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Easter 4 2025 Good Shepherd Sunday
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
May 11, 2024
Acts 20:17–35, Psalm 23, Revelation 7:9–17, John 10:22–30
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Text and Audio: immanuelhamiltonchurch.com click “sermons”
Text: pastorjud.org
Audio: pastorjud.podbean.com
itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
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Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is an interesting section of scripture. Here we find Luke recording Paul’s instructions to the pastors in Ephesus as Paul prepares to go to Jerusalem and is not expecting to return. It is the only part of Acts that sounds a lot like one of Paul’s letters. For three years Paul faithfully taught the Ephesians. He reminds them that he…Acts 20:27 (ESV) 27 … did not shrink from declaring to [them] the whole counsel of God.”
Paul warns the Ephesian pastors about dangers facing the Church. Acts 20:28 (ESV) 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”
Jesus shed His holy, precious blood to redeem His Church from sin, death and the devil. The flock is Jesus’ precious treasure. Paul warns the pastors of Ephesus, to pay attention to themselves and to the flock. The pastors are under shepherds of the Good Shepherd. They must watch themselves and live their lives within the boundaries of God’s law. Great damage is done when a pastor goes astray and sins openly and brings disgrace upon the office and the church. Pastors must watch themselves… and watch the flock placed under their care by the Holy Spirit. And the danger is not just danger from original sin causing unholy desires from inside each person. The flock of the church is under attack from within and without. Paul warns these under shepherds of the Good Shepherd to beware of wolves.
Paul says, Acts 20:29–30 (ESV) 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them….” Acts 20:32 (ESV) 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Fierce wolves will come in from outside and also will arise from among the pastors and the flock. In Ephesus there is going to be a battle for truth… and that battle is still going on today…here…and all over the world. The Bible is the Word of God for you. God’s Word has authority. You do not get to adjust it to fit your desires. You adjust yourself to fit God’s word.
The danger is that the Bible is radically counter cultural and many find it to be embarrassing. In a society that idolizes unrestrained intimacy and sacrifices babies on the altar of sexual freedom, it is considered hateful and evil to teach that sexual intimacy belongs only in the lifelong marriage union of a man and a woman. Biblical teaching about marriage is embarrassing to a world that seeks bodily autonomy. And in the promotion of this autonomy, some church bodies have adopted the whole alphabet soup of sexual categories… and the plus sign. They have embraced sexual sin in any and all forms and are committed to welcoming whatever comes next. Society’s immorality is their authority. Other churches, when pressed, will say they believe the Bible’s teachings on sexual morality, but they don’t talk about it because they are embarrassed by the Bible; they do not want to offend anyone. Wolves have come in amongst the sheep.
The Bible is embarrassing to many because it teaches that you cannot do anything to save yourself from your sins. Folks do not like to feel helpless; they do not want to be poor in spirit, so wolves teach that people find dignity in helping to pay the price for their sins. There is a movement lately that people want to be a part of a demanding church with many requirements, but that can be dangerous if you begin to believe you are saved, even partially, by what you do, in addition to what Jesus has done. Wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing are teaching God’s sheep.
Many are embarrassed by the Bible’s teaching about forgiveness of sins coming through the brutal, bloody crucifixion of Jesus. They are embarrassed by talk of heaven and hell. They are embarrassed that Jesus teaches that He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through Him. They are embarrassed by the idea that anyone is going to end up in hell. So the wolves teach that there are many paths to the Father; that Jesus is not the only way. Fierce wolves do not spare the flock.
So many people are embarrassed by the Bible, embarrassed by God’s law, and even embarrassed by God’s Gospel. So many modern heretics accept the teaching of the Bible only when it fits their own ideas. They prefer a faith not tied down by authoritative Biblical teaching. There are many wolves leading the sheep away from the shepherd.
So much false teaching today creates a god in the image of man so that man can take authority over this god and mold him and shape Him. But if man has authority over god -- that is not the true God, but just an idol of man’s own design. It is an idol constructed by the wolves.
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. And if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, what does that make us? It makes us the sheep. How absurd for sheep to be embarrassed by their Shepherd. How bizarre for the sheep to try to take authority over the shepherd.
Sheep are not strong, wise, or dangerous creatures. Sheep are weak, kind of dumb, helpless creatures. Sheep are very vulnerable. In a fight between a sheep and a wolf -- bet on the wolf. You are a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd. You need the Shepherd’s protection and you have the Shepherd’s protection. His rod and His staff, they comfort you.
The Good Shepherd protects the sheep. The Good Shepherd is strong, wise and dangerous. His Church calls men to be under shepherds of the Good Shepherd. The under shepherds of the Good Shepherd are fellow sheep so they cannot operate under their own intelligence or authority, they can only listen to the Good Shepherd and teach His Word to the flock. The Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, is the under shepherds’ weapon against the wolves. The Word of God is wolf repellant; it keeps you safe.
The Word of God is your source of knowledge about God. The Word teaches about God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It teaches you God’s law which curbs your behavior, shows you your sin and guides you through life. The Word of God delivers to you salvation earned for you by Jesus on the cross and confirmed by His rising from the dead. He delivers forgiveness and eternal life to you through His Word in absolution, in Holy Baptism and in Holy Communion. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. It is your weapon against the lies of the devil and his wolves.
You need to be in a church where the pastor preaches the Word of God. So, how do you know if the pastor is preaching the true Word of God and not twisted things as Paul warns? As a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd, how do you equip yourself to spot a counterfeit sheep -- a wolf in sheep’s clothing?
To detect counterfeit currency people are trained to become so very familiar with authentic currency that they can easily spot a fake. The way to equip yourself to test a pastor’s words is to know authentic Scripture so well that you can easily spot counterfeit teaching. If you know the Word of God you will be able to expose wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Stay on guard against wolves in the church. Be alert. Check what you hear being preached and taught. I pray I never fall victim to the temptation to be a wolf, but if I ever preach or teach something that is not in keeping with the truth of scripture, let me know. Maybe not in the middle of the sermon, unless it is egregious, but afterwards, ask me to show you in the Bible where it teaches something I said. You won’t be the first. Twice it has happened over the years that I was corrected by diligent members of the flock and I rectified the errors for second service. Thankfully, these issues were nothing too big, but they were errors that needed correction.
Stay alert…know your Bible well. In order to do that, you need to read the Bible. Little ones…learn to read so you too can study the Bible. Until then, have your parents read to you. For those who can read, set up a daily plan of Bible reading. If you search for Bible reading plans online you will find there are many to choose from. Bible in a year. Bible in 90 days. Bible in chronological order and many more. On Bible apps there are various plans for reading or listening. In the hymnal, on page 299, there is a daily lectionary that gives readings from the Old and New Testaments. The Treasury of Daily Prayer from Concordia Publishing gives a daily reading from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the New Testament and a suggested reading from the Lutheran Confessions. If possible, use a good Study Bible that has charts and maps and notes to help with difficult passages. The Lutheran Study Bible from Concordia Publishing is a good investment, and that can also be accessed as a phone app for free, and you can add access to all its resources for $10 a year.
However you set up your reading plan, commit to spending time each day in God’s word and in prayer. Read, mark, learn and inwardly digest God’s Word… and stay alert. Know that there are hungry wolves are out there, and possibly in here, looking for someone to devour. The Word of God is your defense.
In this world there are so many voices trying to get you to listen to them. Stick with Jesus. In the words of Simon Peter, John 6:68 (ESV) 68 … “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,”
It was important for the pastors of Ephesus 2,000 years ago to pay attention to themselves and the flock and it is just as important today, especially in our media-saturated lives with the world’s messages pumping constantly into our eyes and ears. Stay intentionally focused on the truth. Stay alert for wolves.
You are a beloved sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you. You are His treasured possession. Follow Jesus. Listen to Him and do what He says. The Lord is your Shepherd. You shall not want. Amen.