Are you following Him?

The Bible is extremely tough to read. Sometimes we read scripture and immediately purposefully forget what it says because it hits us in the heart. We don’t like feeling convicted.

The Bible is extremely tough to read. Sometimes we read scripture and immediately purposefully forget what it says because it hits us in the heart. We don’t like feeling convicted.

Let me tell you something. God has been eating me up. Slaps you in the face.

PRAYER

· Who can recall their salvation story?? Some might can remember a specific day or maybe a time period.

o I can recall when I was 8 years old. I was at a Revival at Broad St. Fred McCoy

o I talked to my parents about getting saved

o Then I had a meeting with the Bro Kelly and I clearly remember him talking to me about salvation. Sitting in his office

o Then he asked me to pray and that he would lead me through it.

o He started Dear Jesus….It was an awkward pause because I wasn’t sure what to do next.

o So then finally my mom had to tell me to repeat after him…done…saved…now to baptism…

o I often look back and wonder…was it real? Was there a seed planted?

o Not sure… but I know now that God is my Lord and Saviour.

· Play video that is very similar to my story….

· After I was baptized not much changed in my life. I didn’t pray much, I didn’t want to go to church, I had no desire to read God’s word.

o Until one day I read a verse that really scared me. It was .

o It shook me up. Maybe it opened my eyes to something more than just saying a prayer at a young age.

o Was it just casual acceptance? Did I really mean it?

o And I fear that I am not the only one that has said “the sinner’s prayer” and lived no differently than they did before.

o How many of you have repeated a prayer, raise your hand, filled out a card, walked down an aisle and accepted Jesus into your heart?

o Yes, I do believe that it can/will work for some but is it shocking to you that there is no such prayer in the bible.

o Is it shocking to you that we accept Jesus into our hearts as if he needs our acceptance? Reality Jesus doesn’t need us…We need HIM!

· So my question to you is….Do you want to casually accept Christ or completely surrender to Christ?

o Quote from “follow me” on page 16

o Now please don’t get me confused with works salvation.

o I’m not saying that you have to work to be saved.

o “saved by grace through faith through Christ alone”.

o Im saying that you have a desire to change and work.

o You should be very different than you were before. You are new creation! The old has passed.

o You should look different.

§ I was running late this morning.

· I had a flat tire.

· As I was putting a spare on.

· I stepped out in front of a semi truck. Going 60 MPH. And Bam! I go flying 20 yards in the air.

· Dust myself off and finish putting my tire on.

· Then make it here a little late this morning.

· You would either think I am delusional or I’m a liar.

· Because when you get hit head on by a semi truck. YOU LOOK CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT!!! God has a lot more power than a Semi.

· Jesus didn’t invite people to pray a prayer.

o He invited them to a radical mission. One that could have life altering effects. He simply invited them to “follow me”.

· When Jesus called His disciples(Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew). He said “follow me”

o They dropped everything. (jobs,family,future)

· Introduce you to three tough passages in Luke.

· We see passages like . (In matthew 8)

o “I want to follow you” “I want to be a Christian”

o (Verse 58) Are you sure? You might be homeless like me.

§ You might lose your home, security, furniture, pillowtop bed.

§ In other words, if you follow me, I’m all you got.

o (Verse 59-60) Let the dead bury their own dead.

§ Much debate over this. Did the father die or was the man waiting on his inheritance?

§ Regardless, Jesus is saying let the world take care of those things. We have a mission to save the spiritually dead.

o (Verse 61-62) Don’t look back.

§ Looking back often leads to backsliding which leads to falling away.

§ Lot’s wife? () She turned back and couldn’t let go.

o What excuses would we have? I’m kinda tired/ My kids have a ball game/ I work everyday so Sunday is my only day off for me/ I usually go hunting/fishing on my time off.

· We see passages like . (also ,,,)

o 5 different times we see these same words. That should tell us the importance.

o (Verse 26A) In comparison to me, your love for your father,mother, wife, children, brother, sister should look like hate. Cant be my disciple (follower)

o That’s how much God wants you to love him.

o God wants you to love your family but He must come 1st.

o (Verse 26B) Then he goes on to say hate your own life. Cant be my disiple. (follower)

§ Denying self…. God is supreme.

o (Verse 27) Carry his own cross cant be my disciple. (follower)

§ Die for Jesus….

§ In 1st century this language was absurd.

· Like taking Lethal injection now.

· Lastly, in () (,)

o Jesus tells this man if you really want to follow me. You must sell all you have and give it to the poor.

o He couldn’t do it and walked away sad.

o I bet the disciples were like “what? Are you thinking?” He’s got money/resources. He’d be great for our ministry.

o I’m not saying that you have to sell everything to be a follower of Jesus. But you might…

So in these three passages, is Jesus actually trying to talk people out of following Him? Yes; I believe many walked away from Jesus.

In , So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.

That’s just weird.

In verse 66 we see many walk away.

But why???

Why would Jesus allow people to walk away?

He knows following him is serious business

He wants you and all of you. He doesn’t want you to come on your terms. He wants you on His terms.

· You might be homeless, must hate your family, yourself, sell all your possessions and yes possibly die fo me.

o This sounds a lot different than admit, believe, confess, and pray this prayer.

· What does this all mean?

o It means that following Jesus is more than casual church attendance

o Its more than a one time prayer

· Earlier I mentioned that 70% of Americans are “Christian”.

o 2.2 Billion Christians worldwide

o That still leaves 4.7 Billion people who don’t believe in Jesus.

o Who if they died today (rapture) would spend an eternity in hell.

o But also on the physical side.

o 29,000 children die a day from starvation/preventable diseases like diarrhea.

· If you are a Christian, youre a follower, you are a disciple.

o Its our job as Christians (followers) to reach the lost with Gospel and with Hope! Jesus commands us in . Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

o In other parts of the world, (like China) People are dying to spread the gospel.

o In America, we have no idea what this means

o We are spoiled, lazy, contempt, comfortable people.

o In other countries people would die to go to church

o We cant even get out of bed

o They meet in groups for hours to pray and study God’s word in secret.

o We get mad if a sermon lasts over 30 minutes. We’re too scared to pray in public.

o They Would love to touch a bible.

o We have bibles we’ve never touched

o They love each other so much to die for the spread of the gospel

o We cant go to church cause there’s too much drama/hypocrites

· Church we don’t have time to play games with our lives and we don’t have time to play games in the church.

· Maybe God is calling us to radically abandon all of our plans, dreams, ideas, possessions, hopes of living out the middle class American dream to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world.

· I want to close with this…….

o

o 44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.

o Isn’t he worth it? To give up everything to proclaim his goodness/glory to the nations?

o Our rewards are not here on earth but in heaven…..

· Many want to become Christians to reap the benefits of his food, wealth, health, forgiveness, blessings, heaven…..

o Yes those are good things that Jesus gives us….

o But that shouldn’t be our motivation.

o Our motivation should be JESUS.. JUST GIVE US JESUS!!!

o He is all we need!!!

o God raise up men/women in this room to look at their lives and their securities and be willing to give it all up for your kingdom.

o If you don’t know Jesus…. I strongly urge you to count the cost but realize that he is so worth it…..

o Will you follow him today????

o I urge you to make a decision today knowing the cost….

o People who have been given a realistic sense of what it means to follow Jesus, and who have counted the cost, will make much steadier disciples that make disciples.

o After hearing this msg….many will chose to continue their lives as before. Most will hear this message and cant even sacrifice their time for God. Most in this room wont even sacrifice their time and come back this evening…. Not trying to guilt trip you into coming. Just stating the obvious.

o CLOSE