PASTOR BRIAN K. BROWN, St. Mark M.B. Church
John:10
The text is a parable where Jesus shares a human story laced with spiritual heavenly truth. The story is of shepherding and sheep with the shepherd. The sheep have a good shepherd, and he cares for the sheep but there are those in the midst of the sheep that are not good and do irreparable damage to sheepfold (robbers and thieves). Jesus is the door by which the sheep go in and come out and Jesus is responsible for them finding green pastures. Everyone who came before Jesus were robbers and thieves (they only considered their own ambitions and drive). In verse 10 Jesus says the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy and clarifies that he has come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
Through this text we are reminded that robbing didn’t just occur when Covid19 showed up. Some have been robbed of joy and COVID has nothing to do with it. Some have been robbed of jobs, finances, strength, heath, and it has nothing to with COVID. Robberies keep happening every day. There have been losses, but everything is not lost. Jesus says, while the thief has a purpose of robbing us, he comes that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
While we may have experienced losses brought about by COV19 or by just living the ordinary, everyday life. Though there have been robberies over the weeks and months of joy, health, stability, and peace, God says we’re still rich. Pastor Brown asked the text: What still remains?
From verse two and following, we get encouragement, and the first point We Are still Rich in His Presence. The good news for us is that we have his presence all around us. God is a very present help in the midst of our trouble. God will never leave or forsake us. He will always show up no matter the day, whether we’re right or wrong, sick, well, glad, or sad. We may have lost things, but we didn’t lose the Lord because he tells us wherever we are, he’s there with us to be our all and all.
The second point was We Are still Rich With His Provisions. The text lets us know that what we have to do is to make it to the inside, the Lord will give safety from whatever is trying to do us harm. It goes on to say that now that we’re on the inside the Lord will lead us in and out so that we will find food to eat. All of us may be hungry but not for food. Some are hungry for love, joy, healing, deliverance, or peace of mind. The Lord will satisfy whatever our hunger is and will provide what we need before we think or ask. The Lord may not give us what we want but will always provide what we need.
The last point, We Are Still Rich From His Promises. According to the text, Jesus’ sheep hear his voice, he knows them, and they follow him, and the Lord says he gives them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man be able to pluck them out of his hands. The Lord made a promise in these verses, that there will be moments in our lives that everything is not going our way, that we will fall down, and it feels like we’ll never get up again, there will be moments when things feel really bad and better will never show up, but the Lord promises that his sheep will never perish. We may fall down but we’ll get back up again. God’s word is as good as gold. When God says he’ll never leave or forsake us we need to understand that we don’t know where, when, how or who, but God has promised to make a way. God is rich in his promise to us, and we can depend upon his promises. Since know we are rich, we need to operate with confidence in God.
We are back in the sanctuary and invite you to join us. The mess is also live-streamed on YouTube @ St Mark MBC at 10:20 for Sunday School, worship service at 10:45 a.m. each Sunday and bible study on Wednesdays @ 7:00 p.m.
