Matthew 28: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Matthew 28: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28: and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

FOLLOWING JESUS

MATTHEW 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

MATTHEW 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

MATTHEW 28:18-20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

THE KEY TO MAKING DISCIPLES IS BEING A DISCIPLE

WHAT IS A DISCIPLE? Disciples of a Jewish Rabbi Followed their teacher everywhere Did what their teacher told them Learned to act and talk like their teacher Expected to be treated like their teacher Stayed with their teacher until the course of instruction was finished

JESUS TELLS ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (MATTHEW 5:11-12)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.” (MATTHEW 7:21-23)

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (LUKE 13:24)

It’s hard to find the narrow door when the whole world is trying to get our attention.

JESUS’ HILLSIDE DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING CLASS MATTHEW 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;

Yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

WE ARE BLESSED MATTHEW 5:1-20 Humble in spirit Mourn Humble before god Want to be righteous Show mercy Pure motives Make peace Mistreated

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS MATTHEW 5:21-6:4 Hatred = Murder Lust = Adultery Keep Your Promises Actively do good to those who hurt you Keep the good stuff you do between you and God

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD MATTHEW 6:5-7:6 Prayer Fasting Giving Worrying Judging

SO IT COMES DOWN TO THIS MATTHEW 7:7-23 Do you trust God enough to ask Him to give you what He said He would? Do you want it bad enough to fight the crowds of distractions to get in the narrow door? Are you ready to follow for the long haul in such a way that the tree of your life starts to look like Jesus, and the fruit of your life begins to look like His.

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” – G.K. Chesterton

WE ARE DISCIPLES WHO WILL GO THE DISTANCE “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus... Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful... We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Hebrews 10:19, 23, 34)

WE ARE DISCIPLES WHO WILL GO THE DISTANCE “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (I Corinthians 9:24)

FOLLOWING JESUS Go the distance Be all that you can be Just do it

Jesus is My Shepherd

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

Who’s Coming With Me?