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We are looking at what it takes to be a true follower, a true disciple of Jesus.
What is shocking is that When Jesus was teaching, we find that many of his disciples turned away.
As we consider this, I believe those “disciples” were not followers.
They were simply fans, out for what they could get.
The question is, are we like them?
Are we fans out for what we can get from Jesus, or are we followers who want to learn from Jesus, and do what He says?
What does a true disciple/follower do?
Well, in wanting to answer whether we are true disciples/followers, we need to know what a true disciple/follower is.
Thankfully, it is not just up to us to figure out, or come up with a list of rules.
Jesus actually tells us what a true disciple/follower is.
We have been looking at a number of verses over the past weeks where Jesus told us what it takes to be a true disciple, a true follower.
We read what Jesus said to a crowd in Luke 14, and what He said to His twelve chosen disciples on another occasion in Matthew 10.
Let’s review the Matthew passage quickly.
From these verses, we saw that a true disciple, a true follower of Jesus will...
Love Jesus More
We need to love him more than others, even our own family, who would not want us to follow Him.
We need to love Jesus more than anyone, including ourselves, to be a true follower.
Loving Him more than myself, means He is more important.
What He wants is more important than what I want.
Which is why Matthew and Luke both record the next thing Jesus said, which was about taking up our cross to follow Him.
We found out last week, that Jesus actually talked about true disciples carrying their crosses on yet a third occasion, as recorded in Luke 9:23.
Here we see Jesus starting with how a true follower MUST...
Deny Self
To Deny myself means to restrain myself from my passions, or what I want.
That actually is a logical progression, isn’t it?
If I Love Him More, I want Him more than anything else.
I want to follow Him more than I want to listen to others.
I want to follow Him more than other things in my life.
Therefore, I will restrain myself from the things I naturally want, or have gotten into the habit of craving.
Sometimes, those could even be good things.
However, because I want what He wants, sometimes I go without some of those good things.
Jesus actually set the example for this.
He left His position in Heaven to come down here to Earth.
Not only did He come to Earth, He gave up His privileged position as God, Lord and Creator to be a man, even to the point of being a slave, serving human beings!
He expects the same from us.
He expects us to deny ourselves, even of good things sometimes, to follow Him.
He is the Lord.
We are the slaves.
Prayer
Now, last week, I mentioned how I find that in prayer, I often pray as if I am Lord, and He is slave.
I had a couple people mention that to me this week, so I wanted to take a moment to quickly examine how we should pray since He is Lord and we are slaves.
First Jesus does tell us to bring our requests to Him.
We will get to that later in John.
But, when we pray, maybe our prayers should more closely resemble the way Jesus taught us to pray.
Turn to Matthew 6:9-13.
In this passage, I think we find the way to pray to Him as Lord.
It begins by acknowledging that He is Lord!
He is the Holy One!
He is the One to whom we bow and worship.
What is most important is that His will be done.
Not my will.
I truly want what He knows is best.
I do request that He provide what I need for the day.
He knows what I need, when I usually am focused on what I want.
His will is that I forgive as He forgave me.
I need to repent of where I have forsaken His will for my own, and get back in line as a proper slave.
I would request that He keep me from testing, but no matter what, deliver me from the prince of this world, who wants to deceive me and lead me away from my Lord.
I can and should absolutely bring my requests.
But the whole point of this prayer is to acknowledge Him as Lord, and get myself in-line with His will.
I encourage you to take this up as homework this week.
Let’s all begin to pray properly, the way Jesus said, with Him as Lord and Master, and us as the slaves.
Well, back on task.
A true disciple or true follower loves Jesus more, and then denies self.
The next thing a true follower will do is...
Take up cross daily
This also flows from love, doesn’t it?
If I love Jesus more, I will sacrifice myself for Him.
Jesus also set the example for us in this, didn’t He?
We looked at this in Philippians 2 last week.
As I considered what it means to take up the cross daily, I thought of three aspects of the cross.
The cross is a symbol of:
Love
Forgiveness
Death
Love
Please look with me at John 15:13.
Jesus loved us while we were still His enemies.
That is why He died.
He loved us.
Now, if we are true followers, we will love Him more, deny ourselves, and give up our very lives for Him!
That is what Romans 12:1 is all about.
Each day, we should offer all that we are and have for Him out of gratitude and love for Him!
We have a hard time with Luke 14:33.
Am I really ready to sacrifice all I have, even my own life to Him?
That is what we are called to do daily!
that is probably one of the hardest things a person can do.
It is drilled into us, “It’s my life!
I can do what I want!”
Though that is what we a constantly told, that is not the truth!
Remember, He redeemed us from our empty way of life, handed down to us by our forefathers, 1 Peter 1:18.
Jesus says, “Die Daily.”
You life is not your own, you are bought with a price.
If I want to be a true follower, I have to remember He bought me with His life.
I must die to myself daily, and give my all to Him!
This week, may our prayers, and actions be: “Lord, I love you.
I give you my life, my possessions, my money.
Your will be done.”
The cross is a symbol of our love.
So, I need to die daily, and love Him more, and love others.
Remember, the second command flows from the first.
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