In 2014, a new book by author David Platt was named a “Christian Retailing Best” award finalist. In this book, he offered the statement that millions of people around the world culturally think they are Christians yet biblically are not followers of Christ. This was a bold statement! How did he come to this conclusion?
His premise was that for years and years people have been told that becoming a follower of Jesus simply involves believing certain truths or saying certain words, and that as a result, churches are filled with people who believe they are Christians….but aren’t. According to Platt, “we want to be disciples as long as doing so doesn’t intrude on our lifestyles, preferences, comforts, and even religion.”
Needless to say, this book was met with both praise and scorn. This Sunday, we will continue in the series Gifts That Keep On Giving, by digging deeply into Jesus’ words, “follow me.” What do these words truly mean? If we can understand the answer to this question, we will learn what it means to truly live for Christ.
-Pastor Jane