The idea is not that we remain like this all the time. 00:50:57.720 --> 00:50:58.760 Of course we do. 00:50:58.760 --> 00:50:59.960 This is until I die. 00:50:59.960 --> 00:51:01.560 This is until you die. 00:51:01.560 --> 00:51:03.800 You're always sheep on his pasture. 00:51:03.800 --> 00:51:05.800 He is always your shepherd. 00:51:05.800 --> 00:51:08.080 But he also has another thing in mind, 00:51:08.080 --> 00:51:10.520 that as you associate with him, as you 00:51:10.520 --> 00:51:12.680 know the ways of the shepherd, he then 00:51:12.680 --> 00:51:14.840 wants to turn you around and have you 00:51:14.840 --> 00:51:16.280 become a shepherd to others. 00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:22.440 And that's for everyone, because again, the tendency 00:51:22.440 --> 00:51:26.000 is that we think of this as just a pastoral thing. 00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:31.200 While pastors are shepherds, you cannot disciple people 00:51:31.200 --> 00:51:34.080 without having the heart of a shepherd. 00:51:34.080 --> 00:51:39.640 And the call to disciple people is not limited to just pastors. 00:51:39.640 --> 00:51:43.520 Every believer is supposed to be a disciple maker. 00:51:43.520 --> 00:51:46.720 And so it's you and me and us. 00:51:46.720 --> 00:51:52.000 And so as I begin to know him in this way, where I relate to him, 00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:56.120 there are ways about your discipling people 00:51:56.120 --> 00:51:58.400 that will change. 00:51:58.400 --> 00:51:59.320 Look forward to it. 00:52:02.440 --> 00:52:03.840 Because we go by patterns. 00:52:03.840 --> 00:52:06.760 We go by things we know. 00:52:06.760 --> 00:52:13.160 But the good shepherd wants you to know certain ways about him 00:52:13.160 --> 00:52:15.760 so that your answer to Nick is not 00:52:15.760 --> 00:52:19.680 the same as to someone else, so that you don't 00:52:19.680 --> 00:52:23.520 have prepackaged responses, that you actually 00:52:23.520 --> 00:52:27.840 know how to deal with each sheep. 00:52:27.840 --> 00:52:33.760 He knows sheep, each of them, by its name. 00:52:33.760 --> 00:52:36.720 So there is a transformation that happens. 00:52:36.720 --> 00:52:37.640 Sheep to shepherd. 00:52:42.120 --> 00:52:43.760 Yeah? 00:52:43.760 --> 00:52:45.040 Let's wrap it up. 00:52:45.040 --> 00:52:50.880 There are a few things, but maybe another time or we'll see. 00:52:50.880 --> 00:52:55.160 So Holy Spirit, we thank you. 00:52:55.160 --> 00:53:02.000 Because you always give light to our path. 00:53:02.040 --> 00:53:08.320 You shine light on it so we can move with you in the direction 00:53:08.320 --> 00:53:10.080 that you have for us. 00:53:10.080 --> 00:53:19.680 Jesus hears my prayer for us, that this week and moving forward, 00:53:19.680 --> 00:53:24.760 we will walk in a deeper understanding of what 00:53:24.760 --> 00:53:30.480 it means to be sheep, what it means to relate with you 00:53:30.480 --> 00:53:32.320 as our shepherd. 00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:36.880 I pray if I go back to the seven things that were written, 00:53:36.880 --> 00:53:39.000 that was on the screen. 00:53:39.000 --> 00:53:42.600 I pray, Lord, that during this week, 00:53:42.600 --> 00:53:47.360 we will lift up our hands and say, I want more, 00:53:47.360 --> 00:53:50.720 like Aksa did to Caleb. 00:53:50.720 --> 00:53:54.880 That we will say, in these areas, shepherd, 00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:56.800 it's flock familiarity. 00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:58.400 I want more. 00:53:58.400 --> 00:54:01.640 I want intimate association. 00:54:01.640 --> 00:54:07.040 And that our understanding of you changes drastically. 00:54:07.040 --> 00:54:09.960 Holy Spirit, I pray that you will bring acceleration 00:54:09.960 --> 00:54:11.640 in this in our lives. 00:54:11.640 --> 00:54:12.880 We thank you. 00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:17.480 We look forward to living as sheep on your pasture. 00:54:17.480 --> 00:54:19.360 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:54:22.840 --> 00:54:25.320 Jane, was there any announcements or anything? 00:54:25.320 --> 00:54:27.560 Yeah? 00:54:27.560 --> 00:54:30.240 Yeah, if you need prayer, there'll be people up here. 00:54:30.240 --> 00:54:33.000 So if you're new and you'd like prayer, 00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:35.680 there'll be a few folks here who can pray for you. 00:54:35.680 --> 00:54:37.560 Thanks, everyone.