Home | Site Map | Contact Us | Feeds

Follow the Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life

            Do you always listen to your GPS?  When you’re driving in a vehicle that has a GPS navigation system, do you always turn when it says to and get off the interstate when ordered?  When you’re in a strange and unfamiliar city, it’s pretty hard to beat a GPS for leading you to your destination.  I’m going to guess, though, that if you use a GPS in an area that you know well, then there’s probably been a time when you second-guessed the GPS and took a local shortcut.  Perhaps, if you have forgotten to update the software package, you have even run into a place where the roads have changed and the GPS is flat-out wrong! 

            As we travel on our journey of life, God gives us all the guidance we need.  Best of all, the guide God provides never needs to be updated or second-guessed.  Today’s Scripture readings describe our guide as the Good Shepherd.  The writer to the Hebrews prays that God would lead us to Follow the Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life, and he gives us confidence by reminding us that Jesus is a guide worth following, because he guides you, prepares you, and empowers you for your travels. 

He Guides You

            Two years ago, I had the chance to travel to the Holy Land on a study tour.  As you might imagine, the modern nation of Israel has a ton of security concerns because of the political climate in the Middle East.  I remember the day we went to Bethlehem.  It’s in Palestinian territory, so our guide wasn’t allowed to accompany us because he was Jewish.  There’s a check-point to get back into Jerusalem after our tour of Bethlehem, and for whatever reason, our group was tied up for several hours.  We had to go through machines that could detect explosives, we were interviewed by fierce-looking guards; it was a real mess.  But then, suddenly, our whole group was allowed through the gate with just a cursory passport check.  What had happened?  Our guide showed up on the other side of the gate, showed his identification, called someone at the embassy, and just like that, we were back in Israeli territory. 

            Our journey of life presents us with a similar dilemma as we travel towards the gates of heaven.  When you get to the gate of heaven, you don’t have to go through a metal detector, but something far tougher: You have to pass under the soul-piercing gaze of a God who knows even the thoughts and desires of your heart.  This is the same God who says: “The soul who sins [even once] is the one who will die.”  And God’s serious about that command—he even created a terrible place called hell to punish everyone who sins. 

            The original readers of Hebrews realized they needed a guide.  For years, they’d been following Moses as they carefully practiced Judaism and followed the Old Testament laws.  Somewhere along the way, they had heard the good news about Jesus.  The Holy Spirit had worked faith in their hearts, and now they were following their Good Shepherd.  But following Jesus brought with it an entirely new set of problems.  Christianity was considered an illegal religion at this time in the Roman Empire.  Christians were persecuted.  Their lives were socially miserable, and some of these Hebrew Christians were contemplating a return to Judaism to escape persecution.  They could bring their sacrifices to the temple and mark a few other religious tasks off the spiritual checklist, and then they could feel good about themselves spiritually for the day.    

            It’s easy for us to deceive ourselves in a similar way.  You might have even fooled yourself already if you’ve allowed yourself to think that you’ll be OK at the gate to heaven simply because you’ve been confirmed in the right church and you attend from time to time and you even tack on a Bible class or Sunday school session to boot.  You check a few tasks off your religious checklist, and you feel good about yourself spiritually for the day.  But God sees right through that façade of goodness and hates the evil complacency and laziness that lurks within.  If you approach the gate of heaven and point to the spiritual activities you’ve done, then you are traveling alone, without a guide, and you’re not going to get in.    

            But the writer to the Hebrews prays that we will see the folly of traveling alone.  Jesus is the only way to heaven.  That’s why in an earlier portion of Hebrews, the holy writer penned these words: “Christ did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption!”  The old religion of repeated animal sacrifice was no longer needed.  That blood—shed on the cross—is the ticket the Hebrews needed, and the ticket we need to pass through the gate guarded by God.  That blood washes us clean from the stains of sin from the biggest of atrocities to the smallest bits of self-reliance. 

            Would you like to be certain that the blood our Good Shepherd shed on the cross is a valid ticket before God?  Well, consider then how the writer to the Hebrews opens his prayer—today’s sermon text: “The God of peace…through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep.”  God brought Jesus, the Good Shepherd, back from the dead through the blood of the new covenant!  What does that mean for you?  It means a new covenant has been signed between a holy God and sinful people.  Jesus signed his side—our side, really—in blood at the cross, and God put his stamp of approval on it by raising Jesus from the dead!  Jesus has the ticket that guides you through the gates of heaven.   Easter morning proves it.  You can Follow Your Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life with confidence because he guides you through the gate of heaven.     

He Prepares You

            Showing that ticket at the gate, however, is really the end of the story.  The writer to the Hebrews encourages us as we travel, too.  You might think of it like a camping trip.  If you wanted to strike it out through the wilderness by yourself, you might be in for a nasty surprise if you bring only the clothes on your back.  How are you going to stay warm and dry if you didn’t bring a tent?  How will you cross the river without a canoe or raft?  How will you build a fire and cook food without matches?  No one sets out on a trip without packing the necessary equipment. 

            The same thing is true on the spiritual journey.  We need equipment.  What equipment could possibly prepare the Hebrews to follow Jesus when the pressure of the world pushed them back towards Judaism?  What equipment could possibly prepare you for the challenge of the death of a child, the loss of a friend, or the loneliness of modern society?  The writer to the Hebrews continued his prayer for Christians: “May the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will.”  What are these good things?  Well, let’s start with the word translated as “equip.” It comes from a fisherman’s world and describes the process of mending torn nets to prepare them for use in fishing.  When our Good Shepherd prepares us to do his will, he’s talking about mending the holes that sin has torn in our hearts with forgiveness and mercy, creating in you a new Christian spirit that desires to follow the Good Shepherd and serve God.  But he doesn’t stop there—he also packs your tools.  He gives you his Word.  You have the commands that show you how to live a life of thanksgiving to God, but more importantly, there you are equipped with God’s gracious promises rooted in the unshakable truth of sins forgiven.  Promises like these: “The blood of Christ…cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”  “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  “No one can snatch [my sheep] out of my hand!”  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  I bet if I gave you a minute or two you could come up with quite a few more on your own.  The point is this: Our Good Shepherd doesn’t invite people to follow him because they are such gifted people and so well equipped to handle the challenges of life.  The Good Shepherd calls poor, weak sinners like you and me to follow him, he forgives our sins, he creates a new spirit in our hearts, and he equips us for life.  So take him up on his gracious invitation: Follow the Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life.  Do it confidently, because as he guides youto the gates of heaven,he prepares youwith forgiveness and his promises—everything you need to finish the journey.    

He Empowers You

            You know, having the right equipment still isn’t a guarantee that everything will always be easy.  If you’ve ever had the opportunity to hike up a mountain, you probably know what I’m talking about.  Just because you have the right shoes and plenty of rope and a proper harness and chalk for your hands to give you a better grip and a pack full of supplies and food, climbing a mountain is still not easy.  Your arms still get tired.  Your fingers still start to slip.  Loose rocks still make for treacherous footing.  Your pack is still heavy.  Sometimes it’s just plain miserable, hard work.  But then you get to the top, and you come out from behind the trees, and you can see for miles, and suddenly all that hard toil was worth it. 

            That’s the kind of life the Hebrew Christians were approaching as they followed the Good Shepherd to the glorious gift of heaven.  They realized that their Good Shepherd was leading them on a path that had its fair share of challenges and obstacles.  The Hebrew Christians felt it, too, as they faced the challenges of physical persecution and intense social pressure to change religions.  I’m sure there were days when they felt the pressures of temptation.  I’m sure there were days when they didn’t give as clear a witness to Jesus as they ought and went to bed in the evening with hearts filled with regret.  I’m sure there were times when they were so overwhelmed by the struggle that they contemplated giving up.  Maybe you’ve experienced similar challenges in your life as a Christian.  Have you ever been deserted by a friend or loved one for spiritual reasons?  Have you ever tried to share your faith with a co-worker only to be met with mocking rebuke?  Have you ever struggled again and again with the same temptation that you just can’t seem to keep from falling into?  Have you ever lain awake at night with a heart filled with regret over the sins and mistakes of the past day?  Have you ever wondered if you should just throw in the towel and give it all up? 

            If your answer to any of those questions was yes, or even maybe, then the writer to the Hebrews is writing his prayer for you: “May [God] work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”  Did you hear that?  God works in us what is pleasing to him!  When Jesus invites us to follow, he doesn’t just give you a Bible and then shout, “OK now, go now, follow me and don’t get lost,” as he runs off.  He walks beside you.  He shares in your loneliness.  When you wander off the path, he shepherds you back.  He forgives you when you fall.  And when the going gets tough, he empowers you to follow him with a life of thanksgiving and service. 

            Look around the room today—you can see God working to empower hundreds of people.  God worked in your heart the desire to serve him by attending church this morning.  God empowers you with the desire to resist the devil’s temptations.  God empowers you to make the sacrifice and set aside part of your income for his work.  God empowers you when you volunteer your time and energy in ministry here at Grace Lutheran Church.  God empowers you to live your whole life as a living sacrifice, whether it’s doing your best at work, taking care of your family, making sure your children are spiritually trained, or just being content with the situation in life God has placed you in.  You aren’t working alone—you are powered by the almighty God!  Follow the Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life.  Rejoice on that journey with the writer to the Hebrews, because this is all possible only through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  Rejoice as you follow your Good Shepherd on the journey of life.  He guides you through the gates of heaven.  He prepares you for the journey, and when it gets tough, he empowers you to keep on doing God’s will. 

            When you leave today and continue to Follow the Good Shepherd on the Journey of Life, you can go joyfully because you have nothing to fear, and everything to look forward to.  You aren’t traveling alone.  You’re following the Good Shepherd, the Risen Savior, the Almighty God—the one who not only saves you, but gently shepherds you along the path to salvation.  An anonymous poet summarizes it nicely when he writes: “The will of God can never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”  Follow your risen and living Good Shepherd on the journey of life.  Amen. 

Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on May 15, 2011

Services

Sundays 7:45, 9:00 & 10:30 am

Mondays 6:30 pm

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church | 1209 North Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 271-3006

Home | Site Map | Contact Us | Feeds