How do we follow Jesus? According to Matthew:
Jesus perfectly keeps the law of God but not all he did, he said that keeping output demand of law was not enough, God always requires the citizens of the kingdom to obey him from the heart. The good news of gospel is that the Kingdom has come bring forgives and salvation to God people and giving us new obedience hearts and our change heart gives both the power and motivation to follow Jesus with a loving faithful, joyful obedience.
How do we follow Jesus? According to Mark:
Describe discipleship as a difficult and often frustrating process in which not only suffer but also make mistakes and fail. His gospel show how often Jesus disciple failed to understand Jesus or respond in faith.
- Mar 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Mar 6:52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
Mar 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
Mar 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
Mar 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
Mar 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
Mar 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
Mar 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
One Disciple Betray Jesus
- Mar 14:9 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
- Mar 14:10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
- Mar 14:11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
One Disciple Denied Jesus
- Mar 14:29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
Mar 14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
The Rest Disciple Adandoned Jesus
- Mar 14:49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
- Mar 14:50 And they all forsook him, and fled.
Mark teaches us two thing about following Jesus;
1st just like the disciple we will not always understand Jesus, in fact we are lucky to misunderstand many thing in bible so we need to be humble enough to recognised that we all have much to learn as part of this we need to receive the bible teaching by faith knowing that God word is true even when seems strange or wrong to us.
2nd difficulties and suffering are inevitable for Heaven Citizens, they are many dangers, many temptation to turn away from following Jesus.
- Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
- Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Jesus taught that we need to be faithful in our commitment to him, have to be willing to suffer as Jesus suffer to stand against temptation and spiritual attacks, but notice something else on the above verse Jesus is not only the suffering Son of God he is also the conquering Son of God. In fact he conquers through his suffering death and if we follow him faithful and suffering for the kingdom we will be rewarded with the eternal life.
How do we follow Jesus? According to Luke:
We should have compassion on other, we should care for the poor and drive to meet their need. We should be willing to give our possession food, money and time to sustain them.
In Luke gospel following Jesus means rejoicing in our salvation and all God blessing, peacefully resting in him, trusting in him, to meets all our needs and be willing to be used by him to bring this same blessing to others.
- Luk 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
As citizens of kingdom of God, we can be confident that our great king Jesus Christ will care for us and meet our needs; Peace and Joy…
- Luk 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
- Luk 12:23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
- Luk 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
- Luk 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
- Luk 12:26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
- Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
- Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
- Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
- Luk 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
- Luk 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Peace and Joy
- Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
- Luk 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
- Luk 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
- Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
- Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
- Luk 24:52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
- Luk 24:53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
How do we follow Jesus? According to John:
The way to follow Jesus is by being Loved by God and showing the same love to each other.
Jesus established this in many ways;
- Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
- Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
- Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
- Joh 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
We follow Jesus By loving each other with his kind of Jesus Love. In this way discipleship both initiated and conducted in love.
God love for us initiates our discipleship, and God love through us to each other’s is the expression of our discipleship. This helps us understand why John referred to himself as disciple whom Jesus Loved.
- Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
- Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
