How to Know If You’re Following the Right Voice

John 10:1–10

Each Wednesday, we rewind—not just to remember what was preached, but to reflect more deeply on what God is saying. This isn’t a transcript. It’s a fresh walk through the Word with open hearts and open Bibles.

Instead, there was a single narrow opening, just wide enough for one sheep to pass through at a time. And that’s where the shepherd lay down for the night. His body became the gate.

He didn’t just guard the entrance — he was the entrance. If a wolf tried to get in, it had to go through him. If a sheep tried to wander off, it had to cross over him.  

No sheep left. No predator entered. He was the Door.

The Thief’s Path | John 10:1–2

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door... but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

This is not just imagery. It’s a warning. Jesus is drawing a line between those sent by God and those who insert themselves into spiritual authority. Jesus said the one who doesn’t come through the Door is a thief and a robber. It’s a clear warning against spiritual imposters—those who force or fake their way into influence.

Thieves operate in secret.

Robbers use force.

Both are dangerous.

It brings to mind Barabbas, the man the crowd chose to release instead of Jesus. During Passover, Pilate offered to free one prisoner as a gesture to the people. Standing before them was Jesus — sinless, healing, teaching, restoring lives. And beside Him was Barabbas — a known criminal, a rebel, and a murderer. His name literally means “son of the father.” But he wasn’t the true Son. He was a violent man (Mark 15:7), a taker — not a giver. And yet, the people chose him over Christ.

That same exchange still happens today.

We see religion without Christ, leadership without calling, and ministry that seeks power instead of serving people.

They didn’t come through the Door. They found another way in.

Satan himself tried it first. Isaiah 14:12–15 tells us how Lucifer, full of pride, said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven...I will be like the most High.” He didn’t want to follow God’s way—he wanted to take God’s place. He climbed, not entered. He forced, not followed. And for that, he was cast down.

But Jesus isn’t just exposing the problem—He’s preparing us to recognize the difference.

Not everyone who claims to speak for God has His voice. Some climb in with ambition, others with deception. But the true Shepherd? He enters through the Door.

The Call and the Response | John 10:3–5

“To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”

In a sheepfold, no two shepherds sounded exactly the same. Their sheep knew their voice — not because of volume, but because of relationship. The moment the true shepherd spoke, his sheep perked up. Heads lifted. Ears turned. They didn’t just hear a noise — they recognized a name.

Jesus says He calls His own by name. When He speaks it reaches deeper than the ears — it stirs the heart. And it's a call we see echoed throughout Scripture:

Just as Jesus called Lazarus by name and pulled him from the grave (John 11), He will one day call His Church up and out — the great gathering of the sheep to the Shepherd.

That’s the Rapture — not myth or metaphor, but the Shepherd’s literal call to His flock. Job described it as the thunder of God’s voice (Job 37:1–4). Paul called it a trumpet and the faithful will know it when they hear it.

But it’s not just a future sound. He’s calling now. And His sheep are still responding.

Jesus said His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. They don’t wander toward every voice. They don’t chase the most influential sound. They aren’t swayed by emotional moments or impressive personalities.

Verse 5 says: “A stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

They flee — not out of fear, but out of recognition. They know when the voice is wrong. They know when it’s counterfeit. And they don’t just ignore it — they run from it.

The Door, Not a Door | John 10:7–9

“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep… I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…”

Jesus doesn’t say He’s a door — He says He’s the Door. Singular. Exclusive. Final. Not one of many ways. Not one of several paths.

The only way in.

And this Door is open — not because we found it, but because He tore down the barrier.

When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). Hebrews 10:19–20 tells us that veil represented His flesh — His body broken so that we could enter into the presence of God. The Door was opened through His sacrifice, and it remains open because of His resurrection.

But let’s be clear — there is no other way in.

– Not baptism.

– Not church attendance.

– Not tradition.

– Not morality.

– Not spiritual effort.

You don’t climb over. You don’t dig under. You don’t get a key because you were good enough.

You enter through Jesus — or you don’t enter at all.

And for those who do? This Door doesn’t just lead to safety. It leads to pasture (Psalm 23:2), to freedom (John 8:36), and to a Shepherd who walks with you in and out, day by day.

Psalm 121:8 says, “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” That’s what Jesus meant when He said His sheep would be saved, and go in and out, and find pasture — not just in this life, but in the life to come.

At His Second Coming, Jesus will return as King. And in the Millennial Reign, He will literally lead His flock into peace, provision, and restoration — the green pastures of a renewed earth (Ezekiel 34:13–15; Isaiah 11:6–10; Revelation 20:4–6).

His sheep are not just saved from something — they are saved into something. 

The question is not “Is there a door?” The question is: Have you entered it?

The Thief and the Promise | John 10:10

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Jesus doesn’t downplay the enemy. He tells the truth about what he came to do. 

Steal your joy.
Kill your confidence.
Destroy your witness.

That’s what the thief comes to do. He doesn’t come to care for the sheep — he comes to consume them.

But Jesus? He comes to give life.

And not just life in Heaven one day — but life right now. Real life. Abundant life. Overflowing life. A life filled with purpose, peace, and the presence of the Shepherd who walks with you through every valley and every gate.

This is the great contrast of John 10 — one voice destroys, the other delivers.

The thief manipulates and misleads. The Shepherd calls and rescues. He doesn’t drive the sheep — He leads them. And when the time comes, He will lead them again.

He is the Captain of our Salvation (Hebrews 2:10). And He’s still calling sheep today.

Maybe you’ve heard His voice before, but haven’t followed it.
Maybe you’ve been wandering — listening to the wrong voice, lingering at the edge of the fold.
Or maybe… you’ve never entered the Door at all.

But today, the Shepherd is calling. His voice is clear. His arms are open. And the Door is still open.

The thief comes to destroy. But Jesus came to rescue — and to bring you home.

Romans 10:9–10 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Join the Journey

This post is part of our ongoing Gospel of John aseries at Cottontown Baptist Church. Catch the full message from Sunday, and if you're local — we’d love to worship with you in person this Sunday at 11 AM.

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