10: All Disciples Hear His Voice
Key Passage
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by 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 the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
… “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
… “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:1-5, 16, 27
Devotional
As we end our 10-day journey entitled “We Can All Be Disciples,” we are reminded of the potential that any type of person, in any season, can be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus wants to disciple the youth, the radical, the sinful, the suffering, and the stuck. While discipleship may look different in each season, it is possible to keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay on the journey of obeying Jesus.
We can all be disciples because we can all discover friendship with God. The main thing that will strengthen your friendship with God in your life is hearing God’s voice. There is nothing like experiencing the reality that God wants to encourage, speak to, and direct you personally. Jesus emphasizes this simple truth in John 10, extending the metaphor of Psalm 23. We are sheep, and He is our Shepherd.
Several truths about hearing God’s voice are emphasized in John 10:
“The sheep listen” - Hearing from God is part of your birthright as a believer. John 8:47 says, “He who belongs to God can hear what God says.”
“He calls His sheep by name” - God will speak to you personally in a language you can understand.
“He leads them out” - God will not leave you stuck but give you specific direction for life.
“They know His voice” - God will give you spiritual discernment so that you know when He is speaking to you.
“There are other sheep… and there shall be one flock.” - This speaks of God’s grace in pouring out His spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:18-19). As He spoke to the Jewish people through Scripture, today He speaks to all nations. God’s desire is to unite Jews and Gentiles, all peoples, in a relationship with Him. There is no ethnic separation of people groups in Christ. God’s voice will unify His people.
“I know them, and they follow me” - God will give you faith to respond to His leadership.
Which truth above is the most important for you today?
It is an amazing promise that God desires to speak to us. He does not give us blind direction, but invites us into a deep relationship with Him.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15
If you are committed to being a friend of God and desire to hear God’s voice, you can be a disciple.
Daily Prayer
“God, I confess that you are my Good Shepherd. I choose to listen to your voice and follow your leadership. I pray that You would speak to me directly, like You would speak to a friend.”