One True Shepard

Sometime between March and April 1960

(There is no date or title for this sermon. I found several sermons untitled and not dated. My plan is to publish them in the order they were found)

Todays date is Sunday, April 24, 2022

One late afternoon a lone sheep was pausing on a great hill. He had become separated from his flock; and as he looked off into the distance, he says many flocks in the valleys below. But this sheep was confused, for he knew that he belonged in only one flock whose master was the good shepherd. And he knew the masters of the other flocks were hirelings, hire lings that would desert the sheep in a moment of crisis. And as the night shadows drew near, this sheep became frantic for he knew the dangers of the night, and he felt that the wolf was near. Finally in a moment of sudden desperation, the sheep ran off toward the nearest flock, hoping that there he might find rest and security for the night.

In many ways the situation of this lone sheep may be similar to that which we face as men. For as we journey through life, we often stand on hills of decision and are confronted by many things which demand our attention, and which may prove to be hirelings to our souls, hirelings which will desert us in the time of great need. But the difference between us and this lone sheep may be that we feel there is no great hurry for us to make our decisions, for we may not feel the wolf, or in other words the devil himself, is going to be able to suddenly snatch us away into eternity. For as we analyze life, we note that very few people, percentage wise, suddenly die in the flower of youth, or in a violent automobile accident or something of that type, And because we may not feel that the final hour is just around the corner for us, we may rely on time to make the great decisions regarding our soul’s destiny. The result of all this is that the battle for our soul's destiny becomes a long and somewhat sophisticated battle in which we constantly find ourselves occupied by the many hirelings which life may offer. . And we are occupied by these hirelings we are often tempted to say, "Someday I will be a Christian," or "Someday I will really lead the Christian life as God wants me to," or "Someday I will get rid of this annoying sin." The hirelings of life, and the somedays which we regard us our friends. and as our great allies in reality become the chief weapon of the enemy of our souls, the Devil himself.

Let us analyze how this situation may affect what may be a somewhat average American family, Mr. and Mrs. Olson. In the early years of marriage, the need to acquire a home becomes supreme, and Mr. and Mrs. Olson buy a nice three-bedroom rambler in the suburbs. It has white siding, green shutters, a fireplace, picture window, and a beautiful yard. all that a young family can ask for. house requires time and energy, it is but this There is the barbeque pit to be built in the backyard, and the amusement room which is going in the basement, and that paint job and a host of other things. And as Mr. and Mrs. Olson are caught up in this exciting task of dream house Americana there may never seem to be enough time to establish family devotions, and church may be pushed aside at times because of work to be done on the house. A very subtle thing can be happening here, for without realizing it, this family may be allowing the task of homebuilding to become a hireling for the soul, and time may not be allowed for the things of God. And even as the years past, new things are found which must be accomplished, and middle and old age come and yet to Mr. and Mrs. Olson the continual refrain may be that someday we will take time to follow the true shepherd, someday we will cast off this hireling of homemaking and take time for the things of God, and the somedays come and go.

Or let us take a look at another situation which may confront us as men. Let us look at the case of Jim Jones, who can be any of us as he works in an office, a machine shop, a trucking dock. or some other place. Jim has to rub elbows with men all day long, and there is the inevitable cussing, sweating, and demand to get more work out. Each man is on his own, and each man has to produce. and don't let anybody forget it. Its dog eat dog, it’s sove boy, get your seniority, and tough bounce to the man that can't make it. This is a man's world. But the danger to the soul of men here, possibly isn't so much the job and the rise for position as it is men. To step out and live as a Christian might not mean that the boys will all say, "Boy that Jim sure is a crackpot." No, the men may rather respect Jim and his convictions. But after work when the bottle is pulled out and the boys give each other that knowing look, Jim just won't be included. This stuff is a little powerful for Jim. He had better run along home; and when the jokes are told and the big brave men have their fun, Jim abides in his loneliness. and of course, Jim wouldn't fit in with that weekend fishing party. And Jim feels doubt and insecurity, for isn't life. belonging, social adjustment and that sort of thing? Isn't that what the psychology books and the personality adjustment books say? So often in order to belong, to be a big brave man that can take it with the rest of the boys, we who are the Jim's of life are tempted to compromise in order that we may belong. And as we do, we gain another hireling, the hireling of belonging. And again, we may feel that there is plenty of time to someday follow the true shepherd, to someday enter the true fold, to someday forget about belonging and live life as God wants it lived. Again, the devil may have blinded our eyes by hirelings and our reliance on somedays to follow God.

And dedicated and even as sincere Christians we may find these same influences at work within our lives. For as we really attempt to follow God by the strength that he gives, we find that conformity may be oppressing us. For as we give a coat to a man that has none, or as we give a drink of water to the thirsty, or as we do without a fashionable rug or an expensive car, or anything else, we find that people may somehow not approve. For people don't understand our sacrificing some of our material luxuries that we might give more to the neighborhood settlement house that delinquency might be combatted, or that a new gym might be built behind the church that youth can be reached for Christ. No, people might not understand such discipleship, and as a result we may find that we are left out of the fashionable parties, and we may find that people won't be able to come into our house and say, "Oh what a beautiful sofa set!" or "Oh what lovely silverware! “As a result, We may feel left out of the finer things of life, and we may feel the pangs of the desire to conform. We may feel the tug of the strong hireling of conformity. And we will be tempted to conform at times, and often we will be caught up in the process of relying on someday to cast off some of these hirelings of conformity.

I have here mentioned three hirelings which can dominate our lives, homemaking, belonging, and conformity; and I am sure that each of us can mention many more. I am also sure that each of us find ourselves caught up in the subtle process of relying on time to someday cast off these hirelings, to someday accept Christ, to someday live the Christian life as God wants, although we know that we will always fall far short. But even as we are caught up in this reliance on someday and this preoccupation with the hirelings of this world, we feel an undefinable ache in our souls, for we constantly hear the words, "I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." And as we contemplate what this good shepherd has done for us, when we contemplate the cross, we are filled with shame and remorse. Because of His sacrificed we realize that the hirelings of this life are but tinsel and straw in comparison to the true life that the Good Shepherd has to offer. And we realize that our somedays are feeble excuses which will soon pass, for we know that unless we make our decisions today, we may never make them; for procrastination can become such an ironbound habit that it may make it almost impossible for us to change.

The story is told of a people in a certain city who were afflicted in a strange way. Because of the climate or some other condition these people were nearly blind, physically and mentally, and they saw everything in a distorted way. They thought they were rich, while they were poor. They supposed themselves to be well dressed while in reality rags were all that they owned. And it seemed that the silliest little things delighted them greatly. As a result of all this these people supposed themselves to be very superior and in need of nothing. One day a stranger appeared at the gates of their city, and he knocked long and hard. Finally, they let him in, and he persuaded them to take a special salve that he had for their eyes. Immediately they were cured, and as the scales fell off their eyes, they were filled with shame and remorse for they saw their true condition. But this stranger cheered them up by soft words, and he gave them some beautiful white garments. Their hearts were soon filled with joy and peace for they now knew what true life really meant.

Is not this the case with us also when we cast off these hirelings of life, and put God first in our lives? When we live and walk in the true fold which the Shepherd of our souls Jesus Christ has prepared for us. Do we not. then feel the truth of the words "My peace I give unto you. We may not be able to explain why this peace is so great, but we know with all our hearts that it passeth all understanding, and we know that next to the peace and comfort those things what we allow to be that God offers, the hirelings of this world are but filthy rags. God brings each of us into this world singly and alone, and alone we must someday answer for how we have passed this life. And alone we must also decide in this life whether we are going to hearken to and follow Christ. The reliance on tomorrow to make our decisions is very dangerous as I have stated before, for somehow, we never seem to break away from tomorrows and each of us knows that today is the day for us to let the true Shepherd save and guide our lives. We know that today we must accept and follow Christ before we stray so far from the true fold that we no longer hear nor recognize the call of the True Shepherd.

And even as we do accept and follow the True Shepherd, we often feel the scorn of men, and we may weep, for we are human; and we feel the strong tug to belong, and we may again weep, for we are human; and we often feel the desire for worldly success, and we again weep, for we are human. But even as we do meet the struggles and temptations of the Christian life, we always feel the strong, nail pierced hands of the True Shepherd in ours, and as we look back at the hirelings of this life, we know we would not change our place for anything in this world. For as we walk and live as Christians, we know we have found the truth, the pearl of great price, the peace that pas es all understanding, and we know the truth of the words: "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me. " We know that we are in the one true flock with the one True Shepherd.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.