How We Love His Leading Series

How We Love His Leading

John 10:10-16

Introduction

O How We Love Jesus - His healing, His Salvation, His Compassion! As we make our way through John’s Gospel we just keep falling in love with Jesus! Today we want to think about loving Him for his leading. Disciples of Jesus are learners - followers, submitting to the Lordship of Jesus. There is no Christianity without following the leading of Jesus. However, none of us do that perfectly.

Life is difficult with many choices - and often times we make the wrong decisions. We look for help from friends, trusted loved ones, family, and even strangers.

The self-help industry has exploded in recent years. According to one report, over the past six years the number of self-help titles in existence grew to 85,253. One article: “The self-help industry is a multi-billion dollar industry

… In early January 2021 … sales of self help books jumped by 30%.” Same Article: "Contemporary self-help teachings are attractive because they assure us that we are the makers of our own destiny. They preach that we have within us the power to change our lives for the better, even to make ourselves anew." But often because of several factors, they often do not help at all. They do not take into account all of the circumstances and issues of your life as an individual.

The truth is that left on our own, we usually make decisions that lead to chaos and unhappiness. No matter how intelligent we are, we are in need of guidance - we need someone to lead us.

1. Why We Need to Be Led in Life

We do not always perceive the best path forward. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Also 16:25).The ways that seem right often lead us into trouble. Most of our messes began with a bad decision that seemed OK at the time.

We Trust our Heart. “Just trust your heart” is a common cultural expression. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Our emotions and feelings change rapidly - this is what we often think of when we trust our heart… but it is not trustworthy.

We are more like sheep than we want to think. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way…. It’s not a compliment to be called a ‘sheeple’ - a term meant to engender insult and shame based upon someone’s opinion. Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Blinded to the right path forward, trusting our untrustworthy emotions, making mistakes without proper guidance…

In all, we forget what Jesus knew…and knows. Jesus teaches us that He is the Shepherd of our hearts. 1 Peter 2:25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. We can listen to Him and trust Him to care for us.

How Jesus, the Shepherd of Your Heart, Leads Today. He Leads By His Word (vs 2-3a But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice…). Ultimately we hear Jesus through the Bible. Also through the example of others, the Creation, Spirit. We should always be seeking to hear the voice of Jesus. Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

He Leads us individually (vs 3b-4 The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.). We forget sometimes that Jesus knows us individually. Colin Smith: “There may be times when you are a mystery to yourself, but you are never a mystery to Christ. … Christ knows your temperament, your moods. He knows what lifts you up, and he knows what gets you down. There is nothing you could ever tell Jesus about yourself that he does not already know completely.”

He Leads us into Salvation (vs 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.) Always Jesus seeks to keep his sheep safe, protected. Leaves the 99 and finds the One. He ultimately desires for us to live forever with him in heaven. Not only so, He offers Himself as the way! As we noted earlier, we need to be saved from ourselves by being led by someone who knows us so well.

He Leads us into Abundant Life (vs 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ). The Thief steals, kills, destroys. Other images: Stranger, hired Hand, Thief, Robber, Wolf. Jesus is the contrast to everything that hurts, steals, and destroys our lives. Whatever we face, Jesus has come so that we can experience abundance in our lives.