Unity: The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
Jesus Is • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 34 viewsThe good shepherd is composed of the Father and Son. Their trinitarian love for community draws the lost sheep of the world to his church, where they experience forgiveness, grace, and peace. If the church remains divided, it will fail to display the power of the gospel — the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. The mission of the church is to be united so it can be an influential work upon the world.
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In all the years of my life, I've convinced that internal divisions within any organization rarely lead to success. For in the spirit of divisiveness nourishes cancer-like characteristics such as separation, hostility, and jealousy. None of these characteristics promote the well-being of the other, and its purpose is only to satisfy its desires. This spirit of divisiveness is in our local government, sports team, manufacturing plants, and families. Where division lies, so does ineffectiveness.
Division prevents governments from passing legislation; it tears apart cooperation in a sports team. It slowly kills moral support in manufacturing plants, which causes production slowdown; it brings out the chaos in a marriage, which impacts every facet of the family - immediate family, children, and even distant relatives.
With this in mind, we can agree to the spirit of divisiveness fosters an ineffective atmosphere where success is difficult to build. The sad truth about this spirit is it not only lingering within those entities, but its found in the body of Christ, and if you want to make a church ineffective for doing ministry and spreading the gospel throw in separation, hostility, and jealousy. With enough time, you will see a healthy, loving church start collapsing on itself and begin the process of closing its door.
This destruction of the church body was never the intended will of God, for, at the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for you and me to be one as with the body of Christ and God himself. Instead of division, Jesus prayed that we would be a powerful church led by the Holy Spirit. For the truth is, a unified church is an influential church. God desires his body to make a difference in the world we live in today by living as one community of believers in Ubly and to share the good news of God's kingdom with everyone we encounter.
And God won't abandon us without instructions on how to be unified. Thankfully, he will lead us as the good shepherd and give direction to his sheep, which directs us to John chapter 10 over Christ being the unifier of everyone in the body and to God himself.
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.
John
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.
Take a moment to reflect on the words of Jesus. I am the good shepherd. A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. All of these actions point to one thing regarding the shepherd and the sheep - his love for them. Since his passion is great for the sheep, they know him back.
This knowing is not generic in any sense, but a deep understanding of the person. I can say with a doubt that Sarah, my wife, knows my son, Isaac, better than me because last week, Sarah had to work late and I to watch both of our kids in the evening. As a good father, I knew how to occupy a nearly 2-year-old girl. Turn on the television, open amazon tv to Dora the Explorer, and keep an eye on her from getting into trouble, done! Lydia was happy and content; on the other hand, Isaac cried and fussed the whole two and a half hours. I couldn't get satisfied. I would flip him everywhere and give him his milk, but no matter what I did, he was angry. Sadly, I think Isaac is a mommies boy, but once Sarah got home, he was as happy as a clam at high tide.
The truth is God knows he sheep, and they know him as Isaac knows who his mom is. The reason for their knowledge of him is because they feel the love of God in their hearts. His love compels them to listen to his voice. Just as Jesus knows his Father in the same way, Jesus knows and feels his Father's love for him, and in response to God's love, he will ultimately lay down his life for the sheep.
In this sense, we understand not only is Jesus Christ the good shepherd but so too is the Father. For both of them in their union together are working to redeem and love the sheep. Jesus isn't working alone, and neither is the Father, but they are working in harmony to bring the lost sheep in the sheepfold of God.
Union in the church doesn't start with us, here at Ubly Christian Church. It began with the first union, the trinitarian relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For in that relationship of God, he works to restore fallen humanity through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Father directs the Son, the Son lives according to the Father's will, and the Spirit empowers Son to complete and lay down his life for the sheep. In this, the union of God is a model for the church to be one. For their relationship ushers in hope and love for the rest of creation. Through the union of Father, Son, and Spirit, he was able to do a powerful thing and change the world, in the same way, a united church is an influential church.
But what is the purpose of one church, one body of Christ? Well, it's to resemble our one God and his one mission. To bring the kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Through the church being one in spirit, we can influence the world and draw more people into the kingdom. Listen to what Jesus says about the sheep of the world, whom Jesus desires to call in.
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.
John 10:16
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.
You hear God echoing the phrase of oneness between himself and his church. There is one body that listens to one good shepherd. But here is the caveat; there are many sheep who are not in the flock. And the truth is, like it or not. If they are not in the herd, they are eternally separated from him and left dead in their sins. And God's will is for all to people to experience his grace through the redeeming work of Christ.
But this message of oneness with Jesus and the Father being the good shepherd can only effectively work when the flock of God is living as one community with him and others. So how to do we become a unified church that spreads a compelling message?
First, we must befriend the believers within this church here at Ubly. Rather than only speaking and seeing them on Sunday Morning, we wish to share in all things with them: our happiest moments and our sorrows. And friendships are the most beautiful thing we can receive from each other. Think about the creation account of Adam and Eve. Both were made not only for helping each other to conquer the trial of life but to have companionship. When God spoke to Adam, he said to find someone to do life with, and eventually after his heartache after searching for the right partner. God created a woman for the man. In Eve, Adam was no longer lonely.
In the church, through relationships, we too are no longer lonely, for we are sons and daughters of God and partake in one new family, sharing in all things which makes us connected and productive for living and sharing the gospel.
Now, I understand the pushback. You might say, "Austin, I don't like so and so." Well, you know what I have to say about that. "GET OVER IT!" Get rid of that spirit of divisiveness and embrace the sense of harmony. For if you are living in God's church, why quarrel and reject your brother and sister. God has not rejected them, and neither should you. I will make this one statement; it doesn't mean we have to be buddies with everyone, but to flat out turn away from them just because of difference isn't Christan. We are all composed differently: personality traits, social class, race/ethnicity. These differences coming together strengthen us and make us an active church for reaching out to all people. Like Paul mentions, he becomes whatever, to reach out to people. His and our vision is to befriend the church so we can make an impact for the gospel.
Because Intentional communion makes us a stronger body, it makes our church stronger against times of trouble. For if God's church is glued together, what will be there to tear it apart? The answer is nothing, for those relationships cannot be quickly dissolved when we invest, especially in God's flock. This idea goes back to the first comment about be one church. We live for the good of the other. For when one part of the body suffers, the other part will help make up for the weaker.
My prayer is you can find someone within this church to lean on in times of suffering and sorrows, in times of joy and happiness, and in times of boredom and tiredness. For my church family is closer to me than my biological family, and God's heart is that your is too. By our love for each other will draw others lost sheep in for his kingdom. This leads us to the power of which our love for each other originated from, and Jesus will explain why a unified church is an influential church.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
The love of Jesus comes from down on him from the Father and Jesus' willingness to die so we can be one. However, the death of Christ was entirely up to him. Out of his own volition, Jesus lived a perfect, holy life, took up the wooden cross for our sins and died for our forgiveness. And God the Father loved his Son for they both we unified in the mission and vision of God's restoration of humanity and creation.
This part of Christ dying is the means of the transformative power of the gospel in our church. Jesus received the commandment from the Father to lay down and possess it again. Through this power of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, we, too, have the ability and authority to spread this good news to all humanity. Which is why we need to be united for the sake of the gospel makes us influential to the world.
Going back to John's gospel takes us to the final response of the Jews and ties in with our lives as well, it says.
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
So there is a choice to be made. Will we believe in Jesus? Or, believe Jesus is something he's not? If we truly believe everything Jesus claims, then we will pursue unity at this church. We are one with our good shepherd and his flock. If we don't believe, then we'll become as divided as the Jews were over the person and work of Christ, and the gospel will fail to reach those who are spiritually dying. For the truth is this, a unified church is an influential church. Make a choice, to be unified so God's great news will reach everyone here in Ubly and the Thumb.