2-8-2025    Follow ME

 

John 21:20-22

Jesus had just challenge Peter on his love.  He also described to Peter what type of death he should suffer (John 21:15-18).  Then this happened:

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who laid his head upon Jesus’ chest and asked who would betray Him.  Then Peter said to Jesus “”Lord, what shall this man do?”   Jesus answered “If I desire him to still be here when I return, what concern is that of yours?” 

What concern is that of ‘ours’?  Man has pride and at times, it’s is difficult to understand that someone might get something better than us.  Living our lives for Jesus is hard enough rather than to be worried about benefits another might receive.

When I was working FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the Generic Drug’s document room OGD), as a file clerk, I became disgruntled at the different complexity of the documents I daily processed.  So I complained to the Lord.  I was also comparing myself with my three other coworkers in the document room   After all my griping, Father spoke to my heart and said “Give Me the job!”  I thought for a few seconds and then said “OK, it’s yours”.  Nothing happened, that l could tell, immediately.  But after a while I found myself ‘getting ‘into’ and truly enjoying my work.  It was no longer my problem how others were performing their duties, but I started doing my job the way intended and looking forward to the next challenge.  I was no longer considering the difficulty of a document but rather ID’d, coded and forwarded the document to the appropriate reviewers.  Then to process and file outgoing FDA letters, with the appropriate application.  I no longer was concerned about how difficult my job may be nor comparing myself with my fellow employees.  I just did my job, to the best of my ability.  It paid off!  After a few years, the position was upgraded two government grade levels.  A few years after that, we were bumped another two GS grade levels.  I moved from OGD to CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation) doc rooms which had responsibility over sixteen different drug review divisions plus OGD.  Now, my job became a liaison, training contractors to do what I had been doing in OGD. A total of 17 doc rooms and this produced another two level grade hike.  Without college education, I had received four pay hikes, which include a total of seven grade levels.  And my last two years I was promoted to a position over all the CDER doc rooms, my final pay hike.  I had moved up eight grade levels by retirement.  And I remind you, this started first by giving my job to the Lord, then not being concerned about others and how they were performing, but doing my job, always to the best of my ability.  Though I was doing tasks for the federal government, I worked for Jesus!  I was following my Savior’s example (John 13:15).  Though I had been saved for many years already, this was all a part of my beginning to truly follow Jesus.

Now let’s take a quick look at a few people whom other people have followed.

Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC)  Was a great Roman general and became dictator of Rome in 49 BC, a decorated soldier and influential politician.  He was murdered, while still in office, a man took his life with a knife in 44 BC.  Yes, he had many opponents, but he also ruled the Roman Empire for five years (Wikki)! Do we think he had any followers?

Adolph Hitler (1889 - 1945)  Was the leader of the Nazi Party (1920-1921) and becoming chancellor (Kanzler) and Fuhrer of Germany from (1933-1945).  His worldview revolved around two concepts: territorial expansion and racial supremacy (Britannica).  Hitler committed suicide as Russian troops were chasing him down after the war.  Yet, do we think Hitler had a following?

Jim Jones (1931-1978)   In 1954 formed an independent Pentecostal church in Indianapolis. His format was a blend of Christianity and socialism (a blend of Marxism and Communism) referred to as apostolic socialism.  He eventually moved operations to Jonestown, Guyana (1977) where he, along with 900 people committed mass suicide via poison.  Over 900 people followed Jones into the grave.  Do you think that they followed him.

When we accept Jesus into our heart, how do we view Pastors or other preachers.  Are we able to separate the message from the messenger?  I’ve personally encountered too many people who have admired a pastor so much, they practically moved that pastor to the place of or above God.  That is to say  that if there was a discrepancy between what the pastor said and what the bible actually said – the bible was considered wrong.  Not citing specific examples, but this is something to think about.  Do we actually know who we are following?  Who actually has the final say in God’s truth?  God or man?  When a pastor becomes the ultimate of a person’s Christianity, who are people worshipping, Jesus Christ or the pastor?  It has happened.  Do we think that pastor had a following?

What about entertainers?  Actors, actresses, singers, etc., etc. Like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Beyonce, Taylor Swift or how many other music and cinema icons are there over whom  people have gone “totally gaga”?  Have these entertainers become their idol, the one they want to be like or follow, or to even be desired by them – at all cost?  We follow them because we respect, admire or even ‘love’ them.  So do we think that people have followed them?

There are more examples, but these are not whom we are talking about.

As Christians, our desire should be to be like, or follow Jesus.

Jesus says “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  So what are Jesus’ commandments?  One Word, two parts ‘, LOVE.  We should love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and then love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).  One might ask “What about the Ten Commandments?”  just what are the 10 Commandments (Exod. 20:3-17?  Read them.  They are a very basic description of how we can show how much we do love God.  We should never forget who He is.  Mean what we say and say what we mean when we back it up with His name.  Set time aside for Him.  Our parents have been given authority over us so we should listen to (honor) them.  We trust they are giving us the right direction.  They also tell us not to take the Lord’s name in vain, not to kill, steal, cheat on our spouse, lie or desire the things that our neighbor has in his possession.  Understand, the 10 Commandments not only have a physical understanding, they tell us ‘what to do’.  But there is also a spiritual aspect in our relationship with our heavenly Father.  How do we treat Him?  When we are tempted and make the decision to do so, we have sinned (James 1:14-15).  Even though we may not have physically done it, because we have decided to it, we have sinned in our heart and stand guilty.  For Christians, not only are our deeds counted but also are our intentions.   Our thoughts as well as our actions have to be lined up together as we follow Jesus! 

A few more quick things to consider:

Matthew chapter seven cautions us not to be too quick to judge the actions of others (Matt. 7:1-5).  Matthew goes on, but get started with these verses.  We should have compassion and be willing to give direction to those whom we encounter.  consider Jesus and the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery (John 8:4-11).  Jesus’ final words to her were “Where are your accusers?  Has no man condemned you?  Neither do I, go and sin no more.”  Jesus did not condemn the woman to death but gave her an opportunity for life.

Jesus gives us an example of how to treat people and why. Jesus said to give others food, drink, clothing, visit him when he us sick or in prison.  As we do anything for the least in the kingdom of God, we are doing it to Jesus (Matt. 25:33-40).  In the example of my job, I ended up working for Jesus, not the federal government -  even though I was still working under supervisors and in a federal building and was paid by FDA.   Need I say that Father rewarded me through that which was around me.  I could go on with even more examples but let’s finish with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.  As these qualities are evident in us, they are evidence that we have crucified our own desires and follow the Holy Spirit (GaL. 5:22-26).  That is, we are not concerned about just pleasing ourselves but are genuinely concerned about those around us and how we can help build them up (1 Corinth. 14:1-19).   Even so, we don’t neglect ourselves.  Jude tells us to build our faith by praying in the Holy Ghost, abide in God’s love, looking forward to eternal life (v 20-21). 

Are we are reflecting the love Father has for us, to the world around us.

So, whose image do we reflect?  The world’s?  Or Jesus’?  Who do we follow? 

 

Amen