Matthew 16: Disciple Qualification, Following Christ

Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. “

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV)

I could write a book on following Christ, but the Ultimate Writer has done it. A saint's job description can't be reduced to bullet points, action-packed paragraphs, or any human author's best efforts. 

No one can improve upon Perfection, and only One owns the right to THE Word!

In truth, the practice of following Christ begs a lifetime of work, study, prayer… and mentorship from the Holy Spirit (unless we have a deathbed conversion, and that's another exciting topic.)

This being said, I confess grave concerns over today's most prosperous preachers: those with fame, estates, mansions, and fortunes. To me, they're not looking much like Jesus.

So if some leaders aren't following Him, and millions of sheep are following them, then where will those shepherds and sheep end up? Or is UP the direction they're taking?

  • 'Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit' (Matthew 15:14).

  • 'Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray' (Isaiah 9:16).

  • 'In their greed, these teachers will exploit... with fabricated stories' (2 Peter 2:3).

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
What does following Christ really look like?

  1. Humility was His opening act.*

  2. He became a simple, plain-looking Man.*

  3. He chose to appear unremarkable.*

  4. His family had no social standing.*

  5. He came from a small, no-account village.*

  6. He wasn't groomed and schooled like other priests.*

  7. His brothers and neighbors rejected Him.*

  8. His followers turned away from Him, too.*

  9. His top 3 disciples were fishermen.*

  10. He focused most on poor, hurting people.*

  11. He was kind to sinners that others scorned *

  12. He said God’s leaders must become servants.*

  13. As proof, He hand-washed His disciples’ feet.*

  14. He wouldn’t take crowns or glory from men.*

  15. He was a homeless traveling preacher.*

  16. He had no impressive means of travel.*

  17. He had no political involvement.*

  18. He didn't complain or defend Himself.*

  19. He gave up His Life, so others could live.*

  20. Humility was His final act, too.*

Actors, Models and Talent for Christ:

Following Christ must remain our goal!

Matthew 16: Disciple Qualification, Following Christ (Part 23)

*1) 'And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn' (Luke 2:7).

*2) 'He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His Appearance that we should desire Him' (Isaiah 53:2).

*2) NOTE: If God has made you beautiful, embrace it and reflect Him... But don't gild the lily. Don't oversensualize or get gaudy.

*3) By making Himself 'Of no reputation' and taking on 'The form of a bondservant' (Philippians 2:7).

*4) 'Isn't this the carpenter's Son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?' (Matthew 13:55).

*5) 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?' (John 1:46).

*6) 'By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?' (Mark 11:28).

*7) 'He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him' (John 1:11)... 'For they said, 'He is out of His Mind' ' (Mark 3:21).

*8) 'Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more' (John 6:66).

*9) 'Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves' (Matthew 17:1).

*10) 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.... (Luke 4:18).

*11) 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' (Matthew 9:11).

*12) 'Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His Life a ransom for many' (Matthew 20:26-28).

*13) 'Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an Example that you should do as I have done for you' (John 13:14-15).

*14) 'Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew' (John 6:15).

*15) 'Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His Head' ' (Luke 9:58).

*16) 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey...' (Matthew 21:5).

*17) 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's' (Matthew 22:21).

*18) 'He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His Mouth' (Isaiah 53:7).

*19) 'The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep' (John 10:11).

*20) 'Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments' (Matthew 27:35).

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God–  to multiply them in the world for His glory.

P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.

WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!

Carey Arban