The Specifics of Following – Part 1
Who can follow? Anyone
What is the Cost? Nothing And Everything
Intro
Transition slide in Easy worship
Good morning.
I know everyone is excited for the Bears to beat the Seahawks today. Well everyone except Billy (and a couple other Washington natives).
Billy is trying to be neutral in this hostile territory, but don’t let him fool you. He is a Seahawks fan, through and through. I found this the other day.
Slide - (Picture of Billy in Seahawks gear)
While he looks big and bad and menacing, I know those Bears players are big and bad too
Slide - (Picture of Scott in Bears gear)Is that Olin Kreutz?
Well, we will have to see who comes out on top today.
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This morning we are going to be continuing our series “not a fan” that we began for the New Year.
It is hard to believe that we are already half way through January. The time keeps moving by at what seems to be a faster pace, for me anyway.
College choices
I can hardly believe that all of my kids are teenagers now and Jason is going to be going to college next year while Adam is right behind him and will be looking at college the following year.
And I will tell you that going through this college application process has been a learning experience for us. It is amazing how many colleges are actually out there, so many that I had never even heard of, all seeking to have the best and brightest kids.
Now while each college hopes to have the best and brightest, depending on the college, there seems to be quite a variance in criteria to be able to get in. Not everyone is able to get into any school.
Now nearly every school has some criteria, but there are some schools that have very high standards for entry.
You have to have a high rank in your class
You need a high GPA
You need to do very well on the standardized tests
You need to have a life outside of just the classroom.
This is somewhat understandable because they want people who will be able to represent their school well after graduation. They don’t want people who will give their school a bad name.
Transition
Now we may think this is new to our times, but the fact of the matter is this same type of thing went on around the time of Jesus.
You see there were schools at that time too. They were the schools of individual rabbis.
Learned young men would seek out individual rabbis to study under and become their disciple or follower.
We see that Scripture tells us that Paul studied under the Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He says “Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers…” (Acts 22:3)
Now Rabbis would typically not just take anybody to study under them.
Who they allowed to study under them would reflect upon them so
they would test them
they would make sure they were learned men having the capacity to learn more.
They would make sure they were not “sinners,” but righteous, at least according to keeping the law.
Then they would allow them to study under them.
When you were allowed to study under one of these Rabbis, then you would be known as their disciple or follower.
We see in the New Testament that many teachers had disciples or followers.
In Mark 2:18, people were wondering about fasting and it says that
Slide
“Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?"”
We see that both John the Baptist and the Pharisees had disciples.
The disciples of these men would follow them and be with them wherever they went.
Not only did these rabbis and teachers have disciples, but we know that Jesus had disciples or followers as well and the last thing he told his followers that were with him on earth was to go and make more disciples or followers.
Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…
Jesus is still calling people to become his disciple or follower.
Are you a follower of Jesus or just a fan that is on the sidelines?
Today, I want to consider who Jesus is calling to follow Him and what the specifics of that call are. I want to do this by asking and answering some questions.
First I want to ask.
Who can be Jesus’ follower?
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Because we know from history that not everyone was invited to be a follower of these other teachers. Who did Jesus desire to be his disciples?
What we find from Scripture is that
Anyone can be Jesus’ follower
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Jesus commission to those who were his followers already was to go and make more people his followers.
Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…
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He said to make followers of anyone and everyone.
When we become his follower, we enter into that saving relationship with Him.
Throughout Scripture, we see that this is available to everyone and anyone.
Romans 10:11-13
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"Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." NIV
So, anyone can be a follower of Jesus.
This is one of the things that was so unique about Jesus when He was calling his disciples.
These were not the elite of Israel like other rabbis were calling; Men of knowledge and learning who had great potential and were from great families.
No, these were
the undeserving and visibly unrighteous like Matthew the tax collector
ordinary people like Peter and James & John, fishermen, working class men.
Listen to what the rulers and elders, those men who were choosing, the best and brightest to be their disciples, listen to what they said about Peter and John after Jesus had resurrected and ascended into heaven and Peter and John were out boldly teaching and proclaiming the truth about Jesus.
Acts 4:13
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13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. NIV
These ordinary men, these unschooled men, were followers and disciples of Jesus and now were bold proclaimers of the teachings of Jesus and of his death and resurrection from the dead.
Application
Maybe you sit here today thinking you are unworthy of being a follower of Jesus.
You are.
But the fact is we all are and He calls us to follow Him anyway.
And as we become his follower, He changes us.
You may think that you have
done too many wrong things in your past for the Lord to forgive you.
You haven’t
so failed in life that the Lord could not possibly care about you.
He does care about you.
You may think that your life even right now is so un Christ like, that you have little hope of ever seeing change. There is hope. There is hope in Christ.
Ask Matthew the Tax collector, whom Christ changed
Ask Peter and John, working class, ordinary, unschooled men, whom Christ changed and used in extraordinary ways..
Ask Paul, that murderous Pharisee who persecuted Christians, who Christ changed to become one of the greatest missionaries of all time.
Ask Scott, a selfish, money focused, commodities broker, who served the gods of pleasure and money, whom Christ changed, and stands here today to tell you there is hope in Christ.
There is hope that your life can be transformed into one that is glorifying to the Lord.
There is hope for anyone who becomes his follower and anyone is welcome to become his follower.
Ok, so anyone is welcome, but what is the cost to be a follower of Jesus?
What does it cost to be His follower?
Slide
It costs nothing
It is free of cost to you in the sense that you can’t do anything to pay for it or merit it.
Jesus paid the cost with His life.
Listen to what He says in Revelation.
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Revelation 21:6
"It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. (NIV)
Revelation 22:17 - Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (NIV)
It is free for all who would come and follow and it is available to anyone.
Acceptance AND Scholarship
Going back to our college analogy from the beginning, this is like not only
being accepted into the most awesome college despite your grades or test scores AND
being offered a full ride scholarship.
How awesome is that?
Transition
I have a question though.
If it is open to anyone and it costs nothing, then why in the world is not everyone coming to the Lord?
Well, here is the thing.
While following Christ really is open to everyone and it costs nothing, it also costs everything!
Slide (It costs nothing…and everything!)
How can it cost nothing and everything?
Well, listen to what Jesus tells those who would follow Him
Mark 8:34-37
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
While there is nothing you can do or pay for the salvation of your soul, you will not save your soul, if you do not follow Christ wherever that leads to.
Like not using your Scholarship
That would be like being accepted into a certain college and getting that full ride scholarship, but not going there.
You have to go there if you are going to realize the benefits of being accepted and being offered a full ride scholarship. So even though you have been accepted and it costs you nothing to go, you do have to leave where you are to go there. You can’t stay home and go to college.
And just like you are not a graduate of Harvard if you never went there, even if you were accepted and offered a full ride, you are not a Christian if you don’t follow Christ.
You can’t be a follower of Jesus without following Jesus.
Slide
While it is free to follow, the following itself is costly.
Following Jesus means denying yourself and not going your own way.
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Mark 8:34 - If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me
Following Jesus means persecution
2 Timothy 3:12 – “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
Following Jesus means suffering
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Philippians 1:29 - For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him
Following means hardship
2 Timothy 2:3 - Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Following Christ is not a vacation.
Cruise ship vs. Battle ship
In our small group last week someone brought up the fact that people think becoming a Christian is like boarding a Cruise ship. Becoming a Christian is more like getting on a battleship because you are going to be attacked and we will need to have on the full armor of God to be able to stand up under the attacks we will face as a follower of Christ.
Following Jesus will cost you everything.
It may even cost you your life. It will definitely cost you the life you dreamed about before being a Christian, however, I will tell you that the dream in your head would have been nothing like reality.
Hollow Chocolate Easter Bunny
The dream of the life in your head is like looking at one of those huge chocolate Easter bunnies, and having your mouth water for it, only to bite into it and find out it is hollow.
The life you dream about may look good on the outside, but it is hollow without Christ.
You may dream of riches…but once you have it you’ll find it isn’t what you thought it would be.
Ask the lottery winners who win and have nothing left and their life is nothing like it used to be because they have lost friends and family and many times you hear, I wish I never won.
Ask the people who have made great amounts of wealth only to find that you never have enough.
John Rockefeller, the oil magnate who founded the Standard Oil company which was the forerunner of Exxon mobile, was the richest American in the early 1900’s. He amassed wealth of over a billion dollars back in 1916.
He was famously asked by a reporter “how much money is enough?” This billionaire, who had more money than anyone, answered, “just a little bit more.”
Following Christ will cost you financially if that is where you have put your hope.
Following Jesus is going to cost you in the areas that you have treasured, or sought after as opposed to seeking and following Him.
But Jesus told his followers
Mark 8:36 - 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
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We need to realize the brevity of life and not live as if this life is all there is.
We need to realize that we have an eternity that is beyond compare to any suffering or sacrifice in this life.
We can follow well when we have our eyes on Christ.
We can follow well when we know the surety of the inheritance we have in Christ.
Hebrews tells us Moses could have experienced the riches of Egypt being known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, but instead sought to follow the Lord rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.
How did he do that?
It says, “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (Hebrews 11:26)
Following Christ will cost you your life in this world, but He leads us as the Good Shepherd into an inheritance in eternity “that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:4)
Conclusion
Following is available to anyone, including you and it costs you nothing to follow, but the following itself will cost you everything.
Are you a follower or just a fan?
As a fan, you can sit on the sidelines and cheer and like what you see and hear, and the offer is there to come down on the field and get in the game, and you can be assured that getting in the game will beat you up quite a bit, but, unlike any game that is played today, the outcome of our getting involved and following Christ is already determined and guaranteed as is the outcome for those who refuse to follow.
An eternity in Heaven is where the path of following Christ leads.
Every other path leads to an eternity in Hell.
Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
To get on the narrow road that Christ is leading people on, you must receive Him as your Savior, putting your belief in Him as your Savior as God in the flesh who died for you and rose from the dead.
Won’t you begin following Him today if you have not already, by confessing Him as your Lord.
The Bible tells us that “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Following Jesus begins with this first step. He is drawing you to himself if you are here today. Follow Him.
Let’s pray.
