Call to Worship Shine Jesus Shine

Prayer of Approach & Confession & The Lord’s Prayer (NBoP 831; BoP 605)

 

Opening Praise: NBoP 359 The great Physician now is here

BoP 373

 

Responsive Reading  – Psalm 23 [BoP 624]

 

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

Children’s story – What are some things we like to share? What are some things we have trouble sharing?

Children’s Hymn: NBoP 373 Jesus loves me, this I know

BoP 378

Scripture Readings:

NT – Acts 2:42-47

⁴²And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

KJV

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. NIV

Epistle – 1 Peter 2:19-25

¹⁹For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. ²¹For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ²²Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: ²⁴Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. ²⁵For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. KJV

¹⁹For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. ²⁰But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ²¹To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

²² “He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

²³When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

Hymn of Illumination: NBoP 662 Those who wait on the Lord

(overhead)

Scripture Readings:

Gospel – John 10:1-10

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. ⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. ⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. ⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. KJV

¹“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

⁷Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

Sermon: No side entrance

A knock on the door in the middle of the day, while some household members would be off working, in town or in the fields, and the kids would be off to grad-school classes at the community schoolhouse. Sometimes they were a regular annoyance, and still – at other times – they were the welcomed interruption from chores and household duties.

When the traveling salesman would do his rounds it was almost a carnival treat to wonder at the inventions and innovations he would peddle. He was the walking-talking personal infomercial, who seemed to be stopping in out of a real concern for your need for whatever it was he was peddling. His goal was to convince you to buy everything he was selling; and the successful ones would know the secret reasons why customers might need anything and everything that they were selling.

I did not live in the age of the traveling salesmen; those peddlers that would show up to sell anything and everything from shoes to vacuum cleaners, milking machines, to ladies dresses and of course encyclopedia. The only door-to-door salesman that I have heard of was the fish peddler, who I hear still stops by a few loyal homes to deliver some frozen fillets.

However, the old proverb that resonating in the techniques of each and every sales-person, of any walk of mercantilism, remains true; even in this day of internet advertising, and mega markets like CosCo, and Target: “Get your foot in the door.”

Salesmen would try anything just to get you to open a door. Song and dance, flashy signs and everything from sharp cuts suits to almost clown cloths. They will promise you innovation, and they will promise you the latest in improvements. They will wheel and deal till the reason for just why their product is so needed by you, to at least catch your interest, just so you’d open the door.

And you’ve probably seen this in other areas too. Politicians love to put on a good show. Oh, they will ‘song & dance’ just about anything to earn your vote, and once their foot is in your door you can find yourself being taken for quite a ride.

And you’ll even find it with some preachers and evangelists. They will try and sell you on their kind of faith, on their brand of believing, but like the snake-oil sales man, or the crooked politician, they are not declaring Christ or preaching salvation. They, like the others are in it for the reputation, because they like being called teacher and priest, Father and all the personal regard that goes with it.

Jesus hinted at this kind of behaviour when he was talking with disciples about being like a shepherd to God’s called and chosen people; even you and I. Jesus was not just telling his disciples how He was the ‘Good Shepherd’, but how there were people who were not shepherds of any kind.

Jesus called them thieves. Jesus called them robbers.

Really, there were two kinds of salesmen back in the day – weren’t there –  just as there are two kinds of politicians, and two kinds of preachers & pastors. There are those who are the slick snake-oil salesman who have no interest in you and only want your money, or your high regard, and then there are the honest peddler delivering an honest product for your benefit. The hard thing is that

Jesus knew that his disciples would have to deal with certain characters who would use the gospel the wrong way. Jesus knew that there would be people who would try and sell the good news but would water down the message so they could mix it in with some other message; so they could profit, so they could feel important.

We encounter this same sort of thing in the false prophets that arise from time-to-time in the fringes of our faith. The latest being a group from the states, operating through the internet, called the ebiblefellowship.com. They fall into the class of deceivers known as false prophets. They say they proclaim a biblical truth, but it ends up being a ploy to get your attention and interest. This latest group in particular say they are not selling you anything, but that they simply want people to come to Christ and read their bibles, but what they really are trying to get people to do is to read the bible like a code of hidden knowledge, rather than with faith. They want people to accept their teachings, and rather than take a person’s money they want the tender obedience that comes through fear.

They want to add to your faith about Christ a terror about the end of times, and about a judgment that they will interpret. It is a subtle deception, but deception non-the-less.

But anyone who tells you that you need to add more to your faith than a deep humble and honest love for Christ is that crooked salesman, that side-gate-slider, the over-wall robber. There are thieves; thieves who do not understand that the love of God is not something that can be stolen, but who will try to steal away your love for God.

There are people who will try and tell you that there is some other way to salvation other than Christ Jesus. They are around us, and among, and we do not need to fear them, we simply need to recognize them.

Christ Jesus is the only way, and only through Him are we saved from our sins. This is the will of God, that all who come in Christ’s name might know salvation, and live in the light of God’s everlasting love.

May God be praised. Amen

Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Flood victims in the prairies, and in the states. War torn Libya & Syria

God’s Tithes and our gifts

Doxology (NBoP 830; BoP 603)

Offertory Prayer

 

Commissioning Hymn: NBoP 650 He leadeth me

BoP 522

Benediction