Good Shepherd Sunday
Chiseled on the
doorway to the parish Church of Staunton Harold in Leicestershire, England are
these remarkable words:
" In the year 1653
When all things sacred were throughout the Nation
either demolished or profaned,
Sir Robert Shirley Barronet
founded this Church,
Whose singular praise it is
to have done the best things in the worst times and
to have hoped them in the most calamitous."
To hope " in the most calamitous"---that is our calling.
Hope in what, where or who? Some hope in their standing in life...financial success means hope to them. Some hope in their families. If your family is successful, then you have hope. Or we hope in the church---if it is growing and "successful" and " full", then we can say we have hope. Can hope be disappointed? Obviously , if we hope only in these things we can be very disappointed.
And yet we are to be hopeful. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, I invite you to look with me, at who were are because of this Shepherd, and to look at the hope that this gives us.
" My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no-one shall snatch them out of my hand."
1. " And I give unto them eternal life." The Calling of God
Who gives us eternal life? Some faiths say we do. I choose, therefore I make the choice to have it and so it is up to me. And so my eternal life rests ultimately , not on the power of God, but my decision. Some say the Church gives eternal life. If the Church has not included me in their "fellowship", I then do not have eternal life. And so we have other faiths, who say , you and I do not have eternal life, because we do not belong to their faith.
What is good news? The hope of eternal life is the gift of God. No man, no Church, or Sacrament can give us eternal life. Eternal life is the gift of the Shepherd, and Him alone. " And I give unto them eternal life."
10:9 " I am the Door: whoever enters through Me will be saved."
10:11 " I am the good Shepherd: I know my sheep, and my sheep know me."
10:27 " My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me."
These verses comfort me. There is nothing more crucial and enlightening , than to ask yourself, " what do you really believe?" Have you ever done that in a moment of crisis? Back in 1989 I went to Panama with the light infantry as their Chaplain, and I wondered what was going to happen . There were so many unknowns. But these words rang in my ears ---" And I give unto them eternal life." And they gave me confidence and hope.
Our part is to receive eternal life. It is the gift of God. We receive eternal life through faith , " not of works lest any man should boast."
Why do people fall away from their faith and ultimately cease to truly believe? Because they never truly believed in the first place.
One author said, " He who ceases to hear, and to follow is thereby shown to be no true believer." I John 2:19 " they went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."
" There is in Jesus Christ more merit and righteousness than the whole world has need of." John Bunyan
We sing, " Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind , but now I see!"
I Peter 2:9 says ," But now you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation , a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
There is nothing more frightening than the loss of a child. I had the privilege of assisting in helping a family that lost their six year old son. In the memorial service, we used this verse, " And I give unto them eternal life."
2. " And they shall never perish, and no-one shall snatch them out of my hand."
Not only are we called by God to the knowledge of faith in His Son, we are kept by the power of God forever.
"Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come:
Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home."
" My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all: no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."
How do I know I will not fail to persevere? Peter in his letter says those who have true faith will persevere. I Peter 1:4-5
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and unto an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade----kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power."
Yet life is a struggle. " I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I Corinthians 9:27 It requires some work on our part. And God picks us up when we fail.
Before Peter denied Christ, the Lord said to him," I have prayed for you Simon"
God provides us ways to persevere. The Word of God. Psalm 119:11 " I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Obedience " We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. ...if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him." I John 2:3
Fellowship with other Christians---it is like a live coal and if we are separated from others in the fire, we lose our heat.
Conclusion----" To have done the best things in the worst times, and to have hoped them in the most calamitous." Where is our hope today? The Good Shepherd gives us eternal life. And we listen to His voice. The voice of Jesus is the voice of God. The voice of Jesus is the voice of hope.
" In the year 1653
When all things sacred were throughout the Nation
either demolished or profaned,
Sir Robert Shirley Barronet
founded this Church,
Whose singular praise it is
to have done the best things in the worst times and
to have hoped them in the most calamitous."
To hope " in the most calamitous"---that is our calling.
Hope in what, where or who? Some hope in their standing in life...financial success means hope to them. Some hope in their families. If your family is successful, then you have hope. Or we hope in the church---if it is growing and "successful" and " full", then we can say we have hope. Can hope be disappointed? Obviously , if we hope only in these things we can be very disappointed.
And yet we are to be hopeful. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, I invite you to look with me, at who were are because of this Shepherd, and to look at the hope that this gives us.
" My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no-one shall snatch them out of my hand."
1. " And I give unto them eternal life." The Calling of God
Who gives us eternal life? Some faiths say we do. I choose, therefore I make the choice to have it and so it is up to me. And so my eternal life rests ultimately , not on the power of God, but my decision. Some say the Church gives eternal life. If the Church has not included me in their "fellowship", I then do not have eternal life. And so we have other faiths, who say , you and I do not have eternal life, because we do not belong to their faith.
What is good news? The hope of eternal life is the gift of God. No man, no Church, or Sacrament can give us eternal life. Eternal life is the gift of the Shepherd, and Him alone. " And I give unto them eternal life."
10:9 " I am the Door: whoever enters through Me will be saved."
10:11 " I am the good Shepherd: I know my sheep, and my sheep know me."
10:27 " My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me."
These verses comfort me. There is nothing more crucial and enlightening , than to ask yourself, " what do you really believe?" Have you ever done that in a moment of crisis? Back in 1989 I went to Panama with the light infantry as their Chaplain, and I wondered what was going to happen . There were so many unknowns. But these words rang in my ears ---" And I give unto them eternal life." And they gave me confidence and hope.
Our part is to receive eternal life. It is the gift of God. We receive eternal life through faith , " not of works lest any man should boast."
Why do people fall away from their faith and ultimately cease to truly believe? Because they never truly believed in the first place.
One author said, " He who ceases to hear, and to follow is thereby shown to be no true believer." I John 2:19 " they went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."
" There is in Jesus Christ more merit and righteousness than the whole world has need of." John Bunyan
We sing, " Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind , but now I see!"
I Peter 2:9 says ," But now you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation , a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
There is nothing more frightening than the loss of a child. I had the privilege of assisting in helping a family that lost their six year old son. In the memorial service, we used this verse, " And I give unto them eternal life."
2. " And they shall never perish, and no-one shall snatch them out of my hand."
Not only are we called by God to the knowledge of faith in His Son, we are kept by the power of God forever.
"Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come:
Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home."
" My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all: no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."
How do I know I will not fail to persevere? Peter in his letter says those who have true faith will persevere. I Peter 1:4-5
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and unto an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade----kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power."
Yet life is a struggle. " I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." I Corinthians 9:27 It requires some work on our part. And God picks us up when we fail.
Before Peter denied Christ, the Lord said to him," I have prayed for you Simon"
God provides us ways to persevere. The Word of God. Psalm 119:11 " I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Obedience " We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. ...if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him." I John 2:3
Fellowship with other Christians---it is like a live coal and if we are separated from others in the fire, we lose our heat.
Conclusion----" To have done the best things in the worst times, and to have hoped them in the most calamitous." Where is our hope today? The Good Shepherd gives us eternal life. And we listen to His voice. The voice of Jesus is the voice of God. The voice of Jesus is the voice of hope.
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