"Come, follow me," Jesus said, “and . . . ." Matthew 4:19-20

“You should become a Christian . . .

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19-20

Once a month, with my discipleship partner(s) Transformed lives Love and serve one another Healings and miracles Lots of new believers Once a month, with my discipleship partner(s) I will do something for someone in the community for Christ’s sake. I will get together weekly with at least one other person for life discipleship process. I will feed my soul daily in God’s Word and prayer. Base Camp: I’m a Christian who is now, or is working toward being involved with C@C on Sundays, financially supporting the church and involved in a ministry.

Some misconceptions about what it meant to follow Jesus in His day. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Matthew 8:19-22

Some misconceptions about what it meant to follow Jesus in His day. 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Mark 10:17-22

Jesus on what it meant to follow Him. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. Matthew 16:24-26

Misconceptions about following Jesus Back then Now It’s on my terms, when I get around to it. It should be easy and accessible to the uncommitted. It’s primarily for my personal benefit. To throw off Roman rule and reestablish Israel as the power on the planet. It’s on my terms, when I get around to it. It should be easy and accessible to the uncommitted. It’s primarily for my personal benefit. My personal salvation so I’ll go to heaven when I die.

Being a Christian A follower of Jesus Believe the right things Go to church Going to heaven Try to live a moral life Comfortable Smug Judgmental Believes the right things Goes to church Going to heaven Transformation by the Spirit Mission Uncomfortable Compassionate Gracious

Following Jesus meant/means: Laying aside your agenda for the best personal life possible for yourself and taking up God’s agenda for the best life possible for those around you. Forsaking the kind of person you would have been if you hadn’t decided to follow the Messiah. Becoming like Jesus, one who ushers in the breath of another world (heaven) wherever you are. Confident, compassionate, courageous -- on a mission to bring heaven to earth for earth weary people. A mission to restore the people and the planet to what God intended them to be.

Ready to Follow Jesus? Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 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. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-33

Ready to Follow Jesus? So, would it be worth it to you to become the kind of person Jesus was/is? If so, what hindrances do you face as you become a full devoted follower of Jesus?

Internal Hindrances to Following Jesus My sin, tendencies to sin. My inability. Motivation?

External Hindrances to Following Jesus Busy-ness, life’s fast pace, routine, pressures. Subtle pressures to live a life acceptable in my culture. (individualistic, materialistic, consumerist, appearance/performance based approval) Church and Christianity as we know it.

Hindrances to Following Jesus My sin, tendencies to sin. My inability. Motivation? Busy-ness, life’s fast pace, routine, pressures. Subtle pressures to live a life acceptable in my culture. (individualistic, materialistic, consumerist, appearance/performance based approval) Church and Christianity as we know it.

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19-20

How would your week be different? What would your life be like if you were truly following Jesus as He intended? You would be the kind of person Jesus was! So, what kind of person was Jesus? How would your week be different?

In our day we don’t think so much about ‘following Jesus,’ or ‘being like Jesus’ we think in terms of being a really good Christian. So, what does it mean to be a really good Christian? The best Christian in the church? How’s that compare with what Jesus meant when He called, “Follow Me and I’ll make you fishers of people”?