Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Sermon, “What’s so Good About the Good Shepherd?”, by Pastor Ruth Foss, Suncook United Methodist Church, April 29, 2012

April 29, 2012
Fourth Sunday of Eastertide
Worship Theme: The Good Shepherd Lives
Psalm 23 NRSV Bible
Acts 4:8-12 NRSV Bible
John 10:1-18 the Message Bible

“What’s so Good About the Good Shepherd?”

Shepherd me oh God beyond my wants, beyond my needs, from day into night. . . (Sing)

A reading from the Gospel of John. . . John 10 verses 1-18 (read from the Message Bible).

Let us pray:
Loving, merciful God, we thank you for the Good Shepherd you have given us in Christ Jesus. We thank you that you watch over the sheep of your pasture and would never let them be devoured. Speak to us this morning in that voice that we all hear and know. Thank you for bringing us to green pastures by still waters. Amen.

One of my most favorite children’s songs is Mary Had A Little Lamb. That little lamb surly loved Mary. It followed her every where she went. Even to places that it didn’t belong like to school. It must have known the voice of Mary and so whenever it heard her voice it would run right away to where she was. I am sure she must have taken good care of it because if she hadn’t, it wouldn’t have followed her wherever she went.

So. . . what’s so good about the Good Shepherd? In the Gospel read this morning, we hear about this Good Shepherd. This shepherd. . . Jesus. . . lays down His life for the sheep of His pasture. Jesus laid down his life for the “sheep” of God’s pasture. He took our sin in order for us to enter the green pasture that gives us new life. This shepherd knows His sheep. Jesus knows us. . . His sheep. We have a shepherd that watches over us and when we cry. . . when we bleat. . . in pain and sorrow. . . in fear, He hears us and is right there to save His sheep. He gathers in his sheep. Jesus gathers us in. . . His sheep. . . together so that we may be one flock, not divided like sheep and goats.

(What’s so good about the Good Shepherd?)

Shepherd me o God beyond my wants, beyond my needs, from day into night. . . (Sing)

In the reading of the 23rd Psalm this morning, we hear about a Divine Shepherd. Jesus is our Divine Shepherd and because He is the Divine Shepherd:
a. We shall not want  We shall have rest, peace, forgiveness and guidance. (Green pastures, peaceful still waters, with our souls being restored and be led in the right paths.)
b. We need not fear evil  We have companionship, comfort and concern on our journey. He is with us. His rod and staff gives us comfort. He even prepares a table for us in the presence of those who are our enemies.
c. And in Jesus, we shall dwell in His house forever  We have that now. We have it in the future – life “forever”.

(What’s so good about the Good Shepherd?)

Shepherd me o God beyond my wants, beyond my needs, from day into night. . . (Sing)

The Acts 4 scripture from this morning tells is that there is healing and salvation found in the name of Jesus. . . in the name of the Good Shepherd. The words healing and salvation come from the Greek word sothenai (sow-than-a-i) which means to be saved and made whole. There is physical healing for the body and a spiritual healing for everyone who calls on the name of the Good Shepherd. We are made whole. . . we are made one with and in God and each other. When we are one there is peace. (What’s so good about the Good Shepherd?)
Shepherd me o God beyond my wants, beyond my needs, from day into night. . . (Sing)

We live in a world that has so many things trying to get our attention. There are so many people and things that want us to follow them and it that it can be very confusing. We try to follow what is right but we sometimes come up short. We try to do the right thing but sometimes what we follow leaves us just as empty and fearful as we were in the beginning. We think we hear the voice calling to us but it only ends up being an echo of the hired hand running away leaving us alone and afraid, bleating. . . crying out for someone to rescue and lead us into peace.

But we need to attune our ear to the voice of the One who laid down their life for us. . . the One who will never leave us. . . the One who is with us wherever we go...the voice of the Good Shepherd. Who is the shepherd that you and I are following? Are we being lead into green pastures with peaceful waters or are we following the leader of the world around us? How can we. . . you and I. . . follow the example of the shepherd and not that of the hired hand? It can be hard in a world full of noise and confusion all around us. . . in a world full of “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. . . in a world where there are things that call us out of the pasture and into the “dung heap”.
Shepherd me O God beyond my wants, beyond my needs, from day into night. . . (Sing)

We are called to follow the True Shepherd. . . the one who wants us to have a new life, restored and forgiven. We are called to know the Shepherd who calls us out of the darkness and into the light of His pasture. We are called to obey the True Shepherd who asks us to help Him find the lost sheep and to bring them into the sheepfold of His love, His mercy, His grace and forgiveness. We are called to be mirror images of the Shepherd. Kind of like apprentices to the Shepherd. . . learning from Him and going out to practice what we have learned. . . Do you know of any lost sheep? Is there anyone around us that needs the healing and restoration found in the One True Shepherd? Brothers and sisters of the pasture. . . It’s round up time. . . we. . . all of Christ’s sheep. . . need to be out there listening for the sound of those lost sheep bleating in the dark and bringing them back to the one who can make them whole and so that the “Son” (Capital “S”) can shine on their lives. What’s so good about the Good Shepherd? What’s so good is that He came to bring in the least, the lost and the forgotten into the pasture of peace. . . He came so that we could have forgiveness and redemption. . . this Shepherd became a sheep. . . that paschal Lamb. . . that sin offering for you and for me. That’s what is so good about this Good Shepherd. . . that’s the message we share with the world around us. Are we ready for the round up?! Now go out there and wrestle some sheep for the Good Shepherd in this world!

Amen!

May 1, 2012
John 10:1-18 (The Message bible)
Psalm 23 (NRSV)
Acts 4:8-12 (NRSV)
Worship Theme: “The Good Shepherd Lives”
Call to Worship (Abington Worship 2012)
Unison Prayer (Abington Worship 2012)
Prayer of Dedication  (GBOD Acts 4:5-12)
and sermon, “What’s so Good About the Good Shepherd?”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
April 29, 2012
Fourth Sunday of Eastertide


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 37,710+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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