How might I become a humble follower?

Today the message is entitled “How might I become a humble follower?”

We become followers when we decide to try to be like someone else. Fan clubs, groupies, disciples, and sheep are names given to describe people who are followers. There are also extremists and radicals who are followers. Whatever name or title you want to put on them, they believe in the person or program, religion or science, politics or ideals. As followers, they would do just about anything for the cause they believe in.

John 10: 14 NIV
Jesus said, “I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” He is talking about all of us who believe in Him, trust Him and follow Him.

Rom 10: 17 NIV
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
The Bible is God’s guidebook for His followers. We need to learn it and live it.

Romans 8:26 NIV
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

John 14: 26 NIV
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will sendin my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit is our guide through this life on earth, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit for decisions and direction.

1 John 1: 7 NIV
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
All those who follow Jesus are to gather together to support and encourage each other, to teach and mentor each other and to hang together in tough times.

As each of us grow in our knowledge of God, we are to pass on this knowledge to those who are where we used to be. This is an unending cycle that God has given us to follow.

In the May 7, 2019 Our Daily Bread, we read this quote from Estera Pirosca Escobar: “We all need someone who models what it means to follow Jesus. May God give us godly men and women who help us grow spiritually. And may we too, by the power of His Spirit, invest our lives in others.”

I was reading “The Minister’s Little Devotional Book,” by H.B. London Jr. & Stan Toler, and came across this acronym. The idea for my message title today came from the line before the acronym.

Six keys to answer the question “How might I become a humble follower?”

F-ailure. A good follower must risk failure – and grow from it.
O-riginality. Look for every chance to do things in a new way.
L-isten. Nobody has ever learned anything by talking.
L-ean. Become dependant on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and seek the counsel of friends and family.
O-bedience. It is never a sign of weakness to say “yes” to God.
W-illingness. The hardest thing about following is making yourself do whatever needs to be done.

All these words that fit into “follow” are good ones to remember when you struggle with walking beside God. We are to persevere by relying on God to give us the strength and wisdom to continue.

Luke 9: 23 NIV
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

John 14: 23 NIV
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

We are all able to decide to follow Jesus or not. It is a choice only you can make – no one can make it for you. The Apostle Paul shared this thought in his letter to the Philippian church:

Philippians 2: 1-8 NIV
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of the others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

We started this message with the question, “How might I become a humble follower?” I hope that you have some sense, and knowledge of how to do that now. All that God wants is for us to follow the example that Jesus gave us while He was here on earth. Jesus did not strive to be the greatest or the best!
Jesus humbled himself and cared for all those around Him. We are to do the same.

How might I become a humble follower? By looking to Jesus and the Bible for guidance and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead in your life.