Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! (Psalm 100:3-4)
Inasmuch as we are known as the people of God . . . children of the light . . . followers of the Way . . . more than conquerors . . . disciples of Christ . . . we see today that we are also known as “the sheep of His pasture.”
Sheep get a bad rap, and for good reason! No one has ever described these creatures as “intelligent.” I saw a blog post from a man who owns sheep and described them as “mind-numbingly stupid.” Sheep frequently wander away from the flock and get lost. They are easy prey for predators, and they need constant care and protection if they are to survive in even the most benign environment.
But today I want to encourage you that, as one of the Lord’s sheep, you have a wonderful character trait: Sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will not respond to unfamiliar voices. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me” (John 10:27). Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and we are to follow Him just as four-legged sheep follow their shepherd.
To know and respond to the voice of our Good Shepherd means we are in an intimate and personal relationship with Him. Jesus calls us by name (John 10:3) and we are empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to listen and follow wherever He leads. How do you know that you are one of Jesus’ sheep who knows His voice? The answer is simple: Are you obeying Him?
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)
Remember, when Jesus speaks of “My sheep,” He is affirming that there are true sheep and false sheep. The false sheep do not know Him, hear Him, or follow Him. But the true sheep know Him, hear Him, and follow Him. We still follow Jesus like sheep – imperfectly . . . sometimes even stupidly – because we are still prone to wander. But when we do, we know that our Good Shepherd will rescue us and bring us back into His sheepfold.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 