Follow the Leader
There is a game called “follow the leader” and as long as you do exactly as the
leader, you stay in the game, but when you don’t, you are put out of the game.
The dictionary defines follow as – to imitate, to copy, to be guided by. Ephesians 5:
1-2 says “be you therefore; followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to
God, for a sweet smelling savor”.
Following Christ means leaving everything else behind and devoting ourselves to
Him. It takes a true commitment, and there can be a risk of death, and no turning
back (Luke 9:62) “and Jesus said to him, no man, having put his hands to the plow,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. And also in (Matthew 10:37-39).
Jesus told many to follow Him, each time He called His disciples, He told them to
follow Me. And they all left all and followed Him (Matthew 4:20,22,25; 9:9; 16:24).
Jesus tells the rich young man in Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said to him, if you will be
perfect, go and sell that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have
treasure in heaven, and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”. But when His
disciples heard this, they were amazed and “then answered Peter and said to Him,
behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You, what shall we have therefore? And
Jesus said to them, verily I say to you. That you which have followed Me, in the
regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall
sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that has
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for My sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life”.
You see the rich man through that he was going to lose everything, but Jesus
explained that those who followed Him would increase.
Many people have come to Jesus and have accepted Him as their Savior, but they
don’t follow Him. But Jesus says “and why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the
things which I say? Whosoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings, and does
them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built an house, and
dig deep, and laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the stream
beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a
rock. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built a
house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great”.
God predestined for us to conform to the image of His dear Son, and He anointed
us to do so (Romans 8:29-30) “for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and
whom He called, them He also justified and whom He justified, them He also
glorified”.
Then He made a way to equip us (Ephesians 4:11-15) “and He gave some,
apostles and some prophets, and some evangelist and some pastors and
teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”.
Jesus only did what the Father did (John 5:19-20) “verily, verily I say to you, the
Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, for what things so
ever He does, these also does the Son likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and
shows Him all things that Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than
these, that you may marvel”.
Jesus also tells us in John 14:12 “verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes on Me,
the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go to My Father”. And again He says in Mark 16:17-18 “and these signs
shall follow them that believe, in My name, shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly
thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover”. The key is for us to stay connected with the Vine.
We can thank God that He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide (John 16:13-14)
“however, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He
shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and
He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine,
and shall show it to you”. Romans 8:14-16 says “for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. for you have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby, we
cry, Abba Father. The Spirit, Himself, bears witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God”.
Jesus Himself through out the gospels, gives us good doctrine, and as we read
what He did and follow His examples, we will see what we should do. He spoke to
the wind, the fig tree and told us to speak to the mountain and tell it where to go
(Mark 11:22-24). Remember that God calls those things that be not as though they
are (Romans 4:17). So, let us follow Jesus and give glory to God.
Jesus warns in Matthew 7:21-23 “not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to Me in that day Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your
name; and in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you depart from Me
you that work iniquity”.
Paul tells the churches as he preaches to them “follow me, as I follow Christ”, in I
Corinthians 11:1 it says “be you followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”. And
in Philippians 3:17 it says “brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them
which walk so as you have us for an example”. This same advice is for us today, we
have to examine the fruit of those we will follow.
We are warned in II Timothy 3 and in II Peter 3 that in the last days, scoffers will
come to deceive many. That’s why we must study to show our self approved of God.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 19, 2010
There is a game called “follow the leader” and as long as you do exactly as the
leader, you stay in the game, but when you don’t, you are put out of the game.
The dictionary defines follow as – to imitate, to copy, to be guided by. Ephesians 5:
1-2 says “be you therefore; followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to
God, for a sweet smelling savor”.
Following Christ means leaving everything else behind and devoting ourselves to
Him. It takes a true commitment, and there can be a risk of death, and no turning
back (Luke 9:62) “and Jesus said to him, no man, having put his hands to the plow,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. And also in (Matthew 10:37-39).
Jesus told many to follow Him, each time He called His disciples, He told them to
follow Me. And they all left all and followed Him (Matthew 4:20,22,25; 9:9; 16:24).
Jesus tells the rich young man in Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said to him, if you will be
perfect, go and sell that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have
treasure in heaven, and come and follow Me. But when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”. But when His
disciples heard this, they were amazed and “then answered Peter and said to Him,
behold, we have forsaken all, and followed You, what shall we have therefore? And
Jesus said to them, verily I say to you. That you which have followed Me, in the
regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, you also shall
sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that has
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for My sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life”.
You see the rich man through that he was going to lose everything, but Jesus
explained that those who followed Him would increase.
Many people have come to Jesus and have accepted Him as their Savior, but they
don’t follow Him. But Jesus says “and why call you Me, Lord, Lord and do not the
things which I say? Whosoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings, and does
them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built an house, and
dig deep, and laid the foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the stream
beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a
rock. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built a
house upon the earth, against which the stream did beat vehemently and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great”.
God predestined for us to conform to the image of His dear Son, and He anointed
us to do so (Romans 8:29-30) “for whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and
whom He called, them He also justified and whom He justified, them He also
glorified”.
Then He made a way to equip us (Ephesians 4:11-15) “and He gave some,
apostles and some prophets, and some evangelist and some pastors and
teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. That we hereafter be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”.
Jesus only did what the Father did (John 5:19-20) “verily, verily I say to you, the
Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do, for what things so
ever He does, these also does the Son likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and
shows Him all things that Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than
these, that you may marvel”.
Jesus also tells us in John 14:12 “verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes on Me,
the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do,
because I go to My Father”. And again He says in Mark 16:17-18 “and these signs
shall follow them that believe, in My name, shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly
thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover”. The key is for us to stay connected with the Vine.
We can thank God that He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide (John 16:13-14)
“however, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He
shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and
He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine,
and shall show it to you”. Romans 8:14-16 says “for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. for you have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby, we
cry, Abba Father. The Spirit, Himself, bears witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God”.
Jesus Himself through out the gospels, gives us good doctrine, and as we read
what He did and follow His examples, we will see what we should do. He spoke to
the wind, the fig tree and told us to speak to the mountain and tell it where to go
(Mark 11:22-24). Remember that God calls those things that be not as though they
are (Romans 4:17). So, let us follow Jesus and give glory to God.
Jesus warns in Matthew 7:21-23 “not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in
heaven. Many will say to Me in that day Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your
name; and in Your name have cast out devils? And in Your name done many
wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you depart from Me
you that work iniquity”.
Paul tells the churches as he preaches to them “follow me, as I follow Christ”, in I
Corinthians 11:1 it says “be you followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”. And
in Philippians 3:17 it says “brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them
which walk so as you have us for an example”. This same advice is for us today, we
have to examine the fruit of those we will follow.
We are warned in II Timothy 3 and in II Peter 3 that in the last days, scoffers will
come to deceive many. That’s why we must study to show our self approved of God.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 19, 2010
