Sunday devotions: Hired Hands or Higher Hand? John 10:11-18

Today's Lectionary Reading: John 10:11-18

John 10:12     The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 

I read a very sad statistic this morning and it has bothered me since that time. According to a 2008 survey of a mainstream denomination, 54% of pastors did not believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. That was four years ago, so I now suspect that the number will be about 57 - 60% of pastors.

Why is this happening? Any business that employed sales people who did not fully believe in the product would soon go under. Any sports team that did not have players who believed in the coach would keep on losing. And any church that has a pastor who does not believe Christ is the World’s only Savior is doomed to fail because congregations, with shepherds who believe in nothing, always end up believing in anything.

I am fortunate to lead a congregation of folks who try to put Christ at the center of their lives. They know Who He is and all that He has done for them. They understand that they have faults and sins like everyone else on Earth, but they also believe that the grace of Christ saves them from being eternally separated from God. If I didn’t believe 100% in Christ being the Good Shepherd who calls everyone to His flock in order to be forgiven and restored to God through Him alone, then I would create havoc with their beliefs, confuse the minds of the congregation, and eventually scatter the sheep. I would only be a hired hand and not influenced at all by a Higher Hand.

Any business that employs sales people who do not fully believe in the product is doomed to fail. Any branch of Christendom that ordains pastors who do not fully believe in Christ being the Only Savior of the World is destined to diminish and, sadly, eventually die.

Hired hands or the Higher Hand – which leads the church we serve?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we play around in our minds with notions, ideas, and opinions that are self-serving, self-fabricated, and self-centered. You died for those sins and, deep within our hearts, we know that only You have the key to unlock Heaven’s Door. Forgive us for failing to believe in You and for allowing the world to distract and deceive us. Help us today to fully accept that You are the Good Shepherd and that when we listen to Your voice, we find salvation. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Pentecost drawing. It’s a stained glass design called “Pentecost Paraklesis.” If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6978306792_200832531b_b.jpg

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Real Rejoicing!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Throughout the summer months, when our church choir does not meet, our Creative Expressions team encourages our church kids to present the anthem during worship on Sunday mornings. The leader of our ministry team, Cynthia, and Joe our choir director, take time out from their own busy schedules to rehearse the songs that our church kids will sing.

Sometimes the kids sing solo; on other occasions they present duets, trios, and ensembles to the Lord. They even do dance routines, taught by one of our moms, for their songs. The kids are as young as first graders and as ‘old’ as Middle Schoolers. It’s wonderful to watch them confidently and enthusiastically sing for the Lord. Their joy in church becomes a great boost to the whole congregation and we rejoice along with them. We feel truly blessed to have such dedicated leaders and creative kids.

Rejoicing is an important part of any church’s worship life. When we joyfully praise God, we do two things: firstly, we express our love to God, and secondly, we attract other people to worship Christ. It’s a wonderful way of living out our faith and sharing our beliefs.

As our church kids grow up, we hope that they will remember their joyful experiences in church, so that when they become adults they will have a solid foundation for their faith. We may never see the full extent of God’s work in their lives, but we will continue to rejoice with them, so long as we are all here.

Today, let’s look for moments of rejoicing in the Lord. Let’s seek out those precious times when we can joyfully and effectively share our faith in Christ. And as we rejoice in Jesus, let’s also pray that others will be attracted to our Savior and His church.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we rejoice in You, for You are the One Great Love and Hope in our lives. Help us to make this day a time of faithful rejoicing in our work, at our homes, and amongst our friends. In Your Most Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.