ARE YOU FOLLOWING JESUS?
Can You Be Sure?
Typically, in our church buildings and organizations today, we are being taught or “fed” an entertainment based gospel intermixed with just enough religion and “Bible idealism” to make us think that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not saying the information presented in the sermons you may hear is incorrect. I am saying that it is just that – It is information. Most of these sermons are recitals, stories and narratives of what is written in the Bible. It is left to you to decide what to do with that information, how to apply or use that information in your daily life and why applying what you have heard is important.
Compounding the problem of making these decisions, as I see it, is the fact that methods used by churches to communicate this Bible recitals, stories and narratives is by way of,
Religious Lectures
Religious Addresses
Religious Discourses
Gospel Preaching
Bible Sermons
Religious Teaching
Christian Discipleship training
Studies show that most people don’t remember sermons, lectures, addresses or speeches. They don’t even remember paragraphs. What people remember are simple statements, slogans, and phrases. I don’t remember any speech John F. Kennedy gave, but most of us of a certain age remember his statements,
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” and, “I am a Berliner!”
I don’t remember any sermon preached by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but I do remember his famous phrase,
“I have a dream!”
People tend to remember:
10% of what they read.
20% of what they only hear.
30% of what they only see.
50% of what they see and hear.
70% of what they say and write down.
90% of what they DO
People will more frequently remember simple repeated statements, slogans, and phrases.
This is the difference between having the truthful statement and knowing the truth.
But most churches are giving sermons that are little more than narratives about the Bible. That is not to say, they are informative and educational, and some are even inspirational – at times. Sometimes these narratives even conclude with a moral motto or an exercise on ethics. Other times the hearer is left to make their own conclusions.
But this is like an alphabet soup. All the letters are in there, but they are all mixed up – just floating around in a broth, so you can nibble on the ones you find to your liking.
Conversely, God has a Message, and His Message gives us His Purpose, His Plan and His Methods and directions for life. It is for us and all of His creation. You can live but you cannot live successfully without it.
One man simply puts it this way:
“Listen. Do you hear God calling you? If you can hear Him, you should listen. And He can change your life in amazing and radical ways, if you really do wish to change. If you wish to become a different person altogether in the sight of God and man; if you really do want health and peace of mind, and spiritual growth that leads to maturity, then Jesus, clearly shows you how it is to be done. The task is not an easy one, but we know that it can be accomplished, because there are those who have done it, but there is a price which must be paid; and the price is the actual carrying out of these principles in every corner of your heart, mind, soul, life, and in every daily transaction, whether you feel like it or not, whether you want to or not, and more particularly where you would much rather not.
If you are prepared to pay that price in order to really and truly break with the ‘old man or woman’, and to allow God to start the creation of the new one, then the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and following Him will indeed be your Sermon on the Mount of Redemption, Salvation, and Liberation.”
Jesus’ Gospel Message and plan shows that there is a purpose to His creation. It shows that there was and is a beginning that had and still has a purpose. His Message and Plan has an end with a purpose, and He has prepared an eternity with a purpose, waiting for those who respond. And whether you believe it or not, does not change one iota of His Message, His Purpose, His Plan and His Method. But whether you believe it or not, does make all the difference for you.
Here is a brief outline of His Message, His Purpose, His Plan and His Methods, for you, from its beginning to the end:
- In the beginning God created. (Genesis1:1-3).
- Humankind was created with a flaw; a sin nature. (Genesis 2:17).
- Humankind sinned and thereby failed, and condemned themselves to toil in the soil by the sweat of our brow, and ultimately to eternal destruction. (Genesis 3:19).
- The great global deluge, also known has Noah’s flood, was a harbinger of things to come and an example of God’s judgements. He says there is a judgement coming, however, such as the world has never seen and will never see again.
- God provided a remedy for our sin-flaw and for our ultimate destruction; a Savior to redeem us and to save us from our sin, failure and destruction. (John 3:16).
- There are those who say they don’t believe this and that they don’t need to be saved. Their ultimate end is set. They will live and they will die and that is the end. And they are right, for themselves, if they believe that. They will indeed perish.
- God, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, our redeemer and Savior, made a way for us to live now and eternally with Him. He gives us an internal roadmap for life and for our eternity. And, by this one offering, this sacrifice, God is bringing us into the sinless perfection that is required to be in His presence. And by this one sacrifice, He is perfecting all those who are being sanctified – that is being made right and holy with Him. (Hebrews 10:14).
- God, through many trials, persecutions and tribulation, is perfecting us to the image of Christ. (Daniel 12:10, Romans 8, Corinthians 3, Ephesians 4).
- We must endure to the end of this testing in order to be saved. (Matthew 24:13).
- He is coming, at the sounding of the trumpet, on the clouds where every eye will see Him, and He will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other, and we will be with Him forever. (Matthew 24:29-31).
- He will gather His armies and defeat His enemies and cast them into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:11-29).
- In the End, He will have created a new heaven and a new earth. Perfect in every respect. We will live with Him, in His perfect presence, and with one another (those who have been called and chosen), in the new Jerusalem, our perfect home in heaven, forever. (Revelation 21, 22).
Everything that occurs in everyone’s lifetime is part of this process. Some will respond and begin this process of being made into His perfect image.
However, be aware that much of what happens in your lifetime will be nothing more than a distraction, and unless you keep your mind focused on Christ and His Calling, His Message, His Purpose, His Plan and His Methods, you can be distracted and in danger of straying.
Let me break it down this way:
- THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE JESUS SAYS
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But the Good News is,
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes Him should not perish but have eternal life.
And Jesus instructs us in,
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Romans 10:9, “Because, (it is only) if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
John 3:3, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 7:21-27, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”
- WHAT DOES JESUS SAY WE ARE TO DO?
1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”
Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
John 8:12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
1 Corinthians 11:1-2, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.”
Luke 9:23, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
3. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ME AND TO ME?
Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
John 12:26, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
John 15:16-17, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Matthew 4:19-25, “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”
4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?
John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Matthew 10:38, “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
James 2:20-24, “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”, and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. “
John 15:5-8, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”
John 14:2-3, “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.
Revelation 22:12-14, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
- WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
You know, it’s odd that people say they believe this or that they believe that, but have no substantial basis for what they believe. It just sounds good to them. One saying goes, “it is your own truth”. Okay. But that is truly a fools-folly.
Finally, please, reason with me.
If you were a gambling man or woman, and you were given the odds of 1 to 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, (or 1 to 10 to the 157th power), in favor of something coming to pass, would you bet against it?
These are the odds against – yes, AGAINST – Jesus Christ having fulfilled just 48 of the over 450 prophecies written about Him. But, facts show that
In order to give you some perspective, electrons are very small objects. They’re smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10 to the 15th power of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long. 19 MILLION YEARS!
Read that again, please. Why is that significant?
It is significant because it gives us evidence that the Bible is true and correct when it says that Christ Jesus came to earth and is the Savior of the world.
It gives YOU evidence, if you choose to pay attention, that your life can be eternal with the only LIFE source which gives eternal Peace, Safety, Security, Joy and fulfillment the universe has ever known or ever will know.
Just think about it: It is a scientific and a mathematical impossibility that HAS COME TO PASS! No odds can defy the REALITY of Jesus Christ.
5. FROM THE ALPHA TO THE OMEGA 
So, that is the alpha to the omega. From the beginning to the end. Now, it is up to you. I would urge you to use the one gift God has graciously given to each of His created – the power of choice. A free will. You only get this one chance at life. Make your choices wisely.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
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