About 60% of the human body is water. We lose water simply by breathing. We lose water by sweating. We lose water when we use the bathroom. We are constantly losing water.
That’s why health professionals tell us that the average man needs to drink 13 cups of water a day; the average woman needs to drink 9 cups of water a day. That’s 3 liters of water a day for men; 2 liters of water day for women! That’s a lot of water!
If you don’t take in that much fluids, you could be dehydrated. Let’s say you only drink 1 cup o water a day – 8 ounces. That would be 56 ounces of water a week, when you should have drank as much as 700 ounces a week!
When we talk about following Jesus, being a disciple of Christ, we are not talking about worshipping Jesus for 1 hour each week. Being a disciple of Christ includes worshipping Him, but it is so much more. And studying the word of God on a daily basis is a part of that discipleship too. Jesus designed us to feed on His word regularly; remember He said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
If you do not read the Bible during the week, the 30 minutes of Bible you get from a Sunday morning sermon is not going to be enough to sustain your spirit. No wonder many Christians leave worship feeling like their spirits have not be uplifted. It’s because you came to worship already “dehydrated” and 8 ounces of water is not enough to sustain you.
Following Jesus is a daily decision that also includes daily choices.
We want to look at one example of a disciple of Jesus, whom Jesus will make into an apostle and this man illustrates to us what it means to become a disciple of Christ.
LEVI BECOMES A FOLLOWER – Luke 5:27-28:
Jesus is in the area of Capernaum, and he is walking on the road and came across a booth for collecting taxes and there was this man sitting there, collecting taxes. “Levi.” And Jesus says, “Follow Me.” Notice in verse 28 that the text says Levi “left everything” and got up and followed Jesus. That verb “to leave” carries the idea of “abandoning everything.” Levi decided that he was going to do more than be an honest tax collector. He was going to stop being an honest tax collector and he was going to be a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.
LEVI BECOMES AN EVANGLELIST – 5:29-32:
The first thing Levi does, according to Luke’s account, is to throw a huge reception – a fantastic dinner – with Jesus as the honored guest in his house. But this party is not just for Levi. He invites a “great crowd” of tax collectors and many other people to join him. He is introducing his friends and family and neighbors to meet Jesus. In Matthew’s account (9:10), Matthew tells us there were “sinners” in this crowd!
LEVI BECOMES A METAPHOR – 5:33-39:
Keep in mind that Levi carries the name of the tribe of priests from the OT. Could it be that God wants us to see Levi as being a metaphor for leaving the tribe of Levi behind and that priesthood (the “OT”) as we move into the new covenant of Jesus Christ? Levi has another name, you see, Matthew, which he is known as even in Luke 6:15. Once he becomes a follower of Christ, he leaves the “Levi” behind – the OT forms – and he takes on a new identity, a follower of Christ, which is symbolized by him using a new name: Matthew. And, being led by the Spirit of God, Matthew writes for us the Gospel according to Matthew so that he can continue introducing the world to His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
LEVI IS AN EXAMPLE – Luke 14:25-33:
So Levi became a disciple of Christ, a “follower” of Jesus. He left his job and his old religion and he followed Jesus with his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Levi is an example of the dedication and commitment that Jesus actually demands from all of us. Let’s conclude by reading Luke 14:25-33…
Follow Jesus with everything you are, every where you are, with all that you are.
Paul Holland
