The Living Rock Church of Iloilo City
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
February 3, 2010
Text: Matthew 4:19,20
Series Title
THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST
Bible Study Lesson
COMMANDMENT #2 – FOLLOW ME
Introduction
The purpose of this series: It is our firm understanding that as we LEARN (know) and OBEY (apply, put into actioni) the COMMANDS OF CHRIST we will become MORE LIKE HIM (this is the ultimate goal of discipleship) and we end up as TRUE DISCIPLES representing Christ accurately to the world!
His commands, when obeyed, lead to CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER. For example, the First Command, REPENTANCE, leads to humility (being humble).
Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
The two important things in this whole matter is KNOWING and OBEYING. Think about this: (1) Without knowledge one cannot obey Christ’s Command. One must first KNOW before one can OBEY. That’s why knowledge is essential. (2) Knowledge is not enough, for there are those who KNOW but do not OBEY (Matthew 7:21, Luke 6:46). Many Christians have hit a snag here. (3) Knowledge must be followed by obedience. Remember the Great Commission: we must make disciples by “baptizing them....and teaching them to OBEY everything I COMMANDED you.”
Take note: We are to TEACH PEOPLE TO OBEY all of Christ’s commands. We do this by explaining (introducing, defining, illustrating, clarifying, simplifying) Christ’s commands to them.
This Bible Study material will deal specifically with the SECOND COMMAND of CHRIST which is FOLLOW ME (Matthew 4:19: "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men.")
The FIRST COMMAND, which is to REPENT, is directly related to the SECOND COMMAND. One cannot follow Jesus until one has repented. There are some who repent but do not follow Christ. We must understand that repentance, without the consequent following after Christ, is useless. There are two actions in repentance: TURNING AWAY from Sin and TURNING TOWARD God. In other words, LEAVING SIN and FOLLOWING CHRIST. Two sides of the same coin. A one-sided coin is useless.
Everybody is called to follow Jesus because everybody is a sinner and needs Christ [Romans 3:23, 6:23]. Here are a few more reasons why everybody needs to follow Jesus: (a) Jesus is the Way [John 14:6]; (b) Jesus is the Word of God [John 1:1-3,14]; (c) Jesus has Eternal Life [John 5:12, Romans 6:23], (d) Jesus is the source of our spiritual life [John 15:4]; and (e) Jesus is our pattern [Philippians 2:5], etc.
I. What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?
To be able to obey the Second Command we must understand WHAT (ano) “FOLLOW” means, then we will be able to know HOW (paano) to Follow Jesus.
There are different Greek words used for the English word “Follow”and each word gives us a shade of what the word really means:
• Deute opiso muo – come after me Matthew 4:19
• Akoloutheo – accompany someone (literally, to be on the same way or road) Matthew 4:20
• Dioko – to pursue, follow after (Luke 17:23)
• Mimeomai – to imitate, the follower is called mimetes (Hebrews 13:7)
From the preceding words and definitions here’s our working definition of the term “Follow.”
TRANSFORMATION by ASSOCIATION
To follow includes the following:
1. Obedience – to do what Jesus commanded. (Ilonggo: tuman)
2. Imitation – to do what Jesus did, to say what Jesus said, to be what Jesus is, to live the life of Jesus (imitation from the heart and not just external) Ilonggo: ilog
3. Accompany – to walk with Jesus (relationship). (Ilonggo: upod)
4. Patterning – making Jesus the pattern of everything in your life. This is the message of the “fad” W.W.J.D. As we ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?” in every critical instance in our lives we are challenged to become like Jesus. The idea of patterning is further illustrated by the Potter and the Clay. Jesus is the PERFECT POT PATTERN and we, his followers, are MOLDED into His “shape.”
II. How Are We To Follow Jesus?
Getting a cue from the biblical texts (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22) we are told several things about HOW we can follow Jesus:
I. BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING: YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
A. Change Roads
Eveyrone who is born in this world is traveling on the WIDE road toward destruction. To follow Christ one has to step on the path of Christ (be born again) – the NARROW road. You cannot follow Christ until you are on the SAME ROAD WITH HIM. You cannot follow Christ using ANOTHER ROAD.
You have to LEAVE the road you are traveling on and get on the road that Jesus is on. For some this may involve LEAVING (1) your job, (2) your friends, (3) a sinful relationship, (4) an illegal business venture, (5) it is DEFINITELY a leaving of a sinful lifestyle. (REPENTANCE is not only a change of mind, but also a change of direction.)
Now that you are on the SAME ROAD with Christ, LEARN from HIM.
Matthew 11:29-30 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me , for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
You have to LEARN Jesus. There are many things we should UNLEARN so that we can LEARN Jesus. This series will provide us with the process of unlearning and learning.
B. Change Natures
Everybody born on this planet is born with Adam’s SINFUL NATURE (not Adam’s sin). Sinful Nature means man’s TENDENCY toward sin (Romans 3:10-23) received from Adam.
Man is not a sinner because he sins, rather man sins because he is a sinner. Man does not improve, but rather deteriorates over time. Man is more sinful now than he was 100 years ago or 1000 years ago.
No one can change our Nature except God. That’s what happens when we get born again. Our First Birth gave us Adam’s sinful nature, but our Second Birth gave us a New Nature from Heaven. If the Old (Sinful) Nature is the tendency to sin, then the New Nature is the TENDENCY to HOLINESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS and OBEDIENCE to God.
The result or effect of the NEW NATURE is NEW LIFE – TRANSFORMATION (2 Corinthians 5:17) and, therefore, CHRIST-LIKENESS.
Unless one is born again he/she cannot follow Christ – it would be impossible. You need a New Nature to follow Christ. The Basic Requirements for being Born Again are: (1) Faith (trust in Christ via the Gospel), (2) Repentance (turning away from sin and turning toward Christ) and (3) Water Baptism (commitment to follow Christ) [Acts 2:38, etc.]
II. PREPARE FOR YOUR NEW JOURNEY
To prepare for this new journey with Christ, we must understand what is at stake (what is involved). Things You need to Understand
A. Understand that following Christ is NOT EASY.
Matthew 8:19-20 “19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." DISCOMFORT, SACRIFICES, INCONVENIENCES
B. Understand that following Christ involves a CHANGE OF PRIORITIES.
Matthew 8:21 “21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL MUST BE FIRST IN A DISCIPLE’S LIFE.
C. Understand that sometimes you are going to have to make a choice between Christ and your LOVED ONES.
Matthew 10:37-39 “37 ‘Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’”
D. Understand that following Christ involves SELF-DENIAL.
Matthew 16:24-25 “24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
This is best expressed by the Lord Himself when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane facing the prospect of Death by Hanging on the Cross. He said to the Father, “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) This is self-denial.
E. Understand that following Christ involves leaving EVERYTHING.
Matthew 19:27 “27 Peter answered him, ‘We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?’” NO MORE WORLDLY ATTACHMENTS.
Anyone who is prepared to do these things is also prepared to follow Jesus Christ.
3. THE JOURNEY
The journey begins with a NARROW GATE (Born Again) and continues through a NARROW ROAD [Discipleship] (Matthew 7:13,14). Narrow, with reference to Wide, signifies that the journey is going to be rough and difficult. However, Jesus said that the journey on the Narrow Road ends in LIFE.
Paul puts it this way, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18) and “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
The Journey may be short or long for different Christians, but the purpose is the same: the Journey is a MOLDING PROCESS. Everything that happens in this journey happens for a Good Purpose (Romans 8:28) – to mold us into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:13, Galatians 4:19, Romans 8:29)
A Journey is a Process. The following basic things will help us follow Christ – and not be sidetracked (going in another direction) – on this Journey:
A. Constant Fellowship with Christ through Prayer, His Word and His Church. (Hebrews 10:24,25; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 4:4)
B. Consistent life of Obedience. (Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21)
C. Faithful Service in the Church. (Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 10:24)
D. Committed Service in the World. (Matthew 28:19,20)
E. Successful overcoming of Trials and Tests. (Matthew 7:24-27)
F. Effective overcoming of Temptations. (1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:13-15; Matthew 26:41)
G. Immediate yielding to the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30)
H. Regular confession of sins. (1 John 1:9)
Conclusion
The Second Command of Christ is to FOLLOW HIM. If you are not following Christ, you are following somebody else.
ARE YOU FOLLOWING CHRIST?
He who follows Christ will never get lost.
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You can email us at jlrcm@yahoo.com for your questions. Thanks.
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