"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." This spiritual lesson takes this well-known verse and breaks it down into each phrase, so that we can dig deeper into the meaning of the Lord's words here.

1. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me (KJV).

2. 1. Context (John 10:22-31 KJV)
• 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of
the dedication, and it was winter.
• 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in
Solomon's porch.
• 24 Then came the Jews round about
him, and said unto him, How long dost
thou make us to doubt? If thou be the
Christ, tell us plainly.
• 25 Jesus answered them, I told you,
and ye believed not: the works that I
do in my Father's name, they bear
witness of me.
• 26 But ye believe not, because ye are
not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
• 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me:
• 28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.
• 29 My Father, which gave them me, is
greater than all; and no man is able to
pluck them out of my Father's hand.
• 30 I and my Father are one.
• 31 Then the Jews took up stones again
to stone him.
Please help me read.
Ten volunteers?
It’s good to know the context of
any single verse.

3. Let’s take a closer look at these verses.
Exposition

4. 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the
dedication, and it was winter.
What is the Feast of the Dedication?
• An eight-day winter festival
• Celebrated in the month of December or sometimes late November.
• Today, called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.
• About the darkness of persecution and the light of God that leads His
people through the dark nights and the promise of joy in the morning
(Psalm 30:5).
Reference: https://www.gotquestions.org/Feast-of-Dedication.html
It’s nice to know more about
the people, times, events,
and places.

5. A Jewish menorah burned in homes during
the feast period as a reminder.
Psalm 30:5 For his anger
endureth but a moment; in his
favour is life: weeping may
endure for a night, but joy
cometh in the morning.

6. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in
Solomon's porch.

7. After healing a blind man (chapter 9) . . . the
Lord was walking in the temple, when the
Jews (the Pharisees) surrounded Him (v24). . .
The setting of our text
Who were the
Pharisees?

8. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said
unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?
If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
The world cannot understand spiritual
things:
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned.

9. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye
believed not: the works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me.
Jesus had just healed a blind man
• He had already performed several miracles.
• The religious leaders of the Jews should have known who Jesus was:
Isaiah 42:1 and 42:7 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the
Gentiles… I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and
will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
[7] To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit
in darkness out of the prison house.
• Compare with Matthew 3:16-17

10. Matthew 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
[17] And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Isaiah 42:1 and 42:7 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles… I
the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee,
and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; [7] To open the blind
eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the
prison house.

11. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of
my sheep, as I said unto you.
Connect this to verse 27
What good was all of their learning if they could not recognize the Lord?
What good was their position in leading the people spiritually…?
To hear is to believe.

12. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me:
• These well-educated Pharisees could not hear Christ’s voice.
• They studied the Scriptures religiously, but not spiritually.
• Religious: I am a good person because… (pride)
• Spiritual: Be merciful to me a sinner… (humility)
• And they continued in ignorance.
Not audible, but spiritual voice.

13. The Lord often uses the image of sheep when
referring to His people.
• e.g. Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath
made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of
his pasture.
Images help people understand better.
Teachers today would do well to follow the Lord’s example of teaching.

14. 2. Sheep
Let’s examine the Lord’s example of sheep.

15. One characteristic of sheep is that they hear
(know) the voice of their shepherd.
• They have spent a lot of time with the shepherd and know
his voice very well.
• They know they are safe hearing their shepherd’s voice.
• They know the shepherd’s voice leads to food.
• They will not follow a different shepherd/a strange voice.
• They go where their shepherd calls.
Think of the implications for yourself; not the application, but how this
relates to you.

16. In action: this is what the Lord was talking
about. . .

17. Spiritually speaking,
Jesus is the Good Shepherd:
• John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his
life for the sheep.
Therefore, He says in verse 10:27, My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me:

18. 3. Let’s examine those statements one-by-one
My sheep hear my voice. . .
The sheep respond to the Gospel for salvation, and they
respond to His Word in their walk.

19. Responding to the Lord’s voice in salvation:
• Psalm 51:5 – In sin did my mother conceive me
• Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned
• Isaiah 64:6 – Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags
• Jeremiah 17:9 – Our hearts are desperately wicked
• Isaiah 53:5 – With His stripes we are healed
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 – God made Jesus sin for us
• John 3:16 – For God so loved the world
The natural man
rejects them, but
the sheep respond
to these words.
Many know of a historical Jesus, but the sheep say, that’s me!

20. This is why we need the Word in Evangelism:
• Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.
People need to hear the Word such as Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:23,
Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 17:9, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:6, and
John 3:16

21. Responding to the Lord’s voice in our walk:
• The natural man is not moved by the Word of God
• No interest
• No change/transformation
• No renewing of the mind
• The sheep of God respond to the Word
• They desire to hear it
• They desire transformation
• They desire to live it

22. I know them. . .
• Galatians 4:9 (Known of Him)
• Matthew 7 (It is a relationship; NOT what you do for the Lord):
• Matthew 7:21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23]
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity.
He knows our pain, our thoughts, our
struggles, our difficulties, our griefs and
sorrows, our hearts, . . .

23. Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls..
So, how do we get to know the Lord?
The Lord invites us to get to know Him.
How do you get to know anybody?
Spend time with them!

24. They follow me. . .
• Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself.
• John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have
eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
• John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might
have life through his name.
Follow can mean walking with someone
who is leading; or, it can mean a disciple.
We cannot physically see Christ, but He has given us His Word so we
can follow Him..

25. Remember, the sheep know that they are safe
following their shepherd.
• So, the Lord says in verse 28. . .

26. 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand.
• Believers know who it is that protects their soul.
• Therefore, a healthy Christian will cleave to Jesus Christ:
• Deuteronomy 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and
that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto
him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days

27. And, how do we cleave to Christ?
Through His Word!

28. 4. What are some voices of strangers (false
doctrines/teaching) out there that are contrary to
the voice of Christ?
• That membership in a (particular) church saves
• That baptism saves
• That you must obey the commandments to be saved
• That Christ is not God / only a man
• That you can lose your salvation
These are pretty obvious, right?

29. BUT, beware, the devil is subtle! Obvious false
teaching can easily change to very small changes.
In some Bibles, the word of God has been changed,
just enough to create a possible doubt:
• SBV: Deity of Christ (Luke 2:33 : the child’s father)
• SBV: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37 : missing)
• SBV: Virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 : footnotes, can be maid)
• SBV: Trinity (1 John 5:7-8 : missing)
• SBV: Christ involved in Creation (Ephesians 3:9 : Jesus Christ, missing)
• SBV: Days of creation become ages in footnotes (Genesis 1)
• SBV: We are slaves of Christ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 7:22 : not servants)
*SBV : Some Bible Versions

30. 5. How do we learn to distinguish the voice of
Christ from the voice of strangers?
Do I take someone’s word for it?
• John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; [32] And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
• Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Examine the contrast.

31. Study!
(Feed on the Word)
• 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to
shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth
• Colossians 2:3 In whom
are hid all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge.
How do we learn to distinguish
the voice of Christ?

32. Walk!
(Live by the Word)
• Colossians 2:6 As ye have
therefore received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk ye
in him.
How do we learn to distinguish
the voice of Christ?

33. Grow!
(Becoming more like Christ)
• 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in
grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now
and for ever. Amen.
How do we learn to distinguish
the voice of Christ?

34. How do we recognize the difference between
the false and the truth?
“…if you suspect you are in possession of a counterfeit bill, examine the
banknote carefully. Compare the bill in question with a real bill …”
https://www.itestcash.com/blogs/news/how-to-identify-counterfeit-bills

35. How do we recognize the difference between
the false and the truth?
• Know the real!
• Don’t pollute your mind with the
false.
• We are told to study the Scriptures,
not false teaching.
• Our time is better spent getting to
know the Lord, first.

36. Beware of traditions that compete with truth:
• Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is
far from me. [9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men.
Can you think of any traditions/commandments of men?

37. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out
of my Father's hand.
The safety that all of the sheep of God have with
their Shepherd
Eternal security

38. 30 I and my Father are one.
• Assurance of Christ’s power to protect His sheep
• Philippians 2:5-6 Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God.

39. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to
stone him.
• The response of the religious leaders of that day toward the
words of Christ.
• The response of some religious leaders today toward those
who would follow the words (voice) of Christ.

40. REVIEW
• We saw the context of the verse, John 10:27
• We saw how the Pharisees were well-educated in the
Scriptures but failed to hear the voice of Christ
• We saw what responding to the Lord’s voice looked like
• We saw the safety of believers with their Shepherd
• We saw how to distinguish better the voice of Christ
• We saw how to recognize false teaching
• And, we learned a little about sheep . . .

41. Let’s examine ourselves:

42. The sheep spend a lot of time with the Shepherd
and know His voice very well.
 They recognize counterfeit doctrine.
 How well are you able to recognize false doctrine?
It gets clearer the more time you spend in His Word.

43. They know they are safe hearing their Shepherd’s
voice.
 They find comfort in His Word.
 Where do we find comfort?
• New Age / Humanistic books?
• Modern meditation?
• Godless professionals?
• Modern psychology?

44. They know the Shepherd’s voice leads to food.
He’s got the good food that fills my soul.
 Where are you getting your food?
• Devotionals from diluted sources?
• Fast-food moral lessons from (Ghandi, etc.) in Facebook posts?

45. They will not follow a different shepherd/a strange
voice.
 They recognize counterfeit shepherds.
 Who are the (popular) Christian teachers many are
following today?
• lords and masters
lacking servant hearts
• No Christ, no Word in
teaching
• Do you know their doctrine?
• Many of these popular personalities adhere to false teaching
• (Hillsong, 700 Club, TV preachers, Ray Comfort, John MacArthur, etc.)
• You would be shocked if you did some research!

46. They go where their Shepherd calls.
 They obey His commands.
 Do we read and forget, or do we read and (seek to) follow?
• Flee youthful lusts
• Honor your parents
• Reverence your husband
• Love your wife
Going where the Lord wants us to go as we grow in His Word

47. THE END
...think on these things (Philippians 4:8).