Are you following Jesus? #4

Speaking for myself, I see from the bible there i much more to being a follower of Jesus then spitting out a few words about I believe in Jesus. I want us to think a little more this morning about our love for Jesus. These verses have always made me do some thinking:

Matthew 10:34-39

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Everybody loves their mom right? The bible makes it clear we should. So what in the world is Jesus saying here? First, He is saying that when we follow Him it can be costly. We may have to leave mom and dad behind if they stand in our way of our Lord Jesus.

Second, I love my children and would die for them but Jesus says here our love for Him is to be so much that in comparison with our children our love for them is like hate! WOW! When we get right down to it though our kids did not die for our sin, our kids do not love us like Jesus does, our kids did not create us, our kids did not leave heaven for us, Jesus is worthy of unmatchable love!

Third, When we realize our life is in Jesus we lose our life as we know it. We no longer live for self. So when we offer our life to Jesus we actually have found the life God intended for us! Following Jesus is true life!

Here is another amazing fact....you did not choose God-He chose you:

John 15:16

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

GOD chose you! He loves you! Again we see He chose you but He also has a purpose in choosing you...that you may bear fruit! What is that fruit? Well part of it is telling others the gospel and then discipling them. Are you doing that?

This following Jesus is serious business, I pray you already knew that and I pray you are busy about the Father's business!

Tom