Pastor Pat Nemmers spoke during chapel about following Jesus. He views following Jesus as the primary action of discipleship. He states strongly that if one were to follow Jesus, they have to die to themselves. Pastor Nemmers says they can do this by denying themselves, carrying their crosses, and following Jesus, just as Scripture says.

Scripture Texts

John 12:24-26; Matthew 10:37-39; Matthew 16:24-26

Main Points or Ideas

• Following Jesus means dying (John 12:24-26) - Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; if it dies, it bears much fruit. Nemmers illustrates this with a story about a boy who kept a handful of acorns in the haymow while his father planted the rest along the driveway — fifty years later the driveway is lined with majestic oaks, and the hidden seeds have never produced anything. Dying to self is not a loss; it is the only path to fruitfulness. He applies this through the example of Saylorville Church, which has sent nearly four hundred of its best people to plant eight other churches — dying to being the biggest in order to bear much fruit.
• Following Jesus means loving him above all else (Matthew 10:37-39) - Jesus calls his followers to love him hyper — beyond, over — father, mother, son, and daughter. Nemmers connects this to a missionary in his church who is leaving a twenty-year fruitful field for a restricted Muslim country where he may never see a convert. The explanation is simple: he and his wife are following Jesus, wherever that leads and whatever it costs.
• Following Jesus means denying yourself (Matthew 16:24-26) - The word "deny" in this passage is in the middle voice — the responsibility rests entirely on you, no one else can do it for you. All the glory belongs to God, but all the responsibility belongs to the follower. Nemmers also warns against holding onto something "just in case" — like the inventor of the Slinky who gave his fortune to missions but brought the patent to South America with him, and only found freedom when he threw it into the ocean. What are you still holding onto?

Conclusion

Nemmers closes with the image of chasing a ninety-nine cent bag across a parking lot in forty-five mile per hour winds, and asks: what are you running after, and if you catch it, will it give you life? This Easter, the empty tomb is God's cry to a world chasing things that cannot satisfy — follow Jesus, lose your life, and find it.