"The Voice of Assurance" - John 10:1-10 - April 25, 1999

One time I was counseling a young man who had difficulty making a decision. He was hearing advice from many sources and didn’t know who to listen to. I knew something of his background and of his relationship with his father who was deceased. When I asked him what his father would say in this particular situation, he smiled. He knew exactly what he would say. In this instance he would have said, "Son, I know you are hurting, but you must quit wallowing in self-pity and get up and do something."

He had not thought about his father in a long time. He had been dead for many years. Nevertheless, he remembered the reassuring tone of his father’s voice. It was one that warmed his heart. When I observed the change in his demeanor from despair to happiness it was though a light bulb had been turned on. He went on to say that others had given him that same message but until then he hadn’t been listening.

The voice of his father was one of reassurance. Although his father was no longer living his words echoed in the voice of others. But he didn’t make the connection. Perhaps he discounted them because they weren’t authority persons in his life. Or perhaps he was so consumed with his pain he was unable to listen.

God is constantly reassuring us in whatever we face. The problem is we are not tuned in or there are too many distractions. Or worse, we are listening to the wrong voices. There is an interesting phenomenon happening in Yugoslavia. The war there has become a media war. Since the Serbs are broadcasting untruths about the situation in Kosovo, NATO is targeting their broadcasting sources. The hope is that a more accurate message from Radio Free Europe or other free world sources will become the dominant message.

Whenever we are listening to false messages or biased reporting we are in danger of losing our souls to thieves. They are the ones who have to sneak in over the wall, rather than enter by the gate of the shepherd. The shepherds voice is one of reassurance, one who knows his sheep. Whenever they hear the voice of a stranger they are to "run."

Voices that criticize, pass judgment, belittle, scorn, or condemn are not pastoral. Unfortunately they are often the dominant voices in society. They are so loud and redundant that others voices are never heard. We tell our children to run from strangers when they are in danger. We too should run from voices that do not have our best interests in mind. When you hear a voice that puts you down, run. When you hear a voice that criticizes you or condemns you, run.

I enjoy listening to National Public Radio. However, many of their stations are not that powerful. When I scan my radio I have no trouble picking up Rush Limbaugh, however. But all I have ever heard from him is criticism and blame. In my opinion he does not come across as a voice of reassurance. Sometimes the voices we need to listen to may be weaker, but by no means inferior.

All of us face moments in our lives when it is necessary to make a decision. When the consequences are significant the choices we make are a heavy burden. Fear and uncertainty grip us and we don’t know who to listen to. Those are the times we desperately need a reassuring voice.

But, how do we know who to listen to? How do we discern what voices are genuine or like that of the Great Shepherd? By the way, the word shepherd in Latin is "pastor." Although you may not always listen to the voice of your pastor, at least you know the voice to be tuned in to is "pastoral."

The illustration of the good shepherd gives us several clues as to how to know that the voice we listen to is one that is pastoral. First, "He knows them by name." In other words it is someone who has taken the time to know them or have a relationship with them. They are not a number but human beings, with an identity.

Second, it is a voice that "leads." For me this implies a person who has experience. One who is credible. One who is not interested in themselves but in the welfare of those they lead. When I was a teenager I often asked questions of my grandfather. In the early 60’s there were people saying that God is dead. I asked my grandfather what he thought about that and he said, "If God is dead, then let’s see humankind make a seed." His was the voice of wisdom and reassurance.

Third, the shepherd promised "pasture." He gives his followers something to look forward to. He gives them hope. One of the problems Jesus had with his listeners is that they did not always understand. His parables sometimes went over their heads. It is not always easy for us to know which voice is authentic. I think that too often we are impatient and therefore tune in to the first sound we hear. The image of pasture is helpful here. The pasture was where the sheep grazed. They didn’t leap through the fields they nibbled their way, eating a little at a time. Occasionally they would look up to see if danger lurked near by. To be the kind of listeners Jesus wants us to be means we have to nibble our way too, testing each sound we hear.

Fourth, the shepherd wants his followers to have "abundant life." He cares about them. He wants them to have happiness and fulfillment. The shepherd wants his people to be themselves. He wants them to be free. He does not control them. Those who speak messages like these are voices that reassure us, voices that can be trusted.

Recently I ordered a new mower. They told me it would be in by the end of the week. But, it didn’t happen. I was disappointed but I was willing to wait a few more days. I finally got a little impatient and decided to go and pay them up front. I thought if they had my money it might speed up the process. The lady said that wasn’t necessary. They had my name and number and promised to call me as soon as it came in.

Another week passed and no mower. This was a store I had purchased equipment from in the past. They were always fair. I always got personal attention. I remembered that one time they helped me repair my sailboat which was not part of their business. I thought to myself. "They know me, I could rely on them in the past, they will come through." Last Wednesday I finally got the call that my mower was in. They were excited for me because they knew I was looking forward to it. They had heard my request and they had delivered. They are people I can trust. Throughout the process they had tried to reassure me that they would come through but I was skeptical. They came through, however, because they really wanted to give me what I wanted.

Unfortunately our world is filled with "thieves", people who want to take advantage of us. We get phone calls from professional scam artists. Now, they are appearing in our E-mail. When we sense that the voice is not authentic or that the caller is trying to make a quick sale, we need to run. When we hear a voice that says, "You’ll never amount to anything," we need to run. When we hear negativity or condemnation, we need to run. When we hear "It will never work," we need to run. When we hear, "God doesn’t care about you," we need to run.

God is the Great Shepherd who cares about us. God knows us and is watching over us. The voices that reassure us in life are those who know us. They provide leadership and give us hope. They want the best for us and do not have their own self-interests in mind. At the same time, we have to listen. Some voices may mislead us. Others may try to dominate us. We have to be skillful listeners and be willing to trust that the voice of God is always available. God does not want us to have to go through life making decisions with out reassurance. God wants us to have confidence that no matter what we experience, God cares.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio