The Voice We Must Hear

John 10:1-10

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 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 hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Homily:

My Sister, Sharon and her husband, Phil, lives in Grandy, N. C. Geographically, she is my closest sibling. She is also the closest to me in age. But because of her husband’s Parkinson’s disease, she needs help when they travel. Help is hard to come by; but finally help came and she and her husband were able to meet with Jackie and me for the first time this year. We met at the Olive Garden in Chesapeake this past Thursday, At our request, the hostess seated us at a table where the music was not a distraction.where the music was not a distraction. We met at the Olive Garden in Chesapeake this past Thursday, At our request, the hostess seated us at a table where the music was not a distraction. But for some reason, the conversations coming from nearby tables were unusually loud— making it hard for me to hear the conversations at my own table. Still, because the voices of Jackie and Sharon were familiar and because I focused on their voices, I was able to hear most of the conversation at our table—despite all the noise around me. And that brings us to today’s gospel lesson. Jesus says: “I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep know my voice and they follow me.” But Jesus does not give us this image without also giving us a warning. He says the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Who is Jesus talking about? Who is the thief? How does he go about his thievery? And what is it that he steals? The thief is the enemy of our soul, Satan. He seeks to steal away our relationship with the Good Shepherd. Andhe is very subtle in how he does it. Of course, sometimes he comes right out and confronts us directly—playing on our own human weaknesses. But most of the time he uses the voices of others. I am thinking about last Thursday at the Olive Garden where we met my sister and her husband. The people in the nearby tables were not intentionally trying to distract me from the conversation around my own table. They were innocent of what was happening. But they were distractions nevertheless. That is how Satan works—He seeks to distract us from our relationship with Jesus; and it all started in the Garden of Eden, when he used the voice of a serpent to cause the f irst humans to focus on the one tree that God had forbidden. And so it is still the pattern even today in our own world. Satan still uses the voices of others; even though they are unaware of his subtle schemes. So we live with this reality: There is one true voice—the voice of the Good Shepherd—and there are many other voices competing for our attention. So we must come to know the true voice of the Good Shepherd. Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice not because they studied it just once. They know that voice because theyhave lived with it for a long time. They have heard the shepherd’s voice again and again— they have heard it in the quiet ordinary events of everyday life. And so the Shepherd’s voice becomes familiar to them. That is what Jesus is saying about us. Faith is not ONLY about believing in Christ—faith is about learning to recognize His voice. That is what Jesus is saying about us. Faith is not ONLY about believing in Christ—faith is about learning to recognize His voice. But we must be honest—we do not live in a quiet pasture like most sheep do. Instead, we live in a world filled with noise. Voices press in from every side—culture, opinion, fear and a host of other voices. And if we are not careful, the many voices can prevent us from hearing the voice that really matters. This outcome is a real danger and so the essential question is this: “How do we hear the Shepherd’s voice in a noisy world?” The answer is this: “We must learnagain the discipline of listening.” That means stepping away from the noise. It means f inding a solitary place. It means quieting our hearts. God’s voice is not often found in the clamor of the world. More often His voice is heard in the stillness of silence. As the poet tells us in the 46th psalm: “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is in that stillness, that God speaks in ways that are both profound and familiar. He speaks through Scripture. The Shepherd’s voice is clear in God’s Holy Written Word. The Word of God is like an anchor which holds us steady when other voices shift and change with the tide. He speaks through Scripture. The Shepherd’s voice is clear in God’s Holy Written Word. The Word of God is like an anchor which holds us steady when other voices shift and change with the tide. He speaks through the Holy Spirit. There is that inward prompting that says, “This is the way—walk in it.” You will know that voice when it happens. Like the two disciples we mentioned last week who were walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus and sensed a warning in their hearts; so we also will sense a warming in our heart when the Holy Spirit speaks to us.when the Holy Spirit speaks to us. He speaks through prayer. Not only as we speak—but as we listen. Since we have two ears and only one mouth, perhaps our prayers actually become a better communication with God by listening twice as often as we speak. But there is something else we must not overlook. God also speaks through His creation. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Day after day, night after night—creation is speaking. Not in words that we hear with our ears, but in the testimony we sense within our hearts. Jesus Himself often pointed to nature to help us hear and understand the voice of God. “Consider the lilies of the field.” “Look at the birds of the air.” In simple images—flowers, birds, seeds, soil—Jesus spoke to the people saying, in essence, “If you pay attention to creation, you will hear something of the heart of your Heavenly Father.”heart of your Heavenly Father.” I am reminded personally of how God speaks in this way. Years ago, at my high school baccalaureate service, I heard a hymn that has stayed with me ever since—and I quote: “This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears…all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world. He speaks in all that’s fair. In the rustling grass, I can hear Him pass. He speaks to me everywhere.” That hymn captures what the psalmist knew and what Jesus taught—that if we are listening, even creation joins in helping us hear the voice of God. But there is a testing of the voices we hear. And here is where Peter gives us much needed clarity in knowing the voice of the Good Shepherd. Not every voice that sounds spiritual is the voice of the Good Shepherd. In 1 Peter we read: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” And then we read…“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” Not every voice that sounds spiritual is the voice of the Good Shepherd. In 1 Peter we read: “Christ suffered forGood Shepherd. In 1 Peter we read: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” And then we read…“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” So here is the test: The true voice of the Good Shepherd will never promise a path without a cross. Any voice that tells us: “Following Jesus will always be easy—that there will be no cost…no sacrifice”…that voice, dear brothers and sister, is NOT the voice of the Good Shepherd—because the Good Shepherd who calls us, is the same Shepherd who suffered for us. And Peter reminds us—if we follow Him, there may be times when we will suffer as well. The voice of God leads us to life—yes—but sometimes that path leads through difficulty, through sacrifice, through costly obedience. And yet, this is the promise that holds it all together: “I have come that they may have life—and have it more abundantly.” The Shepherd’s voice is not the easiest voice, but it is the truest voice.The Shepherd’s voice is not the most comfortable voice —but it is the most life-giving voice. Conclusion So the question is this: Whose voice are we listening to? In a world filled with noise—have we made space to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? Have we listened to Him in Scripture…in prayer…in the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit? Have we heard His voice in the testimony of creation, itself? IF WE HAVE….. Then my concluding message is this: Let us continue to listen, because the Good Shepherd is still speaking. Let us quiet our souls. Let us listen to His voice…and having heard it—let us continue to follow; because the Good Shepherd always leads to that abundant life which He still promises today just as he promised his first followers. Praise and glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit both now and forevermore. Amen.