We Are All About God’s Grace for God’s People

THIS WEEK AT CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH

John 10:16 – “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice…”

Hearing the Shepherd’s voice

We all have our favorite people we listen to. Perhaps we listen to this or that person because of how excited they are in delivering the news on our favorite station. Or perhaps we listen to this or that person because of the passion they have for a certain subject. Or perhaps we listen to this or that person because we trust their wisdom, their expertise, they knowledge on a particular subject. Or perhaps we listen to this or that person because we simply enjoy the sound of their voice, their cadence, their poetic use of words and phrases, etc. There are a number of reasons why we might listen to someone. This is why Jesus our Lord put such an emphasis on talking, on speaking, on preaching the truth of God. We all are listening to somebody, but of all the many voices we are listening to, are we hearing the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus the Lord?

In our passage from John 10:11-18, we enter into a conversation that’s been going on since chapter 7. Jesus’ authority to teach and preach is in question. The religious authorities are tired of listening to this Man and his bombastic claims of being equal with God, of questioning their status as Abraham’s children and calling them instead children of the devil, and of opening the eyes of the psychically and spiritually blind. The Pharisees and others were getting tired of listening to this Good Shepherd’s voice, their promised Good Shepherd from Ezekiel 34.

Despite the resistance, the Good Shepherd’s voice still must be heard. “Other sheep” need to hear his voice and so be drawn into his reign of grace and kingdom of mercy. “Other sheep” need to hear his voice which proclaims God’s love for this world through the atoning death of the Son. “Other sheep” need to hear his voice which proclaims BOTH the sentence of judgment that has been place over all humanity since the time of Adam and Eve AND the verdict of those who believe and follow the Good Shepherd’s voice: Forgiven, cleansed, innocent! This good news of the Father’s one-sided rescue mission must be heard, must be proclaimed, must be preached to all the nations so all those “other sheep” can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. What this means is that preaching is the most important thing the Church of Christ engages in week after week. The Good Shepherd wants to be heard and has ordained preaching as the means of how his voice is indeed heard, preaching that comes from regular preachers faithfully expoudning the riches and the glory of God. There is an intimate connection between the Good Shepherd and his under-shepherds (a.k.a. pastors). In Luke 10:16. Jesus says, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” May we hear our Shepherd’s voice this week and every week through the gift of preaching.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Chris

This week at Christ the King

Tuesday, April 17th
1 PM Ladies’ JOY Book Club
Wednesday, April 18th
9 AM Quilting
9:30 AM Bible Study – John 6:1-21
12:00 PM Parish Life Committee
7 PM Bible Study – Key People in John’s Gospel: Nicodemus
Thursday, April 19th
10 AM Coffee Clutch
11:30 AM Thursday Theology – Articles 11 & 12 of the Formula of Concord
Saturday, April 21st – 5 PM Worship w/ Holy Communion
Sunday , April 22nd – 4th Sunday of Easter
9 AM Faith Formation (Sunday School and Confirmation)
9:30 AM Coffee Fellowship Time (Library)
10:30 AM Worship w/ Holy Communion