Your Christian ID Card.

 Take out your wallet and look at all the different IDs.

There are drivers licenses, passports, Social Security cards, credit cards, library cards, grocery store cards, business cards, frequent buyer cards and now vaccine cards (nothing political, just saying),

Why do we have soooo mannnnny cards?  All them are used to identify who we are and information about us. In and of themselves, pretty innocuous but for those of us who have read the Bible, a bit alarming.

What would you put under position on your "Christian Business Card"?

Position: Sunday church goer.

Position: Worker

Position: Maintenance

Position: Pastor, Elder, Deacon, Bible Teacher, Gideon, etc.. 

When we say we are a Christian, what are we really saying? Are we not saying that we are followers (Disciples) of Jesus Christ?

The Apostles were called and left everything to follow Jesus. Abraham was called by a God he didn't know, to go to a land that he had no address for, to believe a promise he would never see. All the Prophets were called and went, not all enthusiastically but they went.

It's like you working at a "Big Box" store and Jesus walks up to you while your working and tells you to follow Him. You take off your blue smock, set down your pricing gun and follow Him out the door. Later that day you call your wife or whomever and tell them you won't be home, you've found the Messiah and you'll be following Him from now on. Don't wait up.

Did the Apostles know who he was when they made the decision to follow him? NO THEY DID NOT.

Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Matt. 19:27

What possessed them to do that?

Matthew 13:11

He replied. "The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

John 3:27

John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven".

John 6:37

Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who come to Me I will never drive away

John 6:44

No one can com to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Are we really called to follow Him 24/7?

John 6 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life]. ⁶⁴ But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “This is the reason why I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him [that is, unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.”

FOR SOME THE PRICE WAS TOO GREAT. THEY WERE NOT CALLED, THEY WERE NOT DRAWN.

I quit using the word Christian to describe myself. There are too many who use that term who are not followers of Jesus Christ.

I guess when push comes to shove, how we describe a follower of Christ is not that critical, How Jesus describes a true follower is. To truly follow Christ, He must have first place in everything in our lives. Our relationships, (Luke 14:26), Our stuff (Matt. 6), This world (James 4:4) and finally Ourselves (Philippians 2:20).

This is not an easy teaching and those of us in the West who worship at the :"altar of comfort" will find it especially difficult. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "part time follower". Jesus said, He who is not with Me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatters.