The Focussed Disciple
Focus on What?
The who and the what of following Jesus.
Part TWO: Focussed On What?
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps…
—1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)
We focus on Jesus to SEE the example.
F – FOLLOW
O – OBEY
C – CALLED
U – USE GOD’s WORD
S – SPIRIT LED
But there is seeing the example, and then there is FOLLOWING the example.
Just as much as we focus on Jesus to see Him, hear Him call us, feel His forgiveness, and sense the Spirit guiding us, we must concentrate on WHAT His example is an example of.
An example is not an example unless it is not copied.
The enemy of focusing on Jesus is our comfort.
The enemy of FOLLOWING Jesus’ example is distraction.
The Solution to Distraction
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
—Matthew 6:31-34
The solution to distraction is to prioritize the Kingdom.
The King came to set an example of what it looked like for people to operate in His Kingdom.
And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Move from Focus to Faith
Jesus is the same and still invites present-day disciples similarly: “Follow Me and I will make you…”
He calls us to FOCUS.
To do that we respond in that we FOLLOW Him, OBEY His advice, believe we are good enough to be CALLED, USE His Words, and allow ourselves to be SPIRIT-LED.
OUR AIR
Practically, we respond daily by seeking the APPLICATION of His Word, living INSPIRED by His promises, and seeking REVELATION of the Father through Him.
BUT HE CALLS US TO DO AS HE DID
The Balance of Character (Breath In) and Deeds (Breath Out)
The example of Jesus was how he fed His character AND helped others.
“Faith without deeds is dead.”
LIVING OUT THE EXAMPLE – The Same AIR
He needs us to live ready to:
1. Apply his example to other people’s situations.
2. Inspire those around us with hope.
3. Reveal Him to others through our lives.
To follow Him, we need to know where He is going and what he does when he arrives.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
—Luke 15:4-7 NKJV
The Parable of the Lost Coin
Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
—Luke 15:8-10 NKJV
The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)
Wrong place and a right place
Shepherd – One sheep in the wrong place and 99 sheep in the right place.
Women – One coin in the wrong place and nine coins in the right place.
Father – One son in the wrong place and one son in the right place.
Which one of these two categories gets Jesus’s primary focus?
The shepherd’s primary focus is on – that which is lost
The woman’s primary focus is on – that which is lost
The father’s primary focus is on – that which is lost
Jesus’ primary focus is on that which is lost.
That’s where he is going.
Then Jesus tries to show us that if we seek the kingdom, we must go where he goes and do what he does.
Follow Him, not only to church on Sunday but to seek and save that which is lost.
You have no idea what might happen when you start taking steps in this direction.
We can’t keep our distance.
But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
—Matthew 26:58 NKJV
The longer the distance in our following of Jesus, the more our focus will be on ourselves, not the lost.
The closer we get to following Jesus, the more we will focus on the lost, not ourselves.
What does Jesus do when He gets there?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.
—Luke 4:18 (TPT)
We are the found!
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