And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.
--Job 11:18
I want you to think about Jesus’ words, “Follow Me” for a moment. They were written in Matthew 9:9 as an imperative…a command.
Jesus didn’t ask Matthew to follow Him if he felt like it. No. Jesus said, “Follow Me. Start today…and follow me for the rest of your life. Don’t ever stop following Me.”
But I want you to notice too that the words Follow Me actually mean “to walk along side the road with me.” Jesus, the great God of the universe, told Matthew…a social outcast…to walk with Him!
And you know what? Jesus says the same thing to you today! The great God of the universe is saying to you, “Follow Me.” Not “Walk way behind Me,” but “Walk with Me.” God wants to be your friend!
“But Pastor,” you say, “there are things in my past…things that God could never forgive me for. It’s too late for me.”
I’m here to tell you today that Jesus Christ is passing your way. And He’s calling your name and saying, “Follow Me”! This is a great deal! You can leave your sin and your past and walk into a brand new life and a brand new future with the Lord.
Take Jesus up on His offer to follow Him today! Your life will never be the same.
Choose to follow Jesus Christ today and walk into a new life of joy, hope and peace
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.”
Luke 19:5–6
The defining characteristic of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ was His great burden for people. He felt a deep sympathy for them, and, even when others did not care, Jesus did. “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus felt a compulsion to reach out to everyone, especially to those who were despised and looked down on. When He saw Zacchaeus perched in a tree, He called to him, even though as a tax collector Zacchaeus was hated by the people—but not by Jesus. He cared for the lost man, and offered him salvation.
In his book The Soul Winner’s Fire, Dr. John Rice wrote about the evangelist Gypsy Smith who saw many trust Christ under his preaching: “A preacher’s heart is far more important than his head. It is heart preaching that has power, not head preaching. In Kansas City after the service an old preacher came into the room where the Gypsy was sitting. Thousands were being blessed and hundreds saved. The older minister placed his hands upon the evangelist’s head and felt about it. ‘I am trying to find the secret of your success,’ he said. ‘Too high! Too high! My friend, you are too high,’ Gypsy said. ‘The secret of whatever success God has given me is not up there but down here,’ and he placed his hand upon his heart! Gypsy Smith never had a day’s schooling from men, yet he preached to the multitudes for sixty years. As he preached, I saw tears course down his cheeks, and my own heart was stirred, warmed and blessed.”
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we are truly to be like Jesus, then we must be motivated and driven to reach the lost with the gospel.
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