Wiregrass Church
Becoming a Christian is easy. It won't cost you anything. But Jesus never invited anyone to become a Christian. He invites us to follow.
Becoming a Christian is easy.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins. The price has been paid. We put our faith in Jesus and then we're Christians.
When you open the pages of the gospels and when you read the letters of the Apostle Paul, you don't read anything about anybody becoming a…
CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN
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One associated with Christ
In telling us how the label originated, Luke actually clarifies what it meant.
Acts 11:26 NIV
In the New Testament, the term disciple always referred to Jesus followers.
A Nazarene Sect
It's easy to say I'm a Christian, but are we, are you, am I a…
Jesus Follower
We can all define and redefine the term Christian until we all feel fine about our faith and our approach to faith, and the reason we can do that is because neither Jesus nor anybody in the Bible clearly defines what it means to be a Christian.
Following Jesus, it will always cost us something.
Matthew 5:1-2 NIV
Those at the Sermon on the Mount participated in an event that would shape Western Civilization and would re-shape cultural values and cultural norms.
Matthew 7:28-29 NIV
Matthew 8:1 NIV
Matthew 8:2 NIV
Matthew 8:3 NIV
How did you feel in that moment?
What happened next?
Matthew 8:5 NIV
Anything and everything associated with Rome was tainted. There was just too much history.
Centurion
Centurions obeyed without question and obeyed without conscience.
This was the context, this was the tension, this was the emotion, this was the disgust that hung in the air that afternoon on the outskirts of Capernaum, as Jesus is stopped by a centurion asking for help.
Been there?
Becoming a Christian is easy. Salvation is free. It will cost you nothing. Following Jesus, moving beyond what's reasonable, beyond what's expected; that's difficult. It's unnatural. It's beyond natural. It's almost supernatural.
And of course, that was Jesus' point.
Luke 6:33 NIV
We have to decide, are we willing to follow Jesus or will we be content with simply being Christian?
Matthew 8:5 NIV
Matthew 8:6 NIV
Jesus had come to introduce a new kind of kingdom. He had come to introduce a new morality, a new ethic, a new way of seeing the world, and maybe more importantly, a new way of seeing everybody in the world.
Matthew 8:7 NIV
Matthew 8:8 NIV
Matthew 8:9 NIV
“But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
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– Matthew 8:8 NIV
Matthew 8:13 NIV
Jesus spoke as one who had authority, and he's matching his words with his deeds.
Jesus actually expects us to literally do good for those who don't and won't do good for us. He expects us to literally to do good for those who don't look like or live like us. He expects us to do good for people who don't even like us.
It's easier to be a Christian than a Jesus follower.
Look like me
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Think like me
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Live like me
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Agree like me
It's easier to be a Christian than a Jesus follower.
If you don't choose to follow Jesus, you will be content to simply...
BELIEVE.
If we don't decide to follow Jesus…
We will not act.
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We will not react.
Matthew 7:26 NIV
Matthew 7:27 NIV
The men and women who make a difference in the world, are not the men and women who believe right. They are the men and women who act and react when something isn't right, even when it costs them.
Let's not be content with Christian. Let's follow.
Romans 5:8 NIV
Jesus never invited anyone to become a Christian. He invited us to follow.
