Luke 9:57-62:
"As they were going along the road, someone said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' To another he said, 'Follow me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' And Jesus said to him, ' Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Yet another said, ' I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.' Jesus said to him, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"
Okay, now that you've read that . . . read it again. I want you to wholly understand what you just read. Or at least remember it.
I have one question to ask: Are you a mere fan of Jesus, or a follower?
Let me define "fan": an enthusiastic admirer
"Follower" of Jesus: Committed servant
To be more than a fan, you must:
1. Count the Cost (vs. 57-58)
Are you willing to give up EVERYTHING that you have, everything that you are to follow Christ? By that I mean that you are giving up your old life, letting Christ come in and make you who He wants you to be. Are you simply wearing the cross-advertising it- or bearing it? What is keeping you from completely following Christ? "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27)
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? [29] For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, [30] saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'"(Luke 14:28-30)
Again, I say to you, count the cost of following Christ.
2. Keep CHRIST FIRST.
Look, I'm gonna be blunt here. He isn't looking to be a mere resident in your life; He is looking to be president. I ask you again, what is holding you back?
3. Never TURN BACK.
Is He one of many or your one and ONLY?
Matthew 19:29 says that whoever leaves his/her life to follow Christ will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
I have never met a person who said,"I regret following Jesus." I've never met any being who has claimed,"I regret following Jesus more fully." I have heard people say that their greatest source of joy has been found in following Him, however.
You may ask,"Why follow?"
Well, for one, He is our creator. He knows you in and out. He made you.
Secondly, He's our rescuer. He saves us from this sinful, awful world. And you get eternal life in heaven, by the way.
Lastly, He is our restorer. He heals our brokenness, pain, hurt, etc. I don't see why you shouldn't follow..
Like C.S. Lewis said,"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
In the end, Jesus is looking for followers, not mere fans.
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? [29] For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, [30] saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'"(Luke 14:28-30)
Again, I say to you, count the cost of following Christ.
2. Keep CHRIST FIRST.
Look, I'm gonna be blunt here. He isn't looking to be a mere resident in your life; He is looking to be president. I ask you again, what is holding you back?
3. Never TURN BACK.
Is He one of many or your one and ONLY?
Matthew 19:29 says that whoever leaves his/her life to follow Christ will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
I have never met a person who said,"I regret following Jesus." I've never met any being who has claimed,"I regret following Jesus more fully." I have heard people say that their greatest source of joy has been found in following Him, however.
You may ask,"Why follow?"
Well, for one, He is our creator. He knows you in and out. He made you.
Secondly, He's our rescuer. He saves us from this sinful, awful world. And you get eternal life in heaven, by the way.
Lastly, He is our restorer. He heals our brokenness, pain, hurt, etc. I don't see why you shouldn't follow..
Like C.S. Lewis said,"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important."
In the end, Jesus is looking for followers, not mere fans.
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