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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
As we draw the month of March to a close, I’m sure you’d agree, we sure never expected the past 30 days to bring us what has happened in our world with the global pandemic. God has made us human beings to flourish in ‘family’…healthy, happy, vibrant, mutually beneficial relationships with one another. That happens best when we can SEE each other, TOUCH each other, COMMUNICATE face to face with each other.
“Social distancing” can be death to ‘community’ and relationships if prolonged and taken to the extreme of isolation! So what do you see happening to your soul, as we remain disconnected and distant from each other, at least as compared to how we used to connect with each other? This is why we have created a “Walking with Jesus” Facebook group, so you can connect and share with others on this “Walking with Jesus” journey, all around the world! Here’s the link my friends, it’s a private group: https://www.facebook.
In Psalm 29 you’ll find an interesting phrase repeated many times, and is seems to be for such a time as this: “The voice of the LORD”. God loves humanity…every one of us whom He has made. God made us for relationship and He loves to communicate His love to us. Do you hear His voice as He speaks most often NOT with words in an audible voice, but through all five of your senses?!
What do you hear “The voice of the LORD” saying to you as you smell the spring flowers or fresh baked bread?
What do you hear “The voice of the LORD” saying to you through your favorite music, or the birds just before sunrise, or the voice of an elderly person sharing their wisdom, or the first words of an infant, or rumbling thunder?
How does “The voice of the LORD” speak to you through what you see in the lightning or billowing clouds or underwater coral reef or majestic mountains or the beauty of flowers or the faces of those you love most?
Does “The voice of the LORD” speak to you with a cool drink on a hot day when you are very thirsty, or the taste of your favorite food, or a cup of fresh coffee in the morning?
And finally, what do you hear from “The voice of the LORD” in the embrace of those who love you most, or the closeness of a pet whom you love dearly, or the waves of the ocean on your feet, or the feel of a fresh snowfall on your face or a cool breeze at the end of a hot day?
Or how about this one my friends…how does “The voice of the LORD” speak to you as you read and meditate on His Word, the Bible? That’s what “Walking with Jesus” is all about, and what Hebrews 4:12 promises us. So today, let’s continue “Walking with Jesus” toward Easter weekend. Today let’s join Jesus and His disciples in John chapter 10, where He speaks about those who will follow Him being like sheep and their shepherd.
Jesus is in a confrontational discussion with religious leaders who were always trying to trap Him with questions or accusations. Here Jesus draws a sharp contrast between authentic followers of God, and those who pretend, may even have fine appearances, and go through all the rituals and traditions, but whose hearts are far from God. Jesus may have been standing near a sheep pen at the time, since He loved to use actual, real, practical examples in life to make His point. So let’s join the small group around Him and listen. Go ahead, put your foot up on a rail and lean your arms on a fencepost, and watch the sheep as Jesus teaches us.
“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep…the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger, in fact they will run away from him, because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (John 10:1-5)
Have you ever spent much time around sheep my friends? What Jesus has just said is remarkably true!
Probably the sheep pen where we are standing listening to Jesus, is one that has sheep belonging to several shepherds. They are all together in one pen at night for safety, with a watchman guarding them during the night. But in the morning, how do you separate the sheep from each other so each shepherd can lead his own flock out to pasture? Oh, that’s one of the unique things about sheep. Their ears! They quickly learn the sound of the voice of their shepherd and they will follow his voice, as he calls them and leads them…but as Jesus said, they will actually pull back, away from a voice they do not know.
So can you see it? In the morning three or four shepherds come to the same large pen. One enters, talking in his normal voice, calling his sheep, and his sheep gather close to him, and he simply walks out through the open gate, and the only sheep who walk out with him are his sheep! Then another shepherd goes in the pen and does the same, and his sheep follow him! It’s quite amazing actually.
Now, can we make the application to real life? You and I live in neighborhoods, communities, villages, towns, cities. We hear LOTS of voices…radio, TV, internet, cell phones, podcasts, and people…lots of people. Which voices have the greatest influence in your life? Which voices do you tend to respect and follow? Is there one voice that you will ALWAYS listen for and follow? And where does “The voice of the LORD” fit in with all the other voices calling for your attention, my friends? Do you see how John 10 links so closely with Psalm 29?
Have you noticed, there are some voices who like thieves, seem determined to worm their way into your life and call you to follow a path that is not good for you, not helpful to your character development, and do you notice those voices will always draw you away from God? What do you do with those voices friends?
In fact listen to what Jesus is saying: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns (or loves) the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and My sheep know Me…” (John 10:10-14)
That’s very true isn’t it my friends? All around you and me are voices which have their own agendas and they are trying hard to influence us. But have you experienced those who claim to be your friends, claim to have your best interest in mind, but when the storm comes, they desert you?
Now let’s remember the human race has one supreme enemy trying to ‘steal, kill and destroy’. It is not COVID-19, nor is it smallpox or HIV or Ebola or malaria. It is not Communism or Socialism or even Terrorism. That ultimate enemy is Satan and he will use all these, and other such things to ‘steal, kill and destroy’. Now can you see how that works in your life and mine?
What steals your joy, your contentment, your heart? What tries to kill your relationship with God and your God honoring relationships with other God loving people? What tries to destroy your reputation, your hopes and dreams for the future? And do you see how Jesus stands in contrast to all that… He longs to lead you in living life to the fullest!
Do you notice vs. 16? “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” We know that all 12 of Jesus’ disciples were Jewish, and the Pharisees that He was talking to were all Pharisees. We know that the Jews felt strongly that God loved them first and most, and when He was going to send Messiah it would be primarily, maybe exclusively for the Jewish nation.
But Jesus is once again making it clear here that He will be the One Shepherd for a huge flock that has lots of different kinds of sheep. Do you see Jesus is explaining His flock will be Jews and Gentiles. His flock will be people from Palestine and Africa, Asia, Europe and places those standing around the pen that day, did not even know existed…North and South America, and the Islands. His flock will speak every language known to man, and have every skin color, from every culture… remember that’s the picture in Revelation 7:9!
Now please notice two other very important things Jesus was saying at the sheep pen that day: “The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life for the sheep – only to take it up again. No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord…” (John 10:15-18) Do you notice Jesus is here predicting His crucifixion, and that His death was not murder or execution. Jesus laid His life down for the payment of our sin debt! But do you also see Jesus is referring to His resurrection? My friends, as we’ll see as we look more closely at Easter, Jesus’ resurrection is just as important as His crucifixion, for a dead Savior can’t save anyone! Only a LIVING Savior can save, and ONLY Jesus is a resurrected, living Savior!
Finally please notice Jesus explaining that His miracles were proof of His deity: “The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice, I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:25-30)
WOW, my friends, do you see all the powerful truths that Jesus said there? Jesus claims that He can give eternal life, and those to whom He gives eternal life will never “PERISH”. Remember from John 3:16, that word “perish” means, spending eternity apart from God…forever!
Do you also see Jesus is guaranteeing that those who have trusted Him for Salvation are SAFE in His hand, and no one or no thing can ever take a saved person out of the hand of God! Remember Paul wrote “Nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord..” (Romans 8:37-39)
And finally…look around at all the people standing around the sheep pen with you and me listening to Jesus. Do you see their mouths hanging open and their eyes open real wide? Did you hear the last few words Jesus spoke? “I and the Father are one.”
Watch out. . . John tells us “The Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these will you stone Me?’ But they replied, ‘we are not stoning you for any of these miracles, but for blasphemy, because you a mere man claim to be God.“ (John 10:31-33)
We’re standing in another ‘defining moment’ my friends.
We’ve heard Jesus say some remarkable things today. . .and we can’t ignore them or push it aside. These words from Jesus demand a response in each of our hearts and minds. Are you one of His sheep? Do you know His voice, listen and follow His voice? Are you sure you have the eternal life He has promised to those who have trusted Him? Are you safe in His hand? And most important of all. . .do you believe Jesus and God the Father are One?
As we continue our journey to Easter, Jesus’ words are going to get more and more powerful, and you and I cannot ignore them. Today, we must each decide what we will do about “The voice of the LORD”as heard in Jesus!
Here is a very powerful, brand new musical video, produced by various artists in Nashville, from their ‘social distancing’ places, all joining together to proclaim: “It is Well with my Soul”! As we worship with them, what does “The Voice of the LORD” say to you today?
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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