Follow Me! Series

Who does things like this? Come follow me? BOOM! Done! Let’s go. And remember we know Peter was married. Imagine that conversation when he came home at the end of the day.

PETER CHECKING IN WITH HIS WIFE - - - -

The disciples just got up and followed this strange new rabbi. Their response is immediate. Honestly - - - - it blows me away! Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever thought about how calculating we are when Jesus says Follow Me.

“Hmm, Jesus, let me think about that for a bit. Text me tomorrow and I’ll get back to you.”

Jesus says, "Follow me," and all these hard-nosed working people suddenly drop their tools, get out of their boats, leave everyone behind, even family - - - and they go and follow Jesus.

What hits me about this story, is that it goes against common sense. It goes against our nature. We don’t just get up and go!

But then we read about the new kingdom at work. We see the power being made manifest. And you get a glimpse into why they were leaving. Listen - - -

23 And Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming

the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

24 So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains,

those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them.

25 And great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

They saw the miraculous at work! Great crowds followed Jesus. They stopped what they were doing and believed, “I NEED TO FOLLOW THIS MAN!”

They saw, they experienced and they were changed, transformed. It was the power of the Spirit of God at work. The transforming power of God. When we see it, when we experience it, we can’t miss it, we know it. We may reject it for a bit, but our hearts and spirits are burning by what God has planted.

People were changed, healed, made whole. Lives changed in an instant. At the touch of the Great Physician. And who wouldn’t want that for themselves.

I’m struck by the power of the Holy Spirit that was so prevalent in those days. We call them ancient days, yet, how powerful we see the Holy Spirit working through Jesus. And we’re told that same ancient / old Spirit is available to us. The fresh wind of the Spirit is alive. Paul told the people in Ephesus, his prayer was - - -

18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might

20 that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, - Ephesians 1:18-20

Paul’s telling us that we have this amazing inheritance available for us, but we also have this power. The immeasurable greatness of God’s power for those who believe. That’s us!