God’s Sheep Hear His Voice
God’s Sheep Hear His Voice
(A distinction between all the voices we are hearing today and Jesus voice).
In Matthew 10, the Jews surrounded Jesus and kept asking Him questions. Even though He had already answered those questions for them, they couldn’t believe in Him. Neither what He said or the works He did in His Father’s name changed their hearts to believe. And Jesus told them it was because they did not belong to His sheep.
Jesus continued to say,
“My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
There is a definite distinction between listening to voices and listening to Jesus voice. The Jews and religious leaders of Jesus day had voices all around them. These voices were of good Jewish stock telling the people the same Jewish things that Jews had been told for centuries. But these voices were not Jesus’ voice.
(A distinction between all the voices we are hearing today and Jesus voice).
In Matthew 10, the Jews surrounded Jesus and kept asking Him questions. Even though He had already answered those questions for them, they couldn’t believe in Him. Neither what He said or the works He did in His Father’s name changed their hearts to believe. And Jesus told them it was because they did not belong to His sheep.
Jesus continued to say,
“My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them and they follow me, and I give to them eternal life, and they shall never get lost, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
There is a definite distinction between listening to voices and listening to Jesus voice. The Jews and religious leaders of Jesus day had voices all around them. These voices were of good Jewish stock telling the people the same Jewish things that Jews had been told for centuries. But these voices were not Jesus’ voice.
When Jesus speaks of His voice, He isn’t speaking of the sound waves that came from literal words that came out of His mouth that entered human ears and are then interpreted by the brain into input.
You must remember that Jesus voice is more than a few words from the Hebrew language translated into English that we read literally. He spoke of His words being spirit and life in Matthew 6:
“The Spirit is what gives life; the flesh does not help at all. The truths (or also words/things) that I have told you are spirit and life.”
There are voices out there that we have heard for centuries that are not out from the spirit of Jesus. They are voices of tradition. They are voices of successful programs and how to’s on how to make your Sunday morning be productive. They are voices about how to be a good little Christian (or good little Jew). But enter Jesus on the scene. Everything He said, every part of His voice ran contrary to the good little traditions of the men around Him. Good Jewish men. They could not hear His voice because His voice was actually spirit and life. If Jesus came speaking their language - the common religious language they were all acquainted with, they would have heard Him no problem. But what He spoke was life. It was the light of heaven. His language spoke to spirit and only spirit could pick up on what He was conveying.
Do you get the difference here?
Jesus is still speaking today by His Spirit. They are words of Life. In fact, in Revelations, every letter to the seven churches ended with, “Let everyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
There was nothing said about the man who has ears listen to what people in the churches said to the churches but to what the Spirit says to the churches.
What is the Spirit saying to the churches in our day? What is Jesus voice saying or conveying through spirit and life to the hearts of His own? Are we going to grind everything to a halt to hear His voice or are we just going to go ahead and do our thing and do our thing successfully to once again do that same thing the next Sunday? Jesus sheep are hearing His spirit and life (words). He is speaking directly to the heart of His own and those who are truly His sheep are hearing. They are really hearing. And what they are hearing from Jesus personally, is in stark contrast to how His voice sounded to the typical Jewish person of His day. They could not believe.
Can I tell you what I am personally hearing Him impart to my heart and with much more frequency lately? Church as we know it is a far cry from the way He desires His people (His sheep) to know Him and follow Him. We have fallen to traditions and institutional legislation and directives from men on how to run a successful human-effort Sunday service. We are a far cry from ministry as Jesus Himself gave us direction. Won’t the inner ears of our heart hear what the Spirit is saying to His own?
You must remember that Jesus voice is more than a few words from the Hebrew language translated into English that we read literally. He spoke of His words being spirit and life in Matthew 6:
“The Spirit is what gives life; the flesh does not help at all. The truths (or also words/things) that I have told you are spirit and life.”
There are voices out there that we have heard for centuries that are not out from the spirit of Jesus. They are voices of tradition. They are voices of successful programs and how to’s on how to make your Sunday morning be productive. They are voices about how to be a good little Christian (or good little Jew). But enter Jesus on the scene. Everything He said, every part of His voice ran contrary to the good little traditions of the men around Him. Good Jewish men. They could not hear His voice because His voice was actually spirit and life. If Jesus came speaking their language - the common religious language they were all acquainted with, they would have heard Him no problem. But what He spoke was life. It was the light of heaven. His language spoke to spirit and only spirit could pick up on what He was conveying.
Do you get the difference here?
Jesus is still speaking today by His Spirit. They are words of Life. In fact, in Revelations, every letter to the seven churches ended with, “Let everyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
There was nothing said about the man who has ears listen to what people in the churches said to the churches but to what the Spirit says to the churches.
What is the Spirit saying to the churches in our day? What is Jesus voice saying or conveying through spirit and life to the hearts of His own? Are we going to grind everything to a halt to hear His voice or are we just going to go ahead and do our thing and do our thing successfully to once again do that same thing the next Sunday? Jesus sheep are hearing His spirit and life (words). He is speaking directly to the heart of His own and those who are truly His sheep are hearing. They are really hearing. And what they are hearing from Jesus personally, is in stark contrast to how His voice sounded to the typical Jewish person of His day. They could not believe.
Can I tell you what I am personally hearing Him impart to my heart and with much more frequency lately? Church as we know it is a far cry from the way He desires His people (His sheep) to know Him and follow Him. We have fallen to traditions and institutional legislation and directives from men on how to run a successful human-effort Sunday service. We are a far cry from ministry as Jesus Himself gave us direction. Won’t the inner ears of our heart hear what the Spirit is saying to His own?
Solomon wrote under the power of this same spirit and life of Jesus:
“My son, pay attention to what I am saying; incline your ear to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to their whole being.”
Proverbs 4:20-22
Jesus is calling deep within the heart of His own, spirit to spirit. His sheep will hear His life. And they will not follow the voice of a stranger. A stranger would speak and the sheep would not know that voice. They would not go in the direction of that other voice or respond in their actions. Maybe our churches today are falling apart because God’s sheep are not responding to a strangers voice. Think about that for a minute and let it soak in. We point at the sheep and blame them for programs that are failing and attendance that isn’t filling chairs. But what if there is no spirit or life happening for a sheep to recognize and respond to? The sheep will turn to their Master Shepherd and follow Him no matter what. Even if it goes against the typical norm of voices heard over centuries. And Jesus was absolutely sure they would. He said to those Jews who did not believe Him or could hear Him, “My Father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” And may I add here that they will listen only to Jesus, “no matter how much you try and shame them for not following the voice that is becoming strange to them.”
“Today, if you will but hear His voice....” Hebrews 3:15
“My son, pay attention to what I am saying; incline your ear to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to their whole being.”
Proverbs 4:20-22
Jesus is calling deep within the heart of His own, spirit to spirit. His sheep will hear His life. And they will not follow the voice of a stranger. A stranger would speak and the sheep would not know that voice. They would not go in the direction of that other voice or respond in their actions. Maybe our churches today are falling apart because God’s sheep are not responding to a strangers voice. Think about that for a minute and let it soak in. We point at the sheep and blame them for programs that are failing and attendance that isn’t filling chairs. But what if there is no spirit or life happening for a sheep to recognize and respond to? The sheep will turn to their Master Shepherd and follow Him no matter what. Even if it goes against the typical norm of voices heard over centuries. And Jesus was absolutely sure they would. He said to those Jews who did not believe Him or could hear Him, “My Father who gave them to me is stronger than all, and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” And may I add here that they will listen only to Jesus, “no matter how much you try and shame them for not following the voice that is becoming strange to them.”
“Today, if you will but hear His voice....” Hebrews 3:15
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