This morning’s sermon continues off of last week's. Last week I made the point that Jesus calls to follow Him, to reflect His light and to be His light. This morning we focus on Jesus calling of his of disciples to “Follow me.”

I love new starts and new beginnings. I don’t care if it is a new sports season, a new year, a new ministry or a new calling in life. When you are starting something new there is a drive, a determination to take life and its challenges more seriously. Our hopes and our excitement are greater.

I have heard people promise or resolve that this year they are going to be a better student, to eat healthier, to exercise more often, to quit smoking, to try harder to get along with their parents. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone say "I am going to take my discipleship more seriously".

Great concern has to be given to the fact that many Christians don’t take their discipleship serious or really understand what it means to be a biblical disciple. We have been sold a bill of goods that claims we can follow the whole cultural agenda and follow Jesus too. When we do this we have settled for a narrowly spiritual, culturally convenient notion of following Christ.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a matter of defending doctrine but demonstrating it. We aren’t called to maintain the status quo, but by the power of God to change it. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means every Christian seriously changes his priorities in order to have time to minister to others.

Discipleship begins with our bodies. Our mortal bodies are gifts of God to be used for the work and glory of God. Our bodies are genuine “temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:12-20) and ought to be valued, cared for, shared, and cherished in accordance with the high purposes for which our bodies were created.

What would it mean for you to glorify God in your body? This morning we glorify God through our praise, mostly through our music. It is a great thing to be here and hear our voices lifted in praise to God. But what would it mean for you to praise God in your body every day?

It might mean to show gratitude to God for giving us our bodies, by not abusing our bodies. Smoking, over-eating, over-drinking, do not simply put us in an at- risk category for life insurance, but are sins according to God’s Word. God has given us this marvelous body and God promises one day to redeem it, yet we abuse this gift.

Getting enough sleep and getting enough exercise becomes a spiritual matter. Paul encourages a sense of our bodies as gifts of God, as responsibilities given to us from God – as a glorious work of God to be enjoyed, preserved, improved, and used to the glory of God.

What sort of culture do we have where young woman get the message that they are only beautiful if they starve themselves to death, if they waste away to nothing, and physically disappear?

A discussion about alcohol abuse took place between college students. Each student was asked, “Have you ever found alcohol to be a problem during your years here?”  “No,” replied one student. “I am pre-med. I hope to be a neurosurgeon. Alcohol kills brain cells. I need all the brain cells I can to get where I hope to be one day.”

The students came up with all sorts of reasons why they don’t abuse alcohol but no one said, “I don’t abuse alcohol because I am a disciple of Christ. I need all the brain cells I can get to be a faithful disciple".

"Follow me."

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Following Jesus does not just mean making a difference, it means being a difference. Being a difference means taking significant time for prayer, rediscovering community, and inviting God to transform our cultural values.

When you pray what are you focusing on you or God? We need to learn to focus on who God is instead of using prayer as a place to work on solving problems. We need to learn that prayer is more than a few hurried moments in the morning, but a way of life. We need to learn prayer is not exclusively about asking God for things for ourselves, but prayer is contemplation, meditation, and simply waiting in silence in the presence of God.

One of last week’s devotional readings that the confirmation class is reading talked about accountability. The scripture text was:

Hebrews 10:24
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds.”

The writer spoke about how she and her friend keep each other accountable with regards to their three times a week workout session at the local YMCA as well as keeping each other spiritual accountable. Do you have anyone who holds you accountable?

I asked the confirmation class how they liked the devotional. The majority of responses were that they were hard. When I asked what made them so hard I found out it was not the devotional itself that was hard it was finding time to read the devotional each day. I told them to find someone to keep them accountable.

"Follow me."

Discipleship means glorifying God with your body. It means changing priorities in order to become involved in ministry. It means making prayer a way of life. It means making community an absolute necessity.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things will be provided for you."
Matthew 6:33

We all know what it means to dedicate ourselves to working out. We understand the importance of striving, straining and doing nearly whatever we have to do for peak performance. Often times though, we don't take the same approach to the things of God. We fight our flesh to spend time in the Word and to go to church even though we know we need to in order to strengthen ourselves spiritually and build "inner muscles."

We must keep our priorities in line. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 that if we'll seek Him first, everything will be provided. And ultimately you'll become better at what you do because God is at the top of your list.

The important thing is to schedule time with God the same way we schedule practice, classes or anything else. When we do, God tells us we will be better at everything in life and that our desires will be given to us. Let's challenge each other to keep God first, and let Him take us higher than we can ever go on our own. Today, give God your total commitment. He shouldn't have to settle for anything less.