"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:1-10)
"The Lord Is My Shepherd"
What we have today is a honest gut wrenching message saying “What a Thing Really Is,” by using the 23rd Psalm followed by the words of Christ Jesus.
Don’t you wonder sometimes why the world we live in is such a mess? Not only our world, but many of our lives seems to be spiraling out of control. This chaos spills into all arenas even into the church actually causing some to turn away from God. What in the world is going on?
Well my dear friends, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The cause of all this mess and confusion is simply called people! That’s right! People—human beings trying their hardest—maybe not their hardest—but trying all the less to make things right!
Maybe our intentions are not half bad. Really we just want what Jesus talks about in today’s lesson. We all desire that “Abundant Life.” We all simply want what the shepherd boy David writes about in the 23rd Psalm.
Never to be in need.
A nice place to lay my head, or green pastures.
A peaceful life without all the conflict. Still waters.
A time to truly rest where my soul is content.
To know what is right and be able to do it.
Not to be fearful when dark times comes.
To know that God is with me even when trouble surrounds me.
Where we have more than enough for a good life.
And to never, never have to worry about death.
If you had all these gifts do you think that your life would be at least at little more abundant? I know mine would!
However, we seek these gifts through our own measures.
Jesus calls these ways thieves and bandits that do not provide what we desire. Not only that—our own messily efforts eventually end up sucking out the abundance of life.
Think I’m full of it?
At the time of Christ the philosophers were big news. Additional education would cure the world’s problems. If that didn’t work the perfect government of Rome with all her power and wealth might cure our ills. That culture was known for all its various gods. Gods of wine and food, of beauty and strength. God’s of wealth and fortune.
And yet 2000 years later not much has changed. We, like the people of ancient days, create of own idols and gods in the manner in which we live. We place money, things and careers first thinking this is the way to greener pastures. We even create thieves and bandits in our religions saying that we are the only ones who have the truth.
We still think never to be in need, no conflict, rest, right behavior, no fear, the good life lies at our finger tips with just the right effort and perhaps a little bit of luck. Well I say, “Good Luck with that one!”
I think by now we should have come to the conclusion that we need another approach if this abundant living is going to become a reality. We truly need help! And David writes, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” God is the one who provides our every need—not us—not thieves and bandits.
It sounds simple enough! But there are just two huge problems in this truth of life. Are you willing to admit first of all that you need a shepherd, and, second willing to admit you are like a sheep?
However, if you take all this seriously, one of the very first steps in getting closer to an abundant life is an honest and gut wrenching confession of the truth, “I am a lost, ignorant sheep! I need a Shepherd! Because I can not do it alone!
And here lies our catch 22, compounding our struggle. A sheep is not the kind of animal I care to be associated with. Weak and not so smart! After all, back in the days of Christ Jesus all they were really good for was to provide food and clothing and serve as a sacrifice.
They are not the most noble of beasts always wandering off, getting lost and in trouble. Sound familiar?
I read about an entire flock of sheep getting spooked by a jackrabbit and following each other right over a cliff to their death. No comment.
The ignorant little creatures will eat themselves sick of you allow them to graze in one place too long, and they will starve and won’t even go look for food if they are not led to proper pasture. Again canning similarities.
Plus if you have ever smelled a sheep in blunt terms they stink.
See the problem? Most of us have no intention of being like a sheep, so we continue to rely on our own ability and abundance of life remains allusive.
So what in the world do we do? We begin to think like sheep!
We start existing to feed the poor and clothe the naked, living our daily lives as lives of sacrifice to God—the Shepherd.
We give up our grand idea of independence that we as a people can make things better if only we try harder.
We seriously admit the way things really are and come to the understanding that we truly are like sheep who have gone astray.
We need God to point us in the right paths and help us live life abundantly.
We need a shepherd!
And Christ Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep. I am access to that Shepherd!” Whoever enters by me will be saved, and they will come in and find pasture.”
Therefore, as a not so smart sheep, we begin follow the One who offers life—we begin to do what Jesus asks.
When you awake in the morning, thank the Lord before your feet even hits the floor.
When you shower or wash your face, return to the cleansing waters of baptism where you are reminded that you, you have been named as a child of the Most High and Living God.
Know at that moment, all your sins have been washed away and now you start your morning free to serve the Lord—your Shepherd.
As you go through the day allow God to guide your thoughts and actions—pray at meals, pray when decisions need to be made.
Take a moment or two during the busy day to be grounded through lifes giving Words found in Scripture.
Before you lay down and close your eyes to sleep, ponder the Love God has for you, shown ever so clearly once again through the Life/Death and Resurrection of the gatekeeper.
And if you start practicing these simple sheep skills, I promise, better yet God promises that David’s words will start to become a reality and life will become more and more abundant.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For you are with me;
Your rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runneth over,
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever.
Amen!
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted. Sermon shared by David Trexler on May 13, 2011.
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