Eighth Sunday after Trinity (2024)

Acts 20:27-38

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, our lessons for today are focused on the Office of the Ministry, this office that has been established by Christ for the Church. It is one that is entrusted with the preaching of the Word, the Proclamation of the Gospel, Teaching the Faith, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God, which is to say to administer the Sacraments according to Christ’s institution. We will look at this Office according to God’s Word and see what the Christ and Paul warn members of the Church about as they are to care for the flock of God.

The Flock of the Good Shepherd

Jesus refers to us as His sheep.

The people of Israel had long been known to care for flocks, in Genesis we know that Abraham had great flocks, and that continued on with his sons, and their sons, and King David was first serving as a shepherd boy. This is picked up in the Old Testament in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. We became his flock because,

Jesus obtained each of us with His own blood.

It wasn’t by gold or silver, but with his innocent suffering death that Jesus called us His own and made us part of his flock. For when Jesus set us free from the powers of sin, death, and the devil, it wasn’t so that we might wander in the wilderness free from any master, but rather that we might be brought into His fold, and live with him throughout eternity.

This is why Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus laid down his life for the sheep while they were in danger from that roaring lion who seeks someone to devour. Jesus rescued us from the dangers and fateful end that awaits all sinners who remain in Satan’s kingdom. Since Jesus cares about us this much, it shouldn’t be a surprise that He made sure there would be those on earth to tend for the flock until His return.

The Overseers

The word Pastor is Latin for shepherd.

This is because after Peter denied Christ 3x, Jesus asked him 3x if he loved him, and entrusted him with caring for the flock that belongs to Jesus Christ our Lord. It has been established by Jesus, and we find in our passage here that Pastors are united with congregations in a special way.

They are placed by the Holy Spirit.

Now pastors are men, but the Holy Spirit works through the Congregation to find men who are equipped with a number of different abilities and gifts to serve as shepherd to the flock and to tend to it and point them to Jesus.

It’s a divine office necessary in the church.

Churches need Pastors, that is because Jesus warns, in our Gospel Lesson, Paul warns us in our Epistle and Even Jeremiah speaks to those who would harm the flock that belongs to Christ for while we are on this earth, we must make no mistake that there are very real dangers to our spiritual well being. There are

The Fierce Wolves

They seek to destroy the flock.

They will not spare it, they cannot stand to see the truth proclaimed, but seek to tear down the Word of God and the Gospel wherever they find it until they can lead the flock back into slavery. Why would anyone do this?

Their leader is Satan.

Who has sought the destruction of mankind since the Garden, and ti should be no surprise that when Jesus cast him down, and overthrew him and ransomed us from the way of death, that he would be a sore loser, and try to reclaim the sheep that he had lost.

It isn’t surprising that they twist the teachings.

That is what satan has been doing since the beginning. What is the most effective way to destroy the faith? We are told again and again to listen to the WOrd of God, to listen to Jesus, for God comes to us through the Word, assures us of our salvation by Word that Spirit spoke through the Prophets and the Apostles, and through His Son.

What starts off small soon widens.

People often say of us as Lutherans that we are quite strict. I had a baptist friend years ago, who said that, I joked with him, and said I can smoke, drink, and dance, what do you mean by strict? He smiled at that, but said well when the bible says something you guys really believe it.

Servants of the Good Shepherd

Pastors are to guide the sheep to Jesus.

We are seeing this in our age, that folks are focusing on the wrong things when it comes to the Church. When you look at the Scriptures, the most important thing for pastors is to make sure that they are pointing people to Jesus.

Christ has given to the Church His Gifts.

Those gifts are given that the sheep might learn the voice of Jesus, that they might be washed clean of their sins in the waters of Baptism, that they might hear the aboslution, and fed and nourished with the Body and Blood of Jesus. Those are the means that Jesus gave to the Church for Pastors to use to strengthen the flock.

The whole counsel of God is found in the Word.

That’s why you will find in the service that we are speaking the Word of God back and forth for where the Word of God is, there is the voice of our Shepherd, and so we want to know those Words, that we might know the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. It is why we want to be in Bible Studies together learning the Word and who God is and what He has done.

This is what builds up and gives you your inheritance.

Why do we want to be at church weekly? Why do want to receive the forgiveness of sins with regularity? They are the gifts that the Good Shepherd wants you to have so that you might be at peace with God and continue to have a place in His Kingdom. I know our Bible Studies are on hold in the summer with all the activities that go on, but if you haven’t been to a Bible Study, I would encourage to attend for a month, and see if you don’t grow in your knowledge of your Good Shepherd.

What Happens When Wolves Arrive?

Pastors are to be able to teach and rebuke.

This is a part of the office that surprises some folks especially if they haven’t studied the Word of God. Jesus rebukes the wolves strongly in the Scriptures and tells people they are wrong. As under-shepherds entrusted with the flock, when false teachings or teachers show up, Pastors will tell ya that things are wrong. A little leaven leavens the whole lump, yeast doesn’t just work in a small section of the bread, but spreads.

Pastors are to fight the wolves.

This gets rough when it happens not only for the flock, but also for the pastors. For what does Jesus say about the those wolves? They sneak in wearing sheep’s clothing. They will even invoke the name of Jesus at times to further their false teachings, but Christ will say to them on that last day I never knew you. So

What’s the difference between a confused sheep, and a wolf in disguise?

A confused sheep might come under the sway, but once the Word comes to them, they recognize that this is not the voice of the shepherd, but Satan. A wolf will double down on their false teaching, and persist in it, and they will not rely on the Word for their arguments, but their own reason, charisma, gossip, slander or even their money to win the argument. That is why we all have to know the Word that we might see what the truth is.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we are under the Good Shepherd, but we are also encouraged to be on guard for those who would lead us away from Jesus our Good Shepherd. We give thanks to God for those faithful pastors that have pointed us time and again to the Word, and stood against the wolves that would have torn us apart. Let us continue to learn the voice that will call us forth from our graves, and to learn it more year by year through faithful study of the Word. So that when our Good Shepherd calls us forth from our graves that we might go forth in Joy to enter his Eternal Kingdom. In Jesus name. AMen.