Good Morning Family!. I got a question if I were to ask you, are you a FAN or a FOLLOWER of the PITTSBURGH STEELERS or The DALLAS COWBOYS ! THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS! THE NEW YORK GIANTS! The SANFRANSISCO 49ers! I am sure most of you would answer FAN Right? BUT To be Truly commented, The Correct answer is Follower! A fan is simply defined as an ENTHUSIASTIC ADMIRER This person will Cheer for any team, They just like Football!..Now I’m going to get a little Deeper!! might get a little uncomfortable, I want you to Define the Current Relationship between you and JESUS! ARE YOU A FAN! OR A FOLLOWER! What exactly is the commitment level? Because you see family! JESUS DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BE A FAN OF HIS, HE WANTS YOU TO BE A FOLLOWER!! In Luke 9:23 HE put it this way “If anyone would come after ME he must deny himself, take up his cross and FOLLOW ME! Followers deny themselves, take up there cross and follow him... it’s the commitment level that HE cares about. ..We may wear a cross, but do we bear the cross? We can come to church, know all the songs, open our Bible and take notes..say grace before lunch, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a follower...Now let me confess this to you..I think for years I was more fan than follower. In large part because I confused knowing ABOUT JESUS with KNOWING JESUS! But I learned there is a BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND INTIMACY! You See Family, I LOVED JESUS and I KNEW a lot about JESUS– but I DIDNT KNOW JESUS!! ..I wasn’t talking to HIM about my day – I wasn’t listening for HIM to speak into my life. See, a lot of us don’t mind JESUS once a week on Sunday. We don’t mind making some minor change in our lives RIGHT but JESUS Family wants to turn our lives UP SIDE DOWN!!– We want HIM to do a little TOUCH UP work, but JESUS wants COMPLETE RENOVATION! We come thinking TUNE UP! but JESUS is thinking OVERHAUL! – We think just a little makeup is what we need, and JESUS is thinking MAKE OVER!!..We think a little decorating is required, and JESUS wants a COMPLETE REMODEL!! the truth is family, that it is only in letting JESUS interfere with our lives – that we find REAL LIFE! HE didn’t come so that we would be better behaved or to tweak our personality or fine-tune our manners or smooth out our rough spots, HE wants TOTAL TRANSFORMATION !! JESUS didn’t come to CHANGE ME BUT TO KILL ME! I cannot speak for you Family, But When I quit fighting for the controls of my life and surrendered everything to HIM– when I died to myself and live for him I find life that that is truly life! In Luke chapter 9. Verse 23 Jesus says that if we want to follow him we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily. So as you determine the relationship you have with JESUS Family let me ask you a question: Is the relationship one of convenience, or is it committed? Is JESUS one of many, or is HE your one and only? See, fans want to make JESUS one of many. And JESUS is clear that this isn’t an option. HE says the most important command is to love the LORD with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, ALL your mind, and ALL your strength. That’s the kind of relationship he wants to have with you... HE wants Our whole heart! And so the invitation hasn’t changed. JESUS still says, If anyone would come after ME he must deny himself, take up his cross and FOLLOW ME! My favorite word in that invitation family is ANYONE. No matter what your story – no matter what you’ve done this is the relationship JESUS wants to have with you. Anyone…ANYONE who has ever laid awake in bed and thought I would give anything to undo what I’ve done. ANYONE who has looked at themselves in the mirror and said I can’t believe what I have become. – ANYONE means EVERYONE! AND ANYONE MEANS YOU!! Amen!! Enjoy Your Day Family! Much Love to you All!
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:25:03 +0000