I remember a dear preaching school teacher in Norway, who used to tell how he could see if the young converts had really had a saving experience with Jesus Christ.　 One promising sign would be their relationship to the word of God.　 The way they hungrily soaked in the preaching and the teaching was to him encouraging and showed that they had become the Lord´s very own.　 "The sheep hears His voice…"

Now, as just religious churchgoers, that sign is not there.　 They may feel comfortable at the social atmosphere of the church community, they may laugh at the pastor´s jokes (that by the way seems to be almost an obligatory ingredient of a typical American sermon), they may take part in some of the church programs　 (a friend of mine in Lompoc told me how he even became a deacon without being born again), and our churches are flooded with that kind of deceived people.　 And as the cry is for "growth" in numbers, the Lord´s message "You must be born again!"　 (John 3:7) is not heard or is softly wrapped up in vague theological phrases, the sting being taken out.

However, how precious it is to see babes in Christ soaking in His word.　 I hardly know of any spiritual refreshment that is so dear and uplifting to my own soul as that coming from babes in Christ.　 I remember one dear brother in PA who would always covet the prayers of the "babes" and he said why,　 "God always takes a special interest in the prayers of His little lambs!"

One beautiful summer evening I went out for a walk in the hills of some place in southern Norway.　 There were a lot of grazing sheep there.　 I´ve always had a special weakness toward grazing sheep.　 I tried to catch their attention by imitating their baa.　 But no, they didn´t respond.　 One sheep looked at me saying as it were, "Who are you?　 I don´t know you!" and immediately it bowed its head and went on eating the green grass.　 What an object lesson, and what a powerful sermon The message was, "Go and do likewise!　 Follow the example of the sheep.　 Eat the grass of the word, and you won´t be misled by strangers!"

Indeed, "They know His voice, yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of the strangers."　 (John 10:4-5).

"It´s so important that we hear the voice of the Shepherd", a Christian leader once said to me in Wisconsin.　 His admonition has followed me over the years.　 That is really the characteristic of a healthy disciple of Jesus.