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Following Jesus – The Right TRACK! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the May 11, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: The Right TRACK!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Matthew 16

 

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

As one called by Jesus to “Come, follow me”, Matthew gives us great teaching on what it looks like to live a life which follows Jesus.  As we make it to chapter 16, we find Jesus leading us to the right . . .

  • Teaching:  Matthew 16:1-7

    • Jesus often found the need to correct the teaching of the religious leaders of His day.  Instead of following the teachings of God’s Word and acknowledging the arrival of Jesus as the Messiah, the leaders often tried to use their understanding of scripture to test Jesus.  Unfortunately, it isn’t just the people in the days of Jesus who fall into the trap of making up teachings which they agree with.  We are surrounded by people who teach a variety of things of their own making, and some who do so claiming they represent Jesus.  When we choose to follow Jesus on the right track, we must gaze fully into His Word to follow the right teaching. 

  • Report:  Matthew 16:8-14

    • As news of Jesus spread, many had their own idea of who He was.  In fact, when asked who the crowds said Jesus was, the disciples had a variety of answers based on the reports they had encountered.  We also will encounter people with all kinds of claims about who God is, and even reports of some who claim to be the returning Messiah.  Rather than be derailed by false reports, when we choose to follow Jesus we evaluate the source of every report and only accept as truth that which comes from God.

  • Answer:  Matthew 16:15-20

    • One of the things which people often came to Jesus about was a desire to have an answer which would fulfill their greatest questions.  The difficulty came as people settled for their own answers rather than turning to Jesus for the right answer.  Peter gives the classic answer of who he believes Jesus is and we’re told that this answer was not of his own doing but came from God Himself.  When we choose to follow Jesus we must be careful to both give and receive the right answers . . . answers which come from the truth of God’s Word.

  • Christ:  Matthew 16:21-23

    • The Bible makes it clear that there were many, and will be many, who claim to be the Christ.  Some of these individuals can be quite persuasive and they lead many people astray.  As Jesus declares Himself to be the Son of God, He defines the Christ in a way which is exclusive and as God providing the way for us to be right with Him.  When we choose to follow Jesus, we do so with Him as the fulfillment of all prophecies concerning the coming of the Christ to save His people from their sin.

  • Kingdom:  Matthew 16:24-28

    • As Jesus lived and taught, He told of the coming of a kingdom like no other.  This was a kingdom that required repentance in order for people to be prepared for it.  The right kingdom is the kingdom where God is King and we are His subjects.  It is through our willingness to take up our cross daily that we identify with this spiritual kingdom where Jesus is Lord, not just of the kingdom but of us.

Today, how will you follow the right TRACK?