How Do You See God?

John 10:11-21
11 "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. 12
A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the
sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. 13 He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him. 14 "I
am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. 15 In the same way, the Father knows
me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. 16 You need to know that I
have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my
voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life.
And so I am free to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to
lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father."

19 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. 20 A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac —
out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" 21 But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of
a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?" (THE MESSAGE)

When I read these words so many things come to my mind. First of all Jesus really shows us the kind of people He is asking
us to be in this world isn't He? He's not after hired hands that are only in it for the money; no he is after real shepherds who
are completely committed to the cause. We are entering a new phase of MRC, and we need to really take a hard look at who
we are, who God is asking us to be, and where we go as we enter the new building out there on Big Dam Rd. God isn't
interested in anymore hired hands...people who come to church, play the religious game with no real life change, no real
commitment to expanding God's kingdom. (see Isaiah 58) He is not interested in people who are lukewarm, or have no
interest in kingdom work but “serve Jesus” for themselves and their own agenda.

Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So,
because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. NIV

I love this story in John where Jesus explains the hired hand and the real shepherd because whenever anyone asks you
what our roles should be here on this earth for God, you can point right back here to the words of Jesus. We need to be
totally sold out to Christ, to the God mission because honestly guys the stakes are just too high.

Cool quote- “The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken
was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'." --unknown--

Here's the deal though, I don't know too many men and women that are trying to be lukewarm. I don't know too many people
that want to do things half way. I haven't met the man or woman yet that says, Sam I'm trying to really be a fake, I want to do
the least I can possibly do for God.” I think most of us truly want to be warriors for Christ, we want to be those real shepherds
that Jesus asks us to be. We read the Bible stories and are just in awe of the amazing men and women who could put it all
on the line for Christ. But something holds us back, doesn't it? Why aren't we living those radical, committed lives? I think a
lot of us wish we could step out and be these edgy, crazy people living for God but in the end, we just don't go there? It just
seems nuts, doesn't it? Look at how people responded to Jesus at the end of the story in John. Jesus himself just seems
nuts, doesn't he?

John 10:19 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. 20 A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a
maniac — out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" 21 But others weren't so sure: "These aren't
the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?" (THE MESSAGE)

So what holds us back? We want to be those people who are just on fire, just “crazy” enough to do what ever it takes. I
believe I can show you the answer today by having you take at honest look at how you view God. How big is God to you? Do
you have a high view of God or a low view? I really want you to take a big time check into your own life today. How do you
view God? This is the most important thing about you...What is your view of God. A.W. Tozer has this to say about the
subject...
"Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, "What comes into
your mind when you think about God?” We might predict with certainty the future of that
man."—A.W. Tozer
Think about this, How you think about God determines who you become. You say that you want to be a committed warrior for
Christ, well how do you view God? How big is He to you? That will probably show you just how CRAZY you are willing to
look, just how far you are really willing to step out for HIM! Your picture of God determines so much of who you are and who
you will become in the kingdom work. We want to be these warriors for Christ, but if your view of God is messed up, if God is
too small in your mind why or how could you ever step out in faith?!?!
“Our biggest problems can be traced back to not understanding who God is. Our biggest problems seem really big
because our God seems really small.” Mark Batterson's book “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day”
So what is the view from your eyes? How big or how small is God. This is an enormous question for you to ask yourself
before we head out to the new building. Before we launch out and try to spread Jesus to a whole new area. How do you see
God? People who grasp the enormity of who God is are the people that just look nuts to the rest of us, stepping out further
and further for Him. They are the real shepherds, they are more than just hired hands, they are the committed.
I think this A.W. Tozer is really on to something here...How big is God to you? What a big deal question. Think back over the
Bible guys like Abraham who would take his son, who he waited a century to meet and sacrifice him for God?!? Why would
he do that? Because He gets just who God is. Why would a guy like Joshua even think to pray this prayer...
Joshua 10:12-13
12 The day GOD gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to GOD, with all Israel listening: "Stop, Sun, over
Gibeon; Halt, Moon, over Aijalon Valley." 13 And Sun stopped, Moon stood stock still Until he defeated his enemies.
(You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. (THE
MESSAGE)
Who prays that prayer? If you get just how big God is, you pray that prayer and believe it can be...if your God is small it
sounds insane, doesn't it? How do you view God. This is everything guys. David would go fight a Giant as a young boy. Noah
would build an ark on dry land. See 1 Samuel 14 to read of the story of Jonathan, King Saul's son who attacks a whole
Philistine garrison with just his armor bearer...
1 Samuel 14:6 Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on now, let's go across to these uncircumcised pagans.
Maybe GOD will work for us. There's no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop
GOD from saving when he sets his mind to it."7 His armor bearer said, "Go ahead. Do what you think best. I'm with
you all the way." 8 Jonathan said, "Here's what we'll do. We'll cross over the pass and let the men see we're there. 9
If they say, 'Halt! Don't move until we check you out,' we'll stay put and not go up. 10 But if they say, 'Come on up,'
we'll go right up — and we'll know GOD has given them to us. That will be our sign."11 So they did it, the two of
them. They stepped into the open where they could be seen by the Philistine garrison. The Philistines shouted out,
"Look at that! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!" 12 Then they yelled down to Jonathan and his armor
bearer, "Come on up here! We've got a thing or two to show you!" 13 Jonathan shouted to his armor bearer, "Up!
Follow me! GOD has turned them over to Israel!" Jonathan scrambled up on all fours, his armor bearer right on his
heels. When the Philistines came running up to them, he knocked them flat, his armor bearer right behind finishing
them off, bashing their heads in with stones.14 In this first bloody encounter, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed
about twenty men. 15 That set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the soldiers in the garrison and the
raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering — panic like you've never seen before! (The Message)

Who would do something so crazy? Attack an entire garrison? Someone who is completely committed, not just that,
someone who truly sees just how big God is! Let's look at one more story even though I could just go on and on...

2 Kings 6:4-7
4 He went with them. They came to the Jordan and started chopping down trees. 5 As
one of them was felling a timber, his ax head flew off and sank in the river. "Oh no,
master!" he cried out. "And it was borrowed!"6 The Holy Man said, "Where did it
sink?"The man showed him the place. He cut off a branch and tossed it at the spot.
The ax head floated up.7 "Grab it," he said. The man reached out and took it. (THE
MESSAGE)

Check out the two men in this story, Elisha the most powerful prophet of God and his apprentice. The apprentice loses a
borrowed ax head and he is devastated. That thing flew into the Jordan river, it is gone. When he tells Elisha, Elisha doesn't
panic. He doesn't walk away either does he. Nope, He asks God to bring that ax head back to the man. Who prays for such
things? The apprentice didn't even think to pray for God to come through in that way did he. Elisha never even hesitates, he
knows just how big God is. THAT TO ME SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A CRAZY PRAYER, Lord give this guy back the ax head, but
to Elisha who gets the who God is, this is no big deal at all.

So you want to be a real shepherd, don't you? I know you do, so do I. As I read over the words of Jesus asking us to be real
shepherds over hired hands I just kept thinking, what makes one person so faith filled, courageous and “crazy” for Christ and
some just not. Is it personality? Is it pure laziness? Is it selfishness? It could have some part of all of these things but really
what I think it comes down to in the end is that we have a very small view of who God is, and what He is able to do in us,
through us and with our lives. Here at MRC we want to know where you are at. It's not going to be easy. It will not always be
a walk in the park (see Hebrews 11 and 12) you may not see the rewards on this side of eternity, but in the end His Kingdom
will be advancing.

Take a moment today and try to look deep. How do you view God? The real tragedy of life becomes a person who's view
of God becomes smaller, and smaller, and smaller.

If God doesn't seem enormous, big, and loving, ask yourself some real questions. Why is that?

Is it a lack of understanding?

Have you been hurt?

Do you see God as father, and never really knew your earthly father to be a good, loving man to you?

Do you feel like God has let you down some where through your life?

Are you afraid to let go of control?

Has the old Christians around you thrown a wet blanket over your passion to advance God's kingdom?

How you view God in the end will determine where you go in life. You want to be a real shepherd, you want to be a lion
chaser, a warrior...one of those nuts for Christ how do you see God? Could you stand before a giant? Would you attack an
entire unit of men? Would you pray for an ax head to float in the river? What would you do? In the end it really comes down
to how you view God. So tell me, how is the view from your eyes? Is God big enough to take care of you? Or is God a small
as your biggest problems?

We are on a mission guys and IT IS TOO BIG FOR US, BUT IT IS NOT TO BIG FOR GOD.

I pray that today, you commit your life to Him in a new way. Not to go to heaven someday, but to lay your life down to
something bigger than you and bigger than me. The God mission. Frankly, we don't need more hired hands who run at the
first sign of trouble. Who's God image is too small, we need more warriors. We need real shepherds...we need the people
who's God is so big, what used to be insane becomes normal. We need the committed, those who aren't need to ask
themselves if MRC is where you are supposed to be or not. More than that, if you are lukewarm and ok with that, you need to
take a hard look at what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Let's do this MRC. Let's lay it down in the knowledge that no matter what the outcome for us, His Kingdom will advance.
Some will flourish, and some will be sawed in two (another Hebrews 12 reference) but in the end, it's all for the Mighty One,
and to give that person in the York, Adams, and beyond area who would die and burn in hell the opportunity to experience
Jesus and to rest, restored and whole in heaven with us some day.
How do you view God, show me your picture of God and I can probably show you where you are in life and where you are
heading. Let's stop investing and commit. Let's get just how big God is and lean out where there is nothing but him to catch
us. It's time to look hard in the mirror and ask your self. Just how big is God to you.

Love,

Sam