I have received this command - 4/25/21

 Call to worship:

L: O come, let us worship the Good Shepherd, for we are the sheep of his fold.

P: He gives us food from green pastures, he gives us water from pure fountains.

L: He plants our feet on safe paths, he leads us through the dark valleys. 

P: He protects us with his rod, he supports us with his staff.

L: He grants us asylum from our enemies, he offers us refuge with the righteous.

A: O come, let us worship the Good Shepherd, for we are the sheep of his fold.

Opening Hymn:   He Leadeth Me: O Blessed Thought   #128

1. He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
by his own hand he leadeth me;
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

2. Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
by waters still, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis his hand that leadeth me. [Refrain]

3. Lord, I would place my hand in thine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me. [Refrain]

4. And when my task on earth is done,
when by thy grace the victory's won,
e'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me. [Refrain]

Opening Prayer:

O God, when we claim wonders for you in the name of Jesus Christ, let us not forget that this stone - the head of the corner - is the same stone the builders rejected; that this Jesus - the manifestation of your glory - is the same Jesus who revealed the depths of human shame. Let us remember that we declare our faith, not by saying that Jesus was like you, but by saying that you are like Jesus. Set our minds on the glory of your presence, not in heaven or on earth, but in Jesus Christ our crucified Lord and Savior.

Epistle Reading:  1 John 3: 16-24

¹⁶ We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷ How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

¹⁸ Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹ And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; ²² and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

²³ And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴ All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

Hymn:  The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want   #136

1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.

2 My soul he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e'en for his own name’s sake.

3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear no ill;
for thou art with me, and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.

4 My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.

5 Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God’s house forevermore
my dwelling place shall be.

Prayer of Dedication:

O God, our Creator, when we consider humanity, we marvel at our endless variety. You have measured us with different yardsticks; some of us are small, others large. You have painted us with different brush strokes; we belong to diverse races. You have endowed us with different talents; some work with our hands, others with our minds. You have crowned us with glory and honor; you have put within our reach a marvelous harmony of sight and sound and sense. You have so made us that, apart from such harmony, we cannot experience the abundant life that you intend; that, if we would live the abundant life, we must acknowledge our dependence on one another and on you. To realize your purpose for us, we must also learn to care for one another that, when one of us suffers, we all suffer, and that when one of us rejoices, we all rejoice.  Amen.

Gospel Reading:   John 10: 11-18

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Sermon Title:    I have received this command...

Orders from headquarters! We know that when we get a command from a boss or a parent or an official, we are to comply as quickly as we can to get the job done. And if we refuse to do the task that has been asked of us, we will more than likely not be working there for very much longer.

As we read the passage from John this morning, I am envisioning an episode of “Undercover Boss.” At first, Jesus is telling us that he is the boss and that his subordinates answer to him (listen to his voice). He is the Good Shepherd who watches, cares for and lays down his life for his sheep. We are the sheep; we are to listen, and then act, when we hear him speak to us; when he gives us a command. We are to follow his commands, because he loves us. He is invested in us; unlike the hired hand who has been hired to do a job and does not care like the Shepherd does. No one has our best interest at heart or loves us the way that Jesus does.

And Jesus goes on to say that he is not just a caregiver, making sure that the “sheep” have enough to eat and drink, but that he is also our protector. He will not run away from danger, but will face it head on to ensure that we are safe from all harms.

Jesus then adds that he has other sheep that do not belong to this flock, but instead of going away to care for them instead of us; he is bringing them here to join us. To join us. He does not love one more than the other, but loves them equally. He loves all of us equally. In fact there is no us or them; Jesus loves all of his creations equally.

There once was a little boy who was found to be riding his tricycle as fast as he could around the block, over and over and over. Finally, a policeman who had been watching the boy decided to go and talk with him. The kind officer asked the young one what he was doing, to which the boy answered, “I’m running away!” With a look of confusion, the policeman asked him why he just kept circling the block.

“Because,” the boy answered, “my Mom told me that I wasn’t allowed to cross the street.”

Have you ever questioned God’s commands? I know I have. I mean, certainly, he didn’t expect me to be nice to everyone; to love all my neighbors. There’s no way he thinks I’m actually going to obey all the rules all the time. And honestly, there’s just no way that he expects me to trust him all the time.

Well, yes, he does, and furthermore, because I do my best to follow all the rules he has set before me, I am able to do so much more because I am not endangering my faith by endangering my life. Just like the little boy, he may have been angry with his mother about some rule or something, but he also knew that it was important to follow the rules, especially mom’s rules.

Jesus is telling us that he follows the commands of His Father because he understands that they are meant for good. Even following them into Golgatha where he was hung on a cross to die...because he also knew that he would rise again three days later and would have absolved all the sins of the people and reconciled us with His Father...our Father.

Jesus has the power to save us and he used this power to do exactly that because he received the command from His Father.

We have power too, when we follow the commands of the Father and we live to serve Jesus Christ by endeavoring to save the world and all of the peoples in it.

Amen.

Closing Hymn:  Savior, Like a Shepherd, Lead Us  #381

1. Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care; in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.

2. We are thine, thou dost befriend us, be the guardian of our way; keep thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

3. Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be; thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to thee. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to thee.

4. Early let us seek thy favor, early let us do thy will; blessed Lord and only Savior, with thy love our bosoms fill. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.