This was a week when the Sanctuary sermon was much better than the Chapel sermon. The content changed a little -- I added the Gospel of John reference (in italics) to the Sanctuary service. That point was actually in my original notes for the sermon, but somehow got missed until I was done in the Chapel and went, "Wait a second, what happened to the Gospel of John part of the sermon?"
I think the first story about the butcher and the shepherd is hilarious, but it received a lukewarm response in both services. Not sure if it was my delivery, or if I think it's funny and no one else does.
I hadn't really thought about the plethora (that's for my daughter Caitlin, who thinks plethora is the best word ever written) of shepherd/sheep images in the Bible. I could spend many weeks on the different images of shepherd.
It's always hard to preach a really familiar text (i.e. Psalm 23) because everyone knows it so well, so I was particularly grateful for Mays' insight about the personal nature of Psalm 23 being very unique. As I read his commentary, I was reminded of what a great resource his commentary is for the study of the Psalms.
"good Shepherd, Bad Shepherd” November 16, 2014; FPC, Troy; Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34: 1-10
Introduction: It is not even worthy of being called a series, but in the two weeks between the end of our Stewardship series and the beginning of Advent – yes advent begins in two weeks – we will be reflecting on shepherds, and of course if we talk about shepherds, we will be talking about sheep.
Why shepherds? No particular reason, except we keep running into them in the biblical text. Shepherding goes back to the first job mentioned in the Bible – Abel was a keeper of sheep.
Sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than 500 times, more than any other animal (http://www.sheep101.info/sheepbible.html)
When I mention shepherd, most of us immediately call to mind King David who was found in the fields tending sheep; or Psalm 23; or the shepherds in the fields who heard about Christ's birth; or Jesus, who is called the Good Shepherd.
Move
1: Good
shepherds and bad shepherds
In preparing for the trip, they had studied about shepherds, and he had taught them that although we often have images of shepherds driving the flock from behind, in the Middle East shepherds lead the sheep. That's why the comment about sheep knowing the voice of their shepherd is important because the sheep follow the voice.
On the day they were going to be out in the countryside, he reminded them to look for shepherds leading their sheep.
They soon ran into a flock of sheep. But instead of having a shepherd lead the sheep, there was the shepherd chasing the sheep.
The minister was surprised by this and quickly ran over and stopped the man. “why are you driving the sheep. I have been told that in the Middle East shepherds lead the sheep..”
“You are correct,” replied the man. "The shepherd does lead his sheep. But I'm not the shepherd, I'm the butcher!"
Good shepherds and bad shepherds!
b. The Psalmist offers a metaphor of a good Shepherd..
1. Maybe not the best metaphor for us, unless you are someone who has sheep.
2. Notice how the Psalmist describes the shepherd.
3. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Sounds like a stewardship sermon, but the point is made that God will provide whatever the sheep needs.
4. The Shepherd leads the sheep to a place of safety and rest.
5. The shepherd restores the soul of the sheep.
7. Even in the face of death, the shepherd is there with the sheep to protect the sheep.
c. Even as the Psalmist offers this image of the Lord as the shepherd, those listening to the psalm connect those images with the stories of what God has already done.
1. When the Psalmist describes how the shepherd provides for the needs of the sheep, the Israelites remember how God provided manna for them in wilderness.
2. When the Psalmist describes the place of safety and rest, the listeners remember that God brought out of slavery in Egypt and took them to the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey.
3. when the Psalmist mentions that that shepherd is with the sheep in the the face of death, the Israelites remember that God was with them when they did battle with the Canaanites.
4. As Psalm 23 describes the role of the shepherd, it is not just a idyllic vision, but a vision rooted in the reality of what God's people have experienced in the past.
Psalm 23 shows us what the good shepherd, the Lord, has done and will for us.
Move 2: Then there is the bad shepherd.
a. The prophet Ezekiel offers us the image of a bad shepherd.
1. Israel's leaders who are only concerned for themselves and their own needs.
2. They have not fed the hungry.
3. they have not healed the sick.
4. they have not clothes those who go without.
5. they have not brought back the sheep who have strayed.
6. Israel's leaders have not acted as good shepherds, but as bad shepherds.
b. Ezekiel reminds us that the image of the shepherd is two-fold – it reminds us of how God cares for us, but it also calls us into that role for others in the world.
1. Not enough to remember what God has done.
2. No surprise that in the Gospel of John the resurrected Christ has the following exchange with Peter, the disciple who betrayed him.
“Peter,” Jesus asks, “do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord, you know that I do.”
“Then feed my sheep.”
Three times this exchange takes place.
4. Knowing how God has shepherd us compels us to act.
Move 3: Personal nature of Psalm 23
a. James Mays, one of the foremost scholars on the Psalms, notes that the use of the image of shepherd is not unique, but the use of it in the first person is unparalleled (James L. Mays, Psalms, Interpretation: A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, 119)
1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
2. This is why Psalm 23 is so revered – it speaks about God's personal concern for each of us.
3. The Psalm was sung in corporate worship; it is a word for all of God's people, but it de3scribes the kind of relationship God desires to have with each of us.
4. . It touches us personally.
1. Randall Balmer, in his book The Redeemer, tells the story of former President Jimmy Carter from the lens of how Carter's faith as an evangelical Christian influenced him as a person and as a politician
2. in it Balmer shares the story of what Carter describes as one of his most influential moments in his faith life.
3. he went on a mission trip to Springfield, MA and was teamed up with a man named Eloy Cruz. Carter noticed that Cruz seemed to impact in an amazing way each person with whom they interacted.
4. When he asked Cruz how he managed to do that, Cruz told him that it was important to have two loves in your heart – “one for Jesus Christ and the other one for whatever person happens to be in front of you at any particular time (Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter, Randall Balmer, 40).
5. We are reminded that as we feed breakfast in the breakfast club, or as our youth engage in mission projects in Lexington, KY, this week-end, or as we send gifts from the giving tree to students, as we gather food next week for the Harvest Table, those are not just programs that we run – we are connecting and serving people.
6. It is personal.
c. Act of community
1. Shepherds would normally work in groups either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd)
2. That image speaks to our work as the body of Christ.
3. We work together in mission, sharing our gifts and talents and responsibilities as we serve God's people.
a. The shepherds of Israel have failed to care for the sheep, but God will not fail.
1. God will go to find the scattered sheep and bring them back into the fold.
2. God will provide for the sick and the hungry.
3. God will bring hope to the hopeless.
b. There is no question that God will take care of the sheep.
1. That is a promise for us who are God's sheep.
2. But it is also a question for us as we seek to serve God in the world – are we going to join with the Good Shepherd.
He was also a modern day shepherd, I suppose, because he raised sheep. I'm not sure he made money doing it, but he told me he loved raising sheep.
“Why?” I asked.
“Come with me, and I'll show you.”
Off we went to his farm. We were driving his old, beat-up Sentra. When we got to the field where the sheep were, he instructed me to go and open the gate to the field, then close it, and then hop back in the car.
I did. Then we drove to the middle of the field. I suppose I was a shepherd!
The sheep came running from all directions and surrounded us. Some were even trying to get on top of the car.
I'm not much of a shepherd because to tell you the truth it seemed a little scary to be surrounded by a flock of sheep.
But not Jack. He had a great big smile on his face. We got out and stood there with the sheep, and he told me, “see these sheep come running to me no matter what. You gotta like that, don't you?”
4. Knowing how God has shepherd us compels us to act.
Move 3: Personal nature of Psalm 23
a. James Mays, one of the foremost scholars on the Psalms, notes that the use of the image of shepherd is not unique, but the use of it in the first person is unparalleled (James L. Mays, Psalms, Interpretation: A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, 119)
1. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”
2. This is why Psalm 23 is so revered – it speaks about God's personal concern for each of us.
3. The Psalm was sung in corporate worship; it is a word for all of God's people, but it de3scribes the kind of relationship God desires to have with each of us.
4. . It touches us personally.
1. Randall Balmer, in his book The Redeemer, tells the story of former President Jimmy Carter from the lens of how Carter's faith as an evangelical Christian influenced him as a person and as a politician
2. in it Balmer shares the story of what Carter describes as one of his most influential moments in his faith life.
3. he went on a mission trip to Springfield, MA and was teamed up with a man named Eloy Cruz. Carter noticed that Cruz seemed to impact in an amazing way each person with whom they interacted.
4. When he asked Cruz how he managed to do that, Cruz told him that it was important to have two loves in your heart – “one for Jesus Christ and the other one for whatever person happens to be in front of you at any particular time (Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter, Randall Balmer, 40).
5. We are reminded that as we feed breakfast in the breakfast club, or as our youth engage in mission projects in Lexington, KY, this week-end, or as we send gifts from the giving tree to students, as we gather food next week for the Harvest Table, those are not just programs that we run – we are connecting and serving people.
6. It is personal.
c. Act of community
1. Shepherds would normally work in groups either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd)
2. That image speaks to our work as the body of Christ.
3. We work together in mission, sharing our gifts and talents and responsibilities as we serve God's people.
Move
3: Finally, Ezekiel reminds us God will make it right.
1. God will go to find the scattered sheep and bring them back into the fold.
2. God will provide for the sick and the hungry.
3. God will bring hope to the hopeless.
b. There is no question that God will take care of the sheep.
1. That is a promise for us who are God's sheep.
2. But it is also a question for us as we seek to serve God in the world – are we going to join with the Good Shepherd.
Conclusion: Jack was an old farmer in the church I served in KY. You've heard stories about him before because I learned a lot about faith and God from him.
He was also a modern day shepherd, I suppose, because he raised sheep. I'm not sure he made money doing it, but he told me he loved raising sheep.
“Why?” I asked.
“Come with me, and I'll show you.”
Off we went to his farm. We were driving his old, beat-up Sentra. When we got to the field where the sheep were, he instructed me to go and open the gate to the field, then close it, and then hop back in the car.
I did. Then we drove to the middle of the field. I suppose I was a shepherd!
The sheep came running from all directions and surrounded us. Some were even trying to get on top of the car.
I'm not much of a shepherd because to tell you the truth it seemed a little scary to be surrounded by a flock of sheep.
But not Jack. He had a great big smile on his face. We got out and stood there with the sheep, and he told me, “see these sheep come running to me no matter what. You gotta like that, don't you?”
The
sheep were hoping to find a good shepherd.
There
are lots of sheep in our world desperately looking for a good
shepherd.
We
have found one.
Who
will help them find one?
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