I hope that you are all doing well today. Thank you for taking some time to read the sermon this week. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message.
Today, we are beginning a new series of messages. The title of this series is The Way of Jesus. In this first message in the series, I want to introduce the idea of Jesus being the way, and what it means to follow the way of Jesus.
After Jesus ascended into Heaven, 120 followers of Jesus met in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. On the Day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. From that time on, those who would follow Jesus became more numerous as daily the Apostles were preaching and people were coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
The term Christian was not used by the first followers of Jesus. This term only began to be used several years later among the believers in the city of Antioch. Before this, those who trusted in Jesus were known as followers of The Way. This is mentioned several times in the book of Acts. In Acts 9:2, Saul was given permission to arrest followers of The Way. Believers are also referred to as followers of The Way in Acts 19:23 and in Acts 24.
I believe that there are two reasons that the early believers were known as The Way. First of all, I believe that it refers to the fact that Jesus referred to Himself in John 14:6 as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus was the way to the Father. We have a atonement and redemption through His death and bodily resurrection.
There is another reason I believe for the designation of The Way. Knowing Jesus means following Him. It means following His way of life. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2 that we are to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus.
Jesus came to save the world from its sins, but He also came to show us how that we are supposed to live in this world. He is our perfect example of a life that is pleasing to the Father in Heaven. We can read in the Scriptures and see the way that Jesus lived. We can read about what He taught and what He expects out of those who claim Him as their Savior and Lord.
Being a Christian is not just saying a prayer and becoming "saved". Being a Christian means that we come to Jesus and follow Him. He becomes the Lord of our life. We are to follow Him and do that which He has shown us and told us to do.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I want us to examine the components of following the way of Jesus. I want us to look at how Jesus lived in this world, and how we can follow His example in our day and age. How is the way of Jesus different from the way of the world? What is unique about the way of Jesus? What does Jesus teach is necessary to follow His way?
Before someone can follow the way of Jesus, a person has to come to a realization. A person must realize that they are a sinner and our separated from God. They must recognize that Jesus died on the cross to save them from their sin. A person must believe that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. In order to begin to follow Jesus, we must repentant of our sins and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. From that point, we begin the journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus. We look to Him, His example and His teachings in order to know what He wants us to do and to be in this world. Let us all seek to follow the way of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer Requests
The first thing on my mind is the war in Ukraine. Let us all pray for an end to this conflict. Let us pray for peace. Also, let us remember that there are several other conflicts in this world that are devastating people's lives. Let us continue to pray for end to the conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia just to name a few. As Jesus taught us, we must persevere in prayer and not lose heart.
Continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. In my country, the case numbers are dropping, and many are now not wearing masks. Let us pray that there is no resurgence of the virus. Let us thank God that there are vaccines and treatments now available.
Continue to pray for Tonga. That country still needs help and assistance. Let us pray that they receive that help that they need.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on Bhutan and Tunisia. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue with or new sermon series. I will post the verses on Monday. I hope to post a review on Wednesday. I hope. May God bless you all.
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