Following the Lamb by Eddie Schwisow 1/3/26 Video Sermon

The guiding word for the year is follow — a simple, countercultural summons that reshapes ambition, vocation, and devotion. The address unpacks biblical calls to follow Jesus, beginning with Matthew 16:24’s stark demand to deny self, take up the cross, and come after Christ. Following is framed not as a passive habit but as an active posture: Jesus himself modeled submission to the Father, doing nothing apart from what he saw the Father do (John 5), rising early to pray for direction (Mark 1), and ultimately choosing obedience even to death (Philippians 2). The posture of following precedes leadership; greatness in God’s economy is rooted in servanthood and alignment with the Father’s will rather than personal ambition.

Following also requires patient discernment. Many decisions deserve a prayerful pause — a refusal to answer every invitation without first checking the Father’s voice. The Greek nuance of “follow” carries both invitation and companionship: God leads and invites his people to walk side-by-side with him. The narrative of Gethsemane underscores that following admits struggle, yet culminates in surrendered will — “Not my will, but yours be done.”

This theology of following finds vivid, practical expression in a modern story of a fisherman who, faced with a sinking hospital ship, abandoned his catch and risked everything to rescue seventy lives. The story reframes what “loss” looks like when measured by eternal worth: treasures tossed overboard to save souls. Revelation 14’s vision of the 144,000 who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes” ties the practical and the prophetic: followers who endure, who sing a new song because they have been led and transformed by the Lamb.

The call concludes with concrete steps — a personal commitment to follow, a daily rhythm of private prayer, and corporate participation in seasons of seeking God together. Following demands choices: clearing the boat of hindrances, aligning will with God’s, and accepting that faithful following may produce lifelong consequences. Yet the promise is clear: as the Lamb leads, his people are changed, equipped, and ultimately gathered before his throne.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Follow before seeking to lead Following is not a preliminary credential for influence but the prerequisite for true leadership. When leadership flows from following, authority is framed by obedience to the Father rather than self-promotion; effectiveness grows from intimacy with God rather than strategy alone. This reverses common assumptions about power and success and anchors influence in fidelity. [04:09]
• 2. Deny self, take up cross Discipleship is a daily choice to prefer God’s purposes over personal comfort and plans. The cross is less an emblem of punishment and more a posture of surrendered identity: dying to autonomous will so resurrection life can direct action. This renunciation refines motives and reorients desires toward righteousness. [05:13]
• 3. Pray to hear God's marching orders Prayer is the practical means by which followers discern where God is already at work and join him there. A habit of rising early and remaining solitary with the Father cultivates sensitivity to his leading and prevents a life cluttered by reactive yeses. Waiting in prayer sharpens obedience. [11:19]
• 4. Let go so others may live Sacrificial following often requires releasing valuable things to rescue people or advance God’s mission. The fisherman’s choice to cast away his catch models costly obedience: temporal loss for eternal gain. Such decisions can leave marks, but they yield lives saved and hearts transformed. [23:49]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:29] - One Word For The Year: “Follow”
• [04:09] - The Call To Follow
• [05:13] - Deny Yourself; Take Up The Cross
• [11:19] - Prayer As Guidance
• [16:55] - The 144,000: Following The Lamb
• [20:32] - Fisherman's Rescue: A Story Of Sacrifice
• [27:15] - Invitation: Steps To Follow

Bible reading

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)
"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?'"

Revelation 14:1, 4-5 (ESV)
"Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his Father's name written on their foreheads... It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no deceit was found, for they are blameless."

Observation questions

1. According to Matthew 16:24, what are the three specific requirements Jesus gives for anyone who desires to "come after" Him? [05:13]
2. In John 5:19, how does Jesus describe His own ability to act independently of the Father? [08:26]
3. What was Jesus’ habit regarding prayer and seeking direction from the Father, as described in Mark 1:35? [11:19]
4. In the vision of Revelation 14, what is the defining characteristic of the 144,000 in relation to the Lamb? [18:12]

Interpretation questions

1. The disciples often viewed following Jesus as a path to prominence or political power. [05:52] How does Jesus’ command to "deny self" and "take up the cross" completely reverse the world’s definition of success and leadership?
2. Jesus stated that He could do nothing of Himself, but only what He saw the Father doing. [08:26] What does this suggest about the relationship between "waiting in prayer" and "active obedience"?
3. The Greek nuance of the word "follow" is described as being side-by-side and invitational. [12:00] How does this "side-by-side" companionship change the way we view God’s commands—are they merely orders to be obeyed, or something more?
4. In the story of the fisherman John Napoli, he threw 550 pounds of salmon overboard to make room for 70 drowning people. [24:16] Why is "clearing the boat" of temporal treasures often a prerequisite for participating in God’s eternal rescue mission? [26:12]

Application questions

1. At the start of a new year, many people make resolutions, but there is a deep value in seeking "one word" from God to guide your path. [00:29] If you were to adopt the word "Follow" as your guiding principle this year, what is one specific area of your life—vocation, family, or finances—that would look different?
2. We often pray for God to "pauperate" (cooperate) with our plans rather than aligning our plans with His. [03:25] Can you think of a time recently when you were trying to get God to sign off on your agenda instead of asking for His?
3. Following Jesus requires a "prayerful pause" before saying yes to every invitation. [09:09] Are there any commitments or "yeses" currently cluttering your life that are preventing you from hearing the Father’s "marching orders"? [11:19]
4. The fisherman John Napoli lived with the physical consequences of his sacrifice for the rest of his life. [24:58] Have you ever experienced a "loss" or a personal cost because you chose to follow Jesus? How does the promise of "eternal worth" help you process those marks or scars? [25:39]
5. Jesus rose "a long while before daylight" to find a solitary place for prayer. [11:19] What would it look like for you to establish a daily rhythm of private prayer this week? What "distractions" or "phones" do you need to step away from to make that happen? [27:55]
6. Following the Lamb changes us because "by beholding... we become changed." [19:22] In what ways have you noticed your character or your "song" changing as you have spent time walking side-by-side with Jesus? [18:34]
7. Is there anything currently in your "boat"—a habit, an ambition, or a possession—that needs to be tossed aside to make more room for Jesus’ leadership and for the service of others? [26:12]