St. Matthew’s Sermon 05-07-2017

Do You Know His Voice

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-16

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God. Amen

When I became a servant of God and Christ; and when it became official on the day of my ordination; I had to choose how I wanted to be addressed. The choices were either “Reverend”, “Minister”, or “Pastor”.

I did decide that “Reverend” was appropriate to use when the knowledge of my standing within the Church was important; such as signing Marriage Licenses and Baptism Certificates; but otherwise, to ask to be formally identified as “Reverend” felt as if I was trying to lift myself above everyone else and placing too much distance between me and those I serve.  This comes through most starkly when knowing that, in the root of the title are included the notion of being worthy of reverence, being revered, awesome, and venerate. All things I neither deserve nor desire.

As for “Minister”; I felt this was a bit more appropriate; after all, a large part of what I do is to “Minister” to the needs of those I serve be it in educating, comforting, or assuring. But that word also has its problems of association with other meanings. In England, for example, it is the title for the head of a government department as in “Minister of Defense”.

And then there’s the one I settled on, “Pastor”. In its root it relates directly to shepherding, coming from Latin, pastor means “to feed”.  And in common use it relates to little else, (and nothing conflicting with) the very basics of “feeding” a congregation; seeing to it that they have food and water, protecting them from those who would prey on them, and healing the occasional wound.

So, in some instances I am “Reverend” Ronald A Hughes; in other’s I am Christian “Minister” Ron Hughes; and to the people of St. Matthew’s I am “Pastor” Ron, (a shepherd). It is my hope and I trust the Spirit’s guidance to be a “good” shepherd that leads you to the heavenly food and drink you desire and to protect you from the predators. I also hope that you have come to know my voice and trust me to provide for your needs.

Now, of course you know this but it is so very important for me to stress the point, I am your shepherd, and hopefully a good one, but I am not Thee “Good Shepherd”. [painting] This, then, raises the question “Do you know His voice”? Which also brings up the question “How do you know the voice of The Good Shepherd”? How do we discern His voice from those of the thieves and bandits who are out to steal and kill and destroy? How do we know His voice from the hired hand who will leave us to the wolves”?

For this, we are blessed with the grounds for discerning Christ’s voice from others right from the beginning of the Gospel according to John; John spells it out for us plainly earlier in his Gospel, back in his third chapter where he writes…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (16-21 NRSV)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”: Does the voice you hear speak of the love of God and does it include the love of God for the whole world; everyone, no exclusions?

If it does, you are hearing the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. But if it speaks of hatred in God’s name or of it excludes anyone from God’s love you are hearing the voice of a thief and a bandit.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”. Does the voice you hear speak of salvation and, again, does the offer of salvation extend to the whole world; everyone, no exclusions?

If it does, you are hearing the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. But if it speaks of condemnation or if it excludes anyone from God’s gracious offer you are hearing the voice of a thief and a bandit.

“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed”. Does the voice you hear speak openly from the heart and freely expose the self in the light?

If it does, you are hearing the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. But if it hides the self behind secrecy and shields itself with random, out of context quotes of Scripture you are hearing the voice of a thief and a bandit.

“But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” Does the voice you hear speak of doing deeds; being active in the work of God?

If it does, you are hearing the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. But if it places more emphasis on not doing anything wrong, even to the point of complete inaction, over doing good at the risk of failure (in which case we rely on God’s grace) you are hearing the voice of a thief and a bandit.

There are many more verses spread throughout John’s Gospel, (and the other Gospels for that matter) that tell us how to discern Christ’s voice from those of the thieves and bandits. One of them that I’ll add now is found in today’s reading, the very last line I read for you where Christ concludes his statement with the words… “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd”. Does the voice you hear speak of unity in Christ’s name?

If it does, you are hearing the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd. But if it speaks of dividing the flock of Christ into many flocks with many shepherds you are hearing the voice of the wolf who snatches and scatters.

I am “Reverend” Ronald A Hughes; I am Christian “Minister” Ron Hughes; and I am “Pastor” Ron, (a shepherd). But I am not Thee – One – Good Shepherd. Know His voice and follow him. Amen

John 10:1-16
10:1 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
10:2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
10:4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
10:5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
10:6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
10:7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
10:8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
10:9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

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

12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away–and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care 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.

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

Acts 2:42-47
2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
2:43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
2:44 All who believed were together and had all things in common;
2:45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
2:46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
2:47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Psalm 23
23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff– they comfort me.
23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

1 Peter 2:19-25
2:19 For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly.
2:20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.
2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
2:22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
2:23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
2:25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.