U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris, Jr.
West Fort Hood Chapel
Second Sunday of June
Killeen, TX
27 June 2010
Big Idea: For some believers to follow Jesus means more than just believing in Him. It also means becoming a geographical nomad.
Scriptural References: EAI (Expository; Application; Illustration); Geographical Nomads: People without a fixed home who packs up and move together – from place to place - when necessary; Luke 9:57-62 (The Cost of Following Jesus); Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary – Residents of Bethany); Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)The Great Commission: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”; Luke 24:1-12 (ESV) The Resurrection and the story of Women finding the empty tomb and went and told these things to the eleven disciples; John 20:10-18 (ESV) Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene." John 20:19-23 (ESV) Jesus appears to the disciples; John 20: 24-29 (ESV) Jesus appears to Thomas;
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 9:57-62 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 9:57:62 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 9:57 (ESV) - As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to “tell somebody” that there is a price tag to consider before committing oneself to following Jesus Christ. Because it could mean becoming a geographical nomad.
V. SERMONIC THEME: "Tell Somebody!”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
Who can ever forget what The Good Book says in Matthew 28:19 -20 (ESV)? For don’t you remember, Jesus is quoted as saying: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
In other words, Jesus commissioned the 11 disciples to duplicate themselves in every nation amongst every ethnicity.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 1: Afterwards, he requested them to baptize the new recruits (or the new Christians) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that he had commanded of the disciples.
a. A Great Commission which comes straight from the horse’s mouth (so to speak)?
b. And to think, for years, I’ve believed that the Great Commission was given to every believer to personally and directly embrace “ONLY”.
c. I don’t believe that anymore. I now believe that the Great Commission is “both and”. It’s for all believers to embrace with the understanding that some can “only” embrace indirectly while others can embrace missionary ministry directly.
d. This is primarily because some “believers” will never “personally” visit other countries (Kuwait, Hungary, Bosnia, China, Russia, Korea, Japan, Africa, Iraq, Germany, Afghanistan, Netherlands) or witness to other nationalities, unless they are rightfully taught to rid themselves of certain prejudices and biases and join broader missionary endeavors.
e. The Great Commission embraces the ministry of being called to local and distant ministry. It embraces the ministry of being called to be a geographical nomad like the earlier disciples whom Jesus gave the direct commission unto.
f. More specifically, my brothers and sisters, some of us have been bless with circumstances that allows for travelling outside of our communities and abroad while others have been blessed to target specifically their native community.
g. Still others are called and commissioned to do both. No wonder, it’s called the Great Commission.
h. I, now, believe that the Great Commission is a huge inclusive task which is imperative for all believers to understand and to embrace directly or indirectly with the understanding that some may have the means to embrace the Great Commission both directly and indirectly and some may not. Some believers may be called by God to embrace the Great Commission indirectly.
i. Webster’s online collegiate dictionary defines disciples as one of the 12 followers of Christ; or one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ in Luke, Chapter 10.
j. My brothers and sisters, to be clear, I now believe that although this commission pertains to all believers (in general), The Great Commission was initially, specifically given to a particular group of believers – Jesus’ Eleven Disciples.
****** TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: The ones that had become geographical nomads.
a. You know those whom had left their fixed homes and occupations to become travelers with Jesus.
b. Those disciples that had packed their bags and moved with our Savior from place to place.
c. The disciples that were essentially “geographical nomads”.
d. I now believe that it was this particular segment of believers that were given the “greatest commission”.
e. Not everyone that believes were able to drop everything and follow Jesus.
f. Some were believers but they weren’t missionary.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 3: So, they remained in their local town – attending church and telling others about the Lord.
a. In fact, the closest some of the First Century Believers got to reaching every nation – or people - in ministry was through their financial contribution to their local church for the church in Jerusalem.
b. Still, there were other believers who would have travelled – because they truly loved the Lord - but they had a sick parent at home and they just couldn’t convince themselves to leave at the moment.
c. But, they had plans for the future.
d. Like many of us, they couldn’t go to the Haiti of their day because of their responsibility on the home front.
e. But they were believers.
f. Some were bakers, and others were housewives. Still others made their living as carpenters, shepherds and herders. But, they were all believers!
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 4: Initially, after Jesus’ Resurrection, he first appeared to Mary at the tomb and he instructed her to tell his disciples that he had risen.
a. Mary was a believer but she couldn’t just pack her bags and travel with a group of men from place to place.
b. And who can ever forget the Story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 (ESV).
c. The Good Book doesn’t share any accounts of those ladies ever travelling outside of Bethany – but they were believers.
d. Believers that ministered to Jesus in both their home and their community.
e. Believers that served the Lord – hand and feet.
****** TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 6: In the Book of Mark 5:1-20, we are told of the man that lived in the graveyard.
a. In fact, the Bible says that he lived in the “tombs”. He had often been chained with iron around his ankles and wrist but always broke free.
b. No one was strong enough to bind him and keep him in chains.
c. The Good Book says “night and day” he would cry out in the graveyard while cutting himself with stones.
d. Then one day he saw Jesus getting off a boat near him; and he ran and fell on his knees before the Lord.
e. He asked Jesus why He had come to torment him before time. The Good Book says Jesus asked the man his name.
f. Afterwards, he demanded the evil spirit to release the man who lived in the tomb.
g. Afterwards, the Bible says the man appeared dressed and clothed in his right mind – and (then and then only) were the people afraid of the man who lived in the tomb.
h. The Good Book says the man who had been possessed pleaded with Jesus to allow him to travelled along side him; but Jesus didn’t allow him to do so.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 7: My brothers and sisters – the man was a believer, but he wasn’t allowed to personally follow Jesus as a geographical nomad. He could follow Jesus’ principles of living a Godlike life within his community. He could share his faith and personal testimony with people from other nations and ethnicities within his community. But, he would never become a geographical nomad that follow Jesus directly – from place to place while living under the moonlight.
a. To be crystal clear – the Good Book says that Jesus ordered the man to “Go and tell his family what the Lord had done for him”. In order words, the man in the tomb was followers who embrace the Great Commission indirectly.
b. Likewise, in our text, this morning we find ourselves witnessing three different ways in which people jump the gun.
c. Webster’s collegiate online Dictionary has 26 definition of the word “Follow”. Some of the definitions that spoke to me are definition numbers 2, 3, 5 and 8.
d. Definition number 2 says: Follow – means To go or come after. Definition number 3 says: Follow means to accept as a guide or leader.
e. In other words, you’re not necessarily moving physically with the person; but you accept them as your guide or leader.
f. Then, definition number 5 says: Follow means To imitate or copy; while Definition number 8 says: Follow means To go after or along with a person as a companion.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 8: In our text this afternoon, we find our Savior addressing three men whom called Jesus Lord but did not embrace what He called them to do.
a. For they were called under three different circumstances:
b. The first circumstance consisted of a believer openly stating and testifying to Jesus that he will follow him wherever he goes.
c. But, Jesus – fully aware of circumstances - discourages him from becoming a geographical nomad by sharing with him the sacrifice that is expected and required of those willing to follow him wherever he goes.
d. The bottom-line: Every ministry isn’t for everyone to embrace directly. Some ministries are for some believers to embrace indirectly. Because the Lord knows that they will not be able to commit to the sacrifice required.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 9: The second circumstance consisted of a believer who was called to become a geographical nomad … but hesitated.
a. In truth, this man knew his calling but wasn’t ready to embrace the ministry that he was specially called (by Jesus) to do.
b. Instead, he was more concerned about following Jesus “only” after the death of his natural father.
c. In other words, the Second Man was concerned about the wrong funeral. He should have been more concerned about the death of his own ministry.
d. The bottom-line: The Second Man should have taken up the Geographical Nomad Cross, died to self, and obeyed the Lord’s Call on His Life and his inheritance would have been huge.
e. For it’s only what we do for Christ that last.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 10: Finally, the Third man was too busy looking in the “Wrong Direction”. As a result, he couldn’t follow Christ. The condition of discipleship is said best in Luke 9:23-26 (NIV), where the Good Book says:
a. “… If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
b. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his for my sake, he will save it.
c. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeit himself.
d. For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
CELEBRATION:
Now, my brothers and sisters …all three men … under 3 different
circumstances failed.
They were all more concerned about themselves than they were
about the Specific Ministry that they were individually called to do.
All ministry is important, but its also imperative to be doing what God has called you to do by way of embracing the Great Commission directly or indirectly …
The question is: What has Christ called you to do and what are you doing about it?
Hopefully … if nothing else … You’re not afraid … to “Tell Somebody!”
