It’s Time To Grow Up Part 7
Scriptures: John 10:1-28; Matthew 11:15
This message with bring to a close this series “It’s Time to Grow Up.” I hope that through this series of messages that you have been able to examine your spiritual life to determine where you are in your walk with God, whether you are still a baby or growing into a mature adult Christian. This morning I want to provide the last identifier that I am choosing to mention as it relates to being a baby Christian. As you can imagine, this series could go on and on identifying things that Christians do that demonstrate their spiritual growth levels, but this last one really captures everything that I have said and everything I could say moving forward. This morning I want you to know that a baby Christian does not always recognize the voice of their Savior. This lack of voice recognition can lead to a feeling of loss and abandonment as the baby Christian comes to believe that God does not talk to them as He does others. It can lead to a feeling of unworthiness which plays into the hands of our enemy. This morning I want you to know that our Father talks to His children and it’s important that as maturing Christians we learn to recognize His voice and become obedient to Him. Let me give you an example.
When Nikki was pregnant with our daughter Clarissa, I had read an article that stated that while the baby is in their mother’s womb, they learn the rhythm of the mother’s heartbeat and will be able to recognize it after they are born. Because of this recognition when the mother holds the baby the baby will hear a very familiar sound, their mother’s heartbeat. I also read that the baby will also be able to recognize the mother’s voice because it had heard her voice for months while in their mother’s womb. Again, this voice recognition creates a bond prior to birth which grows after birth. This special connection is something that develops between a mother and her baby during the growth of the fetus. This bond is not one that the father has because the father is not the one who carries with the developing fetus 24-7 for nine months. The developing fetus cannot hear the father’s heartbeat so for all intents and purposes, the father during the fetus’ development is a non-entity.
I did not want to be a non-entity for my child as she was growing. I wanted to establish a bond with my daughter prior to her birth. I read in an article that fathers can also establish a bond with their unborn babies. The article stated that the father should talk and read to the baby while the baby is in its mother’s womb. By doing this the baby will learn to recognize the voice of the father. I began to talk to Clarissa and read to her while Nikki was still carrying her. After Clarissa was born, I remember watching her to see if she recognized my voice when I spoke. Many nights I would rock her to sleep because this was my time to bond with her. There were some nights when I was out of town on business when Nikki had to take one of my tee shirts and lay it in Clarissa’s bed in order for her to fall asleep. When she recognized my scent she would fall asleep. During her first 12 months I would often tell Nikki that I could not wait for her to start talking because I wanted to be able to have conversations with her. (Be careful what you wish for!) My point with this is that I intentionally went through a process to establish a bond with my daughter prior to her birth that enabled us to bond more quickly after she was born. Jesus has done the same thing with us; He has already laid the foundation for our bond long before we were conceived. Turn with me to John 10:25-28.
“And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, ‘How long do you make us to doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:25-28)
During the Feast of the Dedication (or Hanukkah), a celebration to remember the cleansing and reopening of the Temple after its desecration by a Syrian ruler in 168 B.C, the Jews approached Jesus as He was entering the temple. They asked Him to tell them plainly if He was in fact the Christ. Jesus answered them by saying that He had already told them but they had not believed Him. Then He said that they did not believe Him because they were not His sheep. Then He said in verse twenty-seven, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus said that those that belong to Him will hear His voice and they will follow Him. If Jesus said this, and He did, it has to mean that everyone who belongs to Him have the ability to hear and understand Him! Consider these verses:
“He that has ears to hear let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:25-26)
When Jesus spoke to His disciples and the crowds He would sometimes say, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” This statement is about individual ownership – meaning that if you have ears, you should hear. It’s about desire to hear and understand. It’s about active listening to what is being said to seek the understanding. It’s about not being so focused on what you want to hear that you lose what is actually being said. What Jesus was saying is that people have a choice to hear as this type of hearing goes beyond the sounds that the physical ears hear. Those who have ears must choose to hear – accept, understand and abide by. Listening with the ears is physical. Listening with the spirit and soul is an active choice. Let me say it this way, we can hear much that we do not hear. An average ear is able to recognize about a thousand musical tones. Speaking roughly, the human ear is so constructed that all tones, from that which is caused by fifty vibrations in a second to that which is caused by five thousand vibrations in a second, can be distinctly received and differentiated between if we know what to listen for. For example, when walking through the woods we will lose the notes of various birds around us if we are ignorant of their notes. When we are able to differentiate between the notes of birds, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the various birds we hear as not all birds make the same sound. How many more distinct tones could we hear in the woods if we are able to recognize the several notes that they are comprised of? Just because we can hear it does not mean we are listening with understanding! Jesus said that the hour was coming, and now is, when the dead will hear His voice and live. Prior to accepting Him we were dead! After we accepted Him, we begin to live. This was put in place long before we were conceived and birthed into this world.
Although a baby Christian is able to hear the voice, they must grow and learn to “differentiate” His voice from all of the other voices they are hearing. This process of differentiating the voice of God starts with our studying His Word! No matter how we look at this, we cannot grow with studying and understanding the Word of God. We cannot learn to differentiate the voice of God outside of His Word! Studying His Word helps us to recognize His voice. There are no short cuts!!! When we start recognizing His voice we are able to follow where He leads. Let me go back to the example that Jesus used of sheep. Remember, He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd and we His sheep. Turn back to Joh chapter ten and we will begin reading at verse one.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.’ This parable spoke Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spoke unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” (John 10:1-14)
Many of us have heard the term “the black sheep of the family.” This term, when referencing a sheep, was not about the physical color of the sheep, but that that sheep that was not into conforming or following the rules. That sheep believed that it knew better or had the “right” to follow its own path. This sheep refuses to follow the shepherd. This sheep does not believe that it must depend on the shepherd for its needs. This sheep can often be found wandering away from the rest of the flock seeking its own food or to just satisfy it curiosity. The black sheep does not want to conform. When this term is used to describe an individual, it generally refers to that person who is “different” from the rest of the family; the troublemaker; the non-conformist; the one who follows his own path versus someone else’s. When Jesus referred to us as being His sheep, a baby Christian’s mentality is very similar to that of the “black sheep of the family” who refuses to conform. This is partially due to their being babies and are just learning how to change. It is also partially due to their being unable to fully hear, recognize, and accept the voice of their Shepherd. The twenty-third Psalms was written by King David as a testament to the relationship between a shepherd and his/her sheep. When we read what the responsibilities are of the shepherd in watching over and caring for His sheep aren’t you glad that Jesus is our Shepherd?
In verse five, Jesus said that His sheep would not follow the voice of a stranger. In the natural, this is exactly how sheep operate. Sheep are able to differentiate the voice of their shepherd over the voices of all of the other shepherds in the field. When their shepherd calls for them, they easily identify his/her voice and separate from the other sheep to follow the voice of their shepherd. A sheep will not follow the vice of a stranger! If we are not listening for Christ’s voice, we are either following our own voice of that of a stranger. Baby Christians hear the voice but are sometimes unable to differentiate His voice from all the others. Look down at verse eleven through thirteen.
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.” (John 10:11-13) Jesus gives the best example of the role of a shepherd versus that of a person who is “hired” to watch the sheep. He says that a shepherd knows his sheep versus that of a hireling. A hireling sees a group of sheep and unless there is something that definitely stands out about one versus another, all he will see is sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep individually and cares for each one individually. A shepherd understands the nature of sheep and their tendency to stray. He is willing to do whatever it takes to care for his sheep. This is not true with a hireling. A hireling will not lay down his life for the sheep that belongs to another. When he sees a wolf coming he will flee to save his life putting the lives of the sheep at risk. A true shepherd would never do this and would actually put his life on the line for his sheep. Remember when David was talking to Saul about facing Goliath and he told Saul about a lion or bear taking one of his sheep and he chased it down and delivered the sheep from the mouth of the bear and lion (1 Samuel 17:34-36). This attitude of the shepherd is what Jesus was referencing in these verses. The shepherd has a vested interest in his sheep while the hireling does not. If you are a child of God you can rest assured that His Son Jesus Christ does not take His role in our lives as one of a hireling – He is THE Good Shepherd! As the Good Shepherd, He is calling our names. He knows us individually and is calling us by name to follow Him.
I want you to understand that Jesus is speaking to you. You are able to hear His voice even though you may not be able to differentiate it from your own, your friends or even our common enemy. Because you are His, you are able to hear. As growing Christians our jobs are to differentiate His voice above all other. Remember what I said at the beginning, when we cannot hear His voice in our lives if can make us feel like we are unworthy and alone? Satan loves for us to feel that God has forgotten us. He wants us to believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was for nothing. He wants to talk so loud in our ears that we cannot hear Jesus voice. I want to encourage you right now that Satan cannot drown out the voice of God when we are listening. Our voices cannot drown out the voice of God when we are listening. When we are listening we hear. When we hear we understand. When we understand we act. When we act others find Christ because we acted.
The writer of Hebrews said “Therefore (as the Holy Spirit says), today if you will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.” (Hebrews 3:7-8) “If you will hear His voice…..” The choice is ours. Jesus said in Revelations 3:20-22,
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.” (Revelation 3:20-22)
We have an open invitation. Just because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, our responsibilities does not end with the acceptance – it starts. I have shared with you the responses that baby Christians have to the Word of God, circumstances surrounding them, and their lack of desire for growth. Everything that I have shared previously is directly linked to our listening to the voice of our Savior. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is talking to us. We are capable of hearing His voice with our Spirits. We do not need our physical ears to hear the voice of God. We can have a multitude of people around us talking loudly and we can clearly hear the voice of God. We can be at the Chief’s stadium during one of the loudest football games ever and we can hear the voice of God clearly as if you were in a room alone with Him. We all hear, but we do not all differentiate. It’s time to grow up! It’s time to start listening for His voice versus just hearing it as background noise.
Are you a baby Christian? If you are, you do not have to remain one!
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
