people who follow the subject
Content Lee often stands at a crossroads in life. Should I go to the right? Should I go left? Would you rather go back? Guys, how did you act in this case? Did you guys act according to your own judgment? Did you act on the advice and advice of your friends? Following the wind, following the clouds, did you follow whatever the circumstances lead you? Or did you seek the guidance of the Lord? Guys, what kind of case do you want? I want to find the right answer through today's text.
1. We must know that we are followers of the Lord,
Jesus commissioned Peter to “feed my lambs.” Jesus gave one summary statement that revealed all that Peter, the disciple, had to do. What is? It is a command to “follow me”. When Peter asked another disciple a question, the Lord wanted Peter to know that there was only one thing he had to do. What is that? “You follow me.” All Peter had to do was follow the Lord. Folks, so are we. Like Peter, we are believers in the Lord. Like Peter, we are the Lord's disciples. The Lord, who told Peter to follow me, also tells us to follow me. Gentlemen, we are only followers of the Lord.
Guys, what does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to believe in Jesus? It means following the living Jesus. It's not just about learning. It doesn't mean that you can be blessed by relying on Jesus. Studying the Bible doesn't make us smart. It's not about changing your heart and becoming a good person. Believing in Jesus is always saying yes and answering and following when Jesus calls you to follow me. This is the Christian. He is a disciple of Jesus. Therefore, a disciple is a believer, and a believer is a disciple. There are people today who claim to believe in Jesus and see discipleship as an option. This is unbiblical. We are the Lord's followers. I hope you are convinced of this.
2. We need to know that the Lord wants us to lead.
Folks, the Lord is with us and is guiding us. We are his sheep. The Lord is our shepherd. The Lord wants to guide us. Folks, this fact is very important to us. It is the most important issue in our life. Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt, knew this. I knew that God's presence and guidance was the most important thing. In Exodus 33:15-16, Moses said, “If you would not go, do not send us up from here; how will we know that I and your people have found favor in your sight? Do you not separate me and your people from among all the peoples under the earth by walking with us?” So God led Israel with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire.
Therefore, gentlemen, if we are following the Lord, do not think of our circumstances as our own. We stand in the Lord's will and plan. If the Lord is guiding us, our reality is never wrong. Therein lies the great will and economy of God. Therein lies the Lord's calling and guidance. Look at Peter. Verse 19. “He was saying these things to indicate what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.” Even in Peter's death, God's glory is there. According to church tradition, Peter died by hanging upside down on a cross. Even in Peter's martyrdom, there is the Lord's guidance. Everyone, yes. If we are obedient to the Lord's guidance, may we find God's will in our circumstances. I hope you will hear the voice of the Lord leading you.
3. We must deny ourselves to follow the Lord.
We are followers of the Lord. I am a disciple of the Lord and a believer. He wants the Lord to guide us. You say follow me. How can we follow the Lord? If we insist on doing our own will, we cannot follow the Lord. Only when we deny ourselves can we follow the Lord. This is because I have to throw away my life, my own thoughts, and my purpose and follow the Lord's way, the Lord's purpose, and the place the Lord is going.
Look at verse 18. This is a summary of Peter's life. Peter's life is divided in two based on the moment he met the Lord. As a young man, this is Peter's past life. Growing old is a lifetime of the future. In his youth, Peter did as he wished. From now on, you can't do that. If you do, you will not be able to follow the Lord as you have failed in the past. So what are you going to do from now on? That is to open your arms. A belt is a belt. When putting on clothes, do as if a child would open their arms as directed by their mother. It means to completely deny yourself and obey. Therefore, the Lord spoke often. “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
4. You must know the Lord well to follow the Lord.
Gentlemen, if we do not know the Lord here, can we follow Him? Can you deny yourself and follow the Lord unconditionally? Impossible. It's foolish to go after someone you don't even know. It's foolish to deny yourself and rely on someone you don't know. Therefore, in order to follow Jesus, we must know Him. Peter knew the Lord. And I completely trusted the Lord. In John 21:17, he confesses of the Lord, “Lord, you know all things… You know. He saw the Lord, learned it, experienced it, and came to know and trust Him. So I followed the Lord without asking. I followed the Lord until death.
Guys, how much do you know Jesus? Are you rising up to be the Lord you can follow and give up all of you? First of all, we must know Jesus as our Savior. We must know the risen Jesus as our Lord. We can follow the Lord only if we know Him.
Gentlemen, who is the most worthy of the kingdom of God? A person who has completely accepted the Lord and has completely entrusted his life and all things to him. A person who denies himself and completely follows the Lord. Right now, the Lord is guiding us. You say follow me. Don't even ask why. Don't even ask what the outcome will be. Just believe in the love of the Lord, believe in the omnipotence of the Lord, and follow the Lord. Then one day all the problems will be solved one by one. “You follow me,” he says.