Refuge Audio Podcast

At the sight of the multitude, Jesus was moved with compassion because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd (Matthew 9:36). This was specific language God used in the Old Testament to describe His people. Jesus is the Good Shepherd that God promised to do the good word of feeding, tending, and seeking and saving the lost.

Have you ever had a situation where you’ve tried every option and exhausted every resource? And yet, there seems to be a two-year-old in all of us that still says, “I can do it myself!” Eventually, our self-sufficiency and pride disappear when circumstances deplete our strength and resources so that nothing is left but to cry out to Jesus. Though He would rather be our first choice, Jesus is willing to be our last resort. When our desperation overrules our hesitation, we finally come face to face with Jesus and might expect anger and frustration, but instead, Jesus shows us compassion, mercy, and grace.

God chose to pour new wine into new wineskins. He decided to pour the person and power of the Holy Spirit into the most unlikely of vessels. But why? So that no one could boast and God alone would get all the glory. In this way, the adventure of the Great Commission could be available to anyone that Jesus would call to follow Him—even if that person is considered lower than low, like a tax collector named Levi. Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old.

Jesus’ words & actions confounded the religious leaders around Him. After all, Jesus was eating with sinners, ministering to sinners, forgiving sinners, healing sinners, and (worst of all) calling sinners to be His followers. The religious leaders thought they were already righteous. They could not comprehend in their self-righteous hearts how the Messiah would come for sinners and not for them. So, the only conclusion they could make was that Jesus must not be the Messiah. But they had failed to see Jesus had come for them, too. It’s just that something needed to happen in their hearts first.

There are storms in life. Whether external or internal, there are moments where we feel hopeless to do anything about the circumstances we face. But Jesus has authority over the storms, whether from without or within. Sometimes He rebukes the storm, sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He does neither. Yet through it all, we learn that Jesus is Lord. 

There is a stark contrast between someone hired to say something and a good shepherd—someone who has something to say because they live in awe and wonder about the God they love, serve, and believe in. They speak with authenticity, authority, and simplicity as they serve others with what they have learned and long to give away. The people of Capernaum had this experience when Jesus began His earthly ministry by teaching and preaching in their synagogue.

What is your part in the body of Christ? What is it that God has given you so you can build up others and love your neighbor in this fellowship? Only you and the Lord can answer that question. But whatever it is, it is essential that you “take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord that you may fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17)

On the first Sunday of the year, we review the history, vision, purpose, and practice of Refuge to answer these questions: What are we doing? Why are we doing it? What does it look like? We turn to the Bible to find the answers to those important questions so we can understand God's vision for His church.

At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus saw the crowds around Him and had compassion on them “because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36). It’s this compassion that led Him to encourage His disciples to ask God to send more workers to share the Good News. In the very next chapter, Jesus sent His disciples as those workers. But He doesn’t send them in their strength. He gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. We, too, have been sent by Jesus with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Like the disciples, we must pray before we begin this work.