“Gatherin’ Followers!”
I was at the Chinese Restaurant back before the pandemic. I opened up the paper inside my fortune cookie and it said, "We have been trying to reach you concerning your vehicle’s extended warranty on your car. Please contact us at your earliest convenience!” Really? No, but I bet you laughed.
Have y’all ever bought a product or invested in something simply because you trust the one who recommended it to you? Have you ever rented a movie because a friend said they thought you’d enjoy it or because they said it was just flat-out good?
Are you more likely to try something or get to know someone by the recommended of a trusted friend than the recommendation of a stranger? Yeah, most of the time, we are more likely to follow the recommendation from someone we know and trust, right?
Then, when at another restaurant, why do we ask the waiter what he or she recommends? Aren’t they probably just a little biased? Yet, we ask the question. Well, they’re probably goin’ to recommend what they have been told to move. And they’re likely not going to push something they’re running out of. Now, if you are a waiter, I realize you’re just doin’ your job.
God places people right out on our trail who will try to steer us in the right direction. But sometimes we’d rather listen to a stranger.
Over in John chapter 1, John the Baptist tells a couple of guys about Jesus. Then he saw Jesus walking by and he told the two with him, “Behold, the lamb of God!”
We know that one of the two was Andrew, brother of Simon Peter, and the other one may well have been the apostle John.
What do these guys do when they find out who Jesus is? They leave John the Baptist and follow after Him! Jesus turns and asks them, “What do you want?”
They respond with, “Uh, where are you staying?”
“Come and you’ll see.” And so they begin to follow Jesus. Oh, and Andrew goes and finds his brother, Simon (Peter), and says, “Hey Simon, we have found the Messiah!”
When Andrew brought him to Jesus, Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (Peter).”.
And the very next day Jesus went into Galilee, and found Philip. Jesus said, “Follow Me!”
Philip had to go tell his friend, Nathanael. Now he was a bit leery. What good could possibly come out of Nazareth? But about a minute with Jesus and that was all it took!
And all of it came about by recommendation from friends! Some were eager and at least one was leery. But they listened and they followed!
John the Baptist says, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Did it upset John that they followed Jesus instead of him? NO! John knew the mission and was doing his part! A little later, John says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
When Jesus calls us, we need to be ready to respond!
The two, one bein’ Andrew, followed! Peter followed. Philip followed and so did Nathanael. And others followed after these. And folks are still following Him today! It’s your turn.
Confess Him as Lord! Have you done it? Have you ever invited Jesus to be your Boss, by seeking forgiveness of sins and turning control of your life over to Him? Look, here is the Lamb of God!
And tell others about Him! The Baptist told others who Jesus is. I must do the same. Jesus is Savior and Lord. That’s why the Father sent Him! Follow Him! It is important.
Choose Jesus, choose life and let your light shine! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! And pray for rain!