Acts 20:17-35; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I’ve seen these commercials for various noise generators. We all know that there’s a lot of noise around us already, so these apps offer the ability to drown out unwanted noise to help you focus or sleep. White noise is likely the best known. It’s the combination of all noises that overpowers unwanted distractions. But these apps also offer brown noise, pink noise, blue noise, and many others. Each “color noise” aids with a different task, but in general allows you to cut out unwanted noises around you... like noisy roads.

Aside from all the noises around us all the time, we have many voices speaking to us too. Different people tell us different things because they want us to do what they tell us. Whether it’s the government, school, work, family, friends, or God, we’re inundated with voices bouncing around our head. It gets to be so much that we never know who to truly listen to and follow.

Yet, like newborn infants, there’s one voice that pierces through all the others. Just as a baby knows his mother’s voice, so are we to recognize the voice of Jesus. As Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27. As Christians, there’s one voice we’re to hear and heed above all the others. Jesus speaks to us tender words of love and care. It’s his voice that we’re to know points us toward safety and security. When he speaks, we listen. He is our Good Shepherd.

As sweet and tender as the voice of our Good Shepherd is, we make the mistake of thinking other voices sound the same. We still wander off from time to time, chasing after other voices that we think will lead us to the things we want. Money, love, affection, security, and so on. We’re the sheep that wander away from the fold, looking for greener pastures, while wandering in the desert. Yes, sheep aren’t all that intelligent of creatures. And we can be those sheep from time to time. 

When we wander off, when we run away from the fold and our shepherd, we need to stop and listen. Listen to him who calls us each by name. Listen to the voice of our shepherd calling us back to his fold. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” Psalm 23:1. Jesus seeks us out, even when we wander. We need not worry that our shepherd has forgotten us. No, the Lord is my shepherd. He calls me by name. He leads me back to green pastures. He places me by still waters. He restores my soul. Indeed, Jesus leads us back by laying down his life for us. He goes to the cross that we shall not want. He provides his own body and blood for us that we shall never be found wanting. Yes, the Lord is my shepherd. I hear his voice as he calls tenderly to me and all believers that he may lead us to the comforts of eternal life! 

Pastor Sorenson

Prayer:

Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.