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.
He Leads us Sacrificially - with his whole heart (11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.). At great cost to himself. We may think about what it costs us to be a Christian, but what did it cost our Shepherd?
He Leads all of his sheep into unity (16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.). Jesus wants us to be united with all believers because they all share the one Shepherd. The moment we think we are the only ones He loves, we forget His message - everybody needs to be led by Jesus and no one does it perfectly.
Conclusion
While the rest of the world tries to help themselves without Christ, will you allow Jesus to lead you today?
If Jesus was leading you today, how would you know?
Elisabeth Johnson: “Much has been written about how sheep are rather unintelligent animals. … without a shepherd, they will not necessarily be able to find food or water, and that they will easily get lost and not be able to find their way home. However, the thing that Jesus emphasizes about sheep is that they know the voice of their shepherd. Whatever else one can say about the mental capacities of sheep, they have this in their favor: they recognize the voice of the one who cares for them. They follow their shepherd, but will not follow a stranger whose voice they do not know. What about us? Do we recognize the voice of the good shepherd over all the other voices promising abundance?
Read Psalm 23 together.
Psalm 23 NKJV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;?He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;?He leads me in the paths of righteousness?For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,?I will fear no evil; For You are with me;?Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
?You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me?All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
_______________
Video of this message can be viewed by searching the YouTube channel of Forsythe Church of Christ at
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
_______________
Discussion Questions for John 10:1-16
1. Who were some of the great men of the Bible who were shepherds? Why would this analogy be so familiar to the people to whom Jesus was speaking?
2. What are some of the characteristics of sheep that are also characteristic of us? What is your personal reaction to being compared to a sheep?
3. How comforting is it that Jesus knows us so well? Is that also disturbing? Why or why not?
4.Why is it significant that he leads them and does not drive them? Why do they not follow a stranger? What does this mean practically?
5. What does Jesus mean that He will give abundant life? How can He give us abundant life? What about a believer’s life makes it abundant?
6. What distinguishing mark of the “good shepherd” does Jesus repeat four times in verses 11-18? Why do you think Jesus emphasizes this?
7. How does the Good Shepherd compare with the hired shepherd?
8. What does it mean that Jesus has ‘other sheep’? What does Jesus reveal about the future of his flock (v. 16)? In what ways do you feel a part of the “one flock” under “one shepherd”?
9. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss from this text?
___________________
Resources
Connelly, Douglas. John: The Way to True Life. InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Johnson, Elsabeth. Commentary on John 10:1-10.
https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-john-101-10-3
O'Brien, Irena. Article at The Neuroscience School: Why Self-Help Books Don't Help.
https://neuroscienceschool.com/2021/11/21/why-self-help-books-dont-help/
Pierce, Dennis. Article at Library Journal: Self Help Books Fill A Burgeoning Need.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/self-help-books-fill-a-burgeoning-need
Smith, Colin. Seven Ways Christ is the Good Shepherd.
https://unlockingthebible.org/2018/05/seven-ways-christ-is-the-good-shepherd/
Wright, N. T. For Everyone Bible Study Guides: John. InterVarsity Press, 2009.
