[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_audio title=”The Sheeple Myth” artist_name=”Karl Ingersoll” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”360_F_560249003_a5oexr83oSO0BQjnjr7Rfd2YTHhWKsHX” audio=”http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Sheeple-Myth.mp3″ image_url=”http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/360_F_560249003_a5oexr83oSO0BQjnjr7Rfd2YTHhWKsHX.jpg” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_audio][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
This audio is from Communion Sunday, January 19th, 2025. \u00a0Sermons from CLC are a bit unique. \u00a0We encourage people to dialogue during the message. \u00a0I quite frequently remind people that all I bring on Sunday mornings, is a sermon. \u00a0God, on the the other hand, has a message and that is what each of us needs to hear. \u00a0If the pastor’s voice is the only one that is heard on Sunday morning, that is grim. \u00a0God is capable of speaking through anyone who is a part of our meetings on Sunday morning. \u00a0Thus we encourage particiaption. \u00a0This makes the audio harder to capture because not everyone is mic’ed. \u00a0We have tried to run a mic around to the speaker but this seems to stifle the conversation, so we let it happen as it does. And we let the audio be what it is.<\/p>\n
We are all sheeple<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s a term thrown around by those who cannot grasp the fact that there is corruption in every system that utilizes forms of power and control.\u00a0 <\/span>They feel that they are the only ones strong enough to chart a patch of their own and others are weak.\u00a0 <\/span>To judge internally is no better than to pronounce judgment, verbally.\u00a0 <\/span>When we categorize others unfavourably we reveal our true nature.<\/p>\n Isaiah suggests that we are all the same, … like sheep who have gone astray.\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s fair and accurate, in my opinion.\u00a0 <\/span>We were all originally created in God\u2019s image … this is a from or original righteousness.\u00a0 <\/span>All we hear about is original sin and our wretchedness as though we are separated from God\u2019s love, whose righteousness makes us detestable.\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t see it that way any longer.\u00a0 <\/span>That doesn\u2019t mean that we need God any less.\u00a0 <\/span>Our common problem is our waywardness, our tendency to wander rather than to follow. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s what I think of in the sheep metaphor.\u00a0 <\/span>Sheep seems to stray as much as they follow.\u00a0 <\/span>In reading about the nature of sheep, I find that most people see them as followers.\u00a0 <\/span>The problem is that they follow whatever comes along and distracts them.\u00a0 <\/span>They follow the next person or thing that grabs their attention, thus straying from this to that.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s sort of a spiritual ADHD thing, a failure to select what is worth following and eliminate the rabbit trails.<\/p>\n We follow the latest trends.<\/p>\n We follow the trendiest teachers.<\/p>\n We follow bad news like flies swarm over rancid meat.<\/p>\n Take a minute to review this familiar scripture …<\/p>\n \u201cI tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. <\/i>The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep<\/i><\/b>. The watchman opens the gate for him, and <\/i>the sheep listen to his voice<\/i><\/b>. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and <\/i>his sheep follow him because they know his voice<\/i><\/b>. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because <\/i>they do not recognize a stranger\u2019s voice<\/i><\/b>.\u201d Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. <\/i>(John 10:1\u20136, NIV84)<\/p>\n Sheep know the shepherd\u2019s voice … do you know that voice.<\/p>\n Again …\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I am the good shepherd<\/i><\/b>. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. <\/i>The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep<\/i><\/b>. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. <\/i>The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep<\/i><\/b>. <\/i>(John 10:11\u201313, NIV84)<\/p>\n How many people follow \u201chired hands\u201d who care for what they can fleece from the flock rather than what they can give to the flock.\u00a0 <\/span>The church is divided along political lines more than it has ever been in my lifetime, following \u201chired hands,” sheep without a Good Shepherd.<\/p>\n I am the good shepherd<\/i><\/b>; I<\/i> know my sheep and my sheep know me<\/i><\/b>\u2014 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father\u2014and I lay down my life for the sheep. <\/i>I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen<\/i><\/b>. I must bring them also. <\/i>They too will listen to my voice<\/i><\/b>, and there shall be<\/i> one flock and one shepherd<\/i><\/b>.<\/i> (John 10:14\u201316, NIV84)<\/p>\n It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that knowing the shepherd\u2019s voice is essential for this sheeple.\u00a0 <\/span>There will be and there has always been competing voices.\u00a0 <\/span>But navigating in today\u2019s quagmire, requires a careful choice, riveted attention and trust in a Good Shepherd, not hired hands.<\/p>\n This morning at CLC, the flock gathers to celebrate Communion.\u00a0 <\/span>Everyone is welcome at the Table of Grace.<\/p>\n Thanks for joining us today.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This audio is from Communion Sunday, January 19th, 2025. \u00a0Sermons from CLC are a bit unique. \u00a0We encourage people to dialogue during the message. \u00a0I quite frequently remind people that all I bring on Sunday mornings, is a sermon. \u00a0God, on the the other hand, has a message and that is what each of us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[38,6,20,29,1,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-life-between-sundays","category-media","category-random-thoughts","category-uncategorized","category-weekly-bulletin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IX45-1a5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4469"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4474,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4469\/revisions\/4474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ikemediology.com\/clc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}