Presented - May 22, 2005
“FOLLOW ME!”
We have just concluded our gospel meeting. During the week we were challenged to think about the importance of relationships – ALL our relationships. One thought that continually showed up was the challenge by Jesus to follow Him. This morning I want us to take another look at these important words of our Lord and consider the degree to which they need to apply within our lives.
I. Jesus said, “follow me”
a. Throughout His ministry upon this earth, Jesus issued this challenge.
b. On three different occasions, as He called His disciples who would become His apostles, he told them, “follow Me.”
i. Matthew 4:18-22 – “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”, He said to Peter and Andrew. In the next verse He called James and John the sons of Zebedee and they immediately followed Him
ii. Matthew 9:9 – calling Matthew sitting in his tax office, He said, “follow Me”
iii. John 1:43 – Even before He called Andrew and Peter, Jesus FOUND Philip and said to Him, “follow Me.”
c. The challenge to follow Him completely
i. Luke 9:57-62 – records three different people who said they we willing to follow Jesus.
1. “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go…” Jesus answered him saying, “It won’t be easy” – He did stay in plush hotels with all the amenities.
2. He calls another to “follow Me” but he responds, “Let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus responds – “let the dead bury their own”. Jesus was not opposed to funerals or saying good-bye. This probably involved a father not yet dead – but he only had a little time left. “The promise was I will follow AFTER I take care of this problem.” WHERE’S THE PRIORITY?
3.
Another wants to bid farewell to his family first. This sounds
reasonable, but again it probably involves much more than the text says. The
actual wording means to go home and set things in order – something that would
require some time to do. Others see that he wanted to get thoughts from his
family and friends. But knowing the hearts of men – Jesus knew that if
this person went home he would probably never follow Jesus. They would “talk
him out of it”. Jesus responds that we cannot look back and still be fit for the
kingdom of heaven.
How often do we hear something and say, “I need to do that but let me do this
first”? More often than not, we are putting off a hard thing and we will let
ANYTHING stop us. I have heard it said that some people work harder at getting
out of work than they would if they went ahead and did what needed to be done.
Jesus answered we cannot follow Him and have second thoughts about it. If
you need to change, you need to change NOW! He is calling for commitment.
ii. Matthew 10:37-39 – On another occasion Jesus said, “He who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” The idea of a cross here is the difficult times you will face.
iii. Jesus repeats this idea in Matthew 16:24 adding that one must “deny himself”
1. Following Jesus does NOT mean you will always get your way. In fact, you won’t! If following Jesus is something that is always pleasant to you (physically) you better take a look at your life – chances are you are not as committed as you ought to be.
2. An example of this is found in Matthew 19:16-22. A rich young ruler comes to Jesus seeking eternal life. He is serving God in most things, but he lacked one thing – he loved his things and was not willing to give them up. Note Jesus’ answer (21) – Go sell what you have and give it to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
d.
John 10:4 -5, 27 - IN describing our relationship with Him, Jesus likened
us unto His sheep and He as our shepherd. Sheep are followers. However, they
will not follow just anyone – but their shepherd whom they trust. And him they
will follow anywhere.
David captured this idea in what is perhaps his best known psalm – 23. “The
Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Vs. 4 speaks of walking through the
valley of the shadow of death without fear – why? Because He is with us.
Back to John 10, on what was perhaps another occasion months later, His critics
are still talking about this and He tells them this again – noting that He can
give them eternal life because they follow Him.
e. John 21:19, 22 - A very personal conversation Jesus has with Peter in which Peter is told how he would die (years later). Jesus told Peter, “Follow Me”. When Peter inquired about John, Jesus lovingly rebuked him basically saying, “What concern is that to you?” “You follow Me!” In following Jesus, we cannot be concerned about what others think – we have to do what we know to be right.
II. When Do We Need To Follow Jesus?
a. When we first obey the gospel –
i. The trait of becoming a disciple – Matthew 28:18-20 – we obey the gospel and we “observe all things commanded by Him”
ii.
True conversion involves an understanding that we have to change right
now!
Look at the example of Paul - he changed drastically. He came to Damascus
persecuting Christians – but he left persuading other to become Christians.
Acts 9:20 says, “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues…”
iii. It involves a true commitment to serving Him. Why is it that so many who are young in the faith fall away so quickly? Usually it is because they did not truly commit to following Jesus when they obeyed. They obeyed with a mixed heart – Luke 8:6,7 describes stony ground and thorny ground. Jesus described these hearts as those who have no root – and thus in hard times they wither away.
iv. As a babe in Christ you MUST “desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby” 1 Peter 2:2.
v. There is a danger at this stage of being influenced by false doctrines and all manners of philosophies of men. That is why the older are commanded to teach the younger, and why those young in the faith need to turn to those who have faithfully served and studied for years.
vi. The level of commitment and determination you have when you first become a Christian is a good indicator of the type of Christian you will be throughout your life.
b. As we continue to grow
i. Building upon our commitment to give our lives to Him, we must remember to keep Him at the forefront.
ii.
This becomes the challenge. It is easy to commit to something for a
short time, especially if its worthwhile. When one first becomes a Christian
they are zealous and anxious to change. They want to grow and will search. But
usually, in time they become frustrated because they don’t seem to be able to
learn as much as they want as quickly as they want it. They have given up
sinful practices but they soon find the temptations returning and they long for
those “pleasures of life.” They stumble and fall down. They get up but they
fall down again. Brethren start becoming critical of them (some with good
intentions, others in self-righteousness)
In time they become frustrated. Their zeal dies down and they settle into a
routine. At this point, following Jesus brings a whole new set of challenges.
iii.
We are admonished to grow lest we be tossed to and fro (Ephesians
4:14-15)
2 Peter 3:18 – grow in grace and knowledge
iv.
The scriptures speak often of endurance –
Hebrews 10:36 says, “You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
will of God, you may receive the promise.”
Galatians 6:9 – Let us not grow weary while doing good. We will reap IF we
don’t lose heart
v.
We need each other as brethren
Romans 12:10 – preferring one another means, “to take the lead of”
Hebrews 10:24-25 – Consider one another in order to stir up love and good works
c. In our maturity
i. Now that we have been Christians for a while. We have learned much and we have overcome much in this life. For many at this point there is a tendency to want to relax and take it easy. Not that one will turn his back on the Lord, but he reasons, “I’ve done my part, it’s someone else’s turn.” This too is a dangerous time.
ii.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 – Paul disciplined his body lest he become
disqualified
Matthew 10:22 – Jesus said, “He who endures to the end will be saved.”
Hebrews 6:9-12 – the writers speaks of a confidence of “better things concerning
you…”
iii. The Lord needs the mature to follow Him during this time of life – to maintain the old path, to encourage the youthful and keep the growing - growing in Him.
The point of this lesson is to remind us that we need to follow Jesus, and that at ALL times. At all times – in our jobs, around our friends, when our brethren are around and when they are NOT around, during the good times and during the bad times, we always need the Lord. And ALL OF US need to follow Him. Like the analogy to the body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, we all have a part to do and we need each other to function properly. But this will only work if we all submit to the same head – Jesus Christ – and that means that each of us, in doing what we can do and where we are at – FOLLOW HIM! In Revelation 14:13, John said, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on… and their works follow them.” Are you following the Lord?
There is another group that we have not discussed
that I wish to briefly mention as we conclude this lesson. If you have never
obeyed the gospel, Jesus is calling to you saying, “Follow Me.”
Acts 4:12 tells us there is no other name under heaven by which man can be
saved. You can’t save yourself. You can continue to serve Satan or the world
or yourself and expect to spend eternity in heaven. As Peter admonished on the
day of Pentecost in many words you need to “be saved from this crooked and
perverse generation” (Acts 2:40)
Galatians 3:27 tells us that in the act of baptism we put on Christ. Romans
6:3-4 describes this baptism saying we bury the old man of sin and we are
“raised to walk in newness of life.” If you need to become a Christian we are
ready to help you – today.