February 7, 2021 – Spiritual Arrhythmia Part 6
Are we following?
At the beginning of this recording, Scout Troop 844 members share about leadership, teamwork, and service. It connects with the question we address in today’s sermon.
As we wrap up this series on Spiritual Arrhythmia, we spend time on two words “follow me,” that Jesus spoke to his disciples.
When you go into a new culture, it’s good to have somebody who can show you around and show you the ropes. We like to have guides to show us the sites, and who can keep us from offending the people we visit. Jesus is a guide like that, and he often used the name “Son of Man” to refer to himself. When he refers to himself like that, it’s like he’s the embodiment of what it means to be human. He’s showing us what it means to live like a human being.
Some people might think life is about money and wealth, and if they can make enough money, they’ll be really happy because they’ll own lots of things.
Other people might think life is about pleasure and fulfillment of desires. For them, it might be about having fun and fueling their “animal” instincts.
It might be about addiction, feeding ourselves “whatever feels right.”
But when we look to Jesus, he shows us what it means to be human.
It’s not judgemental. The people who were really riled up about Jesus were the religious leaders. He told them “the doctor comes to the sick, not the healthy.”
In Matthew 5, 6, and 7, Jesus gives the “Sermon on the Mount,” and teaches us so much about how to be human.
But before he begins, Jesus selects people to follow him:
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.
A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
Matthew 4:18-22 (NLT)
It’s a great scene, because of just how quickly the two sets of brothers just jump up and follow Jesus. They might have been familiar with Jesus, but they still allowed him to be their rabbi–their teacher and spiritual guide–and show them what it means to be human.
To get an idea from sports: There are people waving and cheering like fans, but who aren’t following Jesus. Fans can make a lot of noise, and disrupt the opposing team’s plays. But Jesus calls us to be in the game.
It’s okay to be a fan of Jesus, but when he tells us to follow him, he’s inviting us into the game. He’s inviting us to get out on the field, get off the sidelines, and get into the game.
So, as we consider ways to treat “spiritual arrhythmia,” we should consider the question: Are we following?