Sermon Transcript — August 28, 2004
Every once in a while, someone sends me a note on email; I really appreciated some of these quick retorts; these I think have to do in a couple of cases here with young people. It's nice to know that young people's minds respond very quickly. I don't know if you heard about the teenager who was pulled over by a policeman. He was speeding through this small town; the policeman pulled him over; he walked up to his car, the young teen rolled his window down, and the policeman said, "I've been waiting for you all day."
And the teen immediately retorted, "Yes, and I got here as fast as I could!" So, as a result of that, the policeman didn't give him a ticket, so I'm not advising any of the teens to speed, but that might not be a bad retort in case you do.
Another individual, I think this one is true, by the way. This man was driving down one of the freeways; he was in a truck when he saw this sign, and the sign said that there was a low bridge ahead. Well, before he knew it, he was right up on the bridge, and he ran right up under it and sheared a part of his roof off, and he got caught under the bridge. But I guess he sat there long enough the traffic backed up for miles. Finally a policeman came up to him, and the man rolled his window down, looked at the policeman, and the policeman said, "Got stuck, didn't you."
He says, "No. I was just delivering this bridge and ran out of gas." So, I'm glad at least some people have some quick responses.
It does sort of lead into what I would like to talk with you about. This was a response that was from a young grandchild. A number of years ago, a grandfather and a grandchild were walking through the woods, and they came up on a rather wet area. The grandfather did not want his grandson to lose his shoes, so he was very carefully picking a path out through this little low-lying area which had a degree of moisture in it. He also knew that he had to walk in shorter steps. And he said that as he was walking across there, they got to the other side of this area, and he told me that his grandson said something to him that really frightened him because of the way it just struck him. He said, "Grandpa, I put my foot exactly where you put your foot." In other words, that little guy had his eye on every step that his grandfather was taking. He had noticed his grandson looking at him before, but all of a sudden, it sort of hit him that out of the mouth of a child something was said, and he said, "I am going to put my foot right on top of where you put your foot."
I'd like to talk with you this afternoon about a command that Jesus Christ gave. To me, this command has as much of an impact, or ought to have as much of an impact on you and me today as it did when we were first called into God's church. To me, it is most compelling for us to listen to what Jesus said, and also to remember and respond to him in a favorable way now. But to me, one of Christ's most compelling commands was the command that you've heard often "follow Me."
Now in the sermon today, I'd like to give at least a background that I understand about John 6:44 that it's God, the Father, who calls a person into God's church and into the truth. He also said, Jesus did, in John 17, that "I have kept all of those whom You have given Me." Therefore the compelling command that Jesus gave to "follow Me" was obviously preceded by God, the Father, working with individuals, then drawing them to Jesus Christ, who gave them a command that He wanted them to be His disciples.
I'd like to start by looking in Matthew 4, and go through several of the examples that we have here. And I hope that we can learn what it is that Jesus has asked us to do when He said to us to "follow Him." In what ways do we have as examples in the New Testament? We'll also look at some examples in the Old Testament about individuals who had promises given to them by God, and what it was that God expected of them. In Matthew 4:22, let's begin in verse 21, we read this:
Matthew 4:21 - "And going on from thence, He saw (two brothers) (other two brethren,) James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.
Verse 22 - "And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed Him." One of the things that Jesus did when He gave you that command to "follow Him" was that of to be separate. In some cases, to be separated even from one's own family. Many in this congregation this afternoon were separated from your families in years past. Many of you were probably brought into God's church, and perhaps you were a part of a family group that for a number of years followed God's way of life, kept the Feast of Tabernacles and did various other things. And then a few years ago, another decision had to be made. When Jesus said to "follow Me," obviously you wanted to "follow Him" because some of you have had to be separate from your families, even though for many years you might have been with them in services.
As a matter of fact, I know of specific individuals here that because of the difficulties of a number of years ago, you had to make a decision of whether or not you would look primarily to family, or whether or not you would look to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is very serious about the command to follow Him. And He, on occasion, will cause us to be separate even from our loved ones.
Now over in Matthew 19, He does separate us oftentimes from not only family, in the particular case there in Matthew 4; He separated the individuals that He called to be His apostles from their job, from their livelihood.
Matthew 19:27 - "Then answered Peter and said unto Him, 'Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed (you) (thee;) what shall we have therefore?' " In other words, we have left behind us those things which we value, what is it that we will have as a result of being separated from those valuable things?
Verse 28 - "And Jesus said (unto) (to) them, 'Verily I say unto you, that (ye) (you) which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, (ye) (you) also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Verse 29 - "And every one that (hath) (has) forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Therefore, it is not that we are separated with the intent of isolation. It is that we have been made separate from, in order to be brought together with others who also have been separated; primarily, if we could sort of put a thumbnail sketch on it, from this world, the ways of this world and the false values of this world.
Now it is nice to know that we have been separate from those things which we disagree with. We do not agree, for example, with what this world sometimes refers to as morality. We would refer to it as immorality. Some would refer to it as a new morality. You and I have been separate from, in many different ways, as far as this world is concerned. Let's go over to II Corinthians 5, because here again, Paul helps us to understand that in being separate, there is also a calling; there is a sense of responsibility that you and I do have.
II Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: (or a new creation,) old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Verse 18 - "(And) all things are of God, who (hath) (has) reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and (hath) (has) given to us the ministry of reconciliation." Which leads us to the second aspect of when we follow Jesus Christ, we have been asked to follow Him. We have been drawn to Himself. It is the Father who draws us to Jesus Christ so that we can be drawn then to the Father. So when we are separated from this world, we have been compelled by Jesus Christ to follow Him. Why? So that He would draw us to Himself.
There's an interesting Greek word that is used more often than not in the New Testament - akoloutheo. And akoloutheo is oftentimes translated either "follow," or often times more often than not - "follow me." Thayer says that this Greek word, akoloutheo, means to follow one who precedes, to join him as his attendant, to accompany him, to join one as a disciple, to become or be his disciple, to side with his party.
When we go through the sermon this afternoon then, and I think also it's very helpful for us to rehearse that when Jesus said, "To follow Him," it is not that it was with the intent of just getting in behind and go wherever it is that His feet, let's say, went. He chose us, or God, the Father, chose us, and it was intended that we be His companion. And so, in other words, the command to "follow Me" means that we go places together.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 and 20; there's one thing that He concluded with when He was being separated from the physical world, returning to the Father, being in charge of the church at the right hand of the Father, and He made the statement that, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
When God, the Father, called us, and when Jesus Christ then began to work with those that we're reading about here today, "To follow Him," they were all drawn to Jesus Christ with the intent that they would go places together. That there would never be a time when they would be separate. So that command to "follow Me" has as its basic meaning once again, to follow Him or to join Him as His attendant, to accompany Him. It isn't just to sort of do what God says, obey what God has to say, obey the commandments of God; that is not the meaning of the word at all. We are to follow His example; we'll come to that in a little while, but when we look at what Paul wrote again back in Romans 6. Let's go there. Paul wrote many things that are helpful for us in the fact that we have been drawn to Jesus Christ, and we're to follow in His steps, so to speak.
One thing about Christ, He is unafraid when we tell Him, "I want to put my foot exactly where You have placed Your foot. I want to go wherever it is that You have gone, and I want to go wherever it is that You have for me to go in the future."
There is a direction change when we begin to think about being drawn to God, the Father, through Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:4-6, just to hit a couple of the high points here:
Romans 6:4 - "We are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so (also) we (also) should walk in newness of life." Now the old man is crucified with Him, as verse 6 points out.
Verse 6 - ". . .that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin." But as we have been drawn to Jesus Christ to be led and prepared to be a part of the family God, drawn to the Father eventually, there is a change of direction that you and I are expected to take. If we are drawn to Jesus Christ, I'd like for us to note throughout the remainder of Romans 6, we're just going to hit several verses here. Notice that as the new man begins to operate as the old man has been put to death:
Verse 10 - "For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that he (liveth) lives, he (liveth) lives. . ." And notice the direction that Paul gives us here. . . ". . .unto God." And this is always the way that Jesus Christ led His life. He was God in the flesh, and He led His life according to the will of the Father. Notice:
Verse 11 - ". . .but (He was) alive unto God. . ." Paul paints a very clear picture throughout the remainder here of Romans 6, that everything now that you and I are expected to do is "unto God." That we are to live our lives as Verse 13 points out:
Verse 13 - ". . .but yield yourselves unto God. . ." And the remainder of that, right at the end, the last phrase: ". . .your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
Verse 16 - And then in Verse 16 the last phrase there: ". . .whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" He also points out in Verse 19:
Verse 19 - ". . .even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Verse 22 - ". . .and become servants to God, that you (ye) have your fruit unto holiness. . ." Therefore, God has given us a direction, and that direction begins with Jesus Christ. He draws us to His Son, and from that time forward when these individuals, all who have been called of the Father, and all who follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ; you're never without Him as a companion.
You go back in the Old Testament, we won't turn there, but Deuteronomy 31, and also in Joshua 1, there's some very interesting statements that God gives. He gives these commands to Joshua over and over again. He gives them first in Deuteronomy 31 where He tells Joshua to be "strong and of good courage." He says that in Joshua 1 you will read, how He repeats it in the Joshua 1 about three or four times. He's encouraging Joshua. But one of the things that He says to Joshua is this: He says, "I will never drop you. I will never let you go." And even in the Old Testament we do have the example of individuals who, when they were drawn to God, whether it was Old Testament Israel, and a very small handful who really understood that God wanted a relationship with them. And that's one thing that you and I do understand, that as we have been drawn to Jesus Christ when we have been responding to the "follow Me" command that Jesus gives to each of us as well today, and that we are with Him. That He never expects, never intends to leave us alone.
Every once in a while I hear people say, "It seems as though God has abandoned me. My life has not been going well, and it seems like God has left me alone." That is absolutely untrue. If a person is really deeply trying to live by God's way of life; if an individual is giving everything he or she can to obey God, and they have given their life to God; the old man was crucified at baptism, and the new person is continuing to strive to be more like Christ in every way.
The first thing that I encourage people to do is don't lie about God, because if you're performing your effort, and you have God's Holy Spirit, there is no way He is going to drop you. He has a hold on us. God, the Father, is not going to allow us to slip through the cracks when our lives are not going perhaps the way that He wants them to go even, might be as a result of our breaking God's law. God doesn't want that to happen. But even then, He knows that there is the opportunity to repent. But we have been given to Jesus Christ, and I don't know if you have thought about it in this way or not, but Jesus Christ has a huge responsibility because as God, the Father, has drawn us to His Son, it is His Son's responsibility to fix us. And I don't know about all of you in here, but I know that through the years I have needed a lot of fixing. And some of you, probably also, have needed a lot of fixing. It's Jesus Christ's responsibility to make sure that He keeps us close to Him, so that whatever there is that needs fixing, He will be there to perform it.
In Matthew 16, let's go back there for a moment as well, because here's another "follow Me" command that we have. Matthew 16:24. Each of these seems to have a separate theme, a separate setting, a separate context in which the command to "follow Jesus Christ" is given.
Matthew 16:24 - "And (Then said) Jesus said unto His Disciples, 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, (and) take up his cross, and follow Me.' " We have here, then, an example of someone being given the command to "follow Jesus Christ" in which self denial is involved. We know that we have been made separate, that we have been asked to "follow Jesus Christ" to be drawn to Him, and now we come to the third point of where there is self denial that is involved in the command to "follow Jesus Christ."
Verse 25 - "(For) whosoever will save his life shall lose it: (and) whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it." What is there that God wants to give you for everything that you have to deny?
I'd like to go back to an Old Testament example, to II Kings 5. In this particular example, we read about a man who is a very influential individual, happens to be a Gentile; he is a Syrian, Naaman is his name. Naaman is an individual who has a way of doing things. He has a way of thinking. He has a way of responding, and yet, we'll find out here that there is something that God is going to offer him.
II Kings 5:1 - "Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master. . ." A man who had a great deal of honor and respect afforded him. . ." ". . .and honourable, because by him the (Lord) (Eternal) had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper." This is a most unusual circumstance.
Generally speaking, if a person were a leper, that individual would have no contact with other individuals, especially a leadership position. In the case of Naaman, you would say that he was a field commander. He was like a general of an army, and yet, he was a leper. Now let's get the setting here of the kind of man this would have been. He was a man who was used to giving orders. He had the right to take the life of anyone that he wished. He had the power of life and death either over the enemy or anyone who would cause rebellion or in anyway cause a difficulty for him. So that he not only was a powerful man in battle of an enemy, but also he was well respected by the king of Syria.
Verse 2 - ". . . the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife." There are a lot of characteristics, and I think that this story is one of the most interesting and inviting stories in the Old Testament because there is so much that is going on here on the interpersonal relationship level. Here you have a man who is very powerful. He has a hideous disease. You have, in this particular case an example that we're going through, a lot of contrasts. But we're going to find out here, that here despite this man's power, despite this man's authority, despite this man's ability, despite the fact that he was very courageous; he was brave; he led men into battle; he was successful in leading men,
Verse 3 - "(And) she said unto (her) (his) mistress. . ." This little girl. . . ". . .Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! For He would recover him of his leprosy.
Verse 4 - "And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel." Now here's someone who went in and told Naaman that this captured slave girl said that there is a prophet in Israel to whom you ought to listen. You should seek this man out.
How many important people, field generals, people who have led armies into battle, who drove in chariots, so to speak, and were at the head, right at head of the army, would listen to a captive slave girl. You know, there's something very interesting about Naaman. He had not lost, even though he had a lot of reasons to get upset with life; he was a leper; he could become a very bitter man, and especially when you capture a slave girl, you would think that he would treat her like dirt, that he would not listen to anything. And yet here was this young girl who had been captured, and she said something to the woman upon whom she was waiting, and said, "Your husband needs to go to this prophet over in Israel." Now understand this as well. Israel and Syria did not get along well together. As a matter of fact, there was a lot of prejudice between the Israelites and between the Syrians. They hated each other; they despised each other.
Well, the king of Syria after Naaman had asked would it be okay for him to go and visit this prophet. You have a man that despite what you and I probably, and by the way, we're going to find out that this man was a very proud and vain man, because he shows himself very quickly with what happens in an incident, you're going to find out the response of what is obvious in this man's heart and his mind. So, here it is. He listens to people. He wants to be healed of his leprosy. He gets permission from the king of Syria. The king of Syria sends a letter into the king of Israel. The king of Israel gets upset, thinks that the Syrians are invading. The king of Syria absolutely assures him, "We're not invading, but we have a general who wants to go in and see this man named Elisha." Therefore permission is given, and we pick the story up here in verse 8:
Verse 8 - "And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes. . ." Getting very upset because he thought there was an invasion. ". . .let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." Now notice this. Let's go back for a moment in Verse 5. Let's find out how Naaman was going over to see Elisha.
Verse 5 - ". . .he departed, (and) took with him ten talents of silver, (and) six thousand pieces of gold, (and) ten changes of raiment." He also came, as we find out, with his chariots, Verse 9. Skip to Verse 9:
Verse 9 - "(So) Naaman came with his horses (and) with his chariot(s), and stood at the door of the house of Elisha." So here this man comes with this huge entourage. He comes with all this gold, with all this silver; I mean, here's probably a large number of people, you probably could have seen the dust of these people coming from some distance off.
And so he pulled right up to the door; this is a very important man; he's come to see Elisha, and Elisha sent a messenger to him in Verse 10:
Verse 10 - "And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash in (the) Jordan seven times, (and thy) (your) flesh shall come again to (thee) (you), and (thou) (you) (shall) (shalt) be clean.' " You know what, Elisha didn't even go out and say, "Hello." I mean, he didn't offer him coffee; he didn't offer him a cookie; he didn't offer him cake; he didn't do anything. Elisha stayed in the back of the house. He just sent somebody out and told him to go wash in the Jordan River. Many of you have seen the Jordan River. It ain't much. As a matter of fact, you compare it to the St. John's River in Florida, and it's not even a big creek. It's just a little bitty body of water. As matter of fact, there are times the Jordan River is no more than about as wide as this room is here. I don't know how wide it was in this particular case, but here is where the pride of this man came out. When Elisha did not even come out to see him, He got very angry. It says:
Verse 11 - "(But Naaman) (he) was wroth, (and) (he) went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the (Lord) (Eternal) his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper." So here is a man who thought he had God figured out, God's prophet figured out, and surely there's going to be some magnificent show of power here. And it's all going to be about me. It's going to be over this leprosy, and this man didn't even come out to shake my hand.
Well it goes on, and he talks about the Abana and the Pharpar rivers of Damascus. Aren't they better than this crummy little river in Israel, the Jordan? May I not wash in them, and so he turned away and went away in a rage. As a matter of fact, the Hebrew words here, it gets a little more intense. He started out angry, and then it became a rage, which a proud person will when he is not treated with the degree of authority and respect that he thinks he deserves.
Now, if you knew somebody like that, and he had the power of life and death over you, and you knew that he was really angry. I mean, he got on his horse, and he turned it back to Damascus, and he was headed to the house. Would you go to that person and say, "I think you need to rethink what you just did?"
You know, I have an idea that people had seen him like this before. You know something about Naaman? Despite his pride, despite the fact that he probably could not control his temper, there were people who knew he still could be reached. They wouldn't be put to death, and so they went to him.
Verse 13 - ". . . his servants came near, and (spoke) (spake) (unto) (to) him, and said, 'My father. . .' " "My father's not necessarily a title - father meaning offspring, but it can be also a master or a person of honor. ". . .if the prophet had bid (thee) you do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather then, when he (saith to thee,) (said,) 'Wash and be clean?'"
So they said, "Do you want what God has to offer you, or do you want to get mad and go off in a huff? You have a choice. You've come this far, and are you going to deny your temptation, to get in a huff and leave angry? Or are you willing to do what the man said?
I have a lot of respect for all these people here. I have an idea that the people who came and talked with Naaman realized the dilemma that they were in, and yet they knew that even in his rage, he was able to be reasoned with. And the fact is this, that here was a man who had everything carnally speaking that he had to put down, that he had to first of all, go and he did what he was told to do. He went down, and he dipped seven times in the Jordan according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
The question I have of all of us is: What is it that God asks us to deny about ourselves; about our normal human reactions? What is it that you and I need to get rid of to overcome so that God can grant us what He has to offer? When we are following Jesus Christ, we are living a life of self denial. We have to deny our normal reactions so that God can then give us what it is He has to replace our normal reactions.
Here was a man then, who had a great deal of pride; he also had some good strengths about him, did he not? But he was willing to deny himself and to admit in front of everybody else, "You know, I simply lost my cool. But I know that what it is that this prophet has to offer, the God that he represents, that's what I want more than going off in a huff and remaining the way that I am." I have a lot of respect for Naaman, and I also have a great deal of respect for the people who were willing to work with him.
Let's go back to James for a moment, James 3. And we find here several things that God would expect you and me to deny. He does not want us to retain these particular habits or ideas.
James 3:13 - "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him (shew) (show) out of a good (conversation) conduct his works with meekness of wisdom.
Verse 14 - "But if (ye) (you) have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Verse 15 - "This wisdom (descendeth) descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Verse 16 - "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Verse 17 - "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, (then) peaceable, gentle, (and) easy to be entreated, full of mercy (and) good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." By the way, if you read again back in II Kings 5 about Naaman, you find that God had used him. God had already dealt with this man already, and it seems as though when you look at the events that have happened here that this man already at least had had a positive impact with God. God was blessing his life, and yet, there was more that God wanted to do with him and to him. And so you and I know that there are certain things that when we have listened to the command, and we have responded to the command to "follow Jesus Christ," there are many things that we have to deny ourselves. Many of those things are attitudes, wrong attitudes, the carnal mind, those things that are opposing our best interest.
Let's go back to Matthew 19. There's one thing about following Jesus Christ. The longer we follow, the more that there is that He has to offer, and the more that it is we are willing to deny ourselves, the carnal mind, the vanity, the jealousy, the lust, the greed, whatever there might be. You read in Romans various attitudes of mind. We just read a little bit here in James about those things that we're supposed to deny. This leads into the next area in Matthew 19:16 about an individual who is going to hear the command to "follow Jesus Christ."
Matthew 19:16 - "(And,) behold, one came and said (unto) (to) Him, 'Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?'
Verse 17 - "And He said unto him, 'Why callest (thou) (you) Me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if (thou) (you) will enter into life, keep the commandments.'
Verse 18 - "He (saith) (said) (unto) (to) him, 'Which?' (And) Jesus said (to him,) '(Thou) (You) shall do no murder, (thou) (you) shalt not commit adultery, (thou) (you) shalt not steal, (thou) (you) shalt not bear false witness.
Verse 19 - "Honour (thy) (your) father and (thy) (your) mother: and (thou) (you) shalt love (thy) (your) neighbor as (thyself) (yourself).'
Verse 20 - "The young man (saith unto) (said) to Him, 'All these things have I kept from my youth up: What (lack I yet?) (do I lack)?'
Verse 21 - "And Jesus said (unto) (to) him, 'If (thou) (you) (will) (wilt) be perfect, go and sell that (thou) (you) (hast) (have,) (and) give to the poor, and (thou) (you) (shalt) (shall) have treasure in heaven: (and) come and follow me.' " Here then is a change of values that this person had to make. He had to determine whether or not he valued that security which he had. The security he had at that particular time was likely his wealth, and he relied and depended upon his wealth for his security. What Jesus Christ is saying to this particular individual, as it says here:
Verse 22 - ". . .when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." When we're commanded to "follow Jesus Christ," there is a complete change of value system. Now if you are a young person; you've been reared in God's church; you've been taught the ten commandments. That's the basis upon which all good morality is going to be built, and yet, here is a young man who had done those things, he said, ". . .from (my) )his) youth." There will always be values that we have, whether we have been reared in the church, or whether we have been called out of this world; values that are good. Remember, you and I are a product of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We're a mixture. When we come out of this world, we are a product of a world that has been built on good and evil. And so, when you have been reared in God's church, you have been taught good. Unfortunately the effects of this world are such that you have also incorporated into your thinking a false value system to one degree or another.
Now what Jesus is challenging here is a young man we might refer to is, let's just say a second generation, third generation Christian. He had done these things outwardly, and yet, God, Jesus Christ, knew there were other things that he had to deny. There was a sense of a value system which this young man had developed. He thought, this was what he had, let's say, his security in, his great possessions, and he simply didn't want to give them up.
When we're called and asked to "follow Jesus Christ," He expects us to have a change of our value system. If it is faulty, He knows what it is. But, once again, when you "follow Jesus Christ," He is always with you. That is the meaning of that word. Keep that in mind as we continue.
Let's go to Matthew 4 again, because here we're going to pick up another way in which we are expected to "follow Christ," we give up, and we have a value system. Once again, if you've kept the ten commandments from the time that you were young, that is good. That is a great foundation upon which God can build an eternal foundation because to keep the letter of the law is a great foundation upon which the spirit of the law, then is capable of being built and enhanced. It can actually be strengthened.
Matthew 4:18 - Let's read here: ". . .Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two (brethren) (brothers,) Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Verse 19 - "And He (saith) (said) unto them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' " When we "follow Jesus Christ," we are called to a work of service. This is what these two men in this particular case are being called to do. They were called to be ". . .fishers of men."
Let's go to Matthew 25, because we have here ways in which all of us are able to serve and to be of service to others. In this particular context in the parable here in Matthew 25 of the goats and the sheep, Matthew 25:31 where Andrew, his brother, and the others of course were all called to a work of service, and so also have you and I been called. When we have answered the command to "follow Jesus Christ," here is a great part of it.
Matthew 25:31 - "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the (holy) angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
Verse 32 - "And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd (divideth) (divides) his sheep from the goats." This, then, is talking about a period, various periods of judgment, in which all people will have occasion to know God's truth and then to decide for themselves whether or not they want to live according to God's way.
Verse 34 - And then in Verse 34, let's go there: ". . .the King shall say (unto) (to) them on His right hand, 'Come, (ye) (you) blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Verse 35 - "For I was an hungred, and (ye) (you) gave me meat: I was thirsty, and (ye) (you) gave me drink: I was a stranger, and (ye) (you) took me in.
Verse 36 - "Naked, and (ye) (you) clothed me: I was sick, and (ye) (you) visited me: I was in prison, and (ye) (you) came (unto) (to) Me.
Verse 37 - "Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when (saw we thee) (did we see you) an hungred and fed (thee) (you)? Or thirsty, and gave (thee) (you) drink?
Verse 38 - "When (saw we thee) (did we see you) a stranger, and took (thee) (you) in? Or naked, and clothed (thee) (you?)
Verse 39 - "Or when (saw we thee) (did we see you) sick, or in prison, and came (unto thee) (to you)?
Verse 40 - "And the King shall answer and say unto (them) (him), 'Verily I say unto you, 'Inasmuch as (ye) (you) have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, (ye) (you) have done it unto me.' " I have people who, you talk with them during the week; you wonder sometimes if they're going to be able to sort of pick themselves with the blast that they've received, and come to services the next Sabbath. I think that in every congregation, there are individuals who come to Sabbath services, and what they really need is for someone to have, what I refer to as one of the great powers of healing. Sometimes when we think of the power of healing, we think of someone praying a prayer, anointing, laying hands on somebody, and all of a sudden, their physical illness just be removed from them. I think one of the greatest gifts of healing that people can be given is the capacity to have a way about them to where they can talk with people and heal the spirit that has been broken or that is hurting.
There are individuals in God's church that I have known through the years who seem to have this gift. They are people who have come to me before, and they will tell you, and call people by name. They say, "I hope that So-in-so is here this week." Or they will say after services, "I'm glad I came because I spoke with Mr. So-in-so, Mrs. So-in-so, young person, whoever it might be.
Many people, when they, after six days of this world, when they come to Sabbath services, they're seeking a refuge. And they're seeking also a bit of a "pick up." What they need is for somebody to help them to serve a spiritual need that they have. What they might need is simply someone to show them attention. I know that in many areas, because of the demographics of the United Church of God, we have a lot of elderly people in our congregations. We recently had in one of our congregations in Ocala, we had a senior citizens luncheon; we have about probably an average of seventy-four, seventy-five people a week in the Ocala congregation. We counted the number of people in that congregation, by the way, seventy-five counts everybody, and if we had a cat that wandered through, we'd count the cat, so you know how we count. And we began to count and say, "Look, why don't we have a cut off of seventy years of age."
Well, we sat down and we went over our roster, and if we had everyone in that congregation seventy years of age and older for a senior citizens' luncheon, we're going to have twenty-one people at the head table. Now in counting that, this is how we did; if you were married and your mate was less than seventy, of course, your mate would be with you. So we had to raise the standard. We had to say you had to be seventy-five or older in order to come. At that, we had eleven, even at that. We had eleven people.
Now we have individuals who are widows and widowers. I know of individuals who sit at home, and they have no contact with anybody in the church all week. As a matter of fact, some elderly people have very little contact with anybody during the week. They really don't have much of any conversation, and when they come to Sabbath services, they enjoy people coming up and talking with them. To me, that is a healing process. It is something that is an encouragement.
Now you talk about a great service, that is a service to God's people. That is something that we have been commanded by Jesus Christ, and when we, "follow Jesus Christ," do you think that there's anybody here that Jesus Christ wouldn't want to go up to and say, "Hello." I can't feature that. I think He'd seek us out. Well, if we follow His example, we seek others out.
What we've tried to do is to encourage some of our young adults. I've encouraged the congregations, and this has been done in other places as well, to try to meet a new person every week. Anyone who used to attend the old, since we have some old Big Sandy attendees here today, I'll bring this up as an example. There're several in here who used to attend the Big Sandy congregation, fairly large congregation, and there were times when you knew everybody in your particular quadrant. It was divided into four sections, and if anyone from outside your quadrant met you at the Feast of Tabernacles, you might feel like the proverbial ham at a United picnic, I mean, it was like, "I never knew who you were." That happened to me one time at the Feast. I walked up to a man, and I was being Mr. Cheerful, "How do you do," kind of an individual, walked up to this man, and said, "Hello, how are you? My name is Dick Thompson. I'm from Big Sandy, Texas."
And we got to talking. And I asked him, I said, well, who is he? He says, "Well, I'm So-in-so."
Well, I asked him, "Well, where do you go to church?" I shouldn't have asked him that.
"Big Sandy." Well, you really feel the blood begin to flop, I mean this is when your toenails begin to really dig into your shoes.
And I said to him, "Oh, well, how many years have you been there?"
"Twelve." So, I thought, all you could do was apologize. I mean, there was no way to fake it.
So you just had to say, "Well, I am really sorry. I just didn't know who you were. And I should."
You know there are people in God's church who look forward to coming to services because they need the fellowship of someone going up to them and showing there really is someone who is glad to see that you are here. I think that is an invaluable service that a person can provide for other people in the congregation. And I have said something specifically about the elderly, the widows and the widowers, because oftentimes they really don't have much contact during the six days of the week. When you have been with a companion, and we do have individuals who have been with their companions fifty, close to sixty years, their companion dies. They no longer have a mate, and so that loneliness is just that much more of a gripping difficulty for them. And so someone in God's church shows that they are concerned, and they see that they're hurting. I look at Matthew 25 and I say that there're all kinds of people that sometimes when you say that you're sick, you think, well, they're physically ill. No, people oftentimes are emotionally hurt. They're ill in that particular case, and what they need to do is to have someone just to come up and to show an interest in them.
Let's go, finally to John 12:26. You know, things about the life that you and I have been called to live, more often than not, the very, down-to-earth simple things are what make all the difference. There is never a time when the basics should become ordinary in our thinking. The basics of God's way of life are always extraordinary. There is nothing ordinary about God nor any aspect of God. There is not any thought that God has ever had that is simple and ordinary. It is all extraordinary, and yet if we're not careful we become very sophisticated, and we forget that sometimes what others would say are the simple things really are those that are most important.
John 12:26 - "If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there (shall) also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour." Skip down, if you would, to Verse 35.
Verse 35 - "Then Jesus said (unto) (to) them. . ." Same context. " 'Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while (ye) (you) have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that (walketh) (walks) in darkness (knoweth) (knows) not (whither) (where) he (goeth) (goes).
Verse 36 - " 'While (ye) (you) have light, believe in the light, that (ye) (you) may be (the) children of light.' These things (spake) (spoke) Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them." He said for those who were going to serve Him that they should "follow Him," and He said you ought be "the children of light."
There is the pure imitation of Jesus Christ to which you and I have been commanded. And one of the reasons why we are told to "follow Him," is because we are to imitate Him in every way that you and I possibly can. We're supposed to be His express image; we're supposed to be created in His image.
Let's go to Hebrews 12:1. In this particular case, we have something that is said regarding Christ. It is the responsibility of Christ to carry out that which has been begun in us and to make sure that it is finished.
Hebrews 12:1 - "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which (doth) so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
Verse 2 - "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for (the) joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of (the throne of God) (God, the Father)." It is necessary for Christ to complete the creation of God. We all are in different stages of being created to be the pure likeness of God, the Father, and of Jesus Christ. I think that there is a very good way in which it is expressed in I Peter 2:20. The words that Peter chooses to write in this particular epistle are quite helpful for us to understand what it is that is possible to happen to you and to me.
I Peter 2:20 - "For what glory is it, if, when (ye) (you) be buffeted for your faults, (ye) (you) take it patiently? But if, when (ye) (you) do well, and suffer for it, (ye) (you) take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Verse 21 - "For even hereunto were (ye) (you) called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that (ye) (you) should follow His steps:" The word - follow - here, according to Thayer's Dictionary, means, "to tread in one's footsteps." It means, "to follow close upon, and to follow after." In other words, it means "to be in the very footpaths of the one whom you are following."
The word that is translated - example - is also an interesting word itself. It comes from a Greek word that means, "underwriting." It means, and is, according to those who have studied this word, it is a "writing copy." Some explain it as a copy of the alphabet characters over which the student is to trace the lines. This is what you and I have been given a compelling command to "follow Jesus Christ," in order to do.
We follow Him so that we can, as we see His example, as we are following Him as He is with us, and He is the one who instructs us; He is the one who leads us; He's the one who encourages us to continue to seek Him out. And what it is that is happening is He wants, just like this word - example - here, leaving us "an example." In other words, that which is able to be traced.
His example, following closely enough to Him in good times and in bad times. In bad times, it seems as though, He is at His best to trace, as it were, His express words, His character, onto us. There used to be a kind of a writing stylus that the Greeks used, and what they would do, they would put something over and the student would take, and with a wooden stylus would trace exactly the letters. That is exactly what this is talking about here. The more closely that we wish to imitate Christ, the more He wishes for that process to be completed.
I'd like to conclude by looking at what I think is one of the more encouraging areas. Let's go back to John 1:43.
John 1:43 - "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and (findeth) (found) Philip, and (saith) said unto (him) (Philip to) 'Follow Me.' " And it goes on, and it talks here about Philip.
Verse 44 - "(Now Philip was) of Bethsaida, (He was of the same) (the) city (as) of Andrew and Peter.
Verse 45 - "Philip (findeth) (found) Nathanael, and (saith) (said) (unto) (to) him, 'We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Verse 46 - Well, "Nathanael said (unto) (to) him, 'Can there be any good thing (come out) (that comes) of Nazareth?' (And) Philip (saith) (said) (unto him,) '(You) come and see (for yourself.)'
Verse 47 - "So Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and (saith) (said) of him 'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom (there) is no guile!
Verse 48 - "Nathanael (saith unto) 9said) to him, ('Whence knowest Thou me? (How did You know me? Or when did You know me)?' (And) Jesus answered and said (unto him,) 'Before that Philip called (thee) (you), when (thou) (you) (wast) (were) under the fig tree, I saw (thee) (you).'
Verse 49 - And "Nathanael answered and (saith) "said" unto Him, 'Rabbi, (thou) (you are) (art) the Son of God; (thou) (you) (art) (are) the King of Israel.'
Verse 50 - "Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Because I said unto (thee) (you,) I saw (thee) (you) under the fig tree, (believest thou) (do you believe)? (You) (Thou) shall see greater things than these.'
Verse 51 - "And He (saith) (said) unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter (ye) (you) shall see heaven open, (and) the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'"
When we begin to think about, let's go to Philippians 3, what it is that we're supposed to do in that compelling command to, "follow Jesus Christ," ultimately, it is our salvation in the family and the kingdom of God. What He is telling to Nathanael is that "you are going to see greater things, and you will know greater things about Me than you have now." He says the time is going to come when "you will see angelic hosts." There will come a time, as he would hear later from Jesus Christ, and we read this verse earlier, that "you're going to be over, each of you, over one of the twelve tribes of the house of Israel in the time when the kingdom of God comes." To "follow Him" means to "follow Him" right into the kingdom of God.
We're coming up on the Feast of Tabernacles. There's some in here who probably have kept more than forty Feasts of Tabernacles. I think that is a great honor. Some of you might even be approaching having kept fifty Feasts of Tabernacles. I have an idea, knowing some of you who are close probably to forty-five or fifty, I think I know you well enough to know this, that this Feast of Tabernacles is probably more exciting than any that has ever preceded.
If you ever come to a point when the basics of God become ordinary, you've got a spiritual problem, because when we picture and when we live out, and live through the plan of God, there is nothing more exciting than to realize that what you're doing now as a human being is you are living out the literal, truthful plan of God. That God has hung in with you all these years, that He has not let you go; you have not been dropped, and He never intends to drop you. As a matter of fact, He's going to carry you right on with Him, so to speak, into the kingdom of God because salvation is where this is all headed. It makes no difference then, when you heard a command to, "follow Him," and you were a commercial fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, or you were a plumber, or that you were an electrician, or that you were a secretary, or that you were a homemaker, or that you had some other kind of responsibility or a job. We have all been called to salvation. Thank God for that. I am grateful to God, and I know you are, too.
I don't mind a lot of the physical things. There are a lot of very good physical things that God gives us on this earth. I like the location of this building. The other day, when we were coming up here again in that white box car called a van. It's a white box car if you are the only one sitting in the front of it driving. That's what you feel like. But I was there, and driving up the hill again the other day, and I thought to myself, "I really wonder if God didn't keep this for us." Maybe I'm just hoping; maybe I sort of wish that this were true, but you know, it's come to the point where I believe He did. This is a beautiful location. This is a beautiful building, and we're able to continue to do God's work.
There are a lot of good physical things in this life. Some of you have suffered many illnesses. You can't really enjoy physical life in the way that you did when you were younger. But you know what? The spiritual things are just as much able to be enjoyed now, and maybe even more so. Sometime the hubris of the young can carry you to where activity by itself is all that you need in your life. As long as you are busy, you are happy. But after you do that for a few years, you come to the point where being and staying busy and having a lot of activities, you find out, you know what? That really just doesn't really fulfill me. As a matter of fact. It has a limit of the enjoyment it can bring. Not God's plan of salvation.
You and I have been commanded to, "follow Jesus Christ" so that you and I can be saved, made a part of the kingdom of God to be eternally with God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:12.
Philippians 3:12 - "Not as though I had already attained, either (were) already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Verse 13 - "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things (which) that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Verse 14 - "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." You'd better believe it. Your call to this church, to this truth came from God, the Father. You were given the command to, "follow the Son of God, Jesus Christ." Thank God we only have to be human once.
Now, like I say, I'm not knocking being human, but I only want to be human once. As a matter of fact, I think if I'm human twice, I've got a real problem on my hands. Do you feel the same way? I am so delighted to have God's truth. I look forward to this Feast of Tabernacles more than I did the first, and for those of you who are after your forty-fifth, or your fiftieth, or whatever it might be, I dare say you feel the same way.
Do you ever come to the point where you live toward the Feasts of God? I do. And as soon as the Last Great Day is over, I start thinking about Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. It's something you always can anticipate, look forward to, and plan to be a part of. It's what God is all about. It's a very basic plan of salvation, but it has the ultimate of meaning, and all the way through, you and I are never alone at the Feast, because if you "follow Jesus Christ," He's right there with you.
I hope all of us are going to hear eventually that command following what Jesus said in Matthew 25. He went through a series of parables. And then He concludes and He says the time is going to come to where you'll hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, because you have done well with little, inherit much." Thank God that we "follow Jesus Christ."