Young People's Group

“FOLLOW ME”

by Pastor Mitch
August 07, 2011

What Are We Willing To Give Up To Follow The Lord?

Following the Lord Jesus is not a straightforward endeavour. It would take much “sacrifice” on our part if we seek to be good disciples of the Lord Jesus. What are we willing to give up in order to follow the Lord Jesus fully? We may have some understanding about discipleship. We may even talk about being a disciple of Jesus. However, the strength of our commitment in following Him depends whether we can comprehend and embrace its true cost. The Lord Jesus travelled much throughout Galilee to minister to the people. He did not stay very long at any particular place. Following Jesus can be most demanding. What are we willing to give up and even do in order to achieve this?

Following The Example Of Jesus In Forgoing Personal Comforts

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'” 
Luke 9:58

When a scribe said to Jesus that he would follow Him, He replied that if one wants to do so, he needs to forgo his personal comforts. He spoke of how animals would at least have a home to lay their heads and bodies. The Son of Man, on the other hand, would not even have a place to lay His head. One of the significance of the Lord’s title of “the Son of Man” is to show His great humility. The divine Son of God, because of the demands of ministry, would choose to be worse off than animals or birds by not having a permanent home to rest in. Young people, what are you willing to give up in order to do the Lord’s ministry?

Focusing On Preaching The Kingdom Of God

“But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.'” 
Luke 9:59-60

When the Lord Jesus asked another person to follow Him, he spoke of wanting to go and bury his father first. His priority was his family. The Lord Jesus told him to let the spiritually “dead” members of his family bury his father. His focus and priority should be on the preaching of the kingdom of God. His main focus should be on following Christ.

Following The Lord And Don’t Look Back

“And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'” 
Luke 9:61-62

Another candidate spoke of following the Lord but he wanted to say goodbye to his family members. He still wanted to have time with them. The Lord Jesus challenged him by stating that as a farmer would never look back while ploughing his land, even so a disciple should follow Him faithfully and not look back. If a farmer looks back while ploughing, his furrow would be crooked. Our challenge is to follow the example of the Lord in serving God selflessly. Let’s decide to follow Him fully and not be distracted by anything. Only then, would we be fit for the kingdom of God.

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