Followership Series

Series: ¡§God¡¦s Desire¡¨ (#2)

FOLLOWERSHIP

1 Samuel 8

Introduction:

1. Last Sunday we began a series titled ¡§God¡¦s Desire¡¨. We often are concerned about our desires, but what does God want from us?

2. Last week we learned that God desires fellowship with us. We saw how man broke fellowship with God by sinning and how God restored that fellowship through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3. Today, I want us to examine a second desire of God¡¦s and that is followership. You may be thinking, ¡§That¡¦s not a real word¡¨; but it is. This word, which can be found in Webster¡¦s dictionary, is almost unknown. Have you ever been to a course on followership? How about reading a book on followership? No, but you can find a ton of books and seminars in every field of work including Christian service to God concerning leadership.

Followership Broken

1. God had been leading the Nation of Israel for a long time. He had protected and provided for them time after time although they were continually disobedient to Him.

Why did they want another king besides God?

„« Samuel¡¦s sons were evil and were abusing their power as judges. Obviously this was a problem, but instead of the elders consulting God for the solution, they came up with their own solution.

„« Another reason they wanted a king was so someone could physically be seen who would fight their battles for them. Although God had been fighting their battles for them, they had forgotten what God had done. They wanted a king that they could see with their eyes and hear with their ears.

„« The main reason found for their wanting a king was because the other nations had kings. They wanted to be like everyone else.

2. Do any of these reasons for not following God apply to your life? Do you form your own solutions to problems? Do you need a physical sign, object, or person in order to believe that God is in charge? Are you too busy trying to be like everyone else?

3. So what was God¡¦s answer to the elder¡¦s decision? Let them do it. God warned them of the results of their decision, but He let them have what they wanted.

Followership Options

1. God does not make you follow Him. You can follow whoever or whatever you want.

2. When you sum it up, there is really only two options. You can either follow God or Satan.

3. Which is it? God or Satan? Life or Death?

Followership Of God

1. If God is the One you choose to follow, how do you do that? First, Jesus Christ must be your Savior. Let me tell you what you must do in order to accept God¡¦s gift of salvation.

„« Realize you are a sinner and that the penalty for sin is eternal death.

„« Believer in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who lived a perfect life on this earth, died for the sins of the world on a cross and was raised on the third day.

2. Once Jesus is Savior then you need to make Him Lord. That means He is the boss. There are many who have accepted God¡¦s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ that do not allow Jesus to be Lord in their life. This is followership. How do you let Jesus lead?

Luke 9:23

3. Let¡¦s break this verse down. If you want to allow Jesus to be Lord you must:

„« Deny yourself.

„« Take up your cross.

„« Follow Jesus.

Look with me at how the Message Bible translates this verse.

Luke 9:23

Conclusion:

1. Too many people want the prize, but don¡¦t want to run the race. It¡¦s like a person that wants to make a million dollars a year, but they are not willing to go to work.

2. If you are here this morning without Christ as your Savior you are following the wrong person. Remember if you are not following Christ you are following Satan and Satan¡¦s path leads to eternal destruction. Jesus is the only way to eternal life in Heaven.

3. Christians, have you made someone or something else king of your life? Are you ready to put Jesus back on the throne of your life? Then you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. As I have said many times, ¡§If Jesus is your co-pilot you are in the wrong seat¡¨.