"Fine Tuning Our Faith" - John 10:1-10 - April 17, 2005

One afternoon I was shopping at Home Depot. They have two sets of doors; one is the entrance and one is the exit. That particular day it was raining. My car was parked close to the entrance door. That meant I would have to walk a distance in the rain if I left the building through the exit door. I stood near the entrance door and waited for another customer to pass through. When they came in the doors automatically opened and I slipped out. I discovered later that the doors actually open electronically from either side. Although they are designated they are really "swinging doors."

The shepherd was also a swinging door. He would sleep in the doorway of the sheepfold or pen. The sheep would pass through the narrow gate at night and be protected from predators. During the day, they would pass through the same gate where they could go to pasture and graze. The shepherd was the doorway to protection and the doorway to freedom at the same time. On the one hand, Jesus protects us from evil and on the other hand he gives us our freedom to live in the world.

But, what we have to realize is that there is only one door. There is no other way out and no other way in. To leave the sheepfold or enter the sheepfold by any other means could be dangerous.

My house has three entrances; the front door, the back door and the garage. I have a key for the doors and a electronic garage door opener for the garage door. My home is my safe refuge. When I leave the house, however I enter a huge world where I am free to roam and graze, just like sheep.

Jesus is the doorway to life. He is both the gateway to freedom during the day and the security guard at night. Our challenge is to be able to find that door so we won’t get hurt and we can experience the "abundant" life God wants us to have. So, where do we begin? Do we need a key? How do we find the doorway of the great shepherd?

First, we have to understand that we are sheep, in need of a shepherd. We have been taught to be self-sufficient, therefore we are not in the habit of needing someone to shepherd us. The truth is we are vulnerable, helpless and dependent on God because we live in a world that is dangerous, evil and complex. Sheep are not stupid but their nature is to instinctively herd together. In other words, sheep do what every other sheep does.

Our human nature is to go with the trends, doing things because "everyone else is doing it." We live in a kind of "bandwagon" mentality. We are led by what is popular and therefore we follow the status quo. But unfortunately that can get us into trouble or lead us down a path of destruction.

I am not all that far from retirement. I want to be adequately prepared and make sure that I will be ready when the time comes. I am not an expert when it comes to pension funds, social security or personal investments. Different people have told me different things. I realized I need some help so I have enrolled in a retirement seminar for clergy through our denomination. I need some guidance because I want to be financially secure. Whenever we are in over our heads we need to be a black sheep and not be afraid to ask for help.

I’m sure you remember the great Harry Houdini. He was a famous escape artist. He always relied on his personal skills and wizardry to get him out of a jam. He claimed he could be put in any jail cell in the country and set himself free within minutes. One time, however, something went wrong. Houdini entered a jail cell in his street clothes. The heavy metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took a piece of strong, flexible metal he had concealed in his belt and went to work.

He worked on the lock for thirty minutes but was unable to pick the lock. An hour passed and Houdini was still unable to free himself. He began to sweat in exasperation. Finally, feeling failure closing in, he cried out in frustration, "Help me God!" He collapsed backward against the jail cell door. To his amazement, the door swung open. It had never been locked in the first place.

When we are willing to turn to God for help, amazing things happen. But to give God a chance to work in our lives we have to be open to God’s pastoral care.

Secondly, we need to hear God’s voice. That requires listening and being tuned in. There are so many distractions in our lives it is difficult for us to tune in to God. We either don’t give God quality time or we attempt to do too many things at once. Worse yet, we are tuned in to the wrong signals.

During the Revolutionary War, Colonel Rahl, the Hessian commander at Trenton, was playing cards with his fellow officers. During the card game a courier brought a message to him. Rahl put the message in his pocket and didn’t read it until he was finished playing cards. When he finally opened the letter he read that General Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl quickly rallied his troops, but he was too late. He died just before his regiment was taken captive. Because he wasn’t tuned in he was soundly defeated by the enemy.

When we are tuned in to the voice of God we hear messages that give us directions and can even save our lives. We hear the good news of salvation. We hear hope and the voice of assurance. When we are tuned in to God we are comforted, counseled, and able to live in the light.

Third, we have to follow the great shepherd and trust where he leads us. E. Stanley Jones tells the story of a missionary who became lost in an African jungle. Looking around, he saw nothing but bush and a few clearings. He stumbled about until he finally came across a native hut. He asked one of the natives if he could lead him out of the jungle and back to the mission station. The native agreed to help him.

The missionary thanked him and then he asked, "Which way do we go?" The native replied, "This way but we must walk." So they walked, hacking their way through the unmarked jungle for more than an hour. In pausing to rest, the missionary looked round and had the same overwhelming sense that he was lost. All he saw was bush and a few clearings. "Are you quite sure this is the way?" he asked. "I don’t see any path."

His guide looked at him and replied, "In this place I am the path." In this life God is the path. God is the doorway to security and freedom. God protects us and leads us where we need to go. Our happiness and fulfillment depends on our willingness to allow God to help us. We will surely know where to turn by being genuinely tuned in and trusting that God is truly the doorway to life.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ