Lesson 4 of 5 — Knowing Christ: A Study

What Does It Mean to Hear His Word and Follow Him?

Purpose of this lesson: To see from Scripture that genuine faith is not only words. It listens to Christ, receives His teaching, obeys His commands, takes up the cross daily, and bears fruit by remaining in Him.

To follow Jesus is to hear His word, obey Him in love, take up the cross, and bear fruit by remaining in Him.

What You Will Learn

  • What it means to truly hear Christ's word
  • Why genuine faith produces obedience
  • What taking up the cross means in everyday life
  • How bearing fruit is a sign of remaining in Christ
  • Why following Christ is costly but filled with grace
Before You Begin Before you begin, ask yourself honestly: Am I following Christ as my Lord, or only knowing Him as an idea? This lesson calls us to move from knowing to following.

Key Scriptures

  • John 10:27
  • Luke 6:46
  • Luke 9:23
  • John 15:5
  • Matthew 7:24–26
Studying with someone? Read the Scriptures aloud together, move slowly, and leave room for honest questions. The goal is not to rush through material, but to see Christ clearly and respond to Him sincerely.

1. Jesus Calls Us to Hear His Word

"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
John 10:27

This is one of the clearest descriptions of a true disciple. Christ's people listen to Him. They do not only admire Him. They do not only speak about Him. They receive His word as truth and life.

The Father Himself said:

"This is My beloved Son... listen to Him!"
Matthew 17:5

To listen to Jesus means more than hearing sounds or reading words. It means receiving His teaching with faith, humility, and obedience.

"The words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life."
John 6:63
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life."
John 6:68

The words of Jesus are not ordinary opinions. They reveal the Father, expose the heart, call sinners to repentance, comfort the weary, and lead us into eternal life. So the Christian life must be shaped by His word.

Main idea We must ask: What did Jesus teach? What did He command? What did He love? What did He warn against? What kind of person does He form? If we want to follow Christ, we must begin by listening to Him.

2. True Faith Obeys Christ

Jesus once asked:

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
Luke 6:46

This is a serious question. It shows that calling Jesus "Lord" with the mouth is not enough if the heart refuses His teaching.

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
John 14:15

Obedience does not mean we earn God's love. We are saved by grace. But true grace teaches us to leave sin and live for God.

"To deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner."
Titus 2:12

A disciple is a learner. A disciple does not merely collect religious information. A disciple learns from Jesus and becomes more like Him.

"Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Matthew 7:24
"Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."
Matthew 7:26
Both people heard. The difference was obedience. The question is not only, "Have I heard the words of Jesus?" The question is: Am I building my life on them?

3. Following Jesus Means Taking Up the Cross

Jesus never presented discipleship as a comfortable religious label.

"If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Luke 9:23

To follow Jesus means we no longer live as if our own will is supreme. We deny ourselves. We surrender our pride. We let go of sin. We accept that Christ is Lord over every part of life.

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
Luke 14:27

This does not mean that Jesus is harsh or without compassion. He is gentle and humble in heart. He gives rest to the weary. But His rest is not found by keeping our old life. His rest is found by coming under His lordship.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me."
Matthew 11:29

Following Jesus means learning from Him daily. It means forgiving because He forgave. It means loving because He loved. It means walking in humility because He humbled Himself. It means seeking the Father's will, not merely our own.

"Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
Matthew 16:25
Main idea Following Jesus means losing life in order to find true life in Him. The cross is not a symbol we wear. It is the shape of a life surrendered to Christ.

4. A Genuine Disciple Bears Fruit

"I am the vine, you are the branches."
John 15:5

A branch has life only by remaining in the vine. In the same way, a Christian bears fruit only by remaining in Christ.

"The one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit."
John 15:5

Fruit is the visible life of Christ growing in us. It includes love, humility, holiness, patience, forgiveness, mercy, truthfulness, prayer, endurance, and obedience. Paul described the fruit of the Spirit:

"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
Galatians 5:22–23
"You will know them by their fruits."
Matthew 7:16

This does not mean Christians become perfect overnight. But it does mean that genuine faith is alive. A person who belongs to Christ should be growing, repenting, learning, and being changed.

"The one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked."
1 John 2:6
So following Jesus is not only a moment of decision. It is a life of abiding, listening, obeying, repenting, trusting, and bearing fruit.

Key Truth

Jesus calls His people to hear His voice and follow Him.

True faith is not only words.

It listens to Christ, receives His teaching, obeys His commands, and builds life on His word.

Following Jesus means denying ourselves, taking up the cross, and learning from Him daily.

A genuine disciple remains in Christ and bears fruit by the Holy Spirit.

"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
— John 10:27

"Listen to Him!"
— Matthew 17:5

Check Your Understanding

  1. Multiple choice: In John 10:27, Jesus says His sheep hear His voice. What else does He say about them?

    • A. They argue about doctrine and defend the truth
    • B. He knows them and they follow Him
    • C. They are the most spiritually gifted people
    • D. They have memorised the Scriptures
    Show suggested answer

    B. John 10:27 says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Knowing Christ and being known by Him leads to following — not as a burden but as a natural response to belonging to Him.

  2. True or false: According to James 2:17, faith without works is incomplete but still saves.

    Show suggested answer

    False. James 2:17 says "faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James is not saying works earn salvation — he is saying that living, genuine faith always produces fruit. A faith that produces no obedience, love, or changed life is not the kind of faith that saves. True faith and obedience are inseparable.

  3. Scripture connection: In Luke 9:23, Jesus says "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." What does "taking up the cross daily" mean in ordinary Christian life?

    Show suggested answer

    Taking up the cross daily means choosing Christ's way over our own preferences and comfort — every day. It means dying to self-centredness, self-will, and the fear of what others think. It does not mean seeking suffering for its own sake, but willingly accepting the cost of following Christ faithfully in each day's ordinary choices.

  4. In your own words: Jesus says in John 15:5 that apart from Him, a branch "can do nothing." What does this mean for the Christian life?

    Show suggested answer

    It means that spiritual fruitfulness — genuine love, holiness, endurance, and growth — is not produced by human effort alone but by connection to Christ. A branch disconnected from the vine does not just produce less fruit — it produces none. The Christian life is not self-improvement but dependence on Christ, who produces His fruit in and through us.

  5. Personal response: Jesus taught that those who build their life on His words stand firm when storms come (Matthew 7:24–25). Where in your life do you feel the need to build more firmly on what Christ has said?

    Show suggested answer

    There is no single correct answer. This question invites honest self-examination. Consider areas where you are tempted to lean on your own understanding rather than Christ's teaching — in relationships, in fear, in priorities. Bring these honestly to God.

Review

  1. What does Jesus say in John 10:27 about His sheep?
  2. How does James 2:17 describe faith without deeds?
  3. What does Jesus call His disciples to do in Luke 9:23?
  4. According to John 15:5, what can a branch do when it is not connected to the vine?
  5. What kind of fruit does Jesus say a disciple who remains in Him will bear (John 15:8)?

Reflection Questions

  1. What does it mean to truly listen to Jesus?
  2. Why is it dangerous to call Jesus "Lord" but ignore His words?
  3. What does taking up the cross mean in daily life?
  4. What fruit should grow in a person who remains in Christ?
  5. In what area of life do I need to hear and obey Jesus more sincerely?
  6. Am I building my life on the rock of Christ's words?

After This Lesson

Read Matthew 7:24–27 and ask yourself where your life needs to be built more firmly on the words of Christ.

Before moving on, pause. Pray. Ask God to give you ears that truly hear Christ and a heart that is willing to follow Him — not only in words, but in the daily surrender of your life to His lordship. Ask Him to produce real fruit in you by His Spirit.

"Father, let me hear Your Son and follow Him with my whole life."

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