Following Jesus

Jesus’ encounter with Peter at the Sea of Galilee:

3x: “Do you love me?”

3x: “Yes, I love you.”

3x: Sacrificial service commanded (feed and lead)

Jesus revealed to Peter the way he would die…then told him to Follow me.

Read John 21:19-25

Why this sudden command for Peter to follow Him?

Luke 22:32 - Satan wanted to sift Peter I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

Peter wanted to be strong and faithful

Instead he failed and abandoned Jesus

John 13:36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”

What does it mean for us to ‘Follow Jesus’?

Repent and Believe the Gospel

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Repentance = change your mind (turn) about your sinful condition

Be baptized = firmly believe the doctrine of Christ and submit to his grace and Lordship

Daily Die To Self

Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Matthew Henry We must live a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of the world; we must not indulge our ease and appetite, for then it will be hard to bear toil, and weariness, and want, for Christ.

When we seek to make things easier for ourselves through indulgence, the act of living a life of sacrifice for Christ becomes much harder

VOM Article As Christ’s disciples, each of us must “take up our cross daily.”  Some of these crosses are forced upon us, but most are optional situations in which we must choose to pay a price out of obedience to Christ…we can choose to suffer well as a witness for Christ anytime we suffer…most persecuted Christians can avoid suffering for Christ by simply deciding to stop bearing witness to His truth.  They face a daily temptation to avoid suffering through silence and inactivity and it is important to admit that we face the same temptation…cross-bearing is not a discipleship topic for Christians somewhere else.

Submit to His Lordship

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

All authority given to Jesus:

because He humbled Himself, therefore God exalted him (Philippians 2:10-11)

so He could grant eternal life to as many as were given to Him (John 17:2)

No point in time where someone “makes Him Lord and Savior of their life”… He already is!

Q: Are you willingly going to submit to His Lordship, or will you be forced to do it later?

Imitate His Example

Ephesians 5:1–2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The love of Christ ought to compel us to live with compassion and sacrifice for others

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God, in Jesus Christ, has given an example for us to follow.

Gauge the way you live your life based on the way He lived His.

1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

A disciple is one who follows Jesus no matter what.

Follow Jesus No Matter How/When Death Comes

In John 21:18, Jesus revealed to Peter how he would die… then told him to follow me.

Life is not about how/when you die, but how do you live

Alexander MacLaren the belief that the risen Christ is Lord of life and death, is the only one that can stay our hearts, or make us bow with submission to His divine will.

What you think and believe about Jesus is what will determine your level of faithfulness to His command to follow.

TDNT (ἀκολουθεῖν in the NT.)

this is not in any sense an imitation of the example of Jesus… but exclusively a fellowship of life and suffering with the Messiah which arises only in the fellowship of His salvation.

Philippians 3:10–11 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul had seen the risen Christ, and spent his life suffering for the sake of the gospel

1 Peter 4:16 if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Peter had seen the risen Christ, and spent his life suffering for the sake of the gospel

Both of these men would end up losing their heads for the sake of Christ. They did it because they had an example to follow, first.

Hebrews 12:1–3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Follow Jesus No Matter How God Works In/Through Others

In John 21, Peter’s eyes were momentarily diverted from following Christ (so soon!)

“What about John?”

Either his intention was:

Genuine concern for a close friend, with whom he had been through thick and thin

Idle curiosity as to the intention of the Lord with John

Either way, Peter’s focus was diverted from where he was told to put it… on Jesus!

You are not responsible for the obedience of other people

You are not responsible to know God’s intentions with other believers

Follow Him!

Valley of Vision When my mind acts without thee, it spins nothing but deceit and delusion; when my affections act without thee, nothing is seen but dead works…grant that I may distrust myself, to see my all in thee.

Pastors, if we’re not careful, can lose our joy, focus, and true reason for being in pastoral ministry when we play the comparison game.

Comparison says, “God, where You have me isn’t where I need to be.”

Making comparisons with others causes us to question and doubt the sovereignty and providence of God.

It leaves us with the fear that we’re missing out on something better.

Matthew Henry

The best men find it hard to attend upon the Lord without distraction, hard to keep their minds so closely fixed as they should be in following Christ: and a needless and unseasonable regard to our brethren often diverts us from communion with God.

Focus on the Lord, not on others.

CONCLUSION

There is much more that could be said as it relates to following Jesus, but I will end with a quote…

Alexander MacLaren If we follow Jesus, we shall put our hands quietly and trustfully into His, as a little child does into his mother’s soft, warm palm, and shall not ask whither He leads, assured that since it is He who leads, we shall be led aright.