October 26, 2014
Stetson Memorial United Methodist
Church
Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon
5 of Series:
“I
Am the Good Shepherd”
John
10:11-16 The Message Bible
“Goodness and Love”
Let us pray. . . Pray
for the Spirit’s leading and that God’s word would be heard. . .
When
I met and married my husband Ray, my whole world changed. God had given me
someone who would take care of the girls and I and it was awesome. Before
having him in our lives, I spent my life taking care of the girls and making sure
they had everything they needed and some
of their wants, but to me there seemed to be something missing. When God
brought us together I was able to name what it was that was missing. I was
missing someone in my life that would take care of me. . . someone who I felt
safe and secure with. . . someone who would be my “champion” when I just
couldn’t do it myself.
Now
if any of you truly know Ray, you would know what he is like. He is pretty easy
going but when something or someone comes against or threatens his family. . . well
let me just say, “watch out”. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure his
family is safe and taken care of. God has given me. . . and the girls. . . a vision.
. . an example. . . of what it looks like when we are cared for by another
person who will protect us through thick or thin. . . even to the point of death.
We,
as the body of Christ, have entered into the Season that we begin to journey towards
a manger. . . the Season that we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Risen
Lord, Jesus Christ. You see. . . Jesus is the Savior of the world but He is so
much more than that. As prepare for the pilgrimage we are looking at the seven
“I Am” statements that Jesus made while He walked among us. My prayer is that
as we do, we will realize what really happened that day, how that one day
changed the tide of sin and death. It’s all about the name and what goes along
with that very same name. . . not just who a person is but also what that name
implies.
We
have talked about the name I Am and that Jesus, the Great I Am, is always with
us even when we don’t feel His presence with us in those times when we feel we
are walking in a dark tunnel and not seeing the light at the end. OK, so we
have talked about how Jesus is The Bread of Life and about how Jesus fills us
spiritually and that we never will hunger again for those Spiritual things that
we need for our faith walk. And we have even talked about how Jesus gives light
for our journey. . . He is “The Light of the World”. Jesus hems us in. . . He
is “”The Gate” that keeps us safe in the pasture of His love and grace. Jesus.
. . being the perfect gate. . . truly is “The Good Shepherd” who shepherds us
with His love and peace.
Now
we have talked about shepherds many times before. But sheep teach us so much
about the love and care that Jesus gives us. You see, shepherds in the ancient
world and probably even today with some
of them had a close relationship with their sheep. They were raised like
members of the family and even given names. They were showered with love and
affection, just as their children were. Because of this, the sheep would follow
the shepherd when they called them. They knew that they were loved, protected
and fed by the shepherd. They felt secure and satisfied when they kept close to
the shepherd.
Jesus is the ultimate
shepherd. He calls to His sheep. . . He calls to you and to me wanting us to
follow Him. . . wanting us to come to Him for protection and love. Jesus wants
to feed us not as the world would feed us on things that don’t last but on
things that are eternal. As we keep close to the Good Shepherd we begin to
recognize His voice above all the noise, confusion and chaos of the world. We
are showered with love and affection because
we are dearly loved children of the Most High God. How truly awesome and
good is the Good Shepherd. . . He loved us and proved it by a very tangible way.
. .
In
the scripture I read this morning, there are several places verses 11, 15 as
well as verses 17-18, in which Jesus states that the Good shepherd Lays down
his life for the sheep of His sheepfold. . . He laid
down His life. . . He lays down His life daily for His sheep. It’s all about Jesus’ sacrificial laying
down of His life for all of humanity. How does that make you feel about Jesus?
Could He be that perfect person to trust you life with? Could Jesus be your
Shepherd leading you into the good pasture as He guards the entrance with His
own body and blood? No one made Him. Jesus didn’t have to do this. . . Jesus
chose to do this for you and for me.
There
are many who respond in different ways to Jesus’ invitation. . . to His
shepherding. Some just ignore it. Some think it is “to good to be true”. Some
think there must be some kind of loop hole. . . some kind of “bait and switch”
going on. But there are others that embrace Jesus’ invitation to come through
the narrow gate and live life abundantly. Maybe. . . just maybe. . . if we
trust and believe we can truly enter that “land flowing with milk and honey”
that God promises those who believe. Perhaps if we just stop thinking like the
world and walk by faith we will truly live the life we so desperately want. But
it begins with surrendering and trusting our lives to the Shepherd of our
souls.
Now.
. . just like sheep. . . we too can wander away at times. Life kind of gets us
all turned around and we have trouble finding the path that we were on. The
world is full of the siren song. . . come
this way and you will be happy. . . go that way and have life abundant. . . follow
me and your will find true happiness. But when we decide to go back. . . when
we finally come to our senses. . . when we are “clothed again and in our right
minds”. . . Jesus is there to welcome us back. Just as the shepherd who found
the lost sheep and threw a party because it was found. . . heaven too has a
party and there is great rejoicing when we find our way back into the pasture
of peace and joy. But we must enter through the Gate Keeper. . . the Good
Shepherd found in our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is the
ultimate provider of all we need. Jesus is the One Shepherd who Will
and has lain down His life for the sheep of His flock.
So.
. . what’s it going to be? What are you going to choose? Who shall be your
shepherd? As a matter of fact if we are already part of the flock what are we
going to do with the knowledge of the last part of the scripture I read this
morning? “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.”
Have you wandered away from the Shepherd of your life? Do you know someone who
needs to find a Shepherd to lead them to a life full of abundance and
love? Are you willing to offer others
what you have been so freely given so they too can live a life of joy?
Listen. . . can you
hear the Shepherd calling you back home? Can you hear His voice in the
distance? Is He asking you to go out and find His lost ones so that they too
can find peace for their own journey of life? Is He asking you to share His
Light for the journey? Is He asking you to bring others to the Gate of
protection? Is He looking for your help to bring others to the banquet to feast
on the Bread of Life? Share the light, bread, protection and peace that are
found in our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. You will never be sorry you did. . .
Pray about The Good
Shepherd, shepherding us through life. . .
Amen!
====
October 26,
2014
Fall Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon 5 of
Series: “I Am the Good Shepherd”
John 10:11-16 (The
Message Bible)
children’s
message
– mystery box
– shaker of salt
sermon –“Goodness
and Love”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
October 26,
2014
&
Fall Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon 4 of
Series: “I Am the Gate”
John 10:1-9
CEB
Matthew
7:13-14 CEB
children’s
message
– mystery box
– soccer shin guards, soccer cleats, water shoes, and a basketball
-
Pastor
Ruth talked about the protective gear God provides,
-
the
armor of God –
-
Ephesians
6:10-17
sermon –“The
Straight and Narrow”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
October 19,
2014
&
Fall Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon 3 of Series: “I Am the Light of the
World”
John 8:22
(CEB)
John 12:35-36
(CEB)
Matthew
5:14-16 (CEB)
The Name Game
by Shirley Ellis
song, “Here I
Am To Worship”, by Chris Tomlin
children’s
time – mystery box – mirror
sermon, “Light
For Our Eyes”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
October 12,
2014
&
Fall Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon 2 of
Series: “I Am the Bread of Life”
John 6:35
John 6:26-51
The Name Game
by Shirley Ellis
Exodus 16:15
children’s
time – mystery box – a throat drop and a candy mint
sermon, “Bread
of Heaven”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
World
Communion Sunday
October 5,
2014
&
Fall Sermon
Series: The I Am Statements of Jesus
Sermon 1 of
Series: “I Am”
Revelation
22:13 CEB
Matthew
16:13-16 CEB
Exodus 3:12-15
CEB
The Name Game
by Shirley Ellis
Children’s
message – mystery box
-
green
maple leaf and a colored maple leaf
-
the
green color is not the true color
-
we
are fed and nurtured in the spring and summer with the word;
-
we
shine our true colors in autumn
sermon, “The
Name Game”
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson Memorial
United Methodist Church
September 28,
2014
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