WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:06.440 Hello, everybody. This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:08.160 I'm really glad you're here. 3 00:00:08.279 --> 00:00:08.640 Today. 4 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:12.759 We're continuing our series from Psalm twenty three called Living 5 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:15.960 in the Goodness of God. It's all about how God's 6 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:19.239 goodness meets you right where you are and brings hope 7 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:23.039 even in difficult seasons. Now here's part one of a 8 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:26.079 message called how Jesus treats his Sheep. 9 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:28.359 Today we're going to continue in our study of the 10 00:00:28.359 --> 00:00:32.520 most famous chapter in the Bible, Psalm twenty three. 11 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:34.359 It is the. 12 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:39.359 Most compact explanation of the goodness of God. And we're 13 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:41.439 in a series called Living in the Goodness of God. 14 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:45.600 It only has six verses, but there are ten benefits 15 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:49.840 or ten ways that God's goodness wants to show up. 16 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.640 In your life. 17 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:53.560 We've looked at about half of these, and now we're 18 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:55.920 starting the second half of the series, and I want 19 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:59.320 us to begin by actually reading Psalm twenty three aloud together. 20 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:03.600 So let's read it together. Very familiar passage. The Lord 21 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:08.239 is my shepherd. I have everything I need. He makes 22 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:12.319 me lie down in green pastures, He leaves me beside 23 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:17.480 still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in 24 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:21.000 the right path for his name's sake. And even when 25 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.280 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 26 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.799 I will fear no evil, for you are with me. 27 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:31.760 Your rod and your staff comfort me. You prepare a 28 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:35.079 banquet for me in front of my enemies, and you 29 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:39.920 anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows. Surely, 30 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:43.760 goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of 31 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:46.879 my life, and I will dwell in the house of 32 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:51.560 the Lord forever. Thank you. Now, there are a lot 33 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:54.439 of metaphors in this passage. David is a shepherd, and 34 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.959 he's using the shepherd motif talking about all the ways 35 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.400 that God wants to bless your life. And today I 36 00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:03.280 want us to focus on the meaning of verse four, 37 00:02:03.319 --> 00:02:07.719 which is this phrase, your rod and your staff they 38 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:11.960 comfort me. Now, what in the world does that mean? 39 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:15.800 Your rod and your staff these are clearly two kinds 40 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:19.280 of sticks. How in the world can they bring comfort 41 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:22.719 to your life? How does that bring comfort to you 42 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:23.639 at all? 43 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:25.039 What in the world does this mean? 44 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:29.159 It raises all kinds of questions, and of all the 45 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:32.840 verses in Psalm twenty three, this little phrase, your rod 46 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:38.680 and your staff comfort me requires the most explanation. I mean, 47 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:42.479 what is a rod and what is a staff? And 48 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:45.560 what do they symbolize and what benefits do they represent? 49 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.759 And how in the world can these two tools that 50 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:52.639 a shepherd uses a sheepherder and you know, shepherding sheep, 51 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:54.719 how in the world can they bring comfort to our 52 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:58.039 lives about you know, several thousand years later. Well, I 53 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.719 need to give you a little bit of background. So Tom, 54 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:03.960 would you give bring me my rod and my staff 55 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.199 because I want you to see these. I actually have them. 56 00:03:06.599 --> 00:03:09.080 You know, the word pastor is the same word for shepherd. 57 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:12.199 So I'm a shepherd and here is my rod and 58 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:14.680 my staff. Let's think the great attendant. 59 00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:14.759 Here, thank you. 60 00:03:15.080 --> 00:03:22.199 That's what I'm This is a rod and this is 61 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:26.280 a staff. These two tools are ancient tools that have 62 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:30.360 been used by shepherds for thousands and thousands of years. 63 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:33.919 This is the defensive tool that you use against predators, 64 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:38.159 you use against wolves and anybody who's trying to. 65 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:39.639 Attack your sheep fold. 66 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:43.319 It was actually given me by a shepherd. And I'm 67 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:45.919 not sure what country has my name, Pastor Rick Warren. 68 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:48.560 So if you're bad, I'm getting on you right now, okay, 69 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:51.479 And you can actually use the rod two ways. You 70 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:53.520 can hold on this in and this you know, you're 71 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:56.639 shoeing away coyotes and people aren't much of a threat 72 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:58.680 to you, and you can use it for things like that. 73 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:01.400 Usually about a foot and a half long, maybe two 74 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:04.919 foot long. If you've got a serious predator like a 75 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.439 mountain lion, you've got something to really work with. But 76 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:11.639 this is a defensive weapon. This this so the rod 77 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:15.319 you use on enemies of sheep, the staff you use 78 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.040 on sheep. Now, I want to explain to you how 79 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:22.399 they were used literally physically and just for a second, 80 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.360 and then how they are actually symbols of two ways 81 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:29.439 that God wants to work in your life. So let's 82 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.160 first talk about what they actually are used. For. A rod, 83 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:36.399 you might write this down, is used for guarding the sheep, 84 00:04:36.439 --> 00:04:42.920 for guarding and protecting guardian protecting the sheep. Sheep are 85 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:47.720 essentially defenseless animals. They have no teeth, they don't have 86 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.560 any you know, claws, they don't they don't run fast, 87 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:54.560 you know, their teeth are not very sharp because they 88 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:58.240 eat grass. So they're pretty defenseless. They're slow, and they're 89 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:02.360 really pretty dumb, and so without a shepherd they are 90 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:05.759 prey to any kind of predator, wolves or anything else 91 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:08.759 I like that, and so somebody's got to protect them. 92 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:12.319 And the rod is a defensive tool to fight against 93 00:05:12.360 --> 00:05:16.319 predators or enemies or adversaries and things like that. Now, 94 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:19.680 a staff, while a rod is for guarding and protecting, 95 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:26.319 a staff is for guiding, okay, guiding and directing. Guarding 96 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.439 and guiding, protecting and directing. That's what these two different 97 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:35.759 tools are used for. Sheep have a tendency to wander, 98 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.920 and so a shepherd's staff has a little crook in 99 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.639 it and you can pull them with a crook or 100 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:45.480 you can poke them with a staff. So it's by 101 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:49.800 hook or by crook you're controlling them, and you are actually, 102 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:53.000 you know, saying get along, little doggies, only not little doggies, 103 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.480 and you can direct them. Sheep have an ability to 104 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:05.920 graze on extremely difficult terrain. They can stand on a hillside, 105 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:10.000 you know, at almost you know, fifty to sixty seventy 106 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.680 degree angle. Cows could never graze on what sheep can 107 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:16.439 graze on. But while they can be on mountains, and 108 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.439 they can be on cliffs, and they can be near edges, 109 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:23.160 they often fall off and they often get out of balance. 110 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.040 And so this end of the staff, the crooked part, 111 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.160 the shepherd's crook, you would use either around a sheep's 112 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.360 foot or their neck. And so for instance, if they're 113 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.480 about to fall off, you can grab them by the 114 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:40.319 neck and you can pull them back by you're not 115 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:43.360 getting near the edge of the cliff. Or if a 116 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:46.439 sheep goes into a bramble bush with a bunch of 117 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:50.480 you know, thorns and things that would be really painful. 118 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:52.480 As a shepherd, you don't want to go in there, 119 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:55.480 So you would reach in there with your shepherd's staff 120 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:57.920 and you grab them by leg and you'd pull them out. 121 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:02.800 This is a tool of rec it's a tool for 122 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.920 for your protection. It's a tool to get you out 123 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:09.560 of a tight jam. And now universally the shepherd's staff 124 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:12.959 is a symbol of that. So that's what they're used for, 125 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.920 and they've been used that way for literally centuries after century. 126 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:21.879 What's the meaning of these two tools. What's the symbolism 127 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:25.959 behind these metaphors? Well, I want you to write this down. Uh, 128 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:31.959 the rod represents power and authority. Power and authority because 129 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.480 it says I'm in charge here and I've got more 130 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:38.959 power than you, and I'm in control. The shepherd's staff 131 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:42.800 and the rod are both found in as far back 132 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.920 as Egyptian hieroglyphs. Look up here on the screen you 133 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:49.319 can see a picture. Here's here's an Egyptian king holding 134 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:54.199 a shepherd's staff. All of the pharoes. When you see 135 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:57.480 pictures of the pharaohs, they they're they're like this, and 136 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.360 they've got a rod in one hand and the in 137 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:04.199 the other. Sometimes they're called a flailing or some other term, 138 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:05.600 but it is a rod and the staff. Let me 139 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:10.839 show you. Here's King tut high Tuddy, and notice he's 140 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.399 got the shepherd's staff in one hand and he's got 141 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:16.839 the rod or flail in the other. Same thing. It's 142 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.639 one is used to fight off enemies and the others. 143 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:22.759 He's saying with this, I am both the protector of 144 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:26.040 my nation and I am in charge. I'm the authority 145 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:28.560 of my nation. I both care about my nation, and 146 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.680 I can be tough. I am an authority. And you 147 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.080 find this all throughout history and a lot of different 148 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:38.559 different cultures. So write this down. The rod represents power 149 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:44.519 and authority, which, by the way, in Christian history for 150 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.679 the last two thousand year of the church. Of course, 151 00:08:46.759 --> 00:08:49.519 Jesus said, I'm the good shepherd, and he had the 152 00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:52.519 shepherd's staff. And so today if you'll often see a 153 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.200 bishop in a lot of different denominations of Catholic and Lutheran, 154 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:59.519 lots of denominations will have a bishop's staff. It's called 155 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.519 the crows, and you'll see the bishop walking like this, 156 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:05.679 which basically says, I care for the flock of God, 157 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.360 but I'm also the one in authority. I have the 158 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:11.960 authority over the flock of God. In this area, it's 159 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:14.200 called the crozier. And they can be very elaborate or 160 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.279 they can be very very simple like this. So the 161 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:22.519 staff represents care and compassion. You might write this down. 162 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.679 The rod represents power and authority, and the staff represents 163 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:28.720 care and compassion. 164 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.639 Now what does that mean for you? 165 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.559 And what does it mean when he says you're rod 166 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:41.039 and your staff they comfort me. How do I get 167 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:44.120 comfort out of that? Well, let's look first at what 168 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.159 Jesus says and what it says about him in the Bible. 169 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:52.080 Hebrews chapter thirteen, verse twenty says this Jesus is the 170 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:55.080 great shepherd of the sheep circle that on your notes 171 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:58.559 great shepherd of the sheep. He's called the great shepherd, 172 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:02.879 he's called the chief shepherd. Word, he's called the good Shepherd. 173 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.120 In the next verse, John chapter ten, verses ten and eleven. 174 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:08.600 That whole chapter is about the good shepherd, and Jesus 175 00:10:08.679 --> 00:10:12.440 talks about his ministry in caring for the sheep. Throughout 176 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:15.639 the Bible, sheep are a symbol for God's people. The 177 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:18.799 church is called the flock of God, and the Bible 178 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:22.039 says we are his sheep. Okay, we are his flock, 179 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:24.080 and we are the sheep of his pastors. It says 180 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:26.679 that in Psalms, and in John ten ten and eleven 181 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:32.080 it says this, I came so that my sheep will 182 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:35.159 have life. This is Jesus talking. I came that my 183 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:40.320 sheep will have life and everything they need. I am 184 00:10:40.600 --> 00:10:45.120 the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life 185 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.759 for his sheep. That's the good God's word translation. The 186 00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:52.799 good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Now Jesus 187 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.679 is the good shepherd. We need to figure out what 188 00:10:55.720 --> 00:11:00.519 that means. How does Jesus treat his sheep If we're 189 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:02.679 supposed to be the flock of God and he's the 190 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:05.720 good Shepherd. What does that mean? As we look at 191 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.879 the goodness of God? And in Psalm twenty three, we're 192 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:12.080 listing ten different things that the good shepherd does in 193 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:15.960 your life. The Lord is my shepherd. And so how 194 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:18.679 does the Lord respond to you? What just as a 195 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:22.279 physical shepherd use the physical tools of the rod and 196 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:27.919 the staff for direction and protection, for guidance, okay, and 197 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:31.159 for guarding. God wants to do both of these things 198 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:32.919 in your life. He wants to guide you and guard you. 199 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:36.600 He wants to protect you, and he wants to direct you. 200 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.360 I want us today to look at the actual words 201 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:42.480 of Jesus in these areas, and we're going to look 202 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:46.559 at five ways Jesus wants to treat you if you'll 203 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:48.960 trust him. So let's write these down. Number one. The 204 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.840 first thing we learn about the good Shepherd is that 205 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:56.159 if I bring him my hurts, Jesus shows me compassion. 206 00:11:56.600 --> 00:12:00.679 If I bring him my hurts, Jesus shows me compassion. 207 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:02.879 When I come to God, I say, God, i've got 208 00:12:02.919 --> 00:12:05.840 a problem in my finances. So I've got a problem 209 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.639 in my emotions. I've got a problem in my relationships. God. 210 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:13.759 I'm really hurting here I'm weak, or I'm depressed, or 211 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:17.799 I'm anxious, or I'm angry, or I've been hurt, I've 212 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:21.919 been betrayed, somebody's been unfaithful to me. When I bring 213 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:26.840 in my hurts, Jesus responds, how well, he doesn't scold you. 214 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:28.639 He serves you. 215 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:32.080 He doesn't put you down, He lifts you up. He 216 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:37.320 doesn't hassle you. He heals you. Matthew, Chapter nine, verse 217 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:41.240 thirty six. It says this, when Jesus saw the crowds, 218 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:46.200 his heart was filled with compassion for them because they 219 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:49.200 were hurting and they didn't know where to get help. 220 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:55.600 They were like sheep without a shepherd. How you look 221 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.240 at people determines a lot and tells us a lot 222 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.240 about what's in your heart. When I look at the crowd, 223 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.799 I often find I think of irritation, I think a 224 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:06.759 loss of privacy. I think of a lot of things. 225 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.000 But the Bible says when Jesus looked at the crowd, 226 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:13.679 he was moved with compassion because they were hurting, they 227 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:17.840 were helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd. And 228 00:13:17.879 --> 00:13:20.000 that's the way God looks at your problems, and he 229 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:23.639 looks at your your hurts. He's compassionate. Now what does 230 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:27.240 that mean. Well, there's them between empathy, sympathy and compassion. 231 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:31.720 Sympathy means I'm sorry you hurt. You can send a 232 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.639 sympathy card. I'm sorry you hurt. A little bit deeper 233 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:40.080 commitment is empathy. Empathy means I hurt with you. When 234 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.279 I empathize, it's more than I'm sorry you hurt. It's 235 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:47.039 I'm hurting with you. But compassion means I will do 236 00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:51.799 anything I can to stop your hurt. And the Bible 237 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:54.679 repeatedly says that when Jesus looked at people who were 238 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:59.120 in pain, he was moved with compassion. I will do 239 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:03.240 anything it takes to stop your hurt, even if it 240 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:07.480 means dying on the cross, even if it means having 241 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:11.679 nails nailed through my hands and feet. That's compassion. I 242 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:13.679 will do whatever it takes. I will do any and 243 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:19.559 it takes to stop your pain. In Matthew twenty verse 244 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:21.799 twenty eight, Jesus said, this is why I came. I 245 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:25.440 came here not to be served, but to serve others, 246 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:28.799 and to give my life as a ransom for many. 247 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.759 He came to show compassion. He says, you know, I 248 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:35.200 came to serve and to give. And if you circle 249 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:37.879 those two words, that is what it means to follow 250 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:40.399 Jesus Christ. That is what it means to be a 251 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:44.639 true Christian. Giving and serving define a Christian life. If 252 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:47.159 you don't give, if you don't serve, how in the 253 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:49.159 world can you follow Jesus Because he said, that's my 254 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:53.279 whole purpose. You know, it's interesting. The paradox of this 255 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.360 verse is that when it comes to your relationship, God 256 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:01.600 says it's not about you. Life is not about you, 257 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:03.960 that you only find your meeting and giving your life away. 258 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:06.679 And he says, for you, it's not about you. It's 259 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:10.159 really all about God and other people. The first sentence 260 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:14.759 and purpose of life is it's not about you. But 261 00:15:14.799 --> 00:15:17.799 when it comes to God, it's the exact opposite. With Jesus, 262 00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:21.039 it's all about you. He came to earth for you, 263 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:25.159 he died for you, he suffered for you, he sacrificed 264 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.200 for you. It's all about you. From God's point of view. 265 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.960 God is unselfish, and God wants you to be like him. 266 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.320 He wants you to be Christ like Christ was not 267 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:37.120 thinking of himself, He was thinking of others. And the 268 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:38.879 same thing is true with you. God wants you to 269 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:41.360 not think of yourself. It's not about you, It's about 270 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.320 God and it's about others. But I bring him my hurts, 271 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:48.480 I know that Jesus is not gonna ras me or 272 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:52.639 put me down, or scold me or intimidate me. He's 273 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.639 going to show compassion because he did that throughout his ministry. 274 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:01.240 Number two, Not only if I bringing my hurts, Jesus 275 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.759 shows me compassion, but number two, if I choose to 276 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:09.799 follow him, Jesus leads me in the right direction. He's 277 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:11.759 not going to lead you in the wrong direction, but 278 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:13.639 he's going to lead you in the right direction. If 279 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:17.759 you say God, I'm going to follow your son Jesus Christ, 280 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:23.200 he becomes your guide through life. I don't know if 281 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:26.840 you've ever gone to a city like London or Tokyo 282 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:31.440 or some Paris and taken a guided tour, But if 283 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:33.519 you've ever done that, you know you learn a whole 284 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:36.440 lot more about a city if you have a guide 285 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:39.919 that if you just walk through Paris, you don't know, 286 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.200 you're going to miss all kinds of important things because 287 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.879 you don't know what they are. It helps to have 288 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:47.960 a guide. You learn more, you see more you experience 289 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:51.000 more if you have a guide taking you through a city. 290 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:55.120 The same is true with your life. You need a 291 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.840 guide through your life. If you're just walking through your 292 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:02.320 life on your own, you're missing a whole lot. If 293 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:05.319 you're just going through your life without a guide, without 294 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.720 a shepherd, without somebody showing you the ropes, without somebody 295 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:13.400 who's more experienced in life than you are, you're missing 296 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.680 a whole lot in your life, stuffs passing by you 297 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:18.559 that you would have caught if you had had a 298 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:22.400 guide with you. And so Jesus says, if you're going 299 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:25.039 to choose to follow me, I will be your guide. 300 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.079 I will be your shepherd, and I will lead you 301 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.119 in the right direction now as a shepherd. A shepherd 302 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:36.319 always knows more than the sheep does always, and Jesus 303 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:39.480 is always going to know more about your life than 304 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.720 you do because he created you, he made you. He 305 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:45.319 knows your purpose even when you don't know your purpose. 306 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:49.119 So what do I do in this situation? Well, Psalm 307 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.759 twenty three, verse three says this, he Jesus leads me 308 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:56.000 in the right path, the right path for. 309 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:56.839 His name's sake. 310 00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:59.079 As I said, He's never going to lead you in 311 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:02.400 the wrong way. And in John ten, verse four, Jesus says, 312 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:07.039 the good shepherd walks ahead of the sheep, and they 313 00:18:07.079 --> 00:18:12.279 follow him, for they recognize his voice. Now I want 314 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:15.799 you to notice something circle the word or the phrase 315 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:20.640 walks ahead. The good shepherd walks ahead of the sheep. 316 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:27.000 They follow him, and they recognize his voice. In shepherding, 317 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:33.240 the shepherd always goes first. Why he's the model, he's mentoring, 318 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:37.359 he's leading by example. This is very different than being 319 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:40.559 a cowboy. A cowboy and a shepherd are two different things. 320 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:46.559 You drive cattle, but you lead sheep, big difference. You 321 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:50.559 drive cattle from the back, you push them forward. And 322 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.920 if you've ever watched a TV Western, you know on 323 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:56.880 a cattle drive they're pushing the cattle from the back. 324 00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:01.039 So you drive cattle from the back, but you lead sheep. 325 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:05.200 You get out front and they follow you. Now here's 326 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:08.160 a point. Jesus is not going to push you through 327 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:11.599 your life. He's not going to push you into doing 328 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:14.599 things you don't want to do, you're not interested in doing. 329 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:17.119 He's never going to force you to do something you 330 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:20.279 don't want to do. But as a shepherd, he's going 331 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:22.079 to lead the way, and he's going to say, watch 332 00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:24.680 how I do it, look where I go. And if 333 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:27.640 you follow his lead, oh man, your life's going to 334 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:30.960 be a whole lot easier, a lot fewer problems, a 335 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:34.559 lot less stress if you'll follow the lead of your shepherd. 336 00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:38.480 If I bring him my hurts, he shows me compassion. 337 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:41.240 But if I choose to follow him, he says, I 338 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:46.759 will lead you in the right direction. Now, how do 339 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:48.480 I know he wants to lead me in the right direction? Well, 340 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:52.720 he says it, and the Bible says, and so I'm 341 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:57.680 twenty six verse three. Your constant love, Lord is my guide, 342 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:02.960 and your faithfulness always leads me. Now David wrote that 343 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:04.960 same guy who wrote the Lord as my shepherd, And 344 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.240 he says, Lord, when you lead me, you lead me 345 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:12.039 with your love. This is very important. Jesus always leads 346 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:17.920 you with love, not with laws. Let me explain this. 347 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:20.759 The reason why a lot of people are afraid of God, 348 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:23.000 the reason why a lot of people fear God. The 349 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.400 reason a lot of people don't want to follow God 350 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:27.640 is because they think He's just going to give them 351 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:31.279 a set of rules. Do this, this, this, this, this, this, 352 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:34.200 this and this, and don't do this this this, this, this, 353 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.680 and this, and yet the Bible says, God says, I 354 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:41.920 will lead you with my love, not with my laws. 355 00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:50.240 I lead you out of love. Wow. 356 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:53.599 Some powerful words from Pastor Rick today. And now this 357 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:56.160 is really one of my favorite parts of the broadcast. 358 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.880 This is letters from our listeners and now here's Rick Hi. 359 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.440 Today, I want to share a very powerful letter from 360 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:08.640 a listener named Michael. Michael experienced terrible trauma as a child, 361 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:11.759 but he says that Daily Hope is helping him overcome 362 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:14.319 his past and now he's looking to the future with 363 00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:16.160 his kids. Let me read you just a little bit 364 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.599 of Michael's story. Dear Pastor Rick, you and Daily Hope 365 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:24.079 have brought God into my life and it has saved me. 366 00:21:25.160 --> 00:21:27.599 I am a twenty nine year old father of five children, 367 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:30.359 and I try my hardest to teach my children to 368 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:33.200 know God and to love Jesus and how to pray. 369 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:35.039 And I do my best to be a good example 370 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.440 and be worthy of all the good gifts that God 371 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:40.400 has given to me. But you know, because of my 372 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:44.839 childhood and the insecurities and abandonment issues that were created 373 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:49.039 in my life from years of mental abuse, physical abuse, 374 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:52.880 verbal abuse, and yes, even sexual abuse. I've always had 375 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:56.039 a hard time trusting God. I woke up every day 376 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.599 feeling unworthy, and I suffered from feelings of anxiety, and 377 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:04.599 I felt like God couldn't possibly love me because no 378 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:08.119 one else had ever loved me. And I carried that 379 00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:12.799 pain inside of me for so long, craving for a close, 380 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:17.400 better intimate relationship with God. Now listening to Daily Hope 381 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:22.039 has helped me achieve that and more. I'm not only better, 382 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.440 but I'm now better for everybody else around me. Spreading 383 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.920 all that I've learned and the good news of Jesus Christ. 384 00:22:29.319 --> 00:22:31.759 I know God better than ever, and I now have 385 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:35.240 more faith than I ever knew possible because I feel 386 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:40.480 His love. Thank you so much. Daily Hope does such 387 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:42.640 a great work in the name of Jesus, and I 388 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:45.559 will forever be in your debt for bringing the fire 389 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:48.839 of faith into my heart and helping me know God. 390 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:53.680 I love you, and I hope you continue to bring 391 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:57.000 change in the world through the message of Jesus Christ. 392 00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:02.559 You know, Michael, I absolutely love how you're teaching your 393 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:06.240 five kids to know Jesus. That is a real man, 394 00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:08.880 a real dad, a real father. It's so important to 395 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:12.200 pass it on to the next generation, and I'm encouraged. 396 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:15.759 The Daily Hope is helping you with the trauma of 397 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:19.440 all your past and helping you work through those issues 398 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:22.519 and keeping you growing in the love of Jesus Christ. 399 00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:24.960 You know, stories like the one you wrote to me 400 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:27.799 are what keep me going. It's why we do this 401 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:31.920