May 3 - Good Shepherd Sunday
Last Sunday
we read the account of Jesus’ appearance to His disciples on Easter eve. He formed those frightened and unbelieving
disciples into a new community – the church.
The result of the resurrection is a fellowship of people that gets
together because the risen Christ promises to be present in their gathering –
to speak to them through the words of scripture – to touch each personally in
the breaking of the bread, the Holy Communion.
We are here this morning because in some way the Spirit of Christ has
called us. And
if you listen, you may here His voice speaking to you personally through the
words of the Bible, for His Spirit is among us, as He promised.
In today’s gospel, the church gathered around the
risen Christ is compared to a flock of sheep led by a
shepherd.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. John 10:11
This shepherd is so devoted to his sheep – loves
them so much – that he would give his life for them. The good shepherd’s love is self giving and sacrificial.
And Jesus commanded us to Love one
another in the same way that He has loved us.
The community of Christ’s followers is to be marked
by self giving love and mutual concern.
Before I read from the gospel of John, our second
lesson was from First John. The gospel
of John is the first book in the Bible by John, while First John is the second
book by John. Could be
confusing.
Bible verses about love are used
in weddings. A women
was ordering a wedding cake for her daughter, instructing the baker to decorate
it with the words of First John 4:18: “perfect love casts out fear.”
The baker was confused and looked up John 4:18. So wedding cake was decorated with “You have
had five husbands and the one you are with now is not you husband.”
In our second lesson,
We know love by this, that he
laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 1 John 3:16
Then he offers a practical example of giving your life: How
does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or
sister in need and yet refuses help? 3:17
Giving your life, he suggests, does not mean dying, but
rather living for others. Specifically,
if you see a brother or sister in need, lend a hand. Help them to the degree you are able.
“I have to
learn to look on the other person, not simply with my eyes and feelings, but
from the perspective of Jesus Christ.
Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can begin to love with the love of
Christ. As I find the opportunity to
serve, my eyes can be opened to what God has done for
me and how much he loves me. Love of
neighbor is a path that leads to encounter with God. On the other hand, closing our eyes to our
neighbor also blinds us to God.”
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. John 10:14
The community Jesus describes is close and personal.
Each knows the other and is known by them. There are no strangers in the flock. No one should feel that they
are not recognized.
The shepherd calls his sheep by name and so
His church should be one in which ‘everybody knows you name and they’re always
glad you came.”
For the typical church that
is more of a goal than a reality. It is
something we strive for.
One of the reasons we encourage you to be here every
Sunday is because that’s the first step in building
the community of Christ. You have to
show up that you might both be known – and get to know others.
Beyond just
showing up on Sunday, building community means getting involved. The easiest way is to share in the
hospitality of the church. Like coming a
few minutes early for coffee and conversation so you
can meet and greet other members. Or staying after church for a reception or a lunch. Then you’ll have
time for a more extended conversation with another member. Events like Ladies Night
Out is another way to get to know others. In the early church shared meals were the centerpiece of their fellowship.
The goal is that there be
no strangers among us - that each knows the others and is known.
We need to be part of a caring community. Life always seems to have plenty of
difficulty and suffering to spread around – there is no shortage of problems. What we need is a group of people around us
to help shoulder the burdens of life. We need people who will draw us toward
interdependence and away from isolation and individualism.
Bible study groups are essential for building up the
community of Christ. After the
resurrection, the risen Christ led those discouraged disciples in the study of
scripture. The Word of God is the
foundation of the church. And as we gather for study, he opens our minds to
understanding, as he did theirs. He uses
each of us to speak to others by sharing our insights. He is present in our conversations, and binds
us together.
I know I’ll never get you
all involved in Bible study. I’ll keep trying. But for some, it’s easier and more natural to become
involved in the work of the church – to find some area of service where you can
contribute. Often you find that you end
up working with other members – and working together, you get to know one
another.
All those activities – from working together to
fellowship meals to adult classes – have two things in common – two
characteristics that build Christ community.
Availability and spontaneity.
Availability - Each of those activities bring you
closer to other members. Whether you’re sitting at the same table or working on the same
task, you’re close enough to lend an ear.
You are available to others and can listen – share some of your valuable
time with another member.
Availability leads to spontaneity. Whether it’s a lunch
after church or a work day, you don’t know who you’ll be next to. You’ll cross paths
unintentionally with other members.
Perhaps that will create an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to put you
next to the person He wants you to talk to. Maybe they can speak a word of encouragement
you need to hear.
A guy was driving home from
work one day, and saw a Little League game in progress. He decided to stop and watch. He asked a kid what the score was.
“We’re behind 14 to nothing,” he answered with a
smile.
“I have to say you don’t look discouraged.”
“Discouraged?”, the boy
asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Why should we be discouraged? We
haven’t been up to bat yet.”
When you come to church on Sunday, you’re not just here for yourself – for you get out of
it. You are really
here for others. Your presence
supports and encourages them. Christ
ministers through us to others – and through others to us. Sometimes you will be the answer to someone
else’s prayer.
Yes, it takes time to be involved. It takes commitment to be here every
Sunday. But it’s
worth it because our faithfulness in attending and our involvement in the
fellowship build a caring community – the flock of the good shepherd. A community that lets us know that we do not face life’s problems
alone.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I
must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So
there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10:16
A close-knit community could become cozy and
exclusive - hard for others to break into.
So Jesus tells us that he has other sheep that
don’t belong to this fold, this flock.
Right now they’re on the outside and you
haven’t met them. But
the good shepherd says, I must bring them also. The
membership in the flock of Christ is not yet finaly
fixed. It is open-ended. There will always be others
who hear the shepherd’s voice and enter the fold.
We reach out to people and invite them to join us,
under the assumption that Jesus has already invited them. We welcome new comers because we believe it is the Spirit of Christ who has led them here.
We are called not just
to believe in Christ, the Good Shepherd, but also to be an active
part of His flock of sheep.
Believing
in Christ, the Good Shepherd
involves belonging to His flock, the
church.
Within this fellowship, we can become aware of
the presence of the One who
loves us.
Our connection to Christ’s church nurtures
and strengthens our connection to the Good Shepherd who journeys with us
Here, we come to know the closeness of the
Spirit of Christ in whom we live and move
and have our being.