SHEEP NO MORE (11/29/09 Message)

SHEEP NO MORE

Bible quotations are from the New English Translation (NET) used by permission. The NET Bible is the first and, so far, only bible translation prepared for free distribution over the internet. You can check it out at http://bible.org, or down load it at http://bible.org/downloads .

A. Zech 10:2-8—
For the household gods have spoken wickedness, the soothsayers have seen a lie, and as for the dreamers, they have disclosed emptiness and give comfort in vain. Therefore the people set out like sheep and become scattered because they have no shepherd. I am enraged at the shepherds and will punish the lead-goats.
For the Lord who rules over all has brought blessing to his flock, the house of Judah, and will transform them into his majestic warhorse. From him will come the cornerstone, the wall peg, the battle bow, and every ruler. And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry.
“I (says the Lord) will strengthen the kingdom of Judah and deliver the people of Joseph and will bring them back because of my compassion for them. They will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and therefore I will hear them. The Ephraimites will be like warriors and will rejoice as if they had drunk wine. Their children will see it and rejoice; they will celebrate in the things of the Lord. I will whistle for them and they will come running, for I have already redeemed them; then they will become as numerous as they were before.

1. Israel, GODS PEOPLE, had developed their own forms of religious observance. And today, within our churches we have a bunch of “-isms” and personality cults
a. In Paul’s day some said “I follow Apollos” or “I follow Paul” or I follow ____”;
b. Today we say, “I am a Fundamentalist” or “I am a progressive” or “I follow Dobson”, or “I follow_____”;
c. We chose sides and follow sometimes small, sometimes large errors;
d. Most of all, though, WE LET SOMEONE ELSE TELL US WHAT TO THINK, and thus we LET THEM THINK FOR US.
2. These leaders have missed God’s truth, leaving the sheep to wander aimlessly
3. God promises to return and to empower the sheep, to make those who are willing and those who are able into horses fit for battle, rather than just merely sheep.
4. When He calls, those who are willing, and hear his voice and his call will come running
a. Jesus said. “My sheep will know my voice…”
1.) Sheep are aimless;
2.) Sheep need constant correction;
3.) Sheep lack energy and they are not the wisest of creatures;
4.) Sheep are vulnerable and weak; and
5.) Sheep taste goods.
b. Horses ALSO know the voice of their master,
1.) Horses are animals with a lot of energy and strength;
2.) Horses are smarter than sheep;
3.) Horses can be trained to be part of the riders purpose;
4.) A horse is a companion;
5.) Horses don’t taste very good at all; and
6.) Horses can be trained to be part of the battle.
c. When He calls--
1.) As sheep we respond to His call to follow and be taken care of;
2.) As horses we Respond to His call to go with Him as a part of the team, active and involved in achieving His purpose.


B. Nature of a Warhorse
1. Specially bred--
a. One of the early purposes of horse breeding was to develop horses that could be relied on in battle;
b. Those that washed out of the war horse training early were used for the warriors family to ride, those that washed out later on were often used in racing and in training youths to ride;
c. Horse racing in many cultures was a way for warriors to brag on their favorite animal, and demonstrate their skill as riders and breeders
2. Specially trained--
a. Were trained to trust the rider and to go against their prey nature;
1.) Would go in the direction last instructed unless turned by the rider;
2.) Were trained to stomp soldiers and fight other horses;
3.) Were trained to drive directly at other horses and people.
b. Were not their own, surrendered their own will to their master;
c. Took the primary instructions from the legs and position of the rider rather than the bridle;
d. Did not need a bit
e. Lived for battle
3. Many called few are chosen (HMMM; sounds familiar)
a. Just like us.
1.) Many of us hear the call of God;
2.) But look for reasons why we cannot follow
3.) or should not follow,
4.) or why we might have heard wrong
5.) (Speaking from personal experience here);
b. Many horses look like they can perform, but few really can;
1.) Soldiers today are the same way;
2.) only a small percentage of the whole population ever answers the call to serve;
3.) and of those only a small portion are able to actually fight;
4.) the remainder perform functions in support of the front line warriors.
c. Temperament is critical
1.) A horse that is skittish, or cannot remain focused, or is lazy is not chosen
2.) A horse that has fire in his eyes; a bit of a prance in her step; a desire to run; and is unyielding to other horses makes a great cavalry mount…but must be trained to control each of these tendencies until released.
d. Courage
1.) Many horses can never overcome their fear of predators, their distrust of humans and their need or safety;
2.) These horses make dangerous mounts, and can not be trusted themselves.
e. Faithfulness
1.) Horses are social animals;
2.) A horse that bonds with the rider is a great asset and a great mount in battle.
f. Most “self-select” out
1.) Many horses, and people, see the challenges and decide they do not want to face them
2.) Those who choose not to press on towards the mark are not useless, but do not achieve their full potential and do not receive their full reward.
4. War horses are surrendered, they are NEVER broken--
a. Broken horses are--
1.) Emotionally scarred;
2.) Fearful;
3.) Unable to be trusted under pressure;
4.) Looking for revenge (oppositionally defiant, passive aggressive);
5.) Lacking fire in their bellies.
b. Surrendered horses--
1.) WANT to be with the rider;
2.) Trust the rider implicitly;
3.) Retain their strength and their fire;
4.) Are there when they are needed;
5.) Will take care of the rider;
6.) Are FOCUSED on the task at hand;
7.) The above list defines the MEEK, often used in the past to describe the ideal war horse.
5. Horse and rider were one unit--
a. The horse surrendered its destiny to its rider (which is all God asks of us);
b. The rider assumed responsibility to protect and provide for the horse (which is what God promises us).
C. God is our Master, the Holy Spirit is our rider
1. Jesus came to seek us as sheep
2. We are drawn in as sheep
3. God’s plan is for us to surrender and be changed
a. From sheep
1.) Needy and
2.) Afraid,
3.) Must be constantly protected and
4.) Running off on our own and need constant re-direction
b. To battle ready horses
1.) Strong, but surrendered (MEEK)
2.) Trained for battle
3.) Ready for the fight
4.) Focused on the Master’s will
5.) Trust the master
6.) Courageous
D. WHY?
1. The Bible is pretty clear on this--
a. We face an enemy focused on destroying us and our world
b. God has assured us that this will not happen,
2. We have been recruited to be part of God’s plan to counter Satan’s efforts
a. God needs us HERE, TODAY to meet the attacks of Satan head on
b. We are to Go where He leads to reach those whom He directs us to reach
E. Everyone Jesus touched went away changed for the better (those who opposed Him, did not).
F. Paul after the Damascus road--
1. Paul’s progression--
a. Zealous Persecutor
b. Struck down
c. Healed
d. Zeal re-directed
e. Taught by Jesus
f. Prophet and teacher in Antioch
g. Sent out
h. Became Apostle
2. Paul’s Purpose—
a. Preach the Gospel (whereas before he persecuted the Gospel)
b. Raise up leaders (whereas before he sought to destroy leaders)
c. Entrance the Gospel (whereas before he worked to uproot it)
d. Spread the seeds of faith (whereas he worked diligently to scatter and destroy them).
G. Potter & Clay
1. God is the master potter working to fashion human vessels;
2. He is working to make us into vessels of Honor;
3. The clay does not tell the potter what it wants to be;
4. The potter decides what the clay will look like and what its function in life will be;
5. The potter works the clay until it is ready,
a. but must sometimes mush it back down or gouge out a rough spot;
b. or choose a different shape when the clay does not conform at the necessary moment;
H. God’s plan:
1. We all fall short of God’s glory and plan for our lives
2. God sent Jesus
a. To live,
b. To teach,
c. To die on Calvary
d. To be buried in a borrowed tomb (Borrowed because he was only going to need it for a couple days)
e. To be raised from the dead on the third day
f. And to be raised up from the earth, glorified, to sit at the right hand of God interceding for us
3. God sent the Holy Spirit
a. To seal our adoption into His family through our faith in Jesus
b. To provide us a way to communicate with Him when we could not do so on our own
c. To empower us
1.) To live victoriously
2.) To provide us tools (gifts) for ministry

4. ROMANS 12 (ALL)
Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.
Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

a. Call to surrender/ meekness
1.) Paul Opens this section with a call to surrender;
2.) This is the first requirement for the transformation from sheep to warhorse
b. Call to Change
1.) Paul asks us to allow ourselves to be transformed
2.) We are challenged to change the vary way we think about EVERYTHING
c. Allow ourselves to be trained
1.) Changing the way we think is just the beginning
2.) We are asked to allow God to develop in us skills, abilities and knowledge which we can use in hHis service
d. Meekness / Humility / Knowledge of WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST
1.) We need to be careful we do not get the idea we are better than ANYONE.
a.) We are each given different skill sets for God’s work
b.) Each person is equally important to the accomplishment of the task
c.) Our task is to use what we have to the best of our ability under God’s guidance
2.) We need to watch out for false humility--If we pretend we are nothing, there is as much pride in this as there is in arrogance;
3.) In Fact, IT IS OKAY to acknowledge our gifts and abilities, as long as we are making an honest assessment that includes the facts that:
a.) Our abilities and gifts are from GOD
b.) In God’s eyes there is no gift that is better than another
c.) Those given more visible gifts are also held to a higher standard of conduct and accountability;
d.) MEEKNESS is an objective assessment of who we are, WHOSE we are, and what we are capable of, while remembering that we area part of a whole that requires all parts to succeed.
e. Our missions and training (GIFTS)
1.) Paul lays out a partial listing of the gifts given the church and Christians
2.) He also notes that we are each responsible for putting them to use and giving all we have in the process
3.) In this discussion, Paul likens us to members of a body, which cannot function at peak efficiency without ALL of the other parts
f. Use our skills boldly and in submission—GODS WAY
g. How God takes the battle to His enemy
1.) Jesus going to the cross was an act of war against Satan.
a.) Satan operates through pride and self-centeredness,
b.) God counters through humility and self-sacrifice
2.) When we react to hurtful attacks with love and concern for our attacker,
a.) We defeat Satan’s work;
b.) We demonstrate our Lord’s kingdom;
c.) We give our human adversary an opportunity to see God at work and maybe seek greater understanding of Jesus.
h. We are asked to trust him enough to do it
i. His way, which is so, so, SO different
1.) Who would have thought of a God defeating his enemy by sacrificing His OWN side
2.) Who would think that LOVE (something we consider an emotion and a weak one at that) would be the primary weapon

I. OTHER EXAMPLES NOT INCLUDED IN THE MESSAGE, BUT INCLUDED FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Disciples sent out while Jesus was alive
2. Legion
3. Peter’s Confession of Christ
4. Disciples were servants and now friends
5. David’s men at Adullam
a. Losers who came in contact with God’s anointed
b. Changed to the most powerful warriors of their time
c. Mighty exploits
6. Gideon
7. Elisha
a. Successful Farmer
b. Called by the Man of God
c. Became greater than his mentor
8. Isaiah –
a. unclean Lips
b. I will GO
9. Ezekiel
a. Prophesy to the Dry Bones
10. Peter’s denial
11. Disciples sent out just prior to Pentecost
12. (11 + 12 = 13 & 14)Peter at Pentecost
13. Peter and his Vision/Cornelius
14. John Mark…
a. with Paul, sent home…
b. Barnabas and Paul split up,…
1.) Barnabas is an illustration of the HS
2.) Barnabas worked with JM and brought him along in the faith
3.) Barnabas is patient and supportive of JM
4.) Barnabas saw future; Paul needed now
c. As he nears the end of his life and ministry, Paul asks for John Mark because John Mark has become a man to be respected, thanks to the transformational efforts of Barnabas

Sometimes A Title Just is Not Possible

As I am preparing my message for tomorrow, I am listening to a number of new (to me) worship songs on YouTube, some because of Lori D, my favorite worship leader, and one of my best friends in all the world.

This one, by Robin Mark of Ireland, just touched me and urges me to push on and to pursue the destiny to which I believe I am called.

Without further delay, "Take Us To The River" by Robin Mark--



May you all be blessed with all good things in all you do and in every moment of your life.

Devoted...

I just finished processing the CCLI licensing paperwork so we can properly use a wide variety of music in a number of ways.

So I decided to check out the website and see what they had. It took me one click to start the tears flowing.

Here is the youtube version of Citipointe Church, Brisbane Australia's "Devoted".



Check it out, I love sharing great message songs.

In His Love,
E

Welcome

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you all to this little cave in the desert.

Adullam is the place to which David fled when King Saul was trying to kill him. In that place something special happened, something powerful enough to change the lives and fortunes of 400 outcast men and their families. And that something spread beyond those 400. But this is a story for a later date.

For the moment, I would like to thank all of you for at least being curious enough to check out this little hole in the desert. All I ask is that you trust God to work in you as He works in me. If you do, then together we can grow.

As of this writing, this is still very much a work in progress, though the extent of the progress could be debated and the amount of work is still tremendous.

But we will move forward with this. The internet contains a virtual desert wasteland, just as the real world, and Adullam is called to provide ministry in that lonely and forgotten place, just as we are called to minister to those who walk through our material doors in southwestern desert in which we dwell.

If you are outcast by another church, if you are rejected by family and friends, if you want to know who this Jesus is, or if you are looking for someplace where anyone is welcome to enter the presence of the Lord, this is the place.

We will have a bit of fun, and more than a little bit of hard work, all the while worshipping and honoring the one who loved us from the foundation of the earth.

The4 other day when I was praying, god gave a few simple words, "It is time to open the corral, take the hobbles off and let the horse run!"

So lets hop on and see where this ride takes us.