Acts 2:42-47

It was the perfect church! In the early days after the resurrection and Pentecost the church was all it was supposed to be. The disciples devoted themselves to learning from Jesus teachings. They dedicated themselves to worshipping God and praying. They shared Holy Communion.

And they were filled with awe. God was doing wonderful things through them. Miracles were happening at every turn. It was clear the God was in them and with them.

And they cared for one another. No one suffered want for anything that they needed for they shared their resources openly and freely. They didn't even need to have a Stewardship Committee. Everyone tithed and beyond out of love! And they were growing. Every Sunday members were joining. People's lives were being transformed and they were being saved!

They were everything that a church should be.

It was the perfect church. My dad liked to say if God had meant the church to be perfect he wouldn't have included people. I have never seen a perfect church. Sure I have seen glimpses of it but never the full package. Do you want to know when I see these glimpses?

I see it in Bible Studies and Sunday School classes. I see it when people wrestle with difficult questions of faith or with difficult Bible passages. I see it when people share their own struggles and thoughts with one another. Then I see it when the light comes on in people's lives and they appreciate or understand God better as a result.

I see it in worship. I see it in the voices of the congregation singing joyfully. I see it when people respond to the sermon with amens or laughs. I see it when people welcome newcomers and invite friends to join them in church. I see it when people come forward to receive communion.

I see it when people are struggling. I especially see it when someone is going through a hard time in their lives and they come to the altar to pray. And before you know it half the church is at the Altar praying with them. That is when I see glimpses of the church as it should be.

So why isn't the church today as perfect as the church back then? Well first of all, the church back then was not perfect either. If you read through the opening chapters of Acts you will see that. Sure they did a lot of wonderful and miraculous things. But at the same time they had their problems. They even had a couple who sold property and then gave part of the proceeds to the church but led everyone to believe that they were giving all the proceeds. They basically lied to make people think they had done more than they actually had.

So even then the church was not perfect. Way wasn't it perfect? The short answer is that people were involved. People sin and the church is the people.

But I guess the real question isn't why isn't the church perfect. The real question is why do we see these glimpses of glory in the church? If the church is a bunch of sinful fallible people, why do we see any love and devotion to God? What causes the flashes of brilliance?

Look I have been here 11 years and I have seen the flashes of brilliance and glory in this congregation. I can also tell you that this church is not perfect. It is a good church, a great church, but it ain't perfect. So where do Grace's flashed of glory and brilliance come from?

They come from God! We reflect the glory of God when we seek to serve God. We show his love and glory when we focus on knowing Jesus and making him known to others.

It is when we focus on ourselves and our wants and wishes that we fail to shine that glory. When our focus turns on ourselves we can no longer reflect the glory of God. In those moments we laps into selfishness and pettiness.

There is no perfect church and there never was. We might idealize a particular church at a particular time, but that is just a fantasy. The good old days did not always seem so good when they were happening. They seem good because we have forgotten the bad parts. Even the early church was not perfect.

But that does not mean we cannot strive toward that ideal of a family of God. I see great things ahead for Grace. You will never be perfect on this side of glory, but you will continue to demonstrate flashes of brilliance.

Learn from the example of the early church. Devote yourselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Be in awe at the greatness and goodness of God. Share with those in need. Meet together to worship in God's temple. Then watch as God's glory shines through you!

The story goes that back in the 1980's there was this protest at a large university by the Arab students. The students all gathered in the ethnic dress. They were wearing white robes and white headdresses. The president of the University came out to address the group and assure them that their concerns were being addressed. When he looked out at all those students in dressed in white he said "You look like a bunch of sheep." The Arab students were highly offended.

Now you or I may not see that remark as offensive. But the Arab students did because they knew what sheep were like. Herding sheep was a major lifestyle in their culture. They knew that sheep are basically dumb animals. They are completely dependant on their shepherds. They thought the University President was saying that they were all dumb animals.

It's not the sheep's fault. That is the way they were bred. Sheep have been domesticated for so long that their natural instinct for survival has been bred out of them. They are unable to care for themselves in the wild. That is why they depend on the shepherd.

Psalm 23 says the Lord is our shepherd. Jesus speaks of himself as a good shepherd. If the Lord is our shepherd then that means we are the sheep. Please don't be offended, but you all look like a bunch of sheep, or at least the Bible says you ought to look like a bunch of sheep. So how are we like sheep? What does it mean to beeeee sheep?

Obviously from our readings the shepherd and the sheep have a relationship. Jesus speaks of the shepherd calling his sheep. Sheep have no instinct for living in the wild, but they have an instinct for following their shepherd's voice. They will come when they hear their shepherd and run when they hear another voice. They have an innate trust of the people who care for them. Often times several shepherds would keep their sheep together and one shepherd could come and call his own to himself.

So the sheep know their Shepherd and they are loyal to her or him. But the shepherd also knows the sheep. Jesus says that the shepherd knows the sheep by name and calls them by name. I can't help but think of the story of Mary Magdalene at the resurrection. When she saw the empty tomb she though Jesus body had been stolen. In her confusion she ran right into the Lord but she mistook him for the gardener. It wasn't until he called her name that she realized it was Jesus and he was alive.

Do you know your shepherd's voice? You have to be listening to it to recognize it. How do we hear our shepherd's voice? In scripture, in the writings and hymns and songs of our faith, in prayer� When you pray do you allow times of silence to listen to the Lord?

You need to spend time learning your shepherd's voice. A thief or a false shepherd may come along. If we don't know our shepherd's voice we might follow a false shepherd. The false shepherd comes to steal the sheep. Take time to cultivate the relationship you have with the Lord - learn to recognize his voice.

From these passages we also learn that the sheep are protected and delivered by the shepherd. In this passage Jesus says "I am the gate to the sheepfold. So is Jesus mixing his metaphors here? Just a second ago he said he was the shepherd and now he is the gate? It was common practice for the shepherd to lie across the doorway into the fold. So the shepherd became the gateway into the fold. Anything or anyone going in or out had to go by him.

This means two things. First the shepherd keeps things and people out of the fold that could harm the sheep. The shepherd protects the sheep. Psalm 23 says "Thy rod and they staff they comfort me." The staff would be used to beat off wild animals. The second thing it means is that you have to go through Jesus to get into the fold. This is one of those statements that are crucial to the Christian faith that many are uncomfortable with. Jesus is the way - No one comes to the Father but by him. No one else can save people from their sin. To have the Lord as your shepherd you have to go through him.

Jesus is the good shepherd who delivers and protects his fold. But you have to be in the fold. Are you in the fold? Jesus is the only way in. Being a member of a church is not the way in - it is a good way to be a faithful member of a fold but it is not the way. Jesus is the way. Just coming to church is not the way into the fold. Again it is a good way to follow the shepherd. But Jesus is the only way. If you want the Lord to deliver and protect you as your shepherd you have to come through Jesus, he is the gate into the fold.

The benefits of this relationship and of being part of the fold are many. Because the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. The Lord will provide for all our needs. That doesn't mean that Christians do not suffer from time to time. But God is with us through those times of suffering. He will lead us to green pastures and still waters. He will restore our souls.\

Because the Lord is my shepherd I am protected and cared for. His rod and his staff they comfort us. Our shepherd protects us from wild animals that would devour us. Later in John, Jesus says that the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Our shepherd did die for us.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. Our shepherd is there with us through the dark times of our lives. He is even with us sustaining us in the face of our enemies. He anoints our heads with oil; our cups overflow. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my live and I shall dwell in the house of the lord forever, because the Lord is my shepherd.

Do you look like a bunch of sheep? Do you know the voice of your shepherd? Do you come when he calls? Would you flee from a false shepherd no matter how nice his or her voice sounded? Are you in the fold?

You know sheep have a bad habit of wandering off. The Shepherd takes then to a green pasture. And they begin peacefully grazing. They don't look up and they just graze their way away from the shepherd. But the shepherd comes looking for the lost sheep.

Is the Lord your shepherd? If not come in through Jesus the gate to the sheep fold. If the Lord is your shepherd, then listen to your shepherd and follow his voice. If the Lord is your shepherd; you shall not want and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

Have you ever gotten one of those phone calls? You know the one. You answer the phone and the person asks for you by your first name. And when you say "This is he" they ask "How are you doing today?" Your first impression is that it is someone you know. Perhaps an old friend or an acquaintance. Then it happens. They try to sell you something. Or more likely they try to "give" you some complimentary something. But you know there are probably strings attached. But in the end you know that it is not an old friend. It is someone reading your name off a calling list.

I get a lot of strange phone calls from people reading off of a phone list. Like the day I got a phone call and the person asked for "Grace." I said, "I am sorry there is no one by that name here." To which the asked "there is no one named Grace Parsonage there?" So I replied, "Sorry, you have the wrong number."

But every now and then you get a call. And you recognize the voice. Even before you realize what they are saying or who they are asking for. It is a friend either new or old. And when they ask "How are you doing today" you know they mean it!

You see, that is what Jesus was talking about. Oh, not telemarketers. But in first century terms he spoke of shepherds and sheep. Sheep are helpless animals. They have been bred to be docile and are basically unable to care for themselves. They depend upon their shepherds to find them food and water and to protects them.

Because of this dependant relationship, the sheep come to know their shepherd. They can recognize his or her voice and so pay attention to it. Not that they are capable of understanding language or anything of the sort. But they know the sound and associate it with care and protection.

But there are always dangers. Not just from wolves and animals but from other people. So they do not follow strange voices. Those voices may not care for them and protects them. So they flee from any voice that they do not recognize as their shepherd.

Jesus was saying that this is the way it is for people. The Lord is our shepherd. He is the one who can lead us to clear refreshing waters and green delicious pastures. The Lord is the one who can restore our souls and lead is in the paths of righteousness. He will protect us with his rod and his staff even in the valley of the shadow of death and even when we face our enemies. Only the Lord can promise safety in his house forever.

But there are thieves and wolves in this world. There are voices of false shepherds who would lead us astray. They were many in Jesus' day. There were voices of the shepherds of wealth and power which promised security through the accumulation of things. Many like the tax collectors and collaborators with Rome followed this thief from the true fold. There were even religious leaders like the Pharisees and Sadducees who promised blessings from following them.

But Jesus clearly defined who they were. They were blind guides who lead others astray. They were thieves who plundered widows' houses. They were false shepherds who did not care for the sheep but laid heavy burdens on them and did not lift a finger to help. They were wolves who enter the sheepfold the wrong way to slaughter the sheep to satisfy their own appetites.

Of course things are different now. We no longer have sheep and shepherds and wolves - or do we? You know we are all still like sheep. We are basically helpless. We seek meaning and quality to life. We seek happiness and contentment and peace.

And there are a lot of competing voices who offer us the good life. Some say we can have the good life by living large. We can be happy if we have fancy cars and big houses and better gadgets. And if we don't have the funds for it, that is fine. We can just charge it and live beyond our means. There are other voices that tell us by indulging our physical hedonistic appetites we can find fulfillment. There are even false shepherds that offer spiritual enlightenment but in the end their cults lead only to death.

All these are just thieves and wolves. They came not to care for us but to destroy us. They cannot offer us the real thing, but only cheap imitations. They cannot lead us to green pastures and still waters. They cannot give us the good life because they don't have it to begin with. They are false voices who only pretend to offer the care and protection we need. Only the good shepherd and offer us those things.

(phone rings) "Hello." "Yes, this is Alex." "I am fine thank you. Actually I am in the middle of that sermon we talked about." "No Sir, I haven't told them but I am about to." "OK, I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Jesus talked about sheep and shepherds and thieves. But he was getting to a point. The point was that he is the only way. He is the only one who can give us what we need. He is the only one who will care for us.

Many others will offer us the good life. They are liars. They are no more than thieves who will steal and plunder. Jesus is the true way. He was sent by god to bring life, abundant live, for us to live.

Do you want to live the good life!? You can't buy it with wealth fame or beauty. Abundant life is a gift from God. You have to accept Jesus to receive it. He is the one who can see that we have life and have it abundantly.

"I can't get no satisfaction." These are words from one popular rock song. That may be a line from just one song, but it could just as easily be the refrain to all the world's songs. It seems that the world can never find satisfaction. It is constantly striving for some measure of fulfillment.

This conclusion is obvious when one considers the world's constant self-indulgence. They indulge in carnal lust seeking some kind of lasting love, but never get enough. Others try to fill the void of their lives with drugs. Some seek spiritual fulfillment through the occult or they try to find guidance through psychics, but they are always left wanting. Many accumulate material wealth thinking that can fulfill them and provide purpose.

Yet they still can't find satisfaction. They are always seeking more because they need something deeper. The end of all their seeking and striving is emptiness of heart and soul. Any satisfaction they find is only temporary. So the world's poets sing their lament for them: "I can't get no satisfaction."

The Bible says, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want!" "I shall not want," is a much different song than the world's refrain. Our Lord meets our every need and we are satisfied. God leads us to clear waters and green pastures. God protects us when we are threatened and in dark valleys. Our Shepherd stands with us and blesses us in the face of enemies.

The 23rd psalm is a song: a song of praise. The psalmist isn't pleading, "Lord, be my Shepherd." The psalmist is singing, "The Lord is my Shepherd!" This psalm gives God the glory for meeting the needs of his sheep. Because the Lord, and not another, is my shepherd, all my needs are met.

The world's shepherd, on the other hand, leaves it hungry and alone and destitute. The world walks through the dark valleys of life alone. The world is abandoned when it faces its enemies. But, praise God, our Shepherd comforts us in dark valleys; in death's dark shadow. God even prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies.

"The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." These are not merely sentimental words from 3,000 years ago. These are the Gospel truth. And I am a living witness to that truth.

The Lord is my shepherd and every one of my needs have been met by my Lord. When I was in high school I went through a period surrounding my mother's death when I felt alone. Jesus was there when I needed love. He let me know that I was loved. When I hungered and thirsted for affection he led me to waters of fellowship and pastures of love.

When Mary's life and my Father's were hanging in the balance, God was there caring for me and them. I felt the comfort of God's love. When I was in danger of losing two of the most precious people in my life, I had peace. I knew my shepherd would care for me and protect me. When I was in the valley of the shadow of death, God was with me to comfort me.

The story of this sermon is an example of that trust. This, by the way, is a recycled sermon. It was originally written to be preached on May 2, 1993. That also happens to be the day that Kaitlyn was born, so it didn't get preached that day. But that is not the end of the story.

You see the story starts two weeks before that when My Dad had a heart attack. My wife was at one end of the state, Abbeville, ready to go into labor, and I was at the other end, Sumter, attending to my Father in the hospital. I was stretched thinner than most people could stand. Now, I am basically a nervous and anxious person, but through it all God gave me strength and peace.

And God heard my prayers. I prayed that Melissa would not go into labor until my Father was home from the hospital. I didn't what to leave him because I was afraid he might have another heart attack. Well, on Wednesday April 28th the doctors did a catheterization and said that he would not have another heart attack. He went home that Friday and I rushed up to the upstate to get Melissa. That night Melissa started having contractions.

God took care of me. God saw me and my family through all those trials. The Lord is my shepherd and because he is my shepherd I lack for nothing that I need.

Praise the Lord, God's grace is sufficient. I don't know how the world survives without it. I guess the truth is they don't. Maybe that is why the world is self-destructing all around us. May be that is why people overdose on drugs or kill themselves. They can't survive.

But, praise the Lord, God saves us. Our hope is in the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep. Who feeds us living water by fields of mercy.

When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we don't do it alone. He one who conquered death walks with us. And when we face enemies and many of our friends abandon us, He prepares a table before us. And because the Lord is our shepherd we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

John 10:11-18

Psalm 23

What do you want? What do you want from life, from your occupation, your family, your God? Do you want peace, hope, riches, eternal life? Do you want food, clothing, shelter, security? Do you desire satisfaction?

Everybody wants something and often time those things we want we also need. You all know everything that happened to me last month. First my Father went into the hospital and I was spending almost an entire week with him in Sumter. During that time I wanted to be in both Sumter and Belton at the same time. Then Mary got sick and my tooth abscessed. During that time I wanted all pain and sickness to go away.

I may have desired those things but I never got them. Yet I never suffered a lack of what I needed. The support of friends and family got me through the difficulties. The knowledge that God was with me got me through a lot - including a root canal. Because the Lord was my Shepherd I lacked nothing that I needed.

The Psalmist nearly 3,000 years ago knew the same thing. He wrote "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Most people hear the "I shall not want" part and it just passes by them lost in the magnitude of "The Lord is my shepherd." I guess the pastoral image of God caring for us like helpless sheep is still in their minds when the second half of the verse is read. Others take the time to read the second half of the verse and they see it as a commandment. "Thou shalt not want!"

But it is much more than that. "I shall not want" is a statement of result. Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will lack nothing. The Lord the Almighty will lead me to living waters. The Lord personally will lead me to green pastures of spiritual growth.

Because the Lord is our shepherd, he restores our souls and leads us in the paths of righteousness. Because the Lord is our shepherd, we are comforted even in the valley of the shadow of death. Because the Lord is our shepherd, he watches over us and cares for us in the face of our enemies. Because the Lord is my shepherd I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

But all that's rather abstract. What we need is a concrete example. It is one thing to say "the Lord is my shepherd" and it sounds good and all that. But what does that look like in real life. It's fine to talk about poetic green pastures and hypothetical pools of water. It is one thing to speak of metaphorical valleys of death and symbolic staffs of comfort. It is quite another to make it real and concrete.

God knows that we need a concrete example of these poetic words, so God gave us Jesus. And Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." What does the good shepherd do? He lays down his life for the sheep. He sacrifices himself. You know sheep are easy prey. They are so domesticated that they have lost all instincts for self preservation. They lack a way of defending themselves. Without a shepherd wild animals would slaughter them like - well - like sheep!

If a pack of wolves came after a flock of sheep the shepherd's job was to protect the sheep. But why risk your life for a bunch of sheep. If things got too dangerous most shepherds would abandon the sheep and save themselves. But Jesus is not just any shepherd. He is the good shepherd. He knows and cares for each one of his sheep. He knows and cares for me and lays his life down for me. And because this self sacrificing Lord is my good shepherd, I shall not want.

Perhaps a contrast with the world will help us understand. The world's version of the 23rd psalm goes something like this. The world is my Shepherd, I can't get no satisfaction. Like a lost sheep I search aimlessly for green pastures and peaceful waters. My soul is empty. I am lost and forsaken. When I pass through the valley of the shadow of death I am afraid for I am alone. In the presence of enemies I am abandoned and my future is uncertain.

If you think I am exaggerating just look at the world People search for some meaning to put their trust in. As a result they put their hopes in almost anything. They jump from one fad to another searching for something meaningful. People invest their lives in things like money, drugs, shallow relationships, or love of self.

And in the end where does it lead them. The end is always some form of destruction: selfishness, addiction, hopelessness. They are abandoned and alone in the face of danger. The world's ways offer no true or lasting peace and hope. Unlike the Good Shepherd, Jesus, the world runs when the sheep are in danger.

The Lord is MY shepherd. Is he yours? Does the Good Shepherd know you as his own? Do you recognize and respond to the sound of his voice? Or do you beckon to the call of the world?

Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want! Are all your needs in life fulfilled? Or do you find that you can't get no satisfaction?

Make Jesus your shepherd. Accept him as your Lord and Savior. Recommit yourself to getting to know and responding to his voice. He will lead you to green pastures and still waters. And you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

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