WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING

Proclamation:

Jesus told His disciples, "Follow me." Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Explanation

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew and also by the Apostle John.  As Jesus began His earthly ministry He chose His disciples by stating this simple, and yet profound and life changing statement when He said, “Follow Me.”  That phrase was an idiom which had a meaning far beyond the usual meaning of the individual words.  The implication was to put Christ first in their lives and to emulate Him.  To be a disciple of Christ one must deny themselves, take up their personal cross and walk as He walked. (Matthew 16:24)

Application:

At one time or another in our lives most of us have looked up to someone that we admired and wanted to be like.  That person could have been called our hero.  Unfortunately, all too often we pick the wrong person to imitate and emulate because that person has faults and short-comings just like the rest of us.  As believers we are called to emulate Christ.  We are to be His disciples or students.  To follow Him is to be an imitator of Christ, which requires obedience to His teachings and is exemplified by moral behavior.  "The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord ..." (Psalms 37:23)  "Order my steps in Thy word ..." (Psalms 119:133)  Our direction and path should be determined by The Lord.  Only He knows where we are going and only He knows the way there.  Jesus is The Way! (John 14:6)  The old expression, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way" (Author Unknown) was said to motivate procrastinators to do something.  If you are not following Jesus and leading people to Jesus, then you are going the wrong way.  If you are not following Jesus, The Christ, then who are you following?