A stranger is looking for a particular road but they are totally lost. Because you are going in that direction you say to them, 'Follow me'. Jesus said that to Peter twice in John chapter 21 (vv 19 and 22). He had lost his way spiritually, having recently denied all knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, as we saw last Sunday, Jesus met with him, one day, by the Sea of Tiberias and restored him.

As he did so, Jesus challenged him afresh to 'Follow Him'. These were the words Jesus had used when he first called Peter to be a disciple (Matthew 4:18). And those are the words which Jesus would say to many of us. If we are not Christians as yet, the challenge comes to us for the first time. If we are a Christian, like Peter, who has failed, the challenge comes to us afresh for the second time, 'Follow me'.

A. What does it mean? To follow Christ?

1. We must face up to the fact that we are lost. God has placed us in this world to make a journey through life towards heaven. He has given us a map - the Bible - which tells us how to live, how to avoid hell and reach heaven, but we've ignored the Bible and gone our own way. As a result we are hopelessly lost and if we continue like that we'll never make it to heaven.
2. We must recognise that Jesus is the one person who can put us right and get us to heaven. He knows the way. He is the way (John 14:6). He came from heaven into this world to die for sinners like us that we might go to heaven.
3. We must trust him absolutely. When you are lost, and then follow a person who knows the way, you trust them, and to follow Christ means we trust him to put us right with God and bring us safely to heaven.
4. We must obey him.

B. Two vital things we need to know about following Christ

1. It can be painful. Jesus never said, 'Follow me and all your problems will be over.' On the contrary, he said, 'In the world you will have trouble' (John 16:33). Jesus made it very clear to Peter that he would die as a martyr (verse 18).
2. It's very personal. Peter asked Jesus about John (verse 21), 'Lord, what about this man? You have just told me that I will die a martyr's death, but what about him?' Jesus replied, in effect (verse 22), 'You leave John to me. You just make sure that you follow me.' Our duty is to follow the Lord no matter what other people may do or say. No matter what may happen to them.

C. Four encouragements we need to have to follow Christ

1. Remember who he is. He is the Lord of Glory, the eternal Son of God. That's the testimony of John throughout this gospel, and the early Christians who published and circulated it affirm that his testimony is true (verse 24).
2. Remember the many amazing things he did (verse 25). It is impossible, in this world, to give a full account of the glory and greatness of Christ, and of all that he has done. In 1917, after a patient's death, the following words were found scribbled on the walls of his room in a mental asylum, and were later included in a hymn written by Frederick Lechman:

   Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of Christ above
   Would drain the ocean dry.
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky.

3. Remember, our lives are in his hands (verse 22). When Peter asked what was going to happen to John, Jesus replied, 'If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.' Some of the disciples misunderstood this statement and the rumour spread that the disciple John wouldn't die but would still be alive when Jesus returned, but all that Jesus said was that John's life was under his control. How long anyone lives, is all in our Lord's hands.
4. Remember, one day Jesus will return to this world (verse 22).