Overcoming Fear with Obedience (John 10:27)
John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Before the beginning of an athletic event, awaited by thousands of fans, a little dog strayed from its master onto the field. From the grandstand on one side of the field, one whistled. Presently, many were whistling to the dog from all sides of the field. In the middle of the field, the little dog, filled with confusion and fright, crouched to the ground. Then, a boy at the end of the field put two fingers into his mouth and whistled shrilly and loudly. The little dog, recognizing his master's call amidst the others, leaped to his feet. With ears erect, the dog ran swiftly to its master. About God's children following their heavenly Master, Jesus said, " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" Let us be swift to discern and obey His voice.
Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year-old with no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on the radio and pleaded for help. Nearby were two pilots who heard the call. Mount Comfort was the closest airport, and the two pilots gave Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions of climbing, steering, and—the scariest part—landing. The two experienced pilots circled the runway three times before this somewhat frantic and totally inexperienced pilot was ready to attempt the landing. Emergency vehicles were called out and ready for what seemed like an approaching disaster. Witnesses said the plane's nose nudged the center line and bounced a few times before the tail hit the ground. The Cessna ended up in a patch of soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured. This pilot listened and followed those instructions as if his life depended on it—and it did. Imagine what would take place in the lives of believers if we listened to and obeyed the Word of God with the same earnestness.
I John 4:18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Obedience is a big deal to God. He expects us to comply with His commands and instructions. When we don’t, the consequences are serious. Adam’s disobedience cursed him and the entire human race. Moses’ disobedience by smiting the rock cost him the entrance into the Promised Land. King’s Saul’s disobedience cost him his kingdom. God just wants us to do what He tells us to do. He gives us commands for a reason. If we truly love Him, we will do what He says. There is great security that is found in doing what God says. That does not mean your obedience is going to result in smooth sailing. On the contrary, many times Satan fights hard when we obey the Lord. God, however, has a way of taking care of the conflicts when they arise. He has a way of proving that His commands are wise, even if they don’t make sense to us. The nation of Israel found this out at Jericho. They did what God told them to do and God kept His word. Obedience led to blessing and enabled them to conquer any fear of failure. The battle was the Lord’s.
1. Do you hear His voice?
Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice because they know him. If you find yourself increasingly familiar with what Jesus said and eager to think about and obey Him, you are living in the flock. If you can’t honestly hear His voice, you have to decide if you’ve wandered off and need to return. “One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons”.Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Does Christ know you?
A shepherd can pick out his sheep from a mixed flock. But knowing is more than recognizing—it's love, intimacy, and transparency. Do you welcome Jesus’ knowledge the way David did in Psalm 139:1, O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Either He’s your Shepherd or you are treating Him as a stranger.
3. Are you following Him?
Recognizing the call to relationship and heart obedience that Jesus expects ought to make you pause. Sometimes you may need to confess, I hear His voice, but I’m not always understanding what His Word is telling me to do. Becoming aware of your need for more direction actually means you are hearing Him.
“Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to him”, Nathanael Emmons. God does not expect negotiation, He expects obedience in every part of our lives. Even believers who have known Jesus for years admit, “I’m not following perfectly.” Jesus knows you can’t follow Him flawlessly. In spite of that, He invites you to follow Him anyway. He provides His constant presence to help you do what you are incapable of doing on your own. This is why you can call Jesus your Shepherd. He is the perfect Shepherd even though you’re not a perfect sheep. Thank Him for being your Shepherd today.
10 Examples of Obedience:
1. Noah (Genesis 6:9, 22; 7:15; Hebrews 11:7)
2. Abraham (Genesis 22)
3. Moses (Numbers 27:12-22; Hebrews 3:2-3)
4. Joshua (Joshua 10:40; 11:15)
5. David (I Samuel 18:14; 25:28; Acts 13:22)
6. Hezekiah (II Kings 18:6: Isaiah 38:3)
7. Josiah (II Kings 22:2; 23:24-45)
8. Joseph (Matthew 1:24; 2:14)
9. Disciples (John 17:6)
10. Paul (Acts 23:1; II Timothy 1:3)
Points to Ponder:
Obedience should be decided immediately.
Obedience should be decided completely.
Obedience always requires courage.
God’s simple requests are often stepping-stones to life’s greatest blessings.
When we obey God, we will experience His blessing; when we don’t, we will miss out on that blessing.
Our obedience to God should never be based on whether something seems rational or fits with the world’s way of thinking.
Questions to Consider:
As I review my life, am I one hundred percent obedient to the Word of God?
In what area of my life do I struggle most with obedience. Why is that?
Where would you like to strengthen your obedience to the Lord?
If Jesus is your Shepherd, what part of hearing His voice or following Him is challenging to you right now?
Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending Your Son as my Shepherd. Thank You for showing me that as a good Shepherd, He laid His life down for me, in order to save me and provide forgiveness to me for my sins. Thank You that He lives to knowingly lead me today as I hear His voice and follow Him. And thank You for showing me ways I can hear and follow better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If this post in any way, has blessed you,
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Before the beginning of an athletic event, awaited by thousands of fans, a little dog strayed from its master onto the field. From the grandstand on one side of the field, one whistled. Presently, many were whistling to the dog from all sides of the field. In the middle of the field, the little dog, filled with confusion and fright, crouched to the ground. Then, a boy at the end of the field put two fingers into his mouth and whistled shrilly and loudly. The little dog, recognizing his master's call amidst the others, leaped to his feet. With ears erect, the dog ran swiftly to its master. About God's children following their heavenly Master, Jesus said, " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" Let us be swift to discern and obey His voice.
Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year-old with no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on the radio and pleaded for help. Nearby were two pilots who heard the call. Mount Comfort was the closest airport, and the two pilots gave Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions of climbing, steering, and—the scariest part—landing. The two experienced pilots circled the runway three times before this somewhat frantic and totally inexperienced pilot was ready to attempt the landing. Emergency vehicles were called out and ready for what seemed like an approaching disaster. Witnesses said the plane's nose nudged the center line and bounced a few times before the tail hit the ground. The Cessna ended up in a patch of soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured. This pilot listened and followed those instructions as if his life depended on it—and it did. Imagine what would take place in the lives of believers if we listened to and obeyed the Word of God with the same earnestness.
I John 4:18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Obedience is a big deal to God. He expects us to comply with His commands and instructions. When we don’t, the consequences are serious. Adam’s disobedience cursed him and the entire human race. Moses’ disobedience by smiting the rock cost him the entrance into the Promised Land. King’s Saul’s disobedience cost him his kingdom. God just wants us to do what He tells us to do. He gives us commands for a reason. If we truly love Him, we will do what He says. There is great security that is found in doing what God says. That does not mean your obedience is going to result in smooth sailing. On the contrary, many times Satan fights hard when we obey the Lord. God, however, has a way of taking care of the conflicts when they arise. He has a way of proving that His commands are wise, even if they don’t make sense to us. The nation of Israel found this out at Jericho. They did what God told them to do and God kept His word. Obedience led to blessing and enabled them to conquer any fear of failure. The battle was the Lord’s.
1. Do you hear His voice?
Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice because they know him. If you find yourself increasingly familiar with what Jesus said and eager to think about and obey Him, you are living in the flock. If you can’t honestly hear His voice, you have to decide if you’ve wandered off and need to return. “One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons”.Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Does Christ know you?
A shepherd can pick out his sheep from a mixed flock. But knowing is more than recognizing—it's love, intimacy, and transparency. Do you welcome Jesus’ knowledge the way David did in Psalm 139:1, O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Either He’s your Shepherd or you are treating Him as a stranger.
3. Are you following Him?
Recognizing the call to relationship and heart obedience that Jesus expects ought to make you pause. Sometimes you may need to confess, I hear His voice, but I’m not always understanding what His Word is telling me to do. Becoming aware of your need for more direction actually means you are hearing Him.
“Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence of sincere and supreme love to him”, Nathanael Emmons. God does not expect negotiation, He expects obedience in every part of our lives. Even believers who have known Jesus for years admit, “I’m not following perfectly.” Jesus knows you can’t follow Him flawlessly. In spite of that, He invites you to follow Him anyway. He provides His constant presence to help you do what you are incapable of doing on your own. This is why you can call Jesus your Shepherd. He is the perfect Shepherd even though you’re not a perfect sheep. Thank Him for being your Shepherd today.
10 Examples of Obedience:
1. Noah (Genesis 6:9, 22; 7:15; Hebrews 11:7)
2. Abraham (Genesis 22)
3. Moses (Numbers 27:12-22; Hebrews 3:2-3)
4. Joshua (Joshua 10:40; 11:15)
5. David (I Samuel 18:14; 25:28; Acts 13:22)
6. Hezekiah (II Kings 18:6: Isaiah 38:3)
7. Josiah (II Kings 22:2; 23:24-45)
8. Joseph (Matthew 1:24; 2:14)
9. Disciples (John 17:6)
10. Paul (Acts 23:1; II Timothy 1:3)
Points to Ponder:
Obedience should be decided immediately.
Obedience should be decided completely.
Obedience always requires courage.
God’s simple requests are often stepping-stones to life’s greatest blessings.
When we obey God, we will experience His blessing; when we don’t, we will miss out on that blessing.
Our obedience to God should never be based on whether something seems rational or fits with the world’s way of thinking.
Questions to Consider:
As I review my life, am I one hundred percent obedient to the Word of God?
In what area of my life do I struggle most with obedience. Why is that?
Where would you like to strengthen your obedience to the Lord?
If Jesus is your Shepherd, what part of hearing His voice or following Him is challenging to you right now?
Prayer: Lord, thank You for sending Your Son as my Shepherd. Thank You for showing me that as a good Shepherd, He laid His life down for me, in order to save me and provide forgiveness to me for my sins. Thank You that He lives to knowingly lead me today as I hear His voice and follow Him. And thank You for showing me ways I can hear and follow better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If this post in any way, has blessed you,
please share this website and its articles with others:
www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com