Neighbourhood Series: Follow Me
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Follow Me
Follow Me
Sometimes, we make things more complicated than it needs to be. Other times, we over simplify things and we miss important nuances.
Discipleship, is it simple or complicated? Well, the concept is pretty simple. It’s the follow-thru that is more challenging.
This morning I want to talk about the concept first and then deal with some of the challenges we face to be disciples.
Prayer:
Discipleship can be summed up very simply in two words. And the two words are “Follow Me”.
Read it: Lk 5:27-28
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
A couple more examples.
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Explain it:
At the heart of discipleship is “Following Jesus” and “leaving everything behind”.
It’s a personal relationship
Following Jesus is more than just subscribing to a set of belief statements about God. We as church subscribed to the Westminster’s Confession as good summary of how we understand the Scriptures.
It’s not just saying we agree with those statements, it is following the one who is the subject of those statements - Jesus. Not just signing off a set of confessional documents but making sure that our lives reflect it.
It is studying the bible and work out how do we live like Jesus in the 21st Century.
Yes, it’s going to look different from how Jesus did, but the principles and values are the same.
{Neighbourhood matters}
Apply it:
Since we started this series of bible study, it’s been interesting for me to watch the reaction from our church family.
Some of us are uncomfortable with this series of studies. And it’s important to say that the authors of these studies come from a different Christian tradition. Some of the things may not reflect our reformed understanding. If in doubt, chat with your growth group leader or chat with me.
But there is this discomfort for some of us because we are afraid that the gospel message we preach becomes a social gospel. Can I just say we are a long way away from this.
But others are starting to ask the question how can EPC be a blessing to our community?
It’s been asked before: “If EPC disappears from this corner of Bridge and Rawson, are people going to miss us?”
Kevin Vanhoozer - The church needs to be fit for purpose. He uses the analogy that the church needs to be like our local Gym. People come here to become fit for purpose. That means teaching, that means good healthy small groups, that means practical actions In Jesus Name.
And so if we “Blipz” and disappear, chances not many people will miss us. But instead of being angry about this, we can take responsibility for this relationship.
During this week, it has been encouraging as I see examples of people in our church living out what it means to follow Jesus.
Illustrate this:
Member of our Church this week - felt very strongly that something was not right with her neighbour and checked in on her. She couldn’t explain her strong sense of something is not right.
Re-stating it:
“Following Jesus and leaving everything behind”
Illustrate this:
Following Jesus is like being on a trazpee:
You can’t go on to Jesus and not let go.
We have to leave everything behind.
Here are some of the challenges for contempory culture. And I suspect it’s not the first time I’ve spoken about this.
The first one is
(1) Our Love for the material World
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Illustrate this:
Amazon Prime
Consumerism is our god: We can share the good thing.
(2) Our love for religion
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
Explain it:
Cain offering sacrifices to God. Wanting to please God.
But since Adam and Eve sinned, there is only one way to come before God. An animal had to die, blood had to be sacrificed in order for mankind’s nakedness to be covered. Abel brought the fat of animal. Cain should have asked to trade with his brother… but Cain decided to do his own thing.
And Cain became angry and jealous with his brother. Religion is a funny thing. Cain believed that God should just accept his offering because he offered it sincerely.
Our religion sometimes get in the way of obeying God. Next week, Peter is going to preach from Luke, when we see the story of the good samaritan - a Priest and a Levite walking away from helping someone in need because of religion.
(3) Our guilty conscience
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
Explain it:
Most people genuinely want to follow Jesus.
Our hearts will be tender. We want to do our best.
But we will always fail.
There will be grey areas.
“John Doe” the professional church walking asking for helper.
He and his partner have a dog. But he has approached us three times for money. We gave twice. But he rejects our God.
But I still don’t know if I did the right thing. But I know that God is greater than my heart.
Conclusion: Walk together in the spirit
23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Let me pray for us.