Below is a video of a shepherd calling his sheep. It is powerful and illustrates what Jesus said in John 10. When the shepherd calls, the sheep come because they know his voice.
I heard once that the true test of leadership is to look around and see if anyone is following you. That’s a pretty good test. Think about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. He says in John 10 that the shepherd knows the sheep, and that the sheep know the shepherd. When He calls, they come running. They know his voice. To the sheep, the Shepherd’s voice means that they are running to safety and a rewarding environment. It is safe to run to the Shepherd.
John 10:3,8,14,16,27
To him (the shepherd of the sheep) the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them…I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd…My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Think about why so many flocked to Jesus during his ministry? Look at Luke 15 and meditate on it. There were many religious leaders in Jesus’ day, but the people weren’t flocking to them. Why? Those leaders were bullies, arrogant, know-it-alls who placed heavy burdens on the people. They were hypocritical, self-indulgent and constantly sat in condescending judgment upon the people. The people knew it wasn’t safe to run to them. But they saw safety, compassion and acceptance in the heart of Jesus. When He called, they came.
Consider your own leadership as a man. Are people running to you or from you? Are you a bully or a loving shepherd? It’s worth your consideration – Do the sheep know your voice? Do they come running when you call?