Synopsis of the Armenian Message
John 10:1-15
The True Shepherd and His Voice
A young couple found two Broadway tickets in the mailbox. Although they didn’t know who had sent them, they decided to go and enjoy the show. After having a wonderful time, they returned home only to find out that the house had been robbed!
Isn’t it terrible to be deceived? Have you ever been deceived?
Today’s passage describes a true shepherd, one that loves and protects his sheep.
Sheep are usually easily deceived and misled. They are not very clever, too. When they are in a strange environment, they feel insecure. They eat the surrounding grass without looking for other possibilities around them. When their wool thickens, they can hardly stand up for themselves in case of falling.
I don’t know why the human being has been compared to sheep. Perhaps because we too are easily misled and deceived. We too lose our “pasture” or fall down under the heavy burden of our “wool.” That is why we need to prepare ourselves. The enemy does not approach us with horns on his head. Jesus warned us from false shepherds.
Who is our true shepherd?
The true shepherd leads the sheep by walking in front of them.
He is not scared of the dangers and surprises. He leads his sheep.
The true shepherd does not impose himself upon us. He wants you to choose him to be your shepherd.
The true shepherd is the one whose voice we recognize. Take time to get acquainted with the voice of your Shepherd. Learn to differentiate His voice among all others.
A villager visited his friend in the city. As they were walking through a very busy street, the villager said: “I hear a cricket.” His friend replied: “How did you hear that? This is a very noisy place.” To the friend’s surprise, they actually found a cricket sitting on the street. As they walked by, the urban man threw a coin. People all around them suddenly stopped and looked towards the fallen coin.
You hear what you are used to hearing. Have you trained your ear to hear your shepherd’s voice? Do you recognize His voice in your daily life?
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (vs 15)
If you feel deceived, look for the True Shepherd and follow Him.