Following Christ: Beyond Fans to True Discipleship
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:
- Following Christ requires denying oneself and what makes sense to them, taking up their cross, and dying to themselves. Jesus didn't come to simply improve behavior or tweak personalities but to bring about a complete transformation. This is what Jesus means when he calls for his followers to take up their cross and die. [49:33]
- Being a fan of Jesus 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. [1:02:45]
- The three common struggles that people have in their relationship with God are 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. Overcoming these struggles requires prioritizing Jesus as number one and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. [1:15:23]
- Jesus often interrupts and redirects lives. Being a true follower of Jesus means being willing to go wherever Jesus leads, even if it means stepping out of comfort zones. God's timetable may not align with ours, but trusting in God's plan is crucial. [1:28:45]
- The story of the Israelites in the wilderness and their obedience to the movement of the cloud, which represented the presence of God, serves as a reminder of the importance of trusting in God's guidance. Even when change and uncertainty are uncomfortable, true followers of God are called to move with the cloud. [1:42:33]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Mark 8:34: "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'"
2. Numbers 9:15-23: This passage describes how the Israelites followed the cloud representing God's presence, moving whenever and wherever it moved.
3. Luke 9:23: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"
Observation Questions:
1. In Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23, what does Jesus mean when he says that his disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross?
2. What does the cloud represent in Numbers 9:15-23, and how did the Israelites respond to its movement?
3. How does the concept of daily taking up one's cross in Luke 9:23 compare to the Israelites' continual following of the cloud in Numbers 9:15-23?
Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean to deny oneself in the context of being a disciple of Jesus? How does this concept challenge our individual desires and preferences?
2. How does the movement of the cloud in Numbers 9:15-23 symbolize God's guidance in our lives? What might this suggest about our response to God's leading, especially when it doesn't align with our plans or comfort zones?
3. How does the daily taking up of one's cross in Luke 9:23 reflect the commitment and sacrifice involved in following Jesus? How does this differ from being a mere fan of Jesus?
Application Questions:
1. Can you recall a time when you felt God was leading you to a place or situation that didn't make sense to you? How did you respond?
2. What is one area in your life where you struggle to deny yourself and take up your cross daily? What is one step you can take this week to surrender this area to God?
3. Think of a time when fear, reliance on your own ideas, or the challenge of distinguishing between being a fan or a follower of Jesus hindered your relationship with God. How can you overcome this struggle moving forward?
4. Reflect on a time when God interrupted your life or redirected your plans. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience?
5. What is one way you can prioritize Jesus as your number one this week and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit?
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?
Quotes
"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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