Focused Following

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Focused Following

We must learn to develop a focused following of Jesus!

When we begin to FOLLOW JESUS – Peter is proof that we must leave the following of our own ways.

In addition, we must learn to have a focus as we follow.

Jesus will always ask us to leave some kind of sin – so that we can follow Him!

Peter’s issue, of many issues, seems to have been the sin of pride.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry [you] where you do not wish.”
(John 21:18)

As Jesus restores Peter (see our message on Restoration), Peter is given specific instructions on what to do!

Peter is to:

DISCIPLE God’s people – (“Feed My lambs”)
LEAD God’s people – (“Tend My sheep”)
TEACH God’s people – (“Feed My sheep”)

So, Peter’s focus as he follows Jesus, is to:

LOVE Jesus
and HELP God’s people in these ways (DISCIPLE, LEAD, TEACH)

It can be helpful at this stage to see a complementary passage to Peter’s dialog with Jesus, as seen in John 21.

Stability so that you won’t stumble

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
(2 Peter 1:10-14)

Later on in Peter’s life – Peter reminds others of this conversation with Jesus from John 21. Peter puts this in his book that we call 2 Peter, in chapter 1.

In 2 Peter 1:10, as above – the word for “sure” means “stable.” As in, make your call and election “stable” (“sure”).

To be clear, Peter is not saying – “make sure you’re called and elected.” But, simply, to make it “stable.”

Make it “stable”

Consider how some of the other modern Bible translations treat this passage.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) translates this portion of 2 Peter 1:10 as “make certain about His calling and choosing you.”

I do not believe that the NASB accurately translates 2 Peter 1:10; the context as well as the reference to John 21:18 makes this clear for us. Peter is not telling us to “make certain” but to make it “stable” (“sure”).

The English Standard Version Bible (ESV) translates this portion of 2 Peter 1:10 as “confirm your calling and election.”

I do not believe that the ESV accurately translates 2 Peter 1:10 either; the context as well as the reference to John 21:18 makes this clear for us. Peter is not telling us to “confirm” it, but to make it “stable” (“sure”).

Sadly, this passage seems to have been translated according to certain doctrinal bias, rather than letting God speak for Himself through His Word.

This is why 2 Peter 1:10 is so confusing, when it’s read in the ESV or NASB Bible translations!

It’s the context that helps clarify this for us

“Context is king” is a common phrase we hear with Biblical interpretation.

So, yes, Peter himself actually clarifies the context for us, and this helps us to determine what God is telling us here, in Peter’s writing.

We should remember: interpret God’s Word with God’s Word.

In Peter’s 2nd letter (2 Peter), he is writing to born again Christians (those who are the called and elected).

Peter notes this for us at the opening of his letter. Peter writes, “To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:1)

So – for all you born again Christians – Peter is telling you to make your call and election “stable!”

In other words, you might say that Peter is telling you, “Don’t have a rocky walk like I had.”

How do we know this? The rest of 2 Peter 1:10 says “for if you do these things you will never stumble.”

Yes, Peter wrote “stumble.” As in, Peter tells you, “Don’t stumble like how I did.”

Continuing on his thought, Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:14 – “knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.”

Therefore, where in the Bible had the “Lord Jesus Christ showed” Peter that he would “shortly” die? (“put off my tent”; as of Peter’s writing in 2 Peter)

Yes, that’s back in John 21:18! Let’s go back to John 21 and see how the dialog between Jesus and Peter develops.

Jesus restores and renews Peter’s calling to “Follow Me”

18 “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry [you] where you do not wish.”
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what [about] this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what [is that] to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what [is that] to you?”
(John 21:18-23)

Peter slips back into pride, immediately as Jesus restores him

So – if you think you’re the only Christian who can quickly slip back into the sin that Jesus just confronted and rescued you from, you’d be wrong!

It happened to the Apostle Peter as well!

Notice Jesus restores Peter and renews his calling to “Follow Me.”

Then, John reveals to us, that right away “Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Yes, that’s the Apostle John himself.

John quotes Peter as saying, “But Lord, what [about] this man?”

You see, Peter’s pride, along with the next rebuke of Jesus – tells Peter that he needs to FOCUS!

We need a focused following of Jesus!

Jesus tells Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come, what [is that] to you?”

Then Jesus immediately reminds Peter again, right away – “You follow Me.”

The POINT

The point you should hopefully see is this. Whatever Jesus asks you to stop doing so that you can follow Him – you will need to:

Be on guard against
Say “NO” to as you get tempted to fall back into

This is so you can continue to have a FOCUSED FOLLOWING with Jesus and have a victory in Christ!

Know that as you begin to follow Jesus, or begin to be restored to your Calling with Jesus…. you may get tempted right away to stumble back into that old sin.

Just like Peter did. Praise God that Jesus rebukes Peter and refocuses him to “Follow Me” and not to follow someone else’s walk and calling with Jesus.

Pride is what Jesus had to confront Peter with.

We see this pattern all too often

Sadly, we tend to see this all too often.

When a person decides to leave a life of sin, they may come to gather in Christian fellowship. But then their old life of sin and selfishness quickly comes knocking to take them back to sin’s comfort zone. Christian, you need to make your walk “stable.”

When a Christian starts publicly serving the Lord in church fellowship, a plethora of things tempts them to go back to a life of self-focus. The availability (see Isaiah 6:8) gets tempted to turn into being unavailable as before. Christian, you need to make your walk “stable.”

When a Christian begins healing within their heart and thought life, there a liberation and a freedom from the self-imposed bondage. (see Isaiah 61:1-3) But satan – who just loves to keep people bound – wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). The person gets tempted away, because satan and the self-willed life do not want you to live in freedom. Christian, you need to make your walk “stable.”

This is why Peter passes on his wisdom to us and writes in 2 Peter 1:10 – “to make your call and election sure.” Again, make it “stable” not rocky, like how Peter was, in John 21. It’s time to mature!

Peter knew these things would happen to the Christian. So at the end of his life, he tries to teach you and me.

He writes, “for if you do these things” (make it “stable”) “you will never stumble.”

Like a good, fatherly figure, Peter doesn’t want us to “stumble!”

Yes, let’s not “stumble” like how Peter did – as Peter didn’t stay focused as he followed Jesus!

Don’t fall back into the sin of pride, by comparing yourself to others. Or fall back to a life of selfishness. Fight to keep your heart and life available and to be a disciple of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Listen to the message here to gain more clarity.

Follow Jesus Christ with a FOCUS!