Fan or Follower

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Are you a disciple of Jesus?

John 12:26 NASB95

26 “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

What does this look like?

Luke 9:23 NASB95

23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

Are you one who abides in His Word, and does it abide in you?

1 John 2:3–6 NASB95

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

So What does all of this have to do with the Freedom a disciple wants to live and share with others in.

Don’t don’t get me wrong Jesus does say the truth will set you free but the scriptures tell this us this as we saw in the above passages.

John 8:31–32 NASB95

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

How do we come to this true freedom? It’s through discipleship and discipleship of others and living out the freedom he offers to us.

Paul tells through the Spirit us how to be the best leader by being a true follower a true disciple and the true leader and I believe that this is how we too can achieve the true freedom that we seek.

1 Corinthians 10:32–33 NASB95

32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

Colossians 3:17 NASB95

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

If we do everything to His glory as Paul says

Jesus goes onto How freedom comes in Him as by now He has been identified by Peter as the Son of God.

Matthew 16:13–14 NASB95

Matthew 16:15–16 NASB95

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:17–18 NASB95

17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matthew 16:19–20 NASB95

19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

Matthew 16:13–20 NASB95

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.

John 8:36 NASB95

36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

That’s How we now as His true disciples find freedom in Him. Not in our own doing but in obedience to His will and His command and our surrender to His will.

Because God gave Him authority as the son to set us free.

Philippians 2:4–14 NASB95

4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

And with that Authority Jesus calls us as He called them to be fishers of Men

Matthew 4:18–19 NASB95

18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

thus Fulfilling His we will also also disciple others to make disciples as in

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

How do we do this? It is only under His authority, authority given by the Father.

The apostle Paul tells us trust His freedom in His blood not in ourselves but in Him alone.

True Freedom is being Redeemed

Ephesians 1:4–5 NASB95

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

Ephesians 1:6–7 NASB95

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

So ...

Freedom Comes through the truth and the truth is the Freedom that we should seek.

Matthew 6:33 NASB95

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

By seeking Him that is How we are truly to able to disciple others to Him.

Learn to be a Leader and Become a Disciple of the True Leader in Christ Jesus who was willing to Lay down His life a sacrifice for all mankind's sins.

Romans 6:10 NASB95

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Now you know what the difference of being a follower and a fan is which do you choose.