The crowd

The Gospel of Matthew records for us the wonderful sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain in chapters 5-7. The very next chapter begins with these words: “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him” (Matthew 8:1).

Wherever Jesus went, huge crowds gathered around Him to listen to every word He had to say.

This gave our Lord wonderful opportunities to teach them.

But it would not always be this way. Crowds can quickly become unfaithful.

They can often be persuaded by popular opinion.

Jesus knew what it was like to teach thousands as they followed Him all over Galilee and Judea to hear His message. He also experienced a time when some of the crowds would walk away.

The Lord knew the sorrow of seeing some of the crowds not being as ready to follow Jesus as they thought they were. On one occasion Christ had so many people leave after hearing His teaching, that He asked His disciples, “Will you also go away?” (John 6:67).

Later, the apostles would have similar experiences.

Their work would begin with the baptism of 3,000 people on the day the church was established (Acts 2:38-41). Afterward, they saw the church grow rapidly. But they soon experienced persecution and opposition to their work.

Nevertheless, God blessed them and the great work of Christ continued to be done in the Lord’s church.

Have you noticed how people’s attitude toward the truth of the Gospel of Christ has changed over the years? Often, people are not nearly as eager to listen to the simplicity of the New Testament’s teaching as they once were. Demonstrating dissatisfaction with God’s commandments, different directions of living begin to take place in people’s lives, and even in the name of religion.

2 Timothy 4 gives the following warning. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.

Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

People still continue to add their own opinions and desires to the word of God. But the Lord’s work goes on and is just as important today as it was in the days Jesus preached on the earth. Just as Christ never quit, those who choose to follow only the Bible’s teaching today should not be discouraged. When believers in Christ become unfaithful in following His word, tragic things happen to them.

Their faith suffers shipwreck (1 Timothy 1:19). They fall from God and His grace (Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 6:4-6). They can only look forward with “fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation” (Hebrews 10:27). Their punishment is worse than physical death (Hebrews 10:27-29). They no longer have God in their life (2 John 9). They become worse off spiritually than ever before (2 Peter 2:20-22).

These warnings, and many others like them, are written in the Bible because God does not want any of us to lose our home in heaven (2 John 8-11). He gave His Son to provide our forgiveness! Is it too much for Him to expect us to be faithful to His word in return?

Sadly, most of the crowd will choose to take the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). But you don’t have to! Obey the Gospel (Acts 2:38) and be faithful to worship and serve your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).

1 Peter 1:23-25 says we are “. . . born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”

How is your interest in the word of God? Be sure to read it and discover its truths for yourself (Acts 17:11). Following Jesus correctly will change your life, now and forever! Don’t follow the crowd.