Jesus Develops His Followship

The Followship of Jesus (Part I)

 First Assembly of God

January 29, 2012

I.    Clarity about last week’s state of the church address. (Deut.29:29 NKJ)

²⁹ “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (NKJ)

 (Rev.2:4-5, 3:1-3)

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

II.  Jesus called His disciples to follow, not just believe. (Matt.4:18-25)

·         Later Jesus talks about “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt.22:14)

·         The chosen come out of followship not believership

·         Jesus was not looking for crowds (23-25)

·         What began with thousands later became a few, once followship became the reality

III.   Nicodemus was a fan before he became a follower (John 2:23-25 - 3:1-21)

• Nicodemus was in this crowd when Jesus begins to reveal Himself to the people of Israel. (2:23-25)

• Nicodemus was a “wanna be” at this meeting

• He believed Jesus was a teacher, came from God and acknowledged that He could do supernatural miracles. (2)

• Jesus declared following Him was not an “add on” to religious practice…it was a radical life change (3)
• The rest of this discourse with Nicodemus was a revealing of what is true of all religious minded people who will miss God without a radical life change.

• You can always know someone is religious when they don’t understand spiritual terms (4)
• Jesus responded to his honest doubt (9)
• Jesus throws down the challenge and that will divide fans from followers forever (10-21)
• Fans or even believers will be attracted to the miracles, message of healing and relief from pain and bondage until it requires a change in behavior or direction in life’s choices.

IV.  Nicodemus begins his move to become a follower (John 7:47-51)

• We hear nothing of Nicodemus until after Jesus is dead (John 19:38:40)
• Nicodemus had much to lose…position, income, family, his identity…to follow Jesus would require a whole new life