Oily Sheep

Notes for teaching tomorrow..

Imagine if there was a pill you could take and all the tough things in your life would just be gone.
I woke up from a dream with that thought in my head this morning. In my dream, the pill was huge, like a horse pill and very dull looking and kind of mushy.
I decided against it.
The guy offering it kind of looked like a car salesman with a horsey smile and plastic features. I bet you wouldn't take it either. I bet George Washington or Judah Maccabeus wouldn't either. You all know who G. W is and probably most of you have heard me teach about the Maccabees before.
The thing that's really cool to me is that they both fought for the freedom of their country and that Washington lived about 200 years before our time and Judah Mac. lived about 200 years before Jesus' time. They both succeeded with God's help and a tiny band of rebels
to defeat the Empire! Yup, now I'm thinking of Luke Skywalker.
Without their tough times and their victories, we wouldn't have the US or Judaism, Hanukkah or Christmas..(or wookies dancing with those little creatures from Endor.)

Let's turn to John 10 and check out how Jesus celebrated Hanukkah one year.
Feast of 'Dedication' in hebrew that's Hanukkah.
It's called that because the temple was a mess. The evil empire had desecrated the most holy sacred place for Jews. The perpetually burning menorah was out and pigs had been sacrificed on the altar, the Emperor had set up worship of himself instead of for God.
John 10
22 Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade.

As Jesus walked along, he was probably thinking about the courage of the Macabee brothers and their father, Matthias in rebelling against the Emperor and fighting against the Empire's trained soldiers. A Great Miracle happened There'Nes Gadol Hiya Sham' in Hebrew and then another miracle happened when the perpetual menorah lamp was lit. There was only enough holy oil for 1 day but it stayed lit for 8; the time it would take to produce more Holy Oil! I'm sure Jesus was thinking of these things, chilling with the Father and just having a Happy Hanukkah. Then in comes trouble ...

24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
The religious leader of the day came in and started questioning him.
Are you the Messiah, the Anointed One, the King?If so tell us plainly.
Welpers, Jesus answered them in the spirit of Hanukkah
and referred to the miracles (He called them good works or mitzvoth) He had done.

25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me,
Now the thing that really blows my mind is that they don't deny that Jesus did miracles,.. check out verse 33...
we aren't stoning you because of the miracles you do but because of what you say.
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the King, One with the Father or as they put it 'you a mere man, claim to be God."

33 "We are not stoning you for any of these(miracles)," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
Miracles, magic trouble relieving pills, do not convince people to believe God. Those religious guys, knew Jesus had power to heal and raise from the dead and multiply fish and loaves but these things don't convince people to follow God.
The most amazing miracles is in verse 28...
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

He gives his sheep eternal life and no matter what ;we are safe in His hand. No matter what!then the other super amazing miracle is in verse 30 where He says I and the Father are One.

30 I and the Father are one."

Jesus never said the words, "I am God" for a very good reason...He didn't want us worshiping three different Gods.
God is One. Get that? Not three God's, one God. That's why it's so cool here that He says, I and the Father are One. It's absolutely brilliant, but what did I expect from God :)
Anyways, so miracles and magic pills don't make us His sheep... and that really is the goal of our lives here...to be His sheep.
You might think it's to be successful or to do good or help people but the real goal;
the real reason we have life at all ;is to be His sheep.
In verse 27, we see what that means to be His sheep...
listen to His voice and follow Him..

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

and the test to see if you are His sheep is simple too.
'I know them...'does He know you?
Do you listen to his voice and follow him?
Even a bunny can do it, (you knew I had to mention bunny!) She watches my every move and I see her watching me, twitching her little nose and I give her some petting or play with her or give her some nibbles.
Are you watching for Him? Here's an example..a parable of Jesus'..
Mat. 25:1 "God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. 2 Five were silly and five were smart. 3 The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. 5 The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. 6 "In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The bridegroom's here! Go out and greet him!' 7 "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. 8 The silly virgins said to the smart ones, 'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.' 9 "They answered, 'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.' 10 "They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked. 11 "Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, 'Master, we're here. Let us in.' 12 "He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.' 13 "So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

You know what?? that's so like H.
They needed their lamps to shine... they needed Holy oil and
oil is a symbol of the Holy spirit and you know where they got it from?
Same place it came from in the day of Judah M...from God!
Watch for Him, be ready to respond to Him...How? read this thing(Bible),
hide it in your heart and mind and soul and spirit.
Get alone with Him and listen... spend time praying, with others and studying this with them.
Let Him fill up your lamps with Holy Oil. Then He will know you and you will be
His sheep, the sheep of His hands.

Is. 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Let's end with verse 14 and 15 from the same chapter.
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus laid down His life so that we can know the Father.

If you don't have one of these you can actually carry around and read ask for one for Christmas or Hannukah or ask Jamie and he'll give you one. Be the bunny, you're God's favorite, be an oily sheep.
If you don't know what I mean by 'Oily Sheep' go read Ps. 23 until you do.
Also read all of John 10, it is awesome for sheep...and answers so many tough questions, we all ask.