The boys and I have been to Kirk and then for a three hour hike in the autumnal forests. In the Silver Peaks, where you need to keep your ears open and eyes scanning the clouds: it can turn from lovely to dangerously windy in 30 minutes.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
At Kirk the issue raised was not as much that Christ is our shepherd, but that there are others who need to be bought in. Barry talked about how he stands outside before the service to greet us — and invites those who talk in. At the recent synod, he said he would rather we were on the school committees than church committees. He’s correct.
But to the readings for today.
18Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. 20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he has promised us, eternal life
Now, there are many people who concentrate on the Anti Christ, who has a number, and who will control much… John wrote more about him in Revelations. He will be obvious. However, our issue is the apostate.
For we step out of Kirk, into the marketplace, because our Lord says there are others of his there. People who need succor, protection, guidance, God. But within this universal concern there are those within the fellowship who deny God.
And this is where my seeker friendly, welcoming congregation is weak. We let almost anyone in. But ww need to then teach correctly. And those who deny that Jesus is the Messiah… are not of us. Some say that they should leave. They cetainly should not be allowed to teach: and this need for correction has always existed, in every congregation, and for evergy congregation.
The world hates this. They look at the Pope disciplining Catholic Nuns and do not understand that these women have stopped worshipping Christ, but instead worship the singularity. AMong the Prots, this leads to schims after schism.
When schism is wrong… we have to allow freedom on the non essential, and Christ calls us to unity.
Here basic theology helps. Christ is the head of the church, and all who are of him abide with him. Christ owns the church, and Christ sent the Spirit to guide and preserve the church. In short, it does not rely on us… our job is to abide, to stand. Christ will preserve the Kirk, and Christ will refine the Church.
For… the shepherd has a crook to rescue, and a rod to correct. Christ is not afraid to use both.