Hear and Follow:

Context:

• Jesus gets strong reactions from the crowd.
• Some think He has a demon and is insane, because of His words.
• Some think the opposite, because of His deeds..

John 10:24 “...The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly..."

Was Jesus plainly telling them and showing them who He was?

John 10:25-29 “...Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. "But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand...”

Which impacts you more, the words of Jesus, or the actions of Jesus?

Why do people not believe?

• Those who belong to Jesus hear Him, believe Him, and follow Him.
• Those who are not His do not believe.

Is unbelief from not hearing or from not following?

• What we do with what we hear is critical.

• The Jews heard Jesus speak and “...picked up stones again to stone Him...”

John 10:32 “...Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?..."

Did the Jews have a good reason for stoning Jesus?

• In their minds, He was blaspheming.
• They were wrong, but they were convinced they were right.

Do people have a good reason for rejecting Jesus now?

• In their minds, it isn’t sensible to follow Jesus.
• They are wrong, but they are convinced they are right.

John 10:34-38 “...Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'? "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father..."

Is Jesus emphasizing words or deeds in this passage?

• Jesus suggests that the focus be taken off the words and placed on the works.
• People love to debate about words.
• People should embrace actual reality, not preferred reality.

Was Jesus doing the works of the Father or not?

What is the outcome of believing the works?

• Believe the works of Jesus “...so that you may know and understand...”

What can you know and understand?

• That the Father and Son abide in each other.
• That Jesus is who He claimed to be.

Will we hear and follow, or hear and discard?

• There is a pretty significant reason to hear and follow.
• “...I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish...”