Fall Into________???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #143

“And he spake a parable unto them,

Can the blind lead the blind?

shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master:

but every one that is perfect

shall be as his master.”  Luke 6:39-40

I love the words of Jesus, and I hope to start a study on them soon, but the thing I want us to consider this morning is, “What are we falling into?”  Are we blind leaders of the blind?  Are we walking “in the light as he is in the light”?  Jesus is The Lord of all, and we must choose who or what we will follow or ‘fall into’; Jesus is ever calling us to follow HIS lead, not the blindness of this world.  But there is something else significant that Jesus is calling us to—to follow HIM personally as well as HIS example!

“And Jesus answered them, saying,

The hour is come,

that the Son of man should be glorified.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground

and die,

it abideth alone:

but if it die,

it bringeth forth much fruit.

25 He that loveth his life

shall lose it;

and he that hateth his life in this world

shall keep it

unto life eternal.

26 If any man serve me,

let him follow me;

and where I am,

there shall also my servant be:

 if any man serve me,

him will my Father honour.”  John 12:23-26

Jesus came to die for my sin and yours!  It’s why HE came to this earth, to be “the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world”!  And this “Lamb of God” would lay down HIS life for sin—yet not HIS own sin, but for yours and mine; this perfect sinless Son of God came to pay the debt that you and I owed for SIN!  He died for my sin and yours, so we could have eternal life.  If we’ll see through what else Jesus is saying to us, we won’t miss the call to the “cross”; Jesus said if we don’t die to self, we can’t have HIS life, but when we are willing to “take up” our own cross and “follow Jesus” where ever HE leads, we will find HIS life within us, HIS life seen through us, and HIS glory reflected in a Holy Spirit empowered, godly life!  Paul said it better than I can!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

Jesus carried your sin and mine to Calvary; won’t you trust HIM with your life, for HE died for a debt HE didn’t owe, because we owed a debt that we couldn’t pay unless we go to HELL!  Jesus is able, willing, and victorious over sin, death, and HELL, if you’ll but come to HIM in repentance, and faith in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin—yours and mine.

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest,

that is passed into the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold fast our profession.

15 For we have not an high priest

which cannot be touched

with the feeling of our infirmities;

but was in all points tempted like as we are,

yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly

unto the throne of grace,

 that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help

 in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:14-16 

Jesus had an amazing conversation with Peter after the resurrection; a conversation that seems to be Jesus’ work of restoration in a beloved disciple/Apostle/friend who had fallen into the temptation of denial in the face of fear and trouble.  Do YOU/I “lovest thou ME more than these”?  You fill in the ______ of your “these”!  Have you failed HIM?

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,

Simon, son of Jonas,

lovest thou me more than these?

He saith unto him,

Yea, Lord;

thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him,

Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time,

Simon, son of Jonas,

lovest thou me?

He saith unto him,

Yea, Lord;

thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him,

Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time,

Simon, son of Jonas,

lovest thou me?

Peter was grieved because he said unto him

the third time,

Lovest thou me?

And he said unto him,

Lord, thou knowest all things;

thou knowest that I love thee.

Jesus saith unto him,

Feed my sheep.

18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

When thou wast young,

thou girdedst thyself,

and walkedst whither thou wouldest:

but when thou shalt be old,

thou shalt stretch forth thy hands,

and another shall gird thee,

and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

19 This spake he, signifying

by what death he should glorify God.

And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him,

Follow me.”  John 21:15-19

Just like the shepherd of Psalm 23, Jesus called Peter to trust HIM as THE Great Shepherd, knowing that his LORD had already walked through that “valley of the shadow of death” and not only died, but rose from the dead, and sat alive with him on the shore.  Are you following your Shepherd or falling into “these”—and my “these” will probably look different than yours, but we must be willing to “love Jesus” more!  It requires a lot of devotion and commitment to follow Jesus when everything around is calling us to “go fishing”!  Will you choose to follow HIM or just fall into whatever comes your way?  Remember who stands in the gap for those of HIS own—JESUS!

“But this man,

because he continueth ever,

hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them

to the uttermost

that come unto God by him,

seeing he ever liveth

to make intercession for them.”  HeHebrews 7:24-25

Amen and Amen!!!