12 May 2019 - we hear him speak

Today's Readings

(Audio)

My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.

We hear the voice of Jesus. Do we believe it? He speaks to us not just generally but personally. He calls us by name (see John 10:3) and not just en masse. We're willing to believe that he speaks to us corporately about generalities. We are less ready to believe that he speaks to us about actionable specifics. Yet he calls us to believe this.

Jesus, we believe that we hear your voice. Help us to listen and to follow you.

Paul and Barnabas listened for the voice of God. They were able to follow his lead even in difficult situations.

It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles.
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.

We are more likely to go and sit in Church listening to the noble teachings of our faith all the while ignoring the specific things the LORD asks of us.  Perhaps we are gritting our teeth and facing persecution when God is closing one door and asking us to pivot to another.

The Good Shepherd is looking after us. He has our best interests at heart. We can trust him even when we don't understand. He himself first survived the great distress of the cross so that he could guide us through any distress we encounter. He himself washed our robes and made them white in his own blood. The Shepherd displayed so much goodness as to become a sheep to show us the way and give us confidence. It is he who speaks to us this morning. Please God, let our hearts be opened to the sound of his voice.

For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne
will shepherd them
and lead them to springs of life-giving water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.