Matt Nelson - February 18, 2024
Don't Look Back
THE CROWD Don’t Look Back 2.18.24 Luke 9:51 As his time drew near, Jesus resolutely set his face towards Jerusalem. The question for the crowd: Will they stay with Jesus and become His disciples or will they turn away and desert Him? 1. Curious 2. Outraged 3. Excited 4. Selfish The social psychology behind mob mentality: • Deindividuation – when people are a part of a group, they experience a loss of self-awareness • Identity – when people are part of a group, they can lose their sense of individual identity and adopt a group identity • Emotions – being a part of a group can lead to heightened emotional states: excitement, anger, hostility, etc. • Acceptability – behaviors that are often seen as unacceptable become acceptable when others in a group are seen carrying them out • Anonymity – people feel anonymous within a large group, which reduces their sense of responsibility and accountability Crowds have the power to make the timid brave, the good better or the bad devastating. - Greg Morse Luke 9:57-62 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” • Jesus addresses the gods of comfort and clarity • Jesus addresses the god of misdirected priorities • Jesus addresses the gods of convenience and partial surrender What we must consider if we choose to take up our cross and walk the road of discipleship with Jesus: • Jesus demands unqualified commitment • Jesus clarifies our relationship with the world • Jesus urges us to count the cost of discipleship