“My disciple must…follow Me…”
To follow someone or some teaching is to act in accordance with that example or instruction. It is to adhere to, to stick to, to abide by, comply with, or conform to. It means most certainly to obey, and to do so because of personal regard, surrender or willful acceptance.
Take the most simplest of things… like playing a game for example. All the players must first know and then agree together to follow the rules, otherwise no sense at all exists in even starting to play. Or suppose you want to get to an unfamiliar destination. Perhaps you buy a roadmap or hire a guide. It would obviously be foolish and possibly quite dangerous to ignore these and make up your own way as you travel along. Not just any way will do! You must follow the one who knows the one true way.
Jesus invites us to life eternal with Him in His Kingdom. Before His departure Jesus gave us a most simplified illustration as to how to know, and find strength, and follow Him to that Kingdom. He Himself IS that One true Way. “I Am the Way,” He said. “Abide in Me.”
Christ is the vehicle. He has already paid the costly fare. The way to follow Him is to surrender our ideas as to the route, leave where we now are, bid Him entry into fellowship with us that we may enter into fellowship with Him, then stay in Him… “abide” in Him.
We follow Christ not by strength of human determination. That effort is always futile. We follow Christ by living in Him, surrendering to and becoming enabled by His Spirit living in us. We “abide by” Him as we “abide in” Him.
Follow Him today! (John 10:27; 12:26; 21:19).
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 nkjv)
Press on…
To hear Pastor Andrew’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.
thebrokenrunner 