INTRODUCTION
Over the past three weeks, we have been looking at the life of Abraham being a man given to intense fellowship, one that is indeed family focused irrespective of his service to God and people and today, we will exploring the life of the great example of faith in God based on how dogged a follower he was.
We also noted that the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot did not understand the place of unity and harmony in family life hence the strife they allowed to flourish between them.
The question is, did they see anything shot of love, peace and harmony between Abraham and Lot their bosses?
Abraham said in Genesis 13:8 “And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.”
He included theirs herdsmen in the family relationship and not just refer to them or treat them as servants.
Unfortunately, Lot did not have the same sense of family that Abraham had and was happy to break away from the covering and relationship he had with Abraham.
As we know that one of our purposes as a church family as ordained/prescribed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus himself is to make disciples. Aside from what is said verbally one of the component tools of making/raising disciples is to lead by examples and watch them follow.
Followership also helps to typify one of our core purposes, DISCIPLESHIP.
Following without questions
Genesis 11:27-28
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
Abraham was the first born of three sons. Unfortunately, one of his younger brothers, Haran who probably had pre-marital relations with a woman died young and Abraham took responsibility for his son, Lot probably because he (Abraham) is the first born of the family.
It is interesting to note though that Terah, Abraham’s father felt led by God to move to Canaan but he only embarked on the journey with Abraham’s household and Lot, Haran’s son. What do you think happened to Nahor. He must have been very inquisitive and probably asked a lot of questions Terah could not answer and therefore not convinced about the move. Abraham was probably the trusting one that would just say “Dad, if that’s what you believe we should be doing or where we should be going, then I’m all in”. That is a follower.
#a dogged follower is one that is being led
#a dogged follower is one that sees an example and is able to key into it
#a dogged follower is one that ask the right questions BUT trust in the judgement of the one with the lead responsibility
#a dogged follower is a keen observer
#a dogged follower is a person with a different heart or a different spirit.
See what God said concerning Caleb in Numbers 14:23-24
23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
#Full followership guarantees your access to your kingdom inheritance
Colossians 1:12 says
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
However in the preceding verses, Paul said; Colossians 1:9-11
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
#Full followership guarantees your access to your kingdom inheritance
Followership is extremely important in the fulfilment of the discipleship element of the purpose of the church. That’s why when Jesus met his first set of disciples; He practically made a call for followership. He said, “Follow me” Matthew 4:18-19
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Following instructions to the letter
Genesis 12:1-4
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Here we read that Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken.
There’s a similar scenario in the New Testament where Jesus instructed Peter to lunch out into the deep and cast hiss net on the right for a catch. Luke 5:1-4
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Jesus did not just enter any ship; He knew what he was doing by heading straight for Peter’s ship.
#God is not a resource waster.
The question is what instruction/leading/gentle suggestion/idea have you received from God that you are still doubting/toying with. I’ll like to encourage you to just do it.
#JustDoIt