Today’s Scripture

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

 

            Today is known as “Good Shepherd” Sunday for today’s “Good Shepherd Psalm,” Psalm 23.  In this tenth chapter of John, Jesus lays out how he is our good shepherd and we are his sheep, both as a flock and individually.  Peter reminds us of that relationship as we return to “…the shepherd and overseer of your souls,” [v. 25]. 

 

            Although sheep look somewhat passive in their pens and pastures, we are called to be active sheep.  Many do attend services at Immanuel, rejoicing in the Lord’s Supper as it is Christ’s very body and blood that saves us.  We are a little more active when there is a baptism, marriage or death in a family.  We also appear passive in our lives of faith.  We get pretty complacent as the pastor is here, the services are OK, and once in a while a big thing happens that we all get excited about.

 

            Let’s take a look at that first flock of sheep in Jerusalem shortly after the resurrection, ascension and Pentecost events.  Yes, go ahead and open up your bulletins as we are going to take another look at today’s passage from Acts 2.  Let’s read verse 42.  “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” 

 

            This first group of Christians were active with each other and active living their faith.  The Lord’s Supper was celebrated with an expectant anxiety because Jesus promised he would next drink it anew when they joined him in his father’s kingdom [Matthew 26:29].  There was this anxiety wondering how soon would Jesus come back for all of us?  And they were active in prayer.  From their return to Jerusalem from the ascension we see the disciples and this entire group together in prayer. 

 

            Note that none of the words or content of their prayers are recorded here.  However we have the petitions our Lord has taught us that apply to all moments of a person’s life.  We have the Psalms that reflect so much of a person’s prayers inthem.  Today, active in expecting the return of our Lord, we pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  His kingdom has come as we hear his word and the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts for godly lives on earth and life with him in eternity.  We look forward to the final day when only God’s eternal kingdom prevails.  God’s will is done when he breaks every evil plan and purpose of the devil, world, and our sinful nature…and when he keeps us firm in his Word and faith until we die.[1] 

 

            Verses 46-47, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  The broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

 

            Note that these believers did not wait until Saturday, the Sabbath, to gather together about this thing called faith.  They got together daily.  They were in the temple courts, but they also got together in each others’ homes.  And their number was added to daily.  It seems that neighbors and workmates and friends were seeing what was going on.  When God’s word is active, so is the Holy Spirit bringing others along.  When God’s word is not active, the Holy Spirit does not have that word to work from. 

 

            Today, are we an active church with the word proclaimed daily either here in the pews or in our homes?  Are we an active church praying that the Lord returns with haste and proclaiming his words of promise so that someone else joins in this urgency too?  What is the activity going on in this place? 

 

            I love it here at Immanuel because, each time I visit with any one of you, your faith comes through in some pretty exciting ways.  There is a great amount of faith activity going on here.  So many of you include so much in your daily and personal prayers.  So many of you read “Portals of Prayer” or another devotional regularly.  So many of you concern yourself with the routine things at Immanuel.  The Bible study groups I get to interact with are vibrant with both fellowship and searching the Scriptures as to what they say.  I love it here at Immanuel because so many come to the altar every week to rejoice in the salvation Christ won for you with his own body and blood. 

 

            I love it here at Immanuel because this congregation is on the edge of being an active congregation again as this early church was in Jerusalem.  But that is the limit, we are only “on the edge.”  Individual faiths are strong.  But faith activity is only on the edge to becoming vibrant activity.  And that is why God had Luke record for us today what made the early church a vibrant and active church.  They were in the word in their homes as well as the public temple courts, and their number was added to daily.

 

            We have quite a handful of Bible Study groups that meet both here at Immanuel and in homes.  They are good studies and there is good fellowship going on them.  But again, we are on the edge of being really active as it is a limited number who take part in these studies.  Who outside of your circle and especially outside the circle of Immanuel members knows about these groups?  Who outside of our circle feels the energy of an active bunch of sheep, oops, believers following their shepherd, Jesus?

 

            Let me tell you something about sheep in the pen.  When they are just there and all is hunky-dory, it is pretty calm.  But when something excites even one of them, the entire bunch starts bleating and moving around and you know there is something going on there.  The fences and gates cannot contain them.  When a group of Christians get together and start studying and talking about God’s word together, the Holy Spirit does a little exciting in those groups and in the entire congregation and in the surrounding community as we see in Jerusalem at that time.

 

            It is God’s word first.  Just like in our services, we focus on God’s word to us in the first two-thirds of the service.  That word leads us to prayer which is speaking to God in faith that he has given us his gifts, faith that he has already answered our petitions, and faith that he will lead us to see how he has already answered our prayers.  Then we conclude celebrating the greatest gift, our brother, our friend, our shepherd, our Savior who gives us his holiness to replace our broken sinfulness, and gathers us with him as a faithful shepherd brings his flock together. 

 

            Active.  Here is an exercise for those of you bold enough.  On the back of your information card write one or more of the following as it pertains to you:

• I am active in a small group Bible Study at _______________.
• I would like to be in a small group Bible Study.  Call me.
• I would love to host a small group Bible Study for someone to lead:
• At home
• Here at church
• At ____________ (favorite restaurant for coffee and…)
• I am going to invite ______________ to join with me in a Bible Study group.
• Bah – Humbug – I will pass today.   J

 

            Active:  if you do not receive it, write down your e-mail address to receive the weekly e-messenger.  You will receive a Thursday morning devotion to strengthen your faith and to share with someone you care about.  You will also become a part of one of the larger congregational prayer groups going as we include many prayer concerns.  It is a way of activity in faith that can spread to save another soul.

           

            Active:  come to Saturday’s Fellowship service that is designed as a new church in an old church for us to rejoice in music together, with the Rejoice Singers, to gather together in God’s word for us today, to pray together in faith in our Lord’s responses, and to enjoy each other across tables and over an enjoyable meal, to see our children run around together building their bond in faith with each other, and to bring a friend or twelve with you.

 

            Thank you to all as you share your faith today the solid ways you do.  Thank you to all for being on the edge of being a pretty vibrant group of believers.  Thank you all for your prayers, your concern, and your boldness to step forward in activities that are going to grow the community of saved believers in Christ here in Des Plaines, in Northern Illinois, in our nation and throughout the world.

 

            In Jesus’ undying love.           Amen.