Being Faithful Not Cheesy



 Gate Pa – 4th Sunday in Easter (21 April 2013)
Readings:
First Reading:                         Acts 9:36-43     
Psalm:                         23
Epistle:                        Rev 7:9-17 
Gospel:                        John 10:22-30 

What I want to say:
What would it mean for us to be faithful?
            commonly thought – allow people feel good (warm fuzzy)
            attract people to join us – God’s people
use John 10 and Good Shepherd image to critique
-          not cheesy but hard
-          not just interested in us but everyone (all are God’s people)
-          those who hear “his voice” are ones blessed to carry on that work.
explore being faithful which means knowing Jesus voice and listening
*      how do we do that

What I want to happen:
I want people to continue to embrace a bigger understanding of what it means to be the people of God
People to spend more time knowing “his” voice, and listening

The Sermon

1.      Introduction:

*      ask – what good shepherd image means for them?
often described as Jesus looking after his flock (us – those hear his voice)
            brings comfort to us – preachers talk about shepherd stroking backs with staff as shepherds at that time did
                        so psalm 23 is one great hymns funerals because of that image of comfort – which hope continue to be.
couple of problems with this
easily become really sentimental, cheesy (buddy Christ)
            Jesus becomes this lovely soft nice guy like cuddle into
            super nice to most people
            deep penetrating eyes
make us feel warm and fuzzy
churches too easily slip into selling this Christ so that people will join us
            point church becomes getting more people to join church, particularly our church
            do that so that people experience God’s goodness
wonder how that cheesy image stack up against reality then or now?

2.      Shepherds then and now

image shepherd common one
                        sight shepherds common
                        these guys not soft cuddly
                        warm fuzzy people
            shepherds today in this country – hard but good blokes
                        Jesus time – hard blokes as well
                                    slept out with flocks
                                    fought thieves and predators
                        to do that needed to be reasonably tough
                        nothing soft cheesy about these guys
good shepherd protect flock from harm from outsider                    
                                    predators
                                    thieves
if you are sheep you stick with that shepherd because if you stray there is good chance die
            eaten by thieves
            eaten by predators
so no matter how good bad shepherd is, life is found only with them.
image or metaphor commonly applied to kings/rulers
                                    God
            like shepherds in fields
kings and rulers – protected people from outsiders
            invading armies
            thieves
            etc…
like shepherds in fields pay back
                                    sheep bred wool and meat
                                                sacrifice at altar
            kings protected people for what they provided him
taxes
                        food grew
                        loyalty
                        any that stopped – people trouble.
            like sheep in field no matter how bad king ws – mostly stuck with them (not that lot choice, again like sheep in field) because life without that protection often short.
            Paula reminded us in her article when applied to God
                        that we are sheep
                        dwell on that too long can be problematic
            Jesus/God not so cute and cuddly
                        not so cheesy
Writer from Revelation subverts the whole shepherd sheep thing and makes Jesus the Lamb,
            lamb that was slain
in this extraordinary scene from eastern courts  
            normally centred on king/emperor
centre this scene is sacrificial lamb –
            not more powerful
            more vulnerable
shepherd becomes the one who gives all away to be the shepherd
seen that this is often how things workd, especially in gospels
            Jesus takes common image or metaphore
                        and subverts it
raises a question for me
as I think about Jesus good shepherd
            how is that being used by John
            how is this being used in subversive way?
                        wonder how that changes our attitude to good shepherd

3.      Being in the flock

another problem with cheesy image is that normally understand that need to part of flock enjoy protection of shepherd – however we understand that
so we put a lot of time into attracting people to be part of our flock
that becomes purpose of church
to grow
seems to be exactly what Jesus is saying in todays gospel reading
some hear Jesus voice
some don’t
those who do are in and those don’t are out
not sure this is about who is and who out
not theme fits with rest gospels
suspect more going on here

4.      Todays gospel reading

when Jesus is confronted by Judean elite – want plain answer
            Jesus does what Jesus seems to do really well
                        slides out from under them
The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish”
or Message
You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life.
only boundary around belonging is hearing
to belong means you hear shepherds voice
To not belong means that you do not hear the shepherd’s voice
hearing is all important
So how do we hear God?
*      ask
I’ve talked a lot about being missional –
            joining with crucified and risen Christ in God’s mission
                        just to be clear
                                    not about getting people to join this church
                                    helping bring God’s mercy, peace, goodness, love into this world   
            also talked about incarnational living
                        being so shaped by gospels that how we live points to Jesus
John, I think is this reading is clear that for any of that to happen we fist of all have to hear
that kind of hearing comes out of deep prayer life
look example of any saints always have this two pronged thing going on
            a lot of time in prayer
            living  eternal life now, and joining in God’s work of redeeming, recreating, resurrecting this world, bringing it from death to life
hearing means having our imagination shaped by biblical story
            especially story of Jesus in gospels
                        subversive story
            not story moral judgement some tried to use it over last few weeks
            story turns so much religious thinking on its head
                        invites us to rethink our lives
                                    our priorities

5.      Psalm 23

so what might it look life if imagination and lives shaped by biblical sotry
            hear and follow real good shepherd
Psalm 23 gives clues
            same clues found prayer Jesus left us.
“The Lord ' is my ' shepherd:
therefore ' can I ' lack ' nothing.
or
“Give us today our daily bread”
assurance God’s geneoristy and goodness
flip side to this
God gives us everything we need, and enough of everything
raises a really big question
all those things we might want
all those things we think need
if we don’t have them
do we need them
Walter Brugemmann puts it this way
[Therefore can I lack nothing]. I shall not have any other yearnings or desires that fall outside the gifts of God. What God gives will be enough for me. This is a statement of enormous confidence in the generosity of God, the one who knows what we need and gives well beyond all that we ask or think. But notice at the same time that this phrase, “I shall not want,” is a decision made against the greed and lust and satiation and aggressive ambition of a consumer society Our consumer society is driven by the notion that we always must want one more thing, and we are entitled to it, and we will have it no matter what ....”
To truly have Christ as our good shepherd is not about joining in group who kept safe and comforted by cheesy Jesus
to follow Christ good shepherd means
            take time hear voice of shepherd
                        know it
                        follow it
                        to have our imagination and world view shaped by it
call into question every want and desire
be ready for gentle poke that pushes out of this safe place
into world in which Christ good shepherd is at work
bringing hope, life, peace, love
redeeming, recreating, resurrecting this world, bringing it from death to life
knowing that our true needs are found in joining this work
and in nothing else.
so what do you say to Christ the good shepherd this morning?

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