WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Grace, mercy, and peace 2 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:05.500 be to you from God, our Father and from our Lord, and our Savior Jesus 3 00:00:05.500 --> 00:00:06.200 Christ. 4 00:00:07.300 --> 00:00:11.600 In inside the worship folder, you will see on the third page. 5 00:00:13.100 --> 00:00:17.200 Listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd with two Bible passages. 6 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:21.900 And a little graphic of Jesus as the Good Shepherd with a sheep. 7 00:00:22.900 --> 00:00:26.200 Please have that available throughout the message. 8 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:31.000 From Ezekiel chapter 34. 9 00:00:32.800 --> 00:00:36.000 As a Shepherd, seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that 10 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:36.900 have been scattered. 11 00:00:36.900 --> 00:00:40.600 So, I will seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all the 12 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:42.500 places where they have been scattered. 13 00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:45.600 From John 10. 14 00:00:47.300 --> 00:00:49.000 My sheep hear my voice 15 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.800 and I know them and they will follow me. 16 00:00:53.800 --> 00:00:56.500 I give them eternal life and they will never perish. 17 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.500 No one will snatch them out of my hand. 18 00:01:06.300 --> 00:01:12.400 As I read through and studied all those verses from Ezekiel 19 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.000 chapter 34. 20 00:01:16.900 --> 00:01:19.900 Six words, stood out. 21 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.300 All beginning in the English with the letter s. 22 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.300 Obviously, sheep and shepherd. 23 00:01:30.800 --> 00:01:37.200 But along with the sheep came the words scattered and strayed. 24 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:39.700 And what the shepherd, 25 00:01:40.800 --> 00:01:43.300 seek and search. 26 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:49.300 We'll start with the sheep. 27 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:55.200 Scatter, and strayed. 28 00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:00.900 Scattered seems like there's some danger in the midst of the flock, 29 00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:05.100 and the flock is dispersing scattering out running in different 30 00:02:05.100 --> 00:02:06.100 directions. 31 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:12.900 Stray is seems a more individual sheep is attracted to something else 32 00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:15.500 is wandering away is drifting. 33 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:23.000 But then I realized that in either case whether scattered or straying 34 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:24.800 one thing is happening. 35 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:33.400 The sheep are getting farther and farther away from the voice of the 36 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:34.300 Shepherd. 37 00:02:37.200 --> 00:02:43.900 It becomes harder to listen to hear, to pay attention. 38 00:02:47.200 --> 00:02:53.400 When the sheep are scattered or straying, the voice of the Shepherd 39 00:02:54.700 --> 00:02:56.300 becomes harder to hear. 40 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:06.000 So, what does that look like for us today? 41 00:03:06.700 --> 00:03:09.100 Scattered straying. 42 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:13.600 Well when you listen to the voice of the Shepherd that takes 43 00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:14.800 concentration. 44 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:20.100 You need to spend some time to be mindful to think, to pay attention 45 00:03:20.500 --> 00:03:21.600 to that voice. 46 00:03:24.200 --> 00:03:25.200 But today, 47 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:35.100 that paying attention, mindfulness is difficult. 48 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:37.600 Came across this quote. 49 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:49.100 Little phrase, We Are distracted from distractions by distractions. 50 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:56.400 Let me say it again, we are distracted from distractions by distractions. 51 00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:02.200 So I'm going to pick on a rather modern device today because I find it 52 00:04:02.200 --> 00:04:03.800 very true in my own life. 53 00:04:05.200 --> 00:04:07.700 And that's this little thing called a phone. 54 00:04:09.100 --> 00:04:13.100 Actually anything with the screen, your laptop, your computer, whether 55 00:04:13.100 --> 00:04:18.899 you're on social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, whatever it is. 56 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:27.800 We are distracted from our distractions by distractions. 57 00:04:31.400 --> 00:04:35.200 Research has shown that when you do something over and over and over 58 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:40.200 again, your brain is rewired to do that. 59 00:04:42.700 --> 00:04:45.900 And instead of paying attention, thinking deeply 60 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:54.300 when you're on a screen so much of the time, it rewires your brain to 61 00:04:54.300 --> 00:05:04.400 skim and scan and surf and scroll and barely get beneath the surface. 62 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:13.800 Our brains are not attuned anymore to the deep concentration that 63 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:18.400 listens to the voice, but now we are distracted 64 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:26.500 by distractions. Distractions, like well games, 65 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.100 or for me emails. 66 00:05:33.100 --> 00:05:37.600 I live in front of a screen Director Vicarage, Director of Placement, 67 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:40.500 internship, certification. Emails 68 00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:43.700 come in phone calls, text messages for my family. 69 00:05:43.900 --> 00:05:47.300 I can be in front of that screen for hours without even realizing the 70 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:48.600 time has gone by. 71 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.000 How many followers? 72 00:05:56.300 --> 00:05:57.400 How many likes? 73 00:05:58.500 --> 00:05:59.800 We're distracted 74 00:06:00.100 --> 00:06:02.200 by how we're supposed to look 75 00:06:03.900 --> 00:06:07.500 or what will make a difference for our life. 76 00:06:09.400 --> 00:06:12.700 Or there's the click bait that will take you in this some sort of 77 00:06:12.700 --> 00:06:14.500 sexuality or nudity. 78 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:20.500 Oh, and I've got this phone out right now, and I'm going to mention 79 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:24.700 something, my wife and I are going on vacation overseas and we're 80 00:06:24.700 --> 00:06:28.000 going to be perhaps taking a tour of a castle. 81 00:06:28.900 --> 00:06:30.700 You know, it's going to happen later today. 82 00:06:30.900 --> 00:06:34.700 I'm going to get advertisements for tours of castles. 83 00:06:39.400 --> 00:06:43.800 The targeting of the advertisements for us to buy and to spend the 84 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:46.200 become part of a consumer society. 85 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:49.400 All the distractions. 86 00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:53.100 We are distracted 87 00:06:54.700 --> 00:06:57.500 from distractions, by more distractions. 88 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:06.000 And it becomes more difficult, it becomes harder, 89 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.000 to pay attention to think, deeply about the voice of the shepherd. 90 00:07:14.400 --> 00:07:18.800 So what I would like you to do right now for just a few seconds is to 91 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:25.800 read those two verses to yourself to think about them a little bit. 92 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.900 And to ponder about that graphic in the center. 93 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:35.600 Listen to the voice of the shepherd. 94 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:03.000 In the center of the page 95 00:08:04.500 --> 00:08:07.300 is the Good Shepherd with the sheep. 96 00:08:09.900 --> 00:08:14.600 While the sheep have the word scattered and straying, the shepherd has 97 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.900 the words seeking and searching. 98 00:08:19.900 --> 00:08:21.300 But the more I thought about it 99 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:23.900 the Good Shepherd 100 00:08:23.900 --> 00:08:26.200 Jesus knows exactly where we are. 101 00:08:27.400 --> 00:08:30.000 He doesn't have to go find us as if some sort of game of 102 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:30.800 hide-and-seek. 103 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:36.400 No, what he's doing is he's calling us with his voice. 104 00:08:36.600 --> 00:08:37.700 He's seeking us. 105 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:40.700 He searching for us with his voice for how our far 106 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:43.299 we've wandered away or drifted. 107 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:46.600 He's calling us. 108 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:47.600 He's seeking us. 109 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.100 He's searching for us with his voice. 110 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.400 And in John chapter 10, 111 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.000 the Good Shepherd 112 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:55.900 passage. 113 00:08:55.900 --> 00:08:59.800 Jesus says these words that he has authority to lay down his life 114 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:01.100 for the sheep. 115 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:05.100 Which takes me to the cross. 116 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:08.400 And words from the voice of 117 00:09:08.400 --> 00:09:10.900 the shepherd. I thirst. 118 00:09:12.800 --> 00:09:13.100 Son 119 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:15.500 behold your mother mother, behold your son. 120 00:09:17.400 --> 00:09:20.700 He's taking care of his mother appropriate two days after Mother's 121 00:09:20.700 --> 00:09:27.400 Day. But he knows our physical needs, he knows our hungers and our 122 00:09:27.400 --> 00:09:28.200 thirst. 123 00:09:29.300 --> 00:09:31.500 And what we need for our daily bread. 124 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:33.500 My God. 125 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:34.000 My God. 126 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.200 Why have you forsaken me? 127 00:09:35.400 --> 00:09:37.400 And he takes the punishment. 128 00:09:37.400 --> 00:09:42.300 All of it all the way to Hell itself, for all the scattered, and 129 00:09:42.300 --> 00:09:46.600 drifting, and wandering, and straying, and distractions in our lives 130 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:48.400 that keep us from his voice. 131 00:09:52.500 --> 00:09:56.900 Father, forgive them today, you will be with me in Paradise. 132 00:09:58.800 --> 00:10:02.200 Oh, the Good Shepherd gives eternal life. 133 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:04.300 He forgives 134 00:10:05.800 --> 00:10:08.900 and beyond Paradise has a day of Resurrection. 135 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:16.700 Amazing gifts of eternal life from the voice of the Good Shepherd. 136 00:10:18.400 --> 00:10:19.700 Father into your hands 137 00:10:19.700 --> 00:10:24.900 I commend my spirit and without Jesus shows us just what we are to do, 138 00:10:24.900 --> 00:10:29.000 when we listen to his voice to commend our lives into his care. 139 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.900 For good reason, we speak the morning and evening prayers. Into your 140 00:10:35.900 --> 00:10:36.300 hands 141 00:10:36.300 --> 00:10:40.000 I commend myself my body and soul in all things. 142 00:10:42.400 --> 00:10:46.300 And it is finished everything that needed to be done on that Good 143 00:10:46.300 --> 00:10:47.900 Friday was completed. 144 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:52.100 The Good Shepherd had the authority to lay down his life. 145 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.100 But not everything was done. 146 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:00.600 A number of years back 147 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:04.500 I had a sermon for good Sunday for Good Shepherd Sunday and I titled 148 00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:04.600 it 149 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:06.400 What's so good about a dead Shepherd? 150 00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:08.400 If the shepherd's dead 151 00:11:08.700 --> 00:11:10.000 the sheep are going to scatter. 152 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:11.700 The wolves will come in. 153 00:11:11.700 --> 00:11:13.600 Its destruction time. 154 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:19.300 And so in Jesus, in John 12:10 says, I have authority to take that lay 155 00:11:19.300 --> 00:11:20.000 down my life. 156 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.100 He also says, I have authority to take it back up again. 157 00:11:23.300 --> 00:11:26.400 And, yes, he rises from the dead as the Good Shepherd. 158 00:11:26.400 --> 00:11:27.200 He lives. 159 00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.000 He is victorious over anything and everything. 160 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:32.000 At the end of the Gospel of Matthew. 161 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:36.600 He simply says, all authority has been given to me, authority over any 162 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:40.900 distraction over anything that scatters us over anything that will 163 00:11:41.100 --> 00:11:42.300 have us stray. 164 00:11:44.400 --> 00:11:46.400 He has authority over at all. 165 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:53.000 And then at the end of that gospel, he simply says, lo I am with you 166 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:53.800 always. 167 00:11:54.100 --> 00:11:58.800 He seeks and he searches and he finds 168 00:11:59.100 --> 00:11:59.800 and he calls 169 00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:02.700 us back to him. 170 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:12.000 Read with me, those two verses once again with the cross and the 171 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:13.700 resurrection in mind. 172 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:21.000 As a Shepherd, seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that 173 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.500 have been scattered. 174 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:25.600 So will I seek out my sheep. 175 00:12:25.900 --> 00:12:30.400 And I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered. 176 00:12:31.300 --> 00:12:37.700 My sheep, hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, I give 177 00:12:37.700 --> 00:12:41.200 them eternal life and they will never perish. 178 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:44.600 And no one will snatch them out of my hand. 179 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:52.500 So where and when and how do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? 180 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:55.500 C. S. 181 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:58.000 Lewis in his Chronicles of Narnia, 182 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.300 The Silver Chair. 183 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:07.400 Talks about Jill and Eustis and they are to find a lost Prince. 184 00:13:08.800 --> 00:13:13.900 Well, Jill is given for signs that she is to remember and Aslan the 185 00:13:13.900 --> 00:13:19.100 Christ figure has to repeat those four signs over and over and over 186 00:13:19.100 --> 00:13:21.300 again until she has the memorized. 187 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.400 And then he's going to with his breath, blow her to Narnia. 188 00:13:29.900 --> 00:13:32.000 But before he does, he says this to her. 189 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:35.500 First. 190 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:40.300 Remember, remember remember the signs. 191 00:13:40.700 --> 00:13:43.900 Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning when you lie down at 192 00:13:43.900 --> 00:13:47.400 night and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever 193 00:13:47.400 --> 00:13:50.900 strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from 194 00:13:50.900 --> 00:13:52.400 following the signs. 195 00:13:53.300 --> 00:13:58.600 And secondly I give you a warning here on the mountain 196 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:00.100 I've spoken to you clearly. 197 00:14:00.900 --> 00:14:03.700 I will not also often do so down in Narnia. 198 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:08.200 Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear as you 199 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:11.800 drop down to the Narnia of the air will thicken. Take great care 200 00:14:11.800 --> 00:14:16.300 that it does not confuse your mind and the signs which you have 201 00:14:16.300 --> 00:14:17.300 learned here will not 202 00:14:17.300 --> 00:14:20.500 look at all as you expect them to look when you meet them there. 203 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.600 That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no 204 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:26.200 attention to appearances. 205 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:32.500 Remember the signs and believe the signs, nothing else matters. 206 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:38.400 Remember, remember remember. 207 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:42.200 The voice of the shepherd. 208 00:14:42.300 --> 00:14:46.300 Remember in your baptism where you have been baptized into the death 209 00:14:46.300 --> 00:14:47.900 and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 210 00:14:47.900 --> 00:14:50.900 You have been baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and 211 00:14:50.900 --> 00:14:51.800 the Holy Spirit. 212 00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:54.100 Remember when you come to the Lord's Supper 213 00:14:56.500 --> 00:14:59.800 receive his body given for you, his blood 214 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:10.400 shed for you. Do this as often as you eat this, how in remembrance of 215 00:15:10.400 --> 00:15:11.200 me. 216 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:14.200 In baptism in the Lord's 217 00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:18.200 Supper in the word, of course, in the word in the scriptures. 218 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:22.500 And today you have heard me read that to you have studied it. 219 00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:24.000 You have spoken it. 220 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.400 And another way. 221 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:35.000 We speak about the mutual consolation and conversation of the 222 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:35.700 brethren 223 00:15:36.900 --> 00:15:38.500 of fellow believers. 224 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:46.500 And surprisingly maybe not so that happens even on my phone. 225 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:51.400 I take care of Noah Comfort 226 00:15:51.400 --> 00:15:52.500 Dogs Facebook page. 227 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:56.300 So I scroll through Facebook and the people who I am friends with 228 00:15:56.700 --> 00:16:03.600 regular, put up Bible passages and inspirational quotes and wonderful 229 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:04.300 pictures. 230 00:16:05.400 --> 00:16:06.400 One of the friends. 231 00:16:06.400 --> 00:16:10.000 He doesn't have many friends on Facebook, by the way, but every day he 232 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:11.500 puts up a hymn verse 233 00:16:12.400 --> 00:16:18.400 or a Bible passage, but most often he puts up the morning prayer and 234 00:16:18.400 --> 00:16:19.500 the evening prayer. 235 00:16:20.300 --> 00:16:22.100 He may not get many likes. 236 00:16:23.800 --> 00:16:29.600 But I like it when he mutually helps me to remember. 237 00:16:30.900 --> 00:16:34.900 If you get an email from me on the bottom of that page underneath my 238 00:16:34.900 --> 00:16:42.600 name, it'll simply say in his grip, John 20, a John 10:27, and 28. 239 00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:46.800 No one will snatch from his hand. 240 00:16:48.300 --> 00:16:52.800 Mutual, consolation and conversation. 241 00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.200 Michael, will you do this with me? 242 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:01.600 Listen. 243 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:07.000 As a Shepherd seeks out his flock Michael, when he is among his sheep, 244 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:08.000 that have been scattered. 245 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.700 So I will seek out my sheep seek out you and I will rescue them from 246 00:17:12.700 --> 00:17:15.099 all places where they have been scattered. 247 00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:20.000 Jesus says, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they will 248 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:20.700 follow me. 249 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:23.500 I give them eternal life and they will never perish. 250 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:25.900 No one will snatch them out of my hand. 251 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:27.200 Dr. 252 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:31.000 Nielsen as a Shepherd, seeks out his flock when he is among his 253 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:32.100 scattered sheep. 254 00:17:32.600 --> 00:17:34.300 So, I will seek out my sheep 255 00:17:34.300 --> 00:17:37.600 He says, and I will rescue them from all the places where they have 256 00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:38.300 been scattered. 257 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:40.200 And Christ. 258 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:45.100 Our Lord says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow 259 00:17:45.100 --> 00:17:45.400 me. 260 00:17:46.600 --> 00:17:51.600 I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will 261 00:17:51.600 --> 00:17:52.900 snatch them out of my hand. 262 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:53.800 Thank you. 263 00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:55.800 Now, it's your turn. 264 00:17:56.600 --> 00:17:59.800 Find someone one person turn to that person. 265 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:03.300 Take out the bulletin and share with them. 266 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:08.400 Those two verses practice the mutual conversation. 267 00:19:11.600 --> 00:19:14.900 Listening to the voice of the shepherd. 268 00:19:15.600 --> 00:19:20.400 Remember, in your baptism, in the supper, in the word in the 269 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:21.900 conversation. 270 00:19:22.600 --> 00:19:25.600 Yes, we may scatter and stray. 271 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:30.000 But the lord always seeks us out 272 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.300 as the Good Shepherd. 273 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:33.300 He has laid down his life. 274 00:19:33.300 --> 00:19:34.800 He is taken it up again. 275 00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:43.300 So listen, and remember the voice of the shepherd. 276 00:19:44.500 --> 00:19:45.100 Amen.