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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18) (02/15/24)
In John 10: 3-5, Scripture speaks of the Good Shepherd (the Lord Jesus Christ) calling His sheep by name, and them following His lead because they recognize His voice, to the exclusion of all others.

Sounds easy enough, but with so many different voices within the Christian Community of our day, the question becomes, which ones are to be recognized as accurately speaking for the Good Shepherd.

The Living Word of God (1) and the Written Word of God (2) (when accurately interpreted and applied) agree and compliment each other.

Note the necessity for the need to accurately interpret and apply the spoken and written Word, as failing to do so is what generates controversies.

“My people are destroyed by a lack of KNOWLEDGE …(Hosea 4: 6 NASB2020).”

Symbolic animal sacrifices and burnt offerings were a main part of the Temple rituals, and compliance with the Torah governed the daily life of devout Old Testament believers.

Never-the less, the Old Testament prophet Hosea tells us that God prioritizes loyalty over sacrifice, and knowledge over burnt offerings.

New Testament believers are commanded to grow (increase) in the knowledge (3) and in the application (4) of the Word of God.

The Church was commissioned (5) to make disciples (students of the Word of God) out of those who are born-again.

Apostasy often begins by listening to the wrong voice, and is maintained by refusing to make corrections when inevitable errors are discovered.

Doing the right thing the wrong way has its consequences.

Moses was denied the privilege of leading God’s people into the Promised Land (6) because he STRUCK the rock twice with his staff, after he was instructed to only SPEAK (7) to it, in order to provide needed water for his people and their livestock.

Moses had been listening to the right voice, but failed to pay attention and comply with details (8).

Furthermore, Moses not only neglected the specific instructions given to him, he did not trust the Lord to come through for him (9).

As if that weren’t bad enough, Moses tried to take away the focus of attention and glory that was due to God, by promoting he and Aaron (and not God) as the providers of the necessary water (10).

Here in the Church Age, contrary to Scripture (11), many in positions of religious authority, have assumed an exaggerated concept of what their role is in the plan of God (12). Others have gone as far as assuming functions that God never delegated to Church Age clergy, and promoting their rituals and services as necessary in order to obtain, retain, or regain, salvation.
. . .

Scripture (13) warns against listening to the wrong voices.

Among these wrong voices is the voice of our own fallen nature, the voice of human viewpoint, the voice of Man-made religion, and the most potentially dangerous of all, the voice of wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing (religious attire).

When Paul spoke to the people in Beria, they searched the existing Scriptures of their day to see if what Paul had to say could be Biblically substantiated (14).

If the teaching of the Apostle Paul was subject to such scrutiny, should not the teachings that come from ANY pulpit be so-screened?

Adding to, taking from, distorting, and misapplying (in thought and action) what the voice of the Good Shepherd has to say has been at the center of spiritual warfare throughout the Church Age.

False teaching and accompanying practices were around from the very beginning (15), and according to 1Tim. 4: 1, will not reach it’s zenith until just before the Rapture (16) takes place.

Learning to hear and to distinguish the voice of the Good Shepherd, to the exclusion of all others, is a life-long process and accompanies spiritual maturity.

Spiritual maturity is measured by the amount and the application of accurate Bible Doctrine that any given born-again individual has, at any given time.

The more spiritually mature a born-again believer becomes, the more the principles of applied doctrine becomes a functional reality in his or her post salvation spiritual life.

Especially during times of widespread apostasy, know that there will be a price to be paid for learning, applying, and sharing what the voice of the Good Shepherd has to say (17).

Don’t be discouraged. There is great honor (18) and reward (19) awaiting those who learn, apply, and share the words of the Good Shepherd.
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(1) John 1: 1 (2) Heb. 4:12 (3) 2Pet. 3:18 (4) James 1: 22 (5) Matt. 28:20 (6) Num. 20: 12 (7) Num. 20: 8 (8) James 1:22 (9) Num. 20: 12 (10) Num. 20: 10 (11) Rom. 12: 3 (12) 1Cor. 3: 7 (13) Luke 8: 18 (14) Acts 17: 11 (15) Gal. 3: 1 (16) 1Thess. 4: 16, 17 (17) 2Tim. 3: 12 (18) Matt. 5: 19b (19) Matt. 5: 12
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Marlene Custer 
02/24/24
You have given us much to think about. Thank you for sharing.
Vince Martella
03/03/24
An extensive and well researched Bible Study. You are right to point out that many problems in the modern day church come from a lack of "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" I believe the disciples would be shocked at what passes for "Biblical Doctrine" in many churches today. Thanks for sharing.