Church as… FLOCK

Good morning. It is good to worship our Lord together with you this morning. I must admit, this isn’t this place a few weeks ago I thought I would be preaching. This morning, in my plans, I would be preaching through Daniel 7 at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Nsukka Nigeria. But, that wasn’t God’s plan. Some of you have asked how I am doing, maybe you saw on Facebook that I had malaria. A common thing for us and anyone that would live in West Africa. A three day regiment of medication and all is good. I’ve probably been down that road six or seven times in 10 years. No problem. But this time was a little different, because of my diabetes, this time, my sugar spiked and stayed elevated, so there was a bit of concern. So we came back, for a brief period. We are working on getting the levels down, and Lord willing, will return to Nigeria at the end of the month. So, Karen and I ask for your prayers during this time, for health, for A Place of Hope, and ultimately, that even though we might not understand all of this, that God would receive the glory.

But it is an honor to be able to open God’s Word in our home church with you this morning.

If you don’t have a Bible there is one in the seat in front of you and you are welcome to take that home with you today.

So lets express what we believe about this book. A book that God has preserved for us for almost two thousand years.

The Bible is the Word of God

The Truth of the Bible will change my life.

Lord open my heart and awaken my mind

and give me grace to respond

Change me for your glory and my joy amen.

I invite you to turn to John 10.

This will be the final Sermon in the series Church as …

Over many weeks Pastor Doug and others have been finishing this phrase Church as… with different metaphors that we see in New Testament. It was there in the 2nd chapter of Acts that the church, the gathering, the ekklēsia was formed when 3000 people responded to the gospel preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost.

The series began with Church as VINEYARD. Then there was Church as Priesthood, then Body, family. Temple..

And last week if you were here like we were, John Slater, our missionary to Ireland preached on Church as… Bride. Great sermon.

So let’s look at John Chapter 10 this morning as we see the last metaphor for the Church As…

John 10:11–15 (ESV)

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

I learned early on in my theological studies that context is extremely important. Context points to the the people, the culture, the place, and even the time in history in which something is written. To read or teach a passage from 2000 years ago, in most cases, and try to get a full understanding of what the Holy Spirit inspired writer was trying to convey, without understanding the context, can be dangerous. We see it all the time people use Scripture to make a point. They may use it out of context and misrepresent what the original writer intended it to be.

So we read Jesus’ words here about a shepherd and his sheep. For us, for most of us, this is a culture that we are far removed from. I mean lets face it, for most of us, the closet we will get to a sheep is by going to the Fort Worth Stock Show. And I don’t know about you, but I have never met a shepherd before.

But here in John 10, when Jesus was talking to some Pharisees, he was communicating a lesson to them that they understood. He was using a part of their culture to explain something that is eternal.

Notice in verse 11 there is a definite article; ”the.” He is THE good Shepherd, not a good shepherd. Why is this important to see? Because just as in the world then, and even the world today, people believe that there are many ways to God. Just pick the way that is good for you, and we will all end up with God in the end.

That’s not what Jesus said. Jesus said “I am THE good Shepherd.” He also said in later in John’s gospel

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So Jesus sets the path, and there is no question who he is… He is the Savior by which all men and women of any age must believe, trust, and follow.

But how can he have this authority. How can he state that he is the way? Because he is the one who “lays down his life for the sheep.”

Now for us, living 2000 years on the other side of his work on the cross and his resurrection from the grave, we can read the pages of Scripture and understand this statement… Jesus did lay his life down for the sheep. He loved mankind so much that he would give up his life and die for the sins of the world. The shepherd would lay down his life for the sheep.

In our experience with sheep along the village road in Opi Nigeria, the sheep seem pretty dumb. They move in packs looking for grass, and are scattered when a motorcyle speeds by or when our dog Nala chases them. But I don’t think they are dumb, I think they just look that way because there is no shephered leading them and watching over them.

The sheep need a shepherd. And that is the beauty of what Jesus is saying. “I am the good shepherd”, not just a good leader, but one who would lay down his life for his sheep.

David was a shepherd. Long before he became king, he spent many lonely nights out under the stars, alone with a flock of sheep. Caring for them, watching over the them and even when necessary, he would put himself between them and a lion or a fierce animal…he would give his life to protect them.

What David did for his sheep on the pastures of Palestine, Jesus would do for those who part of his flock, those who would come to him… Why? Because they were his own. He would give his life for them, and those who acknowledged his sacrifice, and came to know him as Lord and Savior, would become “known” to him.

So where is our metaphor of the church today? What do we see the church as? Look at John 10:16

John 10:16 ESV

16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

So the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, those who know him, but look at what he says … there are others, who are not part of the fold, but who will be brought in. Brought into what? The flock. The church. Church as…flock. So if the church is the flock, how are we to live as the flock? Before we answer that question, lets briefly return to context.

Jesus, speaking to a Jewish audience that includes Pharisees, who even though they didn’t believe HE was the Messiah, their belief was that when the Messiah did come, he would come as a physically conquering King for the Jewish people. But they also believed that Yahweh God had an inclusive people who would enjoy what the Messiah would bring. They believed the God was only for his chosen people, the Israelites, Jews, or better put, those of Abrahams decent. Certainly salvation from the Lord was not for these dirty, pagan, gentiles. He would only be the champion for the Jewish people.

But that is not what God told Abraham, he told him that he would make a great nation that he would be a blessing to ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH (Gen 12:3)

And even going back to the words of their trusted prophet Isaiah. The Lord spoke through him and said Isaiah 49:6

Isaiah 49:6 (ESV)

6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 56:7 (ESV)

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Salvation was not only available to the Jews, in context, Jesus would be the good shepherd for Romans 10:13

Romans 10:13 (ESV)

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Thank God for that! Thank God that he would include me, include you, and include anyone who would call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. For those turn their lives over to Him, turn their will over to his, we become his flock, his possession. We can be redeemed from a life that is separated from him, brought under his care by his work on the cross and his resurrection to life three days later.

Isn’t that great! Isn’t that an assurance that we have hope in a world that is filled with confusion.

But as John Slater pointed out last week, we can’t just sit on that. We can’t just punch our ticket to heaven and wait for him to call us home or wait for Jesus to split the sky.

So here we are , Church As…FLOCK. Here is where what Jesus says hits us right between the eyes,

There are people out there who are not part of his fold, who still need to hear the calling of our Lord and be brought into his flock.

And the church as flock, as Jesus points to isn’t an exclusive club. In fact it is his desire to expand the flock, not for numbers sake, but for the fact that every person, who is brought into flock of his care, it one that is saved from being separated from him eternally. And the thought of your friend, your family, or even someone you see everyday…your oikos… having no eternal hope should bring us to our knees.

When Jesus ascended into heaven he left two things with us… his sheep, his flock. He left the Holy Spirit and he left a command. And those two things can be seen in one verse:

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit: God dwelling with the life of the follower of Christ. His presence. Jesus had walked with them physically, now he walks with us spiritually.

The Command: go into the world and share the hope we have recieved with others.

It is because of the first, that we can do the second. It is because of the sending of the Holy Spirit… the follower of Christ receives the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit gives us power to be a witness.

These two things are how Jesus will bring those into the fold who are still yet to hear his voice. It will take his flock, lead by his spirit, to be his witness.

There is still room in the flock. Until the time that that we leave this earth, or Jesus returns, we should have a heart felt focus on those who God has allowed us to have an influence on.

I look at that verse, Acts 1:8, and that is one of my go-to verses as a missionary. Take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That’s what we do, 7000 miles away. But before Jesus get to the ends of the earth, or even Samaria or even Judea, he says be a witness in Jerusalem.

Here we get back to context. For those 11 disciples gathered around Jesus before he ascended into heaven, those words “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem” meant you will be my witness to your oikos. Those people who you do life with. Those people in your household. Those people who you see everyday as your walk outside your door or see in the market. I remember Pastor Doug saying that those people who are yoru oikos are the people that are on the front row of your life.

When I heard him put it that way, immediately certain people came to my mind. And maybe they did for you as well.

There are still those out there who are not yet part of his fold. They need Jesus, just as bad as we did. And you, part of his flock, have the power and the command to introduce them to the saving hope they need. If it’s not you, then who?

—————-

I would invite you to stand this morning as the band makes their way up to the stage. In a moment they will lead us through one more worship song. But before they do, I want you to take a moment and pause for some reflection. Pause to put everything out of your mind and focus on the shepherd this morning.

If you would, close your eyes and focus on these words about the Shepherd.

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus, our shepherd, wants nothing more than to welcome those who are separated from him, to come to him, so that he can take away the things that don’t matter and give them the only thing that does matter…himself.

A persons ability, desires, plans, job, relationships … will never give them satisfaction. It is only by following Jesus that you will ever find any kind of satisfaction for your life. The Shepard calls this morning, seeking those who will listen to his voice.

If you are hear this morning and you are a sheep that is just wondering around this world without the care of the shepherd, we would be happy to introduce you to THE good shepherd. During the song, I will be at the front or you can slip out to the back where there are those in the prayer room in the back, who would love to pray for you and answer any questions you might have. And if you are watching online, you can text _____________________.

And for those already in the fold, in the flock, Jesus still brings in the sheep who are not yet apart of the fold, but not by the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, he has chosen to do the work through you and me.

I challenge you to look at the front row of people in your life, and ask yourself this question: Am I satisfied that I am making every effort to show them the hope that I have?

(prayer)