Helpless and In Need of a Shepherd
Last week’s message emphasized that as followers of Christ, God will empower us when we realize that we are helpless and in need of a shepherd. As the Apostle Paul said, “Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness; thy grace is sufficient for me.” Pete and Suzan realized that they were helpless when they met with her neuro-oncologist last Thursday. The oncologist showed them Suzan’s MRI images and pointed out new cancerous tumors forming all over her brain. The doctor showed them that the cause of Suzan’s double vision was two tumors near her optic nerve. She asked Suzan, Pete, and Chris how aggressively they wanted to treat the cancer. Aggressive treatment meant going immediately to surgery to insert a port into Suzan’s brain to inject medications directly into her brain. With this treatment the best case scenario is that her life may be extended a year or two. However there would be no guarantee of any success. Without intervention the oncologist estimates that she may have a month or two to live. The doctor needed a decision whether they would elect aggressive treatment that same day. According to the medical experts, her cancer is terminal. Pete and Suzan prayed with their son Chris at the hospital. Susan had said, “If I’m in a situation where we need to make a decision to pull the plug or extend my life, then don’t do anything heroic to extend my life.” They felt an indescribable peace after they prayed. They elected not to proceed with the aggressive treatment. On Friday, they talked to an expert in Texas on what to do to help comfort her and they also prayed that God would spare her pain.
Pete and Suzan have had some of the best days in their lives recently with their grandchildren and with their extended family. They are in a good and peaceful place in life. Suzan described a vision of a road leading to heaven and she could hear the roar of the celebration in heaven. In her vision, she couldn’t wait to run into the gates of heaven to join in with the celebration. There’s a book entitled “A New Shade of Blue” about the 23rd Psalm. The new way of looking at this psalm is that the Lord is MY shepherd. He is personally comforting us through the trials of this life. As a good shepherd, He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth the my soul.
Pete and Suzan’s 50th anniversary is in September and according to the doctors, it’s unlikely that they will make it to this anniversary. Before they were married, Suzan saw a change in Pete when he prayed, “Lord I know I’m not the man you want me to be. Lord please make me that man.” She fell in love with the new man that Pete had become when he dedicated his life to Christ. They have spent forty nine happy years together. Pete was a pro baseball player that Susan thought would make it to the big leagues. After his baseball career, Pete accepted a position as principal of a school. Then he was called to minister in Southern California to serve at EV Free Church in Fullerton with Chuck Swindall. His next call was to be the lead pastor of a church in Irvine. Now he has been called to serve with Influencers ministry to men. Pete and Suzan continue to count their blessings. As a pastor, Pete’s priority for the last few months has been to pastor his family as Suzan’s care giver and as an under-shepherd for his extended family and especially for their grandchildren. During this difficult season, they are seeing profound spiritual growth in their entire family.
The theme for this year when Pete prayed was, “How do you describe the average Christian guy?” The descriptive word that came to mind was “casual.” The very next word in the dictionary was “casualty.” Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. The recent trials have helped Pete understand how to combat being a casual Christian. Trials and tribulations focus our minds on what’s really important. God teaches us to maintain our focus on Him through the greatest trials of life. Are you fear based or faith based? Hebrews 11 is filled with the examples of Old Testament believers who were faith based. God looks past all of our failures and sins and celebrates the grace and faith of the believers…ultimately our faith in what Jesus Christ did on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. God sees men not as they are but as they will be when Jesus Christ takes hold of their hearts. When our prayer becomes, Lord make me the man that you want me to be, God will answer that prayer. When it’s not about us but about him, then God will bless our lives for his own honor and glory.
The helmet of salvation is the one piece of spiritual armor that the elect of God must put on before they can equip themselves with the rest of the spiritual armor listed in Ephesians 6. Salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ is God’s gracious gift of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. According to Psalm 1, the secret to being blessed is to abide in Him: Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The mission field is not what missionaries do, but rather with whom and in whom they abide. It’s not who we are but rather whose we are.
The rock of Jesus Christ builds character to joyfully respond to the trials of this life. Praising God and worshiping him is a moment by moment choice. The love we have for our Lord Jesus Christ allows us to love our wives now, in this present moment. You cannot prepare to love her when the doctors say, “you only have two weeks left to live.” Only with the love of God can you love her as Christ loved the church and know that she is clothed in dignity and strength and His divine beauty.
While Pete and his family weren’t prepared for the “bad news” of Suzan’s cancer, the only way that it makes sense is to know the suffering that Jesus Christ himself endured on our behalf. The cup of suffering that we must drink is to share in the fellowship of His suffering. When we walk in fellowship with him, he will give us the love that we need so that we can love others with the love wherewith he loved us. Jesus said that to be his true disciple, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. He said that when you do this, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. In the midst of the hurricanes of life, with Him, there is peace in the eye of the storm. In the midst of the storm our deliverance is to keep our eyes upon him. Through the storm we’re given the gift of the fellowship of his suffering.
The fruit of the spirt is built through living in proximity with our Lord. According to John 15:4-5 Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
When we abide in him he will give us the grace, mercy, strength, compassion and faith to walk in fellowship with him and with those we love in the body of Christ.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael