 Needed…a few good shepherds.
Jesus is called The Good Shepherd and we are called to follow Jesus…so we too must be good shepherds to others. Let’s go to Matthew 9:35-38: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus used the analogy of himself as the shepherd. It is a popular theme today. It is on the window behind me here in the church….the loving, caring shepherd we want to know. Then we read these verses… ‘Jesus was in Galilee’…his home area…visiting the towns and villages…the Greek translation says cities and villages…and at the time the cities were protected places while the villages were open hamlets of shacks and tents. It would be sort of like the difference between Sumas with its boundaries and municipal jurisdiction and the unincorporated cluster of homes in over in Clearbrook…protected areas and open areas. So, it means he went everywhere. ‘Teaching in the places where people pray and meet." He preached the good news of the kingdom. Indeed, he spoke of himself and yet he spoke of the teachings of the Father…His Sermon on the Mount was likely taught over and over. And just like John the Baptist, he preached repentance that leads to forgiveness.
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 James 5:12 seems to be a summary of the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37. READ
James is a book of wisdom. Today a single verse. I thought long and hard about attaching this verse to another sermon, but ultimately I went with a sermon on it’s own primarily because the verse starts out “Above All…” ~ if the people of old had access to yellow highlighters, James would have highlighted this verse. “Above All” is James’ highlight pen. Wisdom is simple. It instinctively makes sense, but you need to hear it. “Check to see if that electric fence is on…” is simple wisdom to warn the person about to touch the fence. James is speaking to confused people not sure how to be consistent in their faith and how to interact in a complex world: READ James 5:12. Wisdom is the right word at the right time. Wisdom, when we put it into practice, gives confidence, assurance, guides us. Let your yes be yes and your no no! What could be more simple and obvious, yet the world is full of ambiguity, people lying, people not wanting to make commitments, changing back and forth. Everyone agrees with this wisdom, but few put it into practice: Do what you say you are going to do? If you could read this as if it is the first time, not knowing a thing about the disciples of Jesus, the first thing you should do is shudder when you read the word “tax” / “tax collector.” Put everything else out of your mind, and hear the phrase: “Income Tax.” |
 
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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