“Whoever serves me MUST FOLLOW ME; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:26, NIV84)
In the gospel of John, Jesus described a flock of sheep. Then, he described a shepherd who would watch over the sheep. In the form of a parable, the sheep described those who believed in Jesus. The Shepherd was Jesus. When explaining the relationship between Shepherd and sheep, Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”. Taken in the spirit given, this parable by Jesus makes clear that faithful souls must “follow” Jesus. They can’t just listen to His words or only respect His teachings. They must follow His voice. They must follow His leadership and direction. The problem with many Christians today is that they do not want to “follow the leader” Jesus. Instead, they want to call the shots.
S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
Though the above story by S.I. McMillen is humorous, it displays the clear point that many people today desire to be leaders. They want the power. They want the control. They want to be in charge and make the important decisions. However, in your spiritual life, the relationship with Jesus is made clear in scripture. You are never to be the ultimate leader. That leadership belongs to Jesus. God is in control. You are not. I have found that just like many people desire to be leaders in the church, too few are good followers. Many leaders enjoy the power of leadership, but do not like the meekness of a true follower. Though Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5), there are too many who see the obedience of following Jesus as stifling. They like being in charge, deciding right and wrong, leading the pack.
You must be different. You must be a follower of Jesus. When you start running the show in your faith, making your own decisions without consulting your Lord, your pride will get in the way of you being a good follower of Jesus. This is not to say that you shouldn’t take a position of leadership and respect in the church. Instead, it is to remind you that ultimately God in Christ is in charge of your spiritual life. You must answer to HIM. You need to watch your attitude and decisions to make sure that you don’t become the ultimate arbiter of your fate. That is God’s job. Jesus is your Lord and Master. You are the follower.
In our scripture reading for today from John 12:26, Jesus spoke about the importance of being a faithful servant. The true servant will be near Jesus. The true servant will serve Jesus. The Heavenly Father will “honor” the faithful servant. However, the most trusted and faithful servant “MUST FOLLOW” Jesus. That’s what this verse states. Following Jesus is not optional. It is a MUST. If you are not willing to let Jesus determine your direction in life, you are not a true follower of Jesus. He is not your Lord. You aren’t a faithful servant.
If I told you to follow me down to the school, would you stay close to me? Yes. You’d want to follow closely as to not lose your way. If I told you to follow me down to the school, would you walk out in front and lead me? No. You’d let me lead you. Taken in a spiritual context, a true follower of Jesus will stay close to His steps. The true follower of Jesus will not take the reins from Jesus. God will make the important decisions and direct one’s steps.
Are you truly following the will of your Lord Jesus? Do you submit to the Lord’s direction for your life? Are you quick to tell others what to do in your church? Do you ever feel like others in the church should do what you say? Is that what Jesus says?
I have met many good and bad leaders in the church over my lifetime. I have met good and bad followers of Jesus. I have found that true Christians are more willing to follow Jesus than pridefully control situations or people.
S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
Though the above story by S.I. McMillen is humorous, it displays the clear point that many people today desire to be leaders. They want the power. They want the control. They want to be in charge and make the important decisions. However, in your spiritual life, the relationship with Jesus is made clear in scripture. You are never to be the ultimate leader. That leadership belongs to Jesus. God is in control. You are not. I have found that just like many people desire to be leaders in the church, too few are good followers. Many leaders enjoy the power of leadership, but do not like the meekness of a true follower. Though Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5), there are too many who see the obedience of following Jesus as stifling. They like being in charge, deciding right and wrong, leading the pack.
You must be different. You must be a follower of Jesus. When you start running the show in your faith, making your own decisions without consulting your Lord, your pride will get in the way of you being a good follower of Jesus. This is not to say that you shouldn’t take a position of leadership and respect in the church. Instead, it is to remind you that ultimately God in Christ is in charge of your spiritual life. You must answer to HIM. You need to watch your attitude and decisions to make sure that you don’t become the ultimate arbiter of your fate. That is God’s job. Jesus is your Lord and Master. You are the follower.
In our scripture reading for today from John 12:26, Jesus spoke about the importance of being a faithful servant. The true servant will be near Jesus. The true servant will serve Jesus. The Heavenly Father will “honor” the faithful servant. However, the most trusted and faithful servant “MUST FOLLOW” Jesus. That’s what this verse states. Following Jesus is not optional. It is a MUST. If you are not willing to let Jesus determine your direction in life, you are not a true follower of Jesus. He is not your Lord. You aren’t a faithful servant.
If I told you to follow me down to the school, would you stay close to me? Yes. You’d want to follow closely as to not lose your way. If I told you to follow me down to the school, would you walk out in front and lead me? No. You’d let me lead you. Taken in a spiritual context, a true follower of Jesus will stay close to His steps. The true follower of Jesus will not take the reins from Jesus. God will make the important decisions and direct one’s steps.
Are you truly following the will of your Lord Jesus? Do you submit to the Lord’s direction for your life? Are you quick to tell others what to do in your church? Do you ever feel like others in the church should do what you say? Is that what Jesus says?
I have met many good and bad leaders in the church over my lifetime. I have met good and bad followers of Jesus. I have found that true Christians are more willing to follow Jesus than pridefully control situations or people.