When we do life shepherdless, we are distressed and downcast. We are not connected to a flock. We don’t have a shepherd. So we are out there alone. A sheep is designed for a shepherd. A sheep will not last very long by itself doing its own thing, forging its own future, paving its own path. It is not going to happen. You might be OK for a year or two or maybe a decade or two. But one day, when you least expect it, the evil one will devour you. The scripture says that Satan is like a roaring lion looking and seeking to devour shepherdless people. Are you doing life shepherdless? God doesn’t want you to be doing life shepherdless. He wants you to become a part of His flock.
Over the last several weeks, as we have been preparing for this series, we have been praying like crazy that many of you would bow the knee, that many of you would say that you need a shepherd, that you are designed for one, that you want to admit the obvious to God and go His way. We are praying for that to happen. The moment that we establish a personal connection with the living Lord, here is what happens. He becomes our Shepherd and He tells us to shadow Him. We have got to shadow the Shepherd. When we shadow Him, three things will happen.
The Lord will give us direction. He will give us direction. John 10:27, Jesus speaking, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow Me.” We can hear the voice of God. I have never heard the audible voice of God. Eight years ago I didn’t hear God say, “Ed, Ed, go to the Fellowship Church and become the founding pastor.” I have never heard God speak like that. God speaks to my spirit, though, in ways that audible words can’t touch. He speaks through the Bible. He speaks through Christian friends. He speaks through private worship and public worship. He speaks through events. And we have got to stay sensitive to God’s voice.
Fellowship Church Grapevine talks the Three dimensions of courage. The first dimension is spiritual courage. Let’s talk about the life of Daniel, 605 BC, Babylon.
