Listen To The Voice Of The Good Shepherd

You remember the times life was so stressful it made it difficult for you to function! These are some of the signs of being overwhelmed.  When overwhelmed, a person is flooded by thoughts, emotions, and even physical reactions to a specific problem.  As we all know, floods are difficult to manage (Camp Mystic, The Guadalupe River rose about 26 ft (8 m) in 45 minutes, killing 20 campers).  The thing is, everyone feels overwhelmed from time to time.  Feeling overwhelmed can be helpful if it fires up your system.  It can also cause you to be vulnerable. Think about wars for instance. You listen to various news reports about the Iran war and economic affects and you might feel overwhelmed because you don’t know who to trust?  Whom do you follow?  Who has your best interests in mind?  Who wants to take advantage of you and lead your astray? It’s so overwhelming!

Everybody wants your attention, but they don’t want to overwhelm you into disappointment and depression.  Advertisers want you to buy something.  Candidates want your vote.  Social media wants you to see their posts, shares, tweets and memes. They are all screaming for your attention!

If we follow the wrong voice we might end up overwhelmed and tricked to do something we wouldn’t normally do.  So, what about heaven?  Listening to the wrong voice or following the wrong person means going the wrong way.  And according to the Bible, if we follow the wrong person and believe their lies we end up in hell, not heaven. So, rather than trying to figure out how to avoid being stressed out and constantly feeling overwhelmed how about we listen to the Holy Spirit who motivates us to

Listen To The Voice Of The Good Shepherd

The Voice That Matters

The feeling of being overwhelmed has not changed since The Fall into sin.  Adam and Eve were overwhelmed as they hid from the Lord God in the Garden of Eden.  The people of Jesus’ day were overwhelmed by the voices of people clamoring for their attention. There were Greek and Roman poets, lying priests, philosophers and Jewish zealots.  The loud voice of the religious Pharisees demanded their attention with false piety and phony laws that screamed at people who might be carrying something a little too heavy on the Sabbath Day!  Their lie screamed, “Be better!  Do More!  You’re not good enough!”  And if a person didn’t meet their standards they were overwhelmed with guilt!

The Gospel lesson we hear today is really in the middle of a lesson Jesus was teaching.  We heard what happened before John 10 a few weeks ago.  Jesus had healed a person on the Sabbath and the Pharisees were sharply criticizing Jesus and the healed man. We pick up the account today as Jesus responds to his critics.

“Amen, Amen, I tell you: Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the door, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” 

Then Jesus says in verse 7,

“⁷ So Jesus said again, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: I am the door for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them….. ¹⁰ “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” 

You heard Jesus correctly!  Thieves, Robbers.  Steal.  Kill.  Destroy!  The enemies to the sheep are dangerous! These voices are calling out because they want you to take something!  “Take what’s yours!” and “Do what feels right to you!” and “Follow your own heart” and “The only thing that matters is your own happiness!” Listening to your own heart would be like a sheep wandering on its own way from the shepherd or out of the sheep pen because they think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  Yes, your sinful heart wants to trust in you, not Jesus, and those are dangerous voices!  Then comes the sinful world like a wolf in sheep’s clothing climbing over the fence into the pen in order to invade your connection to the Good Shepherd.  They are loud celebrity voices in music, movies, and reels who want you to act in a certain way.  They want you to think in a certain way, to question God’s ways, and be critical of what God’s Word says is right and wrong.  The worldly wolf wants to steal your honesty, sobriety, purity and take your decency away. Those are dangerous voices!   And if that’s not overwhelming enough, just on the other side of the fence is the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  If we stray from the safety of the sheep pen, we’re exposed.  If we stray from the fellowship of the other sheep, we’re singled out.  If we stray from the Shepherd, we’re helpless. And you know how the devil works.  It’s very similar to fishing! He puts the lure of lies and the bait of sinful pleasure on the hook and when he catches us, he gives us nothing and puts us into the basket of hell.  And that’s a dangerous voice! You heard Jesus’ warning! “Thieves, Robbers, Steal, Kill, Destroy.” The Devil, sinful Flesh, and World don’t want to give you anything!  They want to Take, Kill, and Destroy!

It is Good Shepherd Sunday for a Good Reason!  We are Sheep who Can’t!  We need a Good Shepherd Who Can and Did!  We have the problem of taking too many hours to listen to CNN and FOX, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram and spend little time listening to God’s Word.  If we spend more time enjoying fleeting worldly pleasures and picnics, sports and courts more than we do enjoy the green pastures of rest in God’s house on Sundays, we have a problem.  The problem is when we listen to the voices of others more than the Voice That Matters.  When we fail to listen to the Voice of the Good Shepherd and we become overwhelmed.  It’s dangerous.  It’s sinful.

While we are Sheep who can’t, today our focus is on the Good Shepherd who Can and Did!  Jesus is the one who, “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus did what we could not do.  He experienced and leads us through the valley of the shadow of death.  He came to lead us on paths of righteousness not because of what we have done but for his own name’s sake.  Jesus is the Shepherd who came to lay down his life and become the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!  Jesus is the Good Shepherd who Listened to the Voice That Matters, the voice of his Father in heaven.  Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of all our sins.  Yes, because of Jesus our Good Shepherd, you are forgiven.  So, with thankful hearts, let’s Listen To The Voice of the Good Shepherd That Matters, and the

The Voice That Gives

Of course we’re thankful when someone warns us of something that lies ahead.  When you’re driving down the road and a car coming toward you flashes their lights at you, you are thankful that you slowed down when coming over the hill and there was a police officer checking your speed.  Or there was a line of cars stopped on the highway.  Likewise we are thankful the Good Shepherd has warned us about the dangers of robbers, thieves who want to take, steal and destroy us.  We also love listening to the Voice of the Good Shepherd who does just the opposite of our enemies.  Jesus is the voice we listen to for he gives, gives, gives!

Did you think about how much he gives when you heard the Good Shepherd’s words?

“³ The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons this Sunday is a favorite Sunday for many Christians.  These words remind us of what was done for us at our Baptism.  You were marked and branded with the sign of the cross on your head and heart to mark you as a redeemed child of God.  Then the Word of God was connected to the water as you were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  You were named after Christ as you became a Christian who is being led out into this world to be guided by Jesus. Sometimes he leads you beside the green pastures and quiet waters, and sometimes he leads you through the Valley of the shadow of death. Then you grow up in Sunday School, in worship and at home by your parents who it is that is leading you, the Good Shepherd! The Good Shepherd found you when you were lost. The Good Shepherd gives forgiveness of all your sins.  He gives you the holiness you need to enter heaven. He calls you by name.  He leads you!  Tell me, what other religion has a Good Shepherd who gives so much?  Your Shepherd is Good because he takes action for you!  Your Good Shepherd is the solution because he did it all for you!  Your Good Shepherd calls with the voice of his Holy Word so clearly and literally!

“⁹ I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.  ¹⁰ A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 

Dear Friends, Listen To The Voice of the Good Shepherd!  Jesus is the Gate.  This means Jesus is the only entrance to life in heaven.  Jesus is the Shepherd.  This means Jesus is the only one who leads you to heaven.  Jesus is the Lamb.  This means Jesus is the only one who had perfect blood to offer his life in place of sinful people.  This mans Jesus is the only one who had precious blood powerful enough to pay for the sins of all people. Listen To The Voice of the Good Shepherd Who Gives, gives, gives!

Now let’s bring Good Shepherd Sunday home to us.  We know we are living in a broken world.  There are so many activities, threats, and concerns that we may feel overwhelmed.  That’s why we live by faith. Living by faith means we are listening to Jesus’ voice more than the voices of those around us.  Jesus said this,

“(3) the sheep listen to his voice….(4)The sheep follow him because they know his voice….(5) ⁵ They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers….. (8) ⁸ All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” 

When you feel overwhelmed, what do you like to do? I decided to ask AI and here is the answer it gave. “To stop feeling overwhelmed, take a moment to pause and practice deep breathing to calm your mind and body. Additionally, create a self-care plan that includes setting priorities, asking for help, and allowing yourself time to rest and recharge.” Are we missing something here?  Perhaps AI needs to listen to the Good Shepherd!  So let’s Listen To the Voice of The Good Shepherd and take home what he gives us today! What Jesus tells you today is not sentimental, but practical. Jesus is telling you exactly how anxiety loses its grip.  Did you listen to what Jesus told you today?

First, anxiety is often a voice problem. There isn’t just one voice in your head. There’s the steady voice of Christ and there are the voices of “strangers” such as overwhelming fear, guilt, cultural pressure, and your own racing thoughts. Jesus doesn’t say the sheep never hear other voices. He says they don’t follow them. So, when you hear those voices, “What if this goes wrong?” or “What if I fail?”, those are strangers talking. Jesus calls them what they are, thieves and robbers. They steal peace, clarity, and trust in God’s promises. So, my goal today is NOT to eliminate every anxious thought you have!  That’s unrealistic. The goal is point you to Jesus the Good Shepherd who tells you to refuse to follow them.

Second, overcoming anxiety is not about mastering complicated techniques. It’s about familiarity with one voice. Notice how simple Jesus makes it: “My sheep listen… they follow… they know my voice.”  So what does Jesus’ voice say?

• “I am with you always” (Matt 28:20)
• “Your Father knows what you need” (Matt 6:8)
• “Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50)
• “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

Those aren’t vague ideas.  These are concrete promises. When the Words of the Good Shepherd are the words you keep returning to, the other voices start to sound foreign, even suspicious.

Third, Jesus gives you permission to run from certain thoughts.  “They will run away from him…”  That’s not weakness, that’s wisdom.  When a thought pulls you toward fear, despair, or distrust, you don’t need to sit there and wrestle with it. You can shut it down and once again replace it with Scripture. (see above).  You’re not obligated to entertain every thought that shows up.  Take Jesus at his Word and “run away” from thieves and robbers of your faith.

Finally, there’s comfort in this: You are not holding onto Jesus by your strength.  The Shepherd holding onto you.  Sheep aren’t praised for being strong.  Sheep are safe when they stay close to the Good Shepherd. Your peace doesn’t come from how well you manage your emotions, but from who is leading you.  The Good Shepherd is holding you (point to stain glass window), so dear friends, dear sheep, hold on to him!

Have you got it?  Do you realize why this is such a special Sunday?  This is a very concrete Sunday for God’s people.  May I give you a little quiz?  The next time you feel overwhelmed…..

• Whose voice are you going to listen to?
• Can you tell the difference between the voice of the Good Shepherd and the voice of a stranger?

Yes, dear Christian friends, Listen To The Voice of the Good Shepherd.  His Voice Matters and His Voice Gives!  Over time, the steady, familiar voice of the Good Shepherd will crowd out the rest of those voices. And that feeling of being overwhelmed will lose the authority it pretends to have on you!  Thank you Good Shepherd!  Amen!