<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document • Jesus Said: “Follow Me”
• Let us see what that involves.

• Introduction
• Matthew 10:37-39 "..he that doth not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
• Matthew 16:24-27 "...come after me...deny himself...follow me."
• We are commanded to follow Jesus and we are commanded to not follow other things.
• Who or how do you follow?
• Let us look at some types of followers.

• Wholly Followed
• Numbers 32:9-14 Joshua and Caleb "wholly followed."
• Joshua 14:8 "I wholly followed the Lord my God" (Caleb)
• This is similar to Paul speaking of keeping the faith in 2 Timothy 4:7.
• Wholly does not mean partially or a little.
• If Jesus gave it all for you, should you not give all for Him?

• "At Once"
• Matthew 4:18-20 "at once they left their nets and followed."
• Even when it involves our means of livelihood or way of life.
• Change is difficult for everyone.
• People get into routines and do not leave them, even if they realize that the change would be good.
• There may be some valid reasons for a person to not want to change things, but when the evidence suggests that it is beneficial, it is foolish to not do what is best for you.
• i.e. Diet, Exercise, attending church, studying your Bible.

• "Wherever You Go"
• Matthew 8:19 "I will follow wherever you go."
• Even when we don't understand where or why.
• Abraham believed God, and immediately left his fathers people to go to a place he did not know.
• Ruth told Naomi that she would follow her and do what she did, including worshipping the God Naomi served.
• The unwillingness to follow destroys more relationships that we can imagine.

• "Left All"
• Matthew 19:27 "...we have left all."
• We must be willing to leave all that the Lord demands.
• That would be worldliness, sin, and perhaps friends and family.
• In the end, if we continue faithfully it will be worth it all.
• The rich young ruler was sad when Jesus asked him to give all and follow Him.

• Partial
• Just like the rich young ruler most will follow up to a point.
• Until it becomes inconvenient.
• When service to God becomes bothersome or interferes with our fun and pleasure.
• Most people are not willing to give up the world.
• “We now have a generation that has come to follow Christ without giving up the world” A.W.Tozer (1827-1963)

• Hungry
• John 6:26 they sought Him because He fed them.
• While we are to hunger and seek after righteousness, this is not talking about that.
• Most people are looking for satisfaction of physical and social needs.
• That is why some churches in town have lots of cars outside their building and why some have very few.
• When people come together to have fun, they are pleasing themselves.
• They should be seeking to please God.

• "But First"
• Luke. 9:59-62 …let me bury my father and another said let me say goodbye to those at home.
• As long as following doesn't conflict with something else.
• This is holding onto the things of this world as we read in 1 John 2:15-16. “all that is in the world will perish”.
• Would we be willing to give up these things for the sake of spending eternity with God?

• "Afar Off"
• Matthew 26:58 …but Peter stood afar off”
• This could have been because of a lack of commitment.
• It could be because Peter feared the same treatment?
• Too many who claim to be Christians are unwilling to confess His name in public and in their social circles.
• Sadly, many of your closest friends do not even know you go to church, which church you go to, what that church teaches, and they do not know you are even a Christian.
• If that is the case, you have forfeited your right to be called a Christian.
• Titus 1:16 “they profess to know Christ, but their deeds deny Him”.

• Conclusion:
• Which of these would describe you as a follower of Christ?
• Can we say like Caleb, "I wholly follow the Lord my God?"
• Can we be honest with ourselves and say that we truly follow Christ and the evidence is seen by others?
• What kind of follower are you?

By Carey Scott from outline sent to me from Eric Jones

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