May 3, 2020                                                                                        Text:  John 10:1-10

Dear Friends in Christ,

            When I was a young shaver we would often visit family friends who had Holstein milk cows.  It was always fun to watch them being milked.  The front of the barn, where we entered had a door sliced in the middle.  This way the bottom could be closed to keep the cows in the barn while the top door could be open when a nice cool breeze was needed. 

            I wasn’t as afraid of cows as I was of dogs but I always kept my eye on where the cow was going when I was in the barn.  One time a cow was coming right toward me and I thought there was no time to open the door so thinking quickly I jumped up and climbed out the half door.  There would be no Lueck/Holstein confrontation this day.

            Today in our Gospel lesson Jesus calls Himself the “door.”  How many times do we want to climb right over that door because of our lack of trust?  As scared sheep do we ever hide behind a door?  Today is Good Shepherd Sunday . . . the Lord is taking you by the hand . . . let’s find out together . . .

“WHAT’S BEHIND THE DOOR?”

            Have you ever been anxious or nervous to enter a door?  A hospital room with a loved one inside?  A closed door from your teenager you just had a spat with?

A spouse who’s slammed door spoke volumes?  The first time you ever went to a funeral home?  The boss who wants to talk with you in their office?  Going into your mom’s bedroom shortly after she died?  I’ve been there.  So have you.

            Why are some places so hard to enter?  Because we feel we go in alone.  Instead of entering with the Good Shepherd, who is the door, we wrap ourselves in our own insecurities.  We hear other voices.  We let the thief and the robber have their way with our mind.  We think our salvation and our life and our success are based on us improving our lives on our own.  You make yourself the door.  You are actually the one who, by what you do and what you don’t do, determines if you are in the sheep pen or not.  You are the door through which you get into heaven.

            Today in our Gospel we hear the word “sheep” six times.  But we are not just anyone’s sheep.  We are the Lord’s sheep.  You have heard His voice.  You here in the sanctuary, you are sheep.  You watching online, you are sheep.  You are each uniquely loved, particularly cared for, and led out to pasture by Him.  He calls you by name.  At the baptismal font through water and the Word the Lord tagged you as his sheep.

            Your Lord Jesus is not just behind the door – He is the door.  He is the way into the sheep pen.  He is the way out to green pasture.  He is the way to life, not just life in this world, but life eternal.

            The Good Shepherd has given His life for you and me.  Jesus went to the cross as the slaughtered sheep in our place.  The false shepherds of the day run and jump over the door to the sheep pen and when the wolves come they devour the sheep.  “I am not going to sacrifice myself for these silly sheep.”

            If the thief is behind the door – watch out.  The only thing you will find behind that door is death. 

            Our door – our Good Shepherd – died for all the times you try to make yourself the door.  He rose again on the third day to overcome your fear and anxiety.  Entering through this Door gives you life forever and ever.  Jesus goes before you to protect and guide you.  He meets your enemies head-on and defeats them for you.

            What’s behind the door?  You know by now, don’t you?  Our Good Shepherd – Jesus Christ.  This Sunday we celebrate that Jesus is our Shepherd, the Door through whom we have life and have it abundantly.

                                                                                    Amen.     

April 26, 2020                                                                                 Text:  Luke 24:13-35

Dear Friends in Christ,

            This next week is an exciting time for 4^th year seminary students.  They receive their first calls into the ministry.  Unfortunately, it will not be done in person.  I was in their shoes 29 years ago.  Where am I going?  What church is getting this goofy Pastor who looks fifteen years old?  It not only affected me, but Toni as well.  We were engaged to be married.  She sat with my parents and most everyone in the chapel had their Rand McNally Atlas with them.  Wahoo, Nebraska?   Deer Lodge, Montana?  I stood up, crossed the altar area and heard this that will probably never leave my brain – Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Littlefield, Texas.  I finally knew where Toni and I would be starting our life together.

            The two first-century disciples in our text knew they were going to Emmaus.  They knew the way.  Problem was, they didn’t know God’s way.  That was a problem, just as it often is for us.  So this morning, let’s . . .

“LET GOD SHOW US HIS WAY”

            These Emmaus disciples are found despondent and going the wrong way.  Easter was happening in Jerusalem, but they were leaving the city in a sad state.  They had just seen the death of Jesus but they didn’t know where to go, what to think, what to do.  They knew how to physically get to Emmaus, but in a sense, they had lost their way.

            So Jesus joins them, but recognizing Him escapes them.  It’s not an eye problem they suffer from.  Jesus has miraculously kept them from knowing him.  Their problem:  they didn’t understand God’s purpose.  They did not know which way God was going.  They didn’t trust that God’s way was working.  The events of the crucifixion gave them a feeling of defeat.

            Don’t we also miss where the Lord is taking us?  We tend to focus on the negatives of life.  99 people may tell us what a great job we did, but we let the one critical comment linger in our head.  Why do we do that?  Sinful people –even our family – surround us and we love to point out their faults.  Why do we do that?  I sense we are all at a tipping point because we can’t plan for the future.  Do I get the haircut appointment?  Will I get into my dentist by the end of the year?  Worship, O I miss my church family!  It’s tough.  We all hurt.

            Why do we do that?  We are sinful.  We forget God’s purpose for us – God’s way.  God values you, let go of your insecurity.  We focus so much on this world but this is not our home.  We forget that the gates of hell cannot overcome the Church of Jesus Christ.  When we focus so much on the negatives and that our plans are not working out the way they should, we may start to think God is going the wrong way.  Has our Savior lost His way?  Hey, you are going the wrong direction!  Except, He isn’t.

            God has always been going the right way – His way.  What is God’s way?  He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to these men.  The Lord always uses His written Word to show us His way.  Jesus showed that the whole Bible points to His death and resurrection.  His suffering and death were God’s way of salvation for us.  This was no defeat, this is glory.  This was God’s way of cleansing us of our sin.  He forgives our negativity and our lack of trust and heading off in the wrong direction.  God has cleared the way for our eternal salvation.

            God is guiding our way.  Let Him show you the way.  Yes, we have ups and downs.  The downs are never God losing His way, but rather God’s strengthening of us.  All the negatives are just sidetracks we see – or think we see – on the road to heaven.  You and I have stories of positive happenings this last month, look around because they are there.  More people are checking in on church services online.  Families have had more together time.  Less people have gotten sick than originally projected.  Traffic is lighter.  Toilet paper can be found!

            God will show the way for our future.  Christ got the disciples turned around to go God’s way.  They recognized him because He opened their eyes.  “Sure enough, it’s just as he said.  God has been in control.”  They run the seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell the others that Jesus has risen.  “We just talked with Him.  Wow, what a day we have had!”

            God also controls our way and our future.  Jesus is alive we tell others.  Scripture has been fulfilled we tell others.  All who believe in Him have eternal life we tell others.  Let’s use that 7-mile analogy.  Imagine the difference we can make in the lives of those within a 7-mile radius of our church.  God shows us the way and then leads us to share His way.

            God’s way is to redeem all people by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  God’s way is to have you and me spread that news.  Because of our Lord we know where we are going, even while we are still on the way.

                                                                                    Amen.