Follow Me............

Follow me... and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 

 

It is no coincidence that Jesus chose this phrase over and over again throughout his 30 years of preaching, teaching, and healing on this planet. It is also not just a "fluke" that in everything he taught, he also lived. How many of us have had a person of authority, (a boss, a supervisor, a team leader) that were very good at delegating jobs and work, but rarely "practiced what they preached"? All too often we see someone that we look upon as a leader but instantly lose respect due to the fact that they did not lead by example, rather they led by orders.
        Many times we lose sight of the whole reason Jesus walked this planet. Those of us that grew up in church and Sunday School know that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. John 3:16 ""For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  What is less known is this wasn't the only reason! God sent his only son to show us how to live. SHOW us by EXAMPLE how to live. Jesus could just as easily have fallen to temptation like all the rest of us. He walked a human life. Because Jesus kept his heart pure he was the lamb chosen to give you and me hope of a new life, a better life, one after this life is over. It is our commission from Christ to "follow him" and to "lead" others to Christ. You will not find anywhere in the Bible where it says, go unto the world, grab people by the nose, yell and scream at them and tell them they are going to hell while you look down your nose and act like the pharisees in the bible. Apparently people don't remember that Jesus himself really did not like the Pharisees at all who those put themselves above all others and did not follow the law they commanded others to follow. John chapter 8 is a good place to read about this.
     Even Paul, my personal favorite apostle, was very specific in his letters to Corinth. Read 1 Corinthians 11:1 "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." Paul was very adamant about spending all of his time encouraging others and focusing on the will of God. This man just would not quit! Paul lived such a example that many who harmed him eventually followed him. How many of us can say that our enemies turned and followed us?  I posted on my Facebook page today, "A good man leads, a great man leads by example." This quote weighed heavy on my heart all day today and I really don't think most people really understood what the phrase said to me, then again, maybe it wasn't for anyone else but me. I like most people make many mistakes, but it's the idea, that Jesus is still telling us 2000 years later that, you know your commission is to drop your concerns and follow me, in turn I will teach you to lead BY EXAMPLE others to fulfill their place in heaven. This isn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses. God has set aside a place in Heaven for everyone ever created. All we have to do is pick up the cross and follow him and lead others to him. I could go on and on about all the scriptures in the Bible telling us to "follow him" According to statistics, Jesus says "follow me" 23 times in the bible. Keeping in mind that Jesus states only 4 times more (27 times) the phrase "I am" I would think this is really powerful.
          Keep in mind that you are always being watched. Like it or not, people determine who you are not just by what you say, but more so what you do. When I was much younger, I did a really good job of following God closely. I didn't do a lot of things of the world and had no problem being around people that did, the way I saw it, it was my commission to be a light and to be an example. There came a point when I became overcome with selfishness and stopped putting effort into being an example eventually falling into sin. I had a friend come to me and said, " you were always the one I looked at for consistency, no matter what you stuck to your faith, but I'm disappointed in you." This was said to me almost 10 years ago and still haunts me to this day. I led people astray because of my selfishness, and willingness to throw my hands up and turn from God. I am working on getting back to God, and to reflect his image by everything I do, I'm not perfect, not even close, but I am not going to go down with out a fight again. I have made a commitment to God that I will do my level best to lead by example. To follow him.