Day 2: Follow Jesus

Day 2
Theme: Follow Jesus
Passage: John 3:35-39

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,
“What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means teacher), “where are you staying?”
“Come” he replied, “and you will see”.

When I read this verse I immediately knew this was the passage to start our journey together. What better way to describe missions, then following Christ. You see He is our strongest example of what it is to do as James 1:27 tells us “to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” What we find in the story of Christ that is a unique challenge to our American culture is this: “Missions is not what we DO but something we LIVE”.

Take a closer look at the first part of this passage.
“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.”

Our first step in living out missions is knowing who Jesus is. What was His heart and Passion? Was it to be rich? Was it to be the best preacher, or best communicator? Maybe it was to be the best developer of talent? I don’t think any of these were the case. In fact this is the same Jesus who when questioned by a certain ‘Rich Young Ruler’ where he needed to sign up, Jesus put out a call to be so passionately abandoned to the call that this young man would give up everything he had to serve. When ever Jesus had a large crowd in front of him, he would speak in confusing parables or tell them to “Drink of His blood…” I do not believe we would ever see that in a book on church growth.

Jesus was passionate about serving the lost, the hurting, the oppressed, the suffering, those just like you and me. This is the Jesus who we see in John Chapter 5, walking through the streets among the hurting, the sick, the poor, and the lame. He was walking among them and helping them meet basic needs.

Why do you think that Jesus was so passionate about the lost? Was it that he wanted to win the most friends contest? Or the worlds most liked Rabbi?
I doubt it was any of those ideas. In fact they are pretty ridiculous. That sounds more like what we would do it for. But Jesus did it for a different reason.

Have you ever been around someone who was a new Christian? A new Christian who is so on fire that you can’t help but be warmed when you are around them? I have. His name is Chuck.

Chuck is 68 years old and will tell everyone he meets that he wasted his entire life on horrible things. He was a horrible person, a drunk, a father who didn’t know how to love; a failed husband. Yet one day God found Him in his car sitting in the parking lot of a church. From that day forward there is a different Chuck walking around. This Chuck can not stop smiling. This Chuck can not wait to tell others about how Christ saved Him. This Chuck is the type of Christian you just LOVE to be around because he is so genuine and real. His passion for Christ is contagious.

Do you think that Jesus was always around those who were hurting because they had nothing to give? When they received His power, his healing, saving power, they were extremely grateful. Could it be that Jesus desires our full hearts passionately devoted to Him?

Read the 2nd half of the verse out loud (Come on, no one will make fun of you):
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,
“What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means teacher), “where are you staying?”
“Come” he replied, “and you will see”.

Once you have discovered who Jesus is, who He really is at the heart level, you are now faced with a choice: Will you follow him to where HE is?

Read the lyrics of this song
“Follow You” by Leeland.
OR EVEN BETTER WATCH A MUSIC VIDEO AT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ajIFfSaEzE


You live among the least of these:
The weary and the weak.
And it would be a tragedy
For me to turn away.
All my needs You have supplied,
When I was dead You gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?

And I'll...
I'll follow You into the homes of the broken,
I'll follow You into the world.
I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God,
I'll follow You into the world.

Use my hands, use my feet,
To make Your kingdom come.
To the corners of the earth
Until Your work is done.
'Cause faith without works is dead,
And on the cross, Your blood was shed,
So how could we not give it away so freely?

And I'll...
I'll follow You into the homes of the broken,
I'll follow You into the world.
Oh, meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God,
I'll follow You into the world.

Yeah,
I'll follow You into the homes of the broken,
I'll follow You into the world.
Oh, I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God,
I'll follow You into the world.

And I give all myself,
I give all myself,
And I give all myself to You.

Oh, and I give all myself, (I give myself)
Yes I give all myself, (Lord, I give myself)
And I give all myself to You. (I give it all to You)

(Lord I give it all to You)
I'll follow You into the homes of the broken, (All to your name)
I'll follow You into the world. (I'll follow You)
I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God, (Poor and needy, God)
I'll follow You into the world.

I will follow...
I'll follow You into the homes of the broken,
I'll follow You into the world.
I'll meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God. 1


Reflection:
Is this your passionate Cry tonight? To shout like Isaiah “HERE I AM LORD SEND ME!!”

God,
Help us to follow you as you walk through our cities, our counties, our states, our nation and our world.
Help us to not just watch you walk past and others follow.
Help us to be on your heal desiring passionately to follow you where ever you lead.
Help us to follow you to these who are suffering, who are oppressed, who are hurting, and who are needy.
Help us to see them as you do, through your lenses.
Help us to help them
In Your Strength, not ours
In your power, not ours
For your Glory, not ours
For your kingdom, not ours