Jesus: Our True Shepherd Part 1
November 9, 2015 | by: Lars Haglund | 0 Comments
Posted in: Sermon Questions
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP GATHERINGS
Sermon: Jesus: Our True Shepherd Part 1 - November 8th, 2015
Series: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd
Speaker: Pastor Anthony Orzo
Main Passage: John 10:1-15.
Cross Referenced Passages: Psalm 23, Luke 15, Ezekiel 34:1-6, John 3, John 4.
Launching Question: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a Shepherd? In Jesus’ day, a Shepherd would lead their flock by going ahead and calling out to them, instead of driving them from behind. Since God desires that we listen to Jesus’ voice and follow Him wherever He leads—how does this give you a better understanding of Jesus as the Good Shepherd in your life?
Sermon Questions:
1. In the message Pastor Anthony examines how we are the sheep Jesus is shepherding. He explained further that sheep aren’t known for their intelligence, are prone to wonder and are easily distracted.
- Does this come as an offensive to you? If so, please explain. If not, please explain.
2. At times a sheep’s behavior looks a lot like the way people behave [i.e. following the wrong shepherd, crowd or whatever else it may be]. But, “in Christianity… Jesus loves his sheep so much that he put himself in between us, and the sin, which sought to destroy our lives. His unmerited love for us shows us the true meaning of Grace. He knew we, as his people, are prone to stray more than we were to follow. Yet, He still chooses to love and lead us!”
- With that said, how does your view of us being the sheep Jesus is talking about change?
- How does this teaching allow you to appreciate Jesus as our Good Shepherd [i.e. helping us not to stumble through the wilderness of life]?
3. The second point of the talk was that if you want to follow the Good Shepherd, you must be able to identify a false shepherd. “In Scripture false shepherding always boils down to one thing. A false shepherd, whether they acknowledge it or not, lives for their own glory.”
- Has their ever been a time when you noticed a group of people (flock) following a false shepherds voice that taught things completely incongruent with scripture? Please be specific.
- Why is it so important to be cautious about people who make life-changing truth claims like Jesus did?
4. When addressing Jesus as the Good Shepherd, it was asked, “why do people often see the evidence of Jesus and still deny Him as their Good Shepherd?” Anthony explains:
“This is the natural byproduct of a life that denies the reality of a God who is all truth. When you believe that, it means you’ve chosen to dub your own truth as the authoritative voice that guides your life… When your voice is louder than Jesus’… a person naturally expects God to be the kind of Shepherd they want Him to be. Not the Good Shepherd He actually says He is!”
- Has there ever been a time when your skeptical nature [i.e. wanting God to prove Himself on your terms or what matters most to you] blinded you from actually seeing the truth of Jesus? Please explain.
5. At the end of the message, D.A. Carson was paraphrased saying, “in this life you’ll have an endless supply of shepherds who ask you to follow them, but only one will handle you with selfless care and love. His name is Jesus, and it’s why He’s the Good Shepherd.”
- Since Jesus lived a sacrificial life for us and He wants to lead us to a life-filled personal relationship with Him—how does this give you a desire to listen to the call of His voice?
Conclusion Discussion: How can you help others in your life hear and listen to the voice of the True Shepherd, Jesus and not the voices in life that seek to hurt, steal, destroy and mislead?
