Professing Christians vs. Following Disciples
Follow – go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind; go along (a route or path)
Everybody is following something, whether it be TV shows, a newspaper column, sports teams, or blogs. People follow people with the help of Facebook and Twitter. For some reason we care what other people are doing. It’s interesting to us that a celebrity is having a baby, or getting coffee, or going to jail! We want to know what people think and have to say, what they know, and most of the time, don’t know. We can follow workout plans and financial plans. We all remember the game FOLLOW the leader and early in our life we learn to FOLLOW the rules.
We are all following a certain path. For some people it may be good grades in high school and college and then a good job afterward. Some are following after a particular social status or the “good life” and we follow other peoples paths hoping it will take us to the same destination.
Before the word “Christian” appears in the Bible (Acts 11:26), Jesus’ disciples were followers. This was not just a label given to someone because they went to church on Sunday, it was because they gave up their life to go after or follow Jesus.
So, a few things to remember as we follow:
Luke 5:27-28 – (27) 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 leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
- Jesus Found Me. I didn’t find Him. It’s important to remember this because salvation has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him. People in prison are visited by people on the outside and not the other way around. Jesus reveals himself to the disciples before asking anything of them. It is only when we see Jesus and His grace that we are put into a position to follow after Him. People who follow Jesus without revelation of Jesus only follow when it’s convenient, around their Christian friends, or only follow because they live in the south and that’s what you’re supposed to do.
- The Invitation to Follow Jesus, Not Rules - After Jesus reveals himself, he then says the words, “Follow Me.” (Mt 4:19; Mk 2:14; Jn 1:43) What Jesus doesn’t say is “I found you, here is a copy of the 10 commandments, please sign and date at the bottom.” He says “Follow ME”. Discipleship is all about following. When you’re in love with someone you go after and pursue them. We may want the Christian label to get us into Heaven, but you only receive a label when you operate in that position. A Christian is to be Christ-like and Christ-likeness only comes from a life of following the one you’re trying to act like.
- Leaving Everything Behind – Followers see Jesus as the most important pursuit in life. We have to stop saying He is first and start acting like it. Unbelievers are not impressed because we get up on Sunday morning to attend church or even in giving up a couple hours on Wednesday nights. People were drawn to Jesus because he had answers, he walked in the power of God, and displayed a life of love, peace, and joy. Leaving everything behind doesn’t mean to quite your job or drop out of school, it means that on your job and at your school you continue to follow. A follower doesn’t stop following from 8:00-5:00 to do their “worldly” duties. Jesus wasn’t only at church, in fact growing up in as a carpenters son, he probably swung a hammer and built furniture and was sore at the end of the day like the rest of us. God’s plan if for people to be in business, government, the education system, entertainment, music, as well as ministry offices. But the bottom line is, are you willing to lay aside your desires to follow?
Jesus tells Peter to “follow me” at the beginning of the book of John. At the very end Jesus leaves Peter with the same instructions, John 21:19 “…And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” We can get caught up with the do’s and do not’s of Christianity but it really all comes down to how close you’re following.
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