Letter to Good Shepherd re: departure and plans for a new pastor

This letter, slightly redacted, was sent to the members of Good Shepherd to alert everyone of a change in ministry at Good Shepherd and the plans as the congregation says "Goodbye" to one pastor and makes plans to welcome another.

Dear Members of Good Shepherd,

            On March 10, St. John’s Lutheran Church of Lake City, Minnesota issued a Divine Call to me to serve as their pastor.  On Sunday, April 19, I announced that I have accepted that call.

            Lake City is a city of about 5,000 on the Mississippi River.  St. John’s is a congregation of about 550 baptized members.  They have a Lutheran elementary school of about 70 with a preschool of about 30 children.  They have been without a pastor for almost two years.  The school has been working for the past three school years with a principal who had planned retirement but held on while they waited for the principal Call to be filled.  As of this writing, they are still waiting, and the current acting principal is retiring for good.  My installation at St. John’s will be Sunday, July 12.

            St. John’s had also called Laura to be a 4^th-5^th grade teacher.  For various reasons, especially that she feels this grade level is outside of her area of ability and interest, she has declined her Call to serve as teacher.

            So, what comes next for Good Shepherd?

            While plans continue to be addressed and updated, there are a few plans in place.  My final Sunday at Good Shepherd will be on June 14.  I anticipate that we will be moved out of the parsonage just a few days after that.  A definite date for the move is still to be determined.

            Good Shepherd will have an open house farewell on Sunday, June 7.  More details will come soon.

            Ken R., the church council president, has contacted  the president of the Michigan District of WELS to arrange a pre-call meeting.  This meeting will advise the District President about what particular strengths Good Shepherd hopes to find in their next pastor.  It will help him to draft a list of candidates from which Good Shepherd will extend a Divine Call.  Further inquiries about this meeting and any other input you might have can be addressed to Ken or to one of our elders, Tom B., Mark C., or Ron R.  The date for the pre-call meeting will be announced when it is set.  The meeting for actually issuing a Call will likely not take place until July. 

            While we are looking forward to our move to Lake City and the opportunities at St. John’s, we will be forever grateful for the friendships, encouragement, support, and the love that we have received from Good Shepherd over the past thirty years.

            We will continue to keep the members and acquaintances of Good Shepherd in our prayers as you make plans to receive your next pastor according to our Lord’s timing and mercy.

            God bless and keep you.

 In Christ,

Pastor Thomas E. Schroeder

Sermon -- Chapel at Hope Christian Academy

This sermon was reworked from a sermon that was preached at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Novi on May 14, 2023.  

It was preached at Hope Christian Academy on May 5, 2026.

ACTS 17:22-31

WE WORSHIP THE ONLY GOD WORTH KNOWING.

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     When the apostle Paul walked through the streets of Athens, he saw many shrines to many gods.  The Greeks and Romans acknowledged all kinds of gods, each responsible for some part of creation or life.  It was an admission that they were not in control of their lives.  They could not control the weather which, in turn, meant that they had no control over their harvests.  There must be a god who is in charge of those.  They were not in control of what stirs up people to love or war.  Mars and Venus were worshiped for that.  Sailors and travelers knew they had no control over the sea.  A trip to Neptune’s shrine might result in good sailing.  You can at least give the Greeks and Romans credit for recognizing that they did not have control, and that someone influenced times and events.

     As the apostle Paul observed the various temples and shrines for all these gods, he noticed another altar.  He said, “As I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god’” (Acts 17:23).  It was as if the people in Athens did not want to offend any god that they happened to have missed.  Well, the truth is they had missed one—the triune God.  Rather than mock the Athenians for their pagan worship, St. Paul seized the opportunity to teach them about the God they did not know. 

     What Paul encountered in Athens is not much different than what we run into today.  People are still very religious, but they claim to be spiritual.  Many are claiming to be “Nones,” that is, not affiliated with any religion.  When filling out a survey, they check, “None” for religion.  But such people have not abandoned interest in God.  That should not surprise us.  St. Paul noted, “(God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth … that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27).  So, it is no surprise that people are religious.  What many lack, however, is any real source of truth.  Their faith is in their opinion—or worse, whatever they have seen on a TikTok video.  If people claim to be spiritual, their god is whatever they think he is or should be.  But just as I cannot tell you what you are like, we do not get to tell God what he is like or should be like.  God must reveal himself to us if we are to know him rightly.

     Dear Christians, you do know the triune God who insists, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5).  “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.  I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior” (Isaiah 43:10-11).  There can only be one God.  Only one can be almighty.  You can’t have two almighties; one would have to be more powerful than the other.  Only one can reign supreme.  You can’t have two supremes; one would have to be greater than the other.  Our Lord does not allow himself to be worshiped as chief of many gods.  He demands, “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:3); for, there are no other gods.  As it turns out, he is also the only one who saves.  We worship the only God worth knowing. 

     The people of Athens demonstrated a natural knowledge of God.  That was apparent when St. Paul walked through Athens.  In each of the shrines he passed, he saw altars.  What is an altar for?  It is for offerings.  An animal is slaughtered and consumed by fire.  This was done to purchase the favor or to appease the wrath of a god.  In either case, it showed the worshiper was seeking to make things right between themselves and God.  Their consciences testified that something needed to be done to make things right.  So, they made sacrifices at these altars.  But how could they know which offerings were pleasing?  And how could they know if their offerings were enough?  Just as they made assumptions about who God is, so also they had to make assumptions about whether or not some god was pleased with them.

     We worship the only God worth knowing.  The Lord has not only revealed his nature to us, he has also revealed what reconciles us to him.  Jesus has won God’s favor by his perfect obedience.  That favor was poured out upon you in your baptism.  And Jesus also has appeased God’s wrath.  Unlike false gods who demand sacrifices to be appeased, Jesus came to be the sacrifice which appeases God’s wrath.  Jesus took upon himself our sin—the defilement in our hearts that leads us to jealousy, bitterness, and self-centeredness.  What makes us jealous?  We despise someone else’s blessings, thinking that we deserved them more.  What makes us bitter?  We thought we deserved the recognition that someone else got.  We are self-centered, thinking that the universe revolves around us, and we are angry and surprised when others do not agree.

     This sin of making myself my own god affects the way I think others.  And it affects the way I treat others.  It is worthy of God’s wrath.  But Jesus has taken all sin and guilt from us.  He was slaughtered on the cross and there was consumed by God’s fiery wrath.  Since Jesus has taken away the curse of sin, we are not condemned.  Since Jesus has taken into himself the full load of God’s wrath, God has only blessing left for us.  We worship the God who saves, and this is the only God worth knowing.

     How blessed you are to know the true God!  How blessed you are to live your life in peace!  For, the day is coming when we will all have to stand before God to answer for our lives.  St. Paul told the people of Athens, “(God) commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  We worship the only God worth knowing who has revealed his word to you so that you don’t have to guess where you stand with him. 

     Jesus died to pay for your sins.  Jesus is risen and lives to proclaim a full pardon and endless peace.  You don’t have to guess or assume it is true.  This is not your opinion that you believe in.  These are the words of your living Savior, and they are the words which he will utter before you at the final judgment.  For your comfort and peace, he proclaims them already!

     When the apostle Paul walked through the streets of Athens, he saw many people clinging to gods that were not real and could not save.  So, he preached to them.  You and I will encounter more and more people who claim to be spiritual, who grew up never going to church, or who have been badly misinformed about what the Bible teaches.  Some do not worship God at all.  Others, because of their assumptions, worship a god which, for all intents and purposes, is an unknown god.  How do you engage them?  Start by asking questions.  What do they believe?  Why do they believe it?  How did they come to that conclusion?  Like St. Paul, you have the word of God which reveals salvation.  You have compassion for the lost.  Start with people where they are, and then proclaim what the true God has revealed.  Through you, God will reveal his mercy, his peace, and his salvation.  Our Triune God is the only God worth knowing.  For, he is the only God who saves, and he is the only God there is.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon -- 5th Sunday of Easter (May 3, 2026)

JESUS REVEALS A LOVING FATHER TO YOU.

JOHN 14:1-11

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

      When St. Paul preached to the philosophers in Athens, he said, “From one man, [God] made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth.  He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live.  He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26-27).  In other words, everyone is religious.  Everyone has an innate desire to know who God is.  The atheist is the exception, not the rule.

     You can travel all over the world and find people who practice many different religions.  They all have the same goal—to get on God’s good side.  The way that people try to get on God’s good side is through some act of obedience.  The specific acts of obedience vary from religion to religion, but they all focus on being good and doing something to appease God for the evils they have done.  This is why people insist that all religions are the same.  Do good.  Appease God for your sins.  And hope that you have been able to make God happy enough with you that you can enjoy a good life after death.

     Everyone has this innate desire to know who God is and what he wants.  But how can anyone know he is right?  On what do they base their hopes and their beliefs?  If an eternity hangs in the balance, this is no time to guess. 

     The Lord Jesus makes a bold claim.  Jesus declared, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6).  Some may say that all religions are just different paths to heaven, Jesus rejects that completely.  Jesus states emphatically that the only way into that kingdom is through him.  Jesus rejects every other religion on earth. 

     Jesus said, “‘No one comes to the Father, except through me.  If you know me, you would also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.’  ‘Lord,’ said Philip, ‘show us the Father, and that is enough for us’” (John 14:6-8).  Philip’s request resonates with all mankind.  Of course, the problem is that we don’t see God.  As a result, people end up trying to reach up into heaven to envision what God wants, what God likes, and what God does.  Often, the result is that we craft a god who is just like we are.  God likes what I like.  God hates what I hate.  If I despise someone, God must hate him too.  If I like that person, she must be going to heaven.  This god is nothing but a mirror.  It is also a great deception because it leads people to believe that they stand on a good footing with God even though they do not know what God says or wants.  It comes down to, “I’m okay with me, so God must be okay with me.”  This is idolatry and blasphemy.

     “Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough for us” (John 14:8).  Our conscience gives us some idea what God is like.  There is fairly common agreement on what is evil and what is good.  But what about appeasing God when you have failed to live up to the dictates of your conscience?  What would be acceptable?  Sacrifice?  And if so, what kind of sacrifice?  And how often?  And how do you know that it would actually appease God?  This is where people are left groping for hope and for comfort.  There is no comfort in guessing.

     Rather that remain hidden, God the Father has chosen to make himself known.  He revealed his words in the past through Moses and the Prophets.  But to give us the most vivid and accurate depiction of himself, God the Father sent his Son into the world.  If you consider what Jesus said, what he did, and how he interacted with other people, then you can see what God the Father is like.  Jesus said it: “If you know me, you would also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.  The one who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:7,9).  Jesus reveals a loving Father to you. 

     What evidence does Jesus present?  He said, “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.  Or else believe because of the works themselves” (John 14:11).  Jesus performed many miraculous signs.  They are called signs because signs point you to something.  They point you to the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh.  Nicodemus recognized this when he told Jesus, “No one can do these miraculous signs you are doing unless God is with him” (John 3:2).  But the signs point to more than Jesus doing what only God can do.  Through these signs Jesus reveals a loving Father.

     God the Father Almighty is the Maker of heaven and earth.  He created a perfect world filled with beauty.  He crafted holy people to dwell in it.  And even though sin has sullied this world and produced many handicaps in people, God the Father still creates people with sound bodies, with sight, with hearing, with speech, and various abilities as he sees fit.  Does the fact that some are born blind, deaf, or with birth defects negate the Father’s goodness?  Hardly!  Most are not blind, deaf, or crippled.  Even though sin corrupts us, the Father still produces new lives with sound bodies.

     When Jesus encountered people with these handicaps and hardships, they appealed to him for mercy.  And just as your Father in heaven is good and merciful, so was Jesus.  He brought healing to the diseased and relief for the oppressed.  The Father sent Jesus to do this work because the Father loves his creation.  He does not discard this world or its people in disgust; he redeems it in love.  The miraculous signs that Jesus performed also point us to a greater future.  When all things are restored, the blind will see, the lame will walk, and the deaf will hear.  Bodies will be whole and spirits will be refreshed.  Jesus reveals that you have a loving Father; for Jesus does what the Father sent him to do.

     We can also see the Father in the way that Jesus dealt with sinners.  One example: Jesus had been invited to feast at the home of a Pharisee named Simon.  Being a Pharisee, he was a devout and religious man.  He would have been moral and decent and knew how to keep polite company.  Jesus reclined at the table in his home, laying with his left arm on a pillow with his body stretched away from the table.  While he was there, a sinful woman came up to him.  We don’t know what particular sins she was guilty of, but she apparently had developed quite a reputation for herself.  She wept over Jesus’ feet as they extended away from the table.  She washed them with her tears.  She dried his feet with her hair.  She kissed his feet and anointed them with perfume. 

     Simon’s reaction was disgust.  He questioned Jesus’ credibility as a prophet of God.  Simon said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would realize who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, because she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).  Simon wasn’t wrong in labeling her.  Her reputation seems to have been earned, and he judged her according to her sins.  For Simon, the way to make God happy was by obedience.  Simon believed he had done this; the woman had not.  Simon expected each to be judged by their own merits.  For Simon, sadly, he was.  Jesus, on the other hand, did not kick this woman away.  Rather, Jesus may have been the first person to not treat her like a sinner.  While Jesus does not excuse sins, neither does he treat us as our sins deserve.  And rather than rub her face in her sins like Simon did, Jesus came to scrub her clean of all her sins. 

     Jesus reveals a loving Father to you.  For, the Father has compassion on sinners.  He longs for us to be freed from them—free from the shame of our past, free from the weight of our guilt, free from the fear of punishment and death.  In fact, the Father wants us to be free from the fear of him!  And to bring such consolation to us, the Father sent his Son into the world to rescue us from all our sin and to reconcile us to himself. 

     To do that, Jesus had to be treated as our sins deserve.  The Father does not excuse our sins anymore than Jesus does.  Sins bring consequences.  “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), St. Paul reminds us.  Sin produces a curse, as the Lord had decreed to Adam and Eve when they first brought sin into the world.  Sin brings consequences to everyone—whether jail time, fines, a broken home, a loss of trust or friendship or a job.  But even if you think you are getting away with your sins because they are done in secret, your own conscience afflicts you.  It testifies to the one consequence that all people face—God’s wrath and judgment.  All religions know it.  We have not done good.  We cannot appease God.  Does he even have a good side to get on?

     Jesus reveals a loving Father to us.  In love for sinners, the Father sent his Son to take on all the judgment, the punishment, the curse, and the death for our sins.  God the Son did this on behalf of all sinners, so there is no need for different nations to have different religions.  St. John wrote in his first epistle, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2).  Jesus’ sacrifice has appeased his Father.  Jesus’ sacrifice atones for all sins.  Jesus has done what no other religion can do or promise.  This is why Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6).  Only Jesus brings a full pardon for all sin.  Only Jesus has overcome death.  Therefore, only Jesus will reveal to a loving Father to you.

     Some get the idea that God the Father is an angry Lord who is eager to strike people down, but that God the Son stepped in to calm him down.  If that were the case, then God the Father and God the Son would be of two different minds.  But they are not.  Jesus made that clear: “If you know me, you would also know my Father.  … The one who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:7,9).  If our threat was God the Father and our hope was in Jesus, Jesus would have promised to take us far away from the Father.

     Instead, Jesus promises that we will be taken to the Father.  This is his promise: “In my Father’s house are many mansions.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am” (John 14:2-3).  Jesus has ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us there.  For, God the Father wants us to be with him permanently—without terror, without troubles, and without end.  Jesus promises to take us to his Father’s house.  And, thanks to Jesus, he is your Father too.  Jesus reveals a loving Father to you.  He has made you his blessed children.  And he is eager to have you home.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

Update from Good Shepherd (April 30, 2026)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE
Divine Service is Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School is Sundays at 9:00 AM.
Adult Bible Class is Sundays at 9:00 AM.

Bible Matters is Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.  We will NOT meet on May 6.

CALENDAR: For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS

          Why do we sing what we sing?  Our Sunday morning Bible Class is looking at the hymns of the Church dating all the way back to the earliest songs of praise which were rendered to our Lord.  Hymns can be judged as good, medium, and bad.  How is that judgment determined?  Why does the pastor select the hymns he does?  We will explore these questions and others as we give careful attention to the songs we sing in worship.  The schedule can be found here.  Adult Bible Class meets at 9:00 AM on Sunday.

BIBLE MATTERS

          A new series will begin on Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30 PM.  Our series will be entitled, "Who Are These People?  Lessons on Lesser-Known People of the Bible."  The schedule is here.  NOTE: Bible Matters will NOT meet on May 6.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE

           Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the Divine Service from April 12, 2026: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, April 12, 2026

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (April)

>     On Thursday, June 4, Good Shepherd will host a table at Novi’s Community Day.  Feel free to stop by between 4:00-8:00 PM and say “Hi” to us. 

>    The windows above the altar and organ pipes have been replaced!! Hopefully the blinding rays of the sun will be reduced significantly. 

>    Payment has been made on a Smart TV to replace our projector and screen in the fellowship hall.  We are waiting for its delivery and we will be installed shortly after that. 

>    We have had issues recording the service and uploading them on our YouTube channel.  We will be looking at replacing some equipment and running new wiring to improve our recordings.  When the new equipment is in place, we will begin to live-stream our services again.

>    We are planning a Work Bee on Saturday, May 16.  Look for a list of projects that we will try to tackle.

>    Upon the completion of the windows being replaced, we will be looking to tackle another large project—the reupholstering of the chairs in the sanctuary.  The current chairs are about 30 years old and the cushions are disintegrating.  One estimate has been received at a cost of $450 per chair.  We will be attaining another estimate before we begin this project.

LADIES BRUNCH
          Ladies of Good Shepherd, mark your calendars for our annual Ladies Brunch. The men of Good Shepherd will be pleased to serve you brunch on Saturday, May 2 at 10:00 AM. You are welcome to invite other ladies of any age to join us for this event.  If you have not already done so, please RSVP to welsnovi@aol.com to indicate if you are coming and to inform us of any guests you will bring.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

          For the most part, the pastor will be observing formal office hours (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – Noon). Occasionally, duties will take him away from the office during these scheduled times, so you will still want to call or text to confirm any meetings with the pastor (248-719-5218).

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

==================

REGULAR SCHEDULE

Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.

Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.

DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.

Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.  NOTE: Bible Matters will NOT meet on May 6.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com  

Something from ... Martin Luther on the Office of the Holy Ministry

Martin Luther reminds us that the pastoral office is not established for the sake of the pastor to espouse his own thoughts or to do as he pleases.  The pastor is a man under orders--to proclaim only what Christ gives and to do the works Christ has established.  Individual pastors come and go.  The Lord, however, is pleased to raise up for his Church new pastors to succeed the old ones.  

As for the pastor, he is reminded that he stands in the stead and by the command of Jesus Christ.  While that could stir up feelings of pride and arrogance, the pastor must be sure to put those spirits to death.  The pastor stands humbly, knowing that he is under orders and will have to give an account to the Lord for his service.  After all, it is not the pastor's office; it is Christ's office.

From Martin Luther:

“In this way all sermons delivered in Christendom must proceed from the one Christ, and the clergy must prove that the words and works of their ministry in Christendom—regardless of whether their own person is good or evil—are those of Christ.  They must declare: ‘You are not to look to me or to follow me.  No, heed only that which the Lord Christ says to you or shows you through me; for this is not my word; it is Christ’s Word.  The Baptism and Sacrament I administer is not mine; it is His Baptism and Sacrament.  The office I fill is not mine; it is the Lord’s office.  But since it is Christ’s Word and Baptism, it is also the Father’s Word and Sacrament, because He says, “Whatever I say and do, I do not say or do on My own authority; but on the authority of the Father, who dwells in me.”’” (page 66, Luther’s Works: American Edition, Volume 24.  Concordia Publishing House: St. Louis, MO.  © 1961.)

Sermon -- 4th Sunday of Easter (April 26, 2026)

THE GOOD SHEPHERD BRINGS ABUNDANT LIFE.

JOHN 10:1-10 

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia! 

     The entire tenth chapter of St. John’s Gospel is devoted to Jesus as the Good Shepherd and we as his sheep.  Many people are insulted by the idea of being called a sheep.  Sheep are considered to be gullible, stupid, defenseless, and harmless.  The truth is, sometimes we are gullible, buying into worldly attitudes.  We are stupid in giving into sins when we know better.  We are helpless and defenseless against our foes.  None of us can erase our sins.  None of us can evade death or the judgment that follows. 

     Those who hold a high opinion of themselves would never humble themselves to be compared to a sheep.  But our Lord warned, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Matthew 23:12).  There is an adage that says, “A man who has himself has a lawyer has a fool for a client.”  It is all the more true that a man who has himself as his own Savior is a fool.  Anyone who is too proud to be a sheep and to have Jesus as his or her Good Shepherd will die outside of God’s grace and mercy.  Pride may win points in this world.  People who defy God with bold assertions may impress us with their confidence.  But pride and boldness will have terrible consequences in the judgment that is coming.

     Before Jesus speaks about himself as the Good Shepherd, he introduced this image: “I am the door for the sheep.  All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the door.  Whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:7-9).  The door is the only legitimate way into a home.  If someone climbs through a window, there is a problem.  Either he locked himself out or he is an intruder.  Either way, it is not normal. 

     Just as the door is the only right way to enter a house, so also Jesus is the only way to enter the kingdom of God.  That’s because Jesus is the only one who enables us to stand before the Lord without fear.  This is what the Lord says, “Who may go up to the mountain of the LORD?  Who may stand in his holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, whose soul is not set on what is false, who does not swear deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4).  Who is up to that?  Who can boast that his hands are clean from obscene or threatening gestures, from grabbing after what God has forbidden, or from being tight-fisted to the needy?  Who can claim that his heart is pure and free from lust, greed, anger, jealousy, falsehood, or self-worship?  If we do not have clean hands and a pure heart, we cannot stand before the Lord.

     Jesus is the door to the kingdom of God.  Jesus is the way into God’s holy place.  That’s because Jesus’ clean hands have touched and blessed the sick and dying.  Jesus’ innocent hands bear the marks of the nails which give evidence that he gave his life as the payment for our sins.  Jesus’ pure heart always had compassion for sinners.  Jesus’ pure heart moved him to take the lowest place as one convicted, condemned, and cursed for us.  And Jesus’ pure heart was pierced to produce a flow of water and blood which provide perfect cleansing from every iniquity.  Jesus’ innocence covers our guilt.  Jesus’ purity cleanses us from all filth.  The only way to stand in the Lord’s holy place is if we enter his presence through Jesus.  The only way to an abundant life is through Jesus.

     Jesus said, “I am the door.  Whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture.  A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:9-10).  The Good Shepherd brings abundant life.  He did not come to get something out of you, as if he needs anything from you.  Jesus said, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).  There are always people who want to take advantage of you.  This is one big reason we hate telemarketers.  No one who sees “Potential Spam” show up on his cell phone thinks, “Oh, good!  Someone is calling me to make my life better and easier and give me a great deal in doing it!”  No, we consider it an invasion of our time and a threat to our finances. 

     Jesus, however, is not out to fleece the flock or rob you of anything.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and everything Jesus does is for the good of the flock.  He has come to comfort, to protect, to encourage, and to save.  If Jesus kills anything, it is your sinful nature which needs to be put to death so that you will be raised up as a new creation.  If Jesus destroys anything, it is the kingdom of the devil so that you are released from the devil’s claims and influence.  If Jesus steals anything, it is you whom he has stolen from the icy grip of death.  The Good Shepherd brings abundant life.

     What do you consider an abundant life?  Let’s reshape the question.  When you think of someone who has lived life to the full, who comes to mind?  Titans of industry like J.D. Rockefeller or Cornelius Vanderbilt?  They had enormous fortunes that allowed them to live lavish, pampered lifestyles.  Or maybe top tier celebrities whose fame gives them access to just about any place they want to go.  Or maybe world leaders whose power shapes a nation or the world.  Maybe for you, life to the full is boiled down to having a long life with lots of friends.  

     Fine; but understand this: Even if you should enjoy a lavish life and a pampered ego, these are focused on the here and now; and the here and now is soon over and gone.  And none of those things delivers forgiveness of sins or delivers you from the grave.  On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I cried out, “All my possessions for a moment of time.”  In the end, she got neither.  But with Jesus, you receive heavenly riches and endless time.  Jesus promises, “I am the door.  Whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9). 

     The Good Shepherd brings an abundant life.  Too often, we limit that to eternal life.  On the one hand, that is what we long for because we know the benefits that await us at the resurrection.  Oh, to have a life that does not know sorrow or loss!  Oh, to have a home where there is no fighting, a workplace where there is no pettiness, a community where there is no crime or danger!  We long for bodies that are healthy and strong, for eyesight that is not blurred, for ears that no longer need us to keep asking, “Can you repeat that?”  We long for gardens without weeds, for cabinets without medication, and for seasons without allergies.  And do you know what?  Your Good Shepherd will bring you to that perfect life.  The Good Shepherd who passed through death will have you pass through the valley of the shadow of death to life eternal.  And that life is eternal, glorious, and perfect.  The Good Shepherd brings an abundant life.

     So, what does he do for you in the here and now?  Dear Christians, the Good Shepherd still brings you an abundant life!  You live in the same corrupt and cruel world as every other person on earth.  Everyone has to cope with anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration.  Many suffer through these hardships without hope or help, but the Lord Jesus is with you.  The Good Shepherd continues to speak to you.  If you want your Good Shepherd to speak to you, read the Bible.  If you want to hear your Good Shepherd’s voice audibly, read it out loud.  Your Good Shepherd speaks to you to comfort, to strengthen, to encourage, and to admonish you so that you do not drift off into sin and death again.  He guides you through your tears, through trials, and through temptations.  He repeats his promises.  He expresses his faithful love and care.  He guides you to live without fear because your eternal hope is secure.  The Good Shepherd brings an abundant life.

     What’s more, your Good Shepherd does not have you merely survive through your trials and temptations, and amid the turmoil in this turbulent world.  He invites you to feast and to celebrate in the midst of these things.  King David wrote about this in Psalm 23.  He confesses of the Lord, his shepherd, “You set a table for me in the presence of my foes.  You drench my head with oil.  My cup is overflowing” (Psalm 23:5).  This is in the midst of his enemies!  They didn’t go away, but it did not matter.  He got to feast because his Good Shepherd was there with him.

     The same is true for you.  Is the devil going to leave you alone?  No.  Is the world going to learn to behave?  Will it cease and desist trying to entice you away from the Lord?  No.  Will you ever tame your own sinful desires?  No.  All the enemies that seek to bring about your destruction are continually around you.  But Jesus remains with you.  In fact, he sets a table for you in the presence of your foes.  He summons you to come and feast and rejoice here.  He feeds you with the body which has overcome death and sustains your faith.  The cup overflows with God’s salvation.  Week after week, the Lord’s blood is poured into you, and it never runs out. 

     The Good Shepherd always prepares his heavenly feast for you, even in the midst of your foes.  So, the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh do not get to have you.  Instead, Jesus cleanses you of your sin; it cannot condemn you.  The world will pass away, but the Good Shepherd has established you in an eternal kingdom.  The devil snarls and snaps, but Jesus says, “Fear not.  All is well.  My rod and my staff guide you and beat your enemies back.  My peace rests upon you.”

     The Good Shepherd brings an abundant life.  And his gifts are not limited to spiritual gifts, either.  He cares for all your physical needs, and he does not give you the bare minimum.  He provides sunshine, daffodils, art, laughter, butterflies, kittens, strawberries, and bacon.  Even in a broken and bitter world, the Lord presents beauty and gives you reasons to enjoy your life.  The here and now may be temporary, but it can still be good. 

     The Good Shepherd brings an abundant life.  He “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own sheep, he walks ahead of them.  The sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).  You are not some nameless, faceless person to him.  Your Good Shepherd knows you.  He likes you.  And he wants you to be his.  That is why he speaks to you, comforts you, feeds you, and protects you.  The path to the heavenly kingdom may be rocky, but the Good Shepherd knows where he is leading you.  He has walked ahead of you through death to the life of glory, perfection, and peace.  He is the one who will lead you there.  He is the only way in.  Enter through the Door.  Listen to your Savior.  Follow your Good Shepherd.  For he, and he alone, brings you abundant life. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sacred Things -- A Gospel Book

Just yesterday, a wonderful new addition arrived at church.  A generous gift from Mark & Carol C. was shipped from Athens, Greece and now adorns our altar.  While the Gospel reading is glorious in and of itself, it will now be presented from a boom that testifies to its beauty and to the value we place on it.  (And, it's heavy!)