Panes of Glass

Thank you, Lord, for brothers
Who walk through thick and thin
With me, this drifting wanderer,
So in need of a good friend.
I talked with one such brother
Tonight about how our souls
Need your indwelling Spirit
To ignite our darkened coals.
You see, we’ve oft not listened
Nor hearkened to your voice
That all your Spirit’s whispers
Have ceased to be our choice.
Tonight, however, [...]

Amen.

This is the sermon I will deliver to Artifact on Sunday, April 6, 2008. The primary texts for the sermon are:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.
John 10:1-18

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:15-19

As promised, below are my answers to the second round of questions posed by my church, Artifact, during this Easter season. The final set of questions will be coming soon, I promise. I’ve started it, it’s just been delayed. (more…)

It saddened me today to see news from the Southern Baptist Convention. Apparently, numbers are what really matters, and churches will be encouraged to do anything it takes to get the total number of baptisms up to the 1,000,000 mark set at the end of last year. Please tell me that I’m not the only [...]

My friend Dustin Bennett has started a great conversation on “What is the church?” He is specifically asking what people believe about the place we attend on Sunday mornings, not the body of Christ identified with a capital ‘C’. Check it out here!