FOLLOWING THE CROWD OR FOLLOWING JESUS

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV)

Every day asks you a quiet but defining question: Are you following the crowd, or are you following Jesus? The crowd offers comfort, safety, and the illusion of belonging. It moves fast, speaks loud, and promises that if you blend in, you won’t stand out. But the crowd rarely leads toward courage, holiness, or truth. It leads toward whatever is easiest. But Jesus warns that this road -- though crowded and convenient -- leads to destruction. Not because God is cruel, but because the wide road is built on self, pride, and the illusion that we can define truth on our own.

Jesus, on the other hand, never walks with the crowd -- He walks ahead of it. His path is narrower, quieter, and often lonelier. The narrow gate is not narrow because God is stingy. It is narrow because truth is specific, holiness is intentional, and discipleship is costly. His path leads to the cross. But it is also the only path that leads to life. Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it." (Matthew 16:25 NIV)

Following Him means choosing conviction over convenience, obedience over approval, and faith over fear. It means stepping out of the noise and into His voice.

Following Jesus on the narrow road, though demanding, leads to life -- real life, abundant life, eternal life. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6466

FOLLOWING JESUS – Part 2 of 2

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”  (Luke 9: 23)

The first two words of Luke 9:23 immediately stand out: “if anyone.” The word if leaves room for doubt. You certainly can choose someone or something else to follow. But that’s your decision, the promise of finding yourself with meaning and purpose doesn’t apply. If also indicates that every convert or new disciple must make the choice to follow Jesus. While we make that decision at the point of repentance and salvation, we also make it at crucial times in our lives and make it every day. That’s why Jesus used the word daily in verse 23.

Choosing the life that Jesus offers also involves choosing a way of life – a life of self-denial and submission... We don’t just amble our way into discipleship. We make a conscious decision to live by faith. We agree to join others who are committed to following Jesus rather than trying to lead Jesus. We fundamentally give up the right to run our own life. In other words, you can follow your heart, your dreams, your gifts, your personality profile, and seek the right fit. But all that is inferior to following Jesus. 

-- Bill Hull in “The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ” 

#6465

 

FOLLOWING JESUS – Part 1 of 2

How do we know God lives and works in us? I think the answer comes from Jesus’ basic call to discipleship in Luke 9:23-25: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for Me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?”

Beyond calling us to follow, Jesus also described the nature of the commitment that we need to follow Him. My whole life is the answer to Jesus' call to follow Him. He calls and I answer, not just in words, but in the action of following. George MacDonald noted, “Instead of asking yourself whether you believe or not, ask yourself whether you have this day done one thing because He said, ‘Do it,’ or once abstained because He said, ‘Do not do it.’ It is simply absurd to say you believe, or even want to believe in Him, if you do not do anything He tells you.”

When I answered Jesus's call with my whole life, I make myself His disciple at once. Deitrich Bonhoeffer said, “Only those who are obedient believe and only those who believe are obedient. Faith is only real in obedience.” 

-- Bill Hull in “The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ” 

#6464

WHAT'S THE POINT?

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20 ESV)

When I first met the great Jesuit peacemaker and poet Father Daniel Berrigan, I wanted his advice about the life that lay ahead for me, but I didn't know exactly what to say. "What's the point of all this?" I finally asked him. Dan took my awkward question seriously. "All we have to do is make our lives fit into the story of Jesus," he said. "We have to get our lives to make sense in light of the Gospel." 

What a helpful answer! I never forgot it. The Christian life, I was learning, is fashioned after the life of Jesus. As His followers, we have to know His story, enter His story, and make our story part of His story. The Gospel, in other words is the measure of our lives. 

-- Father John Dear in “Transfiguration- A Meditation on Transforming Ourselves and Our World”

#6409

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN 0 AND 153

“Jesus called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.”  (John 21:5-11 NIV)

First-century fishing boats were seven and a half feet wide. So what’s the point of trying the other side? What difference does ninety inches make?

Then Jesus gives them an unforgettable object lesson: sometimes ninety inches is the distance between 0 and 153. You may be only seven and a half feet from a miracle – but you have to try the other side!

Miracles don’t just happen when we believe God for big things. Miracles happen when we obey God in the little things. When we do little things like they are big things, God will do big things like they are little things. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible” 

#6346

FOLLOWING JESUS

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’”  (Matthew 16:24-26 NLT)

To follow Jesus Christ, who was betrayed, wept, bled, and died before He rose again, is to be at high risk of being taken where we had not intended to go. Eugene Peterson pinpoints the trouble with prayer: “We are often asked to respond in ways that we never intended when we first began to pray.”

It matters little where or in what century we are called to live out our Christian life. The witness of those who have gone before informs my own experience, telling me that we are often taken to places where we receive unwarranted accolades and to other places where we receive unwarranted suffering and pain. A disciple, one who chooses to be a student and follower of Jesus, is not a “self-made person” and is not on a personally designed journey… We choose to follow Jesus and then Jesus chooses where we will go. It is that simple.

The saving truth here is not that we are taken where we do not want to go, rather the saving truth is that we are not alone. There is One who leads us and who goes with us… While we may not choose the places to go, we can choose to remain with the One who sends us and there find comfort, companionship, grace, peace, and joy in Christ. 

-- Adapted from Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#6330

THE BEATITUDES – A SELF-PORTRAIT OF JESUS

“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful… the pure in heart… the peacemakers… those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake…’” (Excerpted from Matthew 5:1-10)

The Beatitudes offer us a self-portrait of Jesus. At first it might seem to be a most unappealing portrait -- who wants to be poor, mourning and persecuted? Who can be truly gentle, merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, and always concerned about justice? Where is the realism here? Don't we have to survive in this world and use the ways of the world to do so? Jesus shows us the way to be in the world without being of it. When we model our lives on His, a new world will open up for us. 

-- Henri Nouwen

#6314

THE BEATITUDES LIFESTYLE

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 5:3-10 NIV)

I applied for a position in a Christian organization years ago and was presented with a list of legalistic rules having to do with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and certain forms of entertainment. “We expect Christian behavior from our employees” was the explanation. I could agree with this list because I, for reasons mostly unrelated to my faith, didn’t do those things. But my argumentative side thought, Why don’t they have a list about not being arrogant, insensitive, harsh, spiritually indifferent, and critical? None of these were addressed.

Following Jesus can’t be defined by a list of rules. It’s a subtle quality of life that’s difficult to quantify but can best be described as “beautiful.”

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–10 sum up that beauty: Those who are indwelt by and dependent on the Spirit of Jesus are humble and self-effacing. They’re deeply touched by the suffering of others. They’re gentle and kind. They long for goodness in themselves and in others. They’re merciful to those who struggle and fail. They’re single-minded in their love for Jesus. They’re peaceful and leave behind a legacy of peace. They’re kind to those who misuse them, returning good for evil. And they’re blessed, a word that means “happy” in the deepest sense.

This kind of life attracts the attention of others and belongs to those who come to Jesus and ask Him for it… Such a way of living comes only by God’s grace and can be put into practice only by those in whom God’s Spirit resides. The “Beatitudes lifestyle” is entirely, radically dependent on the Holy Spirit. God will transform our lives so that those around us can’t help but notice the joy within us. 

--  Excerpted from “Our Daily Bread Ministries Canada” with David H. Roper 

#6313

FOLLOWING JESUS

Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 16:24 NIV)

If we really want to be Christ-followers we need to care about what Jesus cares about, embrace who Jesus embraces, let our hearts be broken by what breaks the heart of Jesus, teach what Jesus commands, become advocates for what Jesus advocates, and follow Christ wherever He leads -- whether across the street or around the world. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™ 

#6216

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

“And Jesus said to all, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.’”  (Luke 9:23-24 ESV)

The denying ourselves, and taking up our cross, in the full extent of the expression, is not a thing of small concern. It is not expedient only, as are some of the circumstantials of religion, but it is absolutely, indispensably necessary, either to our becoming or continuing Christ’s disciples… If we do not continually deny ourselves, we do not learn of Him, but of other masters. If we do not take our cross daily, we do not come after Him, but after the world, or the prince of the world, or our own fleshly mind. If we are not walking in the way of the cross, we are not following Him. We are not treading in His steps, but going back from, or at least wide of, Christ. 

-- From “The Works of John Wesley, Sermon XLVIII, On Self Denial” by Albert C. Outler

#6215

FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”  (John 1:14,16,17 ESV)

There is more nonsense per square inch about worldliness than perhaps any other subject in the Christian life.  Usually, worldliness is reduced to a laundry list of taboos -- the nasty nine, the terrible ten, or the dirty dozen, depending on whose list you go by.

The do's and don'ts sound like they come straight from Sinai, but the truth of the matter is, they originate from our own parochial prejudices.

We want to watch out for worldliness, but we also want to watch out for the legalistic labels that some condescending Christians stick on many areas of life where God has granted us freedom.

The key to an abundant life under the lordship of Christ is not trying to impress Him with the check marks on our laundry list but trying to live like He lived -- full of grace and truth, not full of legalism and pious platitudes. 

-- Charles R. Swindoll in “The Practical Life of Faith” [1990] 

#6211

DISCIPLESHIP INCLUDES EVERYTHING

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV)

A disciple of Jesus is not necessarily one devoted to doing specifically religious things as that is usually understood. To repeat, I am learning from Jesus how to lead my life, my whole life, my real life.

So as His disciple I am not necessarily learning how to do religious things, either as part of “full-time service” or as a “part-time service.” My discipleship to Jesus is, within clearly definable limits, not a matter of what I do, but of how I do it. And it covers everything, “religious” or not. 

-- Dallas Willard in “The Divine Conspiracy”

#6196

THE TWILIGHT ZONE

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12 NIV)

It’s amazing how easily we adjust to darkness. When you go into a dark theater, you grope around until your eyes adjust. And then the darkness becomes quite comfortable. But go back outside, and your eyes water and you’re reaching for your sunglasses. The light actually hurts your eyes.

Our world lives in spiritual darkness, separated from God. Jesus said He is the Light of the world. But too often, people become comfortable in their own personal twilight zone, where the goal becomes reducing the Light, or even extinguishing it altogether so they can stay comfortable. We see this happening in our schools, our governments, and our social gatherings.

But the Light of Christ is stronger than any darkness. In a world of comfortable darkness, stay out of the twilight. Walk in the Light. Then be a light to guide others out of the darkness. 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#6172

THE QUESTION OF SUFFERING – Part 1 of 3

Q. Why does God allow tragedy and suffering?

A. You see it all over the news: wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes -- as well as senseless shootings, acts of terror and wars. In addition, there is the everyday pain in individual lives: illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, heartache, crime and death.

People are suffering all around us. And many ask, “Why? Why did God allow this?”

Jesus predicted these things would happen in our sin-stained world. Unlike some religious leaders who wrote off evil and suffering as mere illusions, Jesus dealt with reality. He said in John 16:33, “You will have suffering in this world.”

But, again, why? I cannot stand in the shoes of God and give a complete answer, but we can understand some things.

To illustrate, Leslie and I were driving from Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin. It was dark when it started raining heavily, and then we hit dense fog. I could barely see the line on the edge of the highway, and didn’t know what to do. Then a truck went by us, traveling at a confident and deliberate pace. We could see his taillights through the fog, and realized that if we could just follow those lights, we'd be headed in the right direction.

It is similar with tragedy and suffering. We may not be able to make out all the peripheral details of why, but there are some biblical truths that can illuminate some helpful points of light for us. And if we’ll follow those lights, they will lead us toward conclusions I believe can satisfy our hearts and souls.

-- Lee Strobel in “The Case for Christianity Answer Book” 

#6163

TRUSTING IN GOD OUR SAVIOR

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.’”  (Isaiah 43:1-3a NLT)

What do we do when the earth shakes, the mountains split in two, and the sun and the moon go dark?

We do exactly what we should do every day: live the gospel as Jesus preached it and lived it, trusting not in ourselves nor in the material world but in God, who was at the beginning and will be still after the end.

-- Mary Anna Vidakovich in “Meeting God on the Mountain”

#6135

EVEN THOUGH… I WILL

On page after page of Scripture, we find people in situations where life has closed in on them. It might seem logical for them to chuck their faith. We wouldn’t be surprised if they turned away from God in the midst of difficulty, or if they leaned toward their favorite addiction in an attempt to feel better. Unfortunately, that’s what too many people do when the going gets tough.

See, when life turns hard for us, we’re almost always tempted to welcome the Enemy at our table. But when we realize that Jesus invites us to follow Him even though life is hard, we discover the foundational truth for winning the battle of our minds. That is the depth of faith we see throughout the Bible…

The prophet Habakkuk stated it clearly when he cried out:
“Even though the fig trees have no fruit
    and no grapes grow on the vines,
even though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no grain,
even though the sheep all die
    and the cattle stalls are empty,
I will still be joyful and glad,
    because the Lord God is my savior.”  (Habakkuk 3:17-18 GNT)

The last two lines indicate a huge faith. And did you notice the two phrases repeated three times in Habakkuk’s prayer?

“Even though… I will…”

These two phrases lay out a powerful cause-and-effect relationship as an example for us to follow. Even though bad things happen, I will still praise the Lord. 

– Louie Giglio in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table”

#6134

ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

Jesus said to the two walking on the road to Emmaus, “‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself."  (Luke 24:25-27 NIV)

Well, what do you know, [the resurrected] Christ conducted a Bible class. He led the Emmaus bound duo through an Old Testament survey course, from the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy) into the messages of Isaiah, Amos, and the others. He turned the Emmaus trail into a biblical timeline, pausing to describe… the Red Sea rumbling?... Jericho tumbling?... King David stumbling? Of special import to Jesus was what the Scriptures said “concerning Himself.” His face watermarks more Old Testament stories than you might imagine. Jesus is Noah, saving humanity from disaster; Abraham, the father of a new nation; Isaac, placed on the altar by his father; Joseph, sold for a bag of silver; Moses, calling slaves to freedom; Joshua, pointing out the promised land.

Jesus took them through the writing of “Moses and all the prophets.” Can you imagine Christ quoting Old Testament Scripture? Did Isaiah 53 sound this way: "I was wounded and crushed for your sins. I was beaten that you might have peace" (v. 5)? Or Isaiah 28: "I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem. It is firm, a tested precious cornerstone that is safe to build on" (v. 16)? Did He pause and give the Emmaus students a wink, saying, "I'm the stone Isaiah described"? We don't know His words, but we know their impact. The two disciples felt "our hearts burning within us while He talked" (Luke 24:32 NIV). 

-- Adapted from Max Lucado in “Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear”  

#6100

TAKING UP OUR CROSS

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me.’”  (Matthew 16:24 NLT)

Jesus does not say, “Make a cross” or “Look for a cross.” Each of us has a cross to carry. There is no need to make one or look for one. The cross we have is hard enough for us! But are we willing to take it up, to accept it as our cross?

Maybe we can’t study, maybe we have a handicap, maybe we suffer from depression, maybe we experience conflict in our families, maybe we are victims of violence or abuse. We didn’t choose any of it, but those things are our crosses. We can ignore them, reject them, refuse them, or hate them. But we can also take up these crosses and follow Jesus with them. 

-- Adapted from Henri J. M. Nouwen in “Bread for the Journey”

#6081

 

JESUS IS ASKING YOU TO CHOOSE

“Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’ Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’”  (Matthew 16:22–24 NIV)

The disciples had to make a choice. They could not follow Jesus and follow themselves at the same time. That would be like having two different maps to two different locations and trying to follow both at the same time. If any wish to come after Him, they must let go of the wish to control their own plans and be willing to follow Jesus wherever that may lead. How many of us try to pursue earthly gains and spiritual gains simultaneously? The truth is, we cannot hold two desires at the same time. This doesn’t mean that we won’t enjoy success in our lives and businesses, but only one pursuit can control our minds and our hearts.

But this surrender doesn’t just ask us to lay down our lives and our desires. No, we also have something to pick up. It asks us to willingly pick up our cross. Just as the cross became the instrument of Jesus’s earthly death, it becomes the place of our own death. Death to controlling our lives. Death to our own plans. The cross is an intentional and daily commitment to give up control of our lives for the sake of Christ.

Jesus asked His disciples to make a choice. Every person will come to a point when they, too, must make the same choice. Paul declares in his letter to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (1:21). You cannot live in two different directions. Jesus is asking you to choose. Are you willing to make that choice today and carry your cross? 

-- Susan O. Kent in “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender”

#6074

MEN: YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THE WANT-TO

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.'”  (Matthew 16:24 NIV)

Most members of my generation are familiar with the classic Rolling Stones song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The lyrics may indeed speak truth in the world of human relationships and romantic love. We can’t always get what we want, but we might manage to get what we need if only we try hard enough. Tenacity pays off. Fair enough.

In the arena of spiritual growth, however, wanting turns out to be a fundamental prerequisite for making any progress at all. When our wanting lines up with God’s intention, that combination adds up to one powerful recipe. When the heartfelt longing of Christian men is the desire to walk in God’s way, look out, world! In that case, what we want is most certainly and powerfully what we are going to get.

For Christian men, wanting is absolutely the most critical variable in the equation. God will never force His hand if we fail to own the desire. Coercion is not in God’s nature, and bullying is not in His game plan. The Lord of the universe has always been gracious to respect the choices we make.

The ball is in our court. “You’ve got to have the want-to” may be a worn cliché in religious vernacular, but it turns out to be a powerful truth. In practice a large enough dose of want-to adds up to an enormously effective tool on the infrequently traveled road of ongoing spiritual formation. 

-- Derek Maul in “Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men” 

#6056