Following Jesus

Introduction

We have a few phrases at Horizon that we quote.

Glorify God and Grow others in Christ

Pause, Pray, Ponder, Proceed\

Believe, Baptize, Belong, and Become

Today We are going to look at two simple words

If i was to seek the simple answer to what is being a Christian about

or what makes us Christian

I would suggest that these two WORDS

should be our daily walk

BELIEVE AND FOLLOW

TO BELIEVE and FOLLOW

the Author of our Gospel that we have studied for a year and a half.

The Book of John ---

John Purpose was stated in John 20:30-31

John 20:30–31 (ESV)

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written so that you may believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,

and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So that you may BELIEVE — AND have life

We have state that it is not simply BELIEVING THAT JESUS EXISTED,

or Even BELIEVING THAT HE DID AMAZING THINGS

It MUST be more than that..... We must Believe and FOLLOW

We must live a LIFE WORTHY of our CALLING

We must believe in the whole person of Jesus --- that he is LORD.

To be a Disciple we must FOLLOW

we must FOLLOW so that it leads to BECOMING

Believing and Living

Jesus tells us that He is the WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

My prayer and my very deepest hope is that not just heard the messages

but that it helped to change you

OUR MISSION of this 18 month journey was

DISCOVERING JESUS

not simply the person of JESUS

BUT THE DIVINITY OF JESUS

JESUS IS GOD

I pray we all moved closer to a complete understanding

--- SO THAT YOU BELIEVE and FOLLOW

John 21:20–25 (ESV)

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”

21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

In the simpliest form --- He is saying Believe and Follow

So many deeper discussions in these verses.

Jesus second coming

Christian Living

Christian Focus

Worrying about your walk and not worrying about others

so so much

But let me take it back to what Jesus said.

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

and then a command again to FOLLOW ME---- “through me”

THROUGH JESUS --- is to ACCEPT HIM and FOLLOW HIM

We Follow by FOCUSING ON HIM Have you ever been hearing some one speak

but your NOT FULLY FOLLOWING?

Maybe you lost focus or you Didn’t UNDERSTAND

This is our Disciples journey through the Book of John

They hear and follow Jesus, but they just don’t understand

in our Scripture

Peter is still standing with Jesus

peter has just had an intimate discuss with Jesus

Peter heard Jesus RESTORE HIM to the mission that Jesus has for him

The last command in the BOOK OF JOHN

is FOLLOW ME

___________________________________________

Peter turns and see John walking towards them

and he ask Jesus

---- WHAT ABOUT JOHN?

and Jesus delivers a POWER STATEMENT

John 21:22 (ESV)

22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?

You follow me!”

It is powerful because there is a clear message

that reminds me of Matt 6:33

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

WORRY ABOUT WHAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT OTHERS

YOU CONCENTRATE ON FOLLOWING ME

YOU FOLLOW ME

______________________________

We struggle with that as CHRISTIANS ----------

We FOLLOW JESUS WITHOUT COMPLETE TRUST in HIM

We think our opinions matter

We look at others instead of Jesus

We confuse FREE WILL --- with permission to DO WHAT WE DECIDE

Our Father who art in Heaven,

HOLY BE YOUR NAME

YOUR KINGDOM COME

< YOUR WILL BE DONE

and that is where we get side ways

We want to have a choice in the matter

BUT JESUS SAYS.....

Vs. 22 … YOU FOLLOW ME!

we tend to follow when it is not in conflict with our desires!!

Jesus says we FOLLOW until HE COMES BACK

that is a clear declaration of the SECOND COMING

FRIENDS ---- Jesus is coming back for US

We are his bride, HIS LOVED disciples

HIS LOVED CHILDREN

and he WILL NEVER LEAVE US

We must First BELIEVE -

Then start to LIVE that CHANGED LIFE

And Jesus is the WAY

The Way

Jesus is THE WAY --- Not A way

Friends we have people in our life that think GOOD is GOOD enough

but we know that we can never be GOOD enough

People have a sin problem

We have all fallen short

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

that should not bring us any grief

for you have BELIEVED in JESUS as your LORD

That is the GOSPEL

It is the Good News

HE Is the WAY

Don’t follow HIM---- You Don’t Go to HIM

pretty simple

If you don’t love him, obey Him and Follow him on Earth

Then you are right YOU DON’T GO to HEAVEN WITH HIM

IF you don’t want HIM in this LIFE, then Frankly

WHY CARE ABOUT THE NEXT

Most people want HEAVEN,

they just don’t want to give up

things that they love on EARTH more than Jesus

Sadly --- if you don’t chose the THE WAY on Earth

Then why do you even care about going to HEAVEN

our struggle is we want to

negotiate a balance instead of FOLLOWING

LIVE LIFE WITH JESUS ON EARTH ---

LIVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN

Following Jesus is only a challenge

because WE want to do OUR THING, NOT HIS THING

JESUS commands us to FOLLOW HIM

not when we chose, but in spite of what want to chose

We have instructions on HOW TO LIVE as a FOLLOWER OF JESUS throughout the NEW TESTAMENT

Colossians 3 tells us what to TAKE OFF of our Life, and WHAT TO PUT ONE

We have commands, encouragement, and comfort in our SCRIPTURES

WE studied JOHN so that you would KNOW OF HIS DIVINITY

and BELIEVE MORE DEEPLY in HIM

WE FOLLOW THE WAY because WE BELIEVE

The Truth

WE BELIEVE BECAUSE HE IS THE TRUTH and the ONLY TRUTH

You cannot TRUST the NEWS, or SOCIAL MEDIA

BUT JESUS is the TRUTH

and we can LIVE ON THAT

You see the issue is that JESUS is the TRUTH, not a truth

Jesus is not YOUR TRUTH, or MY TRUTH

HE IS THE TRUTH

ONCE YOU GET THAT CLEAR--- YOU are on your way to GROWING in HIM

You will GROW into a MATURE CHRISTIAN

SEEKING ONLY HIS WILL

NOT MY WILL, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE

If you think about it and think you have an opinion

I don’t see that any where in 66 Books of Scripture

LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING ---- FOLLOW AND OBEY HIM

last week i spoke about THAT VOICE

and the Holy Spirit is never going to tell you to make your own decision

we are commanded to FOLLOW ---- meaning OBEY

We serve a GOOD GOOD GOD

who will never leave us or forsake us

We serve a God that PROMISES to Bring us to PEACE, LOVE, and JOY

We start to LIVE a Different LIFE

The Life

So you BELIEVE in JESUS

YOU trust HIM in HIS Divinity

YOU start to READ, LISTEN, and UNDERSTAND

Not Partial Truth ----- BUT YOU START TO KNOW THE TRUTH

You start to KNOW the Way of JESUS

and you start to BELIEVE that He is THE TRUTH

NOW YOU NEED TO LIVE it OUT

It is in LIVING in JESUS, that we LEARN the DEEPEST TRUTHs

HE IS GOD, and you are NOT

Friends

We start walk in BABY STEPS

BUT the Mission is to RUN THE RACE WITH ENDURANCE

We start as a SEEKER, but become a SPEAKER

We learn to be a DISCIPLE and then a DISCIPLE MAKER

Our Life becomes different

Our JOY, PEACE, LOVE, KINDNESS, GENTLENESS, Goodness, Patience, faithfulness, and self control

YES there it is… GOODNESS is a by PRODUCT of walking in the SPIRIT

But it is not the ONLY in ----

We good get you to HEAVEN --- NO faith in JESUS does that

GOOD IS GOOD ----

FAITHFUL FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS ARE GOOD

But they are GOOD BECAUSE of the SPIRIT’s Work

NOT our works alone

Friends

John closes out his Gospel with a discord with PETER

Jesus reminds Peter to Focus on CHRIST in your OWN life

That it is JESUS’s will that ALL WILL BE SAVED

so we are to GO and MAKE DISCIPLES

JESUS reminds us that it is HIS WILL to BE DONE

Our final verse is

John 21:25 ESV

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

The Indescribable GLORY OF GOD

May we never STOP growing

May we never STOP GLORIFYING HIM

we begin to see ‘the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father’ (1:14)

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For you Jesus are the WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

and because of that

we FOLLOW HIM

Lets Pray