“When the crowds found out, they followed Him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing.”
Luke 9:11 HCSB

Is someone following me?

Where ever Jesus went the crowd was sure to follow! Jesus had His target of influence, just as we do. 

1.  Peter, James, and John were His key disciples. He took them everywhere. when He went into the little girls’ bedroom to heal her, they went with Jesus. When Jesus walked up the mountain to be transfigured they went with Him. when Jesus was praying in Gethsemane before He went to the cross, they were a stone's throw away.

2.  The 12 disciples were His next biggest group of influence. These got less attention then Peter, James, and John. Jesus explained parables to them. Jesus broke His last supper with them. They were the only ones to stick close to Jesus when the crowds left.

3.  The 72 disciples were His third largest group of influence. These disciples hung around the outside of the 12 hoping to hear what the 12 were hearing. These 72 were sent out to tell the cities around Israel that Jesus was coming. The 72 left when Jesus’ message of His death got too intense.

4.  The great throng of people was His last group of influence. They followed Jesus to see his signs and wonders. They followed Jesus to hear His preaching. but people moved in and out of this group freely. Some would not follow Jesus full time because of death in the family, or because of home obligations, or because of their jobs.

Which category are you in? Do you long to be close to Jesus as Peter, James, and John were? Or are you only filling Jesus to see His next big show? Or are you somewhere in the middle?

How about your influence? Are you impacting a few people strongly for Jesus? Who would you consider being your closest disciples? Pastors, are you helping train three people in your congregation you see as having the call of God on their life? Men, are you training other young men to follow God and Love their Wives? Ladies, are you training a few other Young ladies to Love God and respect their husbands? 

My goal of these messages, Brian’s Quiet Time Thoughts, is to help many people deepen their relationship with Jesus. There are a few people who I have deep conversations about the Bible through what they are reading and what I send out. There are a few more who read this faithfully daily. There are many more who read it when they get a chance and are often 3 or more days behind. But the majority of the people would rather not get this every day. (If this is you please feel free to let me know you would like to stop receiving them, no hard feelings I promise.) If you know of anyone who would like to receive these messages have them contact me and I can add them.

“Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept it? ” Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you?

From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you? ” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God! ””
John 6:60-61, 66-69 HCSB

“Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ “But without exception they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’ “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’”
Luke 14:16-20 HCSB

“As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go! ” Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:57-62 HCSB

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