From Belief to Devotion: Following Christ's Path

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound transition from being mere believers to becoming devoted followers of Christ. Reflecting on the Christmas story, we examined the varied responses to the fulfillment of God's promise through the birth of Jesus. The shepherds and magi moved towards the promise, while others, like King Herod and the Pharisees, resisted or ignored it. This narrative challenges us to consider our own response to the promises God has fulfilled in our lives.

We delved into the life of Peter, a disciple who exemplified the journey from belief to active following. Peter's story is one of passion, mistakes, and redemption. Despite his flaws, Peter's determination to follow Christ led him to witness and participate in miraculous events. His life teaches us that God is not seeking perfection but a heart willing to grow and follow Him.

As we approach a new year, the call is to move beyond belief and embrace the life of a follower. This involves making intentional changes, even if they are small, to align our lives more closely with Christ's teachings. The concept of "one degree" of change was introduced, emphasizing that even minor adjustments can lead to significant spiritual growth.

The message also highlighted the importance of obedience and the willingness to let Jesus into our lives fully. When Peter obeyed Jesus' command to cast his nets, he witnessed a miraculous catch of fish, symbolizing the blessings that come from following Christ. This obedience is not about blind faith but a trust in Jesus' wisdom and love for us.

Ultimately, the journey from believer to follower is about allowing the dust of Jesus' sandals to cover our lives, signifying our closeness to Him. It's about living passionately for Christ, repenting, and relying on God daily. As we step into 2025, the challenge is to embrace this journey, knowing that with Christ in our boat, we are never alone.

Key Takeaways:

1. Transition from Believer to Follower: The Christmas story challenges us to move beyond mere belief to active following. Like the shepherds and magi, we are called to respond to God's fulfilled promises by moving towards Him, not away. This transition requires intentionality and a willingness to let go of our comfort zones. [31:07]

2. Peter's Journey of Faith: Peter's life illustrates that God values determination over perfection. Despite his many mistakes, Peter's commitment to follow Christ led to profound spiritual growth. His story encourages us to keep pursuing Christ, even when we falter, knowing that our failures do not define our faith. [39:17]

3. The Power of Obedience: Obedience to Christ opens the door to witnessing His glory in our lives. Peter's obedience in casting his nets resulted in a miraculous catch, symbolizing the blessings that follow when we trust and follow Jesus' guidance. This obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in His wisdom. [45:53]

4. Living Passionately for Christ: To be a follower, we must live passionately for Christ, allowing His love to be reflected in our actions. This passion doesn't require being the loudest voice but being a consistent and faithful presence in our communities. It's about loving God with all our heart, soul, and might. [01:04:19]

5. Repentance and Daily Reliance on God: Peter's life teaches us the importance of repentance and daily reliance on God. Each mistake was met with repentance and a renewed commitment to follow Christ. This daily reliance on God is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation. [01:05:05]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [31:07] - Responses to Fulfilled Promises
- [33:24] - The Wonder of Christ's Birth
- [39:17] - Peter's Journey from Believer to Follower
- [42:37] - Jesus Meets Us Where We Are
- [45:53] - The Power of Obedience
- [47:34] - Miraculous Catch of Fish
- [50:05] - Peter's Humility and Confession
- [51:48] - Leaving Everything to Follow Christ
- [53:25] - Embracing Our Calling
- [55:08] - Peter's Failures and Determination
- [58:55] - Walking on Water
- [01:00:59] - Peter's Denial and Redemption
- [01:05:43] - Jesus' Restoration of Peter
- [01:11:05] - The Call to Follow Christ

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Luke 5:1-11 - The calling of Peter and the miraculous catch of fish.
2. Matthew 2:1-12 - The visit of the Magi and their response to Jesus' birth.
3. John 21:15-19 - Jesus' restoration of Peter after his denial.

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Observation Questions:

1. In Luke 5:1-11, what was Peter's initial reaction to Jesus' instruction to cast the nets again, and what was the outcome of his obedience? [45:53]

2. How did the Magi respond to the prophecy of Jesus' birth in Matthew 2:1-12, and what actions did they take as a result? [31:07]

3. In John 21:15-19, how does Jesus restore Peter after his denial, and what does He ask Peter to do? [01:08:25]

4. According to the sermon, what were the different responses to the fulfillment of God's promise through Jesus' birth, and how do they challenge us today? [31:07]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does Peter's willingness to obey Jesus' command in Luke 5:1-11, despite his initial doubt, teach about the nature of faith and obedience? [45:53]

2. How does the story of the Magi in Matthew 2:1-12 illustrate the importance of seeking and responding to God's promises in our lives? [31:07]

3. In John 21:15-19, what is the significance of Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves Him, and how does this relate to Peter's earlier denial? [01:08:25]

4. Reflecting on the sermon, how does the journey from being a believer to a follower of Christ involve intentional changes in one's life? [39:17]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was calling you to make a small change in your life. What was your response, and how did it impact your faith journey? [39:17]

2. Like Peter, have you ever experienced a moment where obedience to God led to unexpected blessings? How did that experience shape your trust in Him? [45:53]

3. Consider the different responses to Jesus' birth in the Christmas story. How do you typically respond to God's fulfilled promises in your life, and what might need to change? [31:07]

4. In what ways can you move from being a mere believer to an active follower of Christ in the coming year? Identify one specific area where you can make a "one degree" change. [39:17]

5. How can you incorporate daily repentance and reliance on God into your routine, as exemplified by Peter's life? What practical steps can you take to make this a habit? [01:05:05]

6. Think about a situation where you might be resisting God's call due to fear or comfort. What steps can you take to embrace His calling more fully? [51:48]

7. How can you ensure that your passion for Christ is reflected in your actions and interactions with others? Identify one way you can demonstrate this passion in your community. [01:04:19]

Devotional

Day 1: Transitioning from Belief to Active Following
The journey from being a believer to a devoted follower of Christ is a transformative process that requires intentionality and courage. The Christmas story illustrates this transition through the responses of the shepherds and magi, who moved towards the promise of Jesus' birth, contrasting with those like King Herod and the Pharisees, who resisted or ignored it. This narrative invites us to examine our own responses to God's fulfilled promises in our lives. Are we moving towards Him, or are we holding back due to fear or complacency? Embracing this transition means stepping out of our comfort zones and actively pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ. [31:07]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you feel God is calling you to move from belief to active following? How can you take a tangible step towards this today?


Day 2: Embracing Imperfection in Our Faith Journey
Peter's life is a testament to the fact that God values determination over perfection. Despite his many mistakes, Peter's unwavering commitment to follow Christ led to profound spiritual growth and transformation. His story encourages us to keep pursuing Christ, even when we falter, knowing that our failures do not define our faith. Instead, they are opportunities for growth and deeper reliance on God's grace. As we reflect on Peter's journey, we are reminded that God is not seeking perfect followers but those who are willing to learn and grow in their faith. [39:17]

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent mistake or failure in your spiritual journey. How can you use this experience to grow closer to God and deepen your faith?


Day 3: The Blessings of Obedience
Obedience to Christ is a powerful act of faith that opens the door to witnessing His glory in our lives. Peter's obedience in casting his nets, despite his initial doubts, resulted in a miraculous catch of fish, symbolizing the blessings that follow when we trust and follow Jesus' guidance. This obedience is not about blind faith but a deep trust in Jesus' wisdom and love for us. It challenges us to listen to His voice and act on His instructions, even when they seem counterintuitive or difficult. [45:53]

"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you feel God is calling you to obedience? What step can you take today to act on His guidance?


Day 4: Living Passionately for Christ
To be a follower of Christ means to live passionately for Him, allowing His love to be reflected in our actions and interactions with others. This passion doesn't require being the loudest voice but being a consistent and faithful presence in our communities. It's about loving God with all our heart, soul, and might, and letting that love overflow into every aspect of our lives. As we strive to live passionately for Christ, we are called to be His hands and feet, serving others and sharing His love in tangible ways. [01:04:19]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you demonstrate Christ's love in a practical way to someone in your community today?


Day 5: Repentance and Daily Reliance on God
Peter's life teaches us the importance of repentance and daily reliance on God. Each mistake he made was met with repentance and a renewed commitment to follow Christ. This daily reliance on God is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation. It involves acknowledging our weaknesses, seeking God's forgiveness, and trusting in His strength to guide us through each day. As we embrace this journey, we are reminded that with Christ in our boat, we are never alone, and His grace is sufficient for every challenge we face. [01:05:05]

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me." (Psalm 51:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to seek God's forgiveness and rely more on His strength? How can you make this a daily practice?

Quotes



"see the promise that has been fulfilled to them to see what what awaited them you know you would think they were followers but they ended up being fans more than anything else they they said they believed they said they had this faith but they never really did anything with it and so today as we kind of wrap up this beautiful series the wonder of the birth of Christ the wonder of the prophecies that were foretold the wonder of this beautiful baby boy coming unlike you expected the wonder of that what is our response the because of the wonder of what we know what we believe what we feel what has been given to us now what am I going to do with it you know and it feels almost cliche you know to to talk about all right you know 2024 came now what does 2025 look like you know like what big changes am I going to make you know as new year's rolls around and comes around you know what am I going to do differently than I did this past year for some of you 2024 was the year of your life you're like man can we just take a few more like groundhog day can we just keep reliving and reliving and reliving because this year has been everything you wanted it to be you know you you were the blessings came the promises came things happened in your life that you can't put a price on but it's like how do you keep moving forward or maybe you're sitting here today and 2024 is you can't wait to run out of it you're waiting for 2025 you're counting it down 2024 has been a year you never wanted maybe because of loss maybe because of situations that you've gotten yourself into that now you're dealing with maybe there's shame and failure and confusion and moments that have happened that you're embarrassed to walk through those front doors you're like I can't I can't wait for 2025 I can't wait for something new well then this message today is for the both of you and what we have to do what we have to start doing as believers in Christ those of us that hold the faith that we hold it's we can no longer just believe it's time to start following it's time to start following it's time to start that's what's next that's what awaits you that's what the Lord has for you today is that just don't believe anymore and some of us we've done that for a very long time that's what 2024 looked like we just believe I got here on Sundays that I could you know that it wasn't game day you know because I had to watch the game I had to be ready I couldn't drink all day if I didn't start early type of thing you know like you had all these things going on they're like well man we got games this weekend there ain't no way I'm making it back you know I'm gonna start" [00:33:24] (148 seconds)


"like we have just believed we believe your faith has sealed your eternity which is absolutely beautiful but you've just said in it and so right now what a great opportunity to get up and walk out your faith you know what would it look for you what would it look like for you today in the next year in the next years to come what would it look like for you to start being a follower and not just a believer and here's the thing 2024 has been a beautiful year for us as a church we've seen growth we've seen discipleship we've seen in numbers and baptisms and salvations and tithing like the Lord has been so faithful but have you ever seen us do something and just go sit down and let's just put the brake let's turn the cruise on and just go about 74 so I don't get pulled over by the state the state cop you know no we put the gas in the floor and we keep going why because it's our responsibility and our and our duty as believers in Christ is to also be followers we got to move we got to move we got to move we got to move we got to move we got to move we can't just sit where we are anymore and for some of you it's just one little change and so and what's great about this is we're starting in a brand new series obviously that first Sunday in January it's called one degree and so what we're going to hope for you and for us as a church and it kind of takes this same principle all throughout the 12 months is if I just make one degree of change so much can happen if I just move a little bit if I just take care of myself spiritually mentally emotionally physically if I just make one little change so much can happen and for some of us it's just getting up for some of us it's just finally putting that foot forward and that's the whole point of the story of Christmas the story of the Savior is it should do the most important thing is inspire you the story of his birth that was foretold that was fulfilled should inspire you and motivate you to develop your faith as a devoted follower of Jesus your faith should look different we should grow we should develop back to what's good and what's great doesn't matter what you've done in this moment you can still choose you can still choose and you have to you can sit as just a a believer until Jesus comes back and takes us home and that's great but do you ever wonder what it looked like to be a follower do you ever wonder what it looks like to pick up your cross and carry it to where the Lord has you to go" [00:42:37] (143 seconds)


"And the scriptures we're going to look at today highlights one of the most influential, remarkable, memorable followers of Jesus. And the greatest place, in my opinion, was to start with his direct disciples, was to look at the people who knew him best. Look at the people who truly picked up their cross and carried it and followed him. The people who loved him most, the people who knew him best, the people who trusted the words that came out of his mouth, the people most who, between them and Paul, wrote most of the New Testament. And for me, you know, probably my favorite character in the New Testament is Peter. You know, Peter is powerful. He's passionate. He's got a loud mouth. He says before he thinks. We're very in common. We've got a lot of stuff in common. He says a lot of things. And sometimes he's just an idiot. Again, it just keeps going. Y 'all can stop me at any time. He's just an idiot sometimes. He makes stupid decisions. He thinks. He does before he thinks. He acts before he thinks. He lives on emotion and passion." [00:51:48] (59 seconds)


"Because for us to be a faithful follower, there's a command that comes. And so that's what we can be inspired to do. Because of the wonder of the truth, because of the wonder of the promises fulfilled, we can recognize the value of just accepting his invite. Just accepting, hey, just do what I've called you to do. Just throw it on out there. Throw it on out there and see what happens. See what happens next. And here's what's beautiful is this obedience allows for an opportunity to see the glory of God before you. Your obedience to the Christ allows you to see the opportunity of Christ that he has for you. That's what obedience is. And for some of us, we're being deliberately disobedient. That's the opposite of obedience." [00:45:53] (41 seconds)


"And what's so beautiful about Peter, man, he's so raw and real and relatable and honest. He sees the glory of God put on full display right in front of him. His boat is just filling up. And he doesn't say, thanks, Jesus, my man. Come on, get on out. I got to sell these down the market. I got money to make, you know? Like, he didn't do any of that. He said, Jesus, I am a sinful man. Go away from me. Jesus, go away. I don't deserve this. No, Peter, you don't. But that's how the gospel works. Jesus isn't waiting for you to get your life right. He's just waiting for you to trust your life with him. He's not waiting for you to figure it out. He's waiting for you to trust that he hasn't figured it out. Let him in your boat today." [00:50:05] (47 seconds)


"And what I love about this is he didn't stop. The Lord essentially, you know, ignored that. But he comes back to it. He says, for he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of the fish they had taken. I wonder why. I wonder why. I wonder why. I wonder why. And John, the sons of Zebedee, they were Simon's partners. And then Jesus said to him, don't be afraid. Don't. No. No. Don't sit here in terror or in insecurity or confusion or doubt. Don't you dare let your past affect you right now. Don't you dare let these past failures and mistakes affect what I have for you right now. No. You don't have the right to. Don't you dare let that take you away from the blessings that I have for you in this moment right now. No, no, don't, don't. See, here's what I need you to do. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Just for you today, don't be scared of the Lord's plan and promises for you. And they're like, okay. So they pulled their boats up on the shore, left everything and followed him." [00:58:55] (66 seconds)


"And I can imagine, like, these boats are still full. They push it up. Like, y 'all take care of that. Do what you got to do. I'm going to go this way. I mean, he dropped everything. He dropped his identity. He dropped his passion. He dropped his desire. And again, think about it in ancient Rome. You were known by the occupation that you held. Like, oh. There's Simon Peter, fisherman guy. That's what he does. Big fisher guy. Big fisherman guy. That's how they knew him. And so for him to drop everything that he knew, pick up his cross, pick up his feet and follow his Savior, that's a miracle, too. Don't lose that miracle, either. Yes, these boats filling up with fish is miraculous and incredible. But for him to drop everything and his sin and his failure and to move to the Christ, it's just as big of a miracle. It's beautiful. That's what made him a follower. He dropped his flesh. He dropped his desires. And for some of us today, if you would just drop your flesh and your desires and pick up your cross and follow Christ, everything would change." [01:00:59] (65 seconds)


"And the final thing is this, and I think this is one that most of us need. I know I do, praise God, is to repent and to rely on God daily. That's what Peter did. Every mistake was followed with ownership, obedience, repenting, and then moving forward. He never stayed there. He would repent. He would move. He would do the next best thing. And that's what you and I need to do today. Just do the next best thing. That's what awaits you. And I, if we would be a follower, I just got to do the next best thing. I got to repent. I got to rely on him and do what's next that is best. And sometimes that's hard. Because for a lot of us, and many times in my life, I've gotten myself in my own mistake." [01:05:05] (44 seconds)


"He's the one who has saved you and redeemed you and called you out of that. And what did they do? They didn't shy away from the calling God had on their life. They didn't shy away from what the Lord had for them. They embraced it. Because he said this. He said, you will now be fishing for people. You know, foretelling the miraculous work that Peter would do. He is the rock of the New Testament church, right? Right? Think about Pentecost and the people that were saved, that were filled with the Spirit, that were baptized. He said, look, man, you got a bigger calling on your life. And I'm not saying this. I'm not saying you need to drop everything and stop working. You got bills and a mortgage to pay, okay? And the mags ain't cheaper yet, alright? So you still got stuff to do." [01:11:05] (41 seconds)


"And here's the thing, man, I want the dust of Jesus sandals all over my life, all over my body, all over my face, all over my mind, all over my heart. That's what I want. That's what a follower, a believer is like, man, that dust is really going up over there. A follower goes and gets in it. As I want the dust of my savior all over my life. That's what a follower looks like. And the only prerequisite to any of that is you just got to believe. And for some of you, again, you got to make that decision today is believe, believe, believe. And then for more of us and some of us in this room. I'm not just going to believe anymore. I'm going to follow the Christ." [01:14:19] (40 seconds)


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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?