Devotion for Motion 3: Devotion for Motion, #3

By Pilgrim Preacher

The Devotion for Motion Series: full-text messages in a conversational style to be read to an audience to spur to heartfelt action.

 

Each book in the series has full-text ready-to-read bible devotions in a conversational style, expounding biblical principles from both Testaments. Geared to spur the Christian Pilgrim to action, these devotions glean inspiration from numerous passages and the lives of some of the best-known men and women heroes of holy writ.

 

These devotions are perfect for personal use, bible camps, midweek bible studies, revival meetings, bible in universities, campus bible clubs, outreach training events, small group meetings, and retreats.

 

Everyone in ministry can use these devotions to equip, entertain, and encourage members of their congregation to devote themselves to motion in the Lord's service.

 

"The devotions are truly ready to read! My congregation is enjoying them each Sunday evening and it helps us all focus on how we represent Jesus for the coming week." S Ropa

The author is ordained with over thirty-five years in ministry. He is an authority on the book's subject matter, having trained many parishioners, and himself living devoted to motion in the Lord's service. With keen insight into life and ministry, he has written this book to help you live devoted to motion in your Christian life and Kingdom role. 

 

You need this motivational book on the timeless themes of Revival, Evangelism, and Christian Assurance. Get each book in this series to be the best you can be.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pilgrim Preacher
• Release date: Oct 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223964018

Pilgrim Preacher

The Pilgrim Preacher gives Ministers and Teachers everything they need to deliver a relevant and engaging Bible lesson to today's audience. Ordained with over thirty-five years of theological experience and having e-books distributed in online bookstores, the Pilgrim Preacher is your one-stop shop for sermons and bible lessons. The Pilgrim Preacher's suite of sermons, lessons, and devotions is the busy minister's best friend. The biblical genres covered are comprehensive, theologically sound, and engaging. Each series format empowers Pastors and Teachers to achieve their routine of delivering bible lessons multiple times each week. Everyone in ministry should have this suite of e-learning courses to educate and inspire their parishioners to greater heights in the Faith.

Book preview

The Good Shepherd

Luke 15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.  15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.  15:3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,  15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.  15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Jesus speaks this parable in response to the attitude of the Pharisees, and he is not happy with their stance. And so, he speaks this parable to them. Found in verses one and two, the attitude is this: that the Jewish religious leaders in this scene are self-righteous; they believe that they have a special place with God. All these common people are sinners, and worse off, or not as good as them. And these Pharisees were looking down their noses at these people, whom Rabbi Jesus was dining with. They could not get over why this Rabbi from Nazareth, was stooping so low as to spend time with the down and outers. Usually, a religious master would remain aloof from sinners.

Jesus Christ was dining with people who were seeking truth and compassion, in the midst of a hard life under legalistic Judaism and oppressive Rome. These people were wary of a limited and limiting belief system. Some of these people were probably saved out of immorality, dishonesty, or thievery, and were thus filled with joy. Some were cheerful, believing in Christ. Some were still seeking: they were interested in sitting at Jesus's feet and learning more about theology. So, these people were around Jesus, and the Pharisees came and made no distinction about the heart conditions of the crowd. They believed that these people were still in sin, and they had not changed. The Pharisees were waiting for these sinners and publicans to conform to religious rules, regulations, and ceremonies. But Jesus says that these ones had already believed in him or were close to it, and they were already causing joy in Heaven.

Jesus did not appreciate the attitude of the Pharisees. And Jesus is the same today. The Lord does not appreciate a self-righteous attitude and looking at other people through dark-colored glasses. We ought not to look down our noses at people who are immoral or caught in a vice grip. We shouldn't look down on people and think that we're something special over them. Our position in Christ is sure. We are saints: that is true. And if somebody is not found in Christ, they are a sinner. That is their position.

But Jesus does not condone the attitude of the church members, looking down the nose at people who have not washed in a while. Having a self-righteous attitude and being upset that a visitor has sat in one's favorite pew during the church service is not commendable. Instead, we ought to welcome them to attend and then tell them how to be saved and encourage their growth in the Faith and family.

In verse four, it says, what man of you having one hundred sheep? So, we start off with the number, one hundred. If one of them is lost, he does not leave the ninety-nine in safe hands and goes after that which is lost. And Jesus is saying that if you have one hundred sheep, and you are familiar, invested, and passionate about each sheep: if one of them goes astray in the wilderness; wouldn’t you leave those ninety-nine in the hands of a friend, and go off seeking that missing sheep?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who came to seek and to save the lost sheep. He came not to call the righteous, but he came to call sinners to repentance. And this involves action, not just talk. This involves action: he goes out to seek the lost sheep, just one. But he cares enough about the sheep to go and seek it. Jesus came from heavenly courts. Jesus came from heavenly glory, to seek the lost sheep. You know, when we were born into this world, every single one of us was a lost sheep. We are all lost sheep. Jesus came from heavenly courts to seek each one of us. He loved each one of us.

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The verse says, all we, like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to our own way; and the Lord has laid upon Jesus, the iniquity of us all. All of our sin was laid upon the Good Shepherd. We are so thankful that Jesus came to seek and to save us. His sacrificial atonement can wash away our sins. The scripture says, you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

So, Jesus Christ became a lamb to save us sheep. He came a lamb without blemish because it's only a lamb without blemish, that can be offered for those who are blemished. And Jesus Christ is the only perfect lamb in the whole entire universe. Jesus Christ is the only perfect lamb born into this world because he came by virgin birth. He is without blemish, and could therefore offer up himself as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. We have all gone astray from the fold, wandering over the mountains, going our own way. And the Good Shepherd has to seek each one of us.

Now, in the parable, it says that the shepherd goes out. He goes out seeking his lost sheep until he finds it. This talks about determination. He is not going to give up. Today, as we speak to someone about the gospel message, we might give up after one rejection. We offer the gospel message to somebody, and they reject it, and we think, well, they don't want to know it. We give up too easily, perhaps. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, speaks about the gospel until that person makes that last decision. Until he finds the lost sheep, well, that’s determination. I'm glad that the Lord did not give up on us. I'm glad the Lord Jesus sought us until he found us. He demonstrated his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And it's true that we did not choose him, but he chose us. It's true that we did not love him first, but he loved us first. And it is now our job as sheep, under the great Shepherd to go actively onto the streets, in towns, and in the communities, to seek and to see people saved.

The shepherd went with great cost, sacrifice, and danger to himself. The shepherd goes after this one lost sheep. He had to provide some money for the porter to look after the ninety-nine sheep in the fold, while he goes out to seek this one sheep at great cost to himself. How much money has it cost you? Have you given any money to support missionaries this last month? Shouldn't we be giving more to support missions? Isn't this the greatest work: the work of saving souls and establishing churches? How much money is it costing you to buy some gospel tracts and hand those gospel tracts out to people?

It costs him time. How much time have you given to the Lord's work this last week? How much time have you given to go out and knock on some neighborhood doors this week? How much time have you given to go out to testify on the city streets with gospel literature?

How about sacrifice? Today, with all our modern conveniences, and all of our comfort, it doesn't cost us to be a Christian. Are we sacrificing anything to dispense the gospel? The good shepherd went out in great danger to himself over the mountains, through the dark valleys, in danger of wild beasts jumping upon him and attacking him. He went out at great risk to his own life. Jesus Christ went out at great risk to his own life: and in fact, he laid down his life for us. The Good Shepherd has great love for the sheep, he loves each one, no matter how naughty or scraggy. If the sheep is scratched by bushes and rocks, and bleeding, that Shepherd loves the sheep. The Good Shepherd spared no expense. He went out at great cost and great sacrifice.

In Eastern culture, in the days of the Bible, the shepherd knew each sheep intimately. The shepherd knew each sheep by sight. The shepherd knew each sheep by name. The shepherd gave names to each of his sheep. The shepherd looked beyond the cuts and bruises, the weakness and the naughtiness of the sheep, and saw the sheep as it was, and had love toward the sheep.

And you and I need to look beyond the rough clothes of people, the tattoos of people. We need to look beyond the scars and the weakness of people. We need to look beyond the beer cans in somebody's house. We need to look beyond and see that this is an eternal soul destined to a dark fate. Jesus does look past all the trauma, and he sees the soul. The shepherd could have just said, well, that's a naughty lamb, wandering off. It deserves what comes to it. I'll leave it out there. And I’ll look after my ninety-nine. That naughty sheep shouldn't have wandered off. I'll just leave it out there. He didn't say that. He says I will look for it, risk my life, sacrifice, go