Dave spoke from John 10:1-18 last night, looking at Jesus’s words on shepherding and sheep.
Jesus had just healed the blind man and was again under attack from the Pharisees. He urged His followers to follow Him, rather than those who could not see what the Father was doing through Him and used the simple illustration of a shepherd caring for his sheep. We too face many voices in the world which would seek to distract us from God, but have to listen for God’s voice above them all.
Jesus said He was the gate by which all sheep entered the pen. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). Many try to enter by other doors (see Col 2:8, Gal 1:7-8), but the key element for us always to ascertain is how centred the message is on Christ. False prophets will undoubtedly appear (see Matt 24:24), but we can trust the man sent by God to care for the flock.
Sheep were raised for wool in Biblical times and therefore were kept for years, learning to recognise the shepherd’s voice and understand the shepherd’s heart. We too have to develop a deep and intimate relationship with God, so that we recognise His voice and His heart. We need to know the kind of God we serve: a God who forgives sins (Is 43) and restores us, a God who knows us by name and never leaves or forsakes us.
The quiz ‘Mr and Mrs’ gave married couples the opportunity to answer questions about each other. It was often shocking to realise how little they knew of each other’s tastes and preferences, even after years of marriage! We too can know remarkably little of God, despite years of following Him. We have to spend time with Him in order to recognise His voice and get to know His heart. It is God’s desire to spend that time with us: are we willing to draw close to Him and develop our relationship with Him?