John 10:27 – "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
Have you ever tried to have a conversation in a noisy room? Maybe you were at a party or a busy restaurant, and no matter how loud you spoke or how much you leaned in, the message just didn’t get through. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? The feeling of disconnect, straining to hear something important but missing it. That’s the kind of struggle most of us have in our relationship with Jesus.
Jesus tells us in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." The Good Shepherd is always speaking, guiding, and calling us closer to Him, and sometimes it seems we are stuck in a noisy room. The distractions of life drown Him out, and the static of doubt and fear keeps us from hearing what He is saying. Today, let’s try and learn how we can learn to listen to Jesus’s voice, how to recognize it in the middle of all the noise, and what it means to follow Him in faith and obedience.
We have the Promise of His Voice
In our scripture today Jesus says: "My sheep listen to my voice." This isn’t a hypothetical statement—it is a certainty that Jesus speaks to those who belong to Him. Have you ever thought about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. In biblical times, it wasn’t unusual for multiple flocks to share the same pasture. But when the shepherd called, his sheep would immediately respond, they would come to him leaving all the other sheep behind. Why? Because they recognized his voice, and it was a voice they trusted completely.
Jesus knows you that same way, Jesus knows you personally and He calls you by name. He speaks to us through Scripture, He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, and sometimes He even speaks to us through the wise counsel of others. But hearing the voice of Jesus requires us to have a relationship with Him. You can’t recognize someone’s voice unless you’ve spent time with them. The more we pray, the more we meditate on God’s Word, and the more we worship, the more familiar His voice becomes.
Illustration: You ever been at an airport or maybe been in a big grocery store? you hear dozens of announcements echoing over the loudspeakers. Most of the announcements are just noise until they mention your name. Suddenly, you’re tuned in, paying attention. Jesus is calling you by name every day. Are you listening, or are you treating His voice as background noise?
Jesus speaks, but the world doesn’t make it easy for us to hear Him.
The noise of culture, the chaos of our schedules, and even our own doubts create interference. Listening to Jesus requires intentional effort on our part in order to quiet the competing voices.
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was desperate to hear from God so he went out and stood on a mountain First came a powerful wind, then an earthquake, and then a fire—but God wasn’t in any of them. Finally, Elijah heard a gentle whisper, a still small voice and that’s where God was. God doesn’t compete for attention. He speaks softly and purposefully, and we need to learn how to create the space needed to hear Him.
Hearing Jesus plainly in the chaos around us is a lot like having to tune an old radio. If the station isn’t dialed in just right, all you get is static. Life is a lot like that when we don’t prioritize time with God. The signal’s there, but we’re not tuned in and there’s a lot of static. If we want to hear Jesus, we have got to slow down, we have got to turn off the distractions, and we have got to learn how to focus.
What’s drowning out God’s voice in your life, where is the static coming from? Maybe it’s the endless scroll of social media, or the constant buzz of text or emails, or maybe it’s fear and anxiety going through your mind. If you want to hear the Shepherd, if you want to hear Jesus… You have got to figure out how to silence the noise and clear the static, in order to create the space to listen?
Hearing the voice of Jesus is just the beginning… In order to move forward in obedience with the proper response we must be able to hear and recognize the voice of Jesus. When we begin to listen to Jesus, when we begin to hear the call of the Shepherd, that’s when we realize that we are being called to action. And our first act of obedience is to step out in faith and follow Him, even when it’s uncomfortable and even if the path seems unclear. When we get tuned in to Jesus the result should be obedience to His call.
Think about this… what if a friend called you and they had gotten lost and needed directions. They call you and you’re telling them what they need to do, and they’re saying, "I hear you," but they aren’t actually following your instructions. That would be frustrating, wouldn’t it? The directions that Jesus gives us comes with a promise of purpose and peace, but we must follow where He leads in order to receive the promise.
James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." What is Jesus calling you to do? Maybe He’s calling you to forgive someone who’s hurt you, or to step into a new ministry, or He may be calling you to let go of something that’s holding you back. Whatever it is Jesus is calling you to do, remember this the purpose & Peace isn’t just in hearing, but it comes in the following.
Let me tell you a story… One night, a man was driving home when he felt a strong nudge from God: “Buy a gallon of milk.” It seemed strange, but he thought, what the heck. So, he bought the milk, got back in his car, and continued driving.
As he approached an intersection, he felt another prompting: “Turn here.” He hesitated— and thought this is a bad part of town. But again, he obeyed. Soon, he stopped at a red light in front of a dark, run-down house and felt God say, “Take the milk to that house.”
Now he was really questioning things. He thought “God this is crazy it can’t be right,” . But he got out anyway, he walked up to the door and knocked.
A woman answered, and the man nervously held out the gallon of milk. Her eyes widened, and she began to cry. She told him that her family had run out of money and food, and that very evening, she had prayed, and asked God to provide at least enough milk for her baby.
It was in that moment, the man realized the importance of listening to God’s voice, even when it doesn’t make sense. His simple act of obedience became the answer to someone’s desperate prayer.
When was the last time you felt Jesus prompting you to action? What did you do about it?
If we want to hear Jesus more clearly, we have to be intentional about it. We must take the necessary steps to tune in and listen for that still small voice, or to feel that gentle nudge…
Get to Know the Shepherd: Spend daily time in Scripture and prayer to build a relationship with Him. Find ten minutes a day somewhere.
Find a way to Silence the Noise: Identify distractions in your life and take steps to minimize them. Leave your cell phone on silent when your seeking Christ or better yet turn it off… (You aren’t as important as you think you are) turn off the T.V. for a little while, tune your mind to Jesus…
When you hear or feel something… Test It: Does what you’re sensing Jesus telling you line up with Scripture? If you’re still unsure of what Jesus is calling you to do, you can seek some Godly council.
When you hear Him Respond, be Obedient: We don’t have to wait for perfect clarity—Act on what you know God is calling you to do… if you’re on the right track things will start to fall into place… Sometimes you just have to Step out in Faith.
Jesus is clear: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
Jesus is speaking to you today, He’s calling you by name… Listen to Him, Jesus wants to lead you into a life of purpose and peace. Jesus is talking but the question is… Are you listening? And if you’re listening, are you willing to follow? Are you ready to step out in faith.
This week, create some space to hear His voice—whether it’s spending quiet time in prayer, or maybe opening your Bible with expectation, and simply pausing to reflect on His presence. Don’t let the noise and static of life keep you from the joy and fulfillment that comes from listening to and following Jesus.
Let’s pray…
