Following Jesus

Matthew 5:1-2

If you follow Jesus you will learn some things. He is always teaching us things if we are willing to be taught.

 

Matthew 5:3-12

These are the beatitudes that Jesus preached. The key to these is that no one knew about them unless they were there with Him.

 

Matthew 5:13 – The important of a witness.

Matthew 5:17 – He fulfilled the law.

Matthew 5:21 – Forgive one another.

Matthew 5:27 – Sin comes from within.

Matthew 5:31 – Divorce.

Matthew 5:33 – Keep your promises.

Matthew 5:38 – Retaliation and not taking revenge.

Matthew 5:43 – Give to your enemies.

Matthew 6:1 – How to give.

Matthew 6:5 – How to pray.

Matthew 6:6 – How to fast.

Matthew 6:19 – How to lay up treasures.

Matthew 6:22 – Light of the world.

Matthew 6:24 – Put Gods kingdom first.

Matthew 6:1 – Don’t judge.

Matthew 7:7 – Ask and seek God in prayer.

Matthew 7:13 – Broad and narrow way.

Matthew 7:15 – How to behave and to tell from a false prophet.

Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone will go to Heaven.

Matthew 7:24 – A firm foundation and it’s importance.

 

The importance of follow Jesus is for growth, good growth. There is always something in the word of God no matter how many times it’s been read. How many times a treasure was found when reading His world.

 

A lot of folks are searching for a private revelation. God doesn’t work that way. God is open for all within His word. Many leave His word on the table or shelve to collect dust. It’s meant for us to learn.

 

So what do the Bible teach us about Christ. It took 4 chapters to get a lot of it out. Some can’t show up and sit thru a short sermon without it going in one ear and out the other. The spiritual food is what we need and to expose ourselves to God.

 

At one point God told them that the people should be on the meat but He was having to still give them milk. They were not taking their spiritual growth seriously. We see our Sunday School attendance and see that this is still true today. People don’t want to come and grow in His word. It’s important to know that we are on a journey, a learning journey because everyday spiritual school in in session.

 

God knows how to get your heart in tune for you to listen to Him. At times it might take correction in order for you to pay attention. It shouldn’t be that way. God has already taught and it’s in His word but we often leave it to someone else to teach us instead of ourselves learning it. It’s not up to the preacher, teacher, deacon, or someone else to teach you about God. This is so important to a Christians life!

 

The word of God has power in itself, yet we treat it like it’s just another book. Some think they already know it. That is a lie because there are things in His word that He has never revealed unto anyone. There are people that have studied His word all the days of their lives and yet in the end of their life admitted they still were not finished. Being smart has nothing to do with learning His word. It’s not about your IQ. Even a fool understands Jesus. Many of blind people are able to “read” Gods word. Preachers that are blind have preached Gods word to many. Your learning disability is not a physical one but a spiritual one. Step one, attend Sunday School. Step two, attend Sunday evening service and then Wednesday services.

 

Matthew 8:1, 5, 14, 16

What happens when people follow Jesus.

He healed a bunch of people.

God can heal anyone. He heals people even when they don’t love Him, the lost. Not only does He heal the lost but He shows favor to those that love Him, the saved. Is there anything too hard for God? All one has to do is ask. Now physical affliction happens to everyone. No matter if you’re lost or saved, the flesh is sinful and will get “sick”.

 

Matthew 8:18-22

It will cost you something to follow Jesus. The first man would have to let go of his house, bed, food, and comfort. Jesus was homeless. The importance to this is that in order to follow Christ one must die out to yourselves. The second man was told that you’ll always have someone dying, there would always be something to pull you away from Jesus. We often come up with the most lamest excuses to skip church. Your flesh is a hindrance and it will come up with a thousand reason to NOT be a follower of Jesus

 

Matthew 8:23-27

Let’s look at the hardships of life in general. In this story we see some people in A boat in the middle of a storm. How many people do you think have ever been in a storm and on a boat before? This wasn’t the first time that this had happened and it still happens today. The difference is that Jesus was with them. Just in life, we all go thru storms in our lives. These storms are not anything new and have been going on for centuries. The difference in a follower of Christ and someone that doesn’t, Jesus is with you in your storms. Yes, it’s scary and fearful at times of the storm. Yet when you call on Jesus, He will either calm you or the storm.

 

So what does the Bible tell us about following Christ? Miracles everywhere. We have someone that is always there and loves and cares for us. You will experience the healing power of God whether yourself or someone else.

 

Are you a follower of Jesus?