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Click here to hear Brian Hook’s message.

A few weeks ago we were in a series entitled Living Loved. We addressed the subject of receiving the unconditional love of the Father. There are two basic human needs and they both are related to love. One of the two basic human needs is receiving love.  The second is giving love. “Love One Another” we see repeated throughout scripture. To give and receive love is critical to life. We were never meant to be alone and isolated. Isolation is not just bad Christianity, its bad humanity.  We all have been jolted by the images of this past week as an 8.9 quake; the fifth largest in recorded history, shook Japan, and shocked the world.  There are people today that are in desperate need of love – not “feel good” love, but real love in action that rescues them from isolation. Some need water, some food, some rescued, comforted, protection, and security. There is something within all of us as humans, believers and unbelievers that long to love and give love. It is paramount to life.  We have never lived in a time where this love is so needed. We are seeing more adults coming to the end of themselves through life issues, and chemical dependency. Why is that? Families are almost non-existent. 73% of all young men in Dallas - 18 and under are growing up without a dad in the house. Issues such as eating disorders, pornography, and sexual addiction are through the roof. Chemical dependency of drugs and alcohol is now so prevalent we find it fascinating to watch those dealing with it on TV and the News. We used to see men in their 40’s experiencing what we called mid-life crisis. I now see 15-18 year olds experiencing the same hopelessness. What do we do? This is the greatest opportunity for the church to finally understand what it means to love, but it’s going to take all of us to give and receive the love that is needed, and we have passionately moved our church to a cell structure so that we can fully equip you to equip others. The cell is a 10-12-member group that is literally a church. The American Church is still relegating the job of loving to a select few “paid” staff. We call these men, and some women, Pastors. If you are really hurting, we send you to a counselor. Well, we are in the midst of war my friends. When a country is at war, it’s all hands on deck.  A paid staff member or counselor cannot handle all the needs that are coming our way. It’s time for the church to finally accept our call! So today, I am going to talk about one thing. How to experience His Love Among Us? This love cannot be our own. It will have to come for the source of love. It’s in one word in Ephesians 4:12 – Shepherd.
Ephesians 4: 11-12
11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

PRAYER:
We are all in one of two seats today. You are either in a position to give love or to receive love, and that’s OK. Sometimes you will do both in the same week, maybe even the same day. This passage in Ephesians 4 talks about equipping. Catartismos.. it is the act of the physician to restore body parts, to repair the body, to heal the body.  Heal the body and maximize the body so that we can all function well so that we can build the body so that we can become mature.
This healing or equipping will require ongoing shepherding. Two weeks ago I went on a retreat to get a word from God. I brought an agenda for God to speak. I wanted a 10-year plan for Brian Hook and I wanted God to speak to me about it. The first few hours, nothing, then I just gave up and said, “Maybe this retreat is just about resting, and not so much about fulfilling my agenda and needs.  At the end of the morning I began to pray, and then I just listened. Here is what God said—Heal the Body. ..Names began to come to mind. Brian, Jessica, my wife, Noah, my son, Dallas, my son, Faith, my daughter, Phoenix, Tim, my cell, Cyndi, my cell, Richard, my cell. No other names other than my family – my physical and spiritual family that God has given me to Shepherd. What is God saying? The Church which God gives to us has a Body, and this Body is relationship with people to love.  I’ve been in church my whole life, but I am more excited today than ever before. What’s different? This is the first time I’ve seen everybody that is in my community love on each other. Everybody is involved. Everybody is, as Bob said last week, “Playing Ball.” The previous 25 years of ministry was good, but this is better. To unpack shepherding, we will let one of the greatest Shepherds teach us in Ps. 23
Psalms 23
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

1. Shepherds point to The Shepherd – Jesus Christ.
The Lord is our Shepherd
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Matthew 18:20
When we meet in a cell, it is important to know that the Great Shepherd is the Shepherd, and we are like David. We shepherd those that the Great Shepherd gives to us. The Lord - The one that created me is my shepherd. The one that loves me more than anybody is my shepherd. The one that spoke the world into existence is my shepherd.  The one that knew me before I was born is my shepherd. The one that has bought me with His death. Sheep are only the sheep of the shepherd if they are bought with a price. We are his. The Shepherd, Jesus is the only one that has bought me with a price. My cell is not my cell, it’s His cell. He bought us with His blood.  This intimate relationship is referred to many times in scripture as sheep and shepherd.  When I gather in my living room, and have people share concerns, hurts, physical pain, needs, and death, on and on. It is the Shepherd I want to meet the needs. Loving is the Shepherd part of these five functions of the Body.

We are invited to participate with Him in His Work on earth by loving others.  WOW. That is amazing. This eternal cell – God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit invite me to be a part of their cell, and we join together.  When I say cell – I refer to the community of Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit. They are the eternal “one another” group. When there was nobody around, they were together. They talked with one another, cared for one another, shared with one another, and loved one another. He calls us to be a part of His community.  I want the Shepherd – Jesus to meet us, and guide us.

2. The Shepherd speaks to his sheep
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27
The shepherd speaks to the sheep - The sheep hear his voice (John 10:27)
He speaks through His Spirit, and we can hear his voice!

Illustration – GIVE THANKS – A few months ago, a member of my cell asked, When was a time Jesus was very real to you. It could be through scripture, a situation, a song, or an experience. I immediately thought about when my oldest daughter was born 2 months premature and we had to go back and forth to the neonatal center to see her. We really weren’t sure if she was going to make it. On December 24 of that year, I came to church and we sang, “Give Thanks”. (Sing Chorus)

I knew at that moment that God was speaking to me and saying, “Give Thanks” she’s going to be OK. The next day, Christmas morning, the doctor told us that he believed she was going to live. So I shared that in my cell, people were encouraged by the story. A week later, I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia to for a Global Pastor’s meeting, and I was able to visit Eddy Leo. Eddy has been mentoring us on how to do cells. Here I was at a church of 30,000 with 3,000 cells throughout the city. Jakarta is 90% Muslim and many of them radical. God orchestrated that I end up in a college cell with 20 something’s, none could speak great English. Fortunately, we had an interpreter. The cell was very similar to mine at home. The only difference was the Indonesian food. We began with a verse of why we were meeting. We sang some songs and allowed The Lord – the Good Shepherd to speak to us. After some teaching we sang and prayed some more during our Shepherding time. I really couldn’t understand what people were saying or singing, but I enjoyed the love in the room. I noticed a seven months pregnant women and her husband in the corner. She was sobbing and visibly anxious. At the moment I noticed her, the leader of the songs began to sing, “Give Thanks” in perfect English. Give Thanks.

No it gets better.  After the song, the cell leader looks to the expectant mother and asks, “How can we pray for you?”

She explains that she is seven months pregnant and the doctor anticipates that she will need to deliver her baby. She has two more months to go before term. WOW. Are you kidding me? Last week I told my cell about my daughter being delivered by God after being born premature. Now this woman is in need of comfort. God gives us the song. No, it gets better. The cell leader looks at me, and says, “Pastor Brian, what is God saying to you?”

I was able to share my testimony with this couple and reassure the mother that God is going to shepherd her through this time, and it is more than appropriate to give thanks. When God is our shepherd, he speaks to His sheep.

We could have prayed what we “thought” would be a good prayer for her, OR God could show up and speak. That’s what he did.

Once I experience God in a cell, I’m not going back to church as usual. Sorry. That may limit my “Bible Study teaching time,” but The Lord will lead and know the needs of my cell more than me. One way is “My Program” the other way is provocative and alive.
So he is the Shepherd. He is the one that comforts; he is the one that speaks. With Him as our shepherd, we are able to go to battle.

When we think of Shepherd an image sometimes comes to mind. It is a shepherd’s staff.
“your rod and your staff,  they comfort me.”
The rod and staff comforts. The rod is used as a symbol of correction and protection.

3. The Shepherd corrects
The rod is not a picture of this shepherd whipping his sheep. The rod can also be used for correction. This term is not for “catching you in a sin” or “causing shame”. It is simply getting you back on the right direction. Sometimes a shepherd will need to correct a sheep from going off the path. This could lead to the sheep eating poisonous food or even falling off a cliff. Correction always leads us back track with Christ.

There is comfort in knowing we can shepherd each other and keep each other out of harms way.

4. The Shepherd protects
The sheep find tremendous comfort knowing that the shepherd that swings or throws the rod as an extension of his arm. The human arm we have is extended by His sovereign arm when in times of danger. Similar to a shepherd’s rod is a gun. You’ve heard it said, “Don’t mess with Texas. Also, “Don’t mess with a Texan with a shotgun.”  Don’t mess with a shepherd.  A young shepherd boy is taught early on how to use his rod to fend off enemies of the flock. Shepherds have to kill coyotes, wild dogs, and cobras with their rod, and also fend off lions and bears. This is great comfort for sheep to have a shepherd that can protect.

The rod for a shepherd is the Word of God. The Word in the hands of you, a shepherd is where you get your authority. The Word of God is the only strength, power, and authority we have. There is nothing more powerful than an older lady that knows her Word. My grandma was that way up until she died at 98. Don’t mess with my grandma. There is also the Living Word. Through the Holy Spirit, the living Word, Jesus Christ can penetrate to the very heart of a person.

5. The Shepherd examines
The rod is also used for examination. The rod looks through the wool to find anything that may be harmful under the wool. The Wool in the bible is always referred to as pride and selfishness. He cuts through it.

Hebrews 4:12.
12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

WOW. His Word can goes right to the center of who we are. Don’t let that freak you out. As we learned last month, that is the person God loves. Let His Word go deep and penetrate your heart. He cuts through all the wool. .

He never corrects without comfort and neither should we. Speaking truth in love is what we are told to do.

The Shepherds staff is the equipment that identifies the shepherd as a shepherd, and is used for the care and management of the sheep. It is a symbol of Comfort through compassion.

The shepherd has compassion over the sheep. The rod conveys the idea of authority, power, discipline and defense, the staff is compassion and kindness.

The staff can be referred to in our life as The Holy Spirit. When Christ dealt with his flock, he was compassionate, gentle in correction, and comforting. There is a picture of shepherds in the field taking a wayward lamb (baby sheep) and bringing to the mother if they become separated. There the lamb will find nourishment and protection. The Holy Spirit draws us back to the Father.

A shepherd can also be seen walking along next to a sheep and gently placing the staff on the back of the sheep, almost as if they are holding hands. There is a sign of intimacy here. The Sheep begin to know that the shepherd is going to watch their back. There is an intimacy here.

6. The Shepherd battles….for freedom
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
I know this doesn’t sound like a battling verse, but it is. A Shepherd is in constant battle to get his sheep to journey and also to lie down. It is near impossible for sheep to lie down unless four requirements are met. As David looks at the Sheep his father gives him, he is thinking on these four requirements.
• Free from anxiety and friction with each other.
• Free from fear
• Free from outside torment
• Free from the need to find food.

A. Free from anxiety and friction. Unity is key! The staff (His Spirit, is key in bringing people from all walks of life together under His Name. Paul described it as Jews and Gentiles, Slaves and Free coming together.

B. Free from fear.  Perfect Love casts out fear.
We are to shepherd people, show them love, because love casts out all fear. If you find people that are in fear, ask the Shepherd, how are we to love? Where is this person not receiving love? Why is this person not receiving love? Loved people don’t fear for long. When his love is applied, there is no room for fear.

C. Free for outside torment – flies or parasites. (Rod). Many people are oppressed from outside and within. Sometimes you will find outside oppression coming against your meeting, and you must stop and ask God to clear that out. It could be providing an environment that is right for the meeting. It could be you and an other person, and just asking God, what is tormenting this person?

Torment outside and torment from within – Men, I don’t know about you, but I need a time with other men to talk about the junk we have in our lives. I am looking forward to joining with you at the Men’s Conference in a few weeks so that we can join together and learn what it means to fight for our family, fight for our church, fight for our city. It begins with “Healing the Body”. Some of you are like me and you can’t get clear direction unless you clear away the distractions both outside and within.

D. Free from the need of finding food. Shepherds provide food and nourishment in Christ – The Word.

“He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2
“Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

I know that only Christ can fulfill our thirst. Ultimately nothing can fulfill my hunger. Relationships will not, children will not, money will not, accomplishments will not, church will not, disciplines will not, evangelism will not.

3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;” Psalm 23:4

7. The Shepherd leads…through the valleys of life. “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost.” John 17:6-12
Jesus walked with the disciples, even to the end. They didn’t always walk with him, but he walked with them. At the end, he showed them love to a group of men that he knew would need love.

“for you are with me;” God is present!!! How? How do I know God is present? The reality is that he chooses His Church to be His Presence. That’s why we are called His Body.

We are all in one of two seats today. You are either in a position to give love or to receive love, Clair is going to be a part of a cell, and may even lead one. Today is a day to sign up for a cell. Don’t let the storms of life catch you off guard. You need to be in an environment of giving and receiving