Follow Me

Sept. 7 Follow Me

Christians by and large are dull and boring. Jesus would never call us to a mediocre life.

The american dream is not the same as the life Jesus calls us to live - a reasonable life.

What’s Reasonable?

Is it reasonable to work 45 years at a job you hate so you can buy stuff you can’t keep?

Is your life deeply satisfying? Do you wake with eager expectation?

Are you really making a difference? No one cares how many things you do!

What God asks is "Are you doing the right things?"

Is the life you are living leaving an impact - making a legacy.

The reasonable life Christ calls us to live begins with moving from success to significance.

A reasonable person knows the difference between valuables and what is of value.

An unreasonable life may seem to be fast paced and full - but it is going nowhere.

How do you close your day? Is it restful, peaceful reflection of a day well spent?

Is it filled with regret and confusion, wondering if you did what matters most, worrying about what remains undone. Multiply nights like those by 10,000 and you have a wasted life.

Evening and morning - that was the rhythm of the ancient Hebrews.

One day begins in the evening with reflection and rest in the Lord.

Every night you’ll look forward to the next morning.

What’s God got planned for tomorrow? You’ll find out then.

Imagine a church where church means people in community and more time talent and energy is spent on insuring spiritual well-being than the upkeep of the facilities

Whatever happened to the church? - It turned into Religion

Religion is about physical location, it’s territorial, all about turf and brick and mortar, budgets and job descriptions - programs and denominations, rules and boundaries. People care more about degrees and credentials than about effective ministry. Religion is about pretending. Its about being nice people

I Challenge you to renounce Religion - do spring cleaning - become disciples wholehearted Christ followers.

Christianity is about life and death issues, about mission, about spiritual yearnings, its about growing people, putting down roots, networking with others. Christianity is about admitting that I am lost without Christ, that I need to be saved, I can’t figure life out all on my own. It is about connecting directly with God - not through others but in person. Faith is dynamic and scarry - not to be defended but to be delivered!

The gospel is not a program or a bunch of rules but the outrageous claims of love made by a God who is willing to personally pay the price for all of my sin - just to have me back home again.

Most of you have barely tasted this kind of life - this reasonable - normal - exciting and thrilling Christian life.

Weeks go by for most of you without experinecing genuine community.

Most of you don’t know a single soul let alone an entire community of people who love you so deeply that they would take a bullet for you. Many of you are more preoccupied on advancing your career, thinking about that next home or job or relationship than you are on following Christ. How can we change that?

Two words that can drastically alter your life - FOLLOW ME

You will follow someone -

Mike Yanconelli’s dream of following after Jesus then hears Him turn and look in his direction and say "Follow Me" - "Not you the guy behind you."

Follow only the guide who’s been where you want to go

If you’re lost - who you follow makes all the difference in the world (Donner party followed the trail book of a man who never walked the trail himself

If you’re a novice - inexperienced learn from the best - attach yourself to Jesus

If your serious about makeing spiritual progress - invest at least as much effort as you would in your favorite hobby.

The call begins with two words - listen for them. (have people say them)

MT 4:18 One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers. They were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake. They were fishermen. 19 "Come. Follow me," Jesus said. "I will make you fishers of people." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers. They were James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. As they were preparing their nets, Jesus called out to them. 22 Right away they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus.

MT 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him. Matthew got up and followed him.