Listen Up, Sheep Part 2

Credit: The outline and some of the guts of the sermon are taken straight from Jeff Anselmi on sermoncentral. I have edited it enough that I think it is worth posting as my own work. Clearly Jeff built the frame of the sermon, however I did a lot of remodeling.

Listen up sheep!

part 2

John 10:22-30

A police officer pulled a man over and discovered a strange situation. The driver had a sheep in the back seat of the car.

What are you doing with that sheep? You should take it to the zoo,” the officer said. The following week, the same police officer sees the same man with the same sheep in the front seat, with both of them wearing sunglasses.

The police officer pulls him over. “I thought you were going to take that sheep to the zoo!” the officer said. The man replied, “I did. We had such a good time we are going to the beach this weekend!”

I guess this is one of those times:

- where a person hears what they want to hear

- and not really what the other person is saying

I think we all are periodically guilty of failing to listen to God…

Instead of listening to the voice of Jesus:

- we hear a mutation of God’s voice

- that voice says follow until it’s inconvenient

- that voice says follow unless it become difficult or

- until it requires personal sacrifice

Last week I raised the question:

? “Are we even trying to hear from God?”

? The answer to that question reveals a lot.

? It reveals our commitment to the “Good Shepherd.”

Can you imagine a world with no commitment?

How would you enjoy being married

to someone who is not committed to you?

How would you like employees who are

not committed to doing a great job, or

would you feel good working for an

employer who was not committed to you?

Not one thing about following Christ,

call for partial commitment…

Jesus said…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30 (NIV)

There is a story in Scrum about a chicken and a pig.

A Chicken and pig are friends:

One day the chicken decides that the two should start a restaurant.

The pig is intrigued by the idea and says:

? “That sounds great.

? I’m an entrepreneurial type of hog.

? I’m sick of working for the farmer.

But what are we going to call the restaurant?”

The chicken thinks:

? Then she scratches and

? pecks at the dirt and suggests,

? “Ham and Eggs!”

To which the pig replies,

“No thanks, I’d be committed. You’d only be involved.”

In our text today:

? a group of religious leaders have cornered Jesus,

? seeking an answer to a question.

The setting is Jerusalem at the Temple during the feast of Dedication.

- a celebration of the dedication of Temple

- after Epiphanes desecrated it

- also known as Hanukkah

So as Jesus is walking in Jerusalem:

? in the temple complex,

? He is surrounded by a bunch of Jewish leaders

? who asked Him a question.

Open your Bibles to John 10:24-26

“The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”

1. Why listen to His voice? John 10:25-26

They ask Him how long is He going to keep them in suspense?

? tell us if you are the Anointed one

? tell us if you are here to save us

? tell us now!

“The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

John 10:24 (NIV)

They want to know when Jesus is:

? going to tell them if He is the Messiah.

? "Keep us in suspense" literally, "take away our life.”

Jesus replies in vs. 25:

? that He HAD told them,

? They just did not believe Him.

"Don’t believe" means continuing not to believe:

? they heard Jesus.

? they did not believe Him and

? they continue to not believe.

The reason these do not believe:

o is that they are listening and

o following other voices,

o not the voice of the good shepherd.

One of the reasons we should listen to Jesus:

? is because we are all seeking answers.

? Where are we seeking the answer,