The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd. Have you been searching for the voice of God and can't seem to find it? This blog post breaks down the basics of hearing the voice of God.

Have you ever heard of a dry season? Where you supposedly cannot hear or feel the presence of God? This blog post will bring to light the Gospel truth of what a dry season indicates and how to get out of one.

John 10:27 says;

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Background

What does this Scripture mean? We cannot grasp the full understanding of this Scripture unless we first look at the historical background of this text and also look at what was happening during this time.

The Book of John is John's account with Jesus. John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for the Lord. " I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the Lord's coming!" John 1:23

John 10 was one story of many written about Jesus.

Throughout the Book of John there were many times that Jesus was known for coming to festivals and preaching the Gospel. (Tyndale. "The Filament App". Filament Bible Experience. Tyndall House Publishers, 2020).

In John 10 specifically, Jesus shows up to one of these Jewish festivals called Hanukkah (the Festival of Dedication), and begins to teach the people and correct them.

During this time period religious leaders were also known as shepherds, so when Jesus referred to himself as "the gate keeper" and "the good shepherd" he was publicly proclaiming to the people of God not to follow the "religious leaders" of that day and age but instead to follow him! "The good shepherd!" (Tyndale. "The Filament App". Filament Bible Experience. Tyndall House Publishers, 2020).

John 10:1

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."

It is extremely important that we recognize the voice of Jesus Christ because we could easily be altered by other voices that are not from God.

We could accidentally follow a voice, a person, or a direction that is not from God! All because we have not yet recognized the voice of the Lord.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE VOICE OF GOD

When looking at this Scripture carefully we can see that Jesus describes himself leading in a way that is clear; he indicates that he "comes through the gate".

But the one who enters through the GATE is the SHEPHERD of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep BY NAME and LEADS them out.

Jesus' voice comes in a way that is clear and concise. He will never come in a way that is deceiving or hidden.

When a robber comes into your home it is a scary situation, you do not know when the robber is coming, you do not know the robber.

The enemy will try to disguise his voice to sound like God, or at times make you doubt that you ever even heard the voice of God.

But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:8)

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Gen 3:1)

GoD moves Publicly

Isaiah 45:19

I publicly proclaim bold promises.

I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner.

I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me

if I could not be found.

I, the Lord, speak only what is true

and declare only what is right.

When the Lord speaks it is publicly spoken he does not whisper obscurities in some dark corner! He is not sneaky with his tactics!!!

If we seek God, he can always be found.

God said "I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found" (Isa. 45:19)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13:8)

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm. 34:18)

If God can be found, God is always the same, and God is near to the broken hearted, then it must be us that distances ourselves from God and his voice.

Jesus is the prince of peace

Jesus is the Prince of peace but the devil is a liar and a deceiver.

Jesus will always come in a way that is peaceful, if you feel anxiety about making a decision then more than likely it is not the Lord. Anything that is not from the Prince of peace is not from God.

So the question is, do you know God's voice? YES! Will the enemy try to make you think that you don't? YES! You know God's voice because he always makes it clear, but what you don't recognize is the devil's voice!

God is not a God of confusion. If you ever feel confused about something, then do everything it takes to learn the truth from the Word, or you could always schedule a session with our Pastors and Leaders to help receive clarity.

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. (Prov.11:14)

If you still feel confused about something, then it is time to fast.

So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

The Last thing is; THE FLESH

The flesh is a giant obstacle for hearing the voice of God. (This is why fasting can help if this is an issue for you).

But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. ( 1 Cor. 2:14).