Sermon Notes 6-4-2017

Follow Jesus

Part 1

“Jesus Says”

  

What if Rules weren’t important?

Jesus says to pray. Jesus says not to look over there. Jesus says to be nice. Jesus says to get up early and read your Bible. Lots of people think Christianity is all about doing what Jesus says. But what if doing what Jesus says isn't what Jesus says to do at all? Regardless of what you believe. Regardless of how you behave. Jesus invites you to . . . follow him.

New believers, things we all need to remember!

1. You are called to follow!

Matthew 9:9 (ESV)

⁹As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

·      You are called to follow

·      Simply follow

·      No matter where you are, are what you are doing now, he just wants you to follow

·      Jesus always wanted the outcast, and marginalized to simply follow

·      There are no rules to follow, no standards you habe to meet to start following Jesus

·      Church has for to long put rules on us to start following Jesus

·      And Jesus simply say “Follow Me”

Jesus Loved Sinners!

Matthew 9:10 (NIV)

¹⁰While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

·      Jesus loves sinners

·      Jesus didn’t hang out with the religious

·      So, don’t ever think you’re not “good enough” for Jesus

·      He spent most of his time in relationship with sinners just like you and just like me

·      Jesus likes you

·      Jesus is not put off by your sin

·      Jesus loves you right where you are

The first step is understanding we all need help!

Matthew 9:11–12 (NIV)

¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

·      Everyone in this room believer or not have to come to grips with we all need help

·      We all sin

·      We all fall short of God

·      If you think you don’t need help, that everything in your life is going good, you will never follow Jesus

o   I don’t care where you are in your life, we all sin and fall short daily

o   And that is the first truth we must come to terms with

Four truths about following Jesus

1. Being a sinner does not disqualify you form following Jesus, it’s a prerequisite!

·      Every person Jesus ever ask to follow him was a sinner

·      The only people Jesus didn’t ask to follow him believed they weren’t sinners

o   They were rule followers

·      And there is no sin that you have done that leaves you out of the invitation

2. Being an unbeliever doesn’t disqualify you!

·      None of Jesus’s followers started out believing!

·      Some doubted even after he rose from the dead

·      There is not a person on his room who started following Jesus truly believed in the beginning

o   Everyone had doubts

o   Everyone had questions

o   Belief comes with time in a relationship

3.The invitation to follow, is an invitation to relationship

·      It’s not about following a bunch of rules

·      It’s not about blind obedience

·      It’s about building a relationship

·      Relationships take time

·      Trust take time

·      And your relationship with Jesus will be no different

4. Following will force you to focus on where you are, not where others are not

·      This is so important; believers and non-believers hear me on this

·      If you are working on your relationship

·      If you are constantly looking in the mirror

·      You won’t have time to worry about what others are doing

·      It keeps you humble

·      Because you see yourself as the sick person that needs a Dr.

·      We won’t judge, we won’t gossip, because we will see others with compassion, and mercy

If you’re a new believer or maybe you’re on the fence, Jesus is saying “just take a baby step and Follow me”

·      Give me an opportunity to show you a better way

·      Give me a chance to soften your heart

·      Give me a chance to love you like no one else ever will

Believers

Are you following??

·      If you are truly following Jesus, you should be making unbelievers comfortable around you

·      They should not see you as intimidating

·      Jesus followers don’t look down on people or ignore people, the love them right where they are

If you think you’re doing all the “right things” you’re doing it all wrong

Matthew 9:11–13 (NIV)

¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹²On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

¹³But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

·      I don’t care what bible you read

·      I don’t care how many times a day you pray

·      I don’t care what you give

·      Never get comfortable in your walk

·      Or you will find yourself outside the ones Jesus comes to call

·      Jesus wants you to always be searching,

·      always be looking in the mirror,

·      and always to be questioning and cultivating your relationship with Him

·      never, ever be comfortable with following a bunch of rules and miss your calling to continually follow Jesus

·      that’s exactly what the Pharisees did, and if we aren’t careful so will we!