Following Jesus (Part 1)

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Following Jesus (Part 1)

1. “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.” (Joh 12:26)

1. Jesus said that if any man would serve Him, he must follow Him (Joh 12:26a).
   1. What does it mean to serve Jesus?
      1. Serve v. – I. To be a servant (to), render service (to). 1. a. intr. To be a servant; to perform the duties of a servant. 2. a. To go through or perform a term of service under a master. 3. a. To be a servant to; to work for, be employed in the personal service of (a master or mistress). 4. a. To attend upon (as a servant does); to wait upon, minister to the comfort of.
      2. Servant n. – 1. A personal or domestic attendant; one whose duty is to wait upon his master or mistress, or do certain work in his or her household.
      3. When we serve Jesus, we devote our lives to Him and do what He asks or demands of us.
      4. We serve Jesus by keeping His commandments (Joh 14:15, 21 ct/w Luk 6:46).
   2. What does it mean to “follow” Jesus?
      1. Follow v. – 1. a. To go or come after (a person or other object in motion); to move behind in the same direction. 3. To go after or along with (a person) as an attendant or companion; to accompany, serve, or attend upon. 4. fig. To accompany, attend upon, ‘go with’; to be a (necessary) concomitant or accompaniment to; to be consequent upon. 7. fig. (Cf. sense 3). To treat or take (a person) as a guide, leader, or master; to accept the authority or example of, obey the dictates or guidance of; to adhere to, espouse the opinions, side, or cause of. Also, to follow a person’s steps. 8. a. To conform to, comply with, obey, act upon or in accordance with (advice, command, teaching, example, fashion, etc.); to take as a rule or model, act up to, ‘walk after’. b. To conform to in likeness, resemble, take after; to imitate or copy.
      2. To follow Jesus is therefore to accept His authority, obey His dictates, espouse His opinions, take His side on things, comply with His advice, act in accordance with His example, have Him as our role model, conform to His likeness, and imitate what He does.
      3. When we follow Jesus, we are where He is (Joh 12:26b).
         1. Jesus’ disciples physically followed Him and accompanied Him during His ministry (Mat 4:18-22).
         2. We must spiritually follow Him and be where He is.
      4. We follow Jesus today by taking our lives in the same direction He took when He was on earth.
         1. We do so by:
            1. thinking like He thought (Php 2:5; 1Co 2:16).
            2. devoting our lives to God like He did (Luk 2:49; Joh 4:34).
            3. loving God’s house and being zealous for it like He was (Joh 2:13-17; Psa 27:4).
            4. worshipping God like He did (Mat 4:10; Joh 4:23-24).
            5. prioritizing the church and the brethren above our own family like He did (Mat 12:46-50; Mat 10:37; Mat 19:29).
            6. being meek and lowly (Mat 11:29; 1Pe 5:5-6) and gentle like He was (2Co 10:1; Gal 5:22-23).
            7. being merciful (Heb 2:17; Luk 6:36) and compassionate (Mat 14:14; Jud 1:22) like He was.
            8. being wise like He was (Mat 12:42; 1Co 1:24 c/w Luk 11:49 c/w Mat 23:34; Col 2:3; Eph 5:15; Pro 4:5-7).
            9. resisting Satan like He did (Luk 4:1-13; Jam 4:7).
            10. telling people the truth like He did (Joh 8:40, 45-46; Psa 15:2; Eph 4:15).
            11. loving righteousness and hating sin like He did (Heb 1:8-9; Psa 119:128).
            12. not serving money like He didn’t (Mat 6:24; Mat 8:19-20; 2Co 8:9; Pro 13:7; 2Co 6:10; 1Ti 3:3; 1Ti 6:5-11).
            13. condemning sin and false religion like He did (Mat 23:13-15, 25-28; Tit 1:9-11).
            14. always doing those things which please God like He did (Joh 8:29; 1Th 4:1; Heb 11:5-6).