LISTEN

LISTEN & FOLLOW SERIES

John 10:1-21

John 10:1–21 CSB

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” Again the Jews were divided because of these words. Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?” Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

The Gate

The sheep know His voice.

They find feed and safety, comfort and peace, a Shepherd and a community.

The Good Shepherd

The true Leader.

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LISTEN

“God told me to date that person.”

Oh really?

“The Holy Spirit led me to take this job.”

Is that so?

“God spoke last night.”

Uh huh? And what He say?

“God put it on my heart.”

Oh, did He?

God told me to pick Pepsi, not Coke.

God told me that guy become be my husband. *guy marries another person*

Does that make God a liar? Or, of course, you a liar? We know the answer to that one.

Some extreme acts of violence (shootings, mass killings, etc.) have been done “in God’s name.”

But here’s this story: fellow pastor in the area in former town. Going through the coffee line.

So, does God speak?? And if so, how do we listen?

How do we know His voice?

Prayer - 9 Ps

P ray

R ead

E ngrave

A pply

C onversate

H eed

L isten

I dentify

S tudy

T hink deeply

E ngage in Prayer

N ote

1 Thessalonians 5:21 CSB

but test all things. Hold on to what is good.