Following Jesus

See More from Trevor Lloyd
Back to Recent Church News | Preaching

Following Jesus

Sep 20, 2021 | 0 comments

As we recentre and refocus around the fact that we are following Jesus together, we start by asking what it actually means to follow Jesus. Probably the best way to understand what the New Testament means by the word ‘disciple’ is to think in terms of what we mean now by the word ‘apprentice’. An apprentice is not just someone who learns information. They learn how to do something. They are learning a craft or a trade. They get shown how to do things and then they have a go and, when they get it wrong, they are shown how to do it better, and when they get it right, they are encouraged. And they keep practising and learning over a long period of time until they become more and more skilled. Disciples are apprentices to Jesus. We are not just learning a set of beliefs, we are learning a way of life, a whole new approach to living. And it takes time, and practice.

So, what are some of the key skills or practices that we learn as apprentices of Jesus? Specifically, John Mark Comer teaches that disciples are those who order their lives around three priorities. I suggest we can see them in an important verse in the gospel where Jesus calls some of his first disciples.

“Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of people”

Matthew 4:19

Please note that it is an invitation (‘Come’) to follow and not a command – he gives us the freedom to follow or not, but it is the only way to true life, to become the person God created us to be:

  1. Being with Jesus (communion)  – ‘follow me. The first thing for a disciple of Jesus is that they are called to be ‘with him’ (Mark 3:14). The Christians calling is first of all a call into ‘intimate friendship with Jesus’ (1 Corinthians 1:9 NLT). The eternal life that he offers is essentially about knowing him (John 17:3).
  2. Becoming like Jesus (formation)‘I will make you.’ The call to discipleship is a call to change. We are God’s workmanship and he is making something out of us. He is forming and molding us continually. And what Paul expresses about the Christians in Galatia reflects the heart of God for all of us: ‘I am in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.’ (Gal.4:19). Our destiny is to become more like Jesus (Romans 8:29)
  3. Doing what Jesus did (mission)‘fishers of people.’ It is not a good idea to use these words to justify dodgy evangelistic techniques. This phrase was used by and about rabbis at the time of the New Testament, and simply meant that the way of life that the disciples learned would be so attractive and so compelling that people would be drawn to them. It reminds us of what Peter writes about living such good lives in the world that people end up noticing and glorifying God (1 Peter 2:12). The way we live is the best proclamation of the gospel.

Over the next few months, we are going to be digging down deeper into some of this as we learn what it means to be better followers of Jesus.

Trevor Lloyd

P.S. Some of the best material I have come across on following Jesus is taught by John Mark Comer and can be found at the Bridgetown Church website here.

Subscribe to our podcast in all your favourite places

Let us know what you thought 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *