I once had a business deal with a very responsible person, who had a very important position in his community. He was an officer in the local police department. I made what I felt was a good investment for him, and the figures made sense, he wanted to go ahead, but said to me, "I must ask my shepherd for his advice." News to me.

A week or so later he called to say that the "shepherd" had turned it down. Time proved that the investment was very sound, but the "shepherd" who had been appointed by his pastor, had no experience, but had a great deal of control over a small group of people within their church.

The concept of a Shepherd is as old as the 23rd psalm. David, a shepherd, and the son of a shepherd, recognized Jehovah God as his Shepherd, and also realized in his own weakness he needed a God greater than himself to give leadership, protection and care. When we consider the 23rd Psalm, we think of Jesus, as our good shepherd. He introduced himself as the good shepherd in John 10:11.

But now that Christ has returned to heaven, it would seem that he has passed the responsibility of "Under shepherd" on to the church. His challenge to Peter was to "Feed my sheep,, feed my lambs." After the resurrection, and the day of Pentecost, Peter fulfilled the challenge, usually in difficult situations.

And our responsibility is to introduce those lost sheep who we come in contact with to the Good Shepherd, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The old testament in Ezekail 34 speaks of those who are outside the fold, as "Sheep without a shepherd." And it does not take much imagination for us to see in our mind's eye, those who are in need of someone like the good shepherd, to turn their life around. Think about that person for a moment, and think how his or her life might change if they met the Good Shepherd, turned their life over to Him, and could then say with us, "The Lord is my Shepherd."

We may say, we are not equipped, or trained, or bold enough, but we must remember that when Christ was born, God used humble shepherds,, who likely never had a bath, or education, who were almost peasants, without education, or status to announce to the world that the messiah was born.

I feel that it is our responsibility not only to take our strength and direction of the Holy Spirit, but to receive that great measure of God's love (Romans 5:5) so that we can love that wandering sheep, enough to care for him or her.

Some time ago we had a lady who came to our church. You remember her, very overweight, driving an electric cart, who went out last night, and every night into the downtown core, loving the lost teenagers, caring for them, feeding them against much opposition, and her card says, "God loves you, and so do I" People see Jesus Christ reflected in her, and lives are changed. And kids who are wandering the streets, and sleeping on the streets, (did you know it is estimated that every night there are between 300 and 600 people who sleep outside, with no where to go.)

What about ourselves. Around the communion table we experience the Love of Christ for us. The broken body of Christ, the shed blood of Christ - total sacrifice because he wanted to reflect to us the great Love of His Father. How does the world see us - or do they see us instead of seeing Jesus Christ?

We support, and I greatly admire the work of the Salvation Army. Their slogan is , "Blood and Fire." They don't bottle up their witness to life changing things that have happened to them. They go into the highways and byways - the back alleys and the beer parlors, the court rooms, and the drunk tank. Their witness to is, "God loves you and so do I." God has given us a presence in the community, He now has given us a presence in the world wide community. In a few days this message will go out into all the world.

In the past 3 weeks over 160 people visited our web site. From our lips and pen people can read, (John 3:16) - "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth (puts their trust and faith in) on Him, il.e. Jesus Christ, shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Today we celebrate the Lord's supper. We consider the broken hands, and shattered side of Jesus on the cross. But there is another picture here.

In the Midwest, where there are many sheep who stay out all winter, many small lambs were freezing to death. But the ranchers recognized that they did not come in because the ewes had a thick coat of wool and did not feel the cold. And so they shaved much of the head of the ewe. She felt the cold and came in and the lambs followed her.

In Hebrews Jesus is spoken of as the Great Shepherd. He is also considered the great high priest. "Who is touched by our infirmities, tempted like we are, and yet without sin - but who took our sin on himself on the cross, to provide us a way of salvation" The parable in the new testament speaks about the shepherd, who was missing one lamb, and he went out, and hunted for that lamb through the cold and darkness, joined the lamb in it's peril, and brought him home.

A favorite hymn of mine goes like this, "Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, and yet in love He sought me, and on his bosom gently laid, and home rejoicing brought me." All around us are lost lambs, may God through His holy Spirit direct us to take to those lambs the simple message, "God loves you and so do I." And show by our actions and words that we are telling the truth.