Listening for God’s voice and following

When I was young, I worked for several summers on my Uncle George’s farm. It was a dairy farm which meant that every morning we got up far too early, went out to the barnyard and opened the gate down to the back of the farm, and called the cows. Then we went to the barn, set up the milking equipment, opened the cow door, and the cows, which had come on up to be milked, came in and went to their stalls where we milked them.

The second summer I was there, my uncle and his family went on a one-week holiday down east, the first holiday he had taken in 30 years, and left me to look after the farm. So, the first day that they were away, I got up far too early, went out, opened the gate, called the cows and went into the barn to get ready. Then I opened the cow door and—no cows! Every morning that whole week I had to walk down to the pasture at the end of the farm and herd the cows up to be milked. Every morning! They didn’t know my voice, so they didn’t come when I called. Apparently, it works for cows as well as sheep.  (The sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow for they do not know the voice of strangers!  John 10: 4-5)

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Which, perhaps, explains much of the news these days. There are many who don’t know the voice of the Saviour, or even that there is a saviour or a voice to know. From the bad behaviour in our own country to the madness in Gaza and Ukraine, over and over, we hear the stories of people lost and wandering, people who are confused and afraid and angry. So many in our time have only ever heard the name of Jesus or God as a casual curse. I heard once of a young child who was in church for the very first time. As the preacher spoke of our Lord the child turned to his mother and said, “Mummy, that man just used bad language, he said ‘Jesus!’ in front of everybody!”

How will people learn that they are not alone in this time, that there is one who is called Saviour because he saves? How will they see that there is one who walks beside them, who loves and cares for them every day of their lives?  How will they learn to hear and recognize his voice, to trust and follow him, if not through us? But we, too often, look at ourselves and we see our weakness and think, “What can I do? The Apostles did signs and wonders, they healed people, raised people from the dead, and spoke with power and in different tongues! I can’t do any of that!”  We forget that we are working with God. We forget to look at God’s strength and ability and instead look at ourselves, at our weakness and inability, and we freeze up. We must remember that “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10), and that we can be ready for those good works.

One of the most powerful examples of this that I have heard is a story American author, pastor and social activist Tony Campolo told of a time he visited Hawaii. Being from Philadelphia, the time difference had gotten to him, which is why he was wandering the streets of Honolulu at 3:30 am, looking for breakfast. Finally, he found a small diner open and ordered coffee and a donut. As he sat there, eight or nine prostitutes came in. They sat on either side of Tony, their talk was loud and crude, and he was just about to leave when he heard the woman beside him say that it was her birthday the next day.  Her friend scoffed, “Your birthday! So, what do you want from me?  You want me to throw you a birthday party?”

“Why do you have to be so mean? I was just telling you, that’s all,” the woman replied. “I’ve never had a birthday party in my life, why would I have one now!”

After they left, Tony asked the man behind the counter if those women came in every night. “The one sitting next to me, does she come in every night?”

“Yeah… That’s Agnes, she comes in every night.  Why do you want to know?”

“Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday. What do you say we throw her a birthday party tomorrow night, right here?” Tony asked.

Harry, the owner, slowly smiled. “Hey, that’s a great idea!” He called his wife out from the back, and they arranged that Tony would get decorations and Harry would make the cake.

At 2:30 the next morning, Tony was back with decorations. Apparently, word had gotten out and the place was crowded. At 3:30 am, Agnes and her friend came in and everybody yelled, “Happy Birthday!”

Agnes was flabbergasted and shaken. She cried as they sang Happy Birthday, and Harry brought out the cake. After she blew out the candles, Harry handed her a knife to cut the cake.

“Is it okay if I don’t cut it just yet?” Agnes asked. “I just live a couple of doors down the street. Is it okay if I just take it home and show it to my mother? I’ll be right back, honest.”

“Sure, it’s your cake.” Harry said.

When the door closed behind her, there was a kind of stunned silence, so Tony suggested they pray. He prayed for Agnes, prayed that God would bless her. When he was done, Harry said, “Hey, what are you, some kind of preacher? What kind of church do you belong to?” Tony said that it was one of those moments when God gives you exactly the right words to say. Without missing a beat, he replied, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning!”

“No, you don’t! There’s no church like that!” Harry said. “If there was, I’d join it; I’d join a church like that!”

Wouldn’t we all!  A sign and a wonder. An opportunity to show the love of Jesus to those who might never otherwise have heard or recognized his voice. If we keep our eyes open, we too will see the good works that God has prepared for us to perform and then, who knows what signs and wonders we and God together will do!  More than we can ask or imagine; that, at least, we are promised!  In Jesus name. Amen.