Shepherd's Voice

Transcript

The reading of the Word.

00:00:10

And you'll remember that in our, in the three year cycle of the lectionary readings that John's readings are interspersed. Remember your A, B and C deal with Matthew, Mark and Luke. And so we're in year C with Luke. However, we're jumping back and forth, especially during the Easter season represented here in white and light. We are jumping back and forth in the book of John.

00:00:36

And so which, which by the way you'll remember, begins with light, doesn't it? And so, all right, notice these words as found in John chapter 10 and then move down to verse 22. At that time the festival of the dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, how long will you keep us in suspense?

00:01:10

If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly. Jesus answered, I have told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.

00:01:36

I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.

00:01:59

Jesus, thank you for this powerful word that was spoken roughly 2,000 years ago. Lord, may you speak today, in this very moment, in 2025, right here, this building, to each and every man, woman, boy and girl in this place. Lord, we want to hear your voice. We do. We ask for your voice, Lord, Your voice to be heard above all the other voices on our devices, all of the other voices in our family, all of the other voices in our co workers and everywhere else.

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We want. I want your voice. Speak Lord, for your servant listens. In your name we pray. Amen.

00:02:45

And you can be seated.

00:02:48

Well, we've had two very long readings the past two weeks, but now we come to a very short one. And this small power packed pericope is actually very appropriate for us this morning. Not only because hearing God's voice is always appropriate, but rather I think the Lord has a word for us here at harvest point. I think he has a word for me and so I want to hear that word. And so, you know, I'll just remind you that John 10 is famously known for being a chapter where there's actually two of the famous seven I am statements.

00:03:33

In this one chapter, you Remember, I am the door. But notice not just any door. I am the door of what? The sheep. So we've got this theme today already.

00:03:44

The interlaced in what we've sung about in our readings, all three of the other readings, in fact. And now, now we have it here. I am the door of the sheep. And then he goes on to say, I am the good shepherd, which is again, a very famous way of even picturing Jesus not only in art, but perhaps in our own minds, because again, of the rich variety of shepherding that Jesus sort of takes upon himself from the Old Testament. And.

00:04:21

And so, and so today we want to look just briefly at what's going on in. And why it is that the church has for us just these few verses among such a rich chapter here in the Gospel of John. And we begin just really with this festival of dedication, which you may know as Hanukkah. This is Hanukkah, which is a festival of lights. This is where after Antiochus Epiphanes had sacrificed and desecrated and a pig in the temple now and basically made it obsolete and unusable.

00:04:59

Now they. At Hanukkah, they rededicated the temple and it was now again usable in this way. And so this was part of the history of the intertestamental period, you may remember. So we don't have it in the. In the 66 books, but we actually do have it in what's called the Deuterocanonical books, okay?

00:05:20

And that's the intertestamental books that are historical and can be helpful and in fact is helpful at this very point of Hanukkah, okay. Of the festival of dedication. So here's Jesus at this. Like John specifically says he's at the festival of dedication. And we have to ask, why would he mention this?

00:05:39

Right? And if you've ever read the Gospel of John, there's a lot of things, isn't there in his Gospel that you're like, hey, why did he mention that little tidbit? You know, why? 153 fish. Not just a lot of fish, right?

00:05:51

And so over and over again in John's Gospel, we have. We have these interesting little things. And one of the things is maybe just a note of perhaps historiography. And that is when we remember certain things back from our life. Have you ever noticed that certain things just sort of stand out?

00:06:09

They may not even always have a. Maybe a proper place in the greater story of what was happening on that day, but we just remember it was that thing at that particular time. Do you know what I'm talking about? And I think we have here a true, obviously historical remembering of John being with Jesus at this festival on this winter day, by the way, which is when it was celebrated, which makes a lot of sense if it's a festival of lights, which when better to have it than in the dead of winter, in the darkness of winter? And of course we, we see that, but not only that, not only that, not only this rededication festival, but also he's actually at Solomon's Portico, which, which again you remember Solomon is the original dedicator of the temple here.

00:07:07

Okay? So, so he originally dedicated the temple, okay? And then now it had been desecrated and rededicated. And then of all things, the true temple is here, who is Christ.

00:07:28

He says the temple will be destroyed and in three days we'll raise it up again. He was speaking of his very body, and that is the gathering place of God. And he, his body could never be desecrated and has no need of dedication on our part, for he is already the dedicated one, the consecrated one, the one and only son, the monogene, as John would tell us in his Gospel. And so, so this, this thing is happening, this festival is happening actually in John's gospel, three months after the beginning of. So chapter seven starts us with the feast of tabernacles.

00:08:12

You may remember that one from the Old Testament, right? And then, so chapter seven, eight, nine, and then now into ten, all the way down to this very point, starting with verse 22, is. Is now shifting over, and all of a sudden one space gives us three months of time. And, and Jesus back at the temple now. And you remember that often the typical Jew male would actually come to multiple services of feasting and festivals at the temple.

00:08:40

And we see here Jesus doing just that in John. In fact, if you actually look it up, which you can easily do, even using AI, you could do this now very easily. And so looking through all these books and doing, it's just snap of the finger now, which is great, but just look up, seriously, look it up. Say, give me the Gospel of John outlined in festivals and just see what comes up. It's fascinating.

00:09:00

Okay? And John's gospel, remember, is the only way we know his ministry was three years. The other guys, we read Matthew, Mark and Luke, and it looks like just kind of one year of ministry. He goes to the temple once and he cleans it out. You remember in John, we get him going three times for Passover, which means it was at least a Three year ministry with his disciples.

00:09:20

So there's a significance here that I want to point out, and that is this. In the Old Testament and now in the New Testament with Jesus, they all the people of God, that is, follow a biblical calendar, a biblical schedule. Now you say, okay, well, that's cool.

00:09:44

Here's maybe my beef where you might get upset. I think we need to follow a biblical schedule more than a baseball schedule. I think we need to follow a biblical schedule more than a secular schedule, more than a holiday schedule. Does that make sense? In other words, America has its own holidays.

00:10:04

I mean, you know, just go to Walmart or Dollar General and you can see what's next. I mean, you know what I mean? They already are preparing for whatever schedule they've got in mind. But you know what? The church has actually given us a Christian calendar to remember the great acts of God and move through those, just like we're doing now with Easter time, or as it's called, Easter Tide, just like Christmastide, right?

00:10:31

And so we are moving through the great acts that he came, he lived, he died, he rose, and he sent his Holy Spirit. You see, it's all represented right here in the symbols and images that we have because we actually follow not just the world's calendar. They're vying for us. Their voice is loud. It's all over advertisements, all over tv.

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Okay? But we too have a calendar, a family calendar. And you know what? I think we've missed the mark on this. I really do.

00:11:08

I think we've missed the mark in not prioritizing family worship, Sunday worship, the great feast and holy days, sometimes in even just sort of moving through it. We just move through it apathetically or indifferently. And that's dangerous, brothers and sisters. It's dangerous to be so near to the temple, to Christ and the things of God, the holy things of God, and just be indifferent toward them. In fact, we might say it this way.

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It's actually more dangerous to be indifferent than it is to be doubtful.

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In other words, if you just said, you know what, I don't think that's the case, then at least you're considering someone indifferent is not even. It's not even worth their time to consider it.

00:12:11

That's why I said a couple weeks back, people who say that they doubt the faith, like, keep going, because you can find answers. If you actually are searching for the truth, he will be found, like, keep going, like keep doubting. Don't stop. Don't just get lazy with it, get serious about it. And I'm telling you, if you're serious about the truth, he will find you.

00:12:35

He will be found. You seek me, you will find me. And when we haven't found him, we need to look at us, not Him. Where are you, God? No, no, no.

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Look inside and say, am I really seeking God or just his goodies? And when we don't get what we want, are we going to wah and be a baby needing our diaper changed? Just as the kids said a little moment ago. No, no, no, no. Keep seeking, keep searching, don't stop.

00:13:09

I think we can live by the Bible as we orient ourselves around the first day of the week, as we orient ourselves around the worship of God. Like what? Just think about it. I was thinking about this, actually. Some of you are from the 80s, like me, okay?

00:13:28

1981, you know, in the 80s, to be a devout Christian, you know, it meant that you at least were at the church four or five times a week. Like, that was nothing. In the 80s. Do you guys remember that? Like that was nothing.

00:13:42

Do you know what the average churchgoer in America, how many times they actually go to church? Twice a month. That's your devout. Twice. Now, I'm talking about people, Christians, that we would say, yes, they've got the mark twice a month.

00:14:00

Now think about this. Think about this. Roughly 30 days in a month, I'm going somewhere with this. So hang tight. 30 days in a month.

00:14:08

2 times to break open the temple.

00:14:16

Is that not ludicrous? Like, I think that's pretty sad. And whatever the reason, I heard it once. I think it's this, though, and this is a powerful statement. If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy.

00:14:34

If he can't make you bad, he'll make you busy. And listen, we all have. We're all busy. I don't think I've ever met anybody in America that wasn't busy. People like, yeah, I'm retired.

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Busy as ever. You know, kids, busy as ever. Look at their schedule. I wonder if we could just revisit. That's all I'm saying this morning.

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It's just like not trying to get onto somebody. I don't have anybody particular in mind. I got myself in mind, okay? I'm saying, do my kids blindly move through these great biblical seasons and are they indifferent? Am I indifferent?

00:15:12

I find indifference in me creeping up because guess what sin is? It's missing the mark. We get off the path, we're like a sheep that wanders. You know, people, pastors have always Said this. Your sheep are kind of dumb.

00:15:24

And I've heard a corrective of that to say. Actually, it's not so much that they're dumb. Getting FaceTimed by Jessica. I'm not sure what's going on. Bob, can you go see if Jessica needs any help there?

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Lost my train of thought here. Where was that sheep? Yes, thank not being dumb. Yeah, let's give the sheep a break for a second. Okay, here's.

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Here's how. And this is Dr. Oswald, by the way. So he knows his stuff. He said, you know, they're not.

00:15:51

So. It's not that they're so dumb. It's just that they get to eating and then doing their thing, and they slowly just don't pay attention to anything else. And they wonder, and then they look up and, oh, shoot. Where's everybody at?

00:16:05

You ever had that moment before? You know, it's like you're just kind of doing your thing and like, oh, man, this is beautiful. Hey, where is everybody? Anytime we go to a museum, that's me. You know, I start looking and actually reading the stuff, because I think that's why they have it there.

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And then my family's just simply gone. My family's just. And I'm like, where's everybody at? You know?

00:16:24

Doesn't that kind of describe us a little bit? Like, it certainly describes my life. I just sort of get in my own lane, doing my own thing, and then all of a sudden, I look around and I don't hear his voice anymore.

00:16:41

You know, it's interesting. He leaves the 99 to go get the 1 because the 1 belonged to somewhere. You see that this wasn't just lost without a fold. This one had lost from the fold. The coin.

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Same thing. The coin belongs to the lady. It's not some random coin. It belongs somewhere. You see, what that's saying is, is you can be lost.

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Hear me? You can be lost and be in the room. Like that coin that rolled under the stove that you'll never get. It's just hanging out there, lost, forgotten. But you know who doesn't forget?

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The Good Shepherd. He knows. He knows.

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You know, Psalm 23. There's that little part there. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, shepherd didn't go there. I did. But guess who comes down into our darkness, into our winter, into our death?

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It's the Good Shepherd. He comes all the way down for us, to rescue us, to save us. Okay? So let's just maybe look at the rest of our year and say Jesus, are you happy with this? You happy with this schedule?

00:18:06

Because I'm just telling my schedule. It's got every color on Google Photos, it's got every color in the book. Everything's just, hey, me, me, more of me. Jesus, are you happy with the way I'm scheduling my life, scheduling my kids lives? Shouldn't it be at least something we consider being under shepherds of the great Shepherd?

00:18:28

It absolutely is, and you already know it. All right, okay. Now many people come to John 10 for comfort. They really do. And there's a lot of comfort here knowing that you're part of his fold, knowing nobody can take you out of his hand.

00:18:41

Man, that is some good comforting stuff. But you know what's scary at the same time is this. And I'll just read it again. I have told you, you do not believe. You know what I hear?

00:18:57

I've told you Sunday after Sunday, you don't believe. And notice the works I do in my father's name, testify to me, but you do not believe. You do not believe twice here it's you don't believe. You already have the information. It's not an information problem.

00:19:16

And can we say it this way? In the Bible Belt, we don't have an information problem. We have an obedience problem.

00:19:24

We have a following problem. We just don't want to do it. And then we turn into a different animal. Remember the stiff necked? You remember in the Old Testament the stiff necked people?

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Sheep really aren't stiff necked. That's a donkey. And you know the other word for that that the old King James uses, Notice you don't believe because you do not belong to my sheep. Now that's gotta really frighten us. Should you don't belong to my sheep.

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My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

00:20:09

What's more important than his voice? Like, when's the last time, you know, you heard his voice? We don't have to have it every single moment of every single day, but I gotta have his voice. And sometimes I'm like, hey, it's been too long since I've. And I start pleading with God, let me hear your voice again.

00:20:28

I gotta have it.

00:20:34

Being a good shepherd, being a good father, God will often test us. And you've seen it before, these kids, these psychological tests they do on kids and they say, hey, now, now, don't eat this cookie. And you'll get four cookies if you don't eat this one cookie now. We'll come back in five minutes. And you know you can see it on their face.

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They're like, yeah, well, the temporary is better. You know, that's us. We're like the. And you know what he does? He closes the door and we're like, hey, where are you?

00:21:06

And the test is this. Are you going to actually trust him? He's already told you what to do. Like, why does he need to keep saying it? He's not going to keep.

00:21:14

He's already told you what you need to do. Like, should we move? Would a good teacher move on to point two if you don't have point one? No, of course not. If you can't read yet, we can't go into criticizing the author.

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You see, some of us just need to do what he's already told us. We actually already know what he said.

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We just don't want to do it. We need to hear his voice and know that we belong. Notice it. I know them. God knows everything, of course, but what he's saying with this is, they are mine.

00:21:52

I know them. That's my sheep. That's the one that belongs with me. You belong. Which is a great message.

00:22:00

But sometimes we falsely see ourselves as belonging. You know, you've all had this experience where you thought you were the good guy in a situation until you look back. You know what I mean? Of course, we can criticize governments for doing that. Looks like they're doing the right thing.

00:22:18

And then we look back years later, 2020. Little clearer vision. What about you, though? You can criticize governments, you can criticize other people, but what about in your life? Like, the buck stops with you.

00:22:33

What has he said for you to do?

00:22:39

John Wesley talks about, if you want to hear his voice, then sit, practice, live in the means of grace. What are the means of grace? Scripture reading, prayer. Like, when there's an imbalance there. That's why we don't hear his voice.

00:22:59

And I'm telling you, it's that slow downward and away movement that the devil will do in your life. He's not trying to get any of you to murder somebody. He's. No, no, come on. He's just trying to get you busy, off track.

00:23:16

Indifferent, feeling, no compassion. Thinking about 3058 street and those precious people over there and just, yeah, that's somebody else's problem.

00:23:30

Thinking about our neighbor. Just saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, somebody else. Have to reach them. They're too difficult. Do you know that you can actually hear God's voice through annoying people?

00:23:43

Because I'm one of them, you know, sometimes.

00:23:49

Yeah, exactly. We all are, though. Aren't we? We all annoy somebody for some reason at some point. That's okay.

00:23:56

That's all right. Because with annoying people or with difficult people, I think the Lord has placed them in our life to sanctify us. Not that they need changing, but that we need change. There's something in us. There's something in us that's not right.

00:24:16

Do you hear his voice in whatever situation you're currently in? On the mountain, in the valley, or anywhere in between? And we talk about the extremes, but how many years go by that we're just somewhere in between? There's nothing big happening or anything, but we're just moving through. Don't lose sight of the shepherd.

00:24:41

You know, it's in those stretches of highway. Actually, if you drive down 65, once you. Once you get past Montgomery, there's this stretch of road where they will constantly remind you, sign after sign. Don't go to sleep. If you're drowsy, pull over.

00:24:55

You seen these? That stretch of highway, interstate is like straight, no heels, perfect visibility. Yeah, that's the point. When it's easy, when life's easy, we tend to doze off, don't we doze off and we just drift. We drift.

00:25:14

We've got to watch the spiritual drift. Wouldn't today be a great day to correct that? To wake up, O sleeper, and to hear Christ call our name?

00:25:33

Perhaps one of the strongest places where Christ's voice is heard is in our conscience. What some have called that inner voice. You know, that part of us where when we do something good, like 305 8th street or serving someone in some particular way. Yeah. I remember Jessica and I recently packed those lunch.

00:25:53

I thought, you know, this is going to some good people today. You know, I can't say everybody in Huntsville is going to do good things today, but these folks, they're going to do some good stuff today. And I sent those sandwiches on their way, and I felt. I felt good. Now, that's because there's an inner voice.

00:26:07

It's almost as if we picture someone saying, you know, that's good. You did something good. Way to go. And we feel pretty. But when we do something wrong, that same inner voice wouldn't have done that.

00:26:21

I don't think he should have went that far, shouldn't have said that. You know, you're wrong. Thank God for that. Now we can sear that thing Romans says by continuing in sin and ignoring it. Don't.

00:26:35

God works through your conscience. And let me tell you, that's sort of like very personal like, you could probably convince me of a lot of things, but that inner voice, there's no way you could ever. What could you ever say to Misdirect that? I heard it myself. His call On My Life, February 28, 1999.

00:26:58

There's no way. There's no way to disprove that it happened. Do you know his voice like that?

00:27:09

Well, and then of course, there's this principle here with being sheep that we have a shepherd. We follow. He leads. He leads out front. Notice we're not cattle.

00:27:18

That's being driven from behind. Wa ta, wa ta. You know, this kind of thing through the desert. But rather we're sheep. And he leads the way and we follow.

00:27:30

And he's the good Shepherd. We are to hear him and to know that we belong and then to follow. And that last part is very important. Follow me. And that's when he gives us his eternal life.

00:27:51

And then finally they ask for it. So he gives it. Here they say, tell us plainly. Well, you can't get any plainer than the Father and I are one.

00:28:06

Now notice the oneness speaks to the one essence or nature of God. Three persons. Rumor. One God, one God, three persons. The R A R E is this verbal tense that speaks to the distinction.

00:28:30

I and the Father are distinct. One, unity, tri, unity, Trinity. You can't get any clearer than this. There is no more clarity. This is him saying, here he is fully God and equal with God, and that's why he's able to be both the shepherd and the lamb.

00:29:04

He is the shepherd of the sheep because he's God. He is the lamb slain because he's man. One person, two natures. Remember all the symbolism, you know? Yeah.

00:29:16

Three persons, but two natures with the one person who is Jesus, who brings together heaven and earth in his own temple, his own body. And when John sees him glorified, he sees one like a lamb slain.

00:29:39

Do you know that voice? Have you heard his voice recently in your life? If not, repent. Today can be a day where you hear him speak. And in fact, if you look closely enough or perhaps far enough in to that inner voice, you already know he is speaking today.

00:29:57

And you have heard his voice. And now it's time to. To know that you belong to the church, Mother Church, the fold, the flock of God. And then to follow Him. And following him always means other people, always means us together.

00:30:24

So today, know the good Shepherd. Know that you belong. Like, think about that. You belong to him. And then follow him.

00:30:34

Follow him with all your heart. Every single one of us have to do it. God has no grandchildren, only sons and daughters. That's it. You can't get to Christ through philosophy.

00:30:46

You can't get to Christ through what we know. It's Him. His purpose. Person. Christianity is about a person.

00:30:55

Do you know him? Do you love him? Do you hear his voice? Are you following? May it be so.

00:31:01

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Total Duration 00:31:05