Once upon a Parable – The Good Shepherd (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 “The Lord is my Shepherd.” We will be looking at this theme by exploring 2 of Jesus’ parables about sheep and shepherds – one from the gospel of Matthew and one from the gospel of John. 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 1 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 love 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. 2 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 Bible? (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 loves 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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 redeemer. 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 week.