My Sheep Listen to My Voice

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV)

Well do I remember those carefree days as a child growing up in the 70s. It was a far different era than our current one. We did not have VCRs, DVRs, PS3s, MP3s, iPads, laptops, or most other indoor forms of entertainment. We did have TV, but there really wasn’t much choice for children on those three stations we could pick-up with our rabbit ears or aerial mounted antennas. Saturday morning TV was pure joy for children as we watched Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Popeye, Underdog and more, but afternoons were meant for baseball, football, or just exploration.

We were not tethered to our own yards by fear induced from 24-hour barrage of negative news. Our parents had no idea of the danger that was lurking out just beyond the shadows for they had grown up in an era that was even more innocent and carefree. Yes, there was the occasional story about a kidnapping or attack or even killing, but for the most part children were still encouraged to roam freely throughout the neighborhood with little to no supervision from parents.

And roam freely we did with little thought of distance or time. However, we did so with the understanding that our neighbors were all part of the tattletale network. Long before the Information Superhighway, parents knew how to share information about the goings-on’s of the neighborhood children. If little Johnny threw a rotten egg at Mr. Cranfield’s house, Mr. Cranfield had a little talk with Johnny’s father. If little Susie was flirting with the boys by the big oak tree, Mrs. Applegate made sure that Susie’s mom knew what was happening. People were more networked together as a neighborhood before technology connected us together with people from around the world.

So when we romped and galloped and skipped around our neighborhood, we felt safe and sound and our parents felt secure knowing that others were watching out for their little lambs. [This is not to say that we never slipped under the radar as my brother and I could certainly attest]. And as the afternoon faded into the rich colors of dusk, each child would suddenly bound off after the voice of their mom or dad calling out those delicious words, “DINNER.” Little Johnny’s mom could yell and we would barely take notice, except for the loss of our second baseman. Little Susie’s dad could holler and few would bat an eye, because boys just were not interested in girls yet. But when we heard the voice of our own mom or dad, we would bolt toward the inner sanctuary of nourishment.

We knew the sound of our parent’s voice. We knew when they were joking and when we had pushed the envelope too far. We knew from their tone what was expected of us. We had a lifelong experience of hearing them speak to us and not even the delightful sound of Kermit the Frog singing, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” could block out their voices. We knew their sound more than that of anything else in this world. That is the relationship that God wants us to have with Him.

Do you recognize the voice of God? In Henry Blackaby’s life changing study “Experiencing God,” he explains that God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances (experiences), and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. In order to become intimately aware of the voice of God, you must actively be involved in studying His Word and spending time with Him in prayer. God has also given us the wisdom of our own experiences to recognize when He is talking to us as well as the expectation that we will participate in a local body of fellow believers, known as the church.

Since I am focusing on shepherds and sheep, I am going to focus on the church aspect of hearing God’s voice. Attending church regularly allows for several important experiences: corporate worship, encouragement, spiritual growth, accountability, fellowship, corporate ministry, enlightenment, and corporate missions. Our participation in these activities also enables us the wonderful and unique opportunity to experience another of God’s intended purposes for the church body: we can receive affirmation of God’s voice from the advice and guidance of spiritually mature Christian brothers and sisters.

There are voices shouting at us throughout our spiritual walk. Many are the voices of the evil one trying to convince us to give up, turn away, try the easy path, or think about our own selfish desires. But through the cacophony of sounds, there is a still small voice that is whispering truth to us (1 Kings 19:12). Sometimes we can miss that voice if we are constantly focusing on the earthquakes and fires of our life. Many people stumble because they just cannot hear the voice of God. They complain that it would be much easier if God would just audibly speak to them and tell them what they should do and how they should live. Guess what? That is why He left us Shepherds until the return of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

The shepherd has been tasked with keeping God’s flock safe. He accomplishes this by teaching the flock to recognize and trust his voice. When I was a child and heard my father yell, “Stop,” I knew that I had better stop or something bad would happen. I may not have seen the danger ahead of me, but I knew the danger in failure to obey my father. The shepherd does all that he can to prepare the sheep for roaming through a world that has drastically changed. The shepherd must give the sheep the tools that will be needed to endure the hardships of life and continue to press on toward the goal that is Christ Jesus.

But the shepherd must also teach the sheep to recognize the voice of God above his own voice. One of the biggest temptations for pastors is pride. Many shepherds swell as big as their flock. They see it as a personal attack when one of their sheep leaves to attend another church. They become angry if their flock fails to agree with them over the business of the church. They become spiritually abusive in how they instruct their church. I once heard a pastor tell his congregation that none of the other churches in town preach God-centered, conservative theology. I have witnessed a pastor destroying the reputation of a former member because they chose to attend another local church. God has warned us all to watch out for pride, because it will be the thing that brings us tumbling down.

Shepherds must direct the church to the very throne of God for that is where we will learn to hear and recognize the voice of our Lord and Savior. Are you listening to His voice? If not, then God’s Word tells us you are not one of His sheep. Many people believe that the church is a place for the lost to gather, but God tells us that it is a field, a sanctuary, for His sheep. Shepherds have another task that I will discuss in the next entry: separating imposters from the flock.

This is part five in a series on Shepherding. I encourage you to read the other posts in the series:

1. All We Like Sheep - glamorous may not be the best description for us.

2. Shepherding vs. Herding - driving the church forward or leading it by example?

3. Shepherds and Sabbaths - did God intend for pastors to rest?
4. Searching for Lost Sheep - it is not only the unsaved who can be lost.
6. Diligence of a Shepherd - What is one thing pastors should be diligent about?