Living Waters Christian Fellowship - Lake Nacimiento - California

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Introduction
This discourse is about following Jesus, being “fit for the Kingdom of God.” It means different things to different people, because we are not all the same, and God has a unique plan for each one of us to accomplish some aspect of His purpose on Earth until He comes. But we must know that course, think it over, and be determined to follow Him in it.

Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I. What does it mean to follow Jesus? v57

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

Mark 12
30 ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
31 “And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

This is the general idea of following Jesus:

A. Love - to have a heart of interest, concern and compassion toward others.

1. God
2. People

B. Ministry - love acted out in specific ways to be a blessing to God and people

1. Love acted out - charity, to care enough to do something

2. Specific ways, the various gifts of the Spirit, given to each by the will of God

This is generally what it means to follow Jesus.

II. What does it mean to follow Jesus wherever? v57

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

A. Love is expressed and ministry carried out in various locations, times and situations

B. The Holy Spirit leads us

C. We should be willing to follow and to serve wherever, however, whenever to the glory of God

Those who are led by the Spirit are like the wind, you can’t tell where it comes from or where it’s going. Every morning, launch your hang glider.

III. Sometimes following Jesus is difficult v57-58

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

A. The emotion of love may cause us to express commitment without thinking v57

B. We need to seriously think about what is involved in following Jesus

C. We need to count the cost before we commit out of emotion - not that we may decide not to follow Him, but so we are not taken by surprise and become discouraged and fail.

I had no place to lay my head in Rio. Following Jesus is sometimes difficult.

IV. Sometimes following Jesus involves sacrifice v59-60

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

In that culture, in order to receive your inheritance from your parents, you had to be there with them until the end. Leaving to go follow Jesus in ministry was going to cost this man his inheritance. I’m sure he thought he could go preach after his parents died and he had received his inheritance, so he would have money to live on for his ministry. Jesus was asking him to sacrifice.

Breakfast for the chicken and the pig. For the chicken, it’s a contribution. For the pig it’s a sacrifice.

V. Following Jesus requires re-evaluating our priorities v61

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

a. Good things - isn’t it good to at least go and say goodbye?

b. God things

VI. Following Jesus means commitment and determination v62

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus doesn’t want us to flake out. Where He leads me I will follow, what He feeds me I will swallow.

VII. Following Jesus results in great reward

1. In this life - “Here we are on the mission field, just suffering for Jesus.”

2. In the world to come - great reward, well done

Conclusion

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This discourse is about following Jesus, being “fit for the Kingdom of God.” It means different things to different people, because we are not all the same, and God has a unique plan for each one of us to accomplish some aspect of His purpose on Earth until He comes. But we must know that course, think it over, and be determined to follow Him in it.

Rom 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.