Are We True Diciples Of Jesus, True Followers? #2

Do we have to sacrifice any thing?

Salvation is free, but discipleship may cost us everything we have.

Matthew 19:27 "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee…”

Matthew 8:19-20 "And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whither so ever thou goest. [20] And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has not where to lay his head."

Mark 8:34-36 34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

The meaning of sacrifice is the deliberate giving of the best we have to God that He may make it His and not mine forever.

“Jesus has many folks that are lovers of the heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of his cross. There’s many that want to be comforted, but many that dread tribulation.

All of us desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to endure anything for him, or with him.

Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup. . Many love Jesus so long as no adversities come their way, many praise and bless him so long as they receive consolations from him; but if Jesus hides himself and leaves them but a little while, they fall either into complaining .

A TRUE FOLLOWER WILL Trust HIM

let us trust that God has our best interests in mind and be willing to do what he asks of us, even if we don’t understand why.

Psalms 37:5 "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

Jeremiah 29:11 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

~~~ There was a missionary who got lost in an African jungle--nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could lead him out. The native said he could. "All right," said the missionary, "show me the way." The native said, "Walk." So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.

The missionary got worried. "Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?" The native said, in this place there is no path. I am the path." ~~~

John 14:6 "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me."

THERES A CHALLENGE TO FOLLOWING JESUS

Christ’s call to follow Him is a call to a deep personal relationship with Him. It is a call to surrender, a call to service, and a call to true discipleship.

Discipleship is essential, but Christ will never force us to be His disciple. He calls as he did in Matthew 16:24 when he said, “… If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The challenge is to hear His voice saying, “Come follow me” and then to respond