Are you following Jesus? #22

So the last couple of days we seen that Jesus has all authority, He will judge, and we will either be in heaven or hell. The next thing I want us to see is a tricky aspect of our faith. Our faith is a personal decision. Each of us has to make a choice about Jesus either to follow or deny. There is no middle ground. After that personal decision is made to follow many want to say they can have a privatized faith. That my friends is no where to be found in scripture. Let's look at two aspects here.



First, Jesus built the church, died for the church, and expects us to be active participants in the church. Let me first say the church is not the building, it is a you and me and other followers of Jesus. We make up the church. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a lost and dying world and we can't do that in a private faith! We are also to be there to bear each others burdens and victories in life, you can't do that in a private faith.



* Jesus built the church:



Matthew 16:18

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.



Jesus used Peter to start the first church. A group of followers who would minister to each other and spread the gospel! Guess what? They met in houses not a designated building. They were the church....nothing about a private faith!



* Jesus died for the church:





Ephesians 5:25 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for herHe loves believers and gave himself for us!!! Think on that verse and then tell me you can have a private faith!



*Jesus expects you to be an active participant in the church:



Matthew 25:31-46



31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”



This is a picture of the first church.....does it look anything like the church of today?





Acts 4:32-35

32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.





Colossians 3:17

17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.



So I think we can clearly see, there is no private faith! You may worship at times in private but your faith IS NOT PRIVATE! The bible is very clear here and anybody who claims otherwise is not speaking from the teachings of the bible!



So here is the question of the day for us....have you been keeping your faith private??? If so time to get busy for Jesus and join the church in serving and proclaiming!!! After all Jesus gave himself for the church!



Tom