"The People of God Given Security"
April 21, 2013
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE CHRISTIAN SEASON OF THE PASSOVER
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE CHRISTIAN SEASON OF THE PASSOVER
Acts 13: 15-16; 26-39/Psalm 100/Revelation 7: 9 – 17/John 10: 22 - 30
His Eminence
The Most Reverend Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
and
Primate
of the
National Church in the Philippines
and
the Territorial Church of Asia
International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
Traditionally in the world’s Churches, today, it is known as the Sunday of Great Shepherd. It reveals unto us the greatness of Christ. In the Opening Prayer, we thanked God for Christ who became a Lamb, who was slain for us.
From the Passover, the purpose of the Lamb, the blood of the Lamb saved Israel’s first born from death. It provided protection for them. In the Prayer, we also thanked Him for the Shepherd who watches over us; who has given His life for us; who leads us in green pastures, besides still waters. He has given to us all that we need, if only, we believe.
We know that God is the Creator of all things. Christ and God being One. We have a foundation given to us of awesomeness. Nothing exists that did not come from Him. In all that He created, He created with a tremendous amount of effort and work. Proverbs 3:19-23, “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not depart from your sight; keep sound wisdom and discretion so they will be life to your soul, and adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely, and your foot will not stumble.”
Here, history shows us that all that God has done was done in wisdom and knowledge. He established it; it will not fall apart. We have lost sight of the greatness of God’s provision. We don’t seek to know and understand it.
Psalm 63 1-8, “Oh God, Thou are my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirst for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee. In dry and weary land, where there is no water, thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary, to see Thy power and Thy glory. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee. So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hand in Thy name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember Thee on my bed, I meditate on Thee on the night watches, for Thou has been my help, and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to Thee; Thy right hand upholds me.”
David understands and gives recognition to the fact that his whole life was what it was because he depended upon God. He sought Him; he wanted to know Him. He realized that He was the great God that brought all things into his life.
In history, at a time when Israel had failed God, when they were in captivity in Egypt, God was calling Moses to go in and set them free. Moses, at one point in his conversation with God, asked Him, “Who am I going to tell sent me?” God responded to him and said, “Tell them I AM who I AM.” This statement in itself perhaps doesn’t bring a lot of understanding because we don’t know why they write the things that they did. In simplicity, I would interpret it this way, “I AM what I do.”
God speaks at this point to say that the things He does gives understanding of who He is. This is a truth which we follow throughout the wholeness of Scripture because we see the character of God in all that He does. We see the character of God – His love, His compassion, His covenant with man when He sends His only Son to become flesh, to identify with man so that He can be the sacrifice for man and set man free.
We see the heart of God. We do not see anger. We do not see rebellion. We do not see hatred. Some had given God a wrong image, but if we see God by what He does we can know Him by what He does.
I would say this to us, “This is something that we need to understand because what we are is revealed by what we do.” You cannot hide it. You say, “I did not mean that.” This is not true! It comes out of the heart. What we are is what we do. We must be cautious.
In Exodus 6:31, God said, “I did not make Myself known to them. I will make you as My people and I will be your God.” Now, He was going to reveal Himself. In addition, Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare not calamity; plans for a hope and a future.” Do we have this in our heart? Is this written deep within us? This is God! This is who God is. This is His plan for you and I! Why the oppression? Why do we have doubt about life itself or our own abilities? Why is our imagery so depleted when God had said, “I know the plans I have for you.” He speaks these plans in awesomeness – when He speaks of Christ and the greatness of Christ’s life to us.
Sending Christ as the Great Shepherd to guide us, there are several identities that He gives to us which reveal Him and His character.
John 6:35, “I am the bread of life.” If you want to know what life is supposed to be, then feed on Him. Here is your success and your hope. It will not come from a high education, from a big position. It will not come from a political situation or financial wealth. It comes in Christ. Christ is the Source of life itself. It is the only place life can be brought to its fullness.
John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.” He is understanding of this life. He shows us how this life works. He gives us insight and direction so that we are not lost, deceived, and drawn away because He leads us as the Shepherd into the green pastures.
John 10:7, “I am the door of the sheep.” There is no other door that can be opened to us to enter into the kingdom life that we can live in. A verse song says, “That we might reign on earth.” In that kingdom, that kingdom was meant for us to be a witness to the greatness of God here in this life. We don’t need to be witness in heaven. God doesn’t want a witness. He has already proven who He is in heaven. But we are that door here for many to find Christ and for many to find that place in Him.
John 10:14, “I am the good Shepherd.” “I will lead you; I will guide you; I lay down My life to protect you. I feed you. I give everything you need. You lack in nothing when I am the Shepherd of your life.” We are seeking for success. We are seeking for things to bring goodness into our lives, but are we seeking the Shepherd and listening to Him? Are we paying attention to Him? Are we being guided in our lives by that which He brings to us?
John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.” “If you believe in Me, you will live, even if you die.” This is the hope that we have because He conquered death for us. He rose to show that He had the power over all sin. The Cross shares with us a proclamation, “Christ is Lord and He is King.” The other things are underneath Him. He has overcome them and He overcame them for us because He is the Shepherd and He is the Resurrection. He is the Life. Life cannot be substituted in another way. “He who enters in from another door is a thief who will kill and destroy and steal.” This is what the world has been doing to us. We are giving and giving and they are taking and taking and not replenishing what we have given.
John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” The word life is emphasized many times to let us know that the only way we are going to enjoy life is through Christ. We may have multitudes of businesses, money, or all kinds of possessions and honors, but they will not bring fulfillment and satisfaction. They will bring anxiety and fear; but when we have that life that comes from God, there is security in Him. It is the only place for security.
John 15:1, “I Am the true Vine.” We are the branches; from the branch comes the fruit which indicates who He is because our lives come from Him. Our lives are to reflect God. They are to reflect Christ and they are to reflect that which we have been given. Why the “I AM”? This is because it is the only reason for being. There is no other reason for being because all things come from Him. It had their origins in Him. Using what He has given to us for another reason is heresy. It is rebellion because God gave these things to us to bring honor and glory to Him in our lives. When we use them for our own self, for other things, we find ourselves rebelling against God. We find rebelling not walking with Him.
John 8:24, “Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” It is not telling us that we are going to hell, but it is telling us that we will not live life in the fullness. We will not have that life to its potential as God has said to us, “I know the plans I have for you – not calamity, but welfare for a hope and a future.” This is what He has prepared for us: to live NOW. It is not something that will come later.
The “I AM”. In Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is “I AM” yesterday; He is “I AM” today; He is “I AM” tomorrow. The boundless sea contains all things and yet it does not have any boundaries for itself. It holds all things together, but yet in itself, it is unlimited in its potential and ability. This is the greatness of God. This is the hope that God gives to us, a provision that is ours.
The holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit and will rise and depart from foolish thoughts. Even our thoughts, God knows. When our thoughts are not that which He has given, it causes in our own lives to have anxiety and stress.
We pray in the beginning of the liturgy that God would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts. He would cleanse these thoughts of defeat, of negativism, of deceit and of other things that have come into us – the fear and the anxiety. These things separate us from the God. Our hope is in Him. Our provision is in Him. Our protection is in Him. Our future is in Him. Our righteousness, our holiness is in Him. There is nothing that we can have that does not come from Him if it is to bring security into our lives. Money will not bring us security. Possessions will not bring us security. The highest degrees of the world will not bring security to us. The security comes in a relationship with Christ. It comes because of Him and what He has done for us.
Christ has been the Lamb that identified with our weaknesses, our sins, and our rebellion. He was crucified as the Lamb to pay the penalty of our rebellion and our sin. He then rose from the dead and He became the Great Shepherd, the King over all these things. They no longer rule and reign because He has destroyed their power and has given life to us.
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the world and that which holds all things together. He knows what is said because He is in everything. Nothing exists but what He is in not in the midst of it because it all came from Him. We cannot hide anything from Him. We cannot keep secrets from Him because He knows all things. He is Omnipotent. We may think, “I will just keep to myself. God will never know.” He knows and even in these thoughts causes us anxiety.
We must keep our heart pure and clean. He is our Shepherd. He wants to guide us; He wants to lead us; He wants us to walk with Him. He wants the provision of our lives to be pure. John 10:3, “My sheep hear My voice.” Hearing His voice, hearing Him speak to us, do we listen? It is not only that which we hear but it is what we do. This is how we are judged. What do we do? This identifies who we are. When we hold back, it identifies our insecurities, our fears, and our selfishness. When we walk in security with Him, the giving of love, ability and time - all that we do says who we are. It reveals the security that He gives to us. It reveals the peace that is ours. We are not anxious and fearful because we know all things work together for good.
We know Him. We have taken time to know Him because we see that He has created all of these great wisdom and great understanding. Therefore, if He could put all of these together, we need to know this Great One. We need to know His provisions. We need to know how all of these are held together by Him.
Why does the sun rise every morning so faithfully? Why does it go down the same way? Why does the moon come up? Why is the air the way it is? Why is the sea contained the way it is? Why are all these things there? His wisdom and understanding brought it to its place. He knows what He is doing. Man does not. You think you can get wisdom from man? You cannot because it is only foolishness. Wisdom comes from God – the only Source. We think we are so wise that we become fools because we do not know Him. Our lives reflect His greatness and our fruit declares who we are and who Christ is in our lives because of the fruit that comes forth from our lives.
It is not the words that we speak, but the fruit, the works of our hands. This is what we are judged by. May it be that on this Sunday of the Good Shepherd that we would bring forth in our own lives a commitment to know Him, a commitment to listen to Him, and a commitment to allow Him to guide us and to lead our lives so that we are not lost. He is our Bread of life. He is the nourishment. He is the very substance of life. Without Him, life does not exist.
I may exist, but that is all, but I will not have the life in its fullness because He is the Bread of life. He is the understanding as the light of the world. He reveals it in knowledge and understanding, insights and direction. He tells me how it functions so that I can fit into the way of His plan because then I will not be fighting against what He has done. I will not be resisting it but I will be walking in the flow that comes from Him.
The Good Shepherd; the Gate for the sheep. This is our God. This is Christ to us. This is His love. This is His compassion. He doesn’t want any to be lost. He doesn’t want any to fail. He wants us all to bring glory to Him. This is the purpose of our lives. This is the reason for our existence: to proclaim the greatness of our God.
May we bring it forth and may we bring honor to Him – the great “I AM.” In our own lives, can we say, “What I do is what I am? I reveal myself by what I do. My insecurities come out in what I do. My hatreds come out in what I do. My love comes out in what I do. My security comes out in what I do.” Are we in fear and anxiety? Then, there is something wrong because the Good Shepherd protects us at all times. He keeps those things from being a part of our lives which will destroy us.
The Good Shepherd brings security to His people. The only Source of security – none other. The only help is in Christ. May we follow Him, the Good Shepherd, as He leads us to life everlasting, Amen.
LET US CONTINUE OUR REFLECTION
WITH
CARDINAL OF HOLY MOTHER CHURCH
AND
VENERABLE PRIMATE
OF THE PHILIPPINES
THROUGH
THROUGH
THE WORD EXPOSED
MATTHEW 28:16-20+MARK 16:15-20
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