Following Christ: Beyond Fans to True Discipleship

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Transformation in Christ

Jesus calls us to a life of transformation, not just behavior modification. This transformation requires us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and die to our own desires and preferences. It's a call to surrender our lives completely to Him, even when it doesn't make sense to us. [49:33]

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are resisting transformation? How can you surrender this area to Christ today?

Day 2: Moving Beyond Fanaticism to True Discipleship

Being a fan of Jesus is not enough. True discipleship requires sacrifice, suffering, and humility. It's about prioritizing Jesus over our own interests and desires, and following Him wholeheartedly, even when it's difficult. [1:02:45]

Luke 14:27 - "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."
Reflection: In what ways have you been merely a fan of Jesus, rather than a true disciple? What steps can you take today to move towards true discipleship?

Day 3: Overcoming Struggles in Our Relationship with God

Fear, self-reliance, and confusion between being a fan and a follower are common struggles in our relationship with God. Overcoming these struggles requires us to prioritize Jesus and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. [1:15:23]

2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Reflection: Which of these struggles resonates most with you? How can you rely on the Holy Spirit to overcome this struggle today?

Day 4: Embracing Divine Interruptions

Jesus often interrupts and redirects our lives. Being a true follower means being willing to step out of our comfort zones and trust in God's plan, even when His timetable doesn't align with ours. [1:28:45]

Proverbs 16:9 - "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."
Reflection: Can you recall a recent 'divine interruption' in your life? How did you respond, and how can you better embrace such interruptions in the future?

Day 5: Trusting in God's Guidance Amidst Change

The story of the Israelites following the cloud in the wilderness serves as a reminder to trust in God's guidance, even when change and uncertainty are uncomfortable. As followers of God, we are called to move with the cloud, trusting in His leading. [1:42:33]

Exodus 13:21 - "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night."
Reflection: What changes or uncertainties are you currently facing? How can you trust in God's guidance during this time?

Sermon Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor acknowledging the difficulty many people face in fully committing to follow Christ. He shares his personal experience of starting a church and the challenges that arose due to the individual desires and preferences of its members. He highlights two reasons why it is hard for a church to collectively believe in and follow God: because God often leads them to places that make no sense and because of fear. Despite these challenges, the pastor shares his own testimony of how following Christ has led to unexpected growth and blessings in his ministry.

The pastor then shares his personal experience of being called to be a church planter. He recalls the moment when he realized he was in trouble and had to inform his grown children of his decision. Despite their initial hesitation, he confidently responded that they had prayed it through and were determined to follow the cloud, not the crowd. He emphasizes that following Jesus requires denying oneself and what makes sense to them, taking up their cross, and dying to themselves. He quotes CS Lewis, highlighting that Jesus didn't come to simply improve behavior or tweak personalities but to bring about a complete transformation.

The pastor introduces the book "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman, which poses the question of whether one is a fan or a follower of Christ. He emphasizes that being a fan is not enough, as it only entails excitement and temporary interest. Jesus, from the beginning of his ministry, prioritized followers over fans. He called on the crowd to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him, emphasizing the sacrifice, suffering, and humility involved in discipleship.

The pastor then addresses three common struggles that people have in their relationship with God: fear, the desire to rely on their own ideas and ways of doing things, and the challenge of distinguishing between being a fan of Jesus or a true follower. He encourages the listeners to prioritize Jesus as their number one and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, fulfilling the unique calling that God has placed on their lives.

The sermon concludes with the pastor reflecting on his personal journey of following Jesus and being interrupted by Him. He shares his own experience of Jesus interrupting his ministry multiple times and challenging him to move with the cloud, symbolizing God's leading. He encourages the congregation to be willing to go wherever Jesus leads, even if it means stepping out of their comfort zones. He acknowledges that God's timetable may not align with ours and shares how God disrupted his life at the age of 50, prompting him to follow the cloud and trust in God's plan, even if his wife had doubts.

Key Takeaways

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Sermon Clips

"Are you a fan or are you a follower?...in our lives, are we a fan or a follower of Christ? There is a difference." [34:37]

"Jesus made it obvious that he is more interested in followers than fans...whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." [35:21]

"Why is it so hard to follow Christ? It's very hard for a church to follow Christ because now we're all collectively struggling with our own likes and desires, our own dislikes. We all have them...no wonder it's so hard for us to follow Christ collectively." ([58:31])

"Usually when we follow Christ, he leads us to places that make no sense. It makes no sense for a 50-year-old guy to go out and plant a church just he and his wife...now we're well over a thousand with four locations, not because of me but because the cloud moved." ([01:00:25])

"Anyone can follow Christ but not without giving up everything we must deny ourselves...to deny ourselves means that we go wherever he leads us whenever he leads us and whatever he leads us to do...that's the call of Christ." [49:55]

"If we're going to follow the cloud and not the crowd, you got to move... Jesus is saying that you deny yourself, you deny what you want, what makes sense to you, and you follow me." ([55:53])

"The truth of the Gospel is that Jesus came so that you could die to yourself, that you would take up a cross and die... Christ says give me all I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work, I want you." ([57:12])

"Are you a fan or a follower? Do you know him or do you just know about him? Such a difference." [01:02:25]

"Everything moved on where this Cloud would go and when... the Israelites would learn to follow the cloud wherever it went whenever it went and however it went." [43:44]

"Sometimes it stated a long time but they moved whenever the cloud moved... have you ever wondered if maybe there was somebody in the crowd thinking I'm not sure we're headed in the right direction." [44:53]

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