Following JESUS (Part 1)

Neglected Behaviour

Following JESUS  (Part 1)

"Be covered with the dust of His feet."

(להיות מכוסה באבק רגליו)

Following Story

Do you remember the game called Follow the leader we played as children? You would walk behind the leader and copy his or hers every move. We all loved to play these games as children, the problem with the game was when we grew up we didn’t want to play them any more.

We wanted to be individuals and follow in our own footsteps, yes as adults isn’t it strange how the teen idols become not so important but rather individualism became the in thing. Yes to be your own person going and making your own way for your self.

Individualism a big word for us now a stage we would try to live in for the rest of our lives on this earth unless we meet with Christ.

Yes today I want to talk to you on Following JESUS.

Being a Rabbi in Jesus time upon this earth was like this.

To become a Rabbi

A Rabbi was seen as a great teacher in Jesus days.

To train to be a Rabbi was only a path that a selected few Jews would achieve.

Becoming a Rabbi entailed intense training in the Torah

Education of the Torah would start from the age of 5 years old.

By the age of 10 you would know and understand the Torah.

By 13 years you would be able to recite the fist 5 books of the bible with out making a mistake. You also be deemed ready to obey the commandments.

At 15 you would become a Talmud which would mean you were able to Rabbi Interpretations of the Torah.

At 18 the bride-chamber,

At 20 pursuing a vocation,

At 30 for authority (able to teach others).

i.e. make disciples of your own.

1.  When the Rabbi says, "Come"

Mat 4:19  Jesus said to them, "Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people."

Are you a disciple of Jesus?

If so, what does that mean to you?

How do you think Jesus sees that term disciple?

To walk in the footsteps of Jesus is to be sensitive to the needs of the others.

How sensitive are you to others at the moment.

If Jesus had to say to you COME today would you be prepared to leave everything and I mean everything prephas it would even mean leaving your family your wife your children and be prepared to follow the path which Jesus would take you on.

Have thought a bought following Jesus?

Im sure you must know the first step to receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour I hope you have done that.

John 3v16

So we find Jesus he goes to Galilee and he calls disciples of fisherman normal men to follow him. The bible say they followed him.

When Jesus says to you COME where do you find your self. Have you heard him call you? Im sure he did say the word I”ve got to ask did you choose not to hear.

Prephas we don’t hear because we don’t want to follow any one at all. We want to live our own individual life.

Jesus ask more than we are prepared to give up.

Years ago my family moved from Durban to Benoni, we choose to travel in two cars my mother and I followed in the smaller car we followed my father as he knew the way he had been that road before to Benoni. My mother had never travelled far and she was not going to let that car get out of her sight she said.

My mother drove a separate car following behind my father, who carried the only map. She worked hard to keep up, but she lost sight of him in the city’s congested traffic and we got separated. Not accustomed to driving on streets of Johannesburg my mother found herself driving aimlessly through an unfamiliar city looking for the right direction.

I learned a valuable lesson from my mother’s frightening experience: When travelling through unfamiliar territory, it is wise to follow closely behind the one who leads us. If too much distance is permitted between ourselves and the one who knows the way, we may wind up drifting off course.

2. When the Rabbi says, "Go"      Mat 8:9  I order this one, 'Go!' and he goes!

What did Jesus mean when he commanded, “Go and make

disciples”?

Are you making disciples?

Once you have been called heard the word COME then you must hear the next call which I feel is go.

To follow is to step out left, right yes step out, are you stepping out are you going anywhere for Jesus is what I ask to day. Maybe we choose not to answer the go because it brings the action part the doing a bit more than following.

Is to GO perhaps a bit harder than COME I think so but Jesus wants to go and make disciples of all nations that was his final command to the disciples. To take the word to all the earth. Follow COME and then GO where are you on the map can you see if you are getting to step left and then right follow the leader simple is it not.

Jesus doesn’t make it complicated we do.

To GO was to obey to walk in the footsteps of the leader and not step of the path. Are you still on the correct path?

Im sure we know the path to follow the question is how well do we follow. COME then GO follow the leader.

“Go…and make friends!”

“help people belong…”

 “And teach them my commands.”

“Go…and make friends!”

I remember the first time I tried to tell someone about Jesus yes I really mess it up. But I started that was the difference. I heard GO I started the next time was a bit better and so each time I’ve tried to do it better and better and God has helped me I know more now and I’m sure sometimes it is working as I can see the results can you see results of people you have shared Jesus with. What an easy way to do GO make friends. Im sure you can do that.

3. Living in The Presence of God Deut 4:10  so that they will learn to obey me as long as they live

Is it possible to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples

and not be part of a community of faithful people? Are you part of a genuine community of Jesus?

Are you par taking in the community around you do you get involved.

The Acts first Christians did this they lived as a community they lived in the presence of GOD you could see GOD in the way which they lived, can people say the same about us.

Those first believers help each other and they helped the church. They built the first churches. They participated in the work of the church. They sold every thing they had and gave they money to the church.

How far are we willing to go for Jesus when He says COME when He says GO when He says assist in the community. Are we following Jesus can people see His dust on our feet.

You are the light to the world how bright is your light shining for Jesus can people see what you are doing?

ACTS 6:1-7: At a time when the number of believers was greatly increasing in the church, there arose a dispute, a problem between those in the Greek community, and those in the Hebrew community. The widows in the Greek community, they claimed, were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food; so they went to the leadership of the church, and the twelve disciples came together and said, “It's not good for us to neglect the ministry of the Word. So you select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, men who are wise and who are full of the spirit, and we'll put them in charge of this task of seeing there's equal distribution among all of you. And we'll continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. This solution really pleased the members of the congregation, so they selected seven men to serve: Stephen, Philip, and five others. And they brought these seven men before the apostles, before the leaders of the church. And they laid hands on these seven men and prayed for them and blessed them for this ministry. And at this time the Word of God continued to spread throughout the land, and at this time the number of believers continued to increase in the church and in the city of Jerusalem . And even many, many priests were coming to know Jesus and come to faith.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last!

“Come to me, 
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…”
– Matthew 11:28-29

Pals Group Questions

1. How well do you know the Bible?

2. When Jesus says “COME” how close to Him do you get? 

3. Are you spending your life trying to live like JESUS did?

4. How do you as a follower of Jesus live among believers?