My Sheep Know My Voice - 1

My Sheep Know My Voice - 1

Subject: Discernment About God’s Voice and Will

by Rick Welborne

John 10:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  "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." 

Job 1:1 12 (NKJV) 

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 

2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 

3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 

4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 

5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly. 

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 

7 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 

9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 

10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 

11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 

12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 

–There is a lot of interest about us being able to determine when God is at work in our lives or when He is speaking to us specifically about something.

–Sometimes we as believers are so confused about what is happening to us, what we are going thru, and who is behind this. Whose voice are we hearing?

–As believers we must become Pentecostal Pedestrians which means after we are filled with Holy Spirit that we must begin to walk in the Spirit...so difficult for some.

Donald Gee: It is wrong thinking to say that this thing is hindering my prayer life, therefore it is of Satan and it is not the will of God for me to put up with it.

–What we are trying to do with this message is to help us do away with improper thinking that leaves us confused and disillusioned. We must discern what God is saying and doing.

Gee:  There are so many situations in which we need to see, not the working of Satan, even though he may be actively involved, but the hand of God. We should not be asking “What is Satan doing here?” but “What is God saying here?

–Tonight as we look at Job in light of this subject let us notice what kind of man he was:

1. We see first of all that Job was a righteous man...his heart was right with God.

–He was blameless (KJV says he was perfect) he was blameless and upright in the sense that he was obedient to offer sacrifices to God and sincere in his relationship to God. He was a worshipper. 

–Then we read that he feared God. He had a high and holy concept of God and, as a result, he hated evil...we have matured past Job...we entertain sin on a regular basis without guilt or shame.

–He was very wealthy and lived a life of ease...3000 camels...may have had the premier trucking company of his day...what is today...hump day! Original 4 hoof drive, bucket seats, shag carpet! Ran on water and oats!

–He had 500 female donkeys...their milk was known to be a delicacy of that day. Yum!

–This man lived the life of luxury. The last part of verse 3 (greatest) would indicate to us that he was Howard Hughes, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and all the oil men rolled into one. 

–Job proves that it is possible for the wealthy to live for God if they choose to do so...impossible with man but possible with God.

–He loved his 10 kids very much and knew they were a blessing from God. How did he love them:

A. He would gather them together and sanctify them…set them apart for God.

B. He would rise early to intercede for all of them and to offer sacrifices according to the law of God at that time.

C. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." He was not like so many today...denial of what their kids possibly could do...no way my children would lie to me.

D. Job did this regularly...he was consistent in raising his kids.

2. The sons of God and Satan came to present themselves before God.

J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible - Our next scene opens in heaven, and what a scene it is. Neither Job nor any of the other people in this book knew that this took place at all. But this scene will enable us today to understand and interpret some of the things which happen to God's people. I don't say that it is the total explanation, but it is a part of it.

–Let’s get this scene in our minds...God’s created beings (angels) had a responsibility of making an appearance on a regular basis before God.

–That is something I suppose we would expect. But there is also something here that is rather shocking. We are told that "Satan came also among them." That is a surprise. 

–By the way, Satan must also make a report. That is amazing, isn't it? Do you think he came from hell? He has not been sent there yet but he will.

–The fact of the matter is that Satan has as much access to this earth as you and I have, and more so. This earth is the domain of Satan. He has not been in hell. 

--He says that he has been going up and down…east, west, north, and south on this earth. Remember that Scripture calls him. . . the god of this world (2Cor. 4:4) and the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). 

--So that we know that he has great access and freedom on this earth today. We are warned by Peter: 

1 Peter 5:8 9 (NKJV) 

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

–This is a warning, and this is exactly what we are told here in the Book of Job. Satan himself said that he has the freedom to go up and down this earth. 

–You remember that when Satan tempted the Lord Jesus he offered to Him the kingdoms of this earth. The Lord Jesus never said, "You don't have them to offer." He simply refused the temptation. Apparently those kingdoms are accessible to Satan, and he has that kind of freedom. 

 –When you look at this earth today, it does look like Satan is running things, doesn’t it? God is ruling over all things but He has given Satan a period of freedom. 

--We are told that this world in which you and I live is controlled by Satan. He must be overcome, and we can only overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

–The fact that Satan had to report to God like the other angels shows us the omnipotence of God...He is all powerful.

3. As we consider discern God’s voice and His will notice the conversation between God and Satan about Job.

Job 1:8-12 (NKJV)

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 

9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 

10 "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 

11 "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 

12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. 

–Pastor Rick, this thing of Satan being before God accusing God’s people must have just been a Job thing or an Old Testament thing: Really?

Revelation 12:10 11 (NKJV) 

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 

–It really is amazing that God would be bragging on Job because (unless you are lifted up in major pride) it would be hard to imagine God bragging on us.

–Another incredible thing is that God would not let Job in on the conversation so he could be prepared for what was coming. Job had no clue and we have no clue about these conversations.

–We all know that bad things only happen to people who sin...not those who live and do what is right...oh, really? You evidently do not read the Word or have paid attention to life.

–It appears that Satan had been trying to get at Job by his statement of God’s protective hedge and blessings.

–I believe that there is a hedge about every believer today, and I do not think that Satan can touch you unless God permits it. And if God permits it, it will be for His purpose. That is what Job teaches us. 

–God permits it...God allows the test...God permits our finances to suffer...God permits our bodies to be sick...God allows there to be conflict...transition...God allows Satan to get to us sometimes...God help us understand this!

–It is obvious how much Satan hates mankind: 11 "But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 

–Satan’s attack against Job is that God if you allow me to take away all his stuff... he will curse You to Your Face!

–How many of us have questioned God about our finances, our businesses, the church, our health...maybe a little tempted to curse or blame God.

–Just maybe God has been bragging on you and the hedge has been removed not so you can fail or mess up but that God can be glorified and you be blessed. Listen for His voice during this time.

–Notice God’s power...God limits how far Satan can go and what he can do..."Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." We struggle so much with this whole concept...why? Why? Why?

–We learn here that sometimes God permits Satan to take away from us those things that we lean on. 

--I know that when our little security blanket is taken away from us we feel so helpless, incapable, and lost in this world. Many of us cry out to God at such a time. This may be a key for us…crying out!

 J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible - Notice that God is going to permit Satan to take all Job's possessions from him. Believe me, Satan would destroy us if he could. He has slandered both God and Job, inferring that God is not worthy to be served and loved for Himself alone, but that He must pay Job to love Him. Satan is the enemy of God and man. 

Gee:  He gives us revelation of a sovereign God Who is working all things after the council of His will, overruling the scheming and workings of Satan to accomplish His purpose, working all things together for our good. We see the purpose in the mess.

Gee: Then He (the Holy Spirit) works in us a spirit of submission so that we accept the divine ordering or plan of God instead of resisting it. 

Gee: He opens our eyes to see that our submission to that which seems difficult may be the very stepping stones to God’s kind of success.