Follow Jesus

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”” (Matthew 4:19, ESV)

We all follow someone. 

But following Jesus is not like following someone on social media. It’s not like following a sports team, or just keeping up with someone we admire or respect. 

Following Jesus is totally different from these other expressions of following. Following Jesus in the setting of the Essentials of Gospel of the Kingdom of God is about being an apprentice, a disciple to Jesus.

In the time of Jesus, the discipleship process was one that was characterized by a rabbi-to-disciple arrangement. Jesus, in His public ministry, was considered a rabbi. In His day, there was no formal or accredited training program to become a rabbi. A rabbi was known, not by his credentials but by his performance. A man was a respected rabbi due to his public recognition, his words and his deeds.  

A person who wanted to be a rabbi didn’t go to seminary. There was no seminary. Instead, he would seek out a rabbi he emulated and would attach himself to him. If accepted by the rabbi, the apprentice would start a lengthy period of very close association with the rabbi. This would of course involve watching him, hearing him and seeking to imitate him. He, and perhaps other disciples, would travel and basically live with him, seeing how he handled not only teaching, but the everyday mundane and unexpected events of life. He would serve the rabbi in whatever he told him to do.  In short, they would seek to be like him in thought, word, character, deeds and abilities. 

To follow someone we must be with them. 

It’s not possible to follow someone in the way I’m describing without being with them. We find in the New Testament that Jesus’ disciples were with him. 

“Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,” (Luke 8:1, CSB)

To follow Jesus, these disciples went where Jesus went. To follow Jesus, they had to be within earshot to hear his message on the Kingdom of God. 

“While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”” (Luke 9:18, CSB)

To follow Jesus these men were with Him in the most intimate moments. He also wanted them to share their unguarded thoughts. An intimate trusting relationship goes both ways.  

“When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him.” (Luke 22:14, CSB)

To follow Jesus means to go with Him to places we would rather not be. The disciples were with Jesus as He instituted the New Covenant, which would be in His own blood. This began the dark days of betrayal, fear, denial, and doubt for His disciples. It was a time of anguish and surrender for Jesus, but also the defining time of purpose and victory. 

So, to follow someone we will need to be with them in both the good and the bad. We will be with them in public and private. In following Jesus, there is no time away from Jesus. To be with Him, we must always be following Him in the ups and the downs; in the mundane and in the exciting. 

The more we are with them, the more we will be like them.

Jesus even made this observation. 

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40, CSB)

Jesus said that if we would follow Him, He would change us. That is what “I will make you” means. 

Jesus will change us if we follow Him. If we are not changing, then we are not following; or at least following in the way Jesus wants us to follow. We cannot follow Jesus and follow our way. He determines how to follow. He determines what needs to change. 

What will Jesus change? Everything that is in our life that is not like Jesus. That is all He will change. He will change what will make us to be more like Him. There are several things he will change. 

He will change our beliefs. Jesus wants us to believe, what He believes, about who God is and what He does.  He will change what we believe about ourselves and what we are to do. 

He will change our hearts to reflect His attitudes. We are called to love God with all our hearts and the people around us as ourselves. 

He will change our character to reflect the character that God intends for His children living in His kingdom.  The Apostle Paul called this the “Fruit of the Spirit.” 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” (Galatians 5:22–23, CSB)

He will change our behaviors. We will function in a “Kingdom of God” way instead of the ways of the world. The ways of God are often not logical to the human mind, but they are always good, noble, full of grace and truth. 

The more we are like them, the more we see how real change takes place.

As the disciples were with Jesus, they saw Jesus’ deeds and heard His words. After some time observing Jesus, they started to do things with Jesus. They participated in what Jesus was doing, even if it was small, such as bringing the fish and loaves to Jesus before a hungry crowd. After observing Jesus and participating with Jesus, they were sent out by Jesus. 

“Summoning the Twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1–2, CSB)

Here’s the process as I understand it.

1. Jesus announced the availability of the Kingdom of God. It was the good news of the Kingdom. 

2. Jesus taught about how things were done in the kingdom of God. He did this through parables and His famous “Sermon on the Mount.” He also contrasted the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees with His teaching to demonstrate Kingdom values and principles. Most of the religious leaders did not believe in the power of God or understand the ways of God.  

3. Jesus manifested the present power of the Kingdom of God. He healed the sick, cast our demons and raised people from the dead.  (Matt. 4:23, 9:35, Lik 4:18-44. 

4. Then, over time, He sent the disciples out to do the things they had heard, seen and experienced with Jesus. They were successful, but there was a cost.

The more we change, the more we count the cost. 

There are always those who believe following Jesus will solve all their problems. It will certainly solve many problems. It will solve the most important problems, but it will also give you a different set of problems. There is a cost to following Jesus. 

Jesus warned those who would follow Him about this cost. 

“As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Then he said to another, “Follow me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”” (Luke 9:57–62, CSB)

It will cost us our home. We will feel like we do not have a real home in this world. For this world is not our home. Disciples of Jesus do not consider this world their home. Their home is now in God’s Kingdom. 

It will cost us our family. They will not understand and may even reject us, or Jesus will call us away to minister to people who are not like our own. It may end up being a little of both. We will pay the price of following Jesus rather than following our family. 

It will cost us our priorities. There are many good things we could do that seem right. But we must not second guess what the Lord tells us specifically to do. We must not compromise what God has revealed to us in His Word, no matter how reasonable something may seem. Our priorities as a disciple of Jesus are Jesus’ priorities. Not the other way around. 

In counting the cost, we weigh the price of discipleship.

Following Jesus is going to put us in direct conflict with this present world and its kingdom. It will likely put us in conflict with those we love and with those who love us. It happened to Jesus. We are no better. It will happen to us. There is a price to be paid for following Jesus. 

But I want us to think for a moment, what is the price of not following Jesus? What is the price of non-discipleship? Jesus answered it this way:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:24–27, CSB)

It will be hard, but it will be worth it. Even if we could gain the whole world, we will lose our life. We will stand before Jesus. Remember, that is the first of the essential elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God: We are accountable to God. 

There was a time in the ministry of Jesus when people were realizing the cost of following Jesus and turning away. Jesus then said this to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

Here’s what the Gospel of John records Peter saying:

“Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”” (John 6:68–69, CSB)

There is no one else we can go to for the words of eternal life. 

The price of discipleship is surrender.

We saw it in the passage where Jesus said that anyone who would follow him must deny self, take up their cross, and follow Him. This is surrender. This is the price. 

We surrender to Jesus as Savior. We surrender to Him as Savior because we cannot and will not and will never be able to save ourselves. We cannot even save ourselves from ourselves! The sinless Son of God died a sacrificial atoning death on the cross in our place for our sin. He paid for all our sin: past, present and future. He is the Savior. He is the only Savior. He needs to be without a doubt our Savior. He didn’t die for most of our sins. He didn’t die for only the big sins. He died for all our sin. 

We surrender to Jesus as Lord. He is our boss. He is our king. He is our master. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. Jesus paid for us with His life and His blood. We don’t get to choose to have him as Savior but not Lord. They go together. We must surrender to Jesus. When we surrender to Him we surrender to Him as Savior and Lord. If we go our own way and not His way, you will go without him. 

To be a disciple of Jesus we must recognize and accept who Jesus is and place ourselves under his authority. To follow him is to be behind him. 

The prize of surrender is the abiding manifest presence of the master.

Remember Jesus said that a disciple is not above his teacher but when a person is fully trained, they will be like their master. The fulfillment of this comes through the abiding presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit as He lives and works in and through the surrendered disciple. Take a moment to meditate on the following promise of Jesus for those who surrender. It is a prize worth the whole world. 

“Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words. The word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” (John 14:23–26, CSB)

I believe it was Augustine of Hippo who said, “He who has God has everything; he who has everything but God has nothing.”

Believe the Gospel

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, CSB)

You can believe the good news about the kingdom of God. You can trust in the king of this newly opened-to-us kingdom and therefore trust what He has said and done. Certainly the belief I’m writing about is more than acknowledging propositions. It is what I call a saving faith. It is an active trust in the person and work of Jesus for your salvation both now and forever. This is saving faith, this is believing the Gospel. 

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, CSB)

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved.” (Hebrews 11:1–2, CSB)

In the New Testament Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, there is an impressive list of biblical characters who accomplished great things because of their faith. They range from Abel to Noah to Abraham and Sarah, to Moses to Daniel, and beyond. All these believed in the promises of God, so much so that they staked their very lives and eternity on it. In Jesus we have the fulfillment of these promises. We who believe the Gospel are included in that long line of believers. 

“All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.” (Hebrews 11:39–40, CSB)

As we think about “Believing the Gospel” I want to describe what this kind of belief or faith is and how it works. Yes, this faith does work. 

First, biblical faith is real and objective. 

Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the reality of what is hoped for...proof of what is not seen. They are real things. They are real and they are proof. They are not ideas in our heads. They are outside of us. There is an objective reality. God acts in our would. What Jesus Christ has done, He did in real time and space.  Biblical faith is not a philosophical proposition, but based on real objective events, many of these were promised by God thousands of years ahead of time. 

Second, biblical faith is a future expectation based on present evidence.

Faith has a future quality. It is the reality of what is hoped for. The word for “reality” or “substance” as many Bible translations have it, is used 5 times in the New Testament. Two by the Apostle Paul and it is translated as "confidence" in 2 Corinthians chapter 9:4 and 11:17. The other three times it is found in the Book of Hebrews chapter 1 and 11. 

In Hebrews "reality" is more of a 'demonstration' than a confidence or an assurance. It is active, anticipatory, energetic and seeking. So to “believe the Gospel” has a future orientation based on the past and present record of what has been promised and kept.

Third, biblical faith is believing what is real but not seen. 

"The proof of what is not seen." As Hamlet said to Horatio, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Actually this is even true on just the physical level. Our eyes can only see so much. Yet there are universes full of things and living organisms that we cannot see with the eye. There are light waves that our eyes cannot comprehend. The human visible spectrum is much smaller than the amount of light waves, for example infrared light is just outside of our spectrum. Just because you can't see it does not mean that it's not real. In many ways, seeing is not believing and still in many ways seeing is believing. 

Fourth, biblical faith is what connects people to God and saves them. This connection of faith brings even physical healing, reception of the promises God made to Abraham, entrance into the Messiah’s kingdom, and God’s forgiveness and power both now and later. See the Scriptures below.

“By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.” (Acts 3:16, CSB)

“The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14, CSB)

“for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26, CSB)

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—” (Ephesians 2:8, CSB)

“You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5, CSB)

Fifth, biblical faith has four dimensions to it.

First I want to start with an intellectual dimension. This is basic knowledge concerning Jesus Christ: Who he is, what he has done, but also who are we, what are we then supposed to do. They are the basic facts concerning Christianity. Knowing and acknowledging facts do not count as saving faith.  “You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.” (James 2:19, CSB) Yet, there are certain facts that need to be known.

Second is a relational dimension. Biblical faith is not a system of doctrines but a relationship with a person. How you are related to that person will determine the effectiveness of your faith. Relationships begin. Relationships grow and they become stronger as time is spent and experiences made. In other words, biblical faith is not static but dynamic. We should all remember this. Family is still family, but because of time, love, service and experience with someone, you will be closer to them and they to you. Your faith will grow and flourish or languish in relation to the amount of time you purposely spend with Jesus. 

Third is an emotional dimension. This can be more of a thermometer of where you are with God. Questions to ask: Do you desire Him? What about love? Love has an emotional element. So does faith. Genuine belief makes you have a stake in what happens and it will affect your mood. Certainly faith is in the head, but it is also in the heart and in the gut.

The last dimension to consider for biblical faith is the volitional dimension. This dimension engages a person’s will. Faith is certainly a gift from God (see Ephesians 2:8) but it is also a choice. You can choose to have faith. When you choose to believe the Gospel, you are not choosing against reason or reality, you are choosing for it. You must make a decision one way or another. There is not a third option. You don’t have a choice to not make a choice. Not making a choice is choosing not to believe. In one sense believing the Gospel is moving from believing in God to believing God. To faithing God. 

I cannot remember a time when I did not believe in God. I was taught from an infant the stories of the Bible. I knew them. Yet I did not believe it. I thought I believed, but I didn’t have all the dimensions of saving faith. I believed in my head but not in my heart. I didn’t have these until I was confronted with Jesus and my need to surrender my life to Him and make Him my Savior and Lord. I still remember that day. It was a Wednesday morning on a hot August 17th day. Everything changed because I was changed. This is what it means to believe the Gospel. Believe it now. 

Therefore, Repent

“After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”” (Mark 1:14–15, CSB)

Repentance is a change of mind and attitude that results in a change of life and actions. Repentance is necessary after hearing and understanding the previous six essential elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. These have all been expounded upon in previous blogs. For the sake of context I’ll list the six previous essential elements. They are:

1. All are accountable to God.

2. Our problem is that we have rebelled against God.

3. The Kingdom of God is now available. 

4. Jesus is the Messiah.

5. Jesus suffered and rose from the dead.

6. Jesus will return, reign, and rule. 

These elements of the Gospel of the Kingdom challenge our thinking, our behavior, our autonomy, our decision making and our future plans. Repentance is both for those already in the Kingdom of God and for those who want to be. 

The process of repentance is much like someone who has been driving a car and just discovers they were headed in the wrong direction. The natural reaction is to stop the car and find out what direction they need to go, turn to it and start moving in that right direction. There will also be some emotional reaction. The amount of emotion will depend on how much time is lost, when the person needs to be at the destination, and the amount of resources spent. I’ll admit that if this were me, I would likely be upset in proportion to the amount of time and resources I had expended before the realization of heading in the wrong direction. Notice this “car” example fulfills the previous definition of repentance: A change of mind and attitude that results in a change of life and actions. 

Many have viewed repentance of sin as a negative experience. But as Dr. Kerry Skinner writes, “Repentance is the most positive word in the Bible and brings life, not death, to those who embrace it. While the process of repentance is sometimes painful, the result of being back in fellowship with God brings great joy.” (Skinner, The Joy of Repentance, p.21) Joy, and in many cases, true revival comes out of genuine repentance. 

According to Drs. Henry Brandt and Kerry Skinner, repentance is a five step process (see the books The Heart of the Problem and The Joy of Repentance). Sin can be in our lives and fester in our hearts for years, but God cleanses us through repentance and gives hope, joy and welcome change to our lives in a moment.  The five process steps of repentance are as follows.

First, admit to God that you are wrong. You need to admit to him all the wrongs that come to mind: wrong thinking, wrong speaking, wrong beliefs, wrong attitudes and wrong behavior. This is a time of humbling yourself before God. Admission of wrong is not repentance but it is a necessary part of repentance. You can admit you are wrong and not repent. Confession is the place to start, not the ending point. 

Second, have godly sorrow for the sin. This is more than regret. It is an anguish of the soul before God that we are not who we should be. That we have done what we should not do or failed to do what we should. Worldly sorrow leads to despair but godly sorrow leads to repentance and joy. Judas later regretted betraying Jesus, but fell into despair and committed suicide. Peter’s denial of Jesus twice was also a betrayal, but instead of despair he worked through his sorrow and became a man who found renewed purpose and joy in ministry to Jesus and to His church. 

Third, ask God to forgive the sin. God is a forgiving God. He gave his only begotten Son so that if we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness. (see 1 John 1:9). Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to ask for forgiveness as we forgive others who have sinned against us. God will grant forgiveness based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As it reads in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7, CSB)

Fourth, ask God to cleanse the sin. David prayed, after he was confronted with sin by Nathan the prophet, for God to “completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:2). Only God can cleanse us from our sin. We may be able to manage sin. We may be able to even stop certain sins, but we cannot cleanse sin. Only God can do that. Dr. Skinner often says, “If sin is the problem, there is no human remedy.” But God has a remedy. It is not sin management, but a thorough cleansing of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ shed on your behalf on the cross.   “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8, CSB)

Last, ask God to empower you with His Spirit. After God cleanses you, you are now a vessel that can be used for His honor and glory. But you cannot operate successfully with merely human strength. You need to be empowered. God has made provision for you to be filled and empowered by his Holy Spirit. Look at what Peter wrote: 

“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.” (2 Peter 1:3–4, CSB)

God has given you everything you need to live for and in the kingdom of God today. You are able to do this because you “share in the divine nature.” 

Jesus made similar statements on empowerment, but focused on our abiding in Him. He said “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5, CSB) This abiding is remaining in Jesus’ teaching, His will and way. When we ask the Lord to empower us we are asking to stay in fellowship with Jesus every moment of every day. If we draw our nourishment from Jesus, then the fruit of Jesus will naturally come forth. It will be the fruit of the Spirit as depicted in Galatians 5: 22-23 but also much, much more. We cannot do this spiritual work without Him. We must always be drawing our strength, nourishment and as Peter said, “Everything that is required for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3a, CSB) from Jesus. 

When we look at repentance in relation to the Gospel of the Kingdom, here are some specifics related to these essentials. 

First, we need to repent of our self-directed and self-oriented behavior. We are accountable to God. All of us will appear at the judgment seat of Christ at the end of the age. But we are also disciplined in our thinking and behavior today. God knows what is going on in his church. He knows what is going on in your thoughts, not to mention your deeds. We have authorities that we answer to in this life, but all authority is from God. 

“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, CSB)

“For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7–8, CSB)

We answer to God. That is why we call him “Lord,” because He is Lord. 

Second, we need to know and accept that the evil and sin in this world is due to our rebellion against God. This world is the way it is because of sinful fallen humanity; it is because of us. While everything that occurs in our lives that is bad, such as cancer or a tornado, may not be due to our personal sin, but it is due to sin. God created this world good. We have made it bad. Our problem is that we are rebels against God. We will continue to multiply our problems as long as we remain in rebellion. A part of repentance is to counter sin with righteousness, the righteousness that only comes from God. 

Third, change your thinking about living now in the Kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is eternal and it is present through Jesus the Messiah. A kingdom is the reign and rule of a king. God has always been sovereign over the earth, but he has also given us authority to rule and subdue the earth. Each of us have our own little kingdoms. If each of us will seek to align our kingdoms with the Kingdom of God, we will get to experience a foretaste of heaven. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33, CSB)

Fourth, honor Jesus as the full expression of God to us. If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus. He is the Messiah. He is the anointed one. He is our example that we should walk in his steps. He is our savior that we should offer eternal gratitude to. He is our Lord, for he is the King of heaven and earth and his reign will never end. Here’s what Paul said about Jesus:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20, CSB)

We need to repent when we make Jesus too small and familiar. We need to repent when we make Jesus our buddy. We need to repent when we just think of him as a baby in a manger. We need a new vision of who Jesus the Messiah is. He is our good shepherd, but he is also our master. He has all power and authority. He commands us and we are to obey. We need to repent of our lack of obedience. We have ceased to be in awe. 

Fifth, acknowledge the price Jesus, the prince of heaven, paid when he left His throne and came to earth. He emptied himself of his privileges and power in the godhead and became man. He lived on this earth as a man, but also as a sinless man. He never gave into temptation of any kind. He drank empty the bitter cup of sin. He who knew no sin became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (see 1 Cor. 5:21) He reversed what Adam and Eve lost and more. He was the second Adam. He, the eternal God, died in our place on that bloody cross. He was the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. Then he arose from the dead, the resurrection it is called. That was the beginning of the great reversal. He was not resuscitated. A new order of creation was begun on that first Easter Sunday morning. Sin, death and the devil had been defeated. Victory is won. This is our power. We need to repent of not seeing the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. It changes lives now and forever. 

Sixth, therefore look up! Remember our time of redemption and accounting is coming soon. Jesus came the first time for sin. He comes the second time to reign and rule. With Him will come the full expression of the Kingdom of God. We need to be ready for it. We need to repent and not just look after our own interests but that of our master. 

“The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten. But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.” (Luke 12:42–48, CSB)

We have been given much, perhaps more than any other people in the history of the church. What in your life needs to change? Where do you need to repent? Entrance into the Kingdom of God is through repentance. Repentance is required to live in it as well.