Do Modern Flocks Still Need Bible-Times Shepherds?

4th Sunday of Easter, 4/21/24 Acts 20:28-32 Do Modern Flocks Still Need Bible-Times Shepherds? I. The Good Shepherd still provides them. II. Deadly spiritual dangers still abound. III. The means of grace still work. While I’m sure you enjoy receiving gifts and appreciate the time, effort, and money that the giver of those gifts expended, it’s still true that occasionally, perhaps even too often, the gift you receive is not something you were expecting, and I mean that in a negative way. For instance, if I present my wife with a new set of screwdrivers as a wedding anniversary gift, she’s not going to be pleased. In fact, I run the risk of insulting her. Even if she puts on a “I’m so happy and pleased with your gift” face, a set of screwdrivers is a gift she doesn’t want, doesn’t need, and won’t use. And then there are gifts that were useful and appreciated years ago, but not anymore. For instance, I can remember receiving a 9-volt transistor radio as a child. No child wants a transistor radio anymore. I don’t know if you can even buy one if you want one. They’re a thing of the past. Outmoded. No longer useful in our modern world. On this Sunday—the 4th Sunday of Easter—the Church on earth celebrates the truth that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Among all the biblical pictures of our Savior, it’s probably the most well known and most loved. What Christian doesn’t enjoy at least momentarily seeing a painting of Jesus as the Good Shepherd? What Christian doesn’t enjoy hearing about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, if it’s only once a year? We all do! But how practical is that truth in our modern world? When is the last time you met a shepherd or spoke with one? When is the last time you ever needed the services of a shepherd? If you went your entire life without one, would your life experience be comprised in any way? Let’s be honest—in our modern world we don’t have much use for shepherds. But here we are today, celebrating the truth that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. And, in today’s reading from Acts 20, Paul speaks about the shepherds who operate under the Good Shepherd. He was talking about spiritual leaders—pastors. In fact, the word “pastor” means “shepherd.” And that’s a “nice” thought. It’s cozy. It’s comforting in a nostalgic sort of way. But the truth is, most of us have no connection to a shepherd or what he does. So, is our celebration today just a walk down memory lane? Is Good Shepherd Sunday just an ancient observance with little meaning today? And what about local shepherds—spiritual leaders, pastors? Are they still needed? Think about it. No matter where you go, no matter what time it is, you can access your Bible and read it, or you can access a spiritual message and even your congregation’s Sunday service on the device in your hand. And while we still affectionately refer to our congregation as a flock of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, is that still meaningful? Do modern flocks still need Bible-times shepherds? The quick and easy answer to that question is, “Yes, of course we do.” So, maybe I should end this sermon right now with an “Amen.” But then we’d only be maintaining an institution, and that would be missing the point. In today’s text from Acts 20, Paul lays out how important spiritual shepherds are and why we—myself included—need them. Let’s hear what he has to say. I. This morning’s text breaks into the end of an event in the life of Paul. He’s finishing his third missionary journey and he’s intent on getting to Jerusalem by a certain time in order to present to the Christians there the offering that he has collected for them to assist them in their poverty. His journey will take him past Ephesus, where he had spent nearly three years establishing a thriving congregation. He arranges to meet with the elders of that congregation. In this case, “elders” would be the men who are serving as the pastors of this large congregation. And this is what he tells them, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” This verse of the Bible might not seem all that important, until you realize that it’s one of the verses which speaks about the fact that God the Holy Spirit is the one who calls and places Christians into positions of shepherding the flocks that he gathers into congregations. We call it the “doctrine of the divine call.” Yes, the Holy Spirit uses sinful human beings to discuss and issue those calls, but he himself directs it for the good of his church. He does so along with the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And the Good Shepherd does so in order to convey an enormous responsibility—to guard the flock. What could be more important than protecting an immortal soul from the clutches of hell? The Good Shepherd knows what’s at stake here, even if we don’t always appreciate it—our eternal welfare! And our eternal welfare is so important to the Good Shepherd that he expended the most precious commodity ever in making sure you belong to him—his holy, precious blood. There’s nothing like it in all the world. It did what not all the gold, silver, bank accounts, and bitcoin in the world could do—purchase you, for eternity in God’s kingdom. Do modern flocks still need Bible-times shepherds? Well, Jesus himself supplies them because he thinks we do, and that certainly answers the question for us. So, perhaps I could say “Amen” to this sermon now. II. But there’s more. And it has to do with your personal security. Personal security. That’s become a huge issue in our modern world. I can remember when people didn’t bother locking the doors of their homes at night. Now, we lock up everything, including and especially digital information, not only at night but every minute of the day. Personal spiritual security is also a huge issue, but it’s nothing new. It’s been an issue ever since Satan rebelled against the holy God and became the eternal enemy of God and every human being. The modern world would accuse me right now of trying to frighten you with spiritual boogey-man myths, but let me assure you, Satan and his hellish forces are real. And you don’t have to look hard for them. The world is full of them, and thus Paul encouraged these Ephesian shepherds, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Paul refers to human agents of Satan as “savage wolves.” No doubt he borrowed that language from the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel Reading. Don’t think these savage wolves are people who foam at the mouth, spewing Satan’s curses and speaking words about Christians that I can’t repeat from this pulpit. Notice what Paul tells us. The most dangerous “spiritual wolves” are those who come from within the church. They are members of the church. They look and sound as if they are speaking what Jesus says, but, in reality, they’re distorting what Jesus says. They’re twisting it. What they say sounds harmless, even attractive. But it’s actually spiritually deadly. And your soul is at stake. Do modern flocks still need Bible-times shepherds? You tell me. Do deadly spiritual dangers still abound? Indeed they do! III. It almost sounds hopeless for helpless sheep, doesn’t it? We’re the sheep of the flock and it almost sounds as if Jesus is letting us get thrown to the wolves. We see it happening around us and we fear that we’re next. We’re wolf-dinner. That’s it. And that would be true if it weren’t for one thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ as it comes to us in God’s word and sacraments. Listen again to the words of Paul to the Ephesian pastors, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Paul says, “Now I commit you.” He’s not waving a white flag of surrender over our spiritual gravesites. He’s placing our spiritual and eternal future into the hands of the eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing Good Shepherd who spends every second of every day ruling over all evil for the good of his flock, his Church. And he uses his means of grace—the Gospel in word and sacraments—to bring us into his kingdom and to increase his loving, saving rule in our hearts. People of God who are under assault from evil, sheep under the Good Sheperd, Jesus Christ—God’s word and sacraments, God’s word and sacraments, God’s word and sacraments. That God’s power for salvation. That’s God’s power over evil. That’s God’s power over the gates of hell. That’s God’s power for your life as a sheep in his gracious, saving flock. What hope do we have as helpless sheep in this hopeless world? God’s means of grace. Do modern flocks still need Bible-times shepherds? Indeed, they do, and the means of grace still work. I’ve stated quite a few times over the past few years, “You can be a Christian all by yourself, but I don’t recommend it.” And neither does Jesus. Why? For one reason, a Christian by himself or herself is an easy target for Satan. That person thinks they can take care of their Christian life by themselves. We admire independent people in our world, but it doesn’t work well with your spiritual life. And I imagine you agree. That’s one of reasons you’re here this morning. But how often have you missed this one important word in the question before us this morning, “Do modern flocks still NEED Bible-times shepherds?”? Has gathering with your Resurrection flock and its shepherd ever seemed like an optional activity? Has it ever seemed like a less-than-optimal use of your time? Has your annoyance with the flock ever dampened or even completely doused your appreciation for it? If so, do you hear that voice? It’s your Good Shepherd, Jesus. He’s calling out to you, calling to bring you to closer to him. He’s reminding you that deadly spiritual dangers lurk in the shadows, waiting to destroy you. He wants to assure you of his complete forgiveness and his faithful love. He points you to his cross where he died for you, to his empty tomb where he rose from the dead for you, and to the heavens above which he won for you. That’s what being in the flock does for you. That’s what your shepherd does for you. Do modern flocks still need Bible-times shepherds? I pray you know how much they do. Let’s get at this work of shepherding each other! Amen.