How Not to Follow Jesus, Part 2

Diversity is a test that separates those who merely admire crimes from those who follow him.

See following Jesus is fun until it's not sure we love the comfort Jesus brings the Christians are caught off guard when terror strikes today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching from Matthew chapter 8. In this passage we see the 12 disciples traumatized by a storm that rolled their abject fear exposed the lack of faith.

The common command of Jesus revealed the difference between those who are fans of Jesus and those who truly follow your father for reminder work our way through this great record of our Savior's words and works of power incredible supernatural power to touch your life and to have the disease removed and a fever lifted heart transformed demons cast out my words spoken from the one who is the God man we bow before you are father as we would worship no other.

You alone have the words of eternal life. We bow with deep gratitude for your grace, your mercy, your concern for us and pray for those who come today troubled feeling displaced distant removed from anything significant. I pray that you will do a work in that life today maybe here truth that touches us where we live and may it make a difference. A transforming difference are father, thank you for those who come today without your son at work in their hearts gently but with great power guide him to a relationship with you, through Jesus pray thank you and I'll father for the privilege of giving and we do so with great delight. Everything we have is you. You own it all. We would not even have that pulse beat deep in our our heart, were you not granting us life or breath in our lungs or the ability to think, to plan to make decisions grateful we are for your mighty power at work the Lord. These gifts are yours and we give them with great delight and with generosity in the name of your son Jesus, who has set us free. We pray these things. Everyone said to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures.

Studies by going to Insight world, God or/studies.

Another message from Chuck titled how not to follow Jesus when you follow Jesus. Be ready to deny himself not going your way going his way is hard for many people, by the way, with every calling.

There is a divine urgency. Rarely does Jesus say to us when he's calling us to do something. Just wait when he wants us to move in an area to do what's right, it is often with the word now deal with this now follow me now. So here's my request. As you add this to the list on how not to follow Jesus do not follow Jesus with reservation don't have your own agenda. Make sure when you say yes to him and you want to be numbered among those dedicated followers, dedicated disciples that you've laid aside your own agenda.

That's hard to do and finally they were able to get the boat and get on the sea versus 23 through 27 are somewhat familiar to us. I will tell you when I read suddenly, a fierce storm.

Verse 24. By the way, the Greek's size must make sizable we get our word seismograph from the word for earthquake makeup means just what it does in Arlington there was a sizable like an earthquake that hit that body you want.

I been on a fishing boat were squall funds in the bay area where we were.

South Texas Bay opening up in the Matterhorn and squall and come on, you really quickly and I remember my dad 50 hp having returned all the way up to get us back to the cottage before the storm took us in one-time waves washed over the back of the boat a little. I mean I was bailing like crazy to keep water out at just the littlest I been on the troopship hurts 50, 60 foot wave swell a ship that looks huge and holds 3500 military personnel at the pier in San Diego when it's at sea. Looks like a little broken toothpick and the straw that rode the bow ship drove to the wave swell over. No one was allowed up on the debt which was good. We were all busy, vomiting down everybody was ceasing as he was storm last. I crave it. It growled and we didn't even get up there much beyond peak to see the store skipper said to us later as he got us all together and except for the North Sea never been in this in the sea like that. This is a season skipper named Skip.

I learned one thing from that statement. I never want to be in the North Atlantic. This is not which makes it even worse. What is it about a year and wouldn't you know it is loosely Jesus was sleeping well when you have made the CMA the winds and made the waves, and made the skies and made bills.

None of that stuff about so you sleep through it and they walk up to a menu with a do exactly what the text read little like you and then it would further that statement, but the next thing last time I checked he's God. God doesn't drown your with God. Let's think about. He said why are you free little face turns it into a name little placement I wasn't that concerned him not their normal human fear. Like I say that would happen to any of us but the panic of going too far. The excessive fear that fears the worst record… The report frowns a little and you jump immediately you number your day way home. Back to the boat. Then he got up that tells me he said all of that while it was still laying down. Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the waves get this stop when the hallways affect only the boat was rocking slick have a reason not a wave, a rip gust of wind silences right now if you fished it over slick is like.

It's where everything is stop.

There is no movement there is an even swell is absolutely mirrorlike. You could take opinion opinion and it would make its ringlets, slick 12 man look at it. This is Erie man, not if you understand the sovereignty of God.

Not if you have a trust in God and God alone. As you have been no other knowing that he will never let anything get out of his control. Fact the way it reads suddenly there was a make a call, there was a size must now there's a make a call from one extreme to the other. The disciples asked who is this man, even the winds and waves. I've said this before and I'll say it now with respect, we tend to give the disciples a little too much credit. We tend to think they really do look like they look in an Episcopal Church, you know where the statutes are they really they really were. They weren't all in white robes walk around little halos be great loves keeping her mouth shut, which they were just guys just like a bunch of guys like us in the back of a pickup.

They just guys they never read Matthew eight before so they know what was coming. So when you say you follow Jesus do not follow him. If you're going to doubt his sovereignty with the situation becomes impossible.

Don't follow if any possibility turned you away this what concerns him face.

I'm here I'm here I am eternal life preserver. I give life's the way to me.

So does every disease that thing you name is not out of his control.

So I think a little bit of time to ask you where you among the followers.

I will say to me after the first service I qualify for all four but that was a very honest answer you qualify, go back and do a quick review. We watch from a distance as Jesus saw the crowd and then he looked for a way to get away from. He discerned most of them are just part of the crowd you following Jesus because others do you become a fan groupie wrong reason never grows groupie you must take it personally. You're there with everybody else's. There were not as a second resource crime. Remember scribe who was spiritually sounding words up on you wherever you go and I knew a young man who kept saying to us. I really want to spend time with you to I really want to be around your family and really I just want to be a servant. I just want to be a servant. I just want to be a servant said over and over.

I will. We got four little kids.

They all were diverse and start their and he went to thrilled with that I taught about a change. I and thrown out the trash will likely serve you.

Try servant and then there were boxes to put together so that we could make our move one pastor to another, and he had ways to pack up his way and not the way we preferred, and so he did want to be a box partner like we wanted you want servant, you want to talk about being a certain is sad but then when you really have to get down and dirty and yet serve it's another thing entirely. In this got and wanted to. He's full of himself right sounding words but proud and there's 1/3 we saw in its Avenue. Take your things back home. Jesus certainly wanted financial security before he wanted to be stretched spiritually. Are you following with reservations. I can't answer for you. It's easy to fall into that trap, especially when you realize that those who are true followers of Jesus to keep your eyes focused on their bank account don't have a lot of security the story the missionaries couple and they're on their way back in a minute serving the Lord faithfully about 3035 years in a row the boat as it pulls up at the harbor at New York and there's a particular politician on that same boat.

There's a brass band to meet the politician and their people lined up for a put together an flags in all kinds of signs welcoming him as he prances off the boat of the ship, then this couple standing arm in arm with hardly a place to call home back here in the states and in husband says to his wife distancing fear. We've got all this for the Lord Jesus and politician goes back about really met everybody here to welcome us home. She said to him will were not home you really follow the Lord Jesus, you realize you're living in rented corners. You have a citizenship that is eternal in the heavens. Your to be a good citizen your to be responsible know that but down deep inside you. Your treasure is here. Is there this third individual.

This third situation seems to illustrate what it would gotten that mixed in the one of the boat. That's a he discerned their panic and their inability to trust him in this impossible humanly impossible situation. The dangerous situations cause you to doubt Jesus is looking for hard-core recruits really mean business.

Easy to say in a place like this, but I must say it is all the way through the gospel. You're the gospel message. Some people will read I read this past week the words of Mahatma Gandhi who said quote I like your Christ. I don't like your Christians, your Christians are so unlike your Christ. Think about what a person have to look for a revised edition if you watched you for a while to learn what the Christian life is about to betray some folks. The screws are tightening were sitting in our generation. I've never known a more treacherous time and I'm not exaggerating I'm not given to hyperbole. I've never known a time in my lifetime. When Christians were lined up and killed because the Christians we had a guest with us with our own staff meeting last month and his name is Charlie Acosta ministers in Beirut.

One of our church missionaries and one of our staff asked very good question. Talk about persecution.

Do you see it coming. Charlie lives with it as bullet holes in his study because of their hatred for him where he works servers faithfully. He said with that of smile all we've seen nothing yet. I think Charlie's right think that they will, will need to be numbered among those who are true followers of Jesus and price of land and I don't know how severe may be in my lifetime and me come after I've gone be in your lifetime came across this true story. Everyone was so excited to begin. They were especially looking forward to the reading of a new section of the gospel of that adjustment received from a secret home church in another city of this country since Bibles are so scarce. There the home churches take them apart. Tear out pages and exchange pages with each other so they can know what the Bible is saying it taken all day for the local body of Christians. Finally, to assemble together, they come to a secret place at different intervals in groups of two at the most three so as not to attract attention of the ever present inform us just as they were about to sing with subdued volume in their first hymn of praise, but the door burst open and in came armed soldiers with automatic weapons at the ready and Roy Stanley ordered everyone lined up with your hands against the wall, anyone who will renounce faith in Jesus, may leave now. The rest of you remain with your hands shot at one of the soldiers to left them for a few more soldier said again, and even more threatening boys, this is your last chance to renounce your faith in Jesus or face the consequences. The parents with children look down reassuringly at their little faces frightened, but no one else left one of the soldiers walked over slam the door shut and locked it and then they put their weapons down and said keep your hands up, but in praise to the Lord Jesus brothers and sisters as the believers looked at them total astonishment soldiers continued. We have become believers through contact with other believers from home church like you we were sent there to arrest them instead we became convinced and converted through their faith through our previous experience we learn that no one can be trusted unless he's willing to die for his fee true incident reported by the underground church in that country. Where would you be in that get. I've asked myself that through the last several days. I went to one of the walls in my study and I put my hands on the wall. Try to imagine that I didn't want to believe that I would leave him weak moments thinking about my family. What would happen that hunt them down.

What would you do what I do. Words were slung looking for words looking for the truth from the heart is discerning.

Remember, look at yourself. Think that crossing everything to you that Savior I'm convinced someday we'll see the day in the United States of America where there will be this kind of persecution. I think it isn't that far away should go or not intervene in ways that right now we cannot predict he's able to do that is why we sleep at night confident that he still saw our heads together, lost in our thoughts to sit for a moment the darkness of your closed eyelids think am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the land that I feared Otis cause her blush to speak his name must be carried to the skies and flowery beds of these wild others fought to win the prize and sale through blood. He sees searching moments for all of us are father searching suddenly print on a page has come to life. We see in ourselves and the sandals of these people and we find ourselves unable to criticize one of them. We been there and for some hearing these words, we are. I pray that you will not stop the turbulence but I pray that you will remind us of your presence in the midst of the term, you will help us know how to find that sense of calm that only you can bring when all hell has broken loose and dangerous in every corner delivers. I pray our father. Finally, I pray from mere words help us to say less now lives speak with our lips meeting begin with me starting in the name of Jesus.

Our master everyone's Chuck Swindoll started today's message with this reality check. He warned us that when we choose to follow Jesus must be ready to deny ourselves. This truth is demonstrated in Matthew chapter 8 you're listening to Insight for living and to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org Insight for living ministries has created a number of resources designed to guide your journey with God even when the storm sweep into your life and catch you offguard and as we reflect on this rather heavy topic, let me point you to a couple of resources that will help you take your next steps of faith first. Each sermon presented on this program is accompanied by an online interactive guide called searching the Scriptures in about 15 minutes. You can read through the key ideas of Chuck's message and the biblical text should you want to dig deeper. There are plenty of questions to answer and you can readily learn more about the historical context behind each passage, study the theological underpinnings and explore its relevance to your life today to access these free online study notes just follow the steps it insight.org/studies and second in our bank of resources. You also see Chuck is written the complete study Bible side-by-side with Scripture, you'll find the best of Chuck's pastoral insight representing decades of personal study reading each part of the study Bible is like hearing Chuck speak God's word just as you come to enjoy on this program and you can purchase the Swindoll study Bible by calling us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or it might be quicker and more convenient to make your purchase online or you can also view pictures of this hardcover volume look for the Swindoll study Bible. It insight.org/store and in the event you want to give a donation to support the ministry of insight for living. Here's the number to call you listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or support us online by going to insight.or nine days inviting you to join us. When Chuck Swindoll described dramatic moment when Jesus dealt with. That's Tuesday on insight for living.

The preceding message how not to follow Jesus was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly