WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.180 My name's Gregg. I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:04.820 If we've never met, I would love to meet you, 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:07.900 get to know you, maybe buy you a coffee, or even 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:09.640 if I've known you for a long time and if we haven't 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:11.740 hung out in a while, just let me know. We'd love 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:16.660 to hang out. In four weeks, just after Easter, 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:19.379 so four Sundays from now is Easter on April 5th. 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:24.359 On April 8th, I will begin a three -month -long 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.539 sabbatical, and since day one, we've been saying 00:00:27.539 --> 00:00:30.600 here as a part of this church that rest matters. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:34.899 We want everyone to rest, live, and work in a 00:00:34.899 --> 00:00:37.200 great house, and so the pastors of this church 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:43.100 also need to know how to rest. The truth is that 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:45.600 no matter how good a pastor like myself gets 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:50.090 at managing Hours and projects and sermon writing, 00:00:50.210 --> 00:00:52.950 no matter how much we delegate and empower others, 00:00:53.070 --> 00:00:56.189 there is a responsibility that we carry all the 00:00:56.189 --> 00:00:59.850 time. Most pastors, including me, can struggle 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:03.649 even when we're not quote -unquote working to 00:01:03.649 --> 00:01:07.290 clear our minds of all of the things that we 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:12.609 have responsibility for or with. And so pastors 00:01:12.609 --> 00:01:16.510 need a time away, a time... long enough to legitimately 00:01:16.510 --> 00:01:19.510 rest our minds and our hearts from the work we 00:01:19.510 --> 00:01:23.090 have been doing. So first thing, sabbaticals 00:01:23.090 --> 00:01:26.209 are for rest, but sabbaticals are also an exercise 00:01:26.209 --> 00:01:31.030 in trust. I was talking to a pastor from another 00:01:31.030 --> 00:01:34.390 church, and he was asking about how long this 00:01:34.390 --> 00:01:36.209 battle was going to be. And I said, oh, it'll 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:38.549 be the same as last one. It'll be three months. 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:42.900 And he said, well, first of all, he'd never had 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:47.319 a sabbatical in general by choice. But he said, 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:50.260 I cannot fathom being away from the congregation 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:52.799 for that long. And I said, that's probably why 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:58.319 you need to be. Pastors have to learn that we 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:02.180 are not our congregations. And congregations 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:04.120 need to learn that they are not their leaders. 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:09.300 We have to learn that our identities are individual 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:14.840 and that we are together by choice. Congregations 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:17.139 need to know who they are even if their lead 00:02:17.139 --> 00:02:20.439 pastor isn't around or if someday someone else 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:25.639 is that lead pastor. Congregation needs to have 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:28.719 their identity wrapped up in Christ, not in the 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:34.699 people that talk up front all the time. So. Leading 00:02:34.699 --> 00:02:37.599 up to that, I was thinking about what we want 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.060 to talk about. I think that we've done a decent 00:02:40.060 --> 00:02:41.879 job of some of those things that I've said already, 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:44.840 but I also think that a sabbatical is the experiment 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:47.099 that forces us to find out just how good we've 00:02:47.099 --> 00:02:50.259 gotten at that. So sabbaticals are for rest, 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:52.680 sabbaticals are for the health of both the pastor 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:56.379 and the congregation, and sabbaticals are for 00:02:56.379 --> 00:03:00.039 the future. So the church can continue to grow 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:03.060 and be healthy as God guides them and leads them 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:05.900 and brings them back together. I don't want to 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:08.340 just be needed. I would like to come back and 00:03:08.340 --> 00:03:10.620 know that, oh, I was wanted. Hey, welcome back. 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:14.340 And so I thought, oh, what should we talk about 00:03:14.340 --> 00:03:18.219 leading up to that? And a lot of times you'll 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:19.879 hear me say, like, oh, I would love to have coffee 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:21.699 with you. I would like to talk about Jesus. And 00:03:21.699 --> 00:03:23.800 so I think we're going to spend the next few 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:25.400 weeks talking about Jesus. Obviously, we're a 00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:27.780 church, so we already do that. But sometimes 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:29.219 we just have, like, okay, we're going to have 00:03:29.219 --> 00:03:32.219 a theme or, you know, control all delight. But 00:03:32.219 --> 00:03:37.280 I want to talk about Jesus. Jesus the. Jesus 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:43.000 the. And today. It's going to be Jesus, the good 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.080 shepherd. What comes to your mind when you hear 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:52.479 Jesus the? Jesus the? The goat. Greatest of all 00:03:52.479 --> 00:04:01.060 time. Healer. What's that? Redeemer. In his 1961 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:03.439 book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A .W. Tozer 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:06.819 wrote, what comes into your mind when we think 00:04:06.819 --> 00:04:09.199 about God is the most important thing about us. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.939 Spiritual history will demonstrate that no religion 00:04:12.939 --> 00:04:17.600 has ever been greater than its idea of God. For 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:19.660 this reason, the gravest question before the 00:04:19.660 --> 00:04:23.360 church is always God himself, what their deep 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:30.939 heart conceives God to be like. When we say Jesus 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:34.300 the, what comes to our mind matters. When we 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:36.620 think of God, what comes to our mind matters 00:04:36.620 --> 00:04:41.189 because what comes to our mind is what guides 00:04:41.189 --> 00:04:46.389 how we act. We believe comes after Jesus the, 00:04:46.550 --> 00:04:50.970 or God is, shapes how we care about each other, 00:04:51.089 --> 00:04:58.490 shapes everything in our lives. So let's spend 00:04:58.490 --> 00:05:01.230 the next three weeks talking about Jesus. Jesus 00:05:01.230 --> 00:05:04.430 the, today's Jesus the Good Shepherd. So let's 00:05:04.430 --> 00:05:08.040 open up our Bibles to a passage about... the 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:10.379 shepherd. We're going to be in John, John chapter 00:05:10.379 --> 00:05:14.779 10. It goes Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. John has 00:05:14.779 --> 00:05:18.399 found what's called the New Testament. And if 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:20.240 you don't have a Bible, you can have one of the 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.019 blue ones on the table or just use it today or 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:25.779 download a Bible from any of the digital app 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:30.319 stores. And we have a tradition of giving the 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:32.139 scriptures our full attention while they're being 00:05:32.139 --> 00:05:34.779 read in the context of a sermon. You can do that 00:05:34.779 --> 00:05:37.060 any way that means the most to you, but if you'd 00:05:37.060 --> 00:05:39.480 like to stand with me as you are able, you are 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:42.939 welcome to do that. In John 10, starting in verse 00:05:42.939 --> 00:05:49.420 1, it says this, John 10, 1. Very truly I tell 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:52.980 you, Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.079 sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.839 way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:04.189 by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. opens 00:06:04.189 --> 00:06:06.850 the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his 00:06:06.850 --> 00:06:10.050 voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads 00:06:10.050 --> 00:06:12.930 them out. When he has brought out all of his 00:06:12.930 --> 00:06:15.129 own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep 00:06:15.129 --> 00:06:17.810 follow him because they know his voice. But they 00:06:17.810 --> 00:06:19.589 will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will 00:06:19.589 --> 00:06:21.850 run away from him because they do not recognize 00:06:21.850 --> 00:06:25.189 a stranger's voice. Jesus used this figure of 00:06:25.189 --> 00:06:27.829 speech, but the Pharisees did not understand 00:06:27.829 --> 00:06:30.240 what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:33.180 again, Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for 00:06:33.180 --> 00:06:37.579 the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves 00:06:37.579 --> 00:06:40.060 and robbers, but the sheep have not listened 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:43.220 to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through 00:06:43.220 --> 00:06:45.560 me will be saved. They will come in and go out 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:48.959 and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:52.519 and kill and destroy. I have come that they may 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:56.720 have life and have it to the full. I am the good 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.709 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life 00:06:59.709 --> 00:07:04.610 for the sheep. Let us pray. God of every tribe, 00:07:04.649 --> 00:07:07.470 every tongue, every color, and every nation, 00:07:07.529 --> 00:07:10.589 we thank you for the scriptures that they have 00:07:10.589 --> 00:07:13.029 persisted throughout the millennia. We have them 00:07:13.029 --> 00:07:18.389 to read, to consider, to learn from. Whatever 00:07:18.389 --> 00:07:20.329 you have to teach us today, I pray that it would 00:07:20.329 --> 00:07:24.430 stick. Even if it's something that I don't say, 00:07:24.550 --> 00:07:31.000 that your spirit brings to... our hearts. Pray 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.980 that we would become more like your son, Jesus. 00:07:34.620 --> 00:07:36.959 Amen. You can have a seat. Thanks, everyone. 00:07:42.379 --> 00:07:45.180 All right, so it is true that sheep will jump 00:07:45.180 --> 00:07:47.639 off a cliff if the sheep out in front jump first. 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:52.339 That's true. But believe it or not, it is not 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:55.199 because sheep are dumb. Sheep get a bad rap. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:02.300 If sheep are jumping off a cliff, they have a 00:08:02.300 --> 00:08:04.899 good reason. What do I mean? So Jesus says that 00:08:04.899 --> 00:08:07.899 the good shepherd leads out front. The imagery 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:11.660 that he's sharing here is meant to create a contrast 00:08:11.660 --> 00:08:18.379 between a good shepherd and a wolf, between a 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:22.180 good shepherd and a slave driver. Because the 00:08:22.180 --> 00:08:24.379 good shepherd leads out front, leading the way 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:27.000 to water, leading the way to green pastures, 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:30.920 guiding them away from dangers like cliffs. It's 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:34.080 the thief, it's the wolf that's at the back using 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:41.440 fear to drive sheep to their death. So if sheep 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.940 are jumping off cliff, they're probably being 00:08:43.940 --> 00:08:47.980 chased by something. My old joke was that when 00:08:47.980 --> 00:08:50.240 I'm driving on the road and I see people running, 00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:55.120 I'm always like, good for you. Good for you. 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.360 Because I'm like, I was like, I think there's 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:00.899 a Bible verse that says, if a man runs with no 00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:03.120 one chasing him, he is a fool. Like, I'm just 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:09.679 trying to be scriptural. But if sheep are jumping 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.820 off a cliff, there's someone chasing him. They're 00:09:13.820 --> 00:09:16.460 not dumb. Sheep can learn the voice of their 00:09:16.460 --> 00:09:20.279 shepherd. Jesus didn't say it, that's true. Sheep 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:22.940 learn the voice of the shepherd. They can learn 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:27.879 to ignore every other voice. They can not just 00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:30.759 learn the voice, but they learn the face of their 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:33.639 shepherd. Research shows that they can learn 00:09:33.639 --> 00:09:36.840 the face of their shepherd and the shepherd's 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:42.200 facial expressions. Not only that, but they can 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:46.669 learn their individual names. And they can learn 00:09:46.669 --> 00:09:49.870 the faces and expressions of the other sheep 00:09:49.870 --> 00:09:56.309 in their flock. Sheep are not dumb. They just 00:09:56.309 --> 00:10:03.429 make bad decisions when they're afraid. I think 00:10:03.429 --> 00:10:05.769 my favorite part of this passage is verse 9, 00:10:05.950 --> 00:10:10.009 where he says, I am the gate. Whoever enters 00:10:10.009 --> 00:10:12.669 through me will be saved. They will come in and 00:10:12.669 --> 00:10:15.639 go out and find pasture. It's my favorite because 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.500 of the imagery that's hidden in plain sight. 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:22.399 It's something that we wouldn't know because 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:26.279 we live in the West in the 21st century. But 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.159 when Jesus says that he is the gate, he doesn't 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.840 mean that he's made of wood and he swings on 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:36.440 a hinge, right? He doesn't want us to picture 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:38.580 an actual gate. At the beginning of this passage, 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:41.860 it says that the gate gets opened. And so there's 00:10:41.860 --> 00:10:44.399 reason for us to go, oh, yeah, some pens have 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.700 actual gates. But it was also common in Eastern 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:52.919 shepherding for a pen to not have a physical 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:55.779 gate. Because when the sheep were home, when 00:10:55.779 --> 00:10:57.600 you were close to home, the sheep could come 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:02.299 in and out as they pleased. It's when they were 00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:04.580 out in the wilderness, when they were out grazing, 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:07.059 out in other places, that they needed the sheep 00:11:07.059 --> 00:11:09.519 to be out in front, leading the way, making sure 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.240 that they were safe, but that they were home 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:19.240 at the pen. Come and go. Come in and out. But 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:27.600 at night, the shepherd was the gate. And Eastern 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:31.139 shepherding... The shepherd, there was no gate, 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:34.500 so the shepherd would lay down and sleep in the 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:38.600 gate. So what did Jesus say? The good shepherd 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:52.779 lays down his life. The reason that that's important 00:11:52.779 --> 00:11:56.440 is because if the shepherd is asleep over there 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.460 somewhere, Let's say this is the pen and the 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:01.600 shepherd's asleep over there somewhere. It's 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.659 easy enough for a thief to come and open the 00:12:04.659 --> 00:12:09.580 door and pick up a sheep and just walk away with 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:12.120 it. How many times have you walked into your 00:12:12.120 --> 00:12:14.960 kitchen and you swear that you closed the refrigerator 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:18.899 door but it's not all the way shut? It's easy 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:22.220 enough for a gate to not get shut perfectly every 00:12:22.220 --> 00:12:25.679 single time and for a wolf. To find its way in 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:27.659 and pick off a sheep and drag it off somewhere. 00:12:28.019 --> 00:12:32.120 How much more difficult does that sound if an 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:36.879 actual shepherd is sleeping in the gate? Is laying 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:42.220 down in the way. Imagine, you know, like I imagine 00:12:42.220 --> 00:12:44.679 the old like black and white, like silent movies, 00:12:44.779 --> 00:12:47.860 like the old, like the thief stepping over things 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:50.919 really, really carefully. You know, hey, maybe 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:55.570 you get in. But then imagine carrying a 160 -pound, 00:12:55.629 --> 00:12:59.750 200 -pound sheep over a sleeping shepherd in 00:12:59.750 --> 00:13:05.250 the gate. Or maybe the wolf jumps over the shepherd 00:13:05.250 --> 00:13:08.809 to try to get in. But now imagine that wolf being 00:13:08.809 --> 00:13:12.149 able to drag a sheep back out of the pen over 00:13:12.149 --> 00:13:16.690 the thing. You may have noticed that wolves probably 00:13:16.690 --> 00:13:18.909 have a hard time dragging a sheep up and over 00:13:18.909 --> 00:13:23.240 a fence. And as far as I know, sheep have not 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:26.159 developed enough to climb fences effectively. 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:31.720 So it matters that he's laying in the gate because 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:36.179 it adds a sense of safety. The good shepherd 00:13:36.179 --> 00:13:39.519 lays down his life between the darkness and their 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:44.820 rest. Lays down his life between the world and 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:50.340 their safety. If you've ever felt like something 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:52.519 was blocking you from going where you wanted 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.000 to, remember that the reason that the shepherd 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.500 is also sleeping there is so that some restless 00:13:58.500 --> 00:14:01.100 sheep doesn't just wander out into the darkness 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:06.480 by themselves. If you've ever had a moment where 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:08.820 you're like, why can't I just go there? Why can't 00:14:08.820 --> 00:14:12.519 I get there? Why am I not there yet? Maybe it's 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:16.059 night and you don't know it. Jesus is sleeping. 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:20.240 And the gate is keeping you in a place that's 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.399 safe. Waiting for the sun to come up again. When 00:14:24.399 --> 00:14:27.820 he can lead you out to pasture. When it's time 00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:33.100 for you to come and go as you please. But I'll 00:14:33.100 --> 00:14:36.139 take it a step further. Who remembers the parable 00:14:36.139 --> 00:14:41.320 of the lost sheep? In Luke 15, Jesus said, suppose 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:44.559 one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:48.320 of them. Doesn't he leave the 99 in the open 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:50.460 country and go after the lost sheep until he 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:54.299 finds it? When he finds it, he joyfully puts 00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:57.840 it on his shoulders and goes home. So let me 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:00.600 ask you a question. Who takes responsibility 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:11.179 for the sheep being lost? Say it again. If the 00:15:11.179 --> 00:15:15.360 sheep is lost. At least according to this, it 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:17.720 is the shepherd's responsibility to find it. 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:24.840 If you have ever felt lost, and there's plenty 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:27.500 of times I have felt lost, and I'm right there 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:29.559 with you in the idea that we probably played 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:34.299 a part in that. But whose responsibility is it 00:15:34.299 --> 00:15:39.159 to find us? The shepherd. The shepherd comes 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:42.879 out to find us. The shepherd comes out to find. 00:15:47.970 --> 00:15:52.450 You. Came across this video. You might want to 00:15:52.450 --> 00:15:55.710 get your tissues out, okay? Liam, will you play 00:15:55.710 --> 00:16:07.370 that video? Just so emotional and moving. Just 00:16:07.370 --> 00:16:22.039 save that sheep. Listen, if you end up in a ditch, 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:26.860 the shepherd will take responsibility to find 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:31.159 you and pull you out of the ditch. And if you 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:35.519 jump back into the same ditch, the shepherd will 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:41.440 take responsibility to find you and pull you 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:47.100 out of the ditch. So what do we do with this? 00:16:48.940 --> 00:16:53.240 I think that this is why I love what Jennifer 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:57.059 said earlier. You know, let us not neglect the 00:16:57.059 --> 00:17:01.139 gathering together. I think the connection with 00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:05.500 other Christians matters. I do think that church 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:08.079 attendance matters. Not because you get a gold 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.819 star for being at church frequently, but being 00:17:11.819 --> 00:17:16.240 together matters. The reality is the reason that 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:18.460 sheep... stick together and end up going off 00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:20.900 cliffs sometimes when they're being driven by 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:23.140 fears because they have learned that they need 00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:25.140 to be pack animals, that they are safer when 00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:29.799 they're together. Because sheep, when they're 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:33.720 out on their own, end up in a ditch. A lot less 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:36.740 likely, if that sheep was a part of the flock 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:39.460 and following the shepherd, a lot less likely 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:44.140 that it's falling into that ditch. But even if 00:17:44.140 --> 00:17:49.079 it does, the shepherd will pull. It out. But 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:50.440 I think that connection with other Christians 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:52.859 matters. I think that church attendance does 00:17:52.859 --> 00:17:55.980 matter to the life of our faith. I think that 00:17:55.980 --> 00:18:00.240 being together matters. And I do not think that 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:07.920 shepherds lead flocks of one. Shepherds go find 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:13.240 single sheep and bring them home. But shepherds 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:21.539 do not lead flocks of one. If the shepherd is 00:18:21.539 --> 00:18:23.599 alone with one sheep, it's because that sheep 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:29.200 wandered off. And because the shepherd wants 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:32.460 to bring it back to the flock. Does that make 00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:41.059 sense? You are not meant to be alone. We are 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:46.299 not meant to be alone. Because Jesus is a good 00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:50.480 shepherd that brought us together. and will continually 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:55.200 find us and try to bring us back. So I'm going 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.259 to be gone for three months, starting after Easter. 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:02.119 And one of my jobs of being a pastor is to be 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:05.400 a shepherd of this flock. I am not the good shepherd. 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:09.599 I am one of the shepherds. While I'm gone, Pastor 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.599 Jen and Pastor Marissa and all the other team 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.180 leaders, they're going to do what they always 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:15.119 do, and they're going to care about you, and 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.410 they're going to care about the church. They 00:19:18.410 --> 00:19:21.130 will lead with kindness. They will shepherd well. 00:19:22.630 --> 00:19:25.529 But let me also commission you, those of you 00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:31.349 who are in this room. Because look around. Look 00:19:31.349 --> 00:19:34.869 around. Y 'all see some sheep missing, don't 00:19:34.869 --> 00:19:38.450 you? There are people that you know and you love. 00:19:39.170 --> 00:19:41.150 But you know, okay, this is their home. This 00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:43.329 is their church. And you know they're not here 00:19:43.329 --> 00:19:48.849 right now. Let me commission you. That there 00:19:48.849 --> 00:19:52.150 is a part in the kingdom for you to also shepherd. 00:19:53.369 --> 00:19:56.509 To acknowledge, to contact, to say, hey, I'm 00:19:56.509 --> 00:19:59.470 missing you. It's not because they're in a ditch. 00:20:00.170 --> 00:20:02.670 It may not even be because someone thinks, oh, 00:20:02.690 --> 00:20:05.730 I'm good by myself, I don't need community. It 00:20:05.730 --> 00:20:07.250 might just be because we're all busy, right? 00:20:08.230 --> 00:20:10.529 We all have so many things that come up, so many 00:20:10.529 --> 00:20:14.549 things that come along. But let me commission 00:20:14.549 --> 00:20:18.400 you to be someone that notices. What did we say? 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:21.279 That sheep don't just learn the voice of their 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:23.279 shepherd and the face of their shepherd. They 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.859 learn the faces and expressions of the other 00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:31.339 sheep in their flock. Learn the faces and expressions 00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:35.740 of the people in your church. Learn the faces 00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:39.720 and expressions and the names of the people that 00:20:39.720 --> 00:20:45.990 are in your congregation. And be a part. of making 00:20:45.990 --> 00:20:49.069 sure they know this is always their home, that 00:20:49.069 --> 00:20:52.809 they belong here. Because I'll say this as well. 00:20:53.970 --> 00:20:56.390 I was talking to someone the other day. I lead 00:20:56.390 --> 00:21:01.910 a pastor cohort. There's nine of us. And I was 00:21:01.910 --> 00:21:04.049 just telling one of the guys that's in it, I 00:21:04.049 --> 00:21:07.430 was like, I just want you to know, hey, you matter 00:21:07.430 --> 00:21:10.150 in this group. Because they were dipping out 00:21:10.150 --> 00:21:11.990 sometimes and leaving early. I said, you matter 00:21:11.990 --> 00:21:14.650 in this group. They're like, oh, this is... I 00:21:14.650 --> 00:21:17.089 don't really feel like this is for me. Like I'm, 00:21:17.089 --> 00:21:19.470 you know, I'm happy to be a part of it. But I 00:21:19.470 --> 00:21:23.769 go, yeah, but even if you think that, you being 00:21:23.769 --> 00:21:29.029 here might be for them. And sometimes we think 00:21:29.029 --> 00:21:30.630 like, well, I don't need to go to church. I'm 00:21:30.630 --> 00:21:33.950 good. Well, I don't need to go to church very 00:21:33.950 --> 00:21:39.009 often. I'm good. Maybe you are. Maybe you're 00:21:39.009 --> 00:21:40.630 great. Maybe you're the best that you've ever 00:21:40.630 --> 00:21:42.390 been. And you know who needs to know it and see 00:21:42.390 --> 00:21:46.000 it? And be encouraged by it, the other people 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:50.480 that are part of your congregation. We don't 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.599 all need to come to church because we need something 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:56.640 out of a sermon that day. We need to come to 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:58.839 church and be a part of community because you 00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:01.240 might be the sermon someone needs to get something 00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:05.740 out of that day. You might be the sheep with 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:07.480 the facial expression that they've just been 00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:11.430 waiting to see. You might be the person that 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:13.650 they trust can help pull them out of the ditch 00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:17.309 that they feel that they're in. You might be 00:22:17.309 --> 00:22:21.589 the reason that they were going to come that 00:22:21.589 --> 00:22:27.710 day. Statistics show that there is no age group. 00:22:27.769 --> 00:22:29.430 And I'm not talking about age groups in general. 00:22:29.450 --> 00:22:31.250 I'm talking about age groups that call themselves 00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:34.690 Christians. There is no age group of Christians. 00:22:35.470 --> 00:22:38.849 that attends church on average more than 1 .9 00:22:38.849 --> 00:22:45.710 times a month. Ten years ago, Barna, based on 00:22:45.710 --> 00:22:48.390 research, found that an average churchgoer went 00:22:48.390 --> 00:22:51.809 to church three out of every eight Sundays. That's 00:22:51.809 --> 00:22:55.549 one and a half times a month. The highest average 00:22:55.549 --> 00:23:02.769 is 1 .9. I hope that when I return from sabbatical 00:23:02.769 --> 00:23:06.910 towards the end of the summer, that I don't just 00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:11.230 see your faces, but I see the faces of the other 00:23:11.230 --> 00:23:14.470 people that you drew in, that you reminded that 00:23:14.470 --> 00:23:18.269 there's a family for you. There's a church for 00:23:18.269 --> 00:23:20.789 you where you matter, where you belong, where 00:23:20.789 --> 00:23:23.750 no one is left out. If you're a prodigal, you 00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:26.109 can come home. If you're spiritually homeless, 00:23:26.410 --> 00:23:29.269 you can be adopted. If you don't know where to 00:23:29.269 --> 00:23:35.579 go, you can go here. I hope that I come back 00:23:35.579 --> 00:23:41.200 surprised, not even knowing people. I hope that 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:46.140 I come back and that I have 25 new coffee appointments 00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:48.940 I have to make so that I can meet all the new 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:53.319 people that you all went out and found. Even 00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:55.599 if they're people that you know were already 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:57.420 a part of the church and you just haven't seen 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:02.279 them very often. Because there's something about 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:05.460 us being together. Amen? There's something about 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:07.839 not neglecting the gathering of the believers. 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:11.819 Amen? And there's something about us all together 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:16.980 knowing the voice of the good shepherd and following 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:23.160 the good shepherd together. Amen? Let's pray. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.220 Jesus, we thank you that you are the good shepherd. 00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:39.250 That in all the ways that we are not, that you 00:24:39.250 --> 00:24:43.450 are. That you always lead with kindness. You 00:24:43.450 --> 00:24:49.150 always speak with fairness. You always grab us 00:24:49.150 --> 00:24:51.710 by our back ankle and pull us up out of ditches. 00:24:56.549 --> 00:25:00.910 I pray that we would learn your voice. And that 00:25:00.910 --> 00:25:05.220 we would learn each other's faces. And that we 00:25:05.220 --> 00:25:11.359 would flock together as we follow you as closely 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:14.940 as we can. Coming and going, in and out of the 00:25:14.940 --> 00:25:20.279 pen as needed. But especially in the night, trusting 00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:24.279 that you are in the gate. Laying your life down. 00:25:29.180 --> 00:25:29.640 Amen.