"Listen up sheep” part 1
John 10:22-30
https://youtu.be/6RfkCc5Tlyo
Something interesting happened:
? with my sermon this week
? I started off in one direction
? my introduction to that sermon became this sermon
Today’s sermon is not as organized as I like:
- I like to think the ideas came from God
- it seems to me that God directed this message
- in a different way than I had planned….
So, I wonder if:
- my messaged about listening to the voice of God
- was redirected by God.
- I hope so,
If we are NOT TRYING to listen to God what are we even doing??
I like what David said in Psalm 63…
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
Psalm 63:1 (NIV)
Can you imagine:
- being in a desert with no water
- and you are thirsty
- and if you don’t get water soon, you will die!
David says…
? I want God like that,
? like if I don’t have God, I’ll die…
? if I came down to death or God, I’ll take God
Honestly though:
- God is not hard to find
- He’s not hiding from us
Of course, we want to hear from God:
? don’t we? Maybe.
? Sometimes?
? Always we would hope
Is it fair to assume??
o that every Christian wants to hear the voice of God.
o Do we desire to know
o His wisdom, guidance, and assurance.
Is it our purpose:
o Not only to know what God wants, but
o to do we deeply desire to do things that please Him
Do we really want to hear from God?
? or do we just want Him to approve of the plans
? we sometimes layout in front of Him?
We would all agree that we want to hear from God:
? But do we want to hear from Him when His plans are not ours?
? No one likes it when God shuts a door and says “NO” or “wait”.
We can agree with Isaiah 55:8-9 when God tells us:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your way and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Intellectually:
? We can agree God’s ways are higher and better
? But the question remains
? Do we really want to hear from God?
Have we been avoiding His voice?
? are there times and situations
? Where we play “hide and seek” with God
? In that God calls to us but we are not available.
Genesis 2 and 3 is a reminder to LISTEN UP when God speaks:
? Adam and Eve had everything
? perfect fellowship with God
? anything they needed at their fingertips
All they had to do was LISTEN and OBEY one rule…
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” - Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)
Some of us would be fine not eating fruit:
? seriously though,
? Adam and Eve FAILED
? To trust and obey the voice of God
They believed:
- in the existence of God
- but they ignored His voice
- they doubted His word.
“(The serpent) said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die…..”
- Genesis 3:1b-4 (ESV)
You know what happened next:
- the ate the fruit
- they disobeyed God
- they listened to the voice of Satan instead
Rather than seeking God they hid from God:
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
Genesis 3:8 (ESV)
That is exactly what is happening today:
? God’s creation has stopped listening to His voice
? and has substituted other noises for the God’s voice
? considering every other voice as wise,
? but having nothing to do with God’s voice…
We look out at this lost world, and we say:
- this society is full of wickedness and evil
- there needs to be a national turning toward God
- we need a revival…
The wickedness must end:
- sexual perversion must end
- abortion is murder and must stop
- the violence must end
And we all could say AMEN, but should we?
But wait a minute:
- let us not be so quick to point the finger
- think about your Bible reading
- remember the words of the Prophets
- recall the words of Jesus.
When it comes to who God focused on:
- when it came to listening to His voice
- it was His own people who were guilty
- of TUNING GOD out…
Much of the Bible:
- is a record of God trying to get His own people
- to put Him first
- to get His sheep to listen to His voice…
We do not understand the patience and frustration of God:
- who has stood by our side when we did not stand with Him
- who sent His own Son to the Cross for our sin
- who can’t get and keep the attention of His own creation.
“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
That text is a favorite among believers:
o though it was not written to us
o the principle is available to us
God is instructing, if not pleading with His own people:
- would you please listen to ME!!!!
- I want to do so much for you
- What I am trying to give you is beyond what this world can offer!!
God’s prescription for a world gone mad is simple:
? God’s people do what God says…..
? the message is for us, not someone else
? and THEN God will bring BLESSINGs
You tell me…
- do you see a revival in the Church?
- I do not
I also not see God’s people:
- humbling ourselves
- seeking God’s face or praying
- throwing away sin…
I’ll say this as gently as possible:
? There are always empty seats at our prayer meetings
? no matter when we schedule them
? We always have plenty of room.
And a majority of today’s Christians don’t want to hear the truth:
- they want to hear pretty lies
- that we can live however we want and
- God is okay with whatever you want…
And if a Minister or Elder tries to correct them:
- instead of showing appreciation for guiding them in truth,
- instead of thanking the messenger for helping to guard their soul,
Instead of gratitude:
- they will attack the messenger
- seek to destroy the messenger and
- when they are done, they will leave and play the victim…
That is the main reason:
? people stop abandon Church, and
? the Church, the bride of Christ…
The reason is:
- they don’t want to hear from God
- they don’t want to hear from people
- who will tell them what God said…
Now they won’t say that:
- they will give other reasons
- they don’t like this or that
- but the reality is that most just don’t want to hear the voice of God
Why does everyone deserve a hearing:
- except the one that made our ears?
We listen to:
- lying politicians
- to artists and actors who are fools
- the liars on Fox and CNN
- every fool has an audience
Where is the audience for God?
- the people of the planet don’t hear Him
- do God’s people want to hear from Him?
From my eyes I see the world in the days of Judges:
- a circle of rebellion, affliction, and suffering
- followed by people calling to God for deliverance
- and the circle is completed when God brings salvation
- and a brief time of obedience
It is plain as day to me:
- that we need God’s voice more than ever
- because we are amid rebellion and Godlessness
- on the verge of God’s wrath and judgment.
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 (ESV)
That certainly describes society,
hopefully it does not reflect God’s people…
The Bible calls God’s people sheep:
- Psalm 23 starts by saying “The Lord is my shepherd”
- meaning we are the sheep
- Isaiah 53 refers to God’s people as wandering sheep
- who are lost and in danger…. read Psalm 53.
So, it is not unusual that Jesus:
o continues the sheep and Shepherd narrative
o with God’s people being sheep and
o Jesus being the Good Shepherd
The theme for the year is “Stepping out in faith”:
- but how do we step out on faith
- without direction from God and
How can we have direction from God if we don’t hear his voice???
That led me to John Chapter 10:27…
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27 (ESV)
There is so much in John 10:
- it is about the identity of Jesus
- that Jesus is the only way to heaven
- there is reference to His sacrifice on the cross
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11 (ESV)
The part I want to focus on is the sheep/shepherd relationship:
? Sheep are known to be sort of stupid, but
? at least they know the voice of the Shepherd.
Are we as smart as sheep?
? Sheep know the shepherd’s voice will
? provide protection, comfort, and provision.
? A lost sheep would be thrilled to hear the voice of the shepherd.
The voice of the Shepherd meant a return to safety.
Do we want to hear from God?
? Maybe, unless He disapproves of how we live.
? We might not want to hear from God when
? He paints a picture of our future that is not what we planned.
Do we want to hear from God:
? when we are in the pit of pain?
? What about when God takes a loved one from us,
? do we then want to hear His voice?
I fear that when we God the most that we listen to Him the least.
We need a newfound desire for hearing the voice of God:
o Injured, hungry, weak, scared sheep
o don’t fear or flee the voice of the Shepherd
It is time God’s sheep listen and heed His voice.
Think back to the video at the beginning of the service:
- to the man that was about to die
- unless some one came and rescued Him
- He listened to the voice and He lived…
He had to listen to the voice:
- and follow the specific instructions
- or death was a certainty…
The man in the plane could have:
- told the voice, shut up
- I’m going to figure this out
- leave me alone….
But we all know that without help, the man would die in a ball of fire.
Each of us is like that man in the plane:
- we’ve sinned and death is our punishment
- we are on the path to Hell
- we’ve earned it….
The voices around us will tell us:
- there is no Hell
- everyone is going to Heaven
- but that is not true…
God says…
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:14-15 (ESV)
Is your name written in the book of life?
There are many:
o voices calling out to each of us
o enticing us to follow them.
The voice of fear call out to us:
? Voice of pride.
? Voices of sin.
? Voices of reason.
With all the voices calling:
- focus in on following the voice of Jesus!
Jesus says
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (ESV)
Most of you here have been Christians a long time:
- listen for the voice of God
- stay in the word
- remember that the Lord is our Shepherd
Our job as sheep:
- is not to do the impossible
- it is not to solve all the problems
- it is not our job to be the hero of the story
“The difference between you and God is that God doesn't think He's you.”
- Anne Lamott
Jesus is the hero…
- He paid the price of our sin on the cross
- with His own blood
- Is He your hero?
There may be some here today:
- who have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior
- and now is the best time to make that decision
- It time to take the next step towards the SAVIOR
Will you TRUST in Jesus?
Gospel….
