Why are you following Jesus Christ?

Why are you following Me?(Jesus Christ)

Common reasons for following God but are unacceptable.

1. We follow God because of the cream. (blessings)

Jeremiah 29:11

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 For I know the plans that I [a]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Deuteronomy 28:1-8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Blessings at Gerizim

28 “Now it shall be, if you diligently [a]obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you [b]obey the Lord your God:

3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the [c]country.
4 “Blessed shall be the [d]offspring of your [e]body and the[f]produce of your ground and the [g]offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be [h]defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 8 The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

After feeding of the 5000.

John 6:26-27

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Words to the People

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God,has set His seal.”

It is wrong when the pursuit of blessings becomes the primary motivation in following God.
- The focus is on the self.
- The focus is on the blessings.
Instead the right motivation is to focus on God.

Characteristic of a christian who follow God because of his blessings.
1. His obedience to and love towards God is determined by the blessings he receives from God.
2. He has a 'transactional' approach towards God.
3. His life is not fully surrendered to God.

Many churches nowadays focus their message on the blessings, while the lordship of God takes second seat!
Our church preach the Lordship of Jesus Christ above all else, and blessings will naturally follow.

"Will you still follow God even if you wont receive His blessings?"

2. We follow God because of the crowd.

Luke 7:11

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, [a]accompanied by a large crowd. 

Luke 14:25

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Discipleship Tested

25 Now [a]large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

The crowd are always attracted to setting that is new novel and beneficial to them.

Characteristics of a christian who follow God because of the crowd.

1. His obedience to God is dependent on the trend of the times.
2. His focus is on people and not on God.
3. His life is not fully surrendered to God.

Many church goers nowadays follow the crowd.

3. We follow God because of a crisis.
Our tendencies to seek God.

Psalm 50:14-15

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

However, there are so call Christians Who call upon God only during times of trouble

Luke 17:11-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ten Lepers Cleansed

11 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing[a]between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 [b]Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith[c]has made you well.”

Characteristics of a Christian who follow God because of a crisis.
1. His obedience to God is dependent on the gravity of his crisis.
2. His focus is on his problem, not on God.
3. His life is not surrendered to God.

We should follow God not only during times of crisis, but every time, more so during times of peace.

4. We follow God because of our culture.
While religiosity is not necessarily bad, the sad part is that many Christians follow god because of cultural influences and as a matter of habit, without a true understanding...

Matthew 7:21-23

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many[a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Characteristics of
1. His obedience to god is motivated by sense of responsibility
2. Legalistic a lot of dos and do not. Their life is controlled by a set of rules.
3. The concept of lordship of God is based on fear and not in love.
But through real understanding of who he is and what he has done for us.

We follow God because of Christ. The right reason.

Luke 14:25-27

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Discipleship Tested

25 Now [a]large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not [b]hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Characteristic of a christian who follow God because of Christ
1. His obedience to Go is and offshoot of his love for hod
2. His focus is on pleasing god and not himself
3. His life is surrendered under the lordship of Jesus Christ

Questions to ponder on

Will I still follow God if he doesn't bless me?
Will I still follow God if all my friends don't?
He wont take away my problems?