Hearing Voices

Now, if I asked you to identify the voice of Jesus, would you be able to do it? My hope is that there are yeses in the room, I expect that there are nos as well.

Starting a new series: Authentic Followers/Authentic Communities - why?

We know that things have changed; church culture and society used to be much closer

We know we’re called to be followers (disciples!) of Jesus Christ and to be his church; what does that mean?

We know that people are designed to be in community with one anther and with God and are engaged when the church lives out its calling

So we’re going to look briefly at Jesus’ words about his followers and some examples of the church being the community of God

Indebted to Karl McDonald @ KMUPC & the curriculum he provided as a basis.

Leading and Following

In , the main ideas are to contrast Jesus’ leadership with that of the Pharisees

However, this isn’t the only lesson that he’s giving; Jesus has quite a bit to say about his followers as well

Edward Klink, ZECNT, application on p. 470: "The wonderful focus this pericope gives to the Shepherd can almost eclipse the beautiful description of the sheep of God that it also presents. While Jesus offers a rebuke against false shepherds, he also offers an invitation to the world - Jew and gentile [sic] - to enter his fold and become his sheep. The metaphor of the shepherd and his sheep is an image of the gospel, the good news, where God lovingly extends himself to the world, offering salvation and new life (20:31).

The first quality of an authentic follower of Jesus is to know His voice

The New International Version Chapter 10

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

So the first question we should ask ourselves is, “Do I know the Shepherd’s voice?”

Odd, because when we examine people for their faith, we generally do it on Bible content (how many books in the Bible, how many old, how many new, who was David, who was Saul, etc…)

Rarely, if ever, do we ask people whether they know the voice of Jesus

Yet here Jesus says that his followers—his sheep—are going to know his voice

If you’re concerned at this point because you’re thinking, “I’m not sure”, don’t worry, we’ll get there; this passage can seem like either you do or you don’t, but that’s not the case; there’s a process of getting to know Jesus’ voice

If you know Jesus’ voice, good. There’s a bit more for you, though; this is just a starting point.

I think the $64,000 question at this point is how do I get to know the voice of Jesus if I don’t or am not sure?

You may think “I know that I’m supposed to be a decent person, so I really don’t need to attend a Bible study or read my Bible on my own. I can come to worship, get refueled for the week, then I’ll be fine.” But Bible study, personal Scripture reading, and prayer really aren’t like filling a gas tank. It’s about learning the voice of the Shepherd, understanding what he sounds like, and being able to hear that voice above all others.

I remember one day at camp this year when I was sitting talking with a colleague of mine on the porch of his cabin. It was raining and a time when almost everyone else was inside, so it was largely just the two of us talking. At one point close to the end of the conversation, I thought that I heard my name called. Now, I’ve never been good at hearing conversations when other things are going on. I’ve struggled for years to understand what even the person next to me in the dining hall or a restaurant is saying when there’s other noise or conversation going on. One thing that I’ve learned, however, is that if I think that I hear my voice, chances are someone has said it, and it’s most likely Katie. Sure, that’s in part because she’s the one who has called my name most often for the past 15 years of my life, but also because in hearing her voice so often, it can cut through--though it might sounds faint or at a distance--even when I can’t understand the person next to me.

That’s how we’re to be able to hear the voice of Jesus. Over time, when we hear his voice day in and day out, we are able to hear it when other noises threaten to choke it out. At first it will be hard, but so is any relationship. I didn’t automatically recognize Katie’s voice. I don’t remember my dad’s voice. Jesus’ voice will seem like a noise--like a foreign language at first, easily forgotten, easily misunderstood. But through familiarizing ourselves day by day, we can begin to recognize and understand his voice. Eventually, with the help of others who hear him more clearly, we will be able to hear the voice of the Shepherd.

Francois Clemmons is possibly best known for his portrayal of Officer Clemmons on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Clemmons tells a story of hearing someone for the first time who had been speaking to him for years:

“One day I was watching him film a session, and you know how at the end of the program he takes his sneakers off and hangs up his sweater and he says ‘You make every day a special day, just by being you, and I like you just the way you are.’ I was looking at him when he was saying that and he walks over to where I was standing, and I said, ‘Fred, were you talking to me?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I have been talking to you for years, but you heard me today.’”

That’s the journey to hear the voice of Jesus, and that’s why it’s important to stay on that journey. Let me encourage you to For those of you who know the voice of Jesus, this is why you’re so important in the journey, so that we have guides along the way.

Related Media

Related Sermons