19th Sunday of Pentecost
Good Shepherd Sunday
Fr. Phil Eberhart
I AM ... Your... Good Shepherd
Today we're doing several things here at Rez...
We're baptizing Caitlin... and we welcome the Early Clan to Rez for this service and celebration, as well as those joining us through Zoom.
This is also the first Sunday of our fall covenant or stewardship series, aptly named WHEN THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. Our study guide for the journey, by the same name is available through our Amazon Smile account. I encourage you to get the book and read it this month as we're preparing for our All Saints Sunday Covenant renewal.
Today, I've titled my message
I AM... YOUR... GOOD SHEPHERD.
Jesus claimed the title, in fact both titles in that title! He is both The Great I AM and He is Your Good Shepherd! Repeatedly throughout the Gospels we hear Him talk about his I Am statements
I Am the light of the world...
I am the living bread from heaven...
The bread of life!
I am The Door...
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life..
I am the RESURRECTION and the life
And, I am the Good Shepherd!
And today I want to personalize it a bit more...
I AM YOUR Good Shepherd!
We often need reminding that that relationship is ours for the asking. The image of the Good Shepherd isn't an image of a far off 'presence'...
What I call the Bette Midler god ... watching from somewhere out there!
While there's comfort at times knowing that we are never outside God's watch care, more often we need The Good Shepherd, who is with us, day and night, the leader and guide, the doorway, the protector from the beasts that ravage the flock. The One whose voice we hear and recognize and follow.
Jesus took all this on himself in the description in John 10. He does a deep dive into the role of the shepherd that he plays in our life..
He is our protector, the gate or doorway through which we enter the sheepfold... an image for the Kingdom of God. There is no other legitimate way in!
Once in, we come to recognize the voice of our shepherd and it's that recognition that enables the rest. We're enabled to follow, by that recognition. We're secure in that recognition and can go where he (the Good Shepherd) leads us on the outside, in safety and security. It's about always hearing and heeding His Voice!.
He is our provider. The Good shepherd provides safe pasture for his flock.
Jesus takes cues from his ancestor King David the shepherd psalmist.
The Lord is my shepherd... it's personal. It's individual and it's corporate... it's both I and it's US.
But I want to dip in for a minute to the psalm and a particular phrase of promise... I Shall Not WANT. It's a Hebrew word that is used interestingly in the OT, about 26 times.
Of the receding waters after the floods of Noah's day... Gen 8
Of the diminishing numbers in Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gommorah... for the lack of 5?
Gen 18
In Ex 16, of the equity of God's provision in the harvest.
In Deut 2, of the Lord's miraculous provision during the 40 years in the wilderness.
In 1 Kings 17, of the unending supply of flower and oil in the widow's vessels, foretold by Elijah.
And many times in the Wisdom literature of psalms, ecclesiastes and song of songs as well as the major prophets of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Over and over 26 times this same word is used to describe God's faithful provision for his people and his land. I SHALL NOT WANT. There is no Recession in the Kingdom of Heaven!
And my friends, it's personal. It's personal provision - not always prosperity or riches, but equity as we share life and resources together in the Body of Christ, the Kingdom of God!
Let's pray this morning for this reality to set in. To become part of our lives individually and part of our life together. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD... I SHALL NOT WANT.
Oh God of Creation, You are the one who both watches over us and dwells among us. You are OUR Good Shepherd, and you are the Great I AM. Open our eyes to see and hear you from day to day, leading and speaking so we can follow. Open our hands to receive all that you want to so generously give us, both spiritually and physically, for our life and godliness in your Kingdom. Apart from you we can
Do nothing, but in you we can say truly... THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I SHALL NOT WANT.
in Jesus name. Amen.
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