Sermon Tone Analysis

The Clarion Call Of The Voice Of God

*January 26, 1997*

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*Scripture: John 10:1-21*

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*Prayer:*

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*Introduction:*

 

Does anyone know what the word “clarion” means?

Let us try to define it.

“The City”  the sky

“The Make-up”  translucent beauty

“The Rookery”  among the din of the crowd (sheep pen)

“The Church Bell”  in the cold winter air

“The Trumpet”  clear and sharp

 

Definition of  “clarion” as not just a “clear” call but as a “crystal” clear call.

That is one that is unmistakable and overwhelmingly clear.

But it is so only to those who are listening for it.

What voice are you listening to?

What is the source on your voice mail?

Is it God?

To hear God is to see God.

This equates with knowing God.

/The voice is a second face.

/

/   Gerard Bauer (1888–1967)/

 

The voice of God stirs within all of us if we will just tune to the right channel.

/There is hardly ever a complete silence in our soul.

God is whispering to us well nigh incessantly.

Whenever the sounds of the world die out in the soul, or sink low, then we hear these whisperings of God.

He is always whispering to us, only we do not always hear because of the noise, hurry, and distraction which life causes as it rushes on.

/

/   Frederick William Faber (1814–1863)/

 

To hear God near at hand, we must be still and listen.

/God the Father is both far away and near at hand; his voice is, at once, deafening in its thunderousness, and too still and small to be easily audible.

/

/   Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)/

 

Our hearing of God must be especially acute in times that demand application.

/Some of us can only hear God in the thunder of revivals or in public worship; we have to learn to listen to God's voice in the ordinary circumstances of life.

/

/   Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)/

 

What are some ways in which God speaks to us?

/God draws us in three ways: first, by his creatures; secondly, by his voice in the soul when an eternal truth mysteriously suggests itself, as happens not infrequently in morning sleep; thirdly, without resistance or means, when the will is quite subdued.

/

/   Johann Tauler (C.

1300–1361)/

 

One cannot truly listen to God without obedience.

/To be brought within the zone of God's voice is to be profoundly altered.

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/   Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)/

 

          In John 9, we recall from last weeks message, “On A Blind Date With God,” that there were several groups of people trying to sort out the truth of who Jesus was because of his miracle in healing the man born blind.

The neighbors, the Pharisees, the man’s parents, and even the man himself were on a course with divine destiny regarding their ultimate decision whether they would believe who Jesus was or not.

The evidence was before them.

The man born blind could now see.

Who was it who could do such a thing?

The Pharisees called him a sinner.

The former blind man called him a prophet.

The Pharisees repeated their accusation that only a sinner would heal on the Sabbath.

The man reasserted that his healer was a man from God.

The stage was set for saving faith.

Jesus appeared to the man and the man called him Lord, he said he believed, and he worshipped him.

He could not deny his experience with the Son of Man and he made a right judgment.

The Pharisees did not.

Even though the man was born blind physically (and the implication is that we all are born blind spiritually) he came to faith in Jesus because he could see spiritually from the truth given to him.

Jesus recaps the whole situation by commenting that his presence and work in the world causes people to make judgments concerning him.

We see this also in Luke.

*Lk.

12:51  Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?

No, I tell you, but division.*

*52  From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.*

*53  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."*

And there would be some, like this man born blind, who would come to see, but that there would be many, like the Pharisees, who could see but would still remain blind.

Then Jesus equates blindness with guilt.

It is this guilt that Jesus came to erase.

But some, even many, would refuse to believe it.

But now we go on with the story as Jesus continues.

He goes on to say that not only will some people choose to remain blind, but that they also will choose not to hear.

God has made us with these two primary senses.

We are able to see and hear his truth but many will turn their backs and refuse to see, or cover their ears and refuse to hear even the clarion call of the voice of God.

 

*Mt.

13:13  This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.*

*14  In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.*

*15  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'*

So Jesus taught in parables to bring opportunity for people to make a right judgment.

The kingdom of God is for those who want to see and hear and be healed.

In this parable about himself as the Good Shepherd, he gives the Pharisees a further opportunity to realize who he is through the spoken word of God and not just by seeing the miracles he does.

He provides another opportunity for them to show good sense by experiencing him in another sense.

Will they now listen to his voice?

Jesus tells them how they can tell the voice of God.

\\ *I.

The voice of truth is verified by action.

(vv.

1-2)*

          A.

Jesus proclaims that he is the one who proclaims truth.

B.

The voice of truth does not belong to the one who exhibits                       wrong action.

C.

The voice of truth does belong to the one who exhibits right                     action.

 

*II.

The voice of truth is verified by higher authority [God].

(v.