HELPING PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS
Luke 9:57-62
#followJesus
THE PURPOSE OF CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN CHURCH IS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS
INTRODUCTION
Every year I like to start the year with focusing on the purpose of our church family. I hope you know our mission. I hope you already know our purpose. Purpose and mission are one of those things in life and in organizations that can drift if not repeated and given proper focus.
Chris Hadfield is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, test fighter pilot, musician, and writer. He was the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, flown two Space Shuttle missions, and served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS). Before becoming an astronaut, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years as a fighter pilot. Chris Hadfield once said: “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.”
When I think about the purpose of our church family, I think about a purpose that has high stakes and the consequences really matter. The stakes of our purpose at this church is the salvation of souls. The stakes of our purpose are a relationship with God for anyone who would seek Him. The stakes of our message and purpose is the acceptance of grace and the giving of direction in life. The consequences absolutely matter. We serve the God of the Universe Who has given us orders in Matthew 28:19-20...
READ MATTHEW 28:19-20 (ESV)
“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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
The consequences of NOT doing our purpose is that we are not fulfilling the great commission. We end up being a group of people with no purpose. We will not hear “well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25, Luke 19). We miss opportunities in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) to help people become whole in their soul.
In summary, Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20 that we are TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS. This is a purpose that has very high stakes and clear consequences. Last week, we focused on FINDING JESUS and this week we will focus on FOLLOWING JESUS. We will find ourselves in Luke 9. We will be focusing on the very end of the chapter in verses 57-62, but before we get there we need to take note of the context of the passage. It is never good to read the Bible without context.
BACKGROUND OF LUKE 9
Luke 9 is a long ‘ol pivotal chapter where Jesus Christ reveals much about His mission and calls His disciples to commitment to Him. He calls them to follow Him all throughout the chapter and especially as the chapter concludes.
In Luke 9:1–6, Jesus empowers His disciples for ministry sending the Twelve to preach the Kingdom and heal. They are to repeat what they have thus far heard Jesus say and they are to heal as they have seen Jesus do. He gives them authority to do this and makes them dependent on God’s provision during this evangelistic effort.
Luke 9:7-27 shows us that the identity of Jesus is becoming evident to people inside His ministry and outside His ministry. King Herod is confused about Jesus' identity and is a bit afraid of Him. Jesus’ disciple Simon Peter confesses that Jesus is “the Christ of God.” Right after this confession of Simon Peter, which is indeed a turning point in Jesus’ ministry; Jesus talks predicts His suffering, death, and resurrection and then moves into the subject of following Him which requires self-denial and sacrifice.
Luke 9:28-43 records for us that Jesus has the authority and power to do all that is needed for our salvation. Jesus is transfigured before some disciples on a mountain top and He reveals His divine glory. God the Son is affirmed by God Father: “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Jesus then exercises His authority by exorcizing a demon right after coming down the mountain.
We are almost to our focus this morning. Luke 9:43-56 shows that there is still some misunderstanding about Jesus for all is not clear. Jesus again predicts He will die, but the disciples don’t understand. The disciples argue among themselves who will be the greatest in Jesus’ Kingdom which shows how much they do not understand in reality. A whole town even rejects Jesus as He is traveling to Jerusalem. And yet twice in these verses the phrase “He set His face to go to Jerusalem” is mentioned because Jesus was facing God’s will for Him with resolve. Jesus sets out for Jerusalem showing His determination to submit to the will of God and sacrifice Himself for anyone who would believe in Him.
Then we arrive at Luke 9:57.
TRANSITION
What do we find in Luke 9:57-62? The entire chapter has a theme of following Jesus. The end of the chapter caps off that theme with teaching of Jesus about what it means to be His disciple. It is a hard teaching. It is a hard teaching. Please open your Bibles and let’s read Luke 9:57-62.
MEANING OF LUKE 9:57-62
LUKE 9:57-62 (ESV)
“As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 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.” 59 To another He said, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
First, we have a guy (verse 57) come to Jesus and claims to want to follow Jesus “wherever” He goes. These are the actual words the fellow uses… “wherever.” Being a Christian is following Jesus in all things wherever Jesus leads. Jesus replies to this first man that following Him is not always easy. Specifically, Jesus points out that His travels are non-stop and they don’t call anywhere home. There are no breaks. Jesus and His disciples spend day and night traveling and teaching and ministering to growing crowds of people. We saw that all throughout Luke 9. I think Jesus divinely looks into the heart of this man and knows that constantly following Him is not something he can do or is actually willing to do. The man wants comforts. Jesus doesn’t have that. So, he opted out.
Second, we have another man (verse 59) who comes and Jesus gives him the same command He gave His disciples. When Jesus gave the command “follow Me” (Matthew 4:18, Mark 1:17) to fishermen Peter, Andrew, James, and John; they dropped their nets and followed Jesus full-time. When Jesus gave the command “follow Me” to Matthew the tax collector (Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27), Matthew left his life of tax collecting and followed Jesus full-time. When Jesus told the rich young ruler “follow Me” (Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22), he did not because he did not want to give up his wealth and had other priorities. Jesus told Philip “follow Me” (John 1:43) and not only did he follow Jesus full-time, but he went and found his friend Nathanael who also followed Jesus.
Jesus said to the man “follow Me” just like He said to all these other people. Notice there is nothing added to that. Being a Christian means that we follow Jesus. We follow Jesus… period. There are no phrases after and no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts.” This particular man has an excuse of why he cannot follow Jesus. He says that he has to bury his father. That is definitely not a bad thing! The English wording in this verse is a little misleading. The situation that the man presents is that his father is ill and is about to die. He asks for time to go home, wait for his father to die, and then he will bury him. Once his father has died, then he will follow Jesus. All of that sounds good, except, to be honest, it puts family before God. A Christian is someone who puts the will of God and faith in Jesus Christ first.
First means first.
First does not mean after important people we love.
First does not mean after a job and all its demands.
First does not mean after sports or hobbies.
First does not mean after our wants and desires.
First does not mean after politics or social beliefs we might hold.
First does not mean after we spend our money on what we want.
First means first.
This was not what the person wanted and so, he opted out.
Third, a man (verse 61) comes to Jesus and pledges that He will follow Jesus. This is such a great thing. The desire is there! The faith is there! The willingness and obedience are there! Yet, the man has an excuse that he needs to go and say goodbye to his family. Like the man with an ill father, this also does not seem like a bad thing. The man is stating that he is willing to follow Jesus, but wants to go home and talk it over with family first. Why is that an issue? It is an issue because following Jesus is a whole life transformation. Following Jesus changes everything. Once at home, this man would be tempted to stay there with them and not leave. They might convince him not to go. Jesus encourages the man that he is to follow and not look back. Backwards or yesterday is often temptation. Faith in Jesus Christ is keeping Jesus as the priority and not allowing any other tempting path to get us off track. Jesus meant a total life change in all things and this was not what the person wanted, and so, he opted out.
Finally, in this passage in verse 62, Jesus uses a metaphor that I sort of understand in my head, but really don’t because I am not a farmer. Jesus talks about plowing a field and looking backward at the same time as a metaphor of what following Him is NOT like. What does that mean? What is the result of plowing one way and looking another? Looking backward while plowing can result in crooked or uneven furrows which can compromise the quality of the plowing. Practically, in farming, the plow needs to move steadily in a straight line to prepare the soil properly. Looking backward distracts from maintaining a consistent direction, leading to poor alignment and jankety places for seed and plants. Jesus is using this phrase in a figurative sense. This metaphor signifies the importance of not dwelling on the past when pursuing a goal or making progress. This metaphor signifies focus on purpose and being mindful of consequences. Commitment is needed when following Jesus. Focus is also needed when following Jesus.
THE PURPOSE OF CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN CHURCH IS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS
TRANSITION
As we get into the application of this passage, I want you to know where the application idea came from. A group of us meet every Sunday at 9am in my office to pray for the church in general and services that day specifically. You are invited. It is an open group that is currently 3-4 depending on the week. We gather, we chat until all have arrived, and then we pray for the day. A few weeks ago, my wife Kelly was praying and she prayed for all the different kinds of folks who come to our church. We always do this. As she was praying, this sermon popped in my head and I am ashamed to say that while she was praying I got out my phone and texted myself the outline of this message so I would not forget.
As we think about all that Luke 9 is about, I want you to please begin to think where you are at in your relationship with Jesus. I want to help you FOLLOW Jesus and so it is good to critique, pray, think, and ruminate on how we are doing in our relationship with God. Remember, this is a relationship between you and God made possible by the blood of Jesus and powered by the Holy Spirit with high stakes and serious consequences.
Remember, this is a relationship that can suffer from excuses!
Remember, this is a relationship that needs forward-looking focus!
Where are you at in your discipleship with Jesus?
APPLICATION OF LUKE 9:57-62
Where are you at in your discipleship with Jesus? When I think about our relationships with Jesus, there are four broad options for where we are at. Listen. Think. Examine. Pray. Be honest. Submit. Consider. Persevere. Change. These are all actions I am asking you to take this morning as we think about following Jesus Christ.
CONSUMER
First, it could be that you are a CONSUMER when it comes to Jesus. In keeping with Jesus’ metaphor, a consumer is on the edge of the field watching the farmer plow and is waiting to take and gobble up what is left after the harvest. There are several types of consumers when it comes to Jesus.
You might just be a “window shopper” which is a kind of consumer. That means you come to church, but you aren’t here because you believe, but you are here because someone asked you, you feel like you should be here, or you come here to avoid the nagging of your spouse or parents. You look and observe and are here, but you have either decided Jesus isn’t for you or you haven’t decided to buy in yet. It might also mean that you claim to be a Christian so people won’t bug you about becoming a Christian, but you aren’t really a believer.
You might also be an “omnivore” which is a kind of consumer. An omnivore is a term from biology that means you eat anything and everything, but don’t contribute to the food chain. Pretty much the only time an omnivore contributes in nature is when they die. An omnivore, when it comes to discipleship, is someone who takes it all in and wants to constantly be fed spiritually, but gives nothing back in return. An omnivore wants to be spoon fed spiritual truth.
Is this you? Are you a consumer? Another word for this might be “pew-sitter.” If you think about this realizing that you are a “window shopper” or an “omnivore,” I want to encourage you to make some spiritual goals. Set a goal to read the Gospels and decide if Jesus is the Son of God. Set a goal to be more active in your individual walk with God with Bible study, prayer, attending a Bible Study like Sunday School or Wednesday Nights. Listen. Think. Examine. Pray. Be honest. Submit. Consider. Persevere. Change.
CUSTOMER
Second, it could be that you are a CUSTOMER when it comes to Jesus. In keeping with Jesus’ metaphor, a customer is on the edge of the field watching the farmer plow and is waiting to buy or not buy whatever the farmer is offering, but doesn’t get much involved past that. The customer is just as likely to go to another field of the mood strikes them.
A customer is someone who has bought in, but doesn’t go much further than buying in. You have been baptized into Christ and checked that box and now you think you are done with all that Jesus wants from you. Perhaps you even tithe thinking that you pay your dues so Jesus should just leave you alone. Jesus, I did the baptism thing so just take care of my soul when I die. A customer with Jesus checks off boxes of action with Jesus, but the relationship is one of all business with nothing deep or personal. Another word for this might be half-committed.
A customer of Jesus misses the spiritual fact that Jesus came and died for us that we might have an abiding, active, alive relationship with the God of the Universe. That is a reality that happens now in this life and not just something put off until later. Jesus came that we might have a full life now (John 10:10). We are a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). A customer misses the full life and the new creation part of being a disciple of Jesus.
Is this you? Are you a customer? If you examine yourself on this realizing that you are a customer, I want to encourage you to make some spiritual goals. Set a goal to abide in Christ (John 15) on a regular basis through prayer, fasting, and serving in the church. Commit to going to a D-Group and don’t quit halfway through. Invest your time, energy, and effort in your family’s relationship with God by having spiritual conversations. Read Christian books for encouragement. Prayerfully tithe and give back in as many ways as you can. Serve somewhere consistently in the church using the gifts and talents God has given you. Don’t just be a customer, but take it up a notch. Listen. Think. Examine. Pray. Be honest. Submit. Consider. Persevere. Change.
COMMITTED
Third of four, it could be that you are COMMITTED when it comes to Jesus. In keeping with Jesus’ metaphor, a committed person trudges through the field helping the farmer plow, pointing out rocks, and even might bring the farmer a cold glass of water. He even knows the farmer’s name and is a member of the farmer’s local harvesting group. Another word for this might be active church member or authentic believer in Jesus.
A committed person is someone who takes their faith seriously and does what they can to grow relying on the Holy Spirit. I would hope that as I think about me that I would be someone who is committed. Committed is what Jesus is looking for in Luke 9 as He sends out disciples for ministry, heals, questions Simon Peter about faith, and shows His transfiguration to followers. Committed is what Jesus is looking for in Luke 9 as He is disappointed with the disciples for arguing about who is the best disciple and as a whole town rejects Him as the Messiah.
Is this you? Are you committed? If you pray about this realizing that you are committed, I want to challenge you in two areas. First, I want to challenge you to keep looking forward as you persevere in your relationship with Jesus. Keep going. Over and over in the Book of Revelation we are given promise after promise to “those who overcome.” Keep on keeping on! Abide in Christ. Stay in the Word. Keep serving. Keep sharing your faith. Second, take it up a notch and be a co-laborer which is the next group we will talk about. Listen. Think. Examine. Pray. Be honest. Submit. Consider. Persevere. Change.
CO-LABORER
Four of four, it could be that you are a CO-LABORER when it comes to Jesus. In keeping with Jesus’ metaphor, a committed person takes a turn at the plow. Another word for this might be leader.
Luke 9 is all about getting the 12 disciples to be a co-laborer with Jesus in ministry.
* In verses 1-6, Jesus sends them out to minister in His Name.
* In verse 13, Jesus commands them to take care of the crowds.
* In verse 20, Peter takes the lead and confesses Jesus as Christ.
* In verse 23, Jesus commands them to take up the cross and follow Him.
* In verses 24-25, Jesus commands them to lose their lives for His sake.
* In verses 26-27, Jesus commands them to not to be ashamed of Him, but to be bold.
* In verse 48, Jesus commands them to serve one another.
* In verse 62, Jesus commands them to put their hand to the plow and not look back.
All throughout this passage Jesus is leading the men given to Him to build the church to be co-laborers with Him in the Kingdom of God. What does a co-laborer do?
Serves in the church in their giftedness.
Leads somewhere in the church.
Consistent participation and service.
Committed to prayer.
Steadfast attendance at worship.
Steadfast tithing to the work of the church family.
Seeks to abide in Christ every single day.
Is this you? Are you a co-laborer? If you pray about this realizing that you are a co-laborer, I want to challenge you in two areas. First, I want to challenge you to keep looking forward as you persevere in your relationship with Jesus. Keep going. Over and over in the Book of Revelation we are given promise after promise to “those who overcome.” Keep on keeping on! Abide in Christ. Stay in the Word. Keep leading. Keep sharing your faith. Second, take it up a notch and be willing to invite people to where you serve to take over what you do. Co-laborers replicate themselves so that the next generation of leaders is ready, willing, and able. Listen. Think. Examine. Pray. Be honest. Submit. Consider. Persevere. Change.
CONCLUSION
Every year I like to start the year with focusing on the purpose of our church family. I hope you know our mission at Cincinnati Christian Church is to HELP PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS. I want to remind you again of what Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield said: “Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.”
The stakes are high and the consequences really matter of our church does not follow God’s purpose for us.
The stakes of our purpose at this church is the salvation of souls.
The stakes of our purpose are a relationship with God for anyone who would seek Him.
The stakes of our message and purpose is the acceptance of grace and the giving of direction in life. The consequences absolutely matter.
THE PURPOSE OF CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN CHURCH IS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW JESUS
PRAYER
INVITATION
READ LUKE 9:18-20 (ESV)
“Now it happened that as He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him. And He asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
If you have never confessed like Peter that Jesus is the Christ of God, I invite you to come forward this morning and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus will extend grace to you because of His death on the cross and a relationship with God will be possible by the gift of the Holy Spirit. May you make that decision this morning!
