The Great Shepherd pt 4 by Ps Ben Saayman
“Ready…..Set…..Go”
You know….God’s Word never disappoint when we come hungry and Thirsty or Excited and expectant
It declares out of Isaiah 55 that God’s Word will not return void, but will accomplish for what it is send out… So when God’s Word is send…It is Set….
It has a purpose.
It has a opportunity
It has a reason…
It has a destiny…
It has Power
God’s Word has Authority in Jesus Mighty Name…
But it’s up to you how your heart receives the Word. It’s up to you how you will Apply the Word to your life.
But when it is Set,It can not return void….
God’s Word… Breaks strongholds, breaks the yoke of bondage. It removes all your iniqueties.
It breathes live into dry bones.
Here’s my favorite one. It creates an atmosphere to release the Anointing to move mountains and to conquer… Whatever we may face… To reign…To give freedom back to the captives.
God’s Word sets you up for something
Get ready… Set… Go….!
When we BELIEVE and TRUST and APPLY the Word of God. Then this is where our Faith is activated!!!
This is that Hope we have, that though Christ “anything” is Possible!!!
“Things” are set in motion…
My “THINGS” ARE SET IN MOTION.!!!
Colossians 1 v19-20 NIV “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him ,(Jesus) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.”
Hebrews 13v 20-21 NIV “Now may the God of peace, who, through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13 v 20-21 TPT “Now may the God who brought us peace by raising from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ so that he would be the Great Shepherd of his flock; and by the power of the blood of the eternal covenant, may he work perfection into every part of you giving you all that you need to fulfill your destiny. And may he express through you all that is excellent and pleasing to him through your life-union with Jesus the Anointed One who is to receive all glory forever! Amen!”
John 14 v 6 NIV “Jesus answered, “I am the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE . No one comes to the Father except through me.”
WAY = TO FOLLOW
TRUTH = SET YOU FREE
LIFE = PURSUE DESTINY
So Christ knows the way and wants to lead us into the right way… We need to follow…
Romans 5:1 TPT “Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and he now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting PEACE with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us.”
God wants us to have peace with each other too. As God forgave all our sins through Jesus, so we should forgive one another unconditionally.
Jesus gave us Peace!
Then the peace of God rules our hearts. The God of peace” EQUIPS ” us with everything good for doing his will. He works in us to do what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus Equips us!
The author mentioned Jesus as “that great Shepherd of the sheep.” Out of his great Compassion , Jesus came into the world and Served all kinds of sinners. Finally he gave his life for us.
Jesus served!
As the great Shepherd, Jesus Protects us from enemies; Jesus Guides us in the way of peace; Jesus Feeds us with the living words of God; Jesus brings us to the kingdom of God.
Jesus Guides, Feeds and Protects us.!
The words “great Shepherd” indicate that he wants us to follow his example and be shepherds under him, so that all may follow him together.
Jesus Leads us!
People are THIRSTY for the TRUTH . They are HUNGRY for God’s LOVE. They are wandering, not knowing the meaning and direction of life. They are perishing in their sins. Who can help them?
Jesus Redeems us.!
1 Peter 5 v 2-3 TPT “to be compassionate shepherds who tenderly care for God’s flock and who feed them well, for you have the responsibility to guide, protect, and oversee. Consider it a joyous pleasure and not merely a religious duty. Lead from the heart under God’s leadership—not as a way to gain finances dishonestly but as a way to eagerly and cheerfully serve. Don’t be controlling tyrants but lead others by your beautiful examples to the flock.”
Psalm 23 v1 NIV “The LORD is my Shepherd, I lack nothing”
A Samaritan woman thought that if she had the right husband she would be happy. So she tried different men, one by one, until she had had five husbands. Still, she was not happy.
Like her, many people are seeking to be satisfied through romance, money, fame, power, pleasure and the like. But they are never satisfied even when they get what they wanted.
It is because people are made in the image of God.
Only God’s Presence can satisfy the human soul!
So Augustine said, “God made man with an empty place inside that only God can fill and man is a restless wanderer on the earth until he finds his rest in God.”
We can be satisfied when we accept the Lord as our shepherd. Then we, too, can confess, “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.”
John 4 :14 TPT “but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never thirst again and will be forever satisfied! For when you drink the water I give you it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, springing up and flooding you with endless life!”
John 6 :35 TPT “Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to me and you will never be hungry. Believe in me and you will never be thirsty”.
The world is changing day by day. Value systems, lifestyles, ways of communication, and ideas rapidly change. Usually it is not for the better, but for the worse.
We naturally conform to the patterns of this world (Ro 12:2). It is not easy to resist such trends. But in the midst of this change, Jesus is Always the Same.
His Truth and Grace never change and are always effective for salvation.
John 8:12 TPT “Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”
When we hold on to Jesus we can resist the trends of the world and grow to be like him.
When we Imitate Jesus, he Strengthens us to run the race of faith to the end. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and imitate him.
Psalm 23 v 5-6 NIV “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
In the ancient Middle East, showing hospitality was very important. When one was chased by his enemy, if he took refuge in the house of a strong and powerful man, he could be safe. The enemy could not harm him as long as the host protected his guest.
So the Lord is a host and we are his guests. When we take refuge in the Lord, he protects us from our enemies. We Christians have enemies who hate us and persecute us without reason. They are driven by Satan, who does not want us to live by faith.
The evil one continually accuses us about our weaknesses and tortures us with guilt and shame. But the Lord gives us victory over all the work of the enemy.
He helps us celebrate this victory with a great feast that our enemies can only see from outside. The Lord’s table is filled with the richest dishes which we can enjoy in the full assurance of the Lord’s protection and blessing.
The Lord Anoints our heads with oil. The cup of happiness and blessing and victory are overflowing.
David realized that through all of life’s experiences, the Lord was his shepherd and the Lord was his host.
As he considered the grace of the Lord, he was confident, saying, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life….”
He surrendered himself to the Lord, confessing, “… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.
