Dear Christian friends:

I am very happy that my farewell happens on this Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, because this is a fine text for me to preach as my last sermon to you. It gives me great comfort and hope as we today must go our separate ways.

I like this text for my farewell sermon because it clearly and beautifully shows what a true pastor should preach to the church, the Gospel, Good News that Jesus, God's Son died on the cross for our sins and then rose again on Easter morning. Jesus says, "The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep." During the past 11 years I have stood in this pulpit and preached Christ crucified His body and His blood offered up on the cross for our sins. I must confess that sometimes I was not very eager to preach it and that you were not very eager to hear it. We often are bored and tired to preach and hear the same old thing again and again Sunday after Sunday and month after month. Why? Because we fail to see the need for it.

We are by nature proud and self righteous and blind to see our faults and sins. And even if we feel guilty we are too proud to confess our sins. Same also the first disciples were blind to see their sins. When Jesus told them He must suffer and die, they cried out, "Lord that can't happen to you." But it did happen to Jesus. He did suffer and die. It had to happen to him because God the Heavenly Father demanded it. We are such bad sinners that only the death of God's own son could be a sufficient offering to satisfy God's holy will.

So we must preach the gospel every Sunday, and if we are not asleep or blind we will not be bored or tired of it, but with hunger for it as the bread of life and thirst for it as the water of life. And I hope that in the future you will fight against yourself so that you long for the word of life, and never tire of it. And I am confident that Jesus the chief Shepherd will give you a new pastor who will continue to preach Jesus to you without fail, this He promises in our text.

He says, "I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and they know me. I have other sheep too, that are not in this fold. I must lead these too, and they will listen to My voice, and so they will become one flock with One Shepherd. Jesus the good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep also took it back again. He rose again from death and is also alive to lead his sheep, even today. He is not a dead Shepherd. He lives to feed his sheep so that they have life and joy and comfort. He feeds us and gives us His Spirit and therefore new life. How? By sending us pastors to preach the good news and to baptize and give the Lord's supper. When we attend to his word in the Bible we like sheep hear the sweet voice of Jesus are Good Shepherd. By this He gives us new life: (Psalm 23:1-2): thanks and praise to God for his daily blessings; peace and joy with Him in prayer and worship; power to love others and help them in their troubles and needs; mercy to be patient and kind and forgiving to those who happen to hurt us or sin against us; faith and hope during the dark days and storms of life, yes, even when we must walk through the dark valley of death we will fear no evil for we know that he is alive and walks with us on that lonely road.

Jesus says, "I am come that you, my sheep may have life and have it overflowing in you." So, my wish for you today as I say farewell is that this good life of Jesus will be in you in the future and then forever in heaven.

As we say, "farewell" to each other we have some sadness, and we shall miss you very much, but we can find comfort and cheer in knowing that we part as dear friends, not only earthly friends, but brothers and sisters in Jesus. He says here if we listen to his voice we will be "one flock with one Shepherd." Each Sunday we will go to church in Santa Rosa and you will go to church here. We will hear the same Epistle and Gospel lessons. We will hear the Good Shepherd's voice and be united in him always.

Amen.

Heavenly Father, this day we will remember the past 11 years how You in mercy and love have given us this beautiful church where we could meet to hear the voice of Jesus, are Good Shepherd, and so have the bread and water of life so that we never hungry or thirst again. We confess that we have not valued it as we should, have mercy and forgiveness on us. Thank you for these Christian friends here and the good work you have done in them, continue to do it until the day of Jesus Christ. Today, also, we think about our pastors, the one who is leaving and the one who will come here. Be with them and guide them, and help them to serve you and give all honor and glory to your name. Bless the pastor who serves us during the vacancy and help us to pray and trust in you to supply all our needs. In Jesus name, Amen.