Following Jesus on His Terms

Following Jesus on His Terms

Text: Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV 1900)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Introduction:

* Many will think they are followers of Christ, but they have followed Christ on their own terms and are impostors they do not truly follow Christ.

* Listen to the warning Jesus gave in John chapter 10 this morning:

John 10:9 (KJV 1900)

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 10:1 (KJV 1900)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

* So I will tell you again- Many will think they are followers of Christ, but they have followed Christ on their own terms, and not on Jesus terms. These followers of Jesus are impostors who have attempted to follow Jesus, but do not follow Jesus on His terms.

* These folks are totally convinced that they have followed Jesus. Everyone they know is fully convinced that they have followed Jesus.

* If you were to ask them “If you died today, would you go to heaven or Hell, they would with all confidence say heaven.

* They would tell you how much Jesus meant to them. They would tell you about how many times that they we in need and God answered their prayer.

* They probably have a big picture of Jesus hanging in their living room, but this Jesus does not represent the Jesus of the Bible, but it represents the Jesus they follow- an imaginary Jesus that they have created in their own mind.

* This Jesus that they follow is nothing more than everything that they would like God to be- a God that can only love unconditionally, a Jesus that is limited only to forgiving, and never judges anyone.

* They have not followed the Jesus of the Bible, but they have followed a Jesus of their own making.

* In our text we see these people standing before the real Jesus, being judged by Him, because the Bible says that all judgment has been committed unto the Son.

John 5:22–29 (KJV 1900)

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

John 5:26–27 (KJV 1900)

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

* This Jesus they are standing before is the same Jesus which we see treading the winepress of the wrath of God upon the wicked of this earth in the coming Day of Judgment. His white garments will be stained with the blood of the unrighteous and the ungodly.

Isaiah 63:3 (KJV 1900)

For I will tread them in mine anger, And trample them in my fury; And their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, And I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, And the year of my redeemed is come.

* They are now standing and being judged by the Jesus that we see in the Bible who has a sharp two-edged sword and with it He smites the nations of the ungodly at the battle of Armageddon. There the Bible says the blood of the unrighteous will fill a valley 5 foot deep and 2 hundred miles wide!

Revelation 14:14–20 (KJV 1900)

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth,

and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

* They are now standing in front the same Jesus that orders the Angel to put in his sharp cycle in and reap the earth for the time of harvest is come, and like Jesus told his disciples, the fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.

* He told His followers to pray that God would send more laborers into the fields because Jesus knew that He would one day be that Judge that brings the final wrath of God upon all mankind.

* So in our text we see not just a few, but many who are standing before the real Jesus of the Bible, being judged by Him.

* Many will think they are followers of Christ, but they have followed Christ on their own terms and are impostors of those who truly follow the Jesus of the Bible.

* Listen to the words of Jesus about true disciples and false disciples in John chapter 10:

John 10:9 (KJV 1900)

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

John 10:1 (KJV 1900)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

* There are those who attend church with us, who are our family members, who are our friends and neighbors, that claim to be followers of Jesus, but are not, they are impostors, they are professors, they are not possessors of salvation.

* Jesus told a parable of the tares in which the tares, or the false followers of Jesus, and the wheat, the true followers of Jesus, would grow up together and be separated at the harvest time in the judgment at last days.

* Are you one of the true followers of Jesus? Jesus said “you will know them by their fruits.”

John 10:14 (KJV 1900)

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

I. There are those who follow Jesus as long as they get what they want out of life.

* When Jesus told the parable of the sower, He spoke of those who were glad to follow Jesus, as long as they could get what they wanted out of life.

* These folks are excited and glad to follow Jesus and will gladly follow Him, as long as following Jesus get them what they want.

* These kind of folks will act like they love Jesus, but as soon as something comes along that Jesus will not give them, be it boyfriends, girlfriends, money, pleasures of this life-, they will forsake Jesus and seek the tings of this present world to satisfy their needs.

* I used to be amazed at how you can preach about sin until you are blue in the face, but it seems to have no effect on some “so called” followers of Jesus.

* These kind of folks will look you in the face while you are preaching, and the whole time you know they are guilty of this sin you are preaching about, but it has no effect on them whatsoever.

* I am not amazed any more. I realize that they are those who have heard the word and began to follow Jesus, but as soon as the world offers them something they want, they forsake Jesus and turn their back on Him.

II. There are those who follow Jesus until the way gets hard.

* Jesus spoke of this kind of follower when he gave the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:20:

Matthew 13:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

* This kind of person is content to follow Jesus as long as following Jesus is popular and easy.

* There are some who follow Jesus and the Bible, and in the beginning they are not ashamed to be identified with Jesus, until something the Bible teaches becomes unpopular to the world.

* Let me give you an example. Many folks here the Gospel of Jesus, and interested in following Jesus, but when following Jesus brings condemnations or persecution from the world, they become ashamed of Jesus and the Bible He preached.

* When the world begins to persecute those who maintain the Bible truth that God says Homosexuality is a gross immoral sin against God, they become ashamed of the Bible. They begin compromise its truth to avoid being called names like haters and bigots.

* Jesus did not come to make His followers popular with the world, but just the opposite:

Matthew 10:31–38 (KJV 1900)

32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

* We see an example of this in the story of the feeding of the 5000.

* We see a great multitude following Jesus in John chapter 6 and verses 1-2:

John 6:1–2 (KJV 1900)

After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

* We see the feeding of the 500 thousand take place, then the next day, the multitudes follow Jesus to the other side of the sea of Galilee.

John 6:22–27 (KJV 1900)

22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; 23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) 24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

John 6:66–67 (KJV 1900)

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

* Jesus never promised those who follow Him an easy way. The apostles, when they went out planting churches in the early church made sure that every new follower of Jesus know that the way of the follower of Jesus is supposed to be hard. Listen to the words. Of Acts 14:21 and 22:

Acts 14:21–22 (KJV 1900)

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples,

and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

* This is why Jesus taught that the way to heaven is a narrow way, but the way to hell is a broad highway. This now brings us right back to our text this morning in Matthew chapter 7:

Matthew 7:13–23 (KJV 1900)

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

III. So, what are the terms that Jesus has set for those who truly follow Him?

Mark 8:33–38 (KJV 1900)

33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. 34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them,

* The apostle Peter would have prevented Jesus from suffering persecution at the hands of the world, but in no uncertain terms told Peter that suffering at the hands of the world was the will of God.

* Jesus told Peter that it was the will of God for Him to go to the Cross and suffer. Then Jesus immediately started a discourse on how that it is also the will of God that all those who follow Jesus take up their cross too.

A. The first condition of following Jesus is that we deny ourselves.

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

* The way of the world is to promote ourselves, to glorify ourselves, to “believe” in ourselves. This is the message of Satan in the Garden of Eden when Satan told Eve that if she disobeyed the Word that God had said, she would be like God and be able to achieve Godhood.

* The way of God is just the opposite! True followers of Jesus don’t believe in themselves! The followers of Jesus are diametrically opposed to the doctrine of humanism that the world preaches!

* Satan, and this present world, would have you believe that anything is possible if you “believe in yourself.” That is the very same lie Satan sold to Eve in the beginning, It worked with Eve, and it is still working in the present world today.

B. The second condition or term for following Jesus is that we relinquish the right to govern out lives.

* This means that we must be willing to accept whatever God’s will is for our lives.

* If following Jesus means that folks will think that we are haters, or bigots, or hypocrites, then we should already have our minds made up that we will gladly suffer these things for Christ’s sake.

* If because we are not friends with the world, we a passed over for the good jobs, and laws are passed against us, and we are denied civil rights because we stand for the Word that Jesus preached, we as followers of Jesus already counted the cost of following Jesus. We knew it would cost us something to follow Jesus.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

C. The third term or condition of following Jesus is that we are not ashamed of Jesus and His words.

38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

* The key phrase here is “and of my words.” The Devil doesn’t mind folks following this Jesus that people have fashioned for themselves, but the Devil hates those who follow and preach the worlds that Jesus said!

* My friend it will cost you something to stand for the words that Jesus said! This world does not want to hear that Jesus said that there is a literal burning Hell where those who reject Christ will spend eternity!

* This world does not want to hear that Jesus taught that any sex outside of marriage is Sin! This world will not stand for the idea that Jesus believed a Bible that teaches homosexuality is sin!

* This world does want to hear that Jesus said all other religions are false, and that following Jesus is the only way to Heaven!

D. The forth condition of following Jesus is that we become fishers of men.

Matthew 4:19–22 (KJV 1900)

19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

* True followers of Jesus will spend their lives as a living sacrifice to cause others to follow Jesus also.

* A person who has not compassion for the lost unsaved souls of men is not a true follower of Jesus.

Jude 23 (KJV 1900)

23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

E. The fifth condition of following Jesus is that we hate sin.

* In every true follower of Christ strives against sin his life. If a person say that they are a follower of Jesus, but they are not alarmed and repentant of their sin, they are a liar, and are not a true follower of Jesus.

1 John 1:5–10 (KJV 1900)

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

* Conclusion:

* Jesus told a parable of the tares in which the tares, or the false followers of Jesus, and the wheat, the true followers of Jesus, would grow up together and be separated at the harvest time in the judgment at last days.

* Are you one of the true followers of Jesus? Jesus said “you will know them by their fruits.”