Who Are You Following?

Uh, we're going to jump into the word today. And today I'm talking about — I simply titled "Following." If you've ever had to follow somebody, you put a little faith and trust into that individual to to lead you in the right direction. Um, I remember helping someone move one time, and I was not the lead car. The vehicle in front of me was loaded down — we had a fridge and a bed and whatever I was driving was loaded down — and we're just traveling down the road, and I wasn't sure where we were going, just following. All of a sudden we top a hill, and we're in the middle of a cornfield, and we had to make a U-turn in the middle of the dirt. I mean, it wasn't even a path. It was just really — we was knocking down corn. And obviously I had put my faith in the wrong individual to get me where we needed to go. So we got to be careful what we follow in this life, what we choose to seek after and to place our faith and our trust in.

If I were to come to you today and say, you know, "I've got an opportunity of a lifetime for you today," what would be your response? Some might say, "Well, I know you, you might lead me the right way, but I want to hear you out." Someone want to know, "Give me all the details and let me make sure that this is a sure thing before I buy into it. You know, what's going to be the return? What's the guarantee to me?" — to listen to what it is that you're saying is such an opportunity. But if I just said, "You just got to trust me," would you continue to listen to what I had to say? Some might. Some would immediately turn me off. But if I walked in and I just met you for the first time, and and I called you by name, and I said, "Just follow me," you might say, "I don't — I don't know you well enough to do that. I'm not sure I want to follow you."

But I've come to tell someone today: God is in the house. He's here today, and he's calling your name, and he's asking you, "Will you follow me? Will you seek my face? Will you trust in me to guide your life where I have intended and called for you to go?" We serve a God — it's in the business of loving people, people just like you and I, in the middle of whatever it is we're facing, whatever it is we may be going through. God knows. God cares. God sees exactly where you are. But he still calls each of us to follow him. He wants us to surrender to him today, to totally dedicate our life to him wholeheartedly, and say, "Yes, I'm going to follow you." Not just a sales gimmick or some ploy to coach you into something that cost you a price, that you're far more in benefit of serving him and following after him.

Sometimes we get into things — dating myself, when I was a young teenager, I remember Columbia Records: you could get a stack of CDs, you know, for a penny a piece or ever what it was. But suddenly, you know, you're roped in every month, man, you're having to pay something to get — "What have I got signed up for?" What seemed to be free turned out to cost you something. But I've come to introduce you to a God who — yes, it will cost you something, but the benefits far exceed what you think it's going to ever cost you in this life. We serve a God that cares about you and sees you in the midst of your trial, in your situation, and he'll never leave you. He'll never abandon you in that place in your life. He cares, and he loves you so much he died for you. That's how much his love is extended to each of us. He cares if you are afraid. He cares if you are hurting in your life. He cares if you are needing something and see no answer to meet that need. He cares if you think everything's just great and going all right, and maybe you think, "Well, I don't really even need him." He still cares, and he loves him, and is concerned about you.

If we're honest with ourself today, and we do a self-examination, we're all in need of a savior today. None of us can save ourself — a healer, a deliverer, an answer, a change in our life. He is that answer. He is that solution. He's the one that you can put your faith, in your trust in. He's not going to lead you astray. He's not going to sideline you, but he's going to lead you where he desires your life to go. So I ask you: can I introduce you to the man, to the Savior, to the Redeemer, the one, Jesus Christ, today? There's a song we sing around here — more than the lyrics to the song — he is your Waymaker, he is your Miracle Worker, he is your Promise Keeper, he will be allied in the midst of a dark time in your life. My God — a personal God who knows me, and I can know him. That is who he is and wants to be in your life. He will come in and wipe away all tears. He can mend a broken heart. He's the answer to every question you have in your life. When you say that name, you bring on power and authority that is far beyond what you yourself could ever do. But he asked you the question: "Will you follow me?"

Matthew chapter 9 — return there today. Matthew chapter 9 and verse 9, says: "And as Jesus passed forth from fence, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, and he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus said it meet in the house, behold, many republicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why ain't just your master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that behold need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go in, learn what that meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus comes across this man, into text that we just read — the man named Matthew. And it's easy, when we get to reading in scripture, sometimes we just don't take in everything being spoken in in the word of God. We just like, "I'm going to read the Bible," and we pick up nuggets. But sometimes I'm afraid we don't slow down enough to see what's truly being said, and the picture that's being painted in those words printed in the Bible. We see here the back story behind Matthew. He was important in some ways. As a tax collector, he had a Roman soldier on either side of him at most times, and he had the right to enforce the taxes, and to

even skim a bit off the top for himself. But to his very own people, he was a traitor, a disgrace to his family, and they were most likely forced to disown him. So now he is also a loner. He certainly would have been not welcome in a synagogue or any other place where the people that he knew and grew up with congregated. In fact, the rules of that day were, those who did the bidding of the Roman occupation, of collecting taxes, were considered even as dead. "You don't even exist." Can you imagine choosing an occupation, and because of that, your very own people, your very own peers, consider you non-existent, not even a person?

There are people today, possibly understanding my voice, who may feel that society thinks they don't matter. They're just not really that much. They're not important. The truth is, if we're transparent, we've probably all had that feeling at some point in our life. You ever asked the question, "Or does it really matter? Do I even deserve to be here?" Many people in their day-to-day existence — we run across individuals who think, "Well, I'm — I'm just not important, and you know, I just don't understand why I'm even here."

We see this in the life of Matthew here in the scripture, this example. In society hasn't changed much today from back then. Jesus walked the earth. He came across individual lives who thought, "Well, I'm just on the sideline. I'm just merely taking up space and breathing some oxygen, but the truth is, I don't really matter much." But I want you to know that Jesus specializes in people who may feel like, "Well, I don't have a right to be here." But he's come to step into the middle of your situation, into your life, and say, "Hey, I see you. You are important to me. I have chosen and created you for a purpose, for a plan." And though we may rub shoulders every day with people who say, "Well, I don't really matter, because I don't have a social status, or I don't have influence in society, so I might as well just get out of the way" — we also see another group of people that we read about him, tax collectors. And then sinners were called out. How sad it is that we're quick to put labels on people. We're not called to do that. We're called to be salt and light. We're called to help, to encourage, to strengthen. But so many times we live under the labels that this world places on our life, and we almost — "Well, I've got to live up to that. That's what I've become. That's what I've been known for." These were labeled as sinners, people that didn't fit the rule for the Jewish law, as the religious leaders interpreted it.

We've all heard the phrase, "We'll be known by the company we keep." In Jesus became known and judged by the leaders of his day as an individual who sung — who spent time and hung out with tax collectors and sinners. Those who were supposed to be the righteous, according to the law, didn't break bread with those who were considered outside the law. They separated themselves. Shame on us if we think we're too good or too spiritual to do what God has called us to do — if we can never touch those around us, share this gospel that we are blessed to have a part of in our own life, to introduce this world to the one who saved us, who made what seemed such an impossibility something that he could work with, something that he loved and cared and showed compassion so much that he shed his blood on Calvary's cross. And he didn't do it for just you and I; he did it for every single person on the face of the earth.

We see Jesus mingling with what they considered the unacceptable. And I'm so thankful that Jesus didn't disregard me because I didn't fit the mold, or the rules, or the guidelines of certain individuals. But he decided to have a relationship with people outside of those who just have it all together and everything lined up and in order.

When you begin to read this scripture, Matthew 9:9, says "he saw a man." So many had disregarded Matthew. "He's not even a man. He's not even a human. He doesn't even exist." But Jesus made the point to recognize him where he was at: he's a man. He didn't say, "He's a sinner, he's an outcast." He didn't say, "Well, he's — he's a popular guy, I think I'll hang out with him." He saw a man. Jesus Christ came for one purpose. Luke 19 and 10 says he came to seek and to save that which was lost. None of us can do it on our own. He came for each of us, and he comes for anyone willing to seek after him and to allow him to touch their life. There was no way I could get myself out of the sin that I was lost in. But I'm so thankful that his word says he came to seek and save that which was lost. We came to find me in the midst of my dilemma, in my muck, in my admire. He chose to step down from his glory, robe himself in flesh, took on all of our sins, and died, and to pay the price that I could never pay. He was rejected. He was despised by the religious world so much so, they considered him not good enough to live. So they put him to death by nailing him to a cross.

We see here Jesus looking for those that have the feeling that they're just left out, and even questioning their purpose in life. He's looking for individuals that are asking how they ended up in the situation where they are right now. "How do I seek anything any better?" Jesus is constantly looking and searching. You don't have to wait until you get it all figured out. You don't have to wait until, "I've got to get this situation taken care of. I've got to get this behind me. I've got to get over the addictions that I have in my life." But he's looking for availability. He saw a man that was available. You see, he's walking up and down these aisles. He's seeing each of us here today. If you're breathing, you qualify. You are a child of his, and he has a destination for your life that you cannot even imagine possible.

There's many people and structures and systems in this world that can give us the impression that we're just inadequate, so just step aside. "You don't measure up. You don't matter. You're too defective. You're broken. You're too sinful. You've done too much. You've gone too far." But I've come to tell you, you can't go too far to get away from God. You'll never outrun his mercy and his grace. You'll never do too much that his love cannot reach and touch and change your life. I'm here to restore someone's hope today, and to let you know that God's eyes are upon you, and every one of you matter in his eyes today. You're a child of the King. You're created to win. You're not defeated. You're not

destroyed. You have a plan, a purpose, and God wants to fulfill that in your life today, if you will choose to follow after him.

Your DNA is a result of royal blood that gives you the authority to walk in liberty, to walk and be victorious in this walk of life. No one is trashed to be thrown away or to be swept aside. No one is unimportant in the kingdom of God. But he paid the price of his own innocent blood, and bought and adopted us into the family of God, when we take on that lovely name of Jesus and water baptism, as we saw a few moments ago, and then we allow ourselves to surrender to him and be filled with his Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. And it's available for everyone.

So what makes the difference in a person's life? What makes you different than that person that's always an overcomer? What sets you apart from one person being an overcomer, and someone else being defeated and seemingly having no joy? Truth is, we have to make the choice. We must wake up to the realization of who we are and what we're following after. If we want the applause and the acceptance of man in this world and society, then we'll follow what this world defines as necessary, and set our hope and desire on that. But I've come to tell you, that's a false hope, that's a lack of joy. There is no peace to be found in that option. This world will change the rules and redefine the definitions of what is right and proper at the blink of an eye.

Isaiah 5, verse 20 and 21, says: "Woe unto them they call evil good and good evil, they put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight." You better be careful in the choices you make and what you follow in this world. They'll tell you there's no right and there's no wrong in today's compass. Whatever direction you want to go, that's — "We've got to accept it." Come to tell you, that's a lie from the pit of hell that would cause you to drive your own life into sudden destruction. There is a truth, and it's found in the word of God. It does not waver. It does not change, regardless of who you are or where you're at. But it also offers hope when this world says there's no hope for you. It offers redemption when the world says, "Well, you're washed up and done." And there's love and mercy that is a continually extended to those who are willing to seek after him.

John chapter 3 and verse 3 says: "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Then you drop to verse 5: "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." There's a choice and a decision that must be made, if you're going to enter the kingdom of God. You've got to follow God himself. You've got to be born again. You've got to be born of the water and of the spirit. You either — you can see and you cannot enter until those things happen in your life. "I see no other way in scripture. It's not my decision, not my choice. It's God's word, and we must be obedient to his plan."

But when we make that choice to listen to the voice of God when he says, "Follow me," the lines are clear. His word is settled, and it never changes. You can put all hope and strength and confidence in knowing it's not going to waver, it's not going to change. He's the same God yesterday, today, and forever, according to Hebrews 13 and 8. If he said it yesterday, it's still true today. If he promised it yesterday, it's a promise you can hold on to today. It's going to be there tomorrow. You can walk in all confidence and assurance that if he said it was going to come about, it is settled, and it will take place. Yeah, he conquered death, he conquered hell in the grave, and he took the keys when he did it. And the only power the enemy has to defeat each of us is by spreading the lies that he tells us, until we continue and accept it as truth. It doesn't matter the titles, the labels, the definitions that this world comes up with. We must make a choice in our heart and in our mind, above all else: I must be saved. And to be saved, I must make the choice to follow Jesus Christ.

This world's not our home. Don't try to fit in and be accepted in a place where you never were intended to follow after. There's a recycling center that — it sells a lot of stuff that has been a burden to one person, but it can be a treasure to someone else. So they, if they have to fix it first, they will, but then they resell these items, and it's valuable to somebody else. But in that same building, there's also a little shop that sells some very special products, and they're made of stuff that beyond repair: clothes and such that are worn out and have holes in them, equipment that could no longer be fixed. And what enters this workshop is, in all purpose, is trash, nothing more than worthless trash. But once it enters the workshop, there's a group of creative people. They look at what's coming in, they begin to think about, "How could I use this material? Want to turn it into something unique and useful?" And they begin to scratch their head and look at it from different angles. And what you see in that shop, after they begin to do a little work here and there, may astonish you. You may find it difficult to even recognize the original product that was used as raw material. You may be amazed by the creativity of the person or people who converted this old trash into a new treasure. And you'll probably even be shocked by the price, because what someone throwing away and discarded and said, "It's no use, no value to anybody," they have taken and created something that's quite expensive, maybe even more expensive than what the original piece was by itself.

Come tell somebody: you are valuable to the kingdom of God. Somebody else may have told you, "You're worth nothing. You're washed up. You'll never amount to anything." But I've come to tell you, God has placed a value higher than you could ever intend for your life. His mercies are new every morning. So every day you have a fresh start, a fresh opportunity to say, "I'm going to follow you wherever you lead, wherever you go. I may have messed up yesterday, but God, I'm making a choice today to follow you."

Second Corinthians 5 and 17 says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new." Don't let anybody tell

you you're done. Don't let anybody tell you you just messed up too much. The word of God tells you right here: you can be a new creature. You can have a fresh start. You can take on a new name — that name that's above every name, that name that gives you power and authority to speak and it be happening in your life.

This is exactly what we see Jesus doing in the life of Matthew. He looked at the man, his character, and his talents. He saw potential when everyone else had written him off. He called him to "Follow me." He healed his brokenness, transformed him from worthless trash, into man's eyes, to precious treasure for the kingdom of God. Jesus didn't come in and change his past, or even change his present. He didn't push some magic undo button. But he did change Matthew's future. Your past may be permanent, and you can't change anything that's in the past. But I've come to tell you, it does not have the power to prevent your future in Christ Jesus. You can make a choice and a decision today that, above all else, "I'm going to follow you." Above all else, regardless where I'm at and what's going on in my life, I make the choice to follow Jesus Christ, and your future can be different. Some say life's a one-way street, but I'll come to you: it's not a dead end. There's eternal life for those that choose to follow Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of our faith. Who better to follow after than the one that's writing our story? Who better to pattern our life after than the one that can make our life the pattern he chose for it to be?

You say, "Well, you don't know where I'm at. You don't know how much I messed up." You think you caught God off guard? Do you think you surprised God? "Whoa, didn't see that coming." He'll walk right into the midst of your life. He'll step right in the middle of what you call a crisis, and call you out of darkness into his marvelous lights. He'll make a way where there seems to be no way. He will set you free from what everybody else says there's no freedom from. He will pour his heart and his life and his purpose and his plan into you, if you will simply say, "I will follow you."

From a tax collector to an evangelist, from a sinner to a saint, Matthew's the same person who wrote the gospel from which we read this story. What a change. What gospel are you writing in your life? What if we all could get a glimpse of the potential in our individual lives that God sees in us? Would it change our outcome? Would it change our perspective? Would it make us more readily willing to say, "Yes, I'll follow you"? Yes, days may be hard. People may isolate me. But there is nothing better than walking in the will and the plan and the purpose God has called you to, to say, "I'm following you regardless. I'm making up my mind. I'm not backing down. I'm not turning to the left or to the right."

It's easy to fall into that mentality of, "I'm just no use to God. Not the right kind of person. I don't have the talents, the gifts, the skills. What's God's going to do with me?" You may be saying, "Well, I've had too much happen in my life. That's just all the baggage, and what am I going to do? It's not going to bring that in. I can't hide all of that. Somebody's going to find out." Don't let your past dictate your future. There is power in our testimony. There's power in sharing what happened to you. Nobody can convince you it didn't happen, because it happened to you. Don't let the devil deceive you and tell you, "Well, your testimony is nothing. Your testimony is irrelevant. There's nothing possible in your life." What is it you're willing to allow God to do in your life?

Uh-huh. It was about this time 15 years ago, this very day, I got a call at work: my child had quit breathing. Many of you remember that day. Prayer went out in this church. God worked a miracle for that, I'm thankful. It's a testimony that I have that nobody can take away from me. Don't tell me God doesn't raise the dead. Don't tell me God doesn't heal and set free and delivered. The proof of setting on the pew, the proof is in my heart. And my mind is made up: I don't care what takes place, I'm going to follow you. I don't care who tells me that the sickness is too great. I don't care who says the medicine's not working. I don't care if the doctor sends the diagnosis is too far gone. I serve a God who is able, a servant God who's faithful, and I'm going to follow him regardless what takes place.

God's looking for people who have a mind to tell, to say, "I'm made up, I'm going to follow you." Doesn't matter the diagnosis, the outcome, the situation, the cost, the consequence. There's not a better choice than accepting that call to follow after him. Don't let the baggage of your past, the messed up relationship, a criminal record, years wasted, years of regret, cloud what God wants to do in your life.

God wants to use and choose each and every one of us, if we would accept the call to follow, because you are precious in the sight of God. How many people were changed because Matthew said, "I'll go"? He didn't hesitate. He went immediately. Jesus comes to find the lost, to heal the sick, to give life to those who are dead in their sin. Jesus can use you and me, and whoever will make theirself available. Whose life are you going to affect by saying — our Father — and it's not in spite of our past, but it's because of our past and our experiences, that we recognize him as a healer, as a deliverer, as an overcomer, as the strength we need when our strength is not sufficient. He takes care of those who are trusting and leaning on him.

Maybe you're here and you need healing in your body. He is a healer. Maybe you're here and you say, "Well, I've just done too much. I don't know that God can forgive me." I've come to tell you, he will forgive you in an instant. All you have to do is surrender to him and say, "God, forgive me, and cleanse me of all of my sin. Forgive me, and help me, Lord Jesus, to live the life you want me to live." And he can forgive you more readily than you're willing to ask, if we'll make our way to him and heed to his call to follow me. It is in a close relationship with Jesus, and with other broken people, that we find life. We find healing. We find purpose. Don't get stuck staring at the past behind us, with regret and remorse. He didn't tell us, "Look behind you." He said, "Look unto me."

Luke 9, verse 62: "And Jesus said to him, No man haven't put his

hand to the plow, and looking back, as fit for the kingdom of God."

We've all been called to be laborers, to get in the field, to harvest and work. If you go drive a tractor and plow a field, or use an oxen, and where you look is where that goes. That's why it says, don't turn back. You'll be plowing in circles. If you plow in circles long enough, you just dig a hole. We can't be looking backwards. We've got to keep looking ahead to the future with Jesus, the one who is leading and guiding us. Keep your eyes on him. And it's amazing, when we focus on him, all the things that distract us, all the people who tell us different, suddenly we no longer see them, but we see Jesus leading us.

He said in verse 12 of Matthew 9: "Those who are well have no need of a physician." Say, "Well, that's not very profound. That's pretty common." But what he was saying is, "I'm the physician for your soul. Why would I be with anyone else than those whose soul is hurting, those who are sick in sin? I can touch. I can make a difference." Jesus is the perfect doctor to heal us of our sin. He's always available. He always makes a perfect diagnosis. And he gives the complete cure. And he even pays the doctor fee. And it don't get better than that, right?

Matthew 10 — Matthew 9, verse 10: "Came to pass, as Jesus said it meet in the house, behold, many republicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples." Jesus will always make room for you at his table. You'll always have a place to sit with the Master. Much like the Pharisees, there's always going to be people who make the rules that expect everyone else to follow. They want to decide who gets a seat and where they get to sit, and "you need to set way over there, out of the way." But Jesus tells us that we are all welcome in his table. He extends his mercy and his grace to us, to come and to dine with him. And the great thing about his table is, you can stay as long as you want, partake of as much of him as you would like, and he never gets weary. But we must make the choice. We must make a decision. We must make our mind up to be obedient to the word of God when he calls us to follow.

We've got to recognize that there is a requirement when we say, "Yes, I will follow." Ing — Christ requires that you walk in his footsteps. Paul teaches in his letter, Colossians 2 and 6: "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him." "Jesus, I'm going to follow you. I can't make my own path if I'm going to follow him." If you've ever went snow sledding, following somebody else's path is usually easier than making your own. For some reason, the big guy was always, "Hey, you make a path, and then we can go." I guess they saw my snow plow mentality of just go through, and you'll make a wide path, and we'll have plenty of room. But he tells us to walk in him. That means we've got to mimic the Master. We can't change the rules. We can't tell him where "I think I need to go."

Matthew 16 and 24, it says: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." We can't follow Jesus empty-handed. Some think, "Well, you know, Jesus, you need to give me this, you need to give me this, you need —" No, he says, "Take up your cross." We've got to be willing to follow and carry our cross. Why do we need to carry a cross? Jesus died on the cross. He did. He paid the price for our sin. Sometimes our flesh tries to get in the way. And sometimes we just need to take a little stop, do a little crucifying of what it is that's distracting us from following. When we say we're following, but we're not following him, we're not following at all. We can't dictate our direction and expect Jesus to fall into our plan. We must be readily available to prevent our own rules and our own leading in our life. Because the truth is, as long as we remain dead and follow after him, it doesn't matter. We don't get offended. Dead men don't get offended. You can tell them how fat and how ugly they are; they don't get offended. If you're always getting offended, maybe check yourself. Maybe that flesh needs a little crucifixion. That didn't cost anything.

Paul made this statement that he was a prisoner of Christ. That means he was subject to him. "Where he went, I'm going to go. Where I'm going to follow him. I'm tied to him. He's going to tell me and order my steps." Follow ship will always produce fellowship. John 14 and 23: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loved me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him." Jesus will fellowship with those who will follow after him, those who will be obedient to his word.

So if we're going to follow the leader, we must follow him in all areas. We got to follow him in holiness. First Peter 1:16: "Because it's written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." We must strive to live right, according to the principles of almighty God. Second, we must follow him in love. If we're going to display to God and to this world that we're Christ disciples, we must have love. John 13:35 says: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another." How much are you reflecting him in you and in your walk? Because if you follow close enough, all they'll see is Jesus. If you walk close enough and you model your life after him, "I see Jesus," and he gets the glory. He gets the honor. He gets the praise, because you are step in step with your Savior.

It takes a stronger man or woman to follow Christ than it does to not follow Christ. I've made the statement before: any dead fish can float downstream, but it's got to be alive to go against the current. Following Christ means you're living for something bigger than yourself. Means that we have to watch what we do, and what we say, and where we go, because we have to be aligned with our Savior. And we all have those times in our life, we have to make that personal, an individual decision, that "God, above all else, I must be saved. I must see you and enter into eternity with you. And the only way to do that is to follow you completely." We all have the choice. We all have the opportunity. No one is exempt. And we don't follow because he can heal me, or bless me, or provide for me — all of those things he can do — but we must make the choice

to follow Jesus, because you were in love with him, because he first loved you and he gave himself for you. If he never touches again, if he never changes or intervenes again, his love is sufficient to get you through. He paid the price, the ultimate price we could never afford. He died on the cross for our sins. He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our sins. We must be willing to lay down our own ambitions and embrace what it truly means to follow after him.

How many times have you found yourself thinking, "Well, I'm following after Christ," and suddenly you've seemed disappointed, or angry, or scared, because God's plans turned out to be different than your plans? "I didn't see it happening this way. God, why? Why is this going on? Why did this take place?" Truth is, if he's leading, he knows what's best. He knows what will keep you saved. He knows what will keep you from being distracted and sidelined. And sometimes that may lead us way around what we would intend for herself. That's where obedience comes in. "God, I don't know where I'm going. I don't understand what's taking place, but you're in charge, and you're leading my life, and I'm following after you. I put all my confidence in you. My eyes are fixed on you." And the ultimate goal is to enter in and hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

If you'll stand with me today, as musicians come, Jesus is saying to each of us, "Follow me." In that cry is ringing forth in this house today. As a church, we're supposed to be the body of Christ in this world. That means that we're supposed to be followers of him. We're supposed to be his hands and his feet. Somehow the church has done a real great job of making believers, but not such a great job of making followers of Jesus. We do a great job of being Jesus's mouth, but a poor job of being his hands and feet. Being a believer is easy. Being a follower is hard. The reason that being a follower is hard is because Jesus didn't call us to just live a life and go to church. He called us to a life of righteousness and holiness. He called us to be the salt and the light. He called us to live a life full of the Holy Ghost, that gives us power to be witnesses. And there's an expectation for us to be his hands and feet, to show other people to him. Are we fulfilling what we're called to do? Are we following, or are we merely believing?

As we become rapidly declining in — less spiritual nation, spiritual people as a whole — not as individuals, hopefully — but if we lose the next generation of people to the enemy, it won't be because we didn't entertain them enough in the church, but it's going to be because we didn't impart to them this gospel, that you must follow him, and the obligation that's involved in following Christ. So Jesus is crying to each of us today, "Follow me." And in doing so, he's saying, "Watch me. See me." He's telling us to live like I live, do what I instruct you to do. What is it we're reflecting in our life today? We must know and understand what it is that we believe, and how you believe it, and how you live it.

So I'll open these altars. If you have no relationship with Jesus Christ, I'm telling you, he's begging for you to follow him. These altars are open. He's ready to forgive you of those sins, to wash you and cleanse you. The waters are ready for you to be baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus, to experience his plan for your life. But if you've been in this a while, maybe we need to do accept examination: "God is — through some things in my life, I need to put on the cross today, so that I can better follow you, that your plan becomes my plan. My plans are pushed aside, and I allow you to lead me the way you intend to lead me." Church's prayer time. Let's find a place to pray today.