Flock Support
James 3:13-18, John15:9-12, 17,Mat 26:40-41
I. Last week we saw how geese are smarter than we think.
A. They work together to allow everyone to achieve their best.
B. They use the help given to them in the best way possible.
C. And they share the burdens so no one gets worn out.
D. Now let’s look at some other things that Christians can learn from a goose.
II. When geese are flying south in formations we usually hear them coming because they are honking. But they are not honking so we can hear them coming. The Geese in the back honk at the ones in the front to encourage them to keep up their speed.
A. Now I don’t know who has had the time to study this and find out why geese honk but someone has.
(James 3:13-18 NIV) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
B. The important thing to remember is the geese are not honking just to be honking, and the honking is to encourage not to drag down.
C. There are a lot of people who could learn from geese, but Christians surely can. We all need encouragement.
D. There was once a legend that said the devil once put his tools up for auction. There was one oddly shaped tool that was labeled "not for sale" Someone asked for a explanation, and the devil said " I can spare my other tools but I can’t spare this one, it is the most useful implement that I have. It is called discouragement, and with it I can work my way into hearts that are otherwise inaccessible. When I get this tool into a heart the way is open to plant anything there I want.
E. If you are not to be a leader, you are to be a helper and an encourager. Encouragement can make the difference that nothing else can.
F. There was a young man that rode the elevated train in a city to and from work. In a place that the train moved slowly he had noticed through a window, that an elderly lady lay in a bed . She was apparently sick and bed ridden. For several weeks he noticed her there, so he found out her name and sent her a get well card, signing a young man that rides the train. It was week later before he rode the train home again and he noticed that the bed was empty, but in the window lighted by lamp was a large note that said "God Bless You"
G. I am sure that more encouragement and less discouragement is needed in more churches today.
H. When you are here on Sunday morning it is an encouragement to me and others. those of you that are here on Sunday nights are an encouragement. Those of you who are here on Wednesday nights are an encouragement.
I. Those of you who get into worship and participate with enthusiasm, I know are an encouragement to Jose.
J. There are some you that I look for every week when I am standing at the door because I know that you are going to be positive and encouraging.
K. Your encouragement keeps me going when discouragement tries to creep in.
L. I never want anyone to say something that they don’t mean, but your actions and your words of encouragement mean more than you will ever know.
M. And those who are leading will lead better, and be more excited about leading the more you encourage.
N. Another important thing is you can disagree and not be a discouragement.
O. We need a balance.
P. We need people who can see the other side of an issue, who are able to help the rest of us see it in a positive way.
Q. One thing is for certain every leader needs the backing of those who are following.
R. Just in case anyone would think that I am talking about just me and Jose
1. Your Sunday School teacher is your leader and needs your encouragement.
2. The worship team are leaders and they need your encouragement.
3. Sunday school directors, and department leaders, committee chairman, need you encouragement.
4. Youth Todd is your leader and needs your encouragement.
5. There are a lots of leaders in our church and they all need your encouragement.
III. Another thing that geese do that Christians can learn from is, if one of the other geese gets sick or wounded, two of the others will drop out of the group to care for it. And they stay with it until it gets well or dies. And the ones that drop out to care for the sick are not the ones who have the responsibility of leading the flock.
(John 15:9-12, 17 NIV) "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. This is my command: Love each other.
A. We are God’s army, so why is the army that is suppose to be built on the love of God the only one that shoots it’s wounded.
B. If someone does something wrong instead of trying to support them, and help them to get back to where they were, a lot of Christians make them outcasts.
C. There are people who have quit going to church because they have heard someone in the church talking about them, when they should have been talking to them.
D. I am not saying that we allow anything to take place and accept it because there is a point that a line has to be drawn.
E. But let’s give people the benefit of the doubt and give them the love that God would give them.
F. People who are struggling with problems in their life and in their obedience to God need encouragement not discouragement.
G. People who are being hit in the face from everywhere else need love from the people that are suppose to be their family. They need support not disappointment.
H. Henry Ford tells the story of the beginning of his career. As a young inventor he had received severe criticism for his ideas of a gasoline powered carriage. Most mechanical experts of the day were convinced that electric powered carriages were the thing of the future. While attending a dinner one night Ford began to explain his engine to the men sitting nearest him, when suddenly he noticed that Thomas Edison was seated a few chairs away and was listening. finally the great man moved closer and asked the young Henry Ford if He could make a drawing. After the crude sketch was complete Edison stood silently and studied it. Suddenly he banged his fist on the table and said ’That’s it, that’s the thing, you’ve got it. Henry Ford said for the rest of my life I remembered the thump of that fist on the table, it was worth worlds to me.
I. We are to encourage those that are down or who have suffered, even if they brought a lot of it on themselves.
J. If they don’t want to be restored to the church we have no choice but to let them go.
K. But we have a responsibility to reach out and try to heal those of our own that have been hurt or wounded. Even those that have wounded themselves.
L. They deserve another chance. They deserve to see the love of God being shown to them by the people who say they represent the God of Love.
M. Jesus gave you a second chance, and He gives you many more chances everyday, don’t you think he would want you to give others the same chance.
N. We serve a God of love and we’re suppose to be a people of love.
IV. Another interesting thing about a formation of geese is, if the lead goose is shot down the rest of the flock will follow it to the ground.
(Mat 26:40-41 NIV) Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
A. Jesus knew that the best thing His followers could do was pray for Him.
B. Please pray daily for those that are in leadership positions.
C. If we try to do things for God I can guarantee that Satan will be shooting at us.
D. And he knows that if he can bring the leaders down, he can bring everybody else down with them.
E. If you are a leader you better realize two things.
1. If you fall others will fall with you.
2. You have got to be an example, and live as God would want you to live to the best of your ability.
3. If leaders want to be followed they have to be responsible, and have to take their responsibilities seriously.
4. You don’t become a leader by receiving a title you become a leader by giving of your self to others, and being responsible for what you have been put in charge of.
F. I have to remind myself of that all the time, and I don’t always live up it like I want to, but it is never from lack of trying.
1. Satan will be shooting at you.
2. Satan will try to drag you down.
3. Satan will try to get you off track.
4. He will attack you in your weak spot. So you better guard it all you can.
G. And if we stumble those of you that are following, don’t shoot the wounded start honking encouragement help them get up.
H. Geese get from the Canada to the coast every year for one reason, they work as a unit and not as individuals. What affects one of them affects all of them. They work together, they share the load, they stay in formation, they share the load, they care for the wounded, and they encourage each other.
I. If we want to get where we are suppose to get, we will have to do the same.
