Follow me
There is always something or someone in our lives that attracts our attention – similar to an accident on the side of the road where we can’t look away.
«Follow me», this was Jesus» invitation to Peter back then, which is also addressed to all of us today and demands our full attention. Is Jesus just one option among many? No, following him is the only decision that is really worthwhile! When we do this, our lives take on deep meaning, great significance and an eternal dimension. But it is also true that following Jesus costs us something – our whole life. Follow Jesus! It is the best thing that can ever happen to you.
With the sentence «Test everything and hold on to what is good» (1 Thessalonians 5:21), Paul first challenges the church community in Thessalonica at the time, but also us, to a trusting openness towards the Holy Spirit. The listeners are also allowed to be critical throughout and have the task of testing what they hear. What are suitable criteria for this examination? «Test everything and hold on to what is good» (1 Thessalonians 5:21 EU) – this is the Lord’s Watchword for 2025. The advice makes sense immediately. Nobody thinks that everything…
The prophet Zephaniah calls on the people of Israel to rejoice and shout in a dark time. The reason for this is hope. Zephaniah could see through the horizon and saw there an inspiring picture of the future. As the final fulfilment of this picture is yet to come, we can still rejoice and exult with hope in our future today. My mum had a very difficult first birth, which involved a lot of suffering. And yet she was ready to give birth five more times.
Advent is a time of spring for the Church. It awaits the coming of Jesus like a person in love with their beloved. She can hardly wait to embrace him. The lover overcomes every obstacle to be close to his beloved. «Arise, my friend, my beauty, and come!» This is Jesus» invitation to each individual and to the Church. It is time to follow him and immerse ourselves in spring. Spring is a sign of anticipation and…
Advent means arrival. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, most people could not link the event with their expectation of the Messiah. We are also in an Advent season in which we await the return of Jesus Christ. In view of the limited time, we should be wise and vigilant. The personified redemption, Jesus Christ, is near. The night will soon be over and the day will dawn. There is an old story of a king who…
We live in a church culture in which a person can become a Christian, but does not necessarily have to be a follower of Jesus. In the four biographies of Jesus, there is only the distinction between people and followers. The category of Christian, where you say a prayer of surrender, believe in a set of teachings about God and go to church to ensure that you go to heaven after you die, did not exist. A follower of Jesus is like an apprentice.…
Following Jesus costs me everything. The first followers of Jesus, the disciples, were sobered by the fact that not even those who had an advantage according to their understanding would enter the kingdom of God through their own means. How were they simple men supposed to manage this? What then is the benefit of discipleship? The disciples asked Jesus the same question, because they had left everything behind for him. Following Jesus promises a double gain. On the one hand, I gain a lot in the community of believers,…
Following Jesus Christ costs me everything – even my life. Following him has a price. I can only decide in favour or against it, there is no middle ground. However, this decision is always voluntary. The price of following Jesus means that Jesus Christ should be the most important thing for me. The goal of Jesus» call to discipleship is not self-denial or cross-bearing, but the willingness to follow him. Discipleship costs me everything Followers of Jesus say that he…
This sermon follows on seamlessly from the last three sermons on the subject of forgiveness. Paul’s principle is: «Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!» (Romans 12:21). However, he does not leave it at this general statement, but offers us five ways in which we can do this. Finally, we learn how followers of Jesus can have the strength and love to forgive and lead such a life. In October 2006, a…
In this service as part of the Sunday of the Persecuted Church, John Ghanim, a Jewish Christian, talks about his life. John now lives in England and runs his own «social media work» with several volunteers in various countries. He experiences persecution primarily through the media.
The third dimension of Christian forgiveness is reconciliation with the person with whom we are in conflict. The actual goal of forgiveness is to rebuild a trusting relationship. This happens by clearly naming and repenting of our own part in the conflict. We then offer forgiveness to the other person and declare that we will not make amends. Furthermore, Jesus demands that we overcome evil with good. There are three basic dimensions of Christian forgiveness. Firstly, there is…
There are three basic dimensions of Christian forgiveness. Firstly, there is the vertical dimension – God’s forgiveness towards us. Secondly, there is the internal dimension – the forgiveness we grant to anyone who has wronged us. Thirdly, there is the horizontal dimension – our willingness to be reconciled. The horizontal dimension is based on the inner, and the inner is based on the vertical. This sermon is primarily about inner forgiveness. A pastor friend of mine who died last year due to a…
Being a follower of Jesus means living a life of constant forgiveness. The parable of a man in debt to the king teaches us the principles of forgiveness. In the person of the king, God does four things – he brings the hopelessly indebted man before him, but then takes pity on him, forgives his debt and sets him free. The king can only do this because he is prepared to take on the debt himself. God has done this in the person of…
Following Jesus can be a frustration if we try to do it in our own strength. Love for God and our fellow human beings comes from a deep understanding of God’s personal grace. Love flows naturally as we daily live out our salvation through repentance and grace. Through this awareness, we become passionate followers of Jesus. I have a dream For three years I have had a dream that I want to fulfil. The origin of this dream comes from a YouTube video. On…
As disciples of Jesus, we have a mission to bring the gospel to other people. Jesus wants to reach and conquer hearts. Now how can this work? In the New Testament, Jesus says that if we have love for one another, everyone will recognise Jesus in us. In the Old Testament, the conquest of Jericho gives us an example of how the «conquest» of hearts can happen through «obedient behaviour». «By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another» (John 13:34 LUT). Everyone – are…
The goal of following Jesus is to become more like him. But this goal is never achieved on earth. I quickly allow myself to be led astray on this path. We are distracted by what is not yet going as we would like. But looking back, I can see that a lot has already changed. On the path of discipleship, I repeatedly encounter two challenges. Do I draw conclusions about God from the difficulties – or do I draw conclusions about the difficulties from God? Following Jesus is an attempt to…
What is the significance and importance of infrastructure for church life? In ancient Israel, the temple was the place of God’s presence. God dwelt among the people. His presence was bound to a house. Since Jesus, his followers together form the house in which God dwells. Buildings and infrastructure lost their indispensable importance, but continue to serve the current house of God, the church, as a helpful shelter to provide a space for their life together before and with God. On…
Twice during the 40-year desert period, the LORD God caused water to flow from a rock and used it to supply a nation of millions with their animals. Because Moses» actions in Kadesh (= being holy) did not comply with God’s instructions, he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. This seems very harsh at first, but on closer inspection it is understandable. The episode with the water from the rock is an illustration of how a follower should deal with Jesus. The people of Israel were…
The people of Israel were instructed to celebrate festivals at certain times as soon as they were in the Promised Land. One of these is the Feast of Firstfruits. The first part of the grain harvest belongs to God. Only when this has been sacrificed may the rest be eaten. Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits. In a sense, he is also the first of many, as is the case with grain – he is the first to rise from the dead. Followers of Jesus…
God took up residence on this earth in the tent of revelation. God took up residence among his people with his glory. The glory of God shows itself as a manifestation of his power. But this glory was too great for people to bear. That is why it was veiled. Since Jesus Christ, however, the Holy Spirit dwells in every person who follows Jesus. This makes the body a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, life is then a service to God and reflects…
Faced with thousands of people and only two fish and five loaves of bread in his hands, Jesus encouraged his friends with the words: «Give them something to eat!» For Jesus to ultimately perform the feeding miracle, He had to see the hunger of the people and a boy had to provide his humble resources. In the same passage, Jesus explains that He is the bread of life. Inspired by this feeding miracle, we want to hand out the bread that is Jesus to the people around us.…
Between the desert and the Promised Land, the Jordan River floods towards the Dead Sea. The people of Israel are to cross this river under the leadership of Joshua – but how? When the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into this raging river at God’s command, there is a dry crossing – an image of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. When someone has «crossed the Jordan», this popularly means that they have died. For the people of Israel, the Jordan was the dividing line between 40…
The people of Israel joyfully made a covenant with God. But just a few weeks later, they renounced their God. Their initial enthusiasm did not protect them from a disagreement. They exchanged God for something much worse. Followers of Jesus are also in danger of exchanging a life of abundance and freedom for a life that is dominated by a few things. But God forgives us for such missteps. However, it may be that we…
The people of Israel came to Mount Sinai – the mountain of God. There, God regulated and clarified his relationship with this people. He made a covenant with Israel. This covenant has its roots in the past. In what God had already done good for the people. But by entering into this covenant, it has implications for the future relationship. The covenant was an anchor point in the discipleship of Israel and has much to say for the discipleship of Jesus. God regulates…
The wilderness wandering of the people of Israel between Egypt and the Promised Land is an image of the discipleship of Jesus. When the Israelites encountered the hostile Amalekites, they were able to achieve victory through a two-pronged strategy: Prayer and attack. With this strategy, a follower of Jesus will also be victorious in the confrontation with his challenges. When the Swiss national football team was eliminated in the quarter-finals against England on penalties, some people used the saying «You can’t always win». It…
Worrying about falling short ourselves and not having enough can prevent us from living a generous life. These worries often come from being blinded by earthly riches and losing sight of the heavenly riches we are blessed with. Generous giving is an expression of being aware of the abundant provision and divine blessings in our lives and it helps our hearts to grow in this faith and trust in God.…
After the Israelites complained to their leader Moses about a lack of food, God set up the world’s best and most reliable meal service with daily deliveries. The only exception was the Sabbath. But as two portions arrived the day before, this did not affect the supply. How can we experience God as our provider? Many men have spent very arduous hours in military service. Once I wasn’t shaved well enough when bivouacking. As a result, one of the next nights I was…
God deliberately leads his people through the desert to test them. The test does not come out of malice, but to strengthen the faith and trust of the people. A piece of wood makes bitter water sweet. This experience points to the wood of the cross, on which Jesus overcame the bitterness of our lives, our abandonment, forsakenness and even the bitterness of death. It also answers the question of how we can become an oak of righteousness instead of a bitter wood.
Fear can hold us captive so that we can no longer make free decisions. It can even prevent us from following Jesus. Jesus died so that we can be free. Through him we become sons and daughters of God, and with this new identity in Jesus we are free to follow him fully and completely. Through Jesus Christ, we are resurrected to a new life of freedom. Fears have the potential to determine our lives Recently, I had the honour of meeting a person who…
Following Jesus Christ is compared to a race for a valuable prize. Everyone should run in such a way that they win. The promised goal, the prize, is eternal life in the presence of God. This image makes it clear that our living body is of great importance. The body shows who a person belongs to. I was recently on Facebook again after a long time. There I saw a comment on a profile of a former young child that was well…
Even though we often know what the right thing to do is, we fail again and again. In order to overcome and resist temptation in these situations, we need to equip ourselves in prayer and decide to put God’s will above our own. We are dependent on the power of God to overcome and need His grace again and again. During my theological studies, I had the privilege of gaining experience in preaching. It was the perfect learning environment. The people were basically…
It is remarkable and not coincidental that Pentecost fell exactly on the day when the Jews celebrated Shavuot. God wanted to make it easy for the Jews and help them to recognise the connection between the gift of the Holy Spirit and Shavuot. Shavuot is the feast of the firstfruits and the word of God. On this day, the people celebrated the fact that the Torah was given to them at Sinai. Through the Holy Spirit, the Torah was given to the followers of Jesus on Pentecost.
Discipleship happens in the encounter with Jesus Christ. But different people react differently. Based on the biblical story of the four men who brought their paralysed friend, we encounter three types. They all encounter Jesus differently. The givers know exactly what is going on. They are present, but with a critical eye. The trusting ones show their faith in action. They are firmly convinced that Jesus Christ can help, and so they bring the needy person to him. The needy are in…
The journey of the people of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land is like a picture book for following Jesus Christ. The passage through the Red Sea is a parable for baptism. After baptism, they do not head straight for the Promised Land, but through the desert for forty years. The desert is the place where people are set to zero and preparation for the future homeland takes place. A pastor and a hippie sit on a bench in a park. The…
Moses followed his God. He believed that he meant well for him. He decided against his privileges as a member of the elite and instead opted for a life of hardship and suffering. He did this steadfastly because he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the one who is invisible – his God in heaven. For him, the worst of discipleship (suffering) outweighed the best of the world. We have now dealt with this a few times in the sermon…
With a little distance, it is sometimes easier to say what the decisive factors in a person’s life were. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews does just this by looking back at Abraham, the model of faith. Abraham knew that his home was not this world and he trusted in the power of the resurrection. This way of thinking was the prerequisite for his obedience and true worship of God – and it still is today for following Christ. Abraham and Sarah had the promise that through them…
Jesus is risen. As redeemed and reconciled people, we are called to discipleship and equipped with wisdom and power by the Holy Spirit. But what should this discipleship consist of in practical terms? Jesus himself explains this to us in his example of the Good Samaritan. In its figurative language, this example is both an explanation and a challenge. A man falls among robbers. He goes from Jerusalem (where God lives) to Jericho (the condemned city). Is it his own fault? In any case, Jesus begins with this…
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate key moment in world history. If this did not really happen, faith in Jesus Christ makes no sense. Through the resurrection of Christ, discipleship received a huge boost, a new depth and a transcendent orientation. The resurrected Christ is the cornerstone to which everything should be orientated. But – belief in the resurrection is also offensive and provokes resistance. Recently, I read the obituary of a pastor’s wife and it said…
Jesus Christ celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the day before his crucifixion. In doing so, he pointed some elements to himself. In doing so, he showed that he was the lamb that had to be sacrificed so that people could be set free. Just as the Jews remember the Exodus from Egypt on Passover, followers of Jesus remember the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. Jesus was a Jew and cultivated the traditions This morning I will take you with me…
Jesus leads those who follow him into a better world, the kingdom of God (John 14:2). It is a place of peace, joy, justice and love. As followers, we are given the task of taking as many people as possible with us into this better world. As his disciples, with our position in Jesus, we have the tools to make this kingdom of God a reality in this world. He gives us a new heart, the Holy Spirit and his authority. We long for…
When Elisha was called to succeed Elijah, he sacrificed his cattle and the teams that provided income for his «old life». He tore down the bridge behind him and looked ahead. A few hundred years later, Jesus would describe this very behaviour as a condition for following Jesus. Elisha is ploughing with twelve teams. The light plough is guided with one hand. This one hand, usually the left, must simultaneously maintain the vertical position,…
Abraham was looking for a new home in heaven. He put his trust in God. Followers of Jesus Christ also hope for a new home in heaven. Through their new creation, they already have a share in it, but still live on earth with pain, suffering and death. However, they have the prospect of a promised land. This is the new earth and the new heaven. Heaven and earth come together there. The old has passed away, so there are no tears, no…
Although discipleship has something «pioneering» about it, it does not require the personality of a pioneer. Timid and brash, introverted and extroverted, overwhelmed with coping with life and relaxed in everyday life – all followers are challenged to joyfully anticipate the new world of God and to grow into the new creation that they already are in Jesus. «Follow me!» We have been travelling with this theme for a few weeks now. Time to briefly summarise what we mean by discipleship. By this we mean our everyday life…
Listening to God is a basic requirement for a follower of Jesus Christ. But how do we listen to God? Three good ways to hear God are prayer, Bible reading and silence. These alone do not guarantee that we hear God, but there is a good chance that I will perceive, recognise and feel God’s impulses for my life. In many cases, listening to God also means first of all saying yes to your own story, your own life with all its natural limitations…
Abraham listened to God’s words and was ready to set off. He left the familiar and sought out previously unknown new territory. He retained this agility because his nomadic life was reflected in an inner attitude of freedom. He waited for the new world of God as the ultimate place of bliss. The aim of a church is not to create an attractive programme, but to train followers of Jesus. But for some reason, followers have become converted Christians. From doing…
Everyone wants to be happy in life. But how do I do that? Do I make myself happy, do I follow someone or something? If you read Paul’s account, his discipleship does not seem very promising at first glance: weakness, abuse, hardship, persecution and fear accompany him on his journey. But these do not deter him for two reasons. On the contrary – he chooses the path out of his comfort zone because, on the one hand, he experiences Christ himself in his weakness and, on the other, he becomes an ambassador of the good news, of salvation, peace…
God has called us to bring about good in the world in partnership with him. He does not want to force us to do this. It is therefore all the more important that we have a double yes to this partnership of our own free will. A yes to giving our lives to God and a yes to loving him and giving our hearts to him. I grew up as a Christian. When I was 13, I made a very conscious decision for God at a camp. I say very consciously…
As a successor, it is important to know who exactly is being followed. The aim of following someone is always to become more like their role model. But what does this mean when we follow someone who not only says «Follow me», but about whom it is said: «Then Jesus wept»? This biblical passage shows us a lot about the nature of the one who says «Follow me». Many people ask themselves what would have happened if they had done this and that.…
Every follower was called to Jesus in order to be sent out from there. The Latin term for this is Missio Dei (sent by God). When passing on the gospel (=good news), motivation is crucial. Jesus describes the only driving force that leads to good results with the following words: «Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. The first nine chapters of Luke’s Gospel mainly deal with the question of who Jesus is. Then there is a change and the question is…
«Follow me!» This invitation is the 2024 theme for seetal chile. The resurrected Jesus speaks this sentence to Peter. The context of the event shows important criteria of a follower: he fishes on the right, he allows himself to be served by Jesus and loves Him, he says goodbye to competition, he is prepared to suffer and discovers the «lion» within himself. «You follow me!» This invitation from the risen Christ also applies to you. Peter is deeply frustrated. Now he wanted to follow…