John 10

===john 10:3-5:

The sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize 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”

“Be still, and know that I am God.” --Psalm 46:10

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship
him in spirit and in truth.” -John 4.24

Notice that He said in verse 3, His sheep hear His voice. He didn’t say His sheep CAN hear His voice or SHOULD hear His voice. He made the emphatic statement that His sheep DO hear His voice. Most Christians would question the accuracy of that statement since their experiences don’t line up. But it’s not what Jesus said that is wrong; all true believers can and do hear the voice of God; they just don’t recognize what they are hearing as being God’s voice. Radio and television stations transmit twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; but we only hear them when we turn the receiver on and tune it in. Failure to hear the signal doesn’t mean the station isn’t transmitting. Likewise, God is constantly transmitting His voice to His sheep, but few are turned on and tuned in. Most Christians are busy pleading with God in prayer to transmit when the problem is with their receivers. --Andrew Wommack Ministries: How to: Hear God’s Voice

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. --John 16:13

“Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come
in to him and dine with him and he with Me.” --Revelation 3:20

John 10:1-9:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
  3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
  4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
  5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
  6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
  8 All who ever came before Me  are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
  9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, …Matt25

John 10:10-11:
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

The contrast between the one who gives life, and the one who desires to destroy it

Jan 24, 2022: Proverbs 31 Ministries: Let This Be the Year You Start Loving Your 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 (ESV)

Charles Stanley

Jesus said, “[Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Unfortunately, many Christians live only an adequate spiritual life, rather than an abundant one. Though they go through the motions of being “good Christians,” they do not enjoy the power, peace, and joy that God intends believers to experience. To them, Christianity feels more like a burden than a source of delight and comfort, and habitual sins hold them in bondage.
-Charles Stanley 7.27.14

--Steal – to stealthily, imperceptibly, remove our love, joy, and peace in Christ
--Kill – to remove the true purpose for our lives by seducing us into chasing worthless endeavors.
--Destroy – to ruin our life’s work so that looking back we see a worthless heap of rubble.

As Christians, there is a time and place for practical wisdom and understanding regarding addiction. There is a need to know the physiological realities of addiction. There is also importance in understanding that the soul is sick and under addiction’s toxic influence. But with that background in place, we must be willing to unveil the rampant force of the spiritual drive of addiction. Even as we understand the battle of the body and soul, true addiction originates in the spiritual realm and is authored by Satan. The Bible says, “The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy I have come that they might have life . . . .” (John 10:10). Brokenness and destruction are the reality of life apart from God. Addiction is a very obvious pattern of damage and death. Everything in the addict’s life is wrecked including health, emotional wellness, relationships, dreams, ambitions, and hope. Yet no matter how far an addict falls it’s never beyond God’s grip. The character and purposes of God are redemptive in nature—they are to “bring life.” In fact, everything under the destructive force of addiction— which is then touched by God—can be reversed and brought into alignment and wholeness in Him.

John 10:12-13:
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

John 10:13-14:
13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

John 10:15-17:
15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

Jesus modeled what shepherding looks like for us. He went out into the community and met people where they were at. He did not call people to meet Him at the synagogue to hear Him preach. Rather, He brought the message to the people and dined in the homes of sinners to build a personal relationship with them, so they knew His care and concern were truly genuine.
However, Jesus also called a spade a spade and did not water down or apologize for the convicting truth of Scripture. Rather, He spoke truth in love and called people to repentance for their sins so they could be united eternally with God the Father in heaven. -Daniel Ploof; Wilderness Survival Training

===John 20:27:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

“In the Bible, God speaks through dreams, visions, pictures, the scriptures, prophets, His audible voice, angels, miracles, and even a donkey! God is not limited in the ways He can communicate with us.” -Steve Long; Catch The Fire; Toronto

Bob Sawvelle

Jesus said clearly “My sheep hear My voice…” (John 10:27 NKJV). As a follower of Christ, hearing the voice of God is a normal and expected reality. There is no simple formula to hearing God, but there are basic principles that each of us can learn to hear His voice, and more specifically, how God speaks to us individually. I examined last week how God communicated with Elijah in a “still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12) God can communicate in any way He chooses, and it may be in very dramatic ways. However, most often God speaks to us with a “delicate whispering voice.” To fulfil your purpose, you must learn to hear God’s “quiet” voice. When you are seeking God for direction in your life, understand that His voice often comes as a faint whisper. When Elijah heard the still small voice of God, it brought him out of the disillusionment, discouragement and depression he was experiencing—the 3 D’s. He fell into his “funk” because of Jezebel’s wicked schemes against him.
--Bob Sawelle; Principles for Hearing God’s Voice

April 21, 2023: Randy Alcorn wrote: The voice many people hear above God’s is the voice of their own hurt, pain, disappointment, upbringing, bad experiences with churches, impatience with others’ faults, independence, a desire to do everything their way, etc. But because they feel it so strongly, they interpret it as “God’s voice.” This is different in degree but not in kind from people who sincerely believe God was leading them to murder someone. Sincerity and intensity and specificity of feeling do not equal God’s voice.
As a lesser example, consider the people who say, “God gave me this song” or “God gave me this poem” or “God gave me this book” or “God gave me the words of this message.” Well, I think God actually does all these things sometimes, but not always and certainly not just because we think so or want others to think so! As a result, the Holy Spirit has gotten credit—or more appropriately, blame—for many things He would not want credit for, including countless lousy songs, bad poems, poorly written books, and misguided messages.