Followers of Jesus (7/25/11)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading John 12:37-43.

In spite of a rather massive national spirit of unbelief in Israel, the situation wasn't hopeless. Yahweh always has a remnant, even within the most corrupt nations. Many people, even in Israel's leadership, did believe in Jesus. The problem we're presented with here is that they feared being put out of the synagogue if they admitted to being followers of Jesus. They were much more concerned with what other people thought of them than what their God and King thought of them.

We still have people today who are more concerned with the praise of men than the pleasure of our heavenly Father. Why should we fear the opinions of sinful mankind? What is it that keeps us from being sold out in our discipleship and faith? In spite of the way many churchgoers live their lives, there's nothing casual about following Jesus. Being cautious like these Jewish leaders is primarily a hindrance to faith. It only keeps us from enjoying the rich blessings of Yahweh. And we don't really gain anything truly worthwhile by making some other people happy, because giving anything less than our all will put a major limitation on our faith walk and will also greatly limit the benefits we gain by being a follower of our Savior.

Every Christian is called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is one who believes in and helps spread the teachings of his master. A disciple is an active follower of his teacher and mentor. Christian means little Christ. When our Master isn't present, we should be a good representative of him and his teachings. Are you a disciple of Jesus the Christ? Do you believe in him, help spread his teachings, actively follow him? There is no part-time option available to us when it comes to following Jesus. At least Jesus doesn't offer us any such nonsense.

The Scriptures point out several kinds of disciples. Most receive a scolding, a few are commended for their solid commitment. We all must individually examine our own hearts to see where we fall on this list.

Casual Disciples: These are people who are quick to make excuses instead of stepping out in faith. If something is inconvenient or they feel it’s too much to ask, they have a catalog of excuses to throw out to avoid the action. Luke 9:57-62 offers us some examples of this kind of behavior. Jesus called these men, but they all made excuses not to come right away. They weren’t ready to make a full commitment to following him as their Lord and Master.

The first applicant is somewhat impulsive, a Peter kind of guy. “I will follow you wherever you go.” Our Lord’s answer to him revealed the fact that Jesus knew poverty while living on earth. When he and his disciples traveled, there wouldn’t be any reservations at the nicest inns. He was told there would be no pampered service or special privileges just because he was hanging with Jesus. The implication is that this man expected to receive some kind of blessing just by associating himself with Jesus. It appears he wasn’t going to follow Jesus because of faith, but because of the expectation of a recognition or selfish benefit. We’re not told if this man stayed with Jesus or not. We can hope he did.

The second applicant wants to follow Jesus, but first he wants to be able to bury his father. Now, Jesus isn’t forbidding him from going home to do this. The implication of the verse is that his father isn’t dead yet. Whether he was waiting for his inheritance or worried about displeasing his earthly father, Jesus claims first place in his life. Instead of dealing with death, Jesus exhorted him to proclaim the Kingdom. Life, real life, is found only in the Savior’s Kingdom. When a conflict arises between our human affections and following Jesus, Jesus says we need to follow him.

The third applicant wants a leave of absence before he ever starts following Jesus. He hasn’t even entered full-time service yet. He wasn’t touched by the urgency and importance of spreading the Gospel. He didn’t feel a passion that consumed him and helped keep his eyes on Jesus. Now what Jesus speak to this man may sound a bit harsh to us, but we must remember that Jesus knows our hearts and speaks directly to the real issues This man was being half-hearted and the Bible always speaks against that selfish attitude. Jesus used a farming illustration to make his point. You can’t plow straight lines while looking behind you. You have to pick a specific point ahead of you, and stay on target.

These men could also be called calculating disciples. They seemed to be following Jesus for the personal benefits. Their first consideration was how they would be affected by becoming disciples of Jesus. They weren’t putting Jesus or the fellowship of believers or the cause of the Gospel first. What was important to their personal lives came first. If we consider our “needs”and desires first, we may find ourselves lacking in true belief and faith. Followers of Jesus are to be disciples, letting him be the Master while we learn as apprentices. Jesus knows our needs and calls us to full-time ministry knowing how to care for each and every one of us as individuals. We don’t have to take care of our needs if we’re sold out in serving Messiah Master Jesus.

If we’re not careful we could encounter the major problem of being callous disciples. These are ones who lose sight of what’s most important, the spreading of the Gospel and the building of Yahweh’s Kingdom. We have a very “ME” oriented church in America. Receiving MY blessing is often much more important than giving one. Many hearts are hardened to spreading the love of Jesus, because they feel they haven’t received enough for themselves yet. This is very dangerous ground to inhabit. And the problem is that the longer we stay in this place, the harder our calluses get until we’re totally insensitive to our Lord’s voice.

I met a strange man. He said he believes the Bible is the Word of God, but never reads it. He says prayer changes things, but he never prays. He said he thinks well of the Church, but he never attends. He said people need the Savior, but he doesn’t lead any to him. He said a man should be honest with God about money matters, but he never tithes. He said the Church needs dedicated people, but he isn’t volunteering. He said King Jesus is returning soon, but he lives as though he never will. He is a strange man indeed.

There are also cautious disciples. Don’t be like Peter and “follow at a distance.” When Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin, Peter hid in the background. Yahweh calls us to the front of the line. Our Father wants his children to be noticeable amid the crowd of humanity. This doesn’t mean we should be reckless or obnoxious. It’s just that being a disciple of Jesus is meant to be a very public matter. Faith in the Savior isn’t a private matter, especially according to Matt 10:31-32. We’re given the option of acknowledging or disowning Jesus. That seems fair, but then read the next line. Whichever one we choose is the one Jesus will also do. Don’t be so cautious that you leave yourself on the outside looking in.

Now we can talk about the good disciples. These are committed disciples. They follow their Lord and Master closely, almost putting footprints right up the back of Jesus when he stops quickly. Committed disciples are eager and excited, wanting desperately to please their Master. Sometimes other people make fun of the zealous, but Yahweh encourages us to be filled with zeal. A person once said, “I’m a fool for Jesus. Whose fool are you?”

Jesus would say to us: “Keep about your work. Don’t flinch because the lions roar. Don’t stop to stone the devil’s dogs. Don’t fool around chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie. Let the devil do his worst. But see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work your Father has given you. Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star.”

If we’re committed to following Jesus we’ll count the cost. We’ll understand that this may cost us some serious ridicule or scorn. There will be people who not only reject the message of the Gospel, but also feel offended by our presentation of Yahweh’s truth. If we’re committed to following Jesus, we can stand strong in our faith even in the worst persecution. We’ll understand that our career path may not get us the highest salary. Yahweh’s not necessarily in the business of making us all materially rich. He deals more in spiritual riches. But we’ll also understand that the eternal benefits are fantastic. Being a committed follower of Jesus allows us to trust in his provision and be less dependent on the world’s corrupt system.

If we’re committed to following Jesus, we’ll follow as soon as he calls out to us. We’ll be quick to respond whenever we hear his summons to action. We won’t waste any time completing the tasks we’re given to do, and we won’t let our personal tasks keep us from doing what we’re told. We’ll strive to be the quickest at whatever he puts in our hand to do. We’ll work to be the best servants we can be in everything we do for our Lord and Master.

If we’re committed to following Jesus, we won’t look back longingly at what used be our lives. The things of the past are just that, the things of the past. Yahweh has blessed us with a wonderful future. It’s out ahead of us and we must be looking forward to get a glimpse of it. Just don’t run ahead and fail to accomplish today’s task.

Being a committed follower of Jesus doesn’t mean we have to enter what’s called “full-time Christian ministry.” You can do what he calls you to do wherever he happens to have you or send you. Being a committed follower doesn’t mean waiting until you’re retired to begin working directly for your Lord and Master. Let him use you right now. Let the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speak through you now. Trust in his help to be the best you can be for him. Trust that your amazing and awesome God knows what’s best.

Blessings & Peace, Mike