Do you have a shepherd?

Do you have a shepherd? The Bible is full of agricultural images. One of the greatest is the image of sheep and shepherd. We are all like sheep following someone or something. The question is -- Do you have a "good shepherd"?

Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23. Psalm 23:1 begins "The Lord is my shepherd." Jesus picks up on the image of sheep and shepherd in John 10, saying, "I am the good shepherd." (10:11)

You probably have never seen a shepherd up close, but you may have a pretty good idea of a shepherd's job. The shepherd is responsible to take care of the sheep and keep them safe from harm. The shepherd's job is hands-on, 24-7. You can't be a shepherd from a distance; you have to be willing to get involved, and to get your hands dirty. When Jesus compared himself to a shepherd he made a number of interesting comparisons that reveal a lot about our relationship with Jesus. Let's take a look.

1. Jesus points out that sheep listen to the shepherd's voice (10:3-4). I can tell you from working with farm animals, especially horses, that sheep listen to the shepherd's voice because 1) they recognize the shepherd's voice, and 2) they have come to trust the shepherd's voice. The shepherd has spent much time with the sheep to earn this trust.

2. Jesus points out that the shepherd leads the sheep and calls them by name (10:3-4). Most of us have a picture of the shepherd herding the sheep much as cowboys herd cattle on the movie screen. But Judean shepherds would often go out in front and call to the sheep to follow. Real leadership is not manipulation. It is showing someone a better way and call them to step forward.

Jesus personalized the shepherd's role by adding that the shepherd calls the sheep by name. A good shepherd knows his sheep, even by name.

3. Jesus points out that the sheep run from a strange voice (10:5). Not only do the sheep know the shepherd's voice, but they run from a strange voice. Believe it or not animals recognize you or not fairly quickly. They know you by your smell, by your voice, and sometimes by your mannerisms. One of the characteristics of those who follow Jesus is that we are quick to flee other voices. You can't follow multiple shepherds.

A good shepherd not only keeps the sheep safe, he leads the sheep into green pastures, and abundant water. A good shepherd provides life for the sheep. Jesus offers himself to us as the good shepherd. It's up to us to follow his lead and listen to his voice.

I hope you will turn to him as your shepherd. See you Sunday. Tom Ragsdell

Failure and your future

Are your failures holding you back from more out of life?  I've been thinking a lot about failure this week as we get ready for Sunday's message "Embracing the Way of the Cross."  I'm sure many in Jesus' day, saw his crucifixion as the end; as a failure of everything he tried to accomplish in three years of public ministry.  But, Jesus saw his demise as a victory, believing it was the fulfillment of prophesy and obedience to God's plan.  Jesus knew something that other didn't -- God specializes in turning our failures into successes.  The cross of Jesus challenges the way we think about success and failure.

 Do you have any failures, set backs, or short comings that could become a great victory with God's intervention?  I think God specializes in turning our failings into our God-directed futures.  There are two characters that stand out in Jesus drama that knew failure.  Both Peter and Judas failed miserably.  Peter denied Jesus three times and wept bitterly, even though he promised the Lord it would never happen.  Judas also was a failure.  He sold out to the religious authorities for 30 pieces of silver.  After Jesus was arrested, Judas went back to the Temple and returned the money, knowing that Jesus was innocent of all charges.  But it was too late, Jesus would be crucified, and Judas could not forgive himself.  Both Peter and Judas were failures, but each faced a different future.  Why?

We all fail at some level in life.  We fail in our character when we give in to temptation or fail to keep our word.  We fail in our professional lives when we launch a new brand or business only too see our goals unrealized.  What business man can't tell you of the number of times they have tried and failed, only to try again and find success?  Or what successful athlete can't tell you the number of times they failed or fell short only to wind up on the top?  Failure is a part of life.  So how will we handle it?

You can't choose when failure will come calling, because much of life is out of our control.  But you can choose how you will handle it.  As a church planter, I can tell you that most of the time you feel like you are "failing forward", not moving forward.  In two years of working to birth a new church in Columbia, most of my "grand" ideas have met with limited success or utter failure.  And yet, we now gather with 50-70 people in our Sunday gatherings and many of them are enjoying church life for the first time ever (after only 1.5 years of meeting publicly).  So we are moving forward, I'm just not always sure how it happened!

When Peter realized he messed up, he went back to fishing.  No doubt he was sorry and ashamed, but Peter still had the chance at redemption.  Judas was also sorry.  But, Judas couldn't forgive himself and after returning the money, he killed himself.  I wonder what would have happened if Judas would have been standing at the feet of Jesus when Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"?  Would God not have forgave Judas?  For Judas, his failure and unforgiveness stood in the way of his redemption.

Maybe it's better if we just get it out in the open, so it doesn't eat us up on the inside.  We all fail, everyone of us and most of us miserably!  That's why churches exist, because perfect people don't!  Failure is never the final word as long as we are willing to turn to God for help and receive his redemption.  God specializes in "buying us" back from our failures.  How you handle your failures will determine your future.

I'm hoping that you will turn to God with your failure and trust him for a brighter future.  Tom Ragsdell