WWJD - What Would Jesus
Desire?
INTRODUCTION
1. It is quite common to see young people wearing a bracelet, T-shirt, or
other article of clothing with the letters WWJD
a. WWJD stands for "What Would Jesus Do?"
b. Many young people like wearing something designed to
remind them to always ask in any situation, "What Would Jesus Do?"
-- It is commendable that people would ask What Would Jesus
Do?
2. In this lesson, however, I want to ask "What Would Jesus Desire?"
a. What would Jesus desire of you today?
b. Is there something Jesus would want you to do today?
c. Is there something Jesus would want you to be doing
everyday?
From His words in The Great Commission,
- Mat 28:19 KJV "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
I believe there are several things we can note that Jesus would desire of every
person. As we consider His words, ask yourself whether Jesus would desire it of
you. This is what I believe Jesus would desire of you and me.
I. THAT YOU BECOME HIS
DISCIPLE.
A. HE SAID, "MAKE DISCIPLES..."
1. He wanted His apostles to make disciples - Mat 28:19
KJV Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
2. A disciple is a learner, a follower.
3. A disciple is one who desires to become like His teacher
- Luke 6:40 KJV The disciple is not above his master: but
every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
B. WHY DOES JESUS WANT YOU TO BE HIS DISCIPLE?
1. To learn from Him,
Mat 11:28 KJV Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
a. The expression take my yoke in NT times, meant
to become a disciple
b. It means to hitch up with Jesus and let Him
lead you in the direction you should go
2. To offer rest for your souls - Mt 11:28-30
a. He knows that you are under the burden of sin.
1) The burden of the guilt of sin.
2) Both the legal and emotional guilt
of sin.
b. Learn from Him how to become free from the burden of sin.
1) For freedom from sin is true
freedom,
- John 8:31 KJV Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;
- John 8:32 KJV And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free.
- John 8:33 They answered him, We be
Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall
be made free?
- John 8:34 Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you; Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
- John 8:35 And the servant abideth
not in the house forever: but the Son abideth ever.
- John 8:36 If the Son therefore
shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
- John 8:37 I know that ye are
Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
-John 8:38 I speak that which I
have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
2) Only in Him can we become free
from:
a) The legal guilt of
sin, having transgressed the Law of God.
b) The emotional guilt of
sin having transgressed our own consciences.
Jesus clearly wants you to be His disciple, to learn from Him and to let Him
lighten your load; are you His disciple? Jesus also desires...
II. THAT YOU BE BAPTIZED
A. HE SAID, BAPTIZING THEM...
1. He wanted His apostles to baptize people - Mt 28:19,
Mk 16:15-16
2. Which His apostles were quick to do
- Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and
preached Christ unto them.
- Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning
the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women.
- Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name
of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
B. WHY DOES JESUS WANT YOU TO BE BAPTIZED?
1. As commanded by Peter...
a. For the remission of sins - Ac
2:38
b. Remember, Jesus wants to free you
from the burden of sin!
2. As explained by Paul...
a. In baptism you are united with
Christ in His death and raised with Him to a new life -
b. Rom 6:3 KJV Know ye not, that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
- Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
- Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection:
- Rom 6:6 KJV Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that
henceforth we should not serve sin.
- Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is
freed from sin.
c. In baptism you put on Christ -
- Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
d. In baptism you experience the
working of God, Who forgives you of all your sins and raises you with Christ -
- Col 2:11 KJV In whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of
the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
- Col 2:12 Buried with him in
baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
- Col 2:13 And you, being dead in
your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Jesus therefore desires for you to
enter in with this new relationship with Him. Have you been baptized? If so,
then Jesus also desires that you also...
III. THAT YOU KEEP HIS
COMMANDMENTS.
A. HE SAID, "TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE..."
1. Baptism is only the beginning, there are more commands
to follow -
- Mat 28:20 KJV Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end
of the world. Amen.
2. Doing what He says is what it means to be His disciple -.
- John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
B. WHAT ARE SOME OF HIS COMMANDMENTS?
1. To love the brethren -
- John 13:34 KJV A new commandment I give unto you, That ye
love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
- John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
a. This is one way we show the world
we are truly His disciples
b. Which implies the necessity of
active involvement in a local congregation.
2. To bear fruit -
- John 15:8 KJV Here in is my Father glorified, that ye bear
much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
a. Such as saving souls, serving
others, growing in grace
b. Unless we bear fruit, we will be
cut off -
- John 15:1 I am the true vine, and
my Father is the husbandman.
- John 15:2 Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he
purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
- John 15:6 If a man abide not in me,
he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast
them into the fire, and they are burned.
c. Bearing fruit comes only through a
personal connection with Jesus.
- John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no
more can ye, except ye abide in me.
- John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
CONCLUSION
1. Our study was not intended to be exhaustive...
a. Certainly there is more that Jesus would desire of us
b. For He taught many other things
1) Some taught to His apostles while
on earth
2) Others taught to His apostles
through the Spirit -
- John 16:12 I have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
- John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
show you things to come.
2. But I wanted to use the current popularity of WWJD to simply remind
you...
a. Not only to ask "What Would Jesus Do?" in a particular
situation
b. But to ask "What Would Jesus Desire?" of you right now!
3. I hope I have encouraged you to reflect on what Jesus would want you
to do today:
a. If you have not committed to become His disciple...
b. If you have not been baptized...
c. If you are not observing His commands...
...what would Jesus desire for you?
God bless you and yours!
On behalf of this generation,
Your friends in the service of Christ,
Tony
and Marge Abram
Abundant Life Crusades
If we could be
of more help or if you want more information please visit:
www.tonyabram.com or
www.abundantlifecrusades.com
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