{"id":178,"date":"2018-11-07T11:05:01","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T19:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/migrate.bettersermons.org\/?p=178"},"modified":"2020-06-01T11:40:42","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T18:40:42","slug":"always-a-lonely-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/always-a-lonely-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Always a Lonely Road"},"content":{"rendered":"
Always a Lonely Road<\/span><\/div>\n

\".\"
\nThe decision to follow Jesus is one we must make for ourselves. It is never a group thing, but an individual choice that may take us down a lonely road. But Jesus always journeys with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Introduction<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nThe world aspires to leadership; people want to be leaders<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nLeadership is the path to advancement; there are seminars on it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nWorld of politics emphasizes a man or woman\u2019s leadership qualities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nWhat this hurting world needs is more \u201cfollowership\u201d \u2013 disciples who will go where their Master asks them to go<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nJesus walks up to two men, Peter and Andrew, as they fix their nets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThey\u2019re busy, lots to do; making a living<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nMatt. 5:19:\u00a0\u201cCome, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nFollowership was a whole new life, a full-time career for 12 competitive men<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n6.<\/td>\nJesus invites you to participate in \u201cfollowership\u201d as you plan your life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peer Pressure<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
A.<\/td>\nIn a church, one couple got a great deal on a Honda Odyssey; soon seven families had them \u2013 from the same dealership!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nIf you could recite the 4th Commandment, they gave you the same good deal!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nAdvantages to all having the same car:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nIf your minivan has too many miles, take someone else\u2019s!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nIf your kid is unruly, maybe he\u2019ll climb in the wrong car and go home with someone else<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nIf something goes wrong with the cars, the church can start a class-action lawsuit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nIt takes courage to stand up, face an army of Honda owners, and say: \u201cI\u2019m getting a Hyundai instead.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
B.<\/td>\nSociological experiment: an instructor would hold up a white card with two lines: A and B. One was clearly longer. Everyone in the class was to \u201cvote\u201d on which was longer; one test subject didn\u2019t know the others had been coached to pick wrong.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nResult: the guinea pig succumbed to peer pressure and picked the incorrect line as well<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
C.<\/td>\nWhen Jesus invites us to follow and be His disciple, that is a lonely decision too<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nFollowing Him will be against the flow of peer pressure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nMost of the crowd will be surging in the wrong direction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nWe see our Savior up ahead, quietly beckoning: \u201cFollow Me\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nWe think of academy friends, former church acquaintances, who have left God\u2019s family<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nHymn:\u00a0I Will Follow Thee, My Savior<\/em>: five verses talking about storms and waves and challenges a person faces who decides to be a disciple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nChorus: \u201cAnd though all men should forsake Thee, by Thy grace I\u2019ll follow Thee.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
D.<\/td>\nPeter, in the upper room, has brave and boastful words to say about \u201cfollowership\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nJesus: \u201cThanks, guys, for following Me up till now. You\u2019ve stayed by My side during hard times. We\u2019ve served instead of being served.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\n\u201cSimon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat<\/em>.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nWe\u2019re glad even Satan can\u2019t do some things without heaven\u2019s permission!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\n\u201cBut I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 \u2018cause you\u2019re going to have a bad night tonight \u2013\u00a0\u201cstrengthen your brothers.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Luke 22:31, 32)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nSimon is ready to go for it. \u201cLord, I am willing to go with You to prison and to death.\u201d His warm blood surges in his veins; his sword is by his side.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nGreat words. What he is really saying is:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\n\u201cAs long as we stick together and have two swords, we can stay OUT of prison and AWAY from those who are determined to visit death upon us.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\n\u201cI\u2019m ready to follow You AWAY from prison and AWAY from the cemetery!\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\n\u201cJust don\u2019t ask me to do anything hard or lonely.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n6.<\/td>\nLater it\u2019s cold; they\u2019ve left the upper room; they\u2019re a sleepy and separated bunch of cowards.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nSoldiers are around; swords clank in the moonlight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nFollowing Jesus becomes a very lonely objective<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nLike the song, \u201cAll men did forsake Him\u201d \u2013 and Peter too. He leads in the 100-yard dash going the other direction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nLater in the courtyard he denies his best Friend three times: a bad night!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nFollowing Jesus can be a very lonely thing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nf.<\/td>\nSONG: \u201cI have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. Though no one join me, Still I will follow.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
E.<\/td>\nWAIT A MINUTE!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nPicture the first two disciples asked by Jesus.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThey do say yes; they get right up and board His bus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nTypical reaction: \u201cWait a minute! Who ELSE have You got? Is anyone else signed up to follow You?\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nIt was always a small army; twelve guys is the biggest it ever got<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nWhen there was a big gathering, most of them just wanted free food or to be healed of leprosy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nWhen we shake our heads at the disciples\u2019 antics, at least they followed Jesus when it was a lonely thing to do<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
“Good” Peer Pressure<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
A.<\/td>\nA reality that is not ideal, but still a reality<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nIn the New Testament, community and \u201cgood peer pressure,\u201d what C. S. Lewis calls \u201cgood infection,\u201d are what the church is invited to create<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nIt\u2019s easier to be faithful to Jesus when the other ten disciples hang in there too<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThe church gives us community; we travel together toward the New Jerusalem<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nWe sing the same songs, pray together, study the same Bible curriculum, share experiences, feel better about the fact that we have traveling companions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nIt\u2019s easier to go on a mission trip when those you love are there with you!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nIt\u2019s said that all Christians need six friends who will walk the same road with you and give encouragement<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
B.<\/td>\nMany follow when it\u2019s easy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nGallup Polls<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nDo you believe in God? Yes – 80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nDo you believe in the Ten Commandments as a foundation for a holy life? Yes \u2013 75%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nDo you consider yourself a Christian? Yes \u2013 a high number there too<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nHere in America there\u2019s a user-friendly, low-calorie, low-demand, even NO-demand casual brand of Christian faith<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\ne.<\/td>\nMuch of that is like Peter in the upper room; when it comes to hard obedience, patterning our lives after Jesus, sacrifice, discipline, hardness of forgiving an enemy, followership abruptly comes to a halt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nf.<\/td>\nWe put a Jesus fish on the car, but aren\u2019t ready to follow our General into a dangerous battle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\ng.<\/td>\nSteven Curtis Chapman song,\u00a0What About the Change?<\/em>\u00a0Many \u201cJesus-y\u201d doodads: T shirts, WWJD bracelet, Holy Spirit necklace, John 3:16 key chain, Bible magnet on the fridge. Chorus: \u201cBut what about the change? What about the difference? What about forgiveness? What about a life that shows I\u2019m undergoing the change?\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Practical Realities About Followership<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
A.<\/td>\nPeter and Andrew got up and went where Jesus was going<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nIt involved an act of travel, leaving secular things and following Jesus into a spiritual kingdom<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nAbraham had to pack and go someplace; so did Moses, Paul, Philip<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nIt is sometimes good if our commute on Sabbath mornings is a challenge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nWe have to pack up that Odyssey with the kids and diaper bags and GO!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nMissionaries have taken lonely trips around the world, often burying a spouse in a distant land, in order to practice \u201cfollowership\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nJesus says in John 15:14:\u00a0\u201cIf you\u2019re My friend, then do what I ask you to do.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\n\u201cMy friends obey what I command.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nTo be a follower of Jesus absolutely does mean that when we discover His will, we obey that will all the time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nVince Havner: \u201cWhat our Lord said about cross-bearing and obedience is not in the fine print. It is in bold print on the face of the contract.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nDeut. 5:1:\u00a0Here is our law. Learn it. Follow it.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nWe have to live the will of Jesus. To the best of our ability, we go where He asks us to go<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nJesus tells us to love the people around us. OKAY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nHe wants us to keep this 7th day holy in service to Him. OKAY<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nHe tells us to feed the hungry. We\u2019ll try.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nHe tells us to forgive one another. We commit to doing that<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n6.<\/td>\nIn board meetings, where we don\u2019t all agree, He tells us to put disagreements behind us when we adjourn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nCARTOON in\u00a0Leadership<\/em>: \u201cSo it passes, three to two, that from now on, we\u2019ll announce all of our decisions as unanimous.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nCARTOON: Chairman says to the stinker in the room, \u201cBrother Jones, would you please step outside so that we can take a unanimous vote?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
B.<\/td>\nThis is a hard list!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nC. S. Lewis regarding our desire to just be cultural Christians who don\u2019t move a muscle to heed God\u2019s will for our lives: \u201cThe answer to all that nonsense [thinking that obedience isn\u2019t important] is that, if what you call your \u2018faith\u2019 in Christ does not involve taking the slightest notice of what He says, then it is not Faith at all \u2013 not faith or trust in Him, but only intellectual acceptance of some theory about Him.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nWhen the Holy Spirit whispers to us as a still, small voice, \u201cYou\u2019re on the wrong road, you should be over here,\u201d that can be a lonely moment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nGod is calling us away from compromise, and all our friends are compromising<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
C.<\/td>\nSTORY: 1996, Philippines Adventists pledged to bring 50,000 new Christians in during one year!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nThat doesn\u2019t sound like the \u201clonely road\u201d; it sounds like a big, comforting mass movement<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nOne pastor in Polomolok was the leader of a popular \u201ccult\u201d church<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nA cult makes sure you\u2019re not alone; you\u2019re swept along in a stream of single-minded devotion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nThis leader was convinced God was calling him to obey and follow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nThis meant losing his position; also estrangement from his wife!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nA woman named Ethel, 24, was going to lose he high-paying job as a civil engineer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nNight after night, there she was, singing in the choir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nA family that sold coconut whiskey was making a fortune; Jesus invited them to follow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\n\u201cPlease follow Me into a new livelihood.\u201d \u201cWhat?\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ll find that out later. Just follow.\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nNow that family is part of a new community where no one drinks coconut whiskey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
A.<\/td>\nTrue greatness and dynamic change happen when a group of Christians make the decision to be followers of Jesus \u2013 and it\u2019s a permanent, irrevocable decision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nThey don\u2019t keep deciding 500 times<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nThey don\u2019t wake up each morning asking themselves: \u201cShall I or shall I not?\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nThey don\u2019t get up on Sabbath morning and endlessly ponder their decision for the day; they know they are coming here!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
B.<\/td>\nMario Cuomo could have been President of the United States, but he could never decide.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nAre you running? I\u2019m thinking about it. While deciding, many others with inferior resumes passed him in the fast lane and got to the White House instead<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nBill Clinton tried twice to put Cuomo on the Supreme Court.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nCourting a nominee is a secret, clandestine operation: done behind the scenes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nYou want to make sure your man will say yes before you make an offer on CNN.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nTwice in a row, the New York governor dithered and hemmed and hawed, refused to take Oval Office phone calls, pulled 180s, yanked his yeses, and made the administration look foolish in the groveling process<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
C.<\/td>\nEleven men in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were like that. They followed Jesus, then backed away, then came back wanting great positions for themselves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n1.<\/td>\nThey wanted to walk on water, then got scared and sank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n2.<\/td>\nEven the night before Jesus died, all eleven backtracked on their loyalty oaths and ran to the sidelines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n3.<\/td>\nBut after the Resurrection, when the new Christian Church needed definitive heroes, men who would make a commitment and follow through, these were the eleven guys<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\na.<\/td>\nNone of them ever changed their votes again<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nb.<\/td>\nThey never backed away or rescinded their support ever again<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nc.<\/td>\nThey were done with dithering; they were Jesus\u2019 core team for life<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\nd.<\/td>\nThe world was never the same again<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n4.<\/td>\nRevelation 14:4 has a description of those kinds of saints and the sorts of followers who make a difference for Jesus here in our society and in our time. They do just one thing:\u00a0They follow the Lamb wherever He goes.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n5.<\/td>\nWhere Jesus goes, they go. What He does, they do. Where He leads, they follow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


\nSubmitted by David B. Smith. Better Sermons \u00a9 2005-2007. Click here for\u00a0usage guidelines<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Always a Lonely Road The decision to follow Jesus is one we must make for ourselves. It is never a group thing, but an individual choice that may take us …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178\/revisions\/179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}