Follow Me

I never realized what a central message the two words “Follow Me” is from Jesus to His disciples. Not just the disciples in the pages of the New Testament but also to His disciples today. Jesus has spoken this one message into my life like a jackhammer for the past seven months.

Almost daily He spoke through scriptures. I read through the gospels in a three-week period and the message seemed to be everywhere. Here are just a few references. Matt 4:18-20, Matt 8:19, Matt 9:9, Matt 9:21, Matt 16:24, Matt 19:27, Mark 1:17-18, Mark 10:21, Mark 10:28, John 10:27, John 12:26.

It has never occurred to me that I would not follow Him. I have been following Jesus for the past twenty-eight years. I followed Him to salvation in 1983. I followed Him into baptism that same year. I followed Him in surrendering my life to preach at a youth camp on this day, July 4, twenty-six years ago. I next followed Him to Howard Payne University. I followed Him in helping start a church on Lake Sam Rayburn with a friend during the summer of 1986. The next summer I followed Him to Tampa, FL to serve as youth ministry intern. The following summer I served as a youth intern in Atlanta, GA. God finally allowed me to serve in ministry by myself in Rochelle, TX during the years of 1988-1990. By faith I followed the Lord to Seminary in Fort Worth during the years of 1990-1993. During these years God opened a door to serve as a youth minister at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Weatherford, TX. In the summer of 1991 I followed Jesus in marrying Brenda Ortiz. We just celebrated our twentieth anniversary. We began following Jesus together at Spring Creek and then to pastor Burke Baptist Church (1993-1998), start No Compromise Ministries(1998-present), to start the CentrePointe Community Church(2002-2005), to follow God to Paradise to pastor First Baptist Church (2005-2009), and eventually to Seminole to pastor First Baptist Church here (2009-2011).

Once again the call of God to follow Him is leading us away from people we love to start over. We are really starting over this time by following Jesus to plant a church back in Paradise. I have been following Jesus for a long time. Many times I have not understood His leadership. At times I got in the way and had my own agenda. I have learned a great deal on this journey. I want to take a few moments to pass on some of that wisdom to you.

1. God can be trusted. Following Jesus has led us down some risky paths and through some hardships. Through it all we have found God can be trusted to keep His promises. He is faithful and worthy of our trust. [I Thess 5:24]

2. Perseverance is critical in following Jesus. Many people are accustomed to quick fixes and instant success. These have seldom been my experience in following Jesus. I have learned the value of plodding forward in faith. Rarely have we seen over night success. Our victories in ministry have come after persevering prayer, love, preaching, and witnessing. [Heb 12:1-3]

3. The rewards are worth the sacrifice. As we prepare to once again start a new ministry I think of all the wonderful people who have blessed and enriched our lives over the years. Deep friendships and relationships. It has been painful to leave those people but we have met new people along the journey. We are rich in relationships. It is not easy leaving but from experience we know those relationships endure. [Prov 27:17]

4. Following God means taking steps of faith. Over and over again during the past twenty years God has called us to take steps of faith. Some have been bigger than others. None seem any bigger than walking away from our loving congregation in Seminole, our friends, our home, and our salary for the risk of planting Faith Community Church back in Paradise. Well over 70% of new church plants do not survive. God is a miracle worker and a mountain mover. [Mark 11:23-24]

There are other lessons we have learned along the way but this is a good start. We are all called to follow Jesus without hesitation or delay. We are called to trust Him in obedience to follow His plans and purposes. It is not easy. It can be downright scary at times but if more people would quit holding back they would experience more of God and in the process gain more confidence in Him. So quit holding back. Go ahead and take the first step in following Him. If you do you will discover the greatest adventure of a lifetime. Follow Him. Do not hesitate another day. Fully yield your life to the Lord and take the step of faith in whatever He is calling you to do. Be strong and courageous. Hear and heed the voice of Jesus saying, “Follow Me.”