Say Yes to Jesus - The REAL Jesus

A man took his rottweiler to the vet and said to him, “My dog is cross-eyed. Is there anything you can do for it?”

“Well,” said the vet, “let me take a look at him.” So he picked up the dog and had a good look at its eyes.

“Well,” said the vet, “I’m going to have to put him down.”

“Just because he’s cross-eyed?” asked the man.

“No,” said the vet, “because he’s heavy.”

For the next few weeks we are going to talk about saying YES to Jesus. We are going to look at the words of Christ and make sure we know exactly what He meant when He asked us to follow Him.

Are you trusting in the REAL Jesus? You might be asking, are there FAKE Jesus’?

I’d tell you that, yes, there are fake Jesus’ that are trying to deceive you. Our opening text is a warning from the Real Jesus telling us to make sure not to follow deceivers.

Luke 21:8 CEV

8 Jesus replied: Don’t be fooled by those who will come and claim to be me. They will say, “I am Christ!” and “Now is the time!” But don’t follow them.

In this passage of scripture, Jesus was telling His disciples that difficult times were coming. In fact, if you read on down, Jesus was very clear that following Him was going to cost them dearly.

Luke 21:12 CEV

12 Before all this happens, you will be arrested and punished. You will be tried in your meeting places and put in jail. Because of me you will be placed on trial before kings and governors.

But it doesn’t get any better…

Luke 21:16 CEV

16 You will be betrayed by your own parents, brothers, family, and friends. Some of you will even be killed.

Jesus didn’t promise His followers an easy path, but he did promise a great reward.

Luke 21:18–19 CEV

18 But don’t worry! 19 You will be saved by being faithful to me.

Jesus told His disciples that difficult times lay ahead of the church, but that they should listen to His Word and not be led astray by deceivers.

He tells us not to be frightened by national, international, and natural disasters, or give up when persecution becomes intense. Times of tribulation can be times of testimony, and the Spirit will give us the wisdom and words we need.

He said that even if you are put in jail for Him it can be a good thing because it would give you an opportunity to tell people about our faith!

Luke 21:13 CEV

13 But this will be your chance to tell about your faith.

Because we know what will happen, we can be ready to meet it.

While our Lord was referring primarily to the ministry of the apostles in their day, as well as the ministry of believers during the tribulation period, these encouragements speak to all of God’s people in every age. We must beware of deception and fear and trust the Spirit to empower us.

Followers of Jesus aren’t promised things will be perfect, but we are promised that Jesus will save our souls. What I want to focus on in this passage is what Jesus said in verse 8 - “don’t be fooled by those who claim to be Him”.

How can we make sure that we aren’t being fooled by those who claim to be Jesus? Or, how can we make sure that we are saved and going to heaven? How can we know the truth and reject the lie?

Well, we have to KNOW the real thing first! It’s hard to spot a fake if you’ve never experienced the real deal.

I gave up sugary treats and candy years ago. I do like sweet things, but now I limit myself to either fruit or occasionally a sugar free candy or dessert. Personally, I can’t really remember what sugar tastes like. I’ve had the substitute for so long that I just don’t know. Some times I’ll order a sugar free drink from Dutch Bros, take a big drink, and then question whether or not it’s really sugar free. I’ll have Kristen take a drink to confirm…she’ll take a drink and know right away that it’s a fake!

Why? Because she KNOWS the real deal.

So, here’s the question, do you know Jesus? Or are you following a fake?

One thing I know, Jesus is asking people to follow Him. 21 times, in 12 different conversations Jesus said to “Follow Me”. Here are a few:

Mark 1:17 NKJV

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Matthew 16:24 NLT

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

John 10:27 CEV

27 My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me,

Here’s the deal - we are all following something. Jesus, Some Person, Our selves, or even the Devil! To be a follower means that you are devoted to a particular person, cause, or activity. If you are alive, you are following something right now.

Jesus is saying if you are devoted to him, then you will do His will above everything else in your life. He becomes the most important part of you life. In fact, like the people Jesus was talking to in Luke 21 we must be willing to live or die for His cause.

So, if you’ve said YES to Jesus, how do you know that you’re not being fooled by something claiming to be Jesus?

I found Jesus…

Have you ever heard someone say that before? Usually, by someone who’s hit rock bottom in life. That’s pretty common. Jesus seems to be into getting to know people who’ve hit rock bottom and are ready to find a whole new way to live.

I think when we hit the lowest points of life we find Jesus because He is love. When we are at the end of our rope and our own strength isn’t enough, we look for something more. Jesus is more. And He is the physical embodiment of God’s love for humanity.

Jesus is God’s only Son.

John 3:16 CEV

16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

We find the real Jesus by reading the truth of God’s Word - the Bible. I just read that Jesus IS God’s son - that’s truth. If we place our faith in Him, we will have life! - That’s Truth!

We find Jesus by learning from the Bible. Jesus’ own words teach us about who He is…we don’t have to guess or be deceived.

The Real Jesus is Found in the Bible

The bible is the best and most concrete way to find the Lord. But I want to share with how to take what we find in the Bible and say Yes to following Him each and every day.

1 . Go Where He Went

Jesus was always moving. Reading through the Gospels it seems like a whirlwind of activity. We find him sleeping in a boat in the middle of a storm with a bunch of working class fisherman. He preached from hillsides instead of the religious temples. He was going places that the religious leaders would never go. Jesus was always looking for the hurting people.

If we say yes to following Jesus then we must be willing to do the same. Jesus leads us to places that test our comfort zones and to places where people need to feel His love.

You are following the real Jesus if you are going to the dark places with the light of God’s love. It’s not about going to church - it’s about being the church.

2. Love Who He Loves

We say yes to following Jesus by going where He went, and also by looking for the right people.

Church is a wonderful place. I LOVE church. I love being with you. Each time we get together is a blessing. This is where we get equipped to follow Jesus.

But you know, Jesus didn’t go to the churches to make friends. He went to the sick, left-out, misunderstood, wrongfully labeled, oppressed, captive, and poor.

Basically, He was looking for people He could serve. And serving others is partly how we find the real Jesus. Fake Jesus’ are self-serving. They want us to always think about ourselves.

Let’s look to the Bible to see how we are to find the real Jesus:

Matthew 25:35–40 ESV

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

If we live out these words then we WILL find Jesus because He loves people in need.

I’ve been so blessed to go on mission trips. And those of you who’ve gone can probably testify just like me, that when you get outside of your self-driven life then you really connect with God. Personally, I’ve never been happier then when I’ve been serving others. I believe that part of full-filling our purpose is serving others.

How can we be close to the real Jesus if we don’t lift up others? We don’t have to leave our country on a mission trip to be on a mission. Our mission is to do everything we can, for as many as we can, knowing that God will do what only He can!

And that brings me to my third point in who we can say yes to the Real Jesus.

We Go where He goes 2. Love who He loves

3. Do What He Does

Earlier I read a verse that I am going to read again because it’s really important if you are going to say yes and follow the Real Jesus.

Matthew 16:24 CEV

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.

I’d say, most Christian churches have a cross hanging somewhere in the building. We have one here on the stage. I was part of a church that had a cross made of fiberglass and was coated with glitter! It was so shiny!

But all our decorative crosses don’t really remind us of what the cross was all about or what Jesus did on the cross.

The real Jesus fled comfort, pursued pain, rejected notoriety, and loved without caution. He went looking for his friends after they betrayed Him and then cooked them breakfast on the beach. He went against both religious and secular culture to not only respect women but elevate them. When people tried to wash his feet, He’d turn and wash theirs instead.

When adults were hushing the kids, Jesus called them to Himself and told the adults they’d have to become like a child to really understand God. When religious leaders pushed rules, He pushed grace. He rested regularly. He went off to find solitude with God, and He attended His local places of worship, and He ate with cheating tax collectors, grumpy religious leaders, and prostitutes. He hugged people who no one would touch and He healed people from all kinds of pain and sickness.

Jesus was crucified on a cross. What does that mean?

Roman Crucifixion was intended to be a gruesome spectacle: the most painful and humiliating death imaginable. It was used to punish slaves, pirates, and enemies of the state. It was originally reserved for slaves, and later extended to citizens of the lower classes. The victims of crucifixion were stripped naked and put on public display while they were slowly tortured to death so that they would serve as a spectacle and an example.

Jesus was not a criminal. He came to heal, love, and forgive. But the world rejected His love and they crucified Him. When the Son of the Living God gave His life it was the ultimate example of surrender. He gave his perfection to us.

This is the real Jesus. And this is what the real Jesus is telling us to do:

Matthew 16:24–27 CEV

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. 25 If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 26 What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? 27 The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.

Does that sound like the Christian life you’ve been living? Are you able to say that you’ve been going where He goes, loving how He loves, and doing what He does?

Luke 21:8 CEV

8 Jesus replied: Don’t be fooled by those who will come and claim to be me. They will say, “I am Christ!” and “Now is the time!” But don’t follow them.

There is a deceiver out there claiming to be Jesus. He is claiming that following Him leads to financial gain, bigger homes, no problems, and really all the things that people of this world want to gain, but I don’t think that’s the real Jesus.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that He was crucified and rose to life again. I believe that proves He can raise me back to life once I die.

But I don’t believe that He has called me to live a life of comfort and blessings. Yes, He does bring contentment, joy, and peace, but those things transcend the physical. I am looking forward to a home eternally with Him.

But today - if I say YES to Jesus - I know that means I need to Go where He goes, Love who He loves, and Do what He does. EVEN if that means my life is in His hands.

Where are you today? Are you following the Real Jesus?