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Jesus used images and metaphors that people could understand. The shepherd was an image that people could understand and relate to.
Sheep from different flocks would be gathered in a sheepfold. Shepherds would leave them there so they can be safe. They would all mix together in the sheepfold.
A shepherd would come in through the sheepgate and call out for his sheep. That shepherd’s sheep would recognize his voice and go to him. They would follow him out of the sheepfold. The shepherd would then lead the sheep to find pasture and food.
This image depicts what our spiritual life should be like.
You get the picture of a very close and intimate relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. There is a familiarity between the two.
Amidst the many voices around us, when Jesus calls out, we recognize his voice. We hear his voice and go to him. We then follow him out to pasture.
The image that often comes to us is of a peaceful scene. This is probably influenced by the famous psalm of David, Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul. (Psalm 23: 1)
It is a scene of a shepherd peacefully leading us calmly and quietly.
But life is not always peaceful and calm. Sometimes life is filled with heavy winds and stormy weather.
The wind blows violently. The trees shake from the wind. The skies become dark and cloudy. A storm brews, and you hear the thunder. The rain starts coming down. Slowly at first, but then heavier and heavier.
It is loud from the wind, thunder and rain. You see lightning light up the skies.
This is not a peaceful scene. It is scary. It is loud.
I see the sheep becoming startled and scared. When my daughter, Abby, was younger and thunder and lightning hit at night, she would jump out of her bed and run to our room, scared and crying. If we were outside and the gusty wind was picking up with an incoming storm, she would say, “It’s scary of the wind!”
They don’t remain quiet – the sheep become loud.
Pretty soon, the sound of other scared sheep become as loud as the wind and rain. With the wind, storm and sounds of other sheep, it’s hard to hear anything else.
It’s hard to hear any shepherd’s voice. The shepherd may be calling out, but his voice is drowned out by all the other noise.
Into this chaos, thieves and bandits come in over the walls. They take the scared sheep and lure them away. But it’s not to help them.
It’s to lure them to where they can tie them up and capture them. So that they can be sold, or killed and eaten.
I think this is what life is like nowadays. There is a lot of noise around us.
Noise of chaotic events in the world. Noise of constant change and uncertainty. Noise of unrest in our own minds and souls.
Life these days is not like the green pastures and still waters in David’s psalm. Life is like heavy storms and loud thunder.
People are like scared sheep. They become loud from their fear. Those voices become louder.
You hear them all around us – on our phones, on social media, on YouTube. You hear all sorts of voices and opinions. You should do this, you should do that.
Thieves and bandits come in to draw and take your attention. They come with answers to your problems, solutions for your fears.
I recently got Instagram to connect with our church account and my feed is now filled with hockey posts! They give tutorials of what the “right” thing to do is. I feel like I’m never doing enough to train and develop Joonie.
They make all sorts of promises. But deep down, they don’t really care about you. They just want your money and attention. They are there to profit themselves.
Sometimes, the loudest noise is within you. Within your head, and in your heart. Your fear and pain can be the loudest noise. Your fear voices worries, concerns and worst case scenarios.
Your pain cries out for attention. People try to bury their pain, but that pain makes itself heard. It says things like “you’re not worthy”. “You’re not that special”. “You can’t do it”.
Together: the voices within you, the voices around you, and those trying to come in and enter your mind – can create a deafening chorus of noise.
In the midst of all of this noise, how can we hear the voice of the shepherd? How do you know whether you’re following the right voice?
It’s hard to know. It is confusing trying to figure out what God’s voice is, and what voice to follow. Sometimes God seems to be quiet and far away from all the noise.
What do you do if you’re trying to listen but you still don’t hear God’s voice?
When you can’t hear God’s voice properly – when you’re unsure whose voice you’re following – don’t force it and convince yourself that you hear God’s voice. That can be dangerous.
You can convince yourself that it’s God’s voice when it’s really your own fear, desire or greed speaking. Many times people use God as a justification for their own desires and agendas.
Hearing God’s voice begins with real humility – that sometimes we just don’t know.
When you don’t know if you’re following God’s voice, the first step is to pause. Acknowledge that you just don’t know. That you’re confused.
For sheep, do you know what’s more important than hearing that shepherd’s voice? They TRUST their shepherd. They follow him because they trust him.
Along the path, the sheep don’t always see or hear the shepherd. Sometimes the line stretches long, and the shepherd is way ahead of some sheep. But they trust that they are on the path the shepherd is leading.
There are other sheep from the flock with them. But even when they are alone for a while, they trust they are on the right path. They trust that the shepherd will find them if they get lost.
Jesus told this parable:
Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? (Luke 15:4)
He told that to describe what God is like. God who will not let the sheep remain lost. God who go out and find his lost sheep.
After that confession, this is the most important step: TRUST that God is leading you. Trusting God is the most important thing.
Our spiritual journey is one of trusting God. Trust that God is watching over you and will not let you falter. Trust that when you are lost, God will come and find you.
That is more important than being able to hear his voice
When you have this deep trust in God, it leads to peace.
When you have this peace, you will become more and more familiar with God’s voice. You will be able to hear him better.
Even when the way ahead seems scary, you have peace because you trust the shepherd.
This was David’s confession:
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:3-4)
Following God is more important than being able to hear him. But we don’t always know if we’re following God’s voice.
How do you know you’re on the right path? How do you know you’re following God?
There is one way to tell if you’re on the right path, and that’s by asking this question:
AM I BECOMING A MORE LOVING PERSON?
Is my heart toward others becoming more gracious, more understanding, more forgiving?
Or have I become more judgmental, more cynical, more distrustful, more narrow, more angry toward others?
If it’s the first one, then you are probably on the right path. But if your heart is becoming colder toward others and more closed off – it could be a sign that you are not on the right path.
Repentance is turning back to God and asking God to lead you back. Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety nine who don’t.
There is one promise that Jesus makes to those who follow him: he leads them to the path of abundant life.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
Following Jesus the good shepherd leads to abundant life.
What is an abundant life? It is a life that bears fruit. Your life is fruitful. It produces fruit that others can enjoy and eat.
St. Paul described what this fruit looks like:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
When you follow God with complete trust, your life will bear this kind of fruit – beautiful, delicious, tasty fruit. This fruit connects you with others in a rich and abundant way.
This past Friday was a big milestone in my life: I turned 50. There are so many things I can say – so many memories.
But one significant thing about it: ten years since I changed course and entered ministry. Experiences… good and bad, ups and downs. Many challenges: Church is not a growth business – opposite. In terms of job strategy, I chose a bad, unmarketable field Togo into.
But what I can say is I have experienced so much abundance. I have experienced love, forgiveness, seeing my own flaws more clearly but experiencing the grace and power of God through them… Seeing myself change – hopefully a little more understanding, gracious.
I have seen the fruit of an abundant life. Deb sometimes comments on life we could have had, but deep down I know she feels the abundant blessings we have.
My wife, Deb, pulled the ultimate surprise on me: we agreed to go out for dinner that night. We got Sarah and Taebin to come babysit for us. When we entered the restaurant… so many friends from past and present.
It felt surreal – ten years went by in a flash. It was like worlds colliding, seeing a tapestry of my life. It was a joyful night.
David concluded his psalm with this vision:
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (Psalm 23:5-6)
Cup overflows. Abundant life is a life that overflows. Goes from you onto others. It is trust that goodness and mercy will follow you.
What God has blessed me so abundantly with, my prayer is that it will continue to overflow to the blessing of others. Don’t know what lies ahead, I just pray that I can trust God in all situations.
Overflowing abundance – that is my vision for this church and ministry. I feel invigorated. I want to pour everything I can into this church and ministry. I want to see God’s love overflow from here to others. I don’t know what the future holds, but I face it with complete trust in our shepherd.
Who knows who will experience God’s love through each of you? That is an exciting vision to look forward to.
The abundant life begins with trust. Trusting God will make you familiar with his voice. The path will become more clear.
May God bless each of you with an abundant, overflowing life.
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