Daily Devotional – April 22, 2020

33rd day of staying at home. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't remind you of how long this has been going on. You know, what I'd really like to do is to be able to tell you how long until this is over. Unfortunately, I can't do that.

Who knows when that'll be. I understand that the governor of Wisconsin recently has extended the stay home order until I think it's May 26th. And I suspect Governor Pritzker's probably not going to want to be outdone by a Packers fan or something.

So he'll probably extend it to May 27th or something like that. I don't know. Well, it seems like the longer this goes on, people are maybe losing a sense of humor over this whole pandemic thing. I'm just not seeing that much that's fit to repeat.

Sorry about that. Well, anyway, I hope you're getting some extra reading in these days. I mean, after all, there's a world of information at your fingertips. I honestly don't think the library's open, but there's some materials in the church library and you could come by here while you're out doing essential things.

And there's also the world of information available at your fingertips if you can access the internet. Of course, you got to consider the source there. And maybe you have some books lying around your house that you've always had on a to read shelf or something and just haven't gotten to it.

Well, now's a good time to get to it. In fact, speaking of reading, I just read this morning this interesting little tidbit of information that a well-bred golden retriever can retrieve a stick up to a mile away.

Can you believe that? I don't know. That seems a little far-fetched to me. Sorry about that. That was a gym-ism. But seriously, though, speaking of reading, I did just finish reading the book, The Splendid and the Vile.

I've referred to that book a couple times over the last few weeks. And it's quite a fascinating look at the life of Winston Churchill and his family in the opening year. It really takes us to a little over a year into World War II when Germany started turning its attention to England after Churchill got chosen as prime minister of England.

And it takes us to a little after the time the United States got in the war. This isn't a Christian book, secular history book, but pretty interesting insight into those early years, a year and a half, I guess, of World War II.

Fear Not, Little Flock in Luke 12

But also speaking of reading, this morning I was reading a devotional book. It's entitled Daily Readings from All Four Gospels. And it's basically a compilation of excerpts from the writings of J .C. Ryle, who wrote expositional thoughts on each of the Gospels.

And so I have in my library that whole work. It's like seven volumes of expositional thoughts. But anyway, this morning's text was Luke chapter 12 and focuses on verses 32 through 40. And given the current global state of affairs, as I was reading, verse 32 just stood out.

And Jesus was speaking to his disciples, and he said this. He said, Fear not, little flock. It's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Fear not, little flock. It's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Now, Jesus said this right on the heels of that encouraging passage that tells us not to be filled with anxiety about the stuff of this life. Remember what he said earlier. He said, Do not be anxious for your life, what you will eat, or your body, what you will put on.

For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. And so it was after that statement that Jesus then elaborated on it, giving examples from nature about how God takes care of birds, and he gives those short-lived flowers some splendid garments.

And then verse 32. Fear not, little flock. It's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So the more I thought about that brief, simple statement, the more I began to realize how rich and full it is with comforting truth for Christ's sheep, if I can call the followers of Jesus that, because after all, he did.

So think with me. I'm going to share with you several of those rich truths, those comforting truths that are found in that simple little statement. In the first place, in Jesus using the term flock, he alludes to that great theme that he's going to expand upon later.

It's recorded for us in John chapter 10. You remember in John chapter 10, Jesus referred to himself as the good shepherd who takes good personal care of his sheep. So Jesus in John 10, he refers to himself as the shepherd of the sheep.

And he refers to his followers as those sheep. And he says that for his sheep, he will lay down his life. And he says that his sheep will follow him because they hear his voice and they recognize his voice.

These are sheep to whom Jesus gives eternal life, and he promises a secure, fixed position in them. So in Jesus referring to us as his flock, that expresses our privileged, and I say privileged dependence upon him as our shepherd.

We might not think of dependence upon somebody or something as being a positive thing, as being a privilege. But when you think about the imagery of sheep and a shepherd, and a good shepherd particularly of those sheep, you realize how privileged those sheep are to be dependent upon a good shepherd.

That's our privilege. And so this term flock, it expresses our privileged dependence upon Jesus as our shepherd. Well then Jesus speaks to his followers as a little flock, a little flock. And what he's doing here is encouraging us to acknowledge a sober reality.

And that is that the flock of Jesus has never been and never will be large. In other words, it's never going to be, the flock of Jesus is never going to be a majority in this world. That may be unsettling to some, and it may sound like followers of Jesus consider themselves to be an exclusive elitist group.

That's not the idea at all. The idea is an allusion to what Jesus said in Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. You remember those verses? He said this. And when he said this, it surely startled his followers.

But he said, Enter the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction. And those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.

And those who find it are few. So when Jesus is referring to his followers as a little flock, he's referring to them and to us as the few who find that narrow gate and enter into it. So by calling us his little flock, Jesus expresses our status in this world.

And then a third truth in this little statement is that as one of Jesus' sheep, you don't need to fear. You don't need to fear. Now if you look at Luke chapter 12 and you step back from verse 32 and you look at the larger context, you find that the idea of fear has been a major theme.

And so back in verse 4, Jesus said you don't need to fear violent justice. He said, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. You don't need to fear violent injustice.

Secondly, he said, you don't need to fear a perceived lack of value in this world. He says in verse 7, fear not. You are of more value than many sparrows. And then he also said you don't need to fear a lack of provision for what you really need.

We already talked about that in verses 22 and 23, he said, don't be anxious for your life and so forth. And then here in verses 31 and 32, he's telling us we don't need to fear being excluded from the kingdom of God.

Verse 31, he says, seek the kingdom of God and these things will be added unto you. Then fear not, little flock. It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So he tells us we don't need to fear.

Now in telling us we don't need to fear, he's expressing the confidence that we can have in this world, the confidence we can have. Now there are a couple other really encouraging truths in this short, simple verse that I want to share with you, but I just, I'm going to run out of time today.

And I hope to do so tomorrow. I trust you can be back and get those too, because they are truly rich. Well, in the meantime, if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, take comfort in, first of all, your privileged dependence upon him.

Secondly, your true status in this world. And thirdly, take comfort in the confidence that you can have in Christ, even in the middle of a global pandemic. So as we pray today, let's give thanks to our God, our great shepherd who takes care of his sheep.

And so our father, we thank you for this brief little statement in your word that gives such encouragement and comfort to your sheep. And I pray that those who are listening today who count themselves as followers of Christ, in the middle of this global pandemic and all the fear and anxiety it can excite, I pray that we would fear not.

I pray that we would be confident in our relationship to our savior, to the great shepherd, and that status that we have in this world is not one dependent on how the world looks at us, but upon how you look at us.

I pray that we would take comfort and encouragement in that. As we pray in Jesus' name, amen. All right. Well, I hope you have a good rest of your day today. If you can join us tonight for the midweek service at 7 o 'clock, I'll be in the auditorium sharing the Bible study and a brief prayer time, and I hope you could make that.

So God bless you. Have a good day.