Follow Me (1 Of 2)

WHY DID PAUL TELL THEM TO FOLLOW HIM? If anyone had examined the life of the apostle Paul, they would have discovered that he was following the Lord Jesus. Paul was giving them a PHYSICAL EXAMPLE or MODEL of what it is to follow Jesus.

Someone very wisely said, "Don't follow any leader until you know who he is following." Paul was concerned that some of these Christians of Philippi could fall into the trap of following the wrong people.

Illus: Children have a game they call, “Follow The Leader,” and whatever the leader does, they do the same.

When we grow up and become adults, we still play this game, but really it is not a game. Today’s society is a society of the BLIND LEADING THE BLIND!

Today, many people do very little thinking for themselves, they allow others to do their thinking for them.

This is why we live in a world that craves “Amusement!” But think about the word amusement for a moment. Do you know what the word really means? The word "muse" means to think. When you put an "a" in front of a word it means the opposite. "Amuse" literally means, "not to think." An amusement is something you can do without thinking.

While folks today are being amused, they are not thinking of the dangerous things they are being exposed to.

Every day, men and women are exposing themselves to the garbage called entertainment that Hollywood is producing for them to watch.

The television industry can’t seem to show anything above the belt, even in daytime. The talk shows have far outdone the soaps in their sexploitation.

Illus: TV critic Robert Feeder, of the Chicago Sun Times, notes that on one particular day:

• Oprah Winfrey was exploring the subject "Should Teens Have Sex at Home?"

• Sally Jesse Rafael was focusing on the children of “sexaholics”.

• Geraldo Rivera was doing a show titled, "If he gets out of jail, he's going to kill me."

• Joan Rivers was dishing up soap opera dirt and examining infertility.

And we wonder why the homes of this nation are in the mess they are in. Listen, our minds are like computers, if you put garbage in, garbage is what comes out.

This is why God’s Word states in Philippian 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Paul was concerned about the SPIRITUAL lives of these people, and was concerned about who’s SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE they would follow.

One of the most important things we can do in this Christian life is to make sure we are following the right people’s examples.

Illus: If you get into your car, and decide it does not matter who you follow, and you pick cars at random and follow them:

• Some will lead you to the local dump

• Some will lead you to the local barrooms

• Some will drive carelessly, and you both may end up in the local graveyard

But some will lead you to a church

Much of our success and happiness depends on who we follow.

Illus: Someone said, "Education won't make us all leaders - but it can teach us which leaders to follow."

Paul was following Christ, and that is why he could say to them, "...be ye followers together of me..."

Paul knew that people could easily be deceived and led astray in their Christian walk.

• There are politicians that are saying, “Forget the Word of God - follow us”

• There are television preachers that are saying, “Follow us, we will tell you what you want to hear.”

• There are entertainers (secular and spiritual) saying, “Follow us we will amuse you.”

There are many people shouting, "Follow me!"

When we follow someone, we have to look at ...

I. THE DIRECTION

We have to be careful about who we follow. Look at Phil. 3:2, "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision."

Illus: Now I do not know about you, but when I go to someone’s home to visit them, and I drive up in front of their house and see a sign that says, “Beware of Bad dog”, I am going to beware!

Now Paul, uses that analogy when he talks about evil workers. In this short verse of scripture, Paul used the word "BEWARE," three times.

Why should we BEWARE of the evil workers? Because they are -

A. PREDATORS