Christians are to be in the world, but not of the world. Today there are many voices clamoring for attention. Jesus told us in John's Gospel, my sheep here/know my voice, another voice they will not follow. (John 10:1-5 N.A.S.B.) In fact, they will flee from the stranger's voice.
The standard for entering into the Kingdom of God is knowing God's voice. This requires perseverance, which produces great faith.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some over way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." (NASB)
Notice that the shepherd goes before the sheep to lead them. Sheepherders are generally found behind the sheep, not in front. In that case, a lead sheep wears a bell. The sheep are taught to follow the sound of the bell. Today, we have many bell followers, but few shepherd followers. An interesting fact regarding sheep: they keep their noses to the ground while grazing and will actually graze over a cliff resulting in injury or death.
There has never been a time in history when the world was filled with so many voices, sounds, and noises. Confusion results. What is one to believe? Many voices saying many things bring about chaos.
These voices compete for man's attention and acceptance. Turn on the T. V. and you will find many speakers (very dynamic) talking so fast that it is impossible to take notes. They want you to buy the video or the audiotape, or the book. Masses of people are sitting mesmerized at the forcefulness of the speaker. Few Bibles are open. If you try to follow the Bible reference (assuming one is given), you will fall behind the speaker and never catch up.
This becomes a tidal wave sweeping the people along, never allowing them to be Bereans as in the book of Acts. Are they being fed the sincere milk of the Word, the meat of the Word, or a misleading word? Too often it is the latter.
The name, person, and words of Jesus are soon immersed in this tidal wave of sound. People become hard of hearing and that still small voice of God is never heard. Elijah had to move through the noise of the fire, the wind, and the earthquake in order to hear that still small voice.
"So He said, "Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountain (this could symbolically represent people) and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. And it came about when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13, bold emphasis mine.)
One can only wonder how long Elijah had to wait for the noise to subside to clear his mind so he could hear the sound of a gentle blowing. How long do we have to wait before the loud voices, the loud sounds, and the loud noises subside, so that we can clear our minds and hear the gentle blowing?
When do we remove ourselves from this chaos and draw aside to seek God's face? When do we meditate upon His Word? When do we wait upon the Lord for the gentle blowing of His Spirit upon our souls to give us rest, to refresh and cleanse us from the world's defilement?
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Beware of the false prophets (and teachers) who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:13-15, NASB.)
It is not difficult to se this wide gate, through which many are. It is filled with loud noises, voices, and sounds.
Jesus was asked by Pilate, "What is truth?" (John 18:38.) We should ask the same question of those spouting forth great promises of wealth, prosperity, and power, provided you buy their book, tape, or video and continue to follow them. What ever happened to Paul's deep desire found in Philippians 3:10:
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death;" (KJV.)
To whom is Paul addressing this passage? Remember we have two natures. We are a new creation in Christ and we have a fallen nature, the flesh, which has laws in its members (Romans 7-8). The flesh cannot know him, only the new creation. Only the new creation can experience the power of His resurrection.
The fellowship of His sufferings and being conformed to His death are for our old fleshly nature. It is dealt with by taking up our cross, daily, and following Him. If we do not take up our cross we are rendered incapable of following Him: it is a prohibition.
If you have a barrel filled with good apples, and put in a rotten one, all the good ones will become rotten. It doesn't work the other way. Putting a good apple in a barrel of rotten ones will not make the rotten good.
There are sixty-six books filled with good apples. Not one of them is rotten. Further more, they have never been proven to contain anything damaging to those who partake of them. They produce the only wealth we need: abundant life, fellowship with the Father and the Son, love (Agape), humility, and spiritual maturity, to name a few.
Difficult? Yes! Yet, anything of great value, anything worth doing, should be difficult. Difficulties test our faith and perseverance. If our faith has not been sufficiently tested, the goal, once attained, will be viewed with distain. (James 1:2-4.)
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith PRODUCES endurance (or perseverance). And let endurance (perseverance) have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NASB, emphases mine.)
Are we running a race that produces endurance/perseverance? Or are we just running. Are we running (much of the time) and obtaining many things, yet feel lacking in something? If so, perhaps we are running after those loud voices that promise this, or promise that, and yet we continue to find ourselves empty and incomplete.
Do these so-called voices, claiming to speak for God, lead us to green pastures and still waters? I think not. Instead, there is not time for the green pastures and still waters because we are having to run harder to keep up with the voices. Is this the abundant life that Jesus said in John 10:10b He came to provide us with? Remember, only Jesus can give us this abundant life, not man.
Well, this is the way I see it. You may see it differently. Listen for the still small voice.
