The Lord’s Personal Voice to His Sheep
John 10:1-5 “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door of the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth 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.”
Here is a lovely picture of the personal care and guidance of Christ Jesus our Lord…..who is our Good Shepherd.
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine.”
In the days of Christ, there would be one sheep fold for many flocks. The Shepherd would come to the door: state his name, so the porter or watchman from the night before, would let him in to get his sheep.
Then the Shepherd would go to the door, and call his sheep. (There is always a few older sheep which would follow quite close to the Shepherd, and they would be first to come.) “Come on Nathan, come on Levi, come on Gershom, come on Sarah”
And out they would come, behind him.
The other sheep of his flock would then follow, too.
It was their name that brought them out to follow the Shepherd; and so Jesus teaches here, that He calls us by our name, when He calls us to follow Him.
He goeth before them. Christ Jesus always leads us on. So that He meets any obstacle first. He has prepared our way, and He leads us in it.
As a Christian, you should experience this.
His call to follow Him in your everyday experiences. He leads, we follow; it is that simple.
There are enemies. There are dangers. There are also warm days of feeding and following, and resting with Christ.
He leads us through them all; and protects us in these events, as we follow Him.
It is our life here in this world of strife, which is pictured.
He has encamped about us; keeping us in His fold, and calling us forth for each days events.
And saving us from enemies, sliding rocks, steep mountain terrain, swift waters which would carry us away. (The dangers of which we are often not aware, but our Shepherd sees, and leads us around, or protects us from.)
Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.”
And it is always His Voice which is calling us onward. Have you responded to HIs call to follow Him?
It is an amazing thing, when we as sheep, learn to make each day an adventure with Christ. (And sheep can be pretty stubborn)
Today is a new day.
Yesterday’s failures have been confessed.
Yesterday’s successes have been brought to Christ in thanksgiving, and laid aside.
Now, it is today.
And today is the time for more going on with Jesus. We can hear His voice today, and follow into the place He has for us.
Maybe the same people we see everyday, but with new conversations.
Maybe new people. Enemies, or friends, we will let our Shepherd decide. (He only can see their hearts, and intentions.)
John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life, (eternal life is a condition of life now, and throughout eternity) and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
He has made all the provision for our lives. He has saved us. He now calls us to follow Him, today, and the next and the next, as His sheep. Following His Voice, and His leading through all our circumstances.
Are we ready to hear?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 