The Shepherd’s Voice Persists, Wayward Sheep Resist

John 10:27 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

ISAIAH 65:2 ESV

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices…

MATTHEW 26:36-44 ESV

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

PHILLIPPIANS 3:17-21

17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

MATTHEW 22:29

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
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Saints hear the voice of God and He speaks in diverse ways, primarily from the scriptures. Many saints have experience in the scriptures and the power of God and testify of these with others. Conversely, we have pretenders and false leaders who prey on naive, gullible, carnal believers. These false instructors will continue to share endless testimonies of the works of God, snaring people in the process. Mark them and watch the pride in your own heart. Error comes when we believe we know God so well that we need no further instruction, or are above correction.

In First Corinthians 8:1, Paul said, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” He was essentially pointing out that there is a temptation to accumulate knowledge of the scriptures, and experiences, while neglecting active obedience in terms of loving others. The enemy can deceive us into thinking our walk with God is progressing based on our own objectives, benchmarks, and achievements. The problem is our reference points can be worldly or carnal in nature. We may be tempted to point to something temporal as proof of God being with us. This approach, when left unchecked, makes us feel important and gives us a sense of pride. The logical consequence is self-righteousness, a condition that metastasizes into every area of our worldview.

Scripture is replete with people who knew things about God that others did not. They tended to hold it over others in some way and make them pay or jump through hoops to access it. This was the game believers were playing among themselves when He came to the earth, and many have continued in this today. They were institutional folks who knew so much about God, they refused to hear the vantage-point of the Creator, He could not teach them. They were full of knowledge, pride, and error. Their voice mattered; His did not, and we, along with them, killed the Creator, because our sinful hearts would not yield to truth. Keep in mind, they did this in the name of God.

Christ was clear in His teaching. The sheep would hear His voice, know Him personally, and follow after Him. Christ also pointed out that His sheep are wayward and in many places in scripture He dealt with this reality, reminding them to return to their first love. Man tends to love his idols, things he is familiar with, and can above all — control. Our bodies, wants, desires, and emotions speak to us constantly. We are familiar with them, serve them, and also decide how we will be in control of the ways we meet their appetites. Often, the patterns of our lives and affections revolve around these. These natural impulses call for our attention often. The scriptures speak of our natural and carnal desires as flesh or fleshy impulses. The flesh is often aligned with our will. When God speaks, we check in with the things previously listed, to see if they approve. (Will our god — our bellies — approve?) Jesus cautioned Peter about this when He instructed him to tarry in prayer. “The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.” The flesh has a way of listening to what it wants and what will further it’s agenda. It resists the voice of the Savior. The challenge for us is to bring our will under subjection so that we might walk in the spirit. We can only walk in the spirit through love.

A carnal saint — fleshly oriented and self-seeking — is easily deceived into following the spirit and leader of this age. We know him as the “prince of the power of the air.” Satan cannot deceive us when we are walking in the spirit. He can only orient us toward his temptations, when we are focused on the things we want more than pleasing the Father. “Not my will….” is the greatest defense against deception. It is not enough to say it, we must demonstrate this without pretense and in sincerity. Jesus called believers to fast and pray in order to train and discipline their minds and bodies to yield to conscience and the Holy Spirit’s instruction. Believers have neglected this instruction to their own peril. Our love for others rarely includes sacrificing our own appetites or comforts. True love includes this and has the greatest impact. Preaching to people without a demonstration of this, falls flat. Try spending quality time with them, buying a meal, changing a tire, or some other form of service mixed in with your message.

Christ voice will always lead us to consider love for Him and others first and foremost. If we work miracles, but omit love, we gain nothing. In fact, we may just be hardening our hearts to His voice, or possibly, involved in some type of religious sorcery, which is a work of the flesh. In Paul’s day, for every true apostle, there were several pretenders, and for every true apostolic letter, there were numerous false ones. False leaders always speak to the flesh and appeal to the base, works oriented instincts of people. Satan knows people are willing to sacrifice on their own terms but unwilling to obey. Sacrifice makes folks feel better about their character, but it falls short of transformation and renewal. False religion is based on sacrifice and the results are always filled with: envy, selfish ambition, competition, gossip, and every form of disorder listed in James 3:14-17.

Today we find ourselves longing for oneness in the body, while the voice of the evil one targets our fears, insecurities, and selfish desires in an ongoing effort to hinder unity. If we have ever followed the voice of the Savior and have been in one accord with other believers, then we have experienced what life is like when the sheep heed His voice. God calls us individually, and collectively to spur one another to obedient and faithful lives — primarily through service and being a living example. Healthy fellowship can only occur when saints heed the voice of the One who called and redeemed them. This begins with our focus. Let us rejoice in His persistent seeking of our hearts. Hebrews 12:2 tells us we should continue, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” God knows that we truly desire Him, even in our wayward ways. Let us trust His assessment of us, despite our shortcomings. True revival begins with us heeding His voice. He will break our faith in other voices by allowing us to reap from following counsel contrary to His will. He will restore and build our faith as the author and finisher of it.

 

 

 

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