John 10
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
"What is a sheep?"
One of the world's foremost sheep ethologists defines a sheep as a "Defenseless, wary, tight-flocking, visual, wool-covered ruminant (Cud-chewing animal)
We are all familiar with the reputation of the sheep. They are dumb, mindless, and wandering. It begs the question, why would Jesus refer to his followers as sheep? While we may not fit the wool-covered (Some men are the exception) Cud-chewing description, the other adjectives seem to be a perfect fit. We are defenseless, we are wary, and this is why it is imperative that we learn the voice of the "Good Shepherd."
The scripture urges us to "Stay Alert" (1 Peter 5:8) for the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion." While the sheep are defenseless on their own, they remain protected in the presence of the good shepherd. The more I grow and mature the less confident I feel about my ability to do anything great apart from the shepherd, he is "the gate," he is my protector, he is my defense, he knows me and I know his voice, he lays down his life for his sheep.
He wants us to rely on him. He is calling us; do we recognize his voice? He lays down his life, are we willing to do the same?
I leave you with 3 ways to know the voice of the good shepherd...
1.) Stay close (James 4:8)
2.) Stay in the fold (Hebrews 10:25)
3.) Keep your eyes fixed forward (Phil. 3:13)
-What are you doing daily to recognize the voice of the good shepherd?
