Saturday, April 24
Follow me
Scripture: Judges 13-14, 1 Corinthians 11
1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 11:1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (NLT)
Observation
Paul offers himself as an example to be followed since he follows Christ. The Greek word is mimetes, which is an imitator. We get the word “mimic” from it.
Two thoughts.
First, this is discipleship 101. The best way to make a disciple is through a close relationship with someone who is following Jesus, someone who can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ. Do you want to know what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus? Watch me and do what I do.” This is exactly what Paul told the Corinthians earlier (4:14-17) and what he told the Philippians (3:17, 4:9) and the Thessalonians (1 Th. 1:6, 2 Th. 3:7, 9). Being a follower of Jesus is more than a set of beliefs (although it includes that); it is a way of life. Paul offers himself as a model of that way of life. So discipleship has to be more than a class or a workbook or a Bible study—it has to be a living example of a way of life. “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
Second, this is Christians leadership 101. We are followers first: we follow Jesus. Then we invite others to follow us. Leaders lead and people follow. Christian leaders lead by following Jesus, and inviting others to follow them as they follow Christ.
My pastor, Roy Hicks Jr. once told me, “I got here by following Jesus.” We were discussing leadership and his success as a leader. His success as a leader came from being a close follower of Jesus. I want to imitate that!
Application
I want to be an effective disciple-maker and leader. That is predicated first upon being an effective follower of Jesus. That’s my focus today.
Prayer: Lord, help me to follow You closely…so that I can say to others, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”