Good Shepherd is a "neighborhood church" in South Charlotte (NC) with a deep love for scripture, people, and the arts. This is a super-friendly group of ordinary people who follow after an extraordinary God. Check out the website at gspc.net for a look. We'd love to hear from you!
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Sermons (Charlotte, NC)
Claim This Podcastby Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church - Rev. Robert Austell
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20 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Good Shepherd is a "neighborhood church" in South Charlotte (NC) with a deep love for scripture, people, and the arts. This is a super-friendly group of ordinary people who follow after an extraordinary God. Check out the website at gspc.net for a look. We'd love to hear from you!
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Publishing Since
1/1/2023
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Recent Episodes
June 4, 2023
God’s Story
TEXT: Psalm 150; John 1.1-4; Matthew 5.17; Jeremiah 29.11; Luke 4.18-21; Ephesians 4.1-6FULL SERVICE VIDEO w/sharing time (LINK) I want to do something different this morning for the sermon. I decided that I wanted to reflect on what I’ve seen God do at and through all of you during my time here. I want to remind you of your story, at least as seen from my vantage point. And ultimately I want to tell God’s story as I’ve been blessed to witness it. So I’ve chosen a number of scriptures this morning because each of them reminds me of chapters of that story in this place. Jesus and Scripture (Jn 1:1-4; Mt 5:17) Back in the late Fall of 2001 three men showed up to worship at First Presbyterian Church in Lenoir, NC. That wasn’t suspicious at all, nor was the one who kept saying “Amen” loudly during the service. That was George Houston, David Butler (Matt’s dad), and Melvin Graham (Billy’s brother). Long story short, we talked and they invited me to visit Charlotte to talk to the search committee that included Angela Hinton and the chair, Quay Youngblood. I only start this far back in the story because my conversations with them highlight a foundational truth about Good Shepherd that was what drew me here in the first place. It became clear that they loved Jesus and God’s Word and they wanted a pastor who did too. I asked them if that described the elders and the congregation of the church and they assured me, yes, it did. I asked about some of my interests around music and worship and they said as long as I taught and followed the scriptures and served Jesus I could do whatever I wanted and the congregation would enthusiastically participate. It seemed too good to be true, but I believed them and trusted the Lord’s leading, and it indeed did prove to be true then and on through to today. The beginning of the Gospel of John calls Jesus the Word of God and makes it clear that the Incarnate Word that is testified to in the written Word bring light and life to the World. Later, once Jesus began teaching, he made it clear that he wasn’t doing away with the Hebrew scripture, but was in fact fulfilling and explaining it to us. This is our core and it at the heart of God’s story: the Word made flesh, come to dwell among us in grace and truth. Worship and Music (Psalm 150) Worship and Music were at the front of my mind and heart when I first came to Good Shepherd. They still are, but it was one of the places I first focused. We introduced a praise team and hired Cathy Youngblood a few months later. I was also in the middle of my studies on worship and music and developed an approach to worship that used all the musical tools available us to proclaim God’s worth and explicate the scriptures I was preaching on. We’ve continued and expanded that approach on through to the music ministry under Eric VanderHeide today. While there are many, many scriptures that relate to this, I can’t think of a clearer one than Psalm 150 which we used for our Call to Worship today. The Psalm exhorts us to praise God everywhere, with every instrument, with all our life and breath. And as I think back on those first five years or so I see us diving deep into worship and music in a way that has continued to blossom in our worship life together. So many talented musicians – and other kinds of artists – have found a home here, whether short-term or long-term. It has truly been glorious to see the range of ways people have offered artistic gifts to the Lord and blessed all of us in leading us into worship in so many different ways. People marvel that a church our size generates so much artistic worship and witness. But it is never a “look at us” kind of thing, but a “look at God” kind of thing. That brings me such joy as I know it does the Lord. Lighthouse and Searchlight (Jeremiah 29) As I reflect back on it, I believe all that heartfelt and intentional focus on worship led us out into the world. We were focused on God and God’s h
May 28, 2023
Power and Purpose
Service Video (link)TEXT: Acts 2:1-13,37-39 Last week I noted that we often focus on two of the significant parts of what God did in Jesus Christ: the Incarnation and the Crucifixion. Jesus was God come among us and he died for us and our salvation. In the past seven weeks or so we have focused on two more significant parts of what God did in Christ, though these two get less attention, and often less understanding: the Resurrection and the Ascension. But those are the two things that have to do with our lives now, defining our identity and new life in Christ. Today – Pentecost Sunday – we focus on one more very significant act of God, one promised by Jesus as he ascended. Last week we heard his final words to his followers, that he would send his Spirit to empower his followers to be witnesses of God and what God has done in Christ. And that is exactly what happened on Pentecost. In today’s text we see three human responses to that power and witness. Like those disciples, God empowers us to bear witness in the world. And people still have responses today like those all those years ago. POWER (vv. 1-13) First, in verses 1-13, in response to the power of the Holy Spirit, displayed through “tongues of fire” and hearing the disciples speak in multiple languages, there are two distinct responses. Amazed and astonished (vv. 7-12) – Many of those present on the day of Pentecost heard the Galilean Jews speaking in their own language. A long list of nationalities is included in the passage. We read in v. 7 that some “were amazed and astonished” and continued “in amazement and great perplexity.” They asked each other what it all meant. I’d call this a holy curiosity. Doubtful, even mocking (v. 13) – Others were neither amazed or astonished, rationalizing and writing it off to drunkenness on the part of the disciples. Some pressed even further and made fun of the disciples. I’ve seen both reactions. I’ve had both reactions. We see something we don’t understand and we have to decide between the natural and the supernatural explanation. And some of us are probably more open to mystery and miracle than others, which is understandable. Having said that, to descend into outright mockery of the divine or of faith is another thing altogether. I’ve come to realize that making fun of God or followers of God usually is a cover for something else that is often between that person and God. Nonetheless, what occurs to me, especially knowing what is coming, is that there is no shortage of God’s power here in this passage, and yet it is not at this point that people respond in faith. I’ve often heard – and thought myself – that if God would just unleash a few good tangible and measurable miracles, that many would believe. But this makes me question that. Probably it would just scare us and the best we’d manage is to either write it off or to be amazed without understanding. And this is where the way that God has arranged things begins to make more sense to me. Why is it that God chooses to involve us in witnessing to His power? It is because we respond to story; we respond to incarnation – to fleshed-out reality. The WITNESS is an integral part of belief and it is how we participate in what God is doing in the world. WITNESS (vv. 37-39) Believing, pierced to the heart (v. 37) – So after Peter shares the story of Jesus, we read that those present were “pierced to the heart.” In our scripture reading, Peter’s message is just referenced as ‘this’ – “Now when they heard this” (v. 37). What Peter had done in verses 14-36 was what Jesus told him to do: he gave witness. Here are the Cliffs notes to Peter’s sermon: Peter talked about God’s promise to send his Spirit. He talked about God’s plan to send Jesus into the world. He talked about history and hopes and the great themes and stories of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. He talked about and gave witness to Jesus as Lord. And the people h
May 21, 2023
Ascension
SERVICE VIDEO (link)TEXT: Acts 1:4-11 Today we recognize a very important event that happened only a few weeks after the resurrection of Jesus; actually, 40 days to be precise. Did you guess Pentecost?? No…. that’s 10 days later – we’ll celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost next Sunday. It’s the Ascension. When Jesus appeared to Mary on Easter morning (John 20:17) he said, “I have not yet ascended to the Father.” Well this is it – Jesus ascends… he goes up into Heaven to be with God the Father. So what’s important about the Ascension of Jesus? It’s not as big a deal as the “biggies” is it? Incarnation: Jesus’ birth and God’s putting-on of human flesh to live among us Crucifixion: Jesus’ death, which atoned for our sin and “made right with God” all who believe Resurrection: Jesus’ victory over death, which we now share through faith in him I’ll admit that for most of my life I’ve just thought the Ascension was Jesus’ “trip back to Heaven” – that’s it, end of story. But there’s so much more! And this isn’t just a random excursion into an obscure theological area: it has everything to do with God’s power and purpose that we’ve been talking about for the last few weeks. The Ascension Narrative (Acts 1) So let’s start with the narrative – the account of Jesus’ Ascension. It’s short and sweet and it’s there in Acts 1, and the actual Ascension is only one verse long. After speaking to his followers, Jesus “was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (v. 9) That’s about it. As you can imagine, they just stood and stared, “gazing intently into the sky while He was going.” (v. 10) But what else can we get from the context here? We have two main pieces of information: what Jesus said before he left and what the angel messengers said after he left. Before leaving, Jesus final words had to do with the promise of the Holy Spirit, which would come to empower his followers to be witnesses far and near. This was in contrast to their question of “restoring the kingdom to Israel.” Instead, Jesus taught (as he had always taught), God’s Kingdom was not of this world. He had frequently made that point through miraculous and supernatural signs and he was about to demonstrate that with one last miraculous sign: his Ascension into the heavens. I will also simply note for now the very close connection between the promise and work of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Ascension. More on that later! After he left, two “men in white clothing” appeared and the basic content of their message signaled that Jesus would one day return in the same manner as his leaving. (v. 11) But what does it all mean?! The Meaning of the Ascension Let me mention several benefits of Jesus’ Ascension to the believer, and you will see these outlined in the confession of faith we’ll use later in the service. You can also see the scripture referenced there on the back of the bulletin. There are at least four benefits of the Ascension for those who believe. 1. A Heavenly Advocate One of the important realities of Jesus being at the right hand of the Father is that Jesus took our humanity with him. He is our advocate, and our righteous one at that. Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is not only the one who died, but is the one who was raised and is at the right hand of God, and is the one “who also intercedes for us.” That is why we pray “in Jesus’ name,” because he is our representative, our advocate, our intercessor. It is as if Jesus tacks on to our every prayer, “…and this prayer is from Sarah, the one I love, the one I died for, the one who I have made a place for with us; listen to her!” Can you imagine having such an advocate, because you do! But that verse from Romans goes even beyond that. As one who intercedes for us, Jesus prays and presents our needs to the Father even when we can’t! Have you ever felt like your prayers go nowhere or that you simply don
20 total episodes available
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