JESUS COMMANDS SOMETHINGS

            Jesus does not make suggestions; He has given us commands to follow.

1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

            Many people live their lives as if the commands in the Bible are just suggestions. Boy are they going to have a rude awakening if they get to Heaven. If a person takes God command of “Repent Ye” as a suggestion, they aren’t going to Heaven! If they take the command of “Go ye” as a suggestion, others wont be going to Heaven. If they take the command of “be ye” as a suggestion, they will miss out on God’s best for their life.

            Hey friend, Jesus commands somethings in the Bible! It would do us all good to follow those commands becoming the Christian He desires for us to be!

FOLLOW REAL CLOSE

You can never be too close to Jesus.

1 Peter 2:21, For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Do you remember as a child, how close you would stay to your parents or grandparents? They would always be saying, “Get out from under my feet!” The you would cling to them even harder.

We need to have that type of desire for Christ! We will never hear Him say, “Back off, Get out of my Bubble, or You’re too close.” But what we do hear from His Word is, “Draw nigh to God”.
Has there ever been a time you have been closer to the Lord than now? You might want to evaluate your heart and get whatever is in between you and Him out.

WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO

Proverbs 13:1, A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
You will always have someone in your ear wanting you to buy this or that, go here or there, or maybe even to follow them. What you do with what they say will either help your walk with the Lord or it will draw you away from Him. Be careful when you don’t have clear direction! The best thing to do is to Do Nothing! It’s the perfect time to, “Be still and know He is God”! 

A SAD DAY ON EARTH

Following the Lord requires a daily walk.

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Jeremiah 6:16

            The Children of Israel were commanded to stand in the ways of God asking for the old paths that would lead to rest. But they wouldn’t have any of it. They said, “We will not walk therein.” The Lord said, “I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet.” They said, “We will not harken.” God gave them the judgment for their disobedience, He said, “I will bring evil upon this people” What a sad day that was when God tried His best to get them to listen but yet they turned and went their own way.

            One of the things a Pastor hates to hear is when one of his congregation members has chosen to leave the church entering a life of sin. It doesn’t happen overnight though. Long before the church member leaves the church physically they left spiritually. It was a progress leading the member be over taken in the sin. It was a daily choice to live for self instead of the Saviour!

            Will you follow the Lord—Daily? Will you walk in the old paths? Will you find rest for your soul?

WILL YOU PICK UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM?

Jesus has many lovers of His crown, but few bearers of His cross. –Spurgeon

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

I heard a story once of a man who had the desire of going out West to search for gold. When the opportunity came to sell his farm, He didn’t sell. Many friends and family members sold out and struck it rich. He missed his opportunity to make a difference for his family for generations to come.

            Jesus wants you and me to pick up His Cross and follow Him. Follow Him in witnessing. Follow Him in working. Follow Him in His way! Will you go after Jesus, taking up His Cross- daily, and follow Him? If so, GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH today!

BUT, BUT, I DIDN’T WANT THAT…

We don’t always get want we want but we always get the Lord’s best.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

I believe we have all had those times when things didn’t go the way we wanted or we didn’t get what we wanted. Sometimes we scratch our heads wondering what the Lord is doing. Sometimes we try to make something different happen. Sometimes, we question the Lord’s judgment. What we ought to do is trust and obey. Why should we trust and obey?

When we trust and obey we are giving God first place in our life. When we trust and obey we are kneeling to His Lordship over our life. When we trust and obey we are following His example to follow the Heavenly Father. When we trust and obey we are sharing with others the Lord Jesus. When we trust and obey we are showing others the Lord gives His best to us!

JUST DRIFTING ALONG IN LIFE?

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Proverbs 4:14-15

I see young and old people drifting away from the foundations their loved ones laid for them all the time. Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles, have done their best to rear up their loved ones in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They have brought them to Sunday school, to church, to revival services, sent them to camp, prayed with them, instructed them in the way of righteousness and then the child gets to their teenage years only to drift away from the things of God. Did Mom or Dad fail? No! Did the church fail to teach? No!

What happened was the child, now a young adult, has decided within their own heart to enter the path of the wicked. They have decided to follow the lives of evil men and to give head to false doctrine. Solomon, under the inspiration of God warned against this, “Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” vs. 15.

Instead of drifting, decide this morning to follow. Follow Jesus and follow Him all the way to your heavenly home!

WHAT A RIDE...UNTIL YOU CRASH!

When it comes to the control of our lives, we are either "body" men or "spirit" men. --Eric Lindholm

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Have you ever tried to drive a mini-bike? I was like 11 or 12 and one of my friends got one for his birthday. He said, “You want to drive it?” “Sure”, was my crazy response! What a mistake! I got on it, cranked it up, popped the clutch and off I went….right into a tree. I had no control over it because I didn’t know how or what to do!

That ride reminds me of my life before I received Christ as Saviour! I was aimlessly walking around in this world not knowing where I came from or where I was going. Since the day Jesus came into my life I have had a pair of spiritual eye glasses showing me that I have a wonderful Creator and He has informed me of where I’m going.

How’s your eye sight? Are you still running into sin and shame? Are you lost, looking for a way out always ending up starting over? Before all else fails—look to Jesus and live. You’ll never be lost again!

HE’S STILL LOOKING FOR YOU…TO FOLLOW HIM

            The distinction between following Christ and all other systems of religion consists largely in this: that in these other, men are found seeking after God, while Christ is God seeking after men. --Unknown

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

            I believe within the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl there is a God size hole in the middle of their soul. Although everyone seeks to fill this hole with sex, drugs, self-promotion, alcohol, vain glory, personal gain, and other forms of self indulgence, the only thing that will fill it is The Lord Jesus. He comes wanting you and I to trust Him, to repent, to receive, to follow Him today!

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

Many people waste a lot of their lives gazing at the world!

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Fancy cars, fast women, luxurious houses, the next bar scene, thousands of Facebook friends, and whatever your heart places before our Lord and Saviour will send a lost man straight to hell and a saved man to an early grave. Isaiah says if you want peace in your heart, keep your mind on Jesus! Why? How? When?

Why— For a peace that passes all understanding. (Peace in knowing what happens after this life is over!)

How— With the love of God in your heart. (By going to Sunday School and Church!)

When— Continuously. (In the morning, at noon day, in the evening—keep your eyes and ears open to the things of God!)