The Good Shepherd

So many voices compete for your attention—but whose voice are you following?

This episode explores Jesus as the Good Shepherd, how to recognize His voice, and why community, Scripture, and prayer are key to staying grounded.

A call to tune out the noise and follow the One who leads you well.

PRAYER
We are here to pray for you - with you. Please share your prayer request or praise report here - https://hopeucindia.churchcenter.com/people/forms/3009, and someone from our team will pray for your need through the week.

NEXT STEPS
If you would like to give your heart to Jesus, it's the best decision you could ever make. We want to celebrate with you, provide you with resources and get you the support you need on this journey. Please fill the form - https://hopeucindia.churchcenter.com/people/forms/297739, and someone from our team will contact you soon.

ABOUT HOPEUC INDIA
Hope Unlimited Church is an independent, Spirit-filled church with multiple campuses in India, serving young professionals and families from all parts of India in a modern, dynamic metropolitan church setting.
More about us - https://hopeuc.in/

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeucsecunderabad

Transcript

God As Shepherd And We As Sheep

Why Sheep Need Guidance

John 10 And The True Gate

The Thief’s Real Targets

Compassion Over Empty Rituals

Distraction, Doubt, And Identity Attacks

Scripture, Prayer, Community, And Psalm 23

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Just like Pastor Rufus was talking about our live group series. I hope all of you are enjoying the live group series. How many of you are part of a live group? Can I see your hands? Yes. Wow. So there are a lot of people who are still not part of a life group. Please talk to the ushers and they will be able to help you and they will help you locate a life group. It's very, very important for us to belong to a life group because, can I tell you, that's where all the learning, you know, the growth happens. In a big church like this, it is very difficult for the pastors and also for the leadership to know you on a one-on-one basis. Yes? But it's your life group and your life group leaders that will play a very key role in shaping you and molding you, and also you'll be learning a lot of good stuff. Yes? Yes? Okay. So even as we are in the series of Grow and Believe, the topic that we are going to look at today is about the shepherd. Yes? We have sung a couple of songs already, which you know have set the board for how God is our good shepherd. Yes? Okay. Jesus often used the imagery of sheep and shepherd to communicate his love and care for us. God is our shepherd and we or us are his sheep. Yes? All of us are on the same level. This is where we will start, right? Even before we start to build ahead, this is our basis. Yes? Okay. So even before we start to look at how we can look at things from a spiritual angle, let us look at from a very natural angle what this shepherd does. How many of you have seen a shepherd? You've seen shepherd, you've seen sheep? Yes? Yes? Okay. I'm sure he doesn't smell very nice. Because he's always with the sheep. So I'm going to I'm going to guess that he's going to smell just like the sheep. Yes? Okay. So what are the responsibilities of a shepherd? Okay. So yeah, that's the okay. So we've seen this picture many times. Can you throw answers at me where have you seen them? Very popularly on calendars. Yes. Yes, very common. We have all grown up looking at this. Okay. Okay, the image of Jesus as the chief shepherd, the good shepherd, the true shepherd. These are some of the synonyms that we see in the Bible. Okay? And the responsibilities of a good shepherd. Yes. The number one responsibility of a shepherd is to nourish the sheep. Yes? To lead them to green pastures. Will the shepherd lead the sheep to dry ground? No. The shepherd will lead the sheep where the grass is nice and lush and green because that is what the sheep will like. Okay? So the responsibility of the shepherd is to lead the sheep, feed the sheep, and lead them, you know, where there is nourishment. Okay. And he also leads them to the water, okay, to satisfy their thirst. Joy was talking about Psalms chapter 23, okay, where it says, the Lord will lead us beside the still waters. Have you ever thought about it? Why only still waters? Why not running water? Why not a stream or a lake which is running? There is every danger that the sheep can fall into the current. And you know, water current is a strong current. Therefore, the sheep leads us beside, the shepherd leads us beside the still waters where the sheep can bend down for a sip of water. Do you see, my friends, the Lord is concerned about the little, little things in our lives, they matter to him so much. Yes? And the last thing that he does, or according to you know the natural things, he protects the sheep from the thief, from the stranger, and also from other animals. Yes, there are other animals which love to have some mutankurry. Yes. So therefore, the shepherd has to protect his sheep from other animals as well. Okay, let us look at what are the characteristics of sheep. Okay, sheep are supposed to be, I don't like to say that word, but they say they are dumb creatures. Okay, they say they are dumb creatures because they don't have a very probably a high IQ, is my guess. They are only good at following, okay? And they're highly defenseless, that means they cannot defend themselves. If a lion or a bear comes, they are not able to defend themselves. Now, why am I talking about a lion and a bear? If you look back to the story in the Old Testament, who was the one who defended his sheep from the lion and the bear? David, yes, he was there to protect his sheep. They are good at following things, sheep are good at following, they are good at distinguishing things, they're also good at recognizing the voice of their own shepherds. Okay? Apostrophe, own shepherd. Okay? And I'm assuming every shepherd will have his own call. He has to make one for himself because he has to differentiate it from others. Okay? So, what is the point that I'm kind of trying to get across to you, my friends? Okay? Who is your shepherd? And are you able to distinguish the voice of your shepherd among the many voices that we tend to hear on a day-to-day basis? What are the voices that we tend to hear, my friends? Voices of friends, voices of family, yes, voices of your colleagues, voices of your peers, yes. Of course, the voices of the enemy that whispers into your ears all the time that you're not enough. Yes. So we need to learn how to have communion with our Father. If that's going to happen, my friends, then we will be able to distinguish the voice of our Father Lord Jesus. Yes? Okay. Let us turn to John chapter 10. I'm reading verses 1 to 5. It says in John chapter 10, verses 1 to 5, I'm reading from the NLT version. It says, I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall. Okay, so what I showed you earlier was this is called as a sheephold. Okay. This is nothing fancy. Okay, this is just an enclosure, probably made of big rocks. Okay, and there is a small makeshift kind of a gate attached to it, okay, and then you see uh the the shepherd is lying there or sitting there guarding his sheep. Okay, so that is called as a sheephold. Okay, so now let's read. Okay, it says, I tell you the truth. Anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheephold rather than going through the gate must surely be a thief or a robber and a robber. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger, they will run from him because they don't know his voice. Okay, so we see here what we are reading is that the shepherd will only enter into the sheepfold through the gate and not jump into the sheepfold like a robber. Okay, so the point that I want to get across to all of us here is that the Lord has a specific and a primary way of approaching us and speaking to us. Yes, he will not come through the back door, my friends. He will come to you through the right channel. Okay, and when God speaks, it is orderly, it is rational, and it always aligns with the word of God. It will never be contrary to the word of God. Okay, so the the evil one again does the contrary. What does he do? He uses deception, he uses lies to gain access into our lives. Okay. Yes, those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose. All of us know the scripture by heart. Yes, John 10, 10. The thief comes to steal, kill, destroy. What does he want to steal? Rubies and diamonds from you? Come on, what does he want to steal? Your peace, your joy. Yes, your purpose in life, your relationship with Jesus. That's what he wants to steal, my friends, because he knows once he puts you off the track, then you are a very easy target for him. Okay, so that's what he wants to do, my friends. Okay, so Jesus says, I am the door. Okay, I am the door. And yes, the shepherd's voice is distinct, just like we looked at in the video. It is recognizable and it speaks in alignment with the scripture and with truth. Okay, now let us see as to why Jesus started talking about the thief's way, always using confusion and deception, and always manipulative. Okay. Why did Jesus start talking to us? Why did he start explaining in the first place about the good shepherd versus, you know, the not so true shepherds? What was the reason in order for us to understand why Jesus started talking about this topic? We have to backtrack a little bit and we have to start reading John chapter 9, verses 1 to 12. Okay? So it says Jesus was walking along and he sees a blind man. How many of you know the story? Jesus heals a blind man who was sitting near the synagogue. Okay, it's a very uh uh famous story that we all have read since childhood. I'm reading it for you uh so that you can follow along with me. It says, Jesus was walking along and he saw a man who had been blind from birth. Rabbi, his disciples asked him, Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins? It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins, Jesus answered, This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him. And verse 4 says, We must quickly carry out the task assigned to us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world. This is what Jesus is saying, and let's see what he does next. Then he spit on the ground, he made mud with saliva and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. Very unusual way, right? Jesus could have just touched him, he could have said a word. He did so many of the above. But I don't know why he had to spit on the ground, make saliva, use saliva. Very unusual way of healing this man. But Jesus knows best why he did it. You know, in our, I think in our own intellect, we will not be able to unfold it. But let's see what happens. Okay. Verse 7, he says, He told him, Go wash yourself in the pool of silo. So the man went and washed and came back seeing his neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar. Asked each other, Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg? Some said he was. Others said, No, he just looks like him. But the beggar kept saying, Yes, I am the same one. They asked, Who healed you? What happened? He told them, the man they called Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, Go to the pool of Siloem and wash yourself. So I went and washed, and now I can see where he is now. They asked. I do not know, he replied. So we see in John chapter 9, Jesus does this amazing miracle of healing this man who was born blind from his mother's womb. Therefore, he was forced to become a beggar, probably to support himself. Yes, and we see Jesus out of compassion heals this man. Okay? Now comes the controversial thing. Okay, healing is good. Anybody is sad if anybody gets healed? Will anybody be sad? All of us will be happy if we see somebody healed, we will rejoice, we will give a praise testimony, right? Okay, but we see the Pharisees were not happy. The Pharisees were not happy, my friends. Do you know why they were not happy? Okay, they said, Jesus, you heal this man on the day of Sabbath. How could you do this? You have violated the Sabbath, is what they said. Okay, so let us see what okay is the violation. The Pharisees argued with Jesus or argued with the man and his parents who was healed. They said that on the Sabbath day it was prohibited to perform an act called as kneading. Okay, what is kneading? All of us do this at home. The ladies do this. You make chapati, right? You need the atha, the dough. You make a dough. Okay? So the process of making a dough was prohibited on the day of Sabbath. Okay? Kneading, known as Losh L O S H in Hebrew, is one of the 39 categories of work prohibited on Shabbat or Sabbath. The prohibition applies to both food and also non-food items and encompasses any activity that joins small particles into a mass using a liquid. The act of kneading typically involves two main steps that is pouring liquid into flour and mixing them to create a dough. So now you see why the Pharisees were upset? Because Jesus made a dough with the mud and his saliva. That was the most ridiculous thing that we could hear of, right? Yes. So they said, No, you know, you have violated the Sabbath and God is not pleased with you. That's what they were saying. Okay. So what was Jesus' point of view, my friends? Do you think what Jesus did was wrong? Why do you say so? Because Jesus moved out of compassion, my friends, not forced by empty rituals. He saw a man who was in bondage and he felt the need to immediately deliver him from that bondage. Therefore, Jesus' point of view in this situation is that compassion is greater than every ritual that we tend to follow. We Indians are very good at following rituals. Okay? So this is for us to learn that let compassion be the driving force, my friends, whenever we do anything. Yes? So now these Pharisees are the religious leaders. So now let us understand why Jesus is talking about this comparison. He's saying you are professing to be shepherds, but are you really a shepherd? A shepherd? You are not happy for the man who was healed, but in fact, you are finding fault with his healing. And they looked at every excuse in order to throw him out. So we see that the Pharisees excommunicated this guy who was healed as they did not want to accept that Jesus is Messiah. They called him and said, Were you really blind? Did Jesus really heal you? Or are you faking it? Okay, let us see the response, okay, from the man. What does he say? The man says, If this man were not from God, he could not have done it. Now tell me, my friends, who was really blind? Was this man who was, you know, blind from birth blind, or the Pharisees who saw the miracle right in front of their eyes? Were they blind? They were blind, not in the natural, but there was spiritual blindness in their hearts, my friend. And therefore, that's the reason why Jesus started off this story where he's saying, I am the good shepherd and I am the true shepherd, because I move out of compassion and not according to empty rituals. Yes, is there something that we can learn through this story? Yes. Okay. Jesus says in John 9 41, he says, If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty. Jesus replied, but you remain guilty because you claim you see. This is what he told the Pharisees. You are guilty because you claim you can see, but in fact you cannot see that I am the Messiah whom you are rejecting. Yes? Okay. Let's move on a little bit ahead and see the story of Nicodemus. How many of us know the story of Nicodemus? Nicodemus was another Pharisee or a religious leader, and he came to Jesus by the dark of the night because he did not want others to see him going to Jesus. Therefore, he was like, Okay, let me go on this live and nobody is watching me. Okay, it says in John chapter 3, verses 1 to 5, it says, There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, and he was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. Rabbi said, We all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are an evidence that God is with you. Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. What do you mean? exclaimed Nicodemus. How can a man, old man, go back into his mother's womb and be born again? Okay, so Nicodemus was thinking this is going to be all in the natural, but Jesus was talking about the spiritual aspect. Jesus replied, I assure you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born. Yes, no one can enter into the kingdom of God without being born of the water and of the spirit. The spiritual leaders of the day were spiritually blind when they ought to have understood, like Jesus telling Nicodemus, the Pharisee, that he must be born again. Yet Nicodemus did not understand this teaching. This was a very direct interaction that Jesus had with the Nicodemus. But still, Nicodemus was not able to understand what Jesus was talking about. What do you think is the reason why Nicodemus was not able to understand, my friends? We all need this experience in our lives. How many of us have invited Jesus into our hearts? Can I see your hands? At one point of time, you have invited Jesus into your heart. I still remember the day exactly when I gave my life to the Lord. Many years ago, while I was just a teenager. Yes. My friends, Satan, the God of this world, has blinded the minds of people that we will not believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news. What is the good news, my friends? That we are unable to save ourselves. Therefore, Jesus came as that precious lamb without blemish that was sacrificed and his blood was shed so that you and me can be called the children of the Most High God. And that is the reason why Jesus came. But what is Satan's strategy, my friend? Satan's strategy is very simple to steal, to kill, and to destroy. What does it want to steal? Okay, it wants to steal your spiritual vitality. It wants to steal your spiritual vitality. Okay. Stealing your time. It wants to steal your time. The number one thing that we hear anytime we invite people, say there's something special going on in church. I don't have time. I'm so busy. I'm busy as a bee. But we want God to do everything for us. At our back-end call, we want God to answer our prayers, but we don't have any time for God. So me and my husband, Pastor, we receive so many prayer requests for people without a job. Then Pastor will tell them, go bring your resume and come. And we will lay our hands on the resume, we'll pray, and then they'll get a job. And guess what? After they get a job, you will not see them again. They will be ushkaki. They fly away. You should come all the more running to church after you have received your blessing, my friends. Just like this guy who received the healing. What did he do? He went against the Pharisees and he testified. Was he scared of being thrown out? Probably he didn't care. Because for the first time in his life, he was seeing colors, he was seeing the nature around him, he was seeing human faces. His healing was more important, his miracle was more important. Okay? And what are we doing, my friends? We are unable to give time to God. Yes, because we have so many distractions. Constantly we do. What is it called? Anybody? All the millennials and the Gen Z will know this. It's called scrolling. Yeah. People from my generation will call it mindless scrolling. Because what are you learning in that two seconds that influences trying to teach you? Human brain, it seems, has only 20% uh 21st 20 minutes that a person starts preaching, only 20 minutes they will be able to understand. After that, everything is gone for a toss. I don't know why colleges and schools have one-hour classes. Because after the first 20 minutes, the brain has gone on to switch-off mode. I hope you have not switched off now. Okay, so distractions. Yes, it keeps us busy. Entertainment. Are so much is happening. Hyderabad, there's hip hop and happening. Everything, so many things to keep us busy. Are why are you going to church on a Sunday on a weekend? Yeah? It's come on, it's time to have some fun. Is that what your friends tell you? Probably they'll say, Oh, you're so boring, you're going to church. But come on, my friends, if you want to see a difference in your lives, you should dare to be different. Yes? The believers. Okay, and also Satan tries to rob our identity by convincing believers that they are unworthy and unloved. This is something that we all struggle with. It undermines our faith in God by sowing doubt about God's promises and goodness. Yes? What did uh you know the serpent say to Eve in the garden? Did God really say not to eat? It looks so tempting, right? That red fruit looks so tempting to Eve. Did God really say this? Did God really promise you? These are some of the questions that the enemy keeps on whispering into our ears and we give in to it. Maybe this was not a promise. Maybe it was a figment of my imagination. Maybe that prophecy was for somebody else, but I took it too personally. These are some of the things that we tell ourselves and we pacify ourselves, my friends. But those are the lies of the enemy. Hijacking our relationships. Most difficult thing, right? To keep relationships in this day and age. Relationships are very difficult, yes, because there is offense, there is bitterness. Something, something small happens. We are unable to forgive each other. There's so much anger that builds up on the inside. And also the spirit of division works. And these are some of the strategies through which Satan is stealing our spiritual vitality. Okay? Killing. What is what is he killing? He's killing or destroying our spiritual lives. Okay, tempting us into sin. You know what he does? First, what he does is he will make you sin. He will tempt you so that you commit that sin, and after you have committed the sin, then he will start guilt tripping you. He will say, Oh, how come you're sitting in church and lifting your hands? You forgot what you did. How come you're sitting here like one washed whitewashed saint? You think of yourself? These are the voices that come on the inside, right? Yes, they will tell you, do it. The voices, the enemy's voice will say, do it, and then after that, it will push you into guilt, shame, and also spiritual numbness. After that, you feel you are disconnected with God. Okay? And also in you know, isolation from the church. This is very important, my friends. Just like Pastor Rufus was talking about when the bike ride, it's very important for us to be connected in a community. Because when you are in a community and when you're low, you have fellow brothers and sisters who will encourage you in your journey with the Lord. Can I tell you, my friends, spiritual Christian, spiritual walk, you cannot walk it alone because it's not going to be easy, my friends. Jesus did not promise a bed of roses, He told take up your cross and you have to walk. And this is your cross. This is your cross, my friend. Okay, so you need uh church and community that will help you in your journey, and also things like trials and trauma also um are a plan of the enemy, okay? Ruining your purpose, okay, and your uh legacy that God has for you, sabotaging your destiny, okay, corrupting your character with pride, with greed, with compromise. These are some of the ways whereby Satan is infiltrating into our lives, even you know, without us realizing. Okay, so let us be watchful and let us be able to resist these attacks. Now I have explained all the problem to you. Okay, so it is just right on my part to give you the solution as well. Yes? You want to learn the solution, my friend? The problem is very huge, huh? But the solution is very simple, my friends, yet very profound. So let us see what the solution is. The solution is you should stay rooted in the scripture. The Bible should become your lifeline. You should know what the word says about your life in order to counteract the lies of the enemy. You should have the word ready in your heart. Not search the scriptures when you need it. But the word should be deposited in your heart so that when the enemy throws all these at you, you are ready with the word to counteract the lies. The next thing is you have to pray consistently. This is a non-negotiable for a Christian. You don't pray occasionally, you pray every day. And your quiet time with the Lord is what will strengthen you in your journey with the Lord and also staying in community, just like I said. And also, last but not the least, put on the armor of God. Put on the armor of God. Let's all stand to our feet this evening. I just want to read, all of us to read together Psalms chapter 23. This message is not to scare you, my friends, but this message is so that you recognize what are the evil schemes of the enemy so that you are well prepared to attack him with the scripture, with prayer, my friends. Nobody goes to a battlefield without putting on an armor. Okay, can you see the font? Can everybody see this font? Yes, can we all read together? Psalms chapter 23. Let's confess that the Lord is really our shepherd. Let's go. One, two, three. Okay, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, and he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul, he leads me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and you anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This is not just a reciting, my friends. Can I ask you to make this your prayer every day? That the Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want a Lord, because you are there to lead me and guide me.