March 8, 2020
To Follow Jesus Requires a Loyal Commitment
Luke 9:61-62 a man came to Jesus and said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Do you know what it means to put your hand on the plow and then look back? How we answer this question is vital because it can affect Our Salvation.
Christ gives a very stern warning to those people who put their hands on the plow and after doing so…looks back. He said that if we are guilty of looking back after putting our hands on the plow, we will not be fit for the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ audience was very familiar with what Christ meant. For a plowman to be successful in His work, he must concentrate on the job he started. He knows that the only way is forward and not being distracted by the things left behind. If the plowman would look back, his plow line would become crooked.
If he Would Look Back…Jesus said He would become unfit for the kingdom of God?
Because of the many pleasures this world could offer – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – we tend to look back and be regretful of our calling.
When God calls us, we’re expected to give our whole heart. We’re called to love God with all our hearts, soul, and mind. Looking back prevents us from doing this. Worse, we might let go of the plow and go back to our old sinful ways.
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The story of Elijah and Elisha: I Kings 19:19-21 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah…21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
Elisha’s response was incredible. He “took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and cooked their flesh, using the plowing equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate.
Think about this…In an agricultural society, it is unthinkable to kill your only source of income. But Elisha does, He is ready to forsake everything just to Answer the Call of God!
How do You Respond to Elisha’s Response to Elijah and Gods Call? This is the type of commitment God expects from Us, and Every Christian! We must be ready to let go of everything if we are to obey God’s will for us.
The good news is when we put our complete trust in God, He will never forsake us nor leave us. We can have the assurance that God Will Supply All Our Needs.
KEY: If we’re still looking back at our old ways, we need to reconsider our priorities in life.
If we regret answering God’s call, we might be in danger of being counted as unfit for the kingdom of God.
To Successfully Follow Jesus…We Must be Completely CONVINCED that the Best Way to Live this Life is to Follow Gods Purpose and Do God’s Will!!
The Christian life is a journey of understanding and grasping that we really can trust our lives to God after all. I've seen this change and these benefits in so many of my friends and family. As they entrust their lives to Jesus, and begin to turn and follow Him, they experience countless benefits…
Here are Five of the Benefits:
POINT: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS, NO TURNING BACK, NO TURNING BACK