sermon82706

Dear Lord,

Your grace is a gift that cannot be earned.  It is a gift that was given freely when I accepted your Son as my personal savior.  Let my words, my thoughts, my prayers and my deeds bring honor to you and to your son, now and forever.     Amen

          When I was a child, “Follow the Leader” was one of my favorite games.  Have you ever played “Follow the Leader?”  Of course you have!  “Follow the Leader” is a game that is played and enjoyed by children all over the world.

The rules are very simple.  First, you chose a leader.  Then you follow him wherever he goes and do whatever he does.  You stomp through puddles, climb over fences, or swing from a tree -- all to stay in the game because nobody wants to be a quitter.

Follow the Leader is a great game, but in our daily lives we play follow the leader too.  In school, work, in Church, in sports, in any activity in which we may participate, there are always leaders.  Every day we choose which leader we will follow.

One day Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and he said to the people “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  That was a difficult teaching for some to understand.  When they heard it they said, “This is hard teaching, who can accept it?”  They did not understand that the words Jesus spoke were spirit and life.

Those who in faith come to Jesus, appropriate Him and enter into union with Him will be granted a share in the life of God, eternal life.

In our communion service we are invited to partake of the gifts of God for the people of God:  take them in remembrance that Christ died for you and feed on Him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Many quit following Jesus after that day.

Jesus knew that many people were grumbling and complaining, so he turned to the twelve who he had chosen to be his disciples and said, “You don’t want to leave too, do you?”

As usual, it was Peter who spoke up.  “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”  The disciples had answered the call to follow Jesus.  They were not about to turn back now.

There is a song that some of you may know called “I have Decided to Follow Jesus.”  It goes like this:

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus.

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

Have you decided to follow Jesus?  It may not always be easy, but once you have decided to follow him, there is no turning back.  If we are to be Disciples of Christ, we must trust Him and place him at the very center of our being.  Jesus never comes “next.”  He is always first.

Dear Jesus, you have called us to follow you.  May we answer, “Yes, Lord, I’ll follow you – no turning back, no turning back.”  Amen.