“Powerful things happen when God’s people come together."
What is “FOLLOWING JESUS.”
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV) 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. We are not following a trend, or a culture, what media says, we are not following our passions, or our self interest, we are not following a church movement, we are following Jesus.
The Real Jesus. (Gal 1, 2 Cor 11) A Different Christ and a Different Gospel
Not a socially constructed Jesus that fits an agenda. He is not a politic you vote for.
He is not a white hippy form the suburbs who is saying “cant we all just get along.
Luke 14:25–33 (NIV) 25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Requirements to Following Jesus Luke 9:23–26 (NIV)23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. “Following Jesus is not a prayer that we pray it’s a life that we live!”
24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels
The Cost of Following Jesus is the same for every person. RYR(Mark 10) or the widow with 2 mites (Mark 12) Everything 1) Self Denial 2) Dying Daily 3)Following Jesus.
1. Come to him. “You cant follow him without Him.”
Matthew 11:27–30 (NIV) 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
2. Trust Him -FOLLOW His leadership: his shepherding, his guidance his want his will
3. Loving & Obeying Him John 14:15(NIV) If you love me, keep my commands. 1 John 5:2–3 (NIV) 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
Putting the Kingdom First.
Extending compassion.
Putting others first
Walking in forgiveness
Maintaining a Christ-like posture.
“Little Christ” (Acts 11, Antioch) Philippians 2:1–9 (NIV) 2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.
Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV) 9 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9–13 (NKJV) 9 Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation,But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Provision Matthew 6:11 (NKJV) Give us this day our daily bread.
Manna- Exodus 16 "The manna that nourished yesterday will poison you today."
Bread: represents everything necessary to sustain life.
Provisions are promised. Philippians 4:19–20 (NIV) 19 My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
"God provides: not according to earthly need, but by heavens resources."
Psalm 37:25–26 (NIV) 25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.
Matthew 6:25,31-34 (NIV) 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Praying for Provision Luke 11:5–13 (NIV) 5 "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
1. Pray Persistently. Prayer tip: Ask and keep asking.
2. Pray Specifically. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Prayer Tip: be specific.
3. Pray Confidently. Luke 12:32 (NIV) Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Not seeing God's provision? 1. Examine your habits. Are you asking? Are you working? Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV) Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Are you being wise?
2. Examine your heart. James 4:2–3 (NLT) …You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
Prayer tip: When praying, don't treat wants as needs.
1 John 5:14–15 (NIV)14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Provision to sustain is not all Jesus Provides. "Is life not more than food." -Matthew 6:25
Matthew 4:4 (NIV) Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
"Our greatest need and our most significant provision is the person of Christ." The word made flesh- John 1:14 John 6:35 (NIV)Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
“Powerful things happen when God’s people come together."
“Following Jesus is not a prayer that we pray it’s a life that we live!”
John 17: 20-26 (NLT) "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."
"We fulfill the prayer of Christ when we grow in unity." "God is glorified when we are unified." Acts 2:42–47 (NIV) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Answering God's prayer to unify. 1. Follow-ship "They devoted themself to following Jesus and the teaching from the apostles."
Following Jesus alone is not a biblical concept. They were devoted to:
Worshipping together
Getting in the word together
Praying Together
Matthew 18:19–20 (NLT) 19 "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
2. Fellowship "Breaking and bread an fellowship." "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." Koinōnia-Sharing of life. Colossians 3:16 (NLT) Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives…
3. Filling need "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need."
John 13:35 (NIV) "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 1.Material Needs. 2. Immaterial Needs.
Encouragement "The biblical standard of encouragement doesn't affirm sin, it confronts it."
Laughing together
Rejoicing(Celebrating) together
Mourningtogether
Romans 12:15 (NIV) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
4. Functioning together. "Many wonders and signs performed by the apostles." Jesus wants us in on the miracles.
Matthew 14:13–21 (NIV) 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
We can only be the body of we are working together!
5. Forward together Luke 9:62 (NLT) Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." The Mission unites us
