Opening illustration: S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
Let us look into God’s Word and see what kind of followers Christ seeks in us.
Introduction:
What does a teacher desire from his / her students?
What does a general desire from his soldiers?
What does a ruler desire from his / her citizens?
What do parents desire from their children?
The question her is ~ what does Christ require of His followers?
All relationships have some elements in common.
Every leader desires his followers to ~
• Take decisions
• Make use of his help
• Complete their assignments
• Place loyalty above everything
• Put his teachings into practice
When we consider what Christ desires from us we feel uneasy after all He is not a general or ruler but someone beyond that. Our relationship with Him affects all our other relationships, out eternal well-being and our joy here and now. For some of us these demands may seem too hard to achieve. We are afraid of whole-hearted obedience to Christ will cost us. We read and learn stories of great Christians who prayed fro hours daily, who were persecuted and suffered for Christ. Then we wonder what the Lord expects from us (who are) ordinary people.
In Psalm 103:14 it says, ‘For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.’
He doesn’t demand the impossible from us. He wants obedience and gives us strength and helps us carry out His commands.
Therefore what will it take to follow Christ?
1. DEPENDENCE [John 15: 4, 5 & 11]:
What do we learn from the grapevine?
• Complete obedience to Christ
• Take nourishment & strength from Him to produce fruit
• Give us joy and satisfaction to abide in Him
How then should we abide in Christ?
• Have a close and intimate relationship with Him
• Depend on him for wisdom, strength and direction in life
• Our rebellious attitude will not help us to abide in him
• Spend time with Him
• He wants to listen to us
• He desires us to hear Him
This matter of abiding in Christ is essential if we want to please God.
John 15: 5 says, ‘…without Me you can do nothing.’
What happens when we try to live without depending on Him?
• Defeated by sinful habits
• Pre-occupied with a list of Do’s and Don’ts
• Self-deluded and hypocritical
• Plagued by inner emptiness
• Depressed by joylessness
• Exhausted by busy self-effort
• Frustrated from a sense of being distant from God
• Trapped by worldliness
What kind of fruit is produced in the lives of those who abide in Christ?
• Galatians 5: 22 – 23
• 2 Peter 1: 5 – 8
We need to evaluate our lives on the basis of these characteristics ~
• Are we bearing spiritual fruit?
• If not, why not?
Erwin Lutzer said, ‘As far as God is concerned, there is no reason for you to live, except to bear fruit.’
How does prayer show our dependence on Christ?
David Brainerd served as a missionary to the Native Americans in the 18th century. He died at the age of 29. He used to pray fro 2 hours daily and fasted and prayed fro 48 hours often.
Does God really expect this much from us? Maybe not, but He does expect us to spend time with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5: 17 says, ‘pray without ceasing,’
John 15 shows us the importance to abide in Him. When we are close to Him, our requests will be in line with his will.
What can we do to remove any barriers in our relationship with Him?
1 John 1: 9 says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Thinking about our dependence on Christ ~
• How would you describe your relationship with Him?
• Are you growing closer to Him?
• Are you serving Him through your words and actions?
• Are you taking time to get into God’s Word and meditating on it?
• Do you keep a separate schedule / time for prayer?
Things to pray about!
Have you been able to identify the obstacles that keep hindering a close relationship with Christ and ask Him to help you to overcome them?
2. RISK [Luke 9: 23 – 25]:
What have we got ourselves into?
Many people have asked this question when they were faced with great personal risk.
Illustration: (i) A mountain climber – is it worth taking the risk?
(ii) A soldier in combat – is it worth it?
John 14: 21 say, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
Matthew 16: 24 says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
What does it mean to deny ourselves?
It is not to deny ourselves of food, fellowship or any good thing, just to make us feel miserable. It means to put Christ’s claims and commands above our own desires.
If what we know Christ desires from us, clashes with what we want to do, we say ‘No’ to ourselves and ‘Yes’ to Him. That is the big order. And He will be happier when we make that choice.
Matthew 10: 38 says, ‘And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.’
What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Christ?
• Commit our lives to Him
• Follow in His footsteps
• Even to die for Him
It does not mean that we have to suffer ourselves [penance] or to invite persecution. It is the attitude (heart) not the amount of suffering and shame we endure that counts in God’s sight.
What does it mean to lose our lives for His sake?
Luke 9: 24 say, ‘For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.’
He did not mean that we should seek a martyr’s death. His point was how we should invest our life. If a person invests his life in attaining selfish pleasures and earthly fame, he will eventually lose it as this earth and the systems in it are all temporary.
Should we take these words seriously?
Missionaries like David Livingstone, Hudson Taylor and William Carey and … took these words very seriously – that is why they left their comforts of their home and country and traveled to uncomfortable and diseased situations in Africa and Asia.
How were missionaries persecuted?
• Stoned
• Imprisoned
• Mocked
• Hated
Should we expect persecution today?
John 15: 20 say, ‘… If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.’
2 Timothy 3: 12 say, ‘Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.’
We, who believe in Jesus Christ and desire to please Him, will experience some opposition from people who do not want to follow godly ways. It can be at our workplace, school, hospital, neighborhood or even at our home.
When we chose and desire to do what pleases God, we find resistance from all sides.
Thinking it over the ‘Risk’ you take to be a Christian ~
Has it caused your friends / relatives to seem strange?
How have the non-believers reacted when you share your faith?
Are you willing to let people know that you are a follower of Christ?
What happens when you refuse to participate with your friends in an activity that you know would displease God?
Is the RISK you take for Christ worth it?
How did Jesus put Himself to risk? 1 Peter 2: 21 ‘For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:’
3. LOYALTY [Luke 14: 26; Matthew 10: 37]:
What kind of loyalty does Christ require of us? [We are so loyal to our family, jobs, parents etc.]
Illustration: A person working in the US Marine Corps lives with a motto of commitment “Always Faithful.” He is to remain faithful to the US Army – even unto death – for the cause of his country.
What is NOT expected of him?
• Take orders from the enemy leadership
• Never quit partway through a military mission.
This is so appropriate with our Christian life.
How can family and friends challenge our loyalty to Christ?
Illustration: William Carey [1761 – 1834] ~ God asked him to go to India. He went even though he had 3 small children but his dad was annoyed with this decision of his.
How was Carey obedient to the words of Jesus?
He preferred Jesus above his own dad. Sometimes a profession of faith in Christ leads to being shunned by the rest of the family. Carey loved the Lord but his actions appeared to hate his family because he didn’t do what they wanted but did what God approved.
Sometimes the world can be so alluring that we can get conformed in its ways. Are we willing to make a commitment like Joshua made in Joshua 24: 15 ‘… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’ [Ref. Matthew 6: 24]
Adam & Eve = were traitors to God’s will and cause
People loyal to God ~
• Noah – Genesis 7 & 8
• Moses
• Daniel & his 3 friends – Daniel 1, 3, 6
• Rahab shifts her loyalty to the God of Israel
Yes, God wants you to love your spouse, children, parents, family, neighbor, show respect to your government etc. But your love and loyalty to god should be above all these – 1st place to Christ alone.
Some things to ponder about ~
• How does your use of time reveal your loyalty?
• What pressures have you felt to compromise at home and at work?
• Does your standard of behavior reflect God’s purity OR are you being shaped by the world?
How did Jesus show His loyalty to the Father? Matthew 4: 8 – 10 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ’You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
4. IMITATION [John 13: 13 – 15; 1 Corinthians 11: 1]:
In the 1970’s a number of youngsters imitated Christ in the physical aspect ~ long hair, long beard. Apparently called the hippy culture and such were the ‘role models.’
What does it mean to imitate Christ?
It is to replicate his or her actions as closely as possible. It is to model our lives after the characteristics of someone we look up to.
We all know that children usually imitate their parents. Students try to imitate their teachers. Therefore must imitate our master and Lord.
How did Christ serve others? Matthew 20: 28 ‘just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’
Paul told the Philippians in chapter 2: 3 – 4 ‘Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.’ In fact Philippians 2: 8 says it all ~ ‘And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.’
How did Christ respond to the needy people?
For example the tax collectors, doubting Thomas, poor woman, woman at the well, the sick etc.
How did Christ forgive? Ephesians 4: 32 – 5: 2 ‘And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.’
How did Christ resist temptation? Matthew 4: 1 – 11
How did Christ view possessions (treasures)? Matthew 6: 19 – 21 ‘Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’
These are just a few ways of imitating Christ so that we can become like Him in our responses to various people and in different kinds of situations.
Conclusion: Some things to ponder ~
• How do we need to re-arrange our priorities in our daily life?
• In what ways are we following Christ’s example?
• In what area of life have you been going your way? Time to sort it out!
When this life is over, will Christ be able to say to us, ‘…Well done, good and faithful servant; …’ [Matthew 25: 23]
A time to analyze our own personal lives!
