Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
Joh 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men;
Joh 1:5 and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
Joh 1:9 He was the true Light; He enlightens every man coming into the world.
Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, yet the world did not know Him.
Joh 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name,
Joh 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.
Joh 3:15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
Joh 3:17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!
Joh 3:18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.
Joh 3:19 The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light.
Joh 3:20 People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done.
Joh 3:21 But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do. [CEV]
Follow ME Reflecting His Image - God's Purpose for Your Life
Mat_4:19 [Simon Peter & brother Andrew], Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Mat_9:9 he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. Mk 2:14 Levi the son of Alphaeus Lk 5:27
Joh 1:43-51 (43) He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."
You and me Joh_10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
What does it mean to follow Jesus? The things you did yesterday? Things you plan to do today? How does following Jesus make them like and sound different than just doing them?
Luk 9:57-62 "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."
58] "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
59] Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
61] And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."
Repent --> Stop, turn around, go another direction...Repenting is not just what you don't do any more. It's all about what you do from now on...
If we are going to drive somewhere - you in your car and I in mine.
Joh_12:26 If any man serve me, let himfollow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Luk 9:20-27 (20) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."
(23) Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires tocome after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Mat_16:24 Mar_8:34
Gal 2:20I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
(24) For profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
Saying and doing are both required to follow
Rom 12:1-2 present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
John 14:6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Luk 6:46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them,'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 Wise man / Fookish man
2Co 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: "IN AN ACCEPTABLE TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Mat_19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come andfollow me. Mar_10:21 Luk_18:22
Gal_6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
2Co_9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Hold a garage sale!
Mar 12:43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you thatthis poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." Luk 21:3
Leviticus 5:13 Joshua - Jericho Neither
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
*********************************************
Exo 19:7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD.
Joh 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Joh 13:37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake." 38 Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
Luk 6:46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?
Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
*********************************************
Eph 5:25 ... as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Exo 32:26-29 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Follow ME Reflecting His Image - God's Purpose for Your Life
TWO WORD WONDERS:
But God...Who's Boss...So What...Not Me...How come...
Just maybe...I will...Let me...Trust Me...Glorify God...
Follow Me...
Simon Peter & brother Andrew
Mat_4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew / Levi
Mat_9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mar_2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
Luk_5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Philip
Joh 1:43-51
(43) The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."
(44) Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
(45) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
(46) And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
(47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"
(48) Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
(49) Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
(50) Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."
(51) And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
You and me
Joh_10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
What does it mean to follow jesus?
Think about the things you did yesterday?
Think about the things you plan to do today?
How does following Jesus make them like and sound different than just doing them?
Luk 9:57-62
57] Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him,
"Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."
58] And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
59] Then He said to another, "Follow Me."
But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
You see it's not that this guys father had died....yet...
What he was saying was,
"Lord I'll follow you but there are some things I want to do with my life before I commit to giving you my full attention.
Maybe when I've finished this project or that task or
Perhaps after when my kids have moved out or
When my parents have passed.
Maybe after I've retired and my wife and I have had that trip and we've rested up from it.
Then I'll be free to follow you with no distractions, 100% committed to you...
60] Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
61] And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."
Lord, I'll follow you but it will be a shock to my friends and family.
Let me prepare them for my departing
Let me put my affairs in order
then I'll commit to you 100% without reservation or hestitation.
62] But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
No one who follows me can ever look back.
You can't follow me and do your own thing.
Repent --> Stop, turn around, go another direction...
Repenting is not just what you don't do any more.
It's all about what you do from now on...
If we are going to drive somewhere - you in your car and I in mine.
You are going to follow me since I know where we are going and the best way for us to get there.
(Avoiding road construction, backups, delays, etc.)
Can you follow me if you are in front?
Are you following me if you a turning left and right, starting and stopping whenever you choose.
Can you follow me if you lose sight of me because you are busy taking in the views?
Can you follow me if you don't slow down when I slow down or speed up when I speed up?
Will you follow me if you have another goal, another destination in your plans?
Will you follow me if you do not trust me?
Joh_12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Luk 9:20-27(20) He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."
(21) And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one,(22) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
The disciples knew and acknowledged who Jesus was -
Jesus goes on warning them that knowing that was not good enough.
(23) Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Mat_16:24 Mar_8:34
Jesus was telling them about His cross and suddenly He's talking about their cross?
Who's cross is it that we are to take up daily??
Not His - He did that.
No it's our cross!
Who gets crucified on our cross?
It's not others. It's us!
We have to take up our cross carry it around with us and crucify ourselves on it daily.
Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
As soon as our old ways, wants, and desires push into our view
As soon as our old self rears its ugly head demanding our time and attention
We can nail our old life, our old self to that cross and get on with our new life in Christ - following Him.
(24) For profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
The person who decides not to follow Jesus will lose everything in the end.
Being changed / transformed into new men and women in Christ requires radical changes in how we live and think--and how we treat others.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.