FOLLOWING JESUS IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT. IT IS AN EVENT OF A LIFETIME. HALLELUJAH! So, it is critical that you have a personal understanding of who Jesus is! And that you understand that HE IS NOT ONLY YOUR SAVIOUR, PROVIDER, HEALER, MIRACLE-WORKER. MOST IMPORTANTLY, JESUS IS YOUR LORD. AND FOLLOWING JESUS MEANS, JESUS takes priority in your life.
So, to follow Christ is a matter of DECISION! Choose you this day whom you will serve.
FOLLOWING JESUS IS A WAY OF LIFE. THE BIBLE TEACHES THIS. And the goal is beyond receiving sound biblical teachings but that we are being shaped and conformed into the teachings of Christ. We truly are becoming his disciple. We train our body, soul, and spirit to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus. The Scripture says that students become like their teachers when they have been taught. A live out a "city on a hill philosophy," meaning a single disciple carries the light of Jesus. We, a community of disciples/followers, shine like a city on a hill that the public wants to copy. It is a core ministry that involves the whole church (all of us).
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” – This man volunteered!
58 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.” – Jesus did not reject the man not to follow him, but He did give the man the facts to consider his statement carefully. Will this man still follow Jesus even if he would not have the comfort of life as basic as a pillow on his head?
What made this man offer himself to follow Jesus? Amazement? Did Jesus' charisma magnetize him? Matthew gave us more information in Matthew 8 – Jesus healed so many plus performed great signs and wonders. His activities attracted a significant following, as typical in celebrities these days stalked by followers and fans. A parallel passage of Luke 9:57-62 is Matthew 8:18-22.
These scriptures are sandwiched between Jesus healing a man with leprosy (vs. 1-4), the centurion's faith, i.e., Jesus told the centurion to go because his sick servant was healed as he spoke (5-13). Verses 14-16 says that Jesus healed so many and people crowded at Him because of the signs and wonders they have witnessed.
– Jesus caught the world around him by surprise. And they did not know how to respond to Jesus. This man responded in amazement. He just wants to be with Jesus. And Jesus knew that his life would not always be a life of highs and success, popularity. But will this man keep up with the pace of following Christ when the glitz and glamour of His grandeur fade to the rejection, betrayal, mockery, and eventual crucifixion?
WHEN LIFE IS NOT ROSY? JESUS wants this man to mean what he says and decide early on not to look back.
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” – here, Jesus summoned the man - ORDERED THE MAN TO DO SO. But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” – the man did not decline outright except that he would have to attend to an important unfinished business back home. It may take some time before he can follow Jesus. -----JESUS HAD TO WAIT. SO, THE ANSWER BY THis MAN WAS WAIT.
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” JESUS ANSWERED, NO, YOU MUST DO IT NOW, AND SOMEONE CAN ATTEND TO YOUR CONCERN.
Would you put God on a waiting game? If you only know who Jesus is, you will not dare Him to wait for you? DO YOU KNOW WHO is giving you the direct order to follow? In the military, OBEY BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN IS THE RULE. IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THE RULE, YOUR terminated! But, God, who is rich in mercy, doesn't do that to us.
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” THIS MAN IS LIKE THE SECOND GUY, Who wants Jesus to wait for him. He would go home to say goodbye. He didn't want just to leave his family without a proper goodbye. But who knows, his family might get in the way, and he would have a second thought of going or not going at all?
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Family is important but what is being established is the strength of the connection between what we hold dear and how much we hold Jesus dear in our hearts. Who IS FIRST PLACE IN YOUR HEART? WHO has your heart?
If you say you are in Christ, you are in! You do it now!!!
AS we examine Luke 9:57-62, we see:
The Nature of Following Christ (discipleship)
1. Jesus calls people to follow him/to be his disciples. We see that in Luke 9:59 and 61. Jesus summons every Christian to follow Him. It is not optional. It is a mandate. In Ukraine, any male below 18 is free to leave the country with women and children of all ages. But men from 18 and above are mandated to stay to defend their country against Russia. Much like the same, Christ mandated all believers to follow Him.
2. Jesus Christ commanded people to commit to following him. COMMITMENT -
Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) – He then said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:21 (NKJV) – Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets. He called them.
3. Luke 9:59, 61 – Jesus’ demand to follow Him was sometimes met with a refusal. NO!
• But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (59)
• “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
4. John 6:2, 66 – Sometimes people followed Christ without being truly committed to Him.
6:2) Then a great multitude followed Him because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
6:66) From that time, many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
THIS IS SAD BECAUSE, WHY? RESPECT! WE FOLLOW OUT OF RESPECT!REVERENCE Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, whom we owe our very lives. Who we are and where we are in life is God’s blessing to us? Does He not deserve us? Being a Christian does not end when you pray the salvation prayer. It does not end in being involved in church. IT is far greater than that!
5. Some committed themselves wholeheartedly to his invitation.
Matthew 4:20, 22 – (Peter and brother Andrew) They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9 – As Jesus was passing on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
The Cost of Following Jesus (Discipleship) – To follow Him means that it will cost: David said, “I will not offer to God anything that cost me nothing.” From the perspective of God, once we decide to follow Him, there is no looking back. There is no turning back. There is no "unfollowing" Him. That's the Father’s heart for each of us!
1. Luke 9:57-58 - Involves careful consideration, calculate the cost.
Luke 14:28-32 – For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks condition of peace.
THE emphasis of this passage is on deciding early in your heart that you'll not be going to look behind and make a U-turn; that you'll finish the life that God has started to build in you by your obedience and by not allowing yourself to be chained to the things of this world that slow down your spiritual progress. The drama we watched tells us what is required.
2. Total surrender; total commitment to the will of God - THE DEMANDS/REQUIREMENTS OF FOLLOWING JESUS ARE NOT A JOKE. THESE ARE SERIOUS COMMITMENTS. IT'S NOT A SHALLOW GAME TO PLAY WITH GOD. GOD IS NOT JOKING. HE TAKES THIS DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIP TO A HIGH LEVEL.
Luke 14:33 - Likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
You know that you have to cut ties from anything you hold dearer than Christ. IT’S NOT TOMORROW BUT NOW! Treat God, like you want to be treated. Treat him with respect!
3. Luke 14:27/Matthew 16:24 – Involves self-denial.
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Matthew 10:37-39 - 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38, And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. THIS IS OUR CROSS!!!
CROSS – MATTHEW 6:22 - 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
(4) Love of One’s Enemies (6:27–36)
27 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
(5) Judging Others (6:37–42)
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Luke 9:23 – The cost of following Jesus/discipleship is constant.
Then He said to them all, “if anyone desire to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
John 15:20 – The cost of following Jesus/discipleship includes persecution
Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Why all these pre-requisites? The goal of discipleship is spiritual growth; spiritual maturity!!! Discipleship involves learning. Nowadays, people look for information, teaching, guidance from google/the internet. We should be learning from:
• Jesus Christ – John 13:15 – "for I have given you an example, you should do as I have done to you."
• The Holy Spirit – John 14:26 – but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
We learn from other people - He uses pastors, Bible Study leaders, Ministry Heads, teaching initiatives, and Holy Spirit Encounters.
What Do We Have Here in CLG to Help You Become an Effective Follower/Disciple of Jesus? – build intimacy with God
• Weekly Sermons
• Alpha
• Growth Track Discovery Series
• Foundation of Christian Faith
• Weekly Bible Studies
• Prayer Meeting
• Dawn Prayers
• Fellowships
• Family Camp in October
WHAT kind of DISCIPLE do we want to become?
• Pursuer and Carrier of God’s glory - He is a lover of God. His heart, soul, mind, and strength are sold out to God and God alone. He pursues holiness by pursuing God.
• Christlike in character - His life reflects the character of Jesus. He is fair and just in dealing with people and asks, "what would Jesus do" when put in a compromising position. He is not one to throw stones nor hurl insults. He recognizes that he too is human and might fall the next day if not for God’s help.
• Spirit-filled - The Spirit of God possesses him. The work of the flesh is crucified, and the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit are visibly contagious in his life.
• Student and Doer of God’s Word - demonstrate an insatiable desire to know the Word of God and lives out what is written in the book (Joshua 1:8-9)
• Prayerful, Worshipful, Fruitful - He lives and breaths in prayer and worship. It is a lifestyle and not a Christian duty. It is the first thing that he does when he wakes up in the morning and the last thing before he closes his eyes. He regularly prays and fasts like His Master Jesus Christ.
• Faithful, Available, and Teachable - An evangelist in heart, he bears much fruit that lasts forever. He is proud to tell the world who Christ is and bring them into a personal relationship with Him.
• He is a walking Bible that people want to emulate.
• He keeps his word, his commitments, and he follows through.
• He is highly dependable, reliable, and strives for excellence. He gives his best in the work of God and does not offer anything to God that costs him nothing.
• He is present and turns up on time where he is needed.
• He accepts teachings and corrections.
• He serves from a place of rest and not from a place of stress.
Hindrances to Following Jesus at all costs.
1) Doubt/unbelief – Mark 9:24 – “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” (said the man from the crowd who brought his son who was demon-possessed, the disciples could not heal them).
We begin the journey of faith with Christ by faith. But along the way, difficulties come, and doubt creeps in. Call on God to revive your faith. "I can't honestly say I trust you deeply, Lord, but I want to. Will you help me?"
2) Excuses – Luke 9:59-62 – the drama says as soldiers of Jesus Christ, we should not entangle ourselves from the affairs of this world. We are citizens of heaven. God is training us to live like one. You can’t live in excuses.
3) Complacency/Laziness – Psalm 90:2 teach us to realize the brevity of life; so that we may grow in wisdom and act our faith out
4) Worries/fear – 1 Peter 5:7 – give all your worries and cares to God. He cares for you. A lot of the things we worry about never happen.
5) Wrong timing – the timing of God is always the perfect timing
6) We’re not listening – Mark 14:36 36 “Abba, Father,”[a] he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Whatever lies ahead, we can, and we should surrender to His plan because we know that His will is always better. And it is the best for us.
APPLICATION: We must choose to follow Jesus because if not, we have chosen to follow someone else who is not God. And this gives us trouble because apart from God, we are powerless. We are helpless. We are orphans. We are lost. After this life, you and I are going somewhere: heaven or hell. Heaven is not about what you do. Heaven is about who you know. Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Pause. Have you considered the things in your life that might hinder you from becoming the disciple that Christ planned for you? Consider the things that are slowing you down in your spiritual growth. Is it worry, fear, stress, unbelief, laziness, complacency? What do you have on your heart today that you need to hand over to God? Write them down. Pray! And ask God to help you break free from them. He loves you!
