05/04/08
Shepherd,Sheep…Ears & Feet…
John 10:23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Jesus called those that follow Him, sheep. Thus He is the great Shepherd of the sheep.
characteristics of Shepherd/sheep)
That word, “sheep” is used at least 181 times in scripture.
Jesus called us sheep.
Of all of the animals that Jesus could have used as an example He chose sheep for a reason.
Jesus made two important observations about His flock of sheep.
They hear His voice, and they Follow Him.
While it is true that His sheep hear His voice, and follow Him…it is also true that sometimes sheep, don’t want to be sheep.
I say that because many believers struggle with hearing the voice of the Lord in their life, and following His instruction.
They often ask, “What is God’s will for my life?”
I’m not sure they always want the answer.
Why is this?
Why do we often not hear the voice of the Lord in our life?
Hearing the Voice of God…
The Ear…(pretty complex)
In general, the ear consists of three major sections: the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound is collected by the outer ear and funneled down the ear canal (outer ear). The sound vibrations cause movement of the eardrum and the chain of three tiny bones connected to it (middle ear). The middle ear system serves to intensify the energy of the sound vibrations and delivers them to the cochlea (inner ear). Inside the cochlea are thousands of tiny hair-like cells that connect to fibers of the hearing (acoustic) nerve. Sound vibrations entering the cochlea cause a wave to travel through the fluid-filled organ of hearing. This wave causes movement of the hair cells which then generate electro-chemical signals which travel through the acoustic nerve to the brain where they are recognized as sounds.
-www.helpkidshear.org/resources/starter/ear.htm
Even though we know all of that…science says that there is far more about the ear and our hearing that we don’t know.
It will probably come as no surprise to the ladies here today that men don’t hear very well, or at least hear them very well. This has been researched and the conclusion came back that men are…
“Halfwits? [Before you applause ladies, there is an actual reason for this]…Researchers in the United States have found that men only listen with half their brain, while women use both sides.”
-Dr Joseph T Lurito, Research author
(Now, don’t gloat ladies…we may not hear enough information, but you take in too much information.)
Science doesn’t know everything about how the human ear works. Poor hearing…whether you are hearing with one side of your brain, or both…often has nothing to do with the working of your ear…but, simply a problem with listening. You can be physically deaf and still hear God speak. Not hearing God speak isn’t an ear problem, but a listening problem!
What keeps a person from hearing God speak to them?
Distraction (too busy to listen)
Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. "I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day," he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. "Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable.
"I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, ’Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast.’
"Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ’Honey, you can tell me -- and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly." "I’ll never forget her answer: ’Then listen slowly.’"
-Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 13-14.
Sin (poor reception)
I remember as a kid, my brother had a set of official, Apollo Astronaut walkie-talkies. Each one had a long collapsible antenna that stretched out so far you could have used it for a flagpole. We thought they worked great…even though there was a lot of static, and as long as you were no more than 8’ away!
Then the show Star Trek came out and they had those things called, “communicators”. They were some kind of wireless square thing you could hold in your hand and talk back and forth with someone who had another one…they didn’t even have antennas. (Well, that will never happen will it?)
A couple of weeks ago I passed a man on walking along the road. He had one of those “communicators”…I think city slickers call it a cell phone, now-a-days. He was on the overpass trying to make a cell phone call. He was walking back and forth holding his phone in all sorts of positions trying to get a reception.
Sometimes you just can’t get a connection. There is some kind of interference.
Sin is like that. Sin will interfere with you hearing God’s voice. Oh, the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sin. The Holy Spirit will speak to you about the sin. Yet, unless you are willing to turn from that sin…the Lord will not communicate with you all that He desires because that sin is hindering your fellowship with Him.
God has something He wants you to do, some divine assignment…and, yet you are not ready to receive it, because you’ve allowed some sin to interfere.
The problem isn’t with God…He is sending out the signal…He’s transmitting…if you aren’t receiving the signal…well, the problem is with you?!
Ignoring (not important)
Maybe another problem in your hearing God’s voice is simply the fact that you ignore what He has to say.
Like that cell phone commercial where the guy is saying, “Can you hear Me now?”
Oh, you can hear Him now…you’re just ignoring Him!
As if what He is saying is not important.
That is a dangerous thing to do…(it is a sin in itself.)
1Sa 12:15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
You are fooling yourself if you think that you can ignore God, and think that God will ignore you. As if He will look the other way. God is a God of mercy and grace. But, He is also a God of righteousness, and justice.
And, God will ultimately be heard.
Ps 29…
3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth:…
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars;…
7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness;…
Do you think that voice is a voice that can, or will stand to be ignored?!
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Following the Shepherd…
The second observation that Jesus stated about His sheep, is that they follow Him.
There are several places in scripture where Jesus used the words, “follow Me”. He directed this to His disciples as He called them.
He passed by Matthew, while Matthew was working as a tax collector and said, “Follow Me.”
He said, “Follow Me” to James and John while they were mending their fishing nets.
Jesus said, “Follow Me” to Peter and Andrew, as they were fishing.
Those early disciples did just that…they followed Jesus.
Leave it to Jesus to put in such simple language, what His disciple’s were to do.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Someone was telling me last Sunday night about the GPS system he has. He travels all over, and he loves it. It has saved him so much time in trying to map his travels out on his own…plus, he never gets lost.
He has a GPS built into his dash. He can be driving, listening to music or whatever, and it will interrupt what’s on and give directions. Sometimes, he said that it talks so much he hits the mute button. It doesn’t stop it from working…he just doesn’t have to listen to it.
Another friend of mine has a GPS in his car. Every time I have been with him, we have always ended up lost. The problem is not the GPS, though. It might have something to do with my friend not following the GPS. He will often tap it and say, “That can’t be right.” “I know we should be going this way, even though it says the other way.” Sometimes, he will turn it off.
Those things were created to be followed every step, and turn of the way.
If you don’t follow it exactly, well…you can get off track very easily.
What Jesus asks of His own is simple. Yet, we complicate it.
We often want to go our own way. We often fail to trust in the direction that we have been given.
And, sometimes…well, we push the mute button. “I don’t want to hear that.”
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
We talked about what keeps me from hearing God…
What keeps me from following God?
Just like hearing, the same things apply…
Distraction (too busy), Sin, Ignoring…
Also, thinking I know the way better than the Shepherd. (Just like trying to out-think that GPS)
Wanting to go your own way…
Doesn’t ever end well for an animal to go astray?
Being comfortable where I am, rather than where He wants to lead me…
All those reasons seem silly for not hearing God’s voice, or not following our Lord. Especially, when you think about the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep.
Ps 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The wisest thing sheep can do is follow the shepherd. He always has their best interest at heart. He always leads them to green pastures. He always provides for and protects them.
What gain is it for Him to not take care of His flock? He always leads them to the best of all there is.
The problem is not with the Shepherd. As I said earlier… sometimes, sheep don’t want to be sheep.
The Shepherd knows His Own…
There is a third thing tucked between hearing the voice of the Lord, and following Him…
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Who does He know?
Those that hear His voice, and those that follow Him!
Jesus declared…
Mt 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The Shepherd knows His sheep. God knows His own. God knows you, far better than you know Him!
Sheep may not always want to be sheep. But, the Shepherd never stops being the Shepherd!
He never stops working in a believer’s life?
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
The Lord is always at work.
He wants to involve you in what He is doing around you!
He wants you to hear His voice, and follow Him.
He wants you to join Him in what He is doing!
Hearing, and Following God today, will lead you to hearing and following Him tomorrow. And, that will take you to where He wants to lead you!
