Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Psalms 67-72
     New Testament Reading: John 10

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).

Throughout chapter ten, Jesus uses the imagery of a shepherd and his sheep. They are often used in the Bible to symbolize God and His children. Sheep and shepherds abounded in and around Judea and the Jews could easily relate to the symbolism.

In verse 27, Jesus provides a powerful summary of His teaching. In three short phrases, He not only describes the relationship between Himself and all Christians, but also provides examples for Christian Leaders to imitate. It doesn’t matter if you are a leader of the church, a ministry of the church, or an individual Sunday School class, these principles that Jesus taught apply to all Christian Leaders.

First, He says, “My sheep hear my voice”. All true Christians know the voice of Jesus. They listen to His voice, the Word of God, as it is taught. Daily, they listen to God as they read their Bibles and spent time in prayer with Him.

Christian Leaders, do your people know your voice? Do they hear you teach the Word of God? Unfortunately, today we have a very narrow view of teaching. We believe that only those who speak standing before a group of people are teachers. God does call some leaders to preach in church services and/or teach Sunday School and Bible Studies, but He calls far more leaders to teach one-on-one.

A far greater gift than to speak eloquently before a large group of people is the gift of reaching out and speaking to one person, relating a timeless truth from the Bible that is appropriate to the circumstance they are in. The people God gave you to lead should know your voice because they routinely hear you telling them about God and how to walk closer to Him.

Next, He says, “I know them”. Not only do Christians know the voice of God, but God knows them. He knows every detail about them. Christians never have to be afraid or ashamed to tell God about our problems because He already knows all about them.

Christian Leaders, do you know and care for your people? Not just know their names, but know about them. There is a proverb, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.

As leaders, we are to care not just for their physical needs but also for their emotional and spiritual needs as well. When you prepare to teach a Bible Study, do you think more about how you can present all this knowledge you gained from your study or about what you might teach from the Bible passage that will edify and build up your people? Do you teach the Bible, or do you teach People the Bible?

Last, He Says, “they follow me”. Christians hear God’s voice, have the assurance that God knows them, and then they obey Him as they walk with Him. Jesus taught the apostles to teach their disciples to obey all that He taught them (Matt. 28:19-20).

It’s been said that if no one is following you, you are not leading; you are just out for a walk. Leaders Lead! Just having a title or being appointed to a leadership position in the church does not make you a leader. Take a good look around. If no one is following you, then most likely you have skipped the first two steps above. Prayerfully examine your ministry as a leader and ask God to help you more fully develop in areas that you need to improve.