My name's Gregg. I'm one of the pastors here.
If we've never met, I would love to meet you,
get to know you, maybe buy you a coffee, or even
if I've known you for a long time and if we haven't
hung out in a while, just let me know. We'd love
to hang out. In four weeks, just after Easter,
so four Sundays from now is Easter on April 5th.
On April 8th, I will begin a three -month -long
sabbatical, and since day one, we've been saying
here as a part of this church that rest matters.
We want everyone to rest, live, and work in a
great house, and so the pastors of this church
also need to know how to rest. The truth is that
no matter how good a pastor like myself gets
at managing Hours and projects and sermon writing,
no matter how much we delegate and empower others,
there is a responsibility that we carry all the
time. Most pastors, including me, can struggle
even when we're not quote -unquote working to
clear our minds of all of the things that we
have responsibility for or with. And so pastors
need a time away, a time... long enough to legitimately
rest our minds and our hearts from the work we
have been doing. So first thing, sabbaticals
are for rest, but sabbaticals are also an exercise
in trust. I was talking to a pastor from another
church, and he was asking about how long this
battle was going to be. And I said, oh, it'll
be the same as last one. It'll be three months.
And he said, well, first of all, he'd never had
a sabbatical in general by choice. But he said,
I cannot fathom being away from the congregation
for that long. And I said, that's probably why
you need to be. Pastors have to learn that we
are not our congregations. And congregations
need to learn that they are not their leaders.
We have to learn that our identities are individual
and that we are together by choice. Congregations
need to know who they are even if their lead
pastor isn't around or if someday someone else
is that lead pastor. Congregation needs to have
their identity wrapped up in Christ, not in the
people that talk up front all the time. So. Leading
up to that, I was thinking about what we want
to talk about. I think that we've done a decent
job of some of those things that I've said already,
but I also think that a sabbatical is the experiment
that forces us to find out just how good we've
gotten at that. So sabbaticals are for rest,
sabbaticals are for the health of both the pastor
and the congregation, and sabbaticals are for
the future. So the church can continue to grow
and be healthy as God guides them and leads them
and brings them back together. I don't want to
just be needed. I would like to come back and
know that, oh, I was wanted. Hey, welcome back.
And so I thought, oh, what should we talk about
leading up to that? And a lot of times you'll
hear me say, like, oh, I would love to have coffee
with you. I would like to talk about Jesus. And
so I think we're going to spend the next few
weeks talking about Jesus. Obviously, we're a
church, so we already do that. But sometimes
we just have, like, okay, we're going to have
a theme or, you know, control all delight. But
I want to talk about Jesus. Jesus the. Jesus
the. And today. It's going to be Jesus, the good
shepherd. What comes to your mind when you hear
Jesus the? Jesus the? The goat. Greatest of all
time. Healer. What's that? Redeemer. In his 1961
book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A .W. Tozer
wrote, what comes into your mind when we think
about God is the most important thing about us.
Spiritual history will demonstrate that no religion
has ever been greater than its idea of God. For
this reason, the gravest question before the
church is always God himself, what their deep
heart conceives God to be like. When we say Jesus
the, what comes to our mind matters. When we
think of God, what comes to our mind matters
because what comes to our mind is what guides
how we act. We believe comes after Jesus the,
or God is, shapes how we care about each other,
shapes everything in our lives. So let's spend
the next three weeks talking about Jesus. Jesus
the, today's Jesus the Good Shepherd. So let's
open up our Bibles to a passage about... the
shepherd. We're going to be in John, John chapter
10. It goes Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. John has
found what's called the New Testament. And if
you don't have a Bible, you can have one of the
blue ones on the table or just use it today or
download a Bible from any of the digital app
stores. And we have a tradition of giving the
scriptures our full attention while they're being
read in the context of a sermon. You can do that
any way that means the most to you, but if you'd
like to stand with me as you are able, you are
welcome to do that. In John 10, starting in verse
1, it says this, John 10, 1. Very truly I tell
you, Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the
sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other
way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters
by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. opens
the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his
voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. When he has brought out all of his
own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep
follow him because they know his voice. But they
will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will
run away from him because they do not recognize
a stranger's voice. Jesus used this figure of
speech, but the Pharisees did not understand
what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said
again, Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for
the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves
and robbers, but the sheep have not listened
to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through
me will be saved. They will come in and go out
and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy. I have come that they may
have life and have it to the full. I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep. Let us pray. God of every tribe,
every tongue, every color, and every nation,
we thank you for the scriptures that they have
persisted throughout the millennia. We have them
to read, to consider, to learn from. Whatever
you have to teach us today, I pray that it would
stick. Even if it's something that I don't say,
that your spirit brings to... our hearts. Pray
that we would become more like your son, Jesus.
Amen. You can have a seat. Thanks, everyone.
All right, so it is true that sheep will jump
off a cliff if the sheep out in front jump first.
That's true. But believe it or not, it is not
because sheep are dumb. Sheep get a bad rap.
If sheep are jumping off a cliff, they have a
good reason. What do I mean? So Jesus says that
the good shepherd leads out front. The imagery
that he's sharing here is meant to create a contrast
between a good shepherd and a wolf, between a
good shepherd and a slave driver. Because the
good shepherd leads out front, leading the way
to water, leading the way to green pastures,
guiding them away from dangers like cliffs. It's
the thief, it's the wolf that's at the back using
fear to drive sheep to their death. So if sheep
are jumping off cliff, they're probably being
chased by something. My old joke was that when
I'm driving on the road and I see people running,
I'm always like, good for you. Good for you.
Because I'm like, I was like, I think there's
a Bible verse that says, if a man runs with no
one chasing him, he is a fool. Like, I'm just
trying to be scriptural. But if sheep are jumping
off a cliff, there's someone chasing him. They're
not dumb. Sheep can learn the voice of their
shepherd. Jesus didn't say it, that's true. Sheep
learn the voice of the shepherd. They can learn
to ignore every other voice. They can not just
learn the voice, but they learn the face of their
shepherd. Research shows that they can learn
the face of their shepherd and the shepherd's
facial expressions. Not only that, but they can
learn their individual names. And they can learn
the faces and expressions of the other sheep
in their flock. Sheep are not dumb. They just
make bad decisions when they're afraid. I think
my favorite part of this passage is verse 9,
where he says, I am the gate. Whoever enters
through me will be saved. They will come in and
go out and find pasture. It's my favorite because
of the imagery that's hidden in plain sight.
It's something that we wouldn't know because
we live in the West in the 21st century. But
when Jesus says that he is the gate, he doesn't
mean that he's made of wood and he swings on
a hinge, right? He doesn't want us to picture
an actual gate. At the beginning of this passage,
it says that the gate gets opened. And so there's
reason for us to go, oh, yeah, some pens have
actual gates. But it was also common in Eastern
shepherding for a pen to not have a physical
gate. Because when the sheep were home, when
you were close to home, the sheep could come
in and out as they pleased. It's when they were
out in the wilderness, when they were out grazing,
out in other places, that they needed the sheep
to be out in front, leading the way, making sure
that they were safe, but that they were home
at the pen. Come and go. Come in and out. But
at night, the shepherd was the gate. And Eastern
shepherding... The shepherd, there was no gate,
so the shepherd would lay down and sleep in the
gate. So what did Jesus say? The good shepherd
lays down his life. The reason that that's important
is because if the shepherd is asleep over there
somewhere, Let's say this is the pen and the
shepherd's asleep over there somewhere. It's
easy enough for a thief to come and open the
door and pick up a sheep and just walk away with
it. How many times have you walked into your
kitchen and you swear that you closed the refrigerator
door but it's not all the way shut? It's easy
enough for a gate to not get shut perfectly every
single time and for a wolf. To find its way in
and pick off a sheep and drag it off somewhere.
How much more difficult does that sound if an
actual shepherd is sleeping in the gate? Is laying
down in the way. Imagine, you know, like I imagine
the old like black and white, like silent movies,
like the old, like the thief stepping over things
really, really carefully. You know, hey, maybe
you get in. But then imagine carrying a 160 -pound,
200 -pound sheep over a sleeping shepherd in
the gate. Or maybe the wolf jumps over the shepherd
to try to get in. But now imagine that wolf being
able to drag a sheep back out of the pen over
the thing. You may have noticed that wolves probably
have a hard time dragging a sheep up and over
a fence. And as far as I know, sheep have not
developed enough to climb fences effectively.
So it matters that he's laying in the gate because
it adds a sense of safety. The good shepherd
lays down his life between the darkness and their
rest. Lays down his life between the world and
their safety. If you've ever felt like something
was blocking you from going where you wanted
to, remember that the reason that the shepherd
is also sleeping there is so that some restless
sheep doesn't just wander out into the darkness
by themselves. If you've ever had a moment where
you're like, why can't I just go there? Why can't
I get there? Why am I not there yet? Maybe it's
night and you don't know it. Jesus is sleeping.
And the gate is keeping you in a place that's
safe. Waiting for the sun to come up again. When
he can lead you out to pasture. When it's time
for you to come and go as you please. But I'll
take it a step further. Who remembers the parable
of the lost sheep? In Luke 15, Jesus said, suppose
one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one
of them. Doesn't he leave the 99 in the open
country and go after the lost sheep until he
finds it? When he finds it, he joyfully puts
it on his shoulders and goes home. So let me
ask you a question. Who takes responsibility
for the sheep being lost? Say it again. If the
sheep is lost. At least according to this, it
is the shepherd's responsibility to find it.
If you have ever felt lost, and there's plenty
of times I have felt lost, and I'm right there
with you in the idea that we probably played
a part in that. But whose responsibility is it
to find us? The shepherd. The shepherd comes
out to find us. The shepherd comes out to find.
You. Came across this video. You might want to
get your tissues out, okay? Liam, will you play
that video? Just so emotional and moving. Just
save that sheep. Listen, if you end up in a ditch,
the shepherd will take responsibility to find
you and pull you out of the ditch. And if you
jump back into the same ditch, the shepherd will
take responsibility to find you and pull you
out of the ditch. So what do we do with this?
I think that this is why I love what Jennifer
said earlier. You know, let us not neglect the
gathering together. I think the connection with
other Christians matters. I do think that church
attendance matters. Not because you get a gold
star for being at church frequently, but being
together matters. The reality is the reason that
sheep... stick together and end up going off
cliffs sometimes when they're being driven by
fears because they have learned that they need
to be pack animals, that they are safer when
they're together. Because sheep, when they're
out on their own, end up in a ditch. A lot less
likely, if that sheep was a part of the flock
and following the shepherd, a lot less likely
that it's falling into that ditch. But even if
it does, the shepherd will pull. It out. But
I think that connection with other Christians
matters. I think that church attendance does
matter to the life of our faith. I think that
being together matters. And I do not think that
shepherds lead flocks of one. Shepherds go find
single sheep and bring them home. But shepherds
do not lead flocks of one. If the shepherd is
alone with one sheep, it's because that sheep
wandered off. And because the shepherd wants
to bring it back to the flock. Does that make
sense? You are not meant to be alone. We are
not meant to be alone. Because Jesus is a good
shepherd that brought us together. and will continually
find us and try to bring us back. So I'm going
to be gone for three months, starting after Easter.
And one of my jobs of being a pastor is to be
a shepherd of this flock. I am not the good shepherd.
I am one of the shepherds. While I'm gone, Pastor
Jen and Pastor Marissa and all the other team
leaders, they're going to do what they always
do, and they're going to care about you, and
they're going to care about the church. They
will lead with kindness. They will shepherd well.
But let me also commission you, those of you
who are in this room. Because look around. Look
around. Y 'all see some sheep missing, don't
you? There are people that you know and you love.
But you know, okay, this is their home. This
is their church. And you know they're not here
right now. Let me commission you. That there
is a part in the kingdom for you to also shepherd.
To acknowledge, to contact, to say, hey, I'm
missing you. It's not because they're in a ditch.
It may not even be because someone thinks, oh,
I'm good by myself, I don't need community. It
might just be because we're all busy, right?
We all have so many things that come up, so many
things that come along. But let me commission
you to be someone that notices. What did we say?
That sheep don't just learn the voice of their
shepherd and the face of their shepherd. They
learn the faces and expressions of the other
sheep in their flock. Learn the faces and expressions
of the people in your church. Learn the faces
and expressions and the names of the people that
are in your congregation. And be a part. of making
sure they know this is always their home, that
they belong here. Because I'll say this as well.
I was talking to someone the other day. I lead
a pastor cohort. There's nine of us. And I was
just telling one of the guys that's in it, I
was like, I just want you to know, hey, you matter
in this group. Because they were dipping out
sometimes and leaving early. I said, you matter
in this group. They're like, oh, this is... I
don't really feel like this is for me. Like I'm,
you know, I'm happy to be a part of it. But I
go, yeah, but even if you think that, you being
here might be for them. And sometimes we think
like, well, I don't need to go to church. I'm
good. Well, I don't need to go to church very
often. I'm good. Maybe you are. Maybe you're
great. Maybe you're the best that you've ever
been. And you know who needs to know it and see
it? And be encouraged by it, the other people
that are part of your congregation. We don't
all need to come to church because we need something
out of a sermon that day. We need to come to
church and be a part of community because you
might be the sermon someone needs to get something
out of that day. You might be the sheep with
the facial expression that they've just been
waiting to see. You might be the person that
they trust can help pull them out of the ditch
that they feel that they're in. You might be
the reason that they were going to come that
day. Statistics show that there is no age group.
And I'm not talking about age groups in general.
I'm talking about age groups that call themselves
Christians. There is no age group of Christians.
that attends church on average more than 1 .9
times a month. Ten years ago, Barna, based on
research, found that an average churchgoer went
to church three out of every eight Sundays. That's
one and a half times a month. The highest average
is 1 .9. I hope that when I return from sabbatical
towards the end of the summer, that I don't just
see your faces, but I see the faces of the other
people that you drew in, that you reminded that
there's a family for you. There's a church for
you where you matter, where you belong, where
no one is left out. If you're a prodigal, you
can come home. If you're spiritually homeless,
you can be adopted. If you don't know where to
go, you can go here. I hope that I come back
surprised, not even knowing people. I hope that
I come back and that I have 25 new coffee appointments
I have to make so that I can meet all the new
people that you all went out and found. Even
if they're people that you know were already
a part of the church and you just haven't seen
them very often. Because there's something about
us being together. Amen? There's something about
not neglecting the gathering of the believers.
Amen? And there's something about us all together
knowing the voice of the good shepherd and following
the good shepherd together. Amen? Let's pray.
Jesus, we thank you that you are the good shepherd.
That in all the ways that we are not, that you
are. That you always lead with kindness. You
always speak with fairness. You always grab us
by our back ankle and pull us up out of ditches.
I pray that we would learn your voice. And that
we would learn each other's faces. And that we
would flock together as we follow you as closely
as we can. Coming and going, in and out of the
pen as needed. But especially in the night, trusting
that you are in the gate. Laying your life down.
Amen.