Voice of Truth
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Click here to download the sermon manuscript.
Sermon Notes
Just before the 4 minute mark, there is an invitation to listen to the chorus of the song Voice of Truth, You can listen to the whole song here, on YouTube.
Scripture
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Read more…
John 10:22 – 30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
If someone calls you a sheep these days, it’s an insult. The Urban Dictionary defines sheep as those who “mindlessly follow and emulate anything and everything… A waste of flesh and brain cells.”[1] Similarly, sheeple is a relatively new word that was coined to reference groups of people (sheep) who mindlessly behave based on whatever happens to be trending at the moment.
On Sunday, we’re going to be reading Psalm 23, which begins: The Lord is my shepherd. We’re also going to be reading from John 10, in which Jesus refers to his disciples as sheep. I would guess that most people who are familiar with the Bible and with these passages of Scripture in particular, probably don’t hear an insult in the imagery of sheep and shepherd. Instead, we probably hear something incredibly comforting. It’s with good reason that Psalm 23 is a favourite for funerals and memorial services. The metaphor of Jesus as our shepherd offers a sense of care and protection. All through John 10, Jesus is portrayed as the shepherd who guards and protects the sheep, fights for them, knows them by name, and leads them to good places. Rather than being mindless and stupid, the sheep are wise and discerning, knowing the shepherd’s voice and following only him, trusting him because he is trustworthy.
One of the reasons practicing the Spiritual Disciplines is important, is because through them we get to know God (who is Father, Son/Jesus, and Holy Spirit) better. And as we get to know him better, we become increasingly familiar with his voice and therefore increasingly capable of following his lead. And as we follow his lead, we become part of his great work of salvation in the world; we become part of his work establishing his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; we become part of his work offering a foretaste of a world in which suffering and death have been defeated. This is what it means to be a Christian – to be a sheep of the Great Shepherd, Jesus.
As you prepare for Sunday, perhaps spend some time considering what it means to you to be one of Jesus’ sheep. Do you hear it as a positive thing? or is it something you’re embarrassed about? How does the idea of mindlessly following resonate with your experience of being a Christian? If someone who is not one of Jesus’ followers were to call you a sheep, how would you respond? How might you clarify what it means for Jesus to call us his sheep and for him to be our shepherd?
[1] https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sheep