The Life: The Good Leader

Like most of you, I’ve been influenced by a number of leaders in my life. One was my father. One of the things I learned from him was faithfulness. He was always there for my mom.  Another thing I learned from dad was watching how he treated all different kinds of people. I had the privilege of working alongside my dad for four years after college in the pro shop at Salem Golf Club. One of the things that struck me was how kind he was to everyone, including the jerks and complainers. He’d simply listen to their complaints, smile and then gently instruct them in the error of their ways. I always marveled at that, ‘cause here I was preparing for the ministry, going to seminary to learn how to be a pastor, and when I encountered people like that, I always struggled to be patient with them. Half the time I wanted to deck them; especially when they spoke poorly to my dad. Another thing I learned from him was how to do more than what was asked of me. He taught me that if there was a lull in my day – to take advantage of it. Not by taking it easy, but looking for what needed to be done: did the inventory need to be straightened-up; did the counters need to be wiped down; could the floor use some vacuuming? He took pride in his pro-shop. And I caught some good habits from him. For a man who didn’t know Jesus at the time, I learned a lot from him about leading a flock. For after all, as a head pro at a busy club, he had a flock: a membership and cared for them well. And when he passed this last spring, the one thing I heard over and over was this: “I really loved your dad.”

The funny thing is that I never thought much about my dad as a leader. I just knew him as a gentle and unassuming man who loved his people and his people loved him. Now, over the years, I’ve met all kinds of leaders: athletes, teachers, pastors, businessmen, church elders, and corporate executives. Some were exceptional leaders, but others not so much.

And that leaves me with a question: What makes for a good leader? What kinds of qualities do we need in order to lead others well? After all, most of life involves leading. We are either leading someone or being led by someone. So this morning, as we return to our series on The Life of Jesus, Jesus describes for us the qualities of a good shepherd. In other words: the qualities of a good leader. So if you brought your Bible today, let me encourage you to open them to John 10:1-18, where we’re about to see that these qualities Jesus teaches us are all found in him. And the first quality that we find in Jesus is this:

He is a Relational Leader Listen to how Jesus describes this first quality: “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.  But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. John 10:1-6

Jesus once again takes the Pharisees to task. He equates their leadership over God’s people with thieves and robbers. They are pretenders – false shepherds, strangers to the sheep. In other words, they don’t really care about God’s people. They care only about feeding themselves or making money off the flock. And God’s word had predicted this. This is what He said about these false shepherds in Ezekiel 34:2-6  “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?  You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.  The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”  

So even though these Pharisees knew this prophecy, they didn’t get it. They didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. They didn’t understand that they were these false shepherds, even though Jesus describes the kind of care a true shepherd provides. So it’s from this description that Jesus reveals to us his personal leadership style. He says, “the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3b-4

Jesus is describing the personal, intimate, relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. They belong to him. He has names for them.  A shepherd knew his sheep so well, he would name each one based on their personality: “slow poke,” “frisky” “plodder” “muncher.” And they knew him because he’d been with each one from birth. He’d fed them, held them, protected and cared for them. He is describing the kind of relationship God wants for His people recorded for us in Isaiah 40, that reads, The Lord God shall come with a strong hand… He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them close to his heart, and gently lead those who are with young. Isaiah 40:10-11

This is what Jesus wants us to grasp about him as our leader. Every sheep, every person is close to his heart.  He knows they frighten easily. So he does not drive them. He does not force them. He is not cruel to them. He simply calls them. And since they recognize his voice, they trust his voice, and follow Him. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice. They won’t even listen to a stranger’s voice. They are so attuned to the one who knows them, protects them and provides for them… they have this overwhelming data-base of shared experience, so when they hear their shepherd’s voice – it’s a voice of love to them, and they gladly follow.

This is the leadership quality of Jesus: The Good Shepherd leads by relationship not by rules. The Pharisees – they were all about rules. “Follow our rules and then we will care for you. If you don’t follow our rules we will exclude you.” They did not care about the sheep. The sheep weren’t their priority – keeping the rules was their priority. So they were strangers to the sheep.

Jesus, however, is not that way. People are always his first priority. You are his first priority. He knows you.  He knows your name. He knows your personality. He made you the way you are. Not only that, He knows your weaknesses and your flaws. He knows your fears and your needs.  He knows everything about you. He holds you close to His heart.

This is what makes Jesus the good leader – He is a personal leader, a relational leader, a gentle leader who knows everything about you.  So let me ask you: Do you know him? Do you recognize his voice?  For He is the good shepherd who holds you close to his heart. That’s the first quality Jesus reveals about himself, now the second:

He is a Generous Leader  Therefore Jesus said again,“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  John 10:7-8

Since the Pharisees didn’t get Jesus’ first message, he comes at them from a different angle. This time he identifies himself as the gate – not the gate for the shepherd, but the gate for the sheep. So Jesus identifies himself as the one way of entrance into the sheepfold. No one enters into God’s family but through him.   And once they enter, then Jesus pours out blessing upon blessing for those who trust in Him. Verses 9 and 10 spell out His blessings. He says, I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:9-10 Let’s look at each of these blessings:

He gives us salvation: This is an amazing claim. Jesus says He is the one who gives salvation. This is essentially what Jesus said in John 5:21-27. The Father gave Jesus the authority to impart eternal life to anyone who hears his voice and believes.

This is what Peter declared about Jesus in Acts 4, as he was filled with the Holy Spirit and said, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Speaking of this salvation, Paul made sure that we understood, that our salvation is a gift from God:  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 Jesus gives salvation to anyone who trusts in Him. This is an amazing gift. You can try to live a perfect life and so earn your salvation. But God’s Word is pretty clear, no one has ever been able to keep the law perfectly. That’s why Jesus has come. He’s the only one who has lived a sinless life. And that makes him the only one who can give eternal life. And He wants to give eternal life to anyone who believes. He gives us salvation.

He gives us protection and provision: “They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” This is a beautiful image of His present care for us. It’s an image of security and nurture. Those under his shepherding care will grow through nourishment by the food He provides. His truth then is our food. Not only that, when we walk with the shepherd, His presence with us is what gives us security. Walking with the shepherd of our souls gives us confidence in a world of danger and uncertainty. This is one of the reasons we want to connect every single person with others in a journey group – so you can learn to walk with the one who gives us protection and provision, security and nurture.  This is what David spoke of in Psalm 23 when he said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Jesus gives us everything we need for life!

He gives us life beyond measure: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What this means is that Jesus gives us abundant life. This phrase, “have it to the full” was used in classical Greek of what was more than sufficient. So it means to have a surplus. Jesus wants to give you the life for which he created you to enjoy: A life of love, peace, goodness and joy. But this promise entails even more than abundant life now. He gives us His life to dwell in us now and forever – a spiritual life with God that begins now and will never end.   That’s grace upon grace. Jesus wants to give you more than you ever imagined possible. And that makes him the most generous leader you can ever know or follow. That’s the second quality of Jesus as a leader in our lives. But now the final quality:

He is The Good Leader Listen to Jesus’ voice: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:11-15

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:16-18  Jesus now shares what authenticates him as the one who is uniquely qualified to give such grace to his sheep.

And what makes Jesus the good shepherd is one thing: His willingness to lay down His life for us   The rest of this passage tells us why Jesus was so willing to sacrifice himself. First, because we belong to him. Jesus sees each and every one of us as “his sheep” who have gone astray. Our wandering away from God has put us in danger. This is not just a danger from the predators of this world, but the danger of eternal separation from God forever. So what makes Jesus such a good leader, such a good shepherd, is His willingness to face the danger of death for us – so we would not have to die.

A hired hand would never do this. At the first sign of danger a hired hand thinks only of himself and runs away. But Jesus loves you too much to let you face the danger of eternal death on your own. That’s why He came for you – to lay down His life for you.

The second reason is this: because He knows us. Jesus is repeating what he said earlier. You are his first priority. He knows you. He knows your personality. He knows your weaknesses and your flaws. He knows your fears and your needs. And because He holds you close to His heart, His love for you compels him to lay down His life for you.

Thirdly: because He loves the Father. Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us because the Father commanded him to do this. And there was no greater act of love for Jesus than to submit Himself to the Father’s will. He wanted to do this, because at the core of His being was the desire to please the Father.   And the reason He wanted to obey the Father, was so we could know the Father like He does.

And that is what makes Jesus so good. That’s why Jesus is the only leader truly worth following. He willingly and freely laid down His life for you, so YOU could know the Father like He knows the Father.  But not just you – Jesus leaves no one out. He wants everyone to be brought into the sheep pen, to be brought into God’s family.

He wants everyone to experience God’s great salvation

He wants everyone to experience His loving presence and provision

He wants everyone to experience Life Beyond Measure: abundant life now and eternal life with the Father, both now and forever.

Jesus made all this possible by laying down His life for you. And that makes Him not just a good leader but greatest leader you can ever know. Do you know him? Have you heard His voice? If so, will you put your trust in Him follow Him today? Let’s pray.