Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2: 0:20

Welcome back day four in John, chapter 10. We're gonna pick it up in verse 14. Jesus says I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father. I lay down my life for the sheep, and I have other sheep that are not of this fold. Let me stop for one second. I love this so much.

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Jesus said this 2000 years ago to a group of his followers that were with him in Israel, and he is talking about you and me Now. We're not the only ones he's talking about, but we are included in these other sheep that are not of this fold. I want you to know that, before Jesus ever goes to the cross, before Jesus has ever resurrected from the grave, that he had in mind that one day he would send out his followers that would start the ecclesia, the movement, the church that would take the gospel to the very ends of the earth so that God could call unto himself his children. This is who he's talking about, and I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Speaker 2: 1:26

Let me ask you this question how do you know the voice of God? Because Jesus says that his sheep recognize his voice and that we listen to him. Earlier, in verse five, he says a stranger. They will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. So let me ask you which voice are you listening to?

Speaker 2: 1:47

You see, the reality is that we live in a world that spends billions of dollars a day to try to amplify the voice of the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy. We live in a world that tries to tell you that it's all about you, that you just do you. We live in a world that says if you buy this stuff, it will satisfy. We live in a world that says if you buy this stuff, it will satisfy. We live in a world that says you have your own truth, that you are the arbiter of truth, that you stand in authority over God and everybody else and you decide what's right and wrong. This is the voice of the stranger and it leads only to death and destruction. So the question is do you listen to the voice of Jesus? How do you know the voice of Jesus and are you doing what the voice of Jesus is telling you to do? Well, how do you know the voice of the good shepherd? First and foremost, people have asked me. They've said hey, do you ever hear God speak? Of course I hear God speak and they'll say out loud of course.

Speaker 2: 2:38

If you want to hear the voice of God out loud in your life, just read the Bible out loud. God, god out loud in your life. Just read the Bible out loud. God has given us his gift the revealed word of God. This thing is called the daily blade because the word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword. The word of God is the sword of the spirit, and God has given it to us because he is not a God of confusion, he is a God of clarity. And so God's will for your life is recorded right here in the scriptures. God's will for every single believer is to make disciples, that make disciples, that make disciples. That's called the great commission. So if you want to hear the voice of God, the voice of the good shepherd, first and foremost read your Bible, and good job listening to the Daily Blade.

Speaker 2: 3:20

Another way to help hear the voice of the good shepherd is listen to some good Bible preaching, some pastors that just open up the scriptures and just walk through the scriptures and help you understand. And Jesus promised that he would give you the Holy Spirit to help interpret and understand what he would want you to know at a certain time. Another way to hear the voice of God is through prayer. Now here, notice I started with the Bible first and then prayer, because God is never going to tell you something specifically that differs from what he has told us generally. But for sure we lean into God. He wants to bring a good word to you, he wants to give you direction. He wants to lead you beside still waters and lead you into green pastures. Another way to hear the voice of God is in community. Again, I feel like we're going to go back to this every single week.

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Do you have a group of men in your life that are rooted in the scriptures?

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So when you think you hear the voice of the good shepherd leading you in a certain direction, then you can go to your brothers, your Mack carriers, your Foxhole brothers, your 3am guys, and say here's what I think God is saying to me.

Speaker 2: 4:32

Brothers who also know God and also know the Bible, do you think that sounds like the voice of the good shepherd, and also pay very close attention to where you're paying your attention.

Speaker 2: 4:46

Very close attention to where you're paying your attention. If the majority of your input is from the voice of this world that is trying to lead you astray because the enemy is trying to kill, steal and destroy, then no wonder it's going to be hard to hear the voice of God. You see, do you think it's that God doesn't want to speak to you, or do you think that your world is so noisy right now that you have got too much white noise and you can't hear the voice of God? I would highly encourage you to make it a regular practice of you to get away from the noise of this world. Turn down all the noise, turn off your phone after this podcast. Turn off all the noise. Just get you and the Word and say Father, speak to me through this word, because he promises that he speaks to his sheep. The question is are you listening for the voice of the good shepherd? Amen.

Speaker 1: 5:34

Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.