Sermon Tone Analysis

Last night my Father-in-law asked me to join in his program online through phone call, and we talked about the hymn I have decided to follow Jesus.

My day started yesterday with after spending some time with God, I briefly looked on Facebook, I think I looked at about four or five post and one of those post were from, the president of the state convention, who shared Galatians 1:10

As I read that verse God spoke to me, when I say God spoke to me, I do not mean in an audible voice like I am right now, but it was very clear that God was saying, to me.

He was telling me, that I have to keep my eyes on him, that I am to serve him, I have been called by God, and my direction and leading is to come from God and not by man.

Then my Father-in-law called and asked me to help out with his program last night, and he then sent me the notes he had for it.

And God began speaking to me again, and God has lead me to share from that tonight.

I have decided to follow Jesus - Hymn 305

When looking at the hymn, it references John 12:26

The first verse of the hymn is I have decided to follow Jesus - we see a great example of this in Mark 1:17-18

We are told who Jesus was talking to in verse 16, this is Simon or who we better know him by as Peter and his brother Andrew, they are fishing as verse 16 says, casting a net into the sea - for they were fishermen.

Jesus calls them to follow me, and I will make you fish for people.

Jesus is calling them to leave their career, not something that they were doing for a hobby, or for fun that day but this was the family business.

Verse 18 says, immediately they left their nets and followed him.

They did not ask questions, they did not stop to think about it, but immediately they dropped their nets, and left the family business to follow Jesus.

Verse 2 of the hymn says, though none go with me, I still will follow - Matthew 10:38

The verses leading up to this verse, Jesus is telling the people he has not come to bring peace, Matthew 10:34-37

Another words there are going to be times when others will not go with us, when God calls us to go, but we are to follow his calling, it might be that calling is just for us, or it might be that they are not willing to follow God into that situation.

But no matter what the situation, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus and push forward with the calling he has given us.

Verse 3 of the hymn - My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus - After predicting his own death Jesus then calls the people to himself telling them this in Mark 8:34-37

If we are going to follow Jesus, we have to first and foremost deny ourselves, that is our wants, our wishes, our desires, our goals, our dreams, and take up our cross, this is we are to give up everything for Jesus, and for serving Jesus.

That even means to the point of losing our lives if it comes to that point, we are to do whatever Jesus calls us to in order to share the gospel message, we are to go wherever he sends, no matter what, as we are told take up your cross and follow me.

If we want to just save our own life, that is our reward, another words the things that we gain here on earth is our reward, but if we are willing to give our life up to sharing the gospel message and to the point of losing our life, than we will gain rewards in heaven.

What does it profit to gain all the rewards here on earth bot yet lose eternal life, what will you give in exchange for eternal life?

I am willing to give up everything here on earth, because my God has give me everything, I am just borrowing it for a time, in order that I can share his love and grace to others, that they may come to salvation.

The final verse is - The world behind me, the cross before me -

We are told in Philippians 3:13-14

We have to put the past in the past, the world behind us, and look toward the prize, keep our eyes on Jesus.

Jesus gives us a very bold statement in Luke 9:62

If we are going to follow Jesus, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, because if we are going to say well my former life was better, or I liked it more, I like my former friends more, they are more fun, etc.

But when we accept Jesus, we are to keep our eyes on him, we are not to look back and second guess things, but follow Jesus, and deny ourselves.

With a large crowd following him and the disciples, Jesus turns and says to them in Luke 14:26-27

People hear verse 26 and think man that is rough, but what Jesus is saying here is that we must love Jesus supremely, that is more than we love our own flesh and blood, our wife, children, siblings, parents, and even ourselves.

If we do not love Jesus more than anything else we cannot be his disciple, we must then bear our cross and follow him, and if we cannot do that then we cannot be a disciple of Jesus.

But the thing is we hear the word hate there in verse 26, and we immediately think, wow I though Jesus says we are to love everyone, and now he is saying we are to hate our family.

The word hate there in the Greek does not suggest a positive antagonism that is Jesus is not telling us to be actively hostile or in opposition to our family, but it is to rather to love them less than we love him.

Again it is that we are to love Jesus first and foremost, He is to be number one in our life, we are to love him supremely above everything else in our lives.

Our love for Christ must be so strong that all other love is like hatred in comparison.

Last night we went on talking about Peter walking on the water, and how when he took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink into the water.

But what God has spoken to me is, that we have to keep our eyes on Jesus, there can be a lot of distraction in this world, these distractions can come from things such as, friends, family, our own wants, goals, dreams, and desires.

But we must keep our eyes on Jesus, see when we decided to follow Jesus, he did not say life would be easy, but he did say that world will hate us.

He tells us we will face persecution in our life as Christians - Matthew 5:10-11

We cannot allow the things in life to distract us, no matter what or who they are, some times people think they are trying to do what is right, they believe they are doing the right thing, and even have the best interest in their hearts but in reality it may be distracting the person from hear what God is leading, or may cause the person to get their eyes off of Jesus.

We cannot allow thing or others to do that, we must keep grounded and keep our focus on Jesus, in order that we are able to clearly hear from God.

As we are to follow Jesus, not what others would have us to do, Galatians 1:10

We are to be servants of Christ, to please and glorify God, not man.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, take up your cross and follow him.