Good Sheep

There have been too many stories lately of evil in this world. I'm glad that I quit watching the news. Now, I do listen to the radio a bit when I drive and read some news online, and it can be depressing. "What is this world coming to?" is a question we ask.

I heard a man say the other day, "How can anyone bring a child into this world?" I don't want to be that way. That is a question that was likely asked by my father's generation and my grandfather's generation and all generations before them. There is an optimist in me, and I don't want to lose him.

I want to always agree with the psalmist, who wrote in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Did you wake up today with that in your heart? That's how I want to be every day.

I officiated a funeral the other day, and the man who had passed away was a strong believer. He still is. And he wrote down instructions of what he wanted in his service. From scripture to songs, he let his wishes be known. He wrote that his service was to begin with those words from Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

I love that he wanted his friends and family to Rejoice even at his funeral. He knew he would be in heaven, and he wanted others to rejoice. That's how I want to be always. I want to rejoice in spite of the world around me.

How can we do that? How can we rejoice in a war zone? Let's talk about that today. The way to rejoice in today's world is by being a good sheep. I want to use that description today for God's children, and let me describe my idea of a good sheep in just a couple of ways.

A good sheep is a good listener who listens to the right voice. In John 10:27, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me." Good sheep will listen to Jesus, and they will follow. You might ask, how do we hear the voice of Jesus today? Well, we have his word, the Bible. That's how we know him, and we also get to know Jesus by prayer and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

But here we must be very careful. We must always listen for God's consistent voice, and let me put it this way: someone tells you that God told them to do something that is in direct conflict with his word, they are wrong, period. They've listened to the wrong voice. God will never tell us to do something that contradicts contradicts his word.

If I pulled you aside and told you that God told me to steal something, I hope you would say that that was wrong, because scripture is very clear that we shouldn't steal. Also, I hope if I told you that God was coming back on April the 7th at 1:35 in the afternoon, you wouldn't believe me, because scripture is pretty clear about no one knowing the hour of God's return.

Back to the point: good sheep listen to the right voice. How does this help us live in today's crazy world? From his word we are told to Rejoice always, to never fear, to love, to encourage one another, to not be of this world. We must listen to God's good news more than we listen to Fox or CNN or network news.

Here's some great words from Colossians 3:1-3, and here Paul is talking to the church at Colossi, and he says, "Since you have been raised to New Life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of Earth. For you died this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."

The point I want good sheep to see here is that we must focus on what is most important. We should never let the things of this world drag us down; we should let the things of Heaven drag us up. Don't miss the point here: we should never let the things of this world drag us down; we should let the things of Heaven drag us up. We can be dragged down, can't we, if we're not careful? We can also be lifted up. We must focus on the right things.

So good sheep always listen to the right voice. Another characteristic that we must develop as good sheep is good sheep always trust the shepherd, always. And John 10:11, Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." Your Shepherd, Jesus, loves you. Please remember that he laid down his life for you.

Psalms 32:10 says, "Many Sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord." You are surrounded by the Lord's unfailing love. About those who trust the Lord, Psalms 112:7 says, "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them." As a good sheep, you should listen to God and trust him. If you've been sidetracked, welcome back.

I pray that you will join me next week as we begin a series on the 23rd psalm, The Lord Is Our Shepherd. Pray with me. Father God, help us to be good sheep. Help us to listen, to obey, follow you. And Father, help us to trust you, because as the Good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, you laid down your life for us. Help us to be convinced of your love and changed by it. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. God bless.