Follow Me (Jesus Christ)

Matthew 7:21-23   “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Would you read a book that expounds on the scariest verses in the Bible in the first chapter? You might say, “yes,” because you think that was the hook that would get you to read the book. What if in it’s first chapter you began to question your faith, because of bold statements like, “If our lives do not reflect the fruit of following Jesus, then we are foolish to think that we are actually followers of Jesus in the first place.” What if the book made you question how you came to faith, and pointed to how soft and wrong so many churches have gotten the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if it made you realize that, “repeat after me prayers, signing cards, and raising hands” was just the beginning, but not just the get out of jail free card so many rest upon? But, what if you realized David Platt was right, and that he was just bold enough to biblically expound on Jesus’ greatest sermon, The Sermon on the Mount, and to proclaim an unpopular truth about Christianity today? Are we truly followers of Jesus that will spend eternity in Heaven, or, hear the words from Him above on our way to Hell? Would you keep reading the book and let God open your heart to a life more devoted that you could imagine, or put it down and return to the status quo and hope he was wrong?

I would not know where to begin, how to simplify, how to begin to explain the ministry God has called me to, except it is similar to David Platt. I grew up in religion, thinking I was saved because I went to church. Later in life, I discovered the true meaning of God’s mercy and grace, and the last ten years or so, have been a test of my faith. I am un-liked by many people because of my boldness; I feel like a prophet called to proclaim what God lays on my heart at all cost personally to me. My ministry is the church, one of repentance of the church, a call to proclaim true Christ following faith. It would be much easier with an evangelistic call, the one to the sinner, than to the prideful Christian. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Jesus closed his greatest sermon condemning those that had come to him in religion, those that wanted the blessing, but not willing to pay the cost of following him. Sadly many of us today fall into that category.

One of the clearest analogies I have heard to test your faith, is that of a courtroom. Simply stated, if you were tried in a court for your Christian faith, would there be enough evidence in your life to convict? What would others say about you? What would they be able to dig up on you in your home, online, banking records, phone calls, traveling, in your statements of faith and recollection of the Bible verses? Would you rest upon your church attendance record, and a sinners prayer alone? Would that hold up in a court or cast a reasonable doubt? Convictions come when enough evidence is proven to outweigh the doubt. Think about this in the word of “fruits” in the Bible. 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Jesus uses that term all through his ministry, and it is coined all through the New Testament. Are you producing fruit? Are you a true follower of Jesus Christ, going against the world and paying a cost for your faith? Do you stand your ground when your faith the pivot, or do you compromise? Read Jesus’ greatest message, The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7), and let the Word of God prick, pray for the Holy Spirit to convict and tug you to a repentant plea to become a true follower of Jesus Christ, to proclaim whatever he places on your heart to a world that desperately needs to hear.