Follow Me-John 21:19, 22

John's Gospel, New Testament, Sermons

Key Verse: Jn 21:19b, 22b

“Then he (Jesus) said to him (Peter), ‘Follow me!’” “You must follow me.”

Twice in the Gospels, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me”:

  1. First, when Jesus first met Peter three years earlier (Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17).
  2. Second, after his Passion (Jn 21:19, 22).

To Peter, following Jesus involved martyrdom (Jn 21:18-19). But to John, following Jesus involved living to a ripe old age and writing John’s Gospel (Jn 21:22-23). Following Jesus took quite different paths for both of Jesus’ disciples.

How do we Christians follow Jesus today? This is a proposal for a mentorship program initiated at the level of a local church community, such as West Loop Church, which may help us lay the ground work for a Christ follower to follow Jesus all the days of their lives.

West Loop’s Mentorship Proposal for Adult Christians: Goals (A1 A2 B C D):

“A1” – Accountability 1: Gather “Nathans” around you (Heb 3:13; 10:24; Prov 27:17). Through accountability, a man learns how to be a man, and a woman learns how to be a woman. Without accountability, we cannot but shrivel and degenerate.

“A2” – Accountability 2:Be a Nathan to others (2 Tim 2:2; Prov 27:17).

“B” – Basic (See more below under Basic Christianity):

  • Love God (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37-38; Mk 12:29-30). Love your neighbor (Mt 12:39; Mk 12:31).
  • Glorify God (1 Cor 10:31).
  • Jesus is Lord (1 Cor 12:3).

If you do not do these, you are doing squat.

“C” – Conformity to Christ in Church, Community, Campus, City, Country, Cosmos (Rom 8:29). Live out the beauty of Christ and the love of God through our daily interactions with people–both in church and in the world (Ps 27:4; Isa 33:17; 1 Jn 4:8, 16). Beauty always attracts.

  • Connect to God (Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; 1 Pet 2:9): Worship.
  • Connect to each other / church (Jn 13:34-35; Eph 4:12-32; 5:19): Nurture.
  • Connect to others / city (Mt 5:16; 28:18-20; Ac 5:32): Witness.
  • Connect to culture (2 Cor 9:19-23): Contextualization.

“The calling of the church to minister directly to God, to (fellow Christians), and to the world is one calling.” Edmond P. Clowney, Living in Christ’s Church, 1986. Community is crucial and critical for following Jesus, and for spiritual development and maturity. No one grows as a solo Christian in isolation and without accountability to others in community.

“D” – Develop an entire life mission statement (prayerfully)/a singular passion and life goal as a Christian (Phil 3:10, 14; Ac 20:24). (This mentorship is for the benefit and well being of the church, not for building up our church.)

Qualifications: Willingness. Voluntary. Openness.

Duration: Tailored to the intern/mentee (3 months, 6 months, 1 year, other).

Frequency of meeting: Once weekly (or more) according to the schedule and availability of the intern.

Third Space/Safe Place Small Group/ Outreach:

  • Anyone can come and feel safe to ask/say anything (B.L.E.S.S. others).
  • Pray for/bring friends to talk/chat/discuss without being contentious, argumentative, dismissive, condescending, critical, but embracing, welcoming, listening, understanding.
  • People generally shun churches because they do not feel safe, and because they feel judged and condemned. By praying to create safe places (or third spaces), “sinners” can come as they are, as they came freely to Jesus, while they avoided the synagogues where the “holy people” are.

“Basic” Christianity:

  • Orthodoxy (believing / head / cognition / Father)
  • Orthopraxy (doing / will / volition / Son)
  • Orthopathy (“feeling” / heart / emotion / Spirit).
  1. Supernatural transformation (1 Pet 1:23; 2 Cor 3:18): by grace, by faith, by the work of God, not man.
  2. God’s unchanging love (Jer 31:3) in spite of our sins/depravity (cf. a punitive God).
  3. Gospel/Grace of God (Ac 20:24; Eph 2:8-9). We can never earn/deserve grace (Gen 6:5; Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9). Grace always involves substitution/a great exchange (2 Cor 5:21).
  4. The Bible is about Jesus (Jn 5:39; Lk 24:27, 44; Ac 10:43; 20:27).
  5. The sovereignty of God (Ps 115:3; 135:6; Jn 3:8; Rom 8:28; Gen 50:20).
  6. The Trinity (Mt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14).
  7. Life (Jn 10:10; 1:4; 14:6) and eternal life (Jn 17:3; 3:15-16).
  8. (Gospel-driven) Sanctification (Phil 2:12-13; 1 Pet 4:11; 2 Pet 1:5ff).
  9. Freedom (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Jn 8:31-32).
  10. Rest / Sabbath (Mt 11:28-30).
  11. Unity (Jn 17:21-23; Eph 4:3).
  12. Hope (1 Pet 1:3-4; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 22:4).

Bible Study:

  • Preferably based on the intern’s preferred texts/topics/themes of interest.
  • John 13-17 to focus on the heart of Christ, the heart of God, the work of the Holy Spirit.

Christian Leadership:

  • Humble servanthood (Mk 10:42-45; Mt 20:25-28; 1 Pet 5:1-4), not lording over others.
  • Friendship (Jn 15:15) and intimacy (Gen 18:17).

Books:

  • Based on the particular interest of the intern.

(This internship proposal came about through Ben, Rhoel and Keith Lage. A few weeks ago, I asked Rhoel about starting an informal and flexible yet intentional internship/mentorship program at West Loop. Two weeks ago, Rhoel asked Keith, who agreed to be a WL intern. It took me quite by surprise, since to me it was just a proposal and a prayer direction. But by the grace of God, we are doing so by God’s help and the leading of the Spirit, even if we were not yet quite ready for it.)

The Christian life is an ongoing journey and adventure in this world of following Jesus who called us. This mentorship program is a proposal of how following Jesus may be a real and exciting shared experience with other Christ followers. Following Jesus was never meant as an imposition or a burden. Rather, it is intended that the one who responds to Jesus’ call is the one who will live life to the full (Jn 10:10b) and experience a peace that only Jesus is able to give (Jn 14:27).

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