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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FOLLOW JESUS?
*TEXT: Luke 9:23-26*
*INTRODUCTION:* There are many different ideas as to what it takes to be a Christian.
Some think it is keeping a lot of religious rules, mostly starting with, "Thou shalt not!"
Some think that being a Christian demands just being kind, loving, compassionate and sharing what we have with others.
Some believe that being a Christian means to go to church, to read the Bible, to pray a lot and to avoid smiling whenever possible.
There are those who believe that being a law-abiding citizen, who never violates the speed limit or cheats on taxes, makes you a Christian.
Believe it or not, some actually believe that just being born in America makes you a Christian.
What does it take to be a Christian?
At the very foundation, at the very basis, at the very least it takes a heart that desires to follow Jesus Christ, or in His terms, to be His disciple.
Being a Christian and following Jesus Christ are synonymous.
No matter how many rules you keep, if you don't follow Jesus you're not a Christian.
No matter how kind and loving you are, if you don't follow Jesus, you're not a Christian.
No matter how often you attend church, read your Bible and pray, if you don't follow Jesus, you're not a Christian.
You might never break a human law and not be a Christian.
You might be a tenth generation American and not be a Christian.
You might be Baptized and join the church and not be a Christian.
So what does it take to be a Christian?
Following Jesus.
And the real question is: “So what does it take to follow Jesus?”
There are three factors revealed in the text.
Before we consider them, let me tell you about two men, Will and Sam, both of whom professed to be Christian.
Both, at some time in their life, had responded to the Gospel call and made confession of faith, were baptized and affiliated with a congregation.
One of them was about to learn that it took more than that to follow Jesus.
It took more than that to be His disciple.
So what does it take to follow Jesus?
!
I. It Takes Commitment:
!! A. By "Commitment" I mean:
!!! 1. Fixation of purpose to accomplish some goal or reach some end.
!!! 2. The act of binding or obligating yourself to some action or duty.
!!! 3. The act of determining a direction to travel.
!!!! a) You come to a fork in the road and you commit to one way or the other.
!!!! b) Two ways open before us: The wide way which leads to death and the narrow way, Jesus' way, which leads to life.
!!!! c) You must commit to one way or the other.
!!! 4. Dedication to a person or cause.
!!! 5. A promise you make to someone.
!!! 6. Fully devoting yourself to any given idea or plan.
!! B. Jesus calls us to commitment when He calls us to follow Him.
!!! 1. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
!!! 2. In Luke 14:27 Jesus puts it this way, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."
!!! 3. Following Him means becoming His disciple.
!!! 4. Being His disciple means learning from Him, patterning our lives after His, and being committed to Him and His purposes.
!! C. He's speaking about commitment.
!!! 1.
To follow Jesus demands commitment.
!!! 2. To be His disciple demands commitment.
!!! 3. To bear a cross demands commitment.
!!! 4. To live as a Christian demands commitment.
!! D. "Well, I don't go whole-hog for this Christian thing like some people do.
I'm sort of half Christian."
!!! 1.
Not only he didn't go whole-hog, he hadn't even tasted the bacon!
!!! 2. In the second place, you can't be half Christian.
!!!! a) You can be half awake, half finished and half baked.
!!!! b) But you can't be half Christian.
It's committed or nothing.
Will and Sam both made some commitment to Christ at some time in their lives.
But for one of them it was "Whole hog" and for the other it was a matter of whether it was convenient or not.
Will served Christ even when it cost him; Sam served when it benefited him or was expedient.
But to follow Jesus, to be His disciple, to be a Christian demands more than that.
It demands commitment and:
!
II.
It Takes Cross-Bearing:
!! A. To follow Jesus is to commit to cross-bearing.
!!! 1.
This is something we choose
!!! 2. it is not thrust upon us against our own will.
!! B. What does this mean?
What is it to bear a cross?
Think about it in reference to literal cross-bearing as in Jesus' day.
!!! 1.
The cross was painful and induced much suffering.
!!!! a) There may be those things we will have to suffer for Jesus: persecution, rejection, ridicule.
!!! 2. The cross represented, in the Christian context, sacrifice.
!!!! a) Jesus came to lay down His life on behalf of others.
!!!! b) He was the atoning sacrifice that paid for our sins.
He became the Lamb of God Who took away the sins of the world.
!!!! c) There are sacrifices we will be called upon to make for Jesus: forfeiture of our own plans, submitting our wills to His, giving up what we'd use for self for the benefit of others.
!!! 3. The cross was a shameful thing.
!!!! a) People looked with reproach and disgust on the criminal nailed to the cross.
!!!! b) others may look with contempt upon us for following Jesus.
!!!! c) that's a cross we must willingly bear.
!!! 4. The cross was a form of execution.
!!!! a) If someone was carrying a cross, others knew that individual was going to be put to death.
!!!! b) We are to die to sin, to the dictates of the flesh.
!!!! c) We are to be crucified to the world and the world to us.
!!!! d) To bear a cross is to die.
!! C. Some people think that a back ache or bunion or a nagging mother-in-law is their cross.
!!! 1.
Not so, these may be thorns in the flesh, but a cross is chosen.
!!! 2. Pick yours up and bear it with courage and commitment
!! D. A cross
!!! 1.
Is not comfortable,
!!! 2. Is not convenient,
!!! 3. Is not glorious,
!!! 4. Is not necessarily pleasant.
!!! 5.
But each of us has a cross to bear and we'd do well to learn to bear it without grumbling.
So, Will and Sam both made some commitment to Christ.
Will was a cross-bearer, Sam took the easy way.
Will was dependable, regular, and trustworthy; Sam was on again, off again.
One day, Sam came into Will's place of business to place an order.
During their conversation, Sam cussed and swore and used the Lord's Name in vain.
Will's son was present and Will didn't want him to hear that language.
He spoke up, "Sir, the language you are using is most offensive to me.
I'm a Christian and I'm trying to raise my son as a Christian, and I'd be obliged if you'd watch your language in here."
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