The “Because You Say So” Attitude

Scripture Text: Luke 5:5; John 6:67-69; John 21:19-22

As we continue with this month’s theme Discipleship, let us look into three dialogues between Jesus and
Peter and discover three classic responses to discipleship. Which of the three is your response?

1. “BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL…” (Luke 5:5)

Illustration: Karate Kid (Original Movie)

In the movie Karate Kid, young Daniel asks Mister Miagi to teach him karate. Miagi agrees under one condition: Daniel must submit
totally to his instruction and never question his methods. Daniel shows up the next day eager to learn. To his chagrin, Mister Miagi
has him paint a fence. Miagi demonstrates the precise motion for the job: up and down, up and down. Daniel takes days to finish the
job. Next, Miagi has him scrub the deck using a prescribed stroke. Again the job takes days. Daniel wonders, What does this have to
do with karate? but he says nothing. Next, Miagi tells Daniel to wash and wax three weather-beaten cars and again prescribes the
motion. Finally, Daniel reaches his limit: "I thought you were going to teach me karate, but all you have done is have me do your
unwanted chores!" Daniel has broken Miagi's one condition, and the old man's face pulses with anger. "I have been teaching you
karate! Defend yourself!" Miagi thrusts his arm at Daniel, who instinctively defends himself with an arm motion exactly like that
used in one of his chores. Miagi unleashes a vicious kick, and again Daniel averts the blow with a motion used in his chores. After
Daniel successfully defends himself from several more blows, Miagi simply walks away, leaving Daniel to discover what the master
had known all along: skill comes from repeating the correct but seemingly mundane actions.
http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+4723

Bible focus:

The disciples spent all night trying to catch fish but they got nothing. Here comes Jesus, telling them to
cast their nets once more. Notice Peter’s response:

“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you
say so, I will let down the nets.”

Trivia: Luke is the only gospel that recounts this response in the story The Calling of the First Disciples.

And when they did so, they caught such a large number of fish that they needed their friends help them
haul the fish from the water.

Peter was a professional fisherman. He knew what he was doing. But with his response, we can see
that he recognized that Jesus (a carpenter’s son, and so most probably knew a lot more about carpentry
than fishing) knew better than he did.

He could’ve said, “What do you know about fishing? We’ve been doing this most of our lives.” But Peter
had the “because you say so” attitude. And this is one very important attitude to take up as a disciple.

“Because you say so” acknowledges that the other person knows best, even if you do know what you
are doing.

“Because you say so” says you’d rather listen to the other person than do what you seem best.

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Taking up this attitude does not take away your freedom. Rather, it tells of your choice to follow
someone other than your own.

And isn’t that what a disciple is? A follower?

What is Jesus asking from me? What is my response to his call?

Have you tried the “because you say so” response?

“Because you say so” is the first step to discipleship. It shows your faith and obedience to the one
you choose to follow.

Take the first step! Jesus says you can do what He is asking of you. All you have to do is to say it:

“Because you say so, Lord, I will.”

2. “YOU DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE TOO, DO YOU?” (John 6:67)

Faith and obedience goes hand-in-hand in discipleship. You cannot have one without the other. That is
why Jesus told us to “estimate the cost” as we decide to follow him. The cost of discipleship is very high
(Luke 14:25-35). It’s an all-or-nothing decision. You cannot be a half-baked Christian. There is no such
thing as a salvation-only-without-the-commitment discipleship. If you want to follow Christ, then you
are committing to follow all that He asks you to do.

“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

This is why there are many people who turn their backs on God and back to the world. When they
discover the commitment it takes to be a disciple, they bail. They don’t want to be tied up. They want
to go to heaven, sure, but they don’t want it now. They’d rather go and have fun with their lives first,
putting eternity on hold.

We need to understand that salvation does not end the moment we got saved. Yes, it is true that we
did nothing to earn our salvation, but we need to do something to keep our salvation.

Bible focus:

In John 6, Jesus talked of Himself as the Bread of Life. Here, he shocks his disciples with a new, radical
teaching: feed on Him in order to live (vv.57-58).

Not some, but many of his disciples turned their backs on Jesus and stopped following him after hearing
this hard teaching (v.66).

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Is there a teaching in the Bible that I just cannot seem to accept? Am I on the brink of turning my back
on Jesus?

After many of his disciples left him, Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked this question:

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” (v. 67)

Feeding on Christ (regular reading and studying of His Word) is just one of the things we need to do to
keep our salvation. Taking into consideration the cost of being a disciple (Lk.14:25-35), if Jesus asked
you this question, how will you respond?

And this is not just because you don’t want to spend eternity in hell. Have you forgotten what Christ did
for you on the cross? He gave His life for you. He endured the pain, the shame, and the grave just so
you can be redeemed from Satan’s grasp. Isn’t that worth your commitment? That’s why we follow
Christ in the first place – because He first loved us (1 Jn 4:19).

Given that, let’s do a little Discipleship Test to assess ourselves on where we stand as a disciple, with the
EPHOD 10 Point Plan* as our standard:

THE DISCIPLESHIP TEST

Rate yourself by putting a check mark to the column where you stand in each level:

Almost
EPHOD 10 POINT PLAN Scripture Never Rarely Often Always
Always

1. Daily Bible Reading John 8:31,32

2. Weekly Scripture Memorization Proverbs 7:2,3

3. Sunday School / Worship Hebrews 10:25

4. Weekly Carecell / Bible Study Nehemiah 8:5-8

5. Devotional Journal Habakkuk 2:2

6. Pray and Fast One Meal Each Week Mark 9:29

7. Sharing or Witnessing Jesus Mark 5:19

8. Tithes and Offerings Malachi 3:10

9. Daily Prayer and Worship Time Psalm 5:3; Jude 20

10. Take notes in Services Exodus 17:14

If your score is below 5, don’t despair! You can still catch up. Make up your mind to take the next step in your spiritual maturity.
If your score is 5 and above, that’s good! But don’t stop there. Continue growing in the Lord. Don’t let yourself become stagnant.
Never stop growing in the Lord. ☺

*Note: The EPHOD 10 Point Plan is designed to make a disciple grow in spiritual maturity.
Each point is biblical and, therefore, a must in every disciple’s spiritual regimen.

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Going back to Jesus’ question, how did Peter respond?

Peter responded with certainty:

“To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy
One of God.” (vv. 68-69)

If you truly believe in Jesus and if you have come to know His power in your life, then how can you not
respond as Peter did? Why go anywhere else, when you know where to find the answer to what you are
looking for. Jesus is the Answer. Follow him and you will never be lost. Don’t leave him. Instead, say,

“Because you say so, Lord, I will.”

3. “WHAT ABOUT HIM?” (John 21:21)

“Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them… When Peter saw
him, he asked, ‘Lord what about him?’

Jesus answered, “…what is that to you?” (John 21:19-22a)

Discipleship is a personal thing. It is between you and Jesus. Yes, you may need the help of others in
your spiritual growth; you may also need to help others in their spiritual growth, but in the end, the only
question that matters is whether you followed Jesus until the end even when no one else is with you.

What will become of you when others suddenly stop following Jesus? Will you follow them or follow
Him?

Remember what Jesus said,

“You must follow me.” (John 21:22b)

What can you say to that?

I know what my answer is:

“Because you say so, Lord, I will.”

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