The sheep know the voice of the shephard!
One of the biggest concerns I have is how there are so many false teachers out there! Some of them are very deceiving and are extremely hard to discern! I am always worried that immature belivers will be led astray and confused because of the many different voices. It also makes me very discouraged, there are so few people who teach the Word of truth and when it is preached not many people listen. It feels like we're losing the battle!
Many times I will see fellow belivers trying to preach or teach but they do not do it with the power of God but rely on their own strength to teach God's Word. They have not really been taught in their heart what they are speaking on so it is very dry and dull. This is also discouraging because many sermons that I hear are lacking and therefore unfruitful.
But the Lord has reminded me:
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” ....I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
-John 10:2-5,14
No matter what if the voice of God isn't in the person preaching, the sheep won't respond to it! Jesus is the true Sheppard but He shares His heart with His people and calls some of them to be temporary Sheppards. When He does, He Himself manifests power into the person so that when the person ministers through teaching,preaching, leading Christ can be seen in Him and through Him!
Sometimes someone will be preaching and the theology may be right, but it seems sorta boring or a bit off. Other times, right when the Pastor speaks, my spirit in me stirs and is very attentive to every word that he has to say.
The Lord is my Sheppard I shall not want.
He makes me lay down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul and leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name Sake...
His rod and His staff that comfort me
-Psalm 23
When we make the Lord our Sheppard we will never want anything else. He will lead us to the things that we need to thrive on; the green pastures and still waters. The Sheppard knows the where the greenest pastures are and where the waters are the clearest and cleanest for us to drink. He will not lead us to waters that are rough and dangerous but rather waters that ar calm and safe. As our trust in the Lord increases and learn to follow Him more intimately, He will restore our souls more and more, piecing back together our whole being and leading us down the path of righteousness. Many times we struggle with not being able to hear God, we find assurance in the conviction that He brings to our souls each time we sin. The Lord uses His rod and staff and disciplines those He loves. We should be concerned if we do not feel convicted when we sin or if we can easily brush off the conviction. This desensitization is a clear indicator that we are not in line with the heart of the Sheppard.
