Text: Luke 9:57 thru 62
Prayer:
This morning we have Good News.
God is still on the Throne. Jesus is seated at His right hand, ever interceding on our behalf.
Jesus will soon return to earth to declare His righteousness and take us to our new home in heaven.
What a wonderful place that will be for His people?
Did you know that God that is moving and doing things right now to prepare His Kingdom for you and I?
We may tire and grow weary with all of the responsibilities of this life, but God never stops preparing His Kingdom for His people.
This is His plan of restoration.
He also has a plan of redemption.
We found last week that the primary reason why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth was to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus died for us.
While Jesus was here, He did accomplish many other things, as well. Jesus discipled the men who followed Him. There were 12 men, 11 of which would be responsible for changing the world.
These men followed Jesus for 3 and ½ years.
Even though Jesus knew that one of His 12 disciples would betray Him, He loved and taught each man as much as they would let Him. Afterwards, they took the Gospel of Christ to the entire world.
I propose to you that Jesus has still not changed His way of doing things in the lives of His people.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.
He has chosen you to FOLLOW HIM, learn of His Good News, and to ultimately take His Gospel to all the world.
In this morning’s text, there were three men in Whom He was speaking with.
I believe Jesus knew these 3 men as well as He knew:
· His other disciples of the New Testament
· You and I living today
Although we are not certain who these three men were, it is possible that one of them may have (eventually) been the replacement for Judas Iscariot.
Jesus has always concerned Himself with preparing His people and His Kingdom for eternity.
It is for this reason that God operates in exactness and specifics, and not in generalities.
He destined 12 men to change the world just as He has destined you and I to change the world.
I want us to look closely at these men and the challenge confronting them. Let us first look at the man in verse 57. There is an account given in Matthew, also. In Matthew 8, this first man was identified as a scribe. And perhaps the other two men were scribes as well.
Being a scribe meant you knew the Word of God as it is written. This is because that is all scribes did.
They were the printers of that time. They read and wrote the Word of God for a living. Day in and day out.
In the case of this first man, I can see a man of impulse. He was probably much like many people in our day:
· He wanted to do what was right.
· He was on the fringes of being a real part of things.
· He wanted to get in on the new excitement.
· He wanted to get on the ground floor of this opportunity for a new government that would overthrow the powerful Roman government.
· Perhaps he wanted other people to think more highly of him. A better standing in the community.
· He did not fully understand the commitment that was needed to allow Jesus to be the Lord and Master of his life.
Question: What were this man’s real motives?
And, what are our motives today?
To answer these questions we need to consider
Heb 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This verse tells us that Jesus knows everything about us.
Consider this:
Jesus is the discerner of our thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. He word also tells us that:
· Pure motives will exalt God
· Impure motives will ultimately exalt man.
With the first man (in verse 57), Jesus sensed somehow:
· This man was interested in self gain.
· This man was impulsive
The Lord has not called us to follow Him out of impulse, but rather out of obedience to His voice.
Nevertheless, Jesus has grace for everyone.
Jesus was kind to this man. Jesus wanted to help him, so He gave him the Word of God for instruction.
Jesus many times has to deal with our insincerity and lack of wisdom and understanding. He knows our weaknesses when He calls us to FOLLOW HIM.
That day there was something that made many people want to FOLLOW HIM. Jesus sensed this with the people. IN vs. 59, He turned to another man and said:
“FOLLOW ME.”
This other man was walking near Jesus that day, but only wanted Jesus on his own terms. This man:
· Liked what he saw in Jesus. He was impressed.
· No doubt heard what Jesus told him to do. There is a difference between being compliant in doing the right things and being obedient to God.
This man:
· Was inconvenienced with what the Lord wanted him to do.
· Was a man who would not make a commitment.
As far as this man was concerned, the timing wasn’t right to answer the Lord’s call. He told Jesus the same thing many other good people have told Jesus:
· “Perhaps another time, Jesus.”
· “I am busy with other important things right now.”
In our day, many folks want and actually know they need a Savior. But they won’t allow Jesus to become their Lord, Master and Ruler of their life.
People can become indecisive with their relationship with the Lord. But Jesus Christ has never been, nor will He ever be, indecisive. Jesus is a Man of commitment.
If we are to be like Jesus, then we must understand that Jesus did what His Father sent Him to do. Amen?
In Phillipians 2:8, Jesus was “…obedient unto death…”
In Matthew 4, Jesus spoke to four fishermen one day. Again, He simply said:
“FOLLOW ME”
We should know the passage there tells us that the father of James and John was in the boat with them. And when Jesus called them out the immediately left their boat and their father and followed Jesus.
These decisive men became known as the
“Son’s of Thunder.”
Their obedience to the voice of Jesus was lightning fast. Their love for the man they followed was electrifying, and they shocked the world with their commitment to serving their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
The man in our text was summoned by Christ the same way the Son’s of Thunder were.
Listen carefully.
Any of us can fail God in so many different ways.
We can say the wrong thing, or do the wrong thing.
But our greatest failure we will ever face (with God) is when we ignore His voice when He calls us out and simply says, “FOLLOW ME.”
This man missed God’s best for his life. The plan that Jesus had for him was designed before time began.
This man missed the most crucial moment of his life.
This man had what it took to be what Jesus had called him to be.
Jesus hadn’t made a mistake in asking the wrong person. This was God’s man for the hour.
Perhaps we would respond as this man did. Maybe we just don’t think we have what it takes to FOLLOW HIM.
This is a common experience for many Christians.
We see basically the same thing happening to the third person Jesus spoke to that day.
Personally, I also know this to be true because I made the same mistake when I was much younger.
The Lord has forgiven me of it. In fact His Word has assured me that He has forgotten all of my failures.
The Lord has delivered me of my past sins and I have no regrets for what happened yesterday.
But let me see if I can help that someone out there today that knows they have put God off at one time. Or, perhaps you have found yourself putting God off more recently.
Closing:
My friend, Jesus has paid it all.
He knows you want what is best for your life.
Maybe at one time you didn’t:
· Recognize the real plan of God for your life.
· Have a full understanding of godly priorities.
· Ask God what would be best for you.
Let me ask you this:
What would Jesus want from you if He were to look you in the eyes and simply say, “FOLLOW ME.”
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
We may think we know what is right for our lives, but Jesus is calling you to simply FOLLOW HIM.
Without any conditions.
II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
My friend:
· Don’t take another step without Jesus today.
· Give up on having it your way, and let go and let God have His way in your life.
· Stop saying, “I’ll try.”
· Start saying, “I will FOLLOW HIM!”
