1. Following Jesus… in Luke’s gospel True conversion Love for Jesus The power of faith The cost of discipleship Good Friday: worship & testimony Easter Sunday: He’s alive! The road to Emmaus

2. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem 9:51

3. Palm Sunday Crowds following Jesus Hosanna! (Luke 19)

4. Who will follow him?

5. Luke 9: 57 – 62; 10: 1 - 9 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

6. 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

7. 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

8. 1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

9. Who will truly follow him?

10. Sometimes we begin well with Jesus. Then it seems like we have a stone in our shoe. There are times of crisis and decision. Jesus meets three such people who are weighing up their commitment to Jesus.

11. I will follow you wherever you go. v57 Foxes have holes, birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. v58 Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying at the best hotels. The message

12. If you follow me it’ll look like this… Taking a risk on Jesus. Living counter culture. Trusting Jesus with our life.

13. I will follow you wherever you go. v57 Giving Jesus access to every part of our lives. To give up or to gain? For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose their very self? Luke 9: 24 -5 Will we sacrifice things that seem important for the bigger win?

14. Follow me… First let me go and bury my father. v59 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” v59 What Jesus is not saying!

15. This is to do with priorities. Busyness – the curse of our generation? We all make choices about how to spend our time, energy and money. Investing in the things of eternal value.

16. This is also about urgency. Jesus brings life and all good things come from him.

17. What is a WIN for our lives? Our private life with God Family: being present. Relationships: investing in people not stuff. Simplicity: less is more. Generosity: freely give. Follow me: Sometimes we are just following too many things. Make a difference: living sacrificially.

19. No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back…

20. To follow is to move forward. Jesus has promised freedom from the things of the past that hold us back. A WIN ? Which way are we facing?

21. We face road blocks

22. We may be confused.

23. We may be weighed down with the baggage of life…

24. What an interesting time for Jesus! He sends out 72 disciples who’ve said yes.

25. What have they said yes to? To be people of his presence To heal the sick To proclaim that the kingdom of God is near. To bring in the harvest. To bring life to a dying world.

26. Our qualification to follow? The WIN…?

27. Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”Luke 10:23

28. Following Jesus… in Luke’s gospel True conversion Love for Jesus The power of faith The cost of discipleship Good Friday: worship & testimony Easter Sunday: He’s alive! The road to Emmaus