{"id":11191,"date":"2025-05-11T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=11191"},"modified":"2025-05-11T01:34:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T15:34:18","slug":"continuity-of-christs-ministry-through-his-followers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=11191","title":{"rendered":"Continuity of Christ\u2019s Ministry Through His Followers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mother\u2019s Day
Scripture Readings: <\/strong>John 10:22 – 30 & Acts 9:36 – 43<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mother's<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday – where we reflect on Jesus as our Good Shepherd – and Mother\u2019s Day, where we honour those who have nurtured us with love, guidance, and faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want\u201d from Psalm 23:1 offers deep assurance and peace. David, once a shepherd himself, speaks of God as the one who faithfully guides, protects, and provides. To say \u201cI shall not want\u201d is to trust that in Christ, we are safe, known, and held forever. Even in life\u2019s uncertainties, we lack nothing essential, for our Good Shepherd walks with us- leading us, sustaining us, and guarding us in His unfailing love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, we also celebrate Mother\u2019s Day – a time to honour the love, strength, and quiet sacrifices of mothers and all who have nurtured us in faith, hope, and love. Through birth, care, or spiritual guidance, many have shaped our lives with tenderness and wisdom. We give thanks for them and for the mothering spirit alive in this community. As we turn to God\u2019s Word, may we remember the Shepherd who gently leads and surrounds us with steadfast love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John 10:22\u201330, Jesus speaks in the temple and is asked, \u201cAre you the Messiah? Tell us plainly!\u201d We hear Jesus say, \u201cMy sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.\u201d (v. 27) To follow Jesus means more than belief – it\u2019s about trusting His voice, recognizing His care, and living in His presence. His promise is profound: \u201cI give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.\u201d This is the assurance of the Good Shepherd – loving, protective, always near.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who truly hear the voice of Jesus and recognize it as the voice of their Shepherd are held in the safety of His eternal care. Nothing – not even death – can ultimately harm them. Jesus speaks with such confidence because of His deep, unshakable love and oneness with the Father. The sheep He watches over are precious gifts from the Father Himself. And these beloved sheep including each one of us are deeply loved, endlessly cherished, and forever held by Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Acts 9:36 – 43, Tabitha, also called Dorcas, is introduced as a disciple – the only woman in Acts given that title. She listened to the Shepherd\u2019s voice and followed by serving others. She made clothing, helped widows, and gave generously – living out the Shepherd\u2019s compassion. Tabitha showed the shepherd-like heart of Jesus through her acts of kindness, offering care and comfort to the vulnerable. She was known for doing good and helping the poor, demonstrating living faith through action. Her life was a witness to the gospel before her death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she died, the community grieved deeply. Instead of anointing her body for burial, the believers gently washed it and laid her in a room. Normally, no corpse would lay overnight between death and burial, but the believers may have already been planning to send for Peter, who was only a three-hour walk away. She had lived a life marked by godliness and servanthood, and they desperately longed for her return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The widows held up her garments – symbols of her love and presence. But then, Peter, moved by the Spirit, knelt and prayed. He said, “Tabitha, get up.” These words and actions closely echo those of Jesus Himself when He raised Jairus\u2019 daughter, saying, \u201cLittle girl, get up\u201d (Mark 5:41). Peter doesn\u2019t act on his own power; rather, he continues the healing ministry of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. When faced with a difficult life challenge or a hard ministry task, may we pray first. God will intervene in our lives in His way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Tabitha was restored to life. Peter\u2019s raising of Tabitha is a continuation of the Good Shepherd\u2019s ministry – bringing life, comfort, and care to the \u201csheep\u201d through His followers. This miraculous act not only restores life to Tabitha but also renews faith and brings many to believe in the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s text is a reminder that the ministry of Jesus did not end with His resurrection and ascension – it lives on through the hands and hearts of His faithful followers. The compassion, courage, and trust in God that Jesus demonstrated are now being embodied by those who walk in His footsteps. Peter\u2019s action affirms that the church, as the Body of Christ, is called to carry forward His work – bringing hope, healing, and new life to the world around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus’ sheep recognize His voice and follow Him into life. Tabitha\u2019s life and resurrection illustrate one who both heard the Shepherd\u2019s voice and was restored through His power working in the early church. Her raising became a powerful testimony that led many to believe, recognizing God’s power at work through Peter. This miracle mirrors the Good Shepherd\u2019s promise: not even death can separate us from His care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this Mother\u2019s Day, we glimpse the Shepherd\u2019s love in those who comfort, guide, teach, and serve without recognition. Like Tabitha, many mothers and women have lived lives of generous service – nurturing, praying, providing with selfless love and faithful presence in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through them, we have heard the voice of the Shepherd, and the Shepherd\u2019s love reflected in mothers and caregivers. We find comfort in knowing that God holds all mothers, living or departed, in His eternal care. May we remember the lasting impact of women who live with Christ-like love and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus calls each of us to be His sheep – to listen, to follow, to trust.
But He also calls us to reflect His shepherding love in our own circles – through kindness, service, and sacrifice. We are never alone in this. We are in His hand. No one can snatch us away. May we live the Shepherd\u2019s way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like a shepherd tenderly guiding and protecting the flock, Jesus offers personal care and eternal security. Jesus the Good Shepherd knows and cares deeply for His sheep. Today, may we thank Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who calls us by name and gives us eternal life. Let us honour those\u00a0who reflect Jesus\u2019 love – mothers, caregivers, faithful disciples like Tabitha. And may we, too, listen to His voice and live a life of love and service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we walk through the uncertainties and shadows of life, let us remember this unshakable truth: we are not alone. We belong to the Good Shepherd who walks before us, and who lays down His life for us. In His voice, we find peace; in His care, we find protection; in His love, we find our forever home. No danger, no sorrow, not even death itself, can separate us from the grip of His grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good Shepherd has purchased our salvation with His blood and now offers shelter and security to all who follow Him. Our salvation is secure because of Christ\u2019s power and unity with the Father. So, when fear tries to steal our hope, or when grief weighs heavy on our heart, listen for His voice. It is a voice that brings comfort in the chaos, strength in the storm, and life in the midst of loss. We are His. And in Him, we are safe – now, and always. May we trust our life to the Good Shepherd. No one can tear us away from His love. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ in a world longing for grace and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks be to God! Amen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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