Sermon by: Robert Austell; March 31, 2019 - Philippians 2:1d,2d; Psalm 103; Luke 10:30-37 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Mighty to Save (Morgan, Fielding) Hear the Call of the Kingdom (Getty, Townend) Lord, Whose Love through Humble Service (BEACH SPRING) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. Today’s text contains one of my favorite words – compassion. In the call to worship from Psalm 103 we heard it over and over. The Lord is compassionate and gracious. God crowns us with compassion. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear or worship Him. The result of God’s compassion is His lovingkindness and it is from everlasting to everlasting. It doesn’t run out! In our series on having the attitude of Christ, we have been moving slowly through Philippians 2. There we are commended to have the affection and compassion of Christ. It is, in fact, described as our “one purpose.” And Jesus famously told stories about compassion: the compassion of the Father in the Prodigal Son story, the story of a great debtor and the man who forgave him, and the story of the Good Samaritan, which you heard today. Today I want to talk to you about what it means, how you show it, and how you grow it. Feeling is Tied to Action Compassion literally means “suffer with.” It is the emotion and the interest in others that stirs us to caring action. It is the motivation behind love of neighbor. Jesus would see a sick person, or an outsider, or even a hungry crowd, and he would feel compassion toward them. And in each case, he would act in some way. In the story of the Good Samaritan two people passed by a man who had been beaten and robbed. They saw the man’s condition; they took note of it. But they did not feel compassion. How do I know? Well, they may have felt sorry for the man, but compassion is a specific response that is tied to action. It is not feeling sorry for; it is suffering with. The Good Samaritan gives us a picture of compassion. The story tells us that he saw him and “felt compassion.” But even without that narrative note, we would have understood that he did because he took time to tend his wounds and take care of him. Interestingly enough, the Samaritan also had to keep moving (as did the first two too-busy folks who didn’t stop); but the Samaritan took the man to an inn and made sure that he would continue to get the help he needed. At the end of the story Jesus asks, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” The answer: “The one who showed mercy toward him.” And Jesus responded, “Go and do the same.” Compassion is part of the definition of being a good neighbor. It is a feeling but it is tied to “showing mercy” – an action. And Jesus wants us to go and do the same! Compassion with Guts! People in Jesus day had an interesting way of talking about compassion. In English we locate deepest feelings in the heart: as in “I love you with all my heart.” In Jesus’ day the equivalent would be something like “I love you with all my guts!” – which, you gotta admit, is further down than our heart!   In our translation of Philippians 2:1, we read “If there is any affection and compassion.” ‘Affection’ is the English translators trying to say something like ‘heartfelt.’ But if you have the sanctuary Bible open you’ll see a footnote that ‘affection’ is literally ‘inward parts.’ In Jesus day, people thought the deepest feelings came from deep down, literally from your guts. It’s also a

Sermon by: Robert Austell; March 24, 2019 - Philippians 2:1c,2c; Psalm 51:10-12; John 17:20-23 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: In Christ There is No East Or West (ST. PETER) Spirit of the Living God (Iverson; v2 Baughen) Create In Me (Shepardson, Ferguson) CHOIR: Amazing Grace (arr. Forman) Holy Spirit (Townend, Getty) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. We are continuing in a series called “Full Alignment,” in which we are talking about what it means to line up our mind, heart, and actions with those of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2, Paul writes that we are to “have the same attitude” that was in Christ Jesus. In the first week I talked about how ‘attitude’ is not only an emotional state, but is used in aviation to describe pitch, yaw, and roll – what it means to align a plane on every axis so that it’s flight will be true. The dangers of a misaligned attitude are certainly at the forefront of the news right now with the 737 Max planes being grounded. It sounds like a faulty sensor fed false information into the plane’s computer. What a tragic parable for us as we think about the information we take into our lives as we try to maintain a Christ-like course, a Christ-like attitude. Today we will be looking at the third of four attitudes or readings in the alignment of the Christian life. To plug those into the full verse Paul writes, we read: If there is any… fellowship of the Spirit… make my joy complete by being… united in spirit. (vv. 1c,2c) Today we’ll try to understand the fellowship and unity of the Spirit and why those things are important for being in “full alignment” with Christ. Fellowship of the Spirit I want to talk first about ‘fellowship’ and what it means. It’s something we enjoy in a number of settings, a kind of camaraderie or enjoyable connection, like on a team or among a group of friends. For church people it can describe social gatherings like a potluck dinner or the close-knit connections in a small group or prayer gathering. In fact, sometimes the whole community of a church is referred to as “a fellowship.” But those are all examples of what I would call fellowship with a lower-case ‘f’. The greater fellowship is with God and when God is present. And the Holy Spirit is what enables us to experience God’s presence with us and among us. Consider the language in Psalm 51, David’s prayer of confession after Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. David prays for a clean heart and a renewed spirit, then prays: Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (v.11) In Hebrew form, he is essentially saying the same thing twice: God’s presence is the presence of the Holy Spirit with David, and with us. The fellowship of the Spirit is the reality and experience of God with us through the Holy Spirit. And out of that fellowship with God overflows the human inter-connection that is human fellowship. In fact, it is a reflection of humanity created in God’s image that has gifted us with capacity and desire for fellowship. So yes, while we can experience soccer fellowship around a shared interest, or dinner-club fellowship around a love for food, it is Spirit-fellowship that those point toward and for which God created us. And that is, like the Great Commandment, fellowship with God and with neighbor. That’s the fellowship of the Spirit, upward and outward. United in Spirit That fellowship of the Spirit is also unifying because it is God’s unchanging Spirit at the heart of it. Team allegiances may change; dinner

Sermon by: Robert Austell; March 17, 2019 - Philippians 2:1-2; Luke 2:25-32 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Here is Love (Lowry, Rees) What Wondrous Love (arr. Austell) Create in Me (Shephardson, Ferguson) CHOIR: The Holy Heart (arr. ljames) Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me (ST. CATHERINE) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. “Consolation of love” – what a powerful, evocative phrase! Just days ago a group of Muslims was gunned down in New Zealand. Is there any consolation for their families and community? We’ve read of a whole class of planes grounded because two of that type have gone down without explanation. Is there any consolation for their families and friends? Some of you have lost loved ones in the past days and weeks, or are reminded of loved ones even though years have passed. Is there any consolation of love? Some of us – many of us – continue to be discouraged and disillusioned by politics, by systemic racism, by divisions and hate and hopelessness. Is there any consolation? any love? Today we continue in a series called “Full Alignment.” We are taking a number of weeks to look at part of Philippians, a letter from the Apostle Paul to the early church in the Greek city of Philippi. The heart of that chapter is a plea to line up our lives with Jesus – to align ourselves with his character and his actions. And today we focus on this full statement taken from verses 1b and 2b: If there is any consolation of love… make my joy complete by maintaining the same love. Paul is assuming all these “ifs” to be true, but I want to take a moment and ask, “Is there any consolation of love” for us? If so, then we’ll look at what it means for us to maintain that same love. The Consolation of Israel To help us understand what “consolation of love” means with respect to Jesus I was reminded of the story of Mary and Joseph taking the eight day old Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised. There they encountered two old people who had been waiting to see the Messiah. One was Simeon, to whom God had revealed he would see the Messiah before he died. He was old; he had been waiting a long time! When he saw Jesus, he exclaimed that now he could die in peace… he had seen God’s salvation, a “light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel.” (Luke 2:32) Now why did I think of this story? It’s there in verse 25, where it describes Simeon. He was “righteous and devout” and was “looking for the consolation of Israel.” That was how the Messiah, Jesus, was described. It’s one of the only other places the word “consolation” is used, particularly with respect to Jesus. So I point us to that to help us understand what the kind of consolation Jesus does is like. Here, it is in reference specifically to the work of the Messiah to save God’s people and show God to the world. Specifically, of course, that work would be Jesus’ saving death on the cross. How exactly would that console Israel? It would precisely because it would reconcile Israel – and all who believe – to God. Separated by sin and weighed down by the consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness, the Messiah would reconcile the world to God and restore the relationship with and blessing of God. In short, the consolation of Jesus is the consolation of the cross. And that is a consolation of love because Jesus demonstrates God’s love toward us to reconcile, rescue, and redeem us from sin and death for life and service. Consolation of Love So back to Philippians, what is “consolation of love?” Particularly because the wh

Sermon by: Robert Austell; March 10, 2019 - Philippians 2:1-2; Isaiah 35:1-4a; Romans 15:4-6 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Breathe on Us (Jobe, Cash) Great are You, Lord (Ingram, Jordan, Leonard) OFFERTORY: Be Ye Glad (arr. Fettke) - Mike and Maggie Slade, duet May the Mind of Christ My Savior (ST. LEONARDS) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. What is your attitude right now? Maybe you are interested… distracted… bored… enthusiastic… confused… happy… distressed… What if you were piloting a plane and I asked you that. You would give a very different answer. Pilots have to be aware of and give account for the orientation of their plane in three different dimensions. The words used to describe the plane’s orientation are pitch, yaw, and roll. Pitch has to do with whether the nose of the plane is heading up or down with respect to level. Yaw has to do with whether the plane is skewed to the left or right – the nose and tail don’t line up when the plane is coming toward you. And roll has to do with whether one wing tip is higher than the other. All three variables can change the direction of the plane off of the desired path. For the next eight weeks, through the Sunday after Easter, we will be in Philippians 2:1-18, which begins with a “therefore” tied to how we “conduct ourselves” in the end of chapter one. Chapter two then keys off of verse 5, “Have this ATTITUDE in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” These verses provide a rich picture of what the attitude of Jesus was, and all in terms of actions and emotions like you might expect. But I believe the challenge to “have this attitude” maps a course for us as followers much like a flight plan for a plane. If we don’t pay attention to our emotional and behavioral pitch, yaw, and roll, we can veer off course – that is, off Christ – and find ourselves lost or in trouble. The good news is that we aren’t on our own to figure out which way to go, but have a “flight plan” which this passage maps out in detail. Said another way, if we are going to FOLLOW Jesus, we need to follow Jesus! It’s the logical next step after encountering Jesus and responding to his love with “Here I am!” If we are going to follow where he leads us – and that’s what we’ve been talking about for months now! – we need to fix our eyes and hearts and paths directly on him. This series will help chart that course for us so that we can be in FULL ALIGNMENT with Christ. Overview We’ll be in verses 1-2 for four weeks because there are four pairs of “attitudes” there. Here’s how that lines up: If there is ______ (and there is in Christ!), then make my joy complete by _______________. week 1 – encouragement in Christ - - - being of the same mind week 2 – consolation of love - - - maintaining the same love week 3 – fellowship of the Spirit - - - being united in spirit week 4 – any affection and compassion - - - being intent on one purpose So today we will be talking about “encouragement in Christ.” We’ll talk about what it is, how we experience it and how we are to stay on course by “being of the same mind” (as Christ). Each week I will also pull in some other scripture to help us understand the particular course heading for the day. Today, it’s ENCOURAGEMENT. Course Heading: ENCOURAGEMENT (Isaiah 35:1-4a) I chose two supplemental texts this morning to help explain encouragement. The first is from Isaiah 35 and you heard it as our call to worship: 1 The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the desert will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus 2 It

Sermon by: Robert Austell; March 3, 2019 - Isaiah 40:1-11 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Here I Am to Worship (Hughes) Beautiful Savior (Seiss) - alt. of Fairest Lord Jesus CHOIR: Here I Am, Lord (Schutte) - w/Susan Slade, flute Be Unto Your Name (DeShazo, Sadler) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. For the last eight weeks we have heard stories of people encountering God and responding “Here I am.” In most of those cases what God went on to ask or lead or nudge them to do was out of their comfort zone, beyond their skill set, or a little bit scary. You heard from some of our congregation who have said “Here I am” to God. Their stories were no different, but God has been present and faithful to go before and behind and with them as they stepped out in faith. Today we come to the end of the series and we flip the thing around. Instead of focusing on the human side of things, the text focuses on the one TO WHOM we respond, the Lord. In today’s text we have God speaking to His people saying, “Here I AM.” It, of course, still prompts the question: “How will they respond… how will YOU respond?” But the great focus in the text is clearly on God. So I want to work through this text with you and try to get a clear glimpse of who God is and what He has done. Then I’ll end by asking you the question one last time for this series: how will YOU respond? Prologue: they won’t listen I don’t know if you remember last week. We were in Isaiah 6. Same guy… Isaiah. He had a powerful vision of the Lord, an encounter with God Almighty. We talked about that whole cycle of encountering God in worship, confessing sin, being made clean, and being responding to God’s mission. And I pretty well glossed over his mission, but it was another challenging one. God told him that the people wouldn’t listen. “Here I am; send me!” and God does… and God tells you that they won’t listen. At least for a long time. It was kind of a God-sized, community time out. Or perhaps more accurately, God was letting them experience the consequences of their disobedience and sin. So Isaiah was to go among God’s people for a season of being tuned out to God until the people were ready to listen and really turn back to God. That was Isaiah 6. Today we are in Isaiah 40 and time has passed. The people have experienced the wretched consequences of living in disobedience to God. And now Isaiah’s message is much different. Not only is it full of Good News, but now the people may be ready to hear it! Let’s listen. Peace and Preparation (vv.1-5) The chapter begins with amazing words of mercy and grace: “Comfort, O comfort my people” says your God. It’s THEIR God who is speaking now of comfort. The time for punishment and consequences is over. Isaiah goes on to share God’s message: “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Have you ever delivered that kind of message as a parent? Okay; you did something wrong, but you have endured the consequences and now you can move on with life. And in this case God pronounces something that sounds so Gospel-like: your iniquity has been removed. They endured the consequence of their disobedience and faithlessness, but only God can remove sin. And He has; and He does. Things are right with God; His people have been reconciled to Himself. They have peace with God. With that peace, God now tells His people to get ready. It’s the language of preparing for the

Sermon by: Robert Austell; February 24, 2019 - Isaiah 6:1-10 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Choir: Holy is the Lord (Schubert) - call to worship I See the Lord (Falson) Choir: Sanctus (Bean/Gray) - anthem Choir: Kyrie (Bean/Gray) - song of confession O Jesus, I have Promised (ANGEL'S STORY) Holy is the Lord (Tomlin) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. Today’s text from Isaiah 6 contains what is probably the most well-known “Here I am” passage. It’s the first one I thought of when I thought of this series. But there is so much going on. It really begins with a staggering vision of God. Like the burning bush, you might think of it as God saying “Here I AM!” And that encounter is powerful and overwhelming for Isaiah. It ends with his response back to God: “Here I am; send me.” What I want to highlight today with that interaction is the importance of worship as a key means of encountering God. Specifically, I want to try to answer the question: “How do we grow closer to God?” An Encounter with God’s Holiness (vv.1-4) As the chapter opens, Isaiah has been about the business of prophesying God’s message to Israel. God’s words (through Isaiah) are interrupted by this vision in chapter 6. In the vision, Isaiah sees God seated on a great throne in a temple. It is as regal and imposing a picture as can be imagined. God’s seat is high above and the train of his robe is so full and long it fills the temple itself. And there are strange angelic creatures, seraphs, flying around and singing praise to God. Their singing was so powerful that it shook the doors and thresholds, causing the temple to fill with smoke. The closest thing I can imagine comes from “The Wizard of Oz” as the travelers first discover the great Oz. Only this vision is for real! There is no mechanical deception, but the real and all-powerful God of the universe. The song of the seraphim reveal the truth of the moment: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The first part of Isaiah’s experience was an encounter with God’s holiness. Isaiah saw the majesty and glory of God and was awestruck. We as human beings (and Americans, especially) have lost the concept of God as holy. We have achieved great things: governments, societies, art, culture, architectural marvels, and technological wonders. We have even walked on the moon! What is left for us to marvel at? The very nature of God’s holiness is that God is so righteous, just, loving, pure, powerful, and transcendent that the divine nature sets God apart from humanity, how can we experience God today? And yet the consistent testimony of scripture is that humanity does encounter God in our finite existence. God created the earth and heavens that we might witness his handiwork. God revealed holy law and charged his people with being a holy people. Christ came that we might know God and holiness through Christ’s righteousness. And eternity will be a grand declaration of praise of God’s holiness. This is the first part of growing closer to God. You can teach information all day long, but I believe each person must encounter God in some way for faith to form. Must we wait for supernatural visions to experience God’s holiness? No.... but our eyes, ears, and hearts must be open and ready to see it. But, to what end??? Confession of Sin (v.5) Isaiah’s reaction to God’s holiness is important. It warns us that God is beyond our own invention or comprehension. Rather, the human reaction to God’s holiness is, as Isaiah did, to fall down in

Sermon by: Robert Austell; February 17, 2019 - Acts 9:10-19 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: I Will Wait for You (chorus) (Getty/Townend) - call to worship Arise, My Soul, Arise (Kevin Twit/Indelible Grace) He Save Us to Show His Glory (Tommy Walker) CHOIR: Lord, Here I Am (Beck) OFFERTORY: Yes and Amen (Housefires) God of Grace and God of Glory (CWM RHONDDA) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. On November 2, 2003, a young man visited Good Shepherd. I spoke to him after the service and he told me that he had experienced a conversion to Christianity at home alone in his living room after reading a children’s story to his daughter. He came to our church because he looked on the Internet and we were one of the closest he could find to his house. He wanted to know what to do now. He had lots of questions… I mean LOTS of questions. And he had spent most of his late teens and 20s being pretty angry at God and hostile towards Christianity. You might think: isn’t that the kind of person a pastor longs to run into? And I’d say absolutely, yes! But it wasn’t just me; many in the church ended up engaging with him and wrestling with his questions. He had a passion and fervor for his new-found faith that shook us up in all the best ways, but also some ways we weren’t used to. He also started sharing his story with some of his friends. Some of them the Lord brought to faith as well; and some are leaders among us even now, sixteen years later. And interestingly enough – perhaps ironically – that young man shared the same name with a strikingly similar figure in our text today. In Acts 9, leading up to today’s text, we read of another man who was hostile to Christian faith. In fact he was so hostile that he hunted Christians to persecute and kill them. Yet he also encountered Jesus in a life-changing moment and was left with lots of questions and waiting to understand what it was God wanted from him. Today we continue our “Here I am” series, looking at Ananias, a regular man whom God sent to Saul. I want to look at the mission God gave him, what discernment looked like for him, and what God brought about through his obedience. My hope is that this will not just be another story or set of Bible trivia for you to catalogue, but that you will be listening for what God is asking you to do and that you be available and ready for that work. Mission This story opens like several others that we have looked at in the past few weeks. The Lord speaks to Ananias in a vision, calling his name. And Ananias answers, “Here I am, Lord.” (v.10) Before we get to the mission God has for Ananias, I want to tell you a little about him. Verse 10 says that he is a ‘disciple.’ But don’t let that mis-lead you. He is not one of the twelve disciples – they are now called the Apostles. Rather, it simply means he is a student or follower of Jesus. If I can translate that into our context, he’s a regular church-going dude. You can’t get off the hook by saying that this is a story for pastors or elders or mature Christians. This is an ordinary believer called to serve by our extraordinary God. In fact, I’ll press that even a little further. Ananias is mentioned again in Acts 22 when Saul (now named Paul) is recounting this same story from his point of view. He describes Ananias as a “man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.” (v. 12) In other words, he was a follower of Jesus who did not draw any attention to himself. Even in the eyes of Saul the former persecu

Testimonies by: Maggie Slade, Ryan Klar, Mark Katibah; February 10, 2019 :: Sermon Audio :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  This week Pastor Robert was away on the Confirmation Retreat. In place of a sermon he asked three people to share "Here I Am" stories - times they felt like God was speaking to them or leading them and they responded "Here I am." Their stories are not only about what God said or did, but about the results of listening and making themselves available and ready for God to work. Have you ever heard God speak to or lead you? What was the result of saying "Here I am?" Maggie Slade (link) Your browser does not support the audio element. Ryan Klar - available to church members on request Mark Katibah (link) Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: My Lighthouse (Rend Collective) Let Us Be Known (Armstrong, Massey, Moore, Flanigan) CHOIR: How Great Thou Art (arr. Courtney) Blessed Assurance (ASSURANCE) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: There is no manuscript this week.

Sermon by: Robert Austell; February 3, 2019 - 1 Samuel 3:1-21 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Come Praise and Glorify (Sovereign Grace: Chester, Kauflin) I Will Wait for You (Kauflin, Mercker, Getty, Townend) Communion: When I Survey, Jesus Draw Me (arr. Albrect) - Susan Slade, flute; Maggie Slade, piano Lord, Speak to Me (CANONBURY) ::: Affirmation of Faith :: from the Heidelberg Catechism (1562) What are sacraments?  (Q. 66) Sacraments are visible, holy signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by our use of them he might make us understand more clearly the promise of the gospel, and seal that promise. And this is God’s gospel promise: to grant us forgiveness of sins and eternal life by grace because of Christ’s one sacrifice accomplished on the cross. (Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11; Deut. 30:6; Lev. 6:25; Heb. 9:8–9, 11-24; Ezek. 20:12; 1 Sam. 17:36-37; Isa. 6:6–7) Are both the word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?  (Q. 67) Yes! In the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us and by the holy sacraments confirms that our entire salvation rests on Christ’s one sacrifice for us on the cross. (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27) How does baptism remind and assure you that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross benefits you personally?  (Q. 69)In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing and with it promised that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, that is, all my sins. (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. Today I want to begin a little differently.  I want to begin with an experiment.  I want to give you a simple instruction, and have you follow it until I say stop.  Are you ready?  Here is the instruction: Listen!… [30 sec. pause] What was that like?  Did you hear anything?  Did you hear the sounds around you - your neighbor breathing, a watch ticking, the wind blowing?  Did you hear the sounds of the building - creaking, rumbling?  Did you hear distant traffic sounds?  Maybe you heard your own thoughts: "What's he doing?"         "Why are we doing this?"                 "Wonder what the person next to me hears?"                     "This is silly!" I wonder if anyone heard God's voice.  In at least one place, the Bible describes it as a "still, small voice."  In that short amount of time, I wonder if anyone could have heard God's voice. There are a lot of distractions - feelings like curiosity, impatience, boredom.  There are visual distractions that occupy our attention.  Today's text is about listening to God's voice in our lives.  And so, it also addresses the question: What does God want of me? Today's sermon is also going to be a little different.  Instead of a more typical outline or structure I want to highlight ten parts of the scripture reading - just ten thoughts on what it means to listen to God.  We can count them off together. 1. "Word from the Lord was rare in those days" (v.1) Probably the first thought that comes to mind in thinking about God speaking to us is that we've never heard God's voice out loud.  We don't see talking, burning bushes, and we don't see the heavens open and hear God's voice thu

Sermon by: Robert Austell; January 27, 2019 - Exodus 3:1-14 :: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell."  Your browser does not support the audio element. ::: Music :: Prelude: Yes and Amen (Housefires) Call to Worship: Holy Ground (chorus) (Davis) I Sing the Mighty Power of God/Alleluia (arr. Austell) Your browser does not support the audio element. Offertory: Total Devotion (choir) (Havergal, Grassi) Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovan (CWM RHONDDA) ::: Affirmation of Faith :: Leader: How did God reveal His character and name to Moses? ALL: God Almighty named Himself, “I AM who I AM” (Ex. 3:14) Leader: How has Jesus identified himself in relation to God’s divine name? ALL: Jesus said of himself, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.” (John 8:58) Leader: What does Jesus’ identification with the divine name tell us about his nature and character? ALL: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Leader: How is God named and glorified in the eternal worship of Heaven? ALL: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” (Revelation 4:8) :: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) :: This manuscript represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose. When we started the “Here I Am” series a few weeks ago I talked about two aspects of that statement. One was understanding through the scripture what it means for us to say that, to be listening, available, and ready to God for where God would lead us. The other aspect was learning more about who God is as the one we respond to. In the story of Peter and Jesus, we encounter God through Jesus and He is forgiving and loving, still desiring for Peter to be a part of His work. In the story of Abraham we encounter the God who provides, not just for Abraham in the moment, but for all humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place. In the story of Jacob we encounter God who is merciful, despite the deceit of the scoundrel, Jacob. Today we look at Moses and we will look at both those aspects – how Moses responds and who God reveals Himself to be. I want to trace four statements through this story: Moses saying “Here I am,” God describing Himself, Moses asking “Who am I?” to do this thing God asked, and then God’s ultimate answer, the Divine “Here I AM.” My hope is that you will learn more about God and yourself, and become better equipped to listen, become more willing to be available, and become ready to go in participating in what God is doing. Moses: “Here I Am” (v.4) Verses 1-4 describe God getting Moses attention: Angel of the Lord (which turns out to be God Himself), burning bush that won’t burn up, and calling Moses name out loud. Moses is intrigued by the phenomenon of the burning bush. When he hears his name he answers, “Here I am.” (v.4) Moses had grown up in Egypt, an Israelite raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter in the house of Pharaoh. But then as a young man he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man and he fought and killed the Egyptian. He had fled for his life and now, in middle-age he has married a Midianite woman and is tending the flocks of her father, his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses has moved on from his roots and his calling. He was clearly a special baby, spared by the Lord when the Pharaoh at that time was killing Hebrew babies. God had blessed him with an education, support, and protection of growing up in Pharaoh’s household, but he had fled from all that. Did he ever think about his people, enslaved and suffering in Egypt? I don’t know. But he was listening when God called His name. We’ll see if he was available and ready to go… Pausing to consider Moses at this