From Belief to Devotion: Following Christ's Path

"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)