4 Follow Jesus

My own example of learning things like discipleship and leadership – study Jesus. But not studying the steps or rules or formula. Studying the attitudes, the frame of reference, the heart.

The Call to Follow

Look at the Gospels, the story of Jesus. He didn’t go around asking people to pray a prayer to Him. He didn’t tell them to invite Him into their heart.

What was Jesus calling people to? Repent – turn from your sin. Follow Me.

Example of standing in line at McDonald’s and a stranger tapping you to “follow me.”

I rather like the example of being in the middle of a job at work like the fishermen were.

Jesus’ first and last words to Peter = “Follow Me”

Matthew 4:18–19 CSB

18 As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 “Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”

Mark 1:17 CSB

17 “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”

Matthew 4:19

Matthew 4:

Matthew 4:21 CSB

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, preparing their nets, and he called them.

Mark 2:13–14 CSB

13 Jesus went out again beside the sea. The whole crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

Mark 2:13

(cut off last phrase)

John 21:22 CSB

22 “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

After Jesus called His disciples to follow and chose the 12, He began to teach them. Did he give them rules or directions or steps and then send them away? Nope.

After Jesus called His disciples to follow and chose the 12, Did he give them rules or directions or steps and then send them away? Nope.

He began to teach them.

A disciple follows, learns, obeys.

Follow = go where I go, do what I do.

Learn = observe the what but understand the heart of the issue.

Obey = Do what Jesus says, but be careful to follow the heart, not just the rules.

Jesus shows in the Sermon on the Mount that obedience is not just about rules but about humility and understanding and attitude and a new set of values. The follower must learn to understand the why.

Sermon on the Mount – Following Jesus means humility, confession, forgiveness, purity/holiness, compassion, service, generosity.

New Values (new attitude), New Patterns of Living

Priorities centered on the eternal rather than the material.

Wholehearted obedience

Immediate Obedience

Matthew 4:20 CSB

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

, and immediately they left their nets and followed him

they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Matthew 4:22 CSB

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Mark 2:14 CSB

14 Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

and he rose and followed him.

(just from follow)

It is not for us to choose which way we shall follow. That depends on the will of Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Complete obedience

Matthew 7:13–14 CSB

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

enter through the narrow gate, narrow way.

John 14:6 CSB

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

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to Father except through me.

The narrow gate is obedience… The broad gate is simply doing whatever I want to do. Dallas Willard

John 14:15 CSB

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands.

love me keep my commands

We often picture Jesus as white, feminine looking, long robes, sandals, gentle, meek.

Jesus is a MAN. Following Jesus is not easy.

We talk about the free gift of salvation. Certainly, Jesus died to give or buy back our freedom. Salvation may be a free gift for us, but it cost Jesus His life. Jesus does say that following Him is costly.

Philippians 2:8 CSB

8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

obedient to death on a cross

Philippians 3:10 CSB

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

my goal is to share in suffering and death

Mark 8:34–35 CSB

34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.

deny self, take up cross and follow Jesus. Die as Jesus died.

. Jesus says take up your cross and follow me, not take up your cross-stitch and watch me.

Not passive, not spectator sport. Deny yourself. Lose your life.

When we follow Jesus we release all other claims on our life and are bound to Jesus.

Stated negatively in

Luke 14:27 CSB

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

any one who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 CSB

33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

any one who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple.

Jesus doesn’t call us to somewhere He hasn’t been, or call us to something He hasn’t done.

Jesus gave His life, He carried His cross. He calls us to do the same.

Holy Spirit Presence

He also doesn’t call us to go it alone.

Jesus doesn’t give us a set of rules or steps to follow and then send us out on our own. He invites us to come with Him.

John 14:15–26 CSB

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. 21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it you’re going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. 25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

main passage. Love Me, keep My commands, Helper with you forever

John 14:15–17 CSB

Highlight – vv.15-17. Remains with you and in you

John 14:18 CSB

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

not leave you as orphans, coming to you – Holy Spirit

John 14:25–26 CSB

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

John 14:25-26 Holy Spirit will teach you all things – so now our teacher is Jesus in Spirit living in us.

Holy Spirit will teach you all things – so now our teacher is Jesus in Spirit living in us.

Crucified with Christ and my life is now His life living through me.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

being alive in the Spirit. Or spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit living inside.

Directed by the Holy Spirit

Changed by the Holy Spirit

Paul prayed for them to be strengthened in their inner being through His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16 CSB

16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,

Paul prayed for them to be strengthened in their inner being through His Spirit.

we have looked at numerous times - Jesus promised power from on High, His Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit living in us, empowering us to follow Jesus immediately and completely.

Big Idea: A true disciple faithfully follows Jesus in the power of His Spirit

To learn better how to follow Jesus, to learn better how to live as a believer, to learn better how to lead and serve and disciple and love – read the Gospels. Study the life of Jesus. Look closely at His teaching and then how He lived out the teaching before His disciples. Study the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount – currently in Sunday School. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the why as well as the what.

Follow, become a disciple/student/learner. Learn, Grow, Live.

What About You?

Are you counting on a prayer you prayed or are you following Jesus?

Have you asked Jesus into your heart or are you taking up your cross daily to follow Him?

Following Jesus is more than a one-time prayer. It means immediate and complete obedience.

Obedience may mean following Jesus to another country. But, more often it means following Him out of your comfort zone and into the community to interact with people and build relationships.

You can do that right here in our Mt. Rock Gym as Parks & Rec starts their open gym program this week.

Following Jesus can mean dedicating your life to full-time vocational ministry like being a missionary or pastor. But, more often it means changing our attitude about the work He gave us to do right now and showing compassion to the person next to you at that job.

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