Sunday November 4, 2007

If I Call Myself a Christian, Does That Mean I Have to Follow Jesus?
Mark 1:16-20

I. Introduction

Today is the first of three messages that will focus on our nationwide Free Methodist initiative known as “One More Soul.”

This is the third year of the initiative that seeks to challenge all our members to enter a lifestyle of watching and listening, then sharing Jesus Christ with people who need Him.

Every day people all around us flow in and out of our lives, but we often don’t see their pain and brokenness. Sometimes we are fooled by their external appearance. Sometimes we are just distracted by our own concerns and activities.

One more soul supports the simple vision of being a follower of Christ and assisting others in becoming His followers.
Being disciples and making disciples — this is the passion behind the One More Soul initiative.

How does this nationwide initiative affect us?

First, we are being asked to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His fields. We need people to be
called of God to go and spread the good news about salvation through Jesus Christ. (What opportunities do you have to pray? At church, at home?)

Second, we are being encouraged to share the good news right where we are. The passion for one more soul is a passion we need. The world is teeming with people who do not know Jesus Christ. The United States is now the fifth largest mission field. Share the good news daily. (What opportunities do you have to share? At church, at home?)

Finally we are being asked to give generously! Give faithfully! Give joyfully! There is no greater joy than being part of winning others to Christ. (What opportunities do you have to give? At church, at home?)

Over the last two years we have taken up an offering to help others in ministry across the nation who are committed to this goal. This year on December 2 when one of our missionaries (the Dunbar family) will be speaking, we are going to be taking up a second offering to send as an extra gift to the missionaries we support (the Dunbars, the Bartletts, and Shane Scheib).

So with that introduction, I would like to talk about what it means to follow Jesus. I have entitled my message “If I Call Myself a Christian, Does That Mean I Have to Follow Jesus?”

This may seem like an odd title, but I have found over the many years that I have been in ministry that people come to Christ for a lot of reasons and have a variety of ideas about what it means to be a Christian. (Why do you think people come to Christ?)

II. A Few Thoughts on What it Means to Follow Jesus

Let’s begin with a definition of the name Christian: it means “follower of Christ” or “to be like Christ.”

It looks like we have an answer to our question right from the start – if we are truly Christians then we are called to be followers of Christ.

So, what does that mean? Let’s look together at what Jesus says directly about what it means to follow Him.

A. Following Jesus may require that you make certain sacrifices.

“Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ 20 But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.’
21 Another of his disciples said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ 22 But Jesus told him,
‘Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.’” (Matthew 8:19-22, NLT)

Here Jesus tries to make it clear that those who followed Him were not guaranteed that they would stay in the finest hotels or that to follow Him would be convenient to their own personal time schedules.

Henri Nouwen once wrote about the ministry that happens in the interruptions. Let’s look at a typical day in the life of Jesus:

In Luke chapter 8 we see a very busy Jesus. He has come by boat to Capernaum and immediately a crowd gathers.
As He is teaching the people he is interrupted by Jairus, a synagogue leader who asks Jesus to come and heal his
dying daughter.

On his way to do that, he is interrupted again by a woman who has a severe problem with bleeding. (Tell the story)

Now you and I would probably go home very frustrated by this day of interruptions! “I couldn't get a THING
done today!” we would explode to our spouse.

Let us pray that God would open our eyes, ears, hands and hearts to such interruptions in which He provides us opportunities to give mercy and love to those who so desperately need it!

B. Following Jesus requires that we completely leave our old life behind.

“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him.” (Luke 5:27-28, NRSV)

C. Following Jesus requires that we love Him more than anyone else.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” (Matthew 10:37, NRSV)

I almost did not include this because it so radical, but Jesus said it so I present it to you.

Let me say two brief things along these lines – first, as a parent, to love Jesus more than your family does not mean that
you abandon your family to pursue what you believe to be the call of God on your life.

The Scriptures are clear concerning the role of spouses and parents. To love Jesus is to love your spouse and your
children and to care for them as He commands.

Second, as a child (particularly older children), we may have to make that decision and it can be a painful one. To follow Jesus may lead us away from our families.

D. Following Jesus means that He is in control of our lives

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my
sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will
they give in return for their life?’” (Matthew 16:24-26, NRSV)

We know we have laid down our own lives when we are willing to live as Jesus lived (picking up our cross) and allow
Him to be the one in control of our lives.

Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters. Although He specifically is speaking about serving God or being a slave to
the materialism of the world, the principle applies to whatever we might put before Him – listen to the passage:

“You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.” (Matthew 6:24, The Message)

Jesus speaks of the danger for any disciple to attempt to live a double life, in fact, it is impossible to successfully live
a “double life.”

Every one of Jesus’ listeners knew it would be impossible to be a slave to two masters — the job description for a slave just would not permit it! A slave could not “moonlight” and be slave to another master. It would be totally impossible to serve two masters!

III. How Can I Know That I am Truly Following Jesus?

A. Do my actions represent well who Jesus is?

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17, NLT)

Paul was able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV)

B. Do my thoughts reflect my devotion to Christ?

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and
right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
(Philippians 4:8, NLT)

C. Do I love others as Jesus loves them?

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of
God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love… 16 God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world… 20 If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for
if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.”
(1 John 4:7-8, 16-17, 20-21, NLT)

D. Do I have the heart of God towards those who do not know Him?

“As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the
sea — for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’”
(Mark 1:16-17, NRSV)

He did not say, “Follow me and you will go to heaven.” He had a mission for them to accomplish.

This brings us back full circle, to the passage that we read together earlier and to the heart of the One More Soul initiative.

As followers of Christ we are called to love others enough to share the Good News with them.

Now you may be tempted after a message like this to say, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
(John 6:60, NIV)

If so, you would join probably millions of people over the centuries that have considered the cost of following Jesus too high, just like those people of Jesus’ day who turned away from Him.

Why would we willingly respond to anyone or anything that requires so much?

I think we will find at least a partial answer when Jesus asked Peter essentially the same question.

“Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ 28 Jesus
said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his
glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.’” (Matthew 19:27-29, NRSV)

IV. Application

So, what can we do that will help us follow Jesus?

   1. Receive Jesus as Savior and follow Him as Lord.

   2. Be filled and stay filled with the Holy Spirit.

      Practice the daily disciplines of prayer, reflection and Scripture reading.

   3. Be honest with God and others about your struggles.

   4. Stay in community.

      Many people live in “crowded loneliness” with lots of acquaintances but few friends. There is great protective
      power in developing vital relationships in the family of faith.

   5. Stay accountable and be teachable.

      Do you have anyone who speaks truth into your life?

      Do you continue to grow and learn, no matter how long you have followed Jesus?

   6. Don’t allow the cares of this life and the riches of the world to choke out your relationship with Jesus.