Follow Me | Jentezen Franklin

the following program is brought to you by friends and partners of Kingdom connection I know even though you've been messing up and doing it over and over and over again I know in your heart you want to follow me and you love me you just don't have any consistency and you're following me from a distance if you have your Bibles I'd like for you to open them with me for just a few moments today and I want us to look one more time at the resurrection story but maybe in a way that we can all relate to more than we realize I want you to go to Luke chapter 5 and this particular verse verses of Scripture that I'm going to read are not about the resurrection but they're headed to it and I want you to see pre crucifixion resurrection moments particularly in the life of Simon Peter they were standing fishing he was a professional Fisher and in verse 4 when he had stopped speaking he said to Simon launch out into the deep and let your nets out for the catch no didn't have time to read it but they had fished all night and caught nothing and they were washing their nets and now Jesus says launch out into the deep and when they had done this well actually says in verse 5 but Simon answered and said to him master we've taught all night caught nothing nevertheless at your word I'll let down the net when they've done this a great number of fish came into the net and the net was breaking they had to summon for their partners to come and help them both boats were about to sink because they were catching so much and when Simon Peter saw this verse a he fell down at Jesus knees saying depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord this is a very huge moment in the Bible this is Simon Peter for the first time in countering Jesus Christ personally and he says I am so ashamed of Who I am the life I've lived apart from me you're too holy and I'm I'm a wicked person verse nine and he and all who are with him were astonished at the catch of the fish that was taken so James and John the sons of Zebedee were the partners with Simon listen and Jesus said to Simon Peter do not be afraid from now on you will catch him in so they that had brought their boats to the land when they brought them to them forsook all listen to these words and followed him and it says in the Matthew four that Jesus said to them he gives you a little bit more insight it says he said to them same setting but from another writers opinion of the moment follow me he said those words to Peter everybody say follow me so this is the first encounter the first time those words are used to follow me now while you have your Bible I want you to look with me I want to go quickly to the book of Matthew chapter 26 Matthew chapter 26 he's following Jesus we're gonna fast-forward three years and we picked the story up now in verse 31 and this is what it says then jesus said to all of them all of the disciples are there and he said to all of them you will be made to stumble because of me this night for it is written I will strike the Shepherd and the flock was scattering send the Bible that this is going to happen he was referring to a prophecy this is gonna happen all of you are gonna forsake me because the Bible prophesied that you would in the Old Testament verse 33 and Peter answered and said to him even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble jesus said to him sure idli i say to you that this night before the rooster crows you will deny me three times Peter said to him even if I have to die with you listen to this I'm gonna tell you where I will not mess and he gets very specific I will not deny you and so said all the disciples but then it really gets sad I want you to see it he says he says I'm never gonna deny you I'm not gonna do it I will not there's some things I will not do I promise you I'm not gonna do it I will not do it and then he says I'll tell you specifically what I will not do I will never deny you the area that I will not do it in this is the area I will not specifically deny you and we're not here to to look down and and and you know beat up on Simon Peter because I want you to understand that you relate to him more than you realize how many of you have told the Lord in some weak area of your life I will never do it again wait keep your hands down I know I know I'm not even finished with a question yet in the hands are going up how many of you have said in a weak area of your life I will never do it again and you did it again let me see your hand it's a hundred percent so how many of you would agree with this little sermon that we can relate to Simon Teeter because there's things I snubber one I said I'd never do and I did them and then there's things that I said I'd never do again and I've done them again and what's amazing is when you start reading the story now look in Matthew 26 and verse 69 the Bible says that they arrest Jesus same night take him to the courtyard verse 69 now Peter said outside the courtyard and a servant girl came to him saying you're with those of Jesus of Galilee verse 70 here goes now but he denied it before them all saying I do not know what you're talking about so here comes a girl same night that he said I won't do it here comes a girl saying you're one of them and he instantly in the very area he said he wouldn't do it said I'll never deny aren't you one of them I deny that I am NOT one of them it gets it gets worse what's this verse 71 and when he had gone out to the Gateway another girl everybody say another girl saw him and said hey you're one of those you're one of those fellows that hangs out with Jesus of Nazareth for 72 but he again denied watch he goes deeper with an oath before he just denied it have you ever noticed that he denied with an oath when an oath is a reference to legal term it would be the equivalent or a lot like when you go to court and they put a Bible and say you know put your hand on the Bible do you swear to tell the truth nothing but the truth so help you God so when he was denying it he was saying I'm willing to I'm willing to not just deny Jesus I'll swear an oath to it that I don't know him that's - well for 73 a little later those who stood by King up and said to Peter he's having a bad night said said to Peter surely you're one of them your be your speech betrays you verse 74 then he began to curse and swear saying I do not know that man I mean he's gone from denying to denying with an oath now he's going to cursing I don't know the blankety-blank man I don't load a blanket he blinked blankly I don't know him and he's denying and cursing three times and then notice what happens in verse 74 and immediately this is such a sad Scripture immediately the rooster crowed notice verse 75 and Peter remembered the words to Jesus who said to him before the rooster crows you would deny me three times so he went out and wept bitterly I I think we need to remember this because so many of us start out eagerly when the Lord calls us and yes I'll follow you maybe it was when you were a child you said I'll follow you and you loved the Lord and you followed the Lord but there's an interesting verse in in Matthew 26 it said he followed him in verse 58 Peter followed him at a distance this is huge he starts out following him in Luke chapter 5 you remember when we started this story follow me and he's following him but then something happened through the years where he's following him from a distance he used to be close he used to be tight he used to be right on him and under him he forsook everything he was the main thing in his life and he loved him with all of his heart but now the years have worn away the relationship between Simon Peter and Christ and now the Bible says he's still following him and he still loves him but he's following him from a distance he said there's a lot of people that will come to free chapel and they love me and they decided to follow me maybe when they were a child maybe they gave their heart to the Lord when they were 20 or 30 or whatever but the years have brought a lot of distance and they're following me from a distance and things that they said they would never do they do them again and again and again but they still love me they still in their heart want to follow me and I want you to tell them I love them I want you to tell them that I I've made a way for them I want you to tell them I'm not angry or mad at them I know that we were close and now they follow me from a distance and tell him that a missile your Bible said that Peter decided in John 21 he said I think it's the third verse I'm going I'm going back to fishing when he said I'm going fishing he's saying I'm going back to who I used to be before I met Christ I've blown it I've messed up I failed I'm going back to who I used to be because he wouldn't want me I looked in his eyes then I denied him who could ever get over a moment like a failure like I've had so I'm just going back I was a fisherman before he ever called me and he said follow me and and I'm just going back to who I used to be and that's Who I am I tried that stuff and I couldn't live it and I'm going back he went back to that boat I love this story and they listened and in John 21 the Bible said that while they were on the boat fishing listen it's the same miracle Jesus is about to set up the same miracle have you ever noticed this it's the same miracle it happens twice they fished all night and they're coming in and I love it because the scripture said that Jesus appeared in his resurrected body after the crucifixion on the beach and they were about a hundred yards out is still dark there's some fog they see a figure on the beach they can't make out who it is and the voice screams out over the water hey did you did you catch anything to eat have you had anything to eat listen to these words in the morning to come verse four he stood on the shore and Jesus said to them children have you had any food they didn't know who they were talking to they shouted back no we fished all night does it sound for me we fished all night and we didn't catch anything and the voice says back cast your net on the other side that is DejaVu what one of them turns that wait a minute we've heard this before we've been here before and they threw the net on the other side and the Bible said they call it a hundred and fifty four large fish and the boat begin to sink because the fish were so big and suddenly John the Apostle whom Jesus loved turned to Peter and he said you know who that is you remember the first time this happened and he looks and turns around for Peter and the Bible said Peter had dove in the water and he's swimming a hundred yards back to Jesus he comes up out of the water in Jesus has fish on the fire and bread and cooking a meal of restoration saying come on I've been waiting on you you don't have to bring anything I've got it all done it's finished it's finished why did Jesus do the same miracle because he was saying it's okay I knew you were gonna mess up and I'm giving you an opportunity to go back and start all over again the reason he did the same miracle as he wanted to he wanted him to start all over again I'm giving you a chance to recommit your life I'm giving you a shot at total forgiveness and restoration and then he asked Peter do you love me he denied him three times and he asked him three times in a row do you love me Lord you know I love you do you know me yes I love you do you love me yes I love you Lord you know all things you know I love you the reason that Jesus kept asking him is not to convince Jesus that Peter loved him he was saying I want you to listen to what you're telling me I know you love me but you think because you've messed up that you don't love me I know even though you've been messing up and doing it over and over and over again I know in your heart you want to follow me and you love me you just don't have any consistency and you're following me listen from a distance you're following me from a distance I think that describes so many people who come to church on Easter and that's about it they love the Lord they've said yes to the Lord somewhere but they follow him from a distance and they're in a cycle of of I just can't live it Jesus went on to tell him in John 21 listen to these words he said you're gonna die there's coming today when you're an old man they're gonna take you and prepare you for a crucifixion and you're gonna be crucified just like me and verse 19 then he spoke signifying by what death he would glorify God and when he had spoken this he said to him look at these words follow me in other words he's saying I know many years ago the first time I asked you to follow me you said I'll follow you and you meant it but you fell behind and you followed me from a distance and you had a horrible sinful failure in your life and I threw my death and my resurrection have provided another invitation to you to say recommit I'm saying the exact same word set up the same miracle so you could start all over again I don't care about your past because by the way you're the very one the same voice mouth and tongue that denied me three times is the same voice I'm going to use on the day of Pentecost to birth the church it's the same voice in Acts chapter three that's going to say to a lame man silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I unto you in the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk and he leaping stood and ran through the temple it's the same voice that's gonna stand after they threatened him not to use the name and he's gonna say neither in acts for is there any other name whereby men can be saved but the name of Jesus he's the same one the one who denied me three times and looked into my eyes and the enemy told you that wrote the rooster crowing told you every morning you'll only live in shame and condemnation but you're the same one in Acts chapter 5 that they're gonna take the sick people and lay them out on the streets and they in hopes that you under such an anointing will walk by and your shadow will touch the sick and the sick will be healed what I'm saying to you today is when I gave my heart to the Lord when I was 16 I said I'll never deny you and I didn't in have it with my words but I have with my works I have with my deeds and there have been times when I said I will never do it again and I have done it again and you have too and the rooster crows and says God can't use you and you're not good enough and even while we were praising the Lord some of you because you've been following from a distance you love the Lord you you wouldn't be here you wouldn't come you wouldn't show up but something in you may be living in sin right now but something in you says I really do love you I know I'm distant from you and I don't like this but but but I messed up but I do love you and the power of what I'm preaching right now is what Peter could not live when he first met Jesus then he met the resurrected Jesus the resurrection made the difference the death the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ says I through my grace will empower you and you still struggle and you'll still have sin and you'll still deny me some and do things you shouldn't do but you won't be happy and content to be distant from me so a matter of fact the closer you get to him I can see my shadow that's why the Bible said he that dwells under under the shadow of the most high god will abide under the shadow of the Almighty in the secret place he doesn't want you at a distance because when you're in a distance your your your the crowing of the rooster will defeat you and some of you tried to praise God this morning you heard a little what you've been doing why hadn't you been here all year you hadn't been living for God much but you loved him and you said I'll follow you and you following him from a distance or you wouldn't have come back to church this morning and we're not here to beat up on you we're here to say I can relate what I'm saying to you is you don't have to live with the crowing of the rooster when there's a resurrected Lord who's saying you can start over today and here's what I felt here's what I felt at every campus here's what I felt Oh some of you have been needing is a chance to recommit it's gonna reignite the fire you know this is where your family ought to be every Sunday you know this is right you know you're doing what's right your soul is being fed right now you feed your mind you feed your body you got cars you got stuff but something in your soul is craving and starving for what you're in right now and the father is not mad at you Jesus is looking at you not saying do you love me too convinced himself he knows your heart he's wanting you to realize you do love me and because you've made a mistake it doesn't mean I have canceled my plans and my assignment in my dream over you and your family as a matter of fact I have provided a miracle that you're back again so you can recommit to my invitation to follow me again I believe that wherever you are today Jesus is saying follow me and now it's time for you to respond it's time for you to do what you can do and God will do what you can't do that's why he sent His Son Jesus he's saying this is that moment that you respond and you take up your cross and you follow me I have a plan for your life I love you I know where you are I know what you're going through his eyes are on you today so right where you are just say Lord Jesus I receive you today just say those words I receive you today I believe in you today and I choose to follow you the Lord of my life thank you for the cross thank you for the blood you shed it cleanses me and it blesses me in Jesus name Amen we would love to hear from you if you prayed that prayer if you just gave your heart to Jesus it's a miracle and you need to tell somebody about that you can go online you can dial the number that's on the screen either way whatever is easiest and most convenient but it's very important that you say to someone I made a decision to follow Jesus will help you and get you a lot of resources that points you in the right direction of how you can go even deeper in following Jesus today and our closing moments I want to share with you an incredible opportunity that we hear a kingdom connection have I recently met with our friend pastor Matthew Barnett at the dream Center in Los Angeles and he began to tell me about the needs of hundreds of veterans there in the city of Los Angeles of how that after giving many years of their lives and service to our country many of our military veterans are literally walking around with wounds emotionally and many of them are in bad bad places the suicide rate is off the charts for vets and it's almost like an epidemic and as he began to share the need how many were homeless and how many were addicted and how many had bondages in their life and even suicidal and they needed a center for healing the more he talked the I felt God saying to me I want you to partner with him so now we're partnering with the Dream Center to bring hope and healing to the veterans and specifically we're going to reach out to female veterans there's already a meant immense Veterans Center there that is built and done but our ministry is underwriting the whole Freedom House Women's Veterans Center at the dream Center a place just for female veterans a place for them to find health and hope and healing and all that they need and I'm asking you today boldly to help us help our most vulnerable vets if these women get in this program and it'll this large house we'll be able to hold up to 30 of them at one time also some of them have children and there's space for the children too sometimes they just need a chance to get their life together I talked with one of them there that that said that at one time she was living in her car she was in an abusive relationship after serving our nation in the military and she didn't have she said if I could have just had somewhere to go for a month or two or three months and get my life together and get some hope and some restoration we need to experience recovery and restoration through God's love and I believe these vets are going to experience just that because of you and I partnering together my announcer is about to tell you about some special thank-you gifts for those who partner with us on this important project no matter how big or small your gift is today help us make the dream come true for these women who have sacrificed so much for our country pray about what God would have you do I need your help it's gonna cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this project but God is going to speak to people just like you God is calling us a kingdom connection to do everything possible to help heal what has broken sadly thousands of American military veterans are living with deep wounds after years of service often suffering with unspeakable pain and trauma that is why we are partnering with the Dream Center to build the Freedom House Women's Veterans Home in the heart of Los Angeles and that is why we are asking you to join hands with us today in this incredible outreach of compassion every gift makes a difference when you make a gift today of 50 dollars or more to help change the life of these precious veterans we will send you Jenson Franklin's just release book love like you've never been hurt when you make a very special one-time gift of $1,000 or more your name will be inscribed on the memorial wall at the Freedom House women's Veterans Home as a lasting testimony of your love and generosity to these women who have already given so much you will also receive a custom edged glass American flag for you to proudly display in your home or office don't wait go to Jensen Franklin TV to give your gift hope for these precious women begins with you [Music] this program has been sponsored by friends and partners of Kingdom Connection we hope you've enjoyed this teaching legends and Franklin and thank you for your continued support of this ministry [Music]

Channel: Jentezen Franklin

Views: 28,243

Rating: 4.9232244 out of 5

Keywords: Jentezen Franklin, Kingdom Connection, Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Free Chapel, Temple, Saved, Save, Christianity, Faith, Depression, Healing, Radical, Devotion, Devotional, Islam, Mosque, Suicide, Struggle

Id: jb0F8lkD6R8

Length: 28min 30sec (1710 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 31 2018