God the Holy Spirit, Mentor's Guide, MG14

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G O D T H E H O L Y S P I R I T

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Spiritual Guidance (continued)

2. God is a competent, clear-speaking guide.

a. John 10.2-5, 27 (ESV) - But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens. 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. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. . . . [27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (1) The images given by God to describe his leadership are very helpful. God is a king, a parent, a shepherd. The biblical question is seldom, “How do we hear?” Jesus says quite confidently that his sheep know his voice. Like all kings or parents or shepherds, God has no difficulty communicating to us in ways that we will understand. (2) How many of us, for example, find that the IRS has difficulty communicating with us that we need to pay taxes? How many of us just forget about April 15th and never think about it again once it is passed? (3) Howmany of you as kids sat around and agonized whether you were going to be able to recognize your parent’s voice. What initiative did you take as a child to make sure you could hear and understand your parents? (4) In the same manner, God takes the initiative to communicate his will to his people. b. The metaphors of Scripture describe a God who will be heard!