HEARING THE LORD’S VOICE
Brian Clark
John 10: 1-6, 14-18; Revelation 3: 2-3 (to “and repent”), 6
I was thinking, as our brother prayed, of the importance of hearing the Lord’s voice. Often we consider it and we think of this scripture in John; but it came home to me to ask what it really means to us when we speak about hearing the Lord’s voice. Sometimes perhaps we think of it in a rather abstract way, but the words of the hymn we sang emphasise to my mind and heart what it really means:
Thy glory Lord this living waste,
To us no rest can give
(Hymn 47)
Surely the voice would attract us and focus our minds and hearts on the Person. The voice would keep us from wandering in this scene and would concentrate our hearts and affections on Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we are often reminded, the voice would bring home to us the nearness of the Lord Jesus. To hear someone’s voice is to realise that they are near. It is not a great sound and cannot be heard from a distance. It is wonderful that the Lord Jesus and His voice are near. May all our hearts be attracted to the thought that the Lord Jesus is near! The Lord is near. May we ever remember that! In that nearness the Lord Jesus speaks and His voice is heard. It says here “He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out”. How we can thank God for the voice that has led us out from this scene, from this order of things here, which is marked by what is perishing, what is dark and confused, and brought us into a wonderful living sphere which the Holy Spirit delights in. The Spirit himself has come from Christ glorified and in His power would attract our hearts to where our spirits are at home. For those that love the Lord Jesus, things here quickly lose their shine, if they had any at all. May we see them for what they are, that things here are passing, and so cannot satisfy us! He leads us out, but He brings us in. Psalm 23 contemplates that and would make us realise the blessed experience of how He “maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters” (v. 2). May we be submissive and not led by our own wills, but answer through our love to the voice and the leading of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The thought of life and the maintenance of it has been much before us. It would be known and enjoyed as we are engaged with the glories of the Lord Jesus where He is. Life is not something that we can exactly strive for, but it is consequential as we are engaged with what is heavenly. It says, “When He has put forth all his own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him”. I feel that the scripture itself is more attractive than my words. It speaks of the desires of the Shepherd and His love. “When He has put forth all his own”. How we rejoice that we are among the myriads that are His own and brought into a place of safety! You realise in this chapter that the Shepherd has done everything in laying down His life for the sheep. It says “the sheep follow Him”. It is the principle of attraction and so we are kept near to Him. We all know that if we lose sight of someone we cannot follow them, but we must keep near to the Lord. Let everyone here tonight keep near to the Shepherd, keep near to the Lord Jesus Christ. These are very basic thoughts but I am sure they are very attractive. “Because they know His voice”. Let us discern that voice. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to recognise His speaking presently. We cannot discern it if our eyes and ears are occupied with other things. “I am the good Shepherd; and I know those that are mine and am known of those that are mine, as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep”. How perfectly He loves us, and that love is never going to fail.
What blessed secrets are disclosed here by the Lord, relationships that are secret and yet to be the regulating power in our lives. How wonderful it is to contemplate the scripture in the perfection of love, love that will maintain us here if we are consciously kept in the experience and enjoyment of it. The Lord tells us, “I have other sheep which are not of this fold: these also I must bring”. He will not forget any, they are all known.
I read the scripture in Revelation thinking of “be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die … and remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and keep it and repent”. This address to Sardis is solemn because it says, “I have not found thy works complete before my God”. Let us be maintained in life in the power of the Holy Spirit and strengthen the things that remain. It is quite easy to look at things naturally and see them small and broken; we are only a few here tonight, but let us consider the fulness of what Christ has secured. These things remain, they will never fail. Christ has won the victory alone and in wondrous grace He would have us share that, walking in newness of life in the enjoyment of His own triumphs. It says, “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard”. In what spirit have we heard? Let us value what has come down to us, that the Holy Spirit would make real to us. The overcomer is one who hears the current voice of the Lord and acts on it, awaiting the fulness of His heavenly portion. May we all be encouraged to go on, keeping near to our Lord Jesus, and listen for His voice, and so strengthen what remains, till He comes.
May we all be encouraged, for His Name’s sake.
LONDON
11 January 2000