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How to Follow God – By Father Andrew Bahhi

June 06, 2021
in The Word
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There is a study in U.S. churches which says 98% of Christians do not share their faith with others. This is bad news. But what can we do to be of the two percent, or what can we do to one day be 98% sharing their faith and good news instead of two percent?

The Bible says you cannot light a lamp and put it under the bed or cover it. The light you receive from your parents and the church – it is not nice to hide of it. You need to make a decision that “from now I will share the beauty of the Christ, the majesty of the Savior, the sweetness of my Redeemer with everybody.”

We have to share the good news that Jesus is there calling, knocking on the door.

In Luke 9, the last five versus (57-62) has a special theme: The cost of the discipleship, the price of the following Jesus.

It begins with these types of people:

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

This verse may sound very hard. Because Jesus is the tester of the heart, and he knows everyone very well, he knows this type of people who want to follow Jesus for their own interest.

The fox is very well known for deceit and tricking people, and the bird is known for flying. Jesus is telling these people that if you want to follow me in a tricky way, or you will fly away, you are not welcomed to follow me.

And then, for another type of person:

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

This second kind of people want to follow Jesus and they have good intention in their heart. They have good causes to follow Jesus, but their commitment to only comes on Sunday.

They are like Martha – when Jesus entered the house of Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, Martha prepared food very happily but complained about her sister not helping. “You are worried and troubled about many things.” Jesus told her. – Why? Only one thing is needed, that thing is Jesus Christ.

You have seven days, each day for 24 hours, but for this one and a half hours on Sunday, you bring all your troubles, problems, all the things you worry about – your want to do it in this hour and half. Isn’t this sad news?

I need God to wake me up, but I say this for our own good and benefit and we only need Jesus.

And the third group says:

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

The plough is necessary to work the ground in straight lines. If these people don’t follow the line, their way gets very twisted. These kinds of people live with a heart divided, broken. One day they want to serve God and one day they want to serve earthly needs.

Jesus, if we cannot follow you here, we cannot follow you in the Kingdom of God.

In Luke 9:23, it reads “If anyone desire to come after me” – if you don’t know which God you are following, that God will take you to death. But the true God will take you to the eternal life. Ask yourself, “after which God am I following?”

Jesus continues, “Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

If you don’t know which God you are following, today is the best day for you. The Savior is calling you and saying “I am the way. If you want to follow me, you will inherit and take the eternal life.”

Learn more in Father Andrew’s sermon video here.

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