Tonight we looked at another description of God’s people in the Bible: we are followers. Passages such as Matthew 4:18-22, John 1:35-41 and Matthew 9:9 show us Jesus calling disciples to follow Him, and He still calls people to follow Him today. Not all those He called chose to follow (see Matt 8:19-22, Mark 10:21-22), but He made it plain that discipleship means denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily and following Him – even when we do not understand or know where He is leading us! (Mark 8:34-37)
Following Jesus means leaving our old way of life behind (as the fishermen did to become fishers of men) and embracing a new life where we are not in the driver’s seat (see Matt 16:24-26, The Message). This path can feel very uncertain, but we learn from the example of Jesus. (Heb 12:1-3) The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is still the means of salvation for all (see 1 Cor 1:18-25), and as we embrace the Jesus way of doing things, we will find freedom in following Him.
Ultimately, we know that our destination is secure with God, and this helps us as we journey through life with all its uncertainties and troubles. God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5) and therefore we have hope. Jesus is our navigator through every circumstance of life. If we are in trouble, we should pray and seek God’s deliverance. (James 5:13) If we are sick, we should call the elders of the church to pray over us and anoint us with oil in the name of the Lord, expecting God’s healing. (James 5:14) Whatever our circumstances, we should seek to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks. (1 Thess 5:16-18) When we face temptation, we can be confident that God will make a way out for us so that we do not sin. (1 Cor 10:13, James 1:13-15) When we sin and make mistakes, we can confess our sins and know the forgiveness and cleansing that Jesus brings. (1 John 1:9) In every situation, we are called to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, leaning on His wisdom rather than on our own understanding. (Prov 3:5-6)
When we choose the Jesus way over the world’s way (His way of love, surrender, forgiveness, blessing, grace, mercy and worship), the world will see not only something worth following, but someone worth following. Just as the Israelites were led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, we will be led by God to an eternal destination, and we will be known as followers of God. There is no greater identity we could ever have.
