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Home , Parables of Jesus

Once upon a – The (November 24, 2019)

This message was delivered in 3 parts.

Big God Question – Why are you here today?

The theme for today’s service is “ is my Shepherd.” We will be looking at this theme by exploring 2 of ’ about sheep and shepherds – one from the of Matthew and one from the . We will be asking ourselves 3 questions -

Why are you here today?

Who needs a shepherd anyway? Where is our hope? Some of you may be wondering why the first question is ‘why are you here today?’ First of all, this isn’t exactly the normal way of being greeted in a church! Usually, at this time in the worship service, I welcome everyone, tell you what’s going on in the life of the congregation, and then invite you for fellowship after the service. That’s my normal routine, but not today. The second reason why this question is strange is because you would think that it is obvious why we are all here today!

But is it?

There are many reasons why people go to church… Some of you have been attending this church for 50 years or more – and you have sat in the same pew all of that time! It is part of your family’s heritage and tradition. It is part of your DNA and when you walk into this building, you feel at home. Some of you started attending Knox since I came here 6 years ago. Some of you have only been here for a short time. Some of you were born and raised in the Presbyterian Church while others are from the

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United, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, and Catholic traditions. Even others still did not grow up in ANY faith tradition. Some of you attend every Sunday unless you are ill or away while others attend whenever their work and family schedules allow them to. There may even be people who don’t really want to be here at all.

We are all here for different reasons.

This stand with a stuffed sheep on it represents that fact. The sheep, of course, represents us. We are the sheep and Jesus is our Shepherd. The stand has 3 legs and each leg represents the main reasons why people go to church…

1. To worship 2. To belong 3. To serve

You can go onto the Internet and search yourself for the main reasons why people go to church – and you will find a LOT of lists – but all of those reasons can be put into these three categories. In worship, we offer our thanks and praise to the One who created us. In worship, we are all fed in some way – in the reading and the preaching of the Word of God, by praying together, and in song. In worship, we are reminded that the Lord is our Shepherd and in him, we shall not want. In belonging, we are reminded that we are part of a larger flock of sheep. This flock provides welcome and hospitality; it offers and friendship; it helps us grow in our faith; it supports us in the highs and lows of life; it comforts us in the valley of the shadow of death. And because we worship the Good Shepherd; because we are part of his flock – we can go out and serve in the pastures of life to show others the way home.

No matter what reason – or reasons – that made you get out of bed today and come to church, one thing is for certain - we are all here because we are sheep in need of a Shepherd.

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God question: Who needs a shepherd anyway?

Time with the children.

Questions to ask the kids: Do you know what the most popular animal is in the ? (A sheep!) Do you know why this is so? (Sheep were very common in the time when the Bible was written. Moses was a shepherd. David was a shepherd. The angels appeared to the shepherds when Jesus was born.) Have you ever seen a sheep? Where? Sheep are cute, but they aren’t very smart. They don’t think for themselves and they get into trouble a lot. They get lost. They go where it isn’t safe. In order for sheep to survive, they need a shepherd. They need someone to care for them and protect them. Just like we do. That’s why the Bible tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He us and cares for us. He protects us from harm. He is with us always. Let’s watch a video about a sheep that got into a LOT of trouble and needed a very brave Shepherd to rescue him.

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Readings

Psalm 23

Leader: God, my shepherd! People: I don’t need a thing.

Leader: You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. People: True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.

Leader: Even when the way goes through Death Valley, People: I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.

Leader: Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. People: You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.

Leader: You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. People: Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.

All: I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

Matthew 18:12-14

“Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn’t he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn’t want to lose even one of these simple believers.

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John 10:1-18

“Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good— a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.” Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.” This is Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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God question: Where is our hope?

Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, our rock and . Amen.

In our society, we are bombarded by information. We can turn on the TV at any time – night or day – and watch the news. We get information pushed to us on our so-called smart phones through the Internet and social media 24/7. In the workplace. In our community. In the Church. In our world. We are OVERWHELMED by the amount of information that we have access to!

People are becoming SO overwhelmed that they are now trying to find ways disconnect from the information superhighway. Do you want to know about a book that is currently on the bestseller lists on Amazon and Chapters? It’s a book by Tiffany Shlain called 24/6: The power of unplugging one day a . Do you know what that is called in ‘old fashioned’ language? The Sabbath!

If we can’t find a way to honour the Sabbath, at least we can find ways to sift through all of this information. Is there some way for us to be able to remember the important stuff? One of the solutions to this problem is to create the ever-popular ‘top 10 lists.’ OR for those of us who have poor memories – top 3 lists. The top 3 ways to be a great parent or grandparent. The top 3 things you need to do to have a good marriage. The top 3 techniques to be successful in business. The top 3 ways to grow your congregation. The top 3 reasons why people go to church.

Whether we like it or not, this information overload has creeped into the life of the Church in North America. There is an expectation that when you go to church, you will get something out of it beyond worshipping, belonging, and serving. That church will help you be a better parent, a better partner, and definitely a better Christian. Churches are

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So let me offer you a return on your investment in me…

Today is the last Sunday in a series that I have been doing since September on the parables of Jesus and it is my personal opinion that I have saved the best for last. The parables of the lost sheep in Matthew’s gospel and the Good Shepherd in John’s gospel are beautiful stories with a purpose. And their main purpose is to remind us that the Good News of Jesus has nothing to do with any top 3 list. In fact, these parables actually have very little to do with us – they are all about God.

They tell us about the extraordinary love of God.

God loves us so much that he has gone – and will continue to go - to great lengths to care for and protect us. And that care starts with giving us his only begotten Son. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the only One who will go after one sheep who gets into trouble and needs to be rescued. He is the only One who can protect us from the sheep rustlers and stealers of our time. He is the only One who can protect us from those who seek to steal and kill and destroy. He will not let us be scattered and ravaged if we listen to his voice above all the other voices that seek our attention night and day. Jesus came – and willingly sacrificed his life – so that we can have real and eternal life. So that we can have a better life than we could have ever dreamed of on our own.

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This is where our hope is!

In Christ alone.

These two parables about the sheep and the shepherd are full of nuance and multiple layers of meaning, but ultimately, they speak to us about the nature of God - a God who is loving and forgiving, nurturing and protective, guiding and welcoming. These parables don’t tell us how to become smarter sheep. They don’t tell us where to go when we wander off. They don’t give us the top 3 ways to be better, more efficient sheep.

These parables tell us – as plainly as can be – that we are loved. No matter who we are or what we have done or how long we have sat in these pews – we are loved by God. You and me. Plain and simple.

So, friends, I am not here today to give you a top 3 list of things that will make you a better parent, grandparent, spouse, or even a better Christian. I have no homework for you nor do I have a powerful story to wrap up this message. What I do have is this – God loves you. In the midst of the endless noise that is all around us, hear the Good News of the Gospel – Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd and we are his beloved sheep.

If you ask me, that’s a pretty good return on our investment.

Amen.

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