Follower

This week we are speaking about what it takes to be a Follower.

Follower
Luke 9:23
The Bible tells us in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” In the Gospel Jesus says “believe in me” 5 times, he says “follow me” about 20. He offers us live but calls us to die. So the question to ask yourself is straightforward: “Are you a completely committed follower of Jesus?” Many of us think of ourselves as followers but when we are standing in front of God, the truth may be that we are just a fan. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”In Matthew 7 there are several questions that need to be addressed when determining if you are a follower:

Question 1: Do you live out what you say you believe? (Matthew 7:21)

We are saved by faith in Christ, but it is important to realize that faith without works is dead. Faith is not something to simply be confessed through the mouth, it must be confessed through our lives.

Question 2: Do you measure yourself as a follower by the good things you have done? (Matthew 7:22).

Placing confidence in works of righteousness leads to a life of simply following the rules instead of knowing and following Christ.

Question 3: Do you Know Jesus? (Matthew 7:23).

Jesus says that it all comes down to this: Do you know Jesus? Does he have your heart? Is He everything to you? Do you invest more in this relationship than in any other relationship? Have you confused knowing about Jesus with actually knowing Jesus?



What is keeping you from being a completely committed follower? Many of us settle for being a fan.



There is so much we overlook from the invitation of Luke 9:23. When Jesus said to take up a cross, it sounded completely different to the First Century Christian who had seen hundreds of people hanging bloody and naked along the dusty roads of Palestine. When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” those First Century Christians had an exact understanding of what he meant. Today, Jesus is still concerned with those who commit to doing what he asks. This is the mark of a follower.