He Said “Come” and They Came (Four Levels of Followship)

No checklist can bring you closer to God. Checklists are good for grocery shopping and staying on task with a project. Growing closer in our relationship with Christ is more than picking up dinner items or accomplishing a goal. When Jesus instructed his disciples to “…love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” He had something greater than a to-do list in mind. (Matthew 22:37, ESV)

In the previous post (Why do you follow Jesus?), I unveiled four levels of followship. This concept was gleaned from a study in John 15: 1-11. (I would encourage you to take a minute to read this passage: John 15:1-11.) When Jesus began by stating, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (verse 5), He reminded His disciples of His position. Therefore, followship is the call of every person to live in Christ. Today, we will focus in on the most basic type of following Jesus.

At the First Level of Followship, a disciple of Jesus recognizes His authority. He is the Lord. He is God and is the King of Kings. He has a right to all of me and I must submit to Him. Without this recognition and bowing before Jesus, one cannot understand salvation (this is the essence of what some label as “Lordship Salvation.”) On this level of followship there is a healthy fear of God. As the Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian believers: “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1, ESV)

When the first disciples stepped away from their fishing boat to chase after a man named Jesus, they obeyed His authority. He said come, and they came. They recognized Jesus as one with ability and wisdom and they followed because He said to follow. Jesus offered no gimmicks or promises, just “Come.” And they came.

To further define the First Level of Followship, I will provide three examples of activities:

Resisting Temptation-
When we choose to resist a temptation to sin within Level One Followship, we primarily think of God’s authority. To disobey any king would be to one’s detriment. Of course, we understand that within the grace of God, He does not crush us with cruel punishment. Yet on Level One Followship, staying on the favorable side of the King is a strong motivator. Out of fear of God’s position and punishment, one says “no” to sin.

Devotional Time-
Devotional time consists in part with a disciple’s time in prayer and meditation on God’s Word. Level One Followship includes devotional time, possibly even a daily routine. Yet, the time spent in the Bible is measured and dutiful. At this level, one would pray out of obligation, possibly for fear of what may happen if one did not pray.

Evangelism-
At Level One Followship, disciples of Jesus share the Gospel. Again, however, this is a dutiful task. A disciple at this level may hear sermons on sharing the Gospel and sign up for a class. This person would likely be more comfortable anonymously leaving some tracts in public places than engaging someone in a Gospel conversation. Also, assisting with an outreach event at the church would be much more appealing and fulfill his or her inner commitment to evangelism.

Last Note of Clarity:
One word of caution is this: please do not confuse religiosity with Level One Followship. Eternally, these two may look very similar. Both do good deeds and seem devoted to God. The Level One Follower is a disciple of Christ but is operating from the surface of this relationship. The religious crowd are described by Jesus as “…whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27-28, ESV)

When Jesus said “Follow Me…” to people, He was offering an invitation to know Him and enter into the greatest relationship one could ever experience. While most disciples of Jesus begin with Level One Followship, we should not stay there. The Spirit of God moves us toward something deeper and fulfilling. In the next post, we will look at the Second Level of Followship: A Personal Benefit for Knowing Jesus.