278 – Follow The Leader

Opening Humor: A little boy offered up a Thanksgiving Day prayer for the family and prayed: "Dear God, this is Jimmy. Thank you for Thanksgiving and Christmas and all of the holidays. Thank you for the turkey and dressing and Mom and Dad and even for my little sister, even though some times she can be a pain. Thank you for books and TV and game boy. Thank you for loving us. Oh, yeah. And take care of yourself, God. Because without you, we’re sunk. Amen."

Sermon Study # 278 – FOLLOW THE LEADER

Key Scripture: (John 10:27 NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

1. FOLLOWING JESUS FOR A PURPOSE

(Mat 4:19 NIV) "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

(Mat 9:9 NIV) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Note: Who me? God doesn’t have a purpose for me? I’m not good enough… JUST REMEMBER... The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember...

NOAH was a drunk....

ABRAHAM was too old...

ISAAC was a daydreamer....

JACOB was a liar...

LEAH was ugly...

JOSEPH was abused...

MOSES had a stuttering problem...

GIDEON was afraid...

SAMPSON had long hair, and was a womanizer!

RAHAB was a prostitute!

JEREMIAH and TIMOTHY were too young...

DAVID had an affair and was a murderer...

ELIJAH was suicidal...

ISAIAH preached naked...

JONAH ran from God...

NAOMI was a widow...

JOB went bankrupt...

JOHN the Baptist ate bugs...

PETER denied Christ...

The Disciples fell asleep while praying...

MARTHA worried about everything...

MARY MAGDALENE was demon possessed...

The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced....more than once!!

ZACCHEUS was too small...

PAUL was too religious...

TIMOTHY had an ulcer.... AND

LAZARUS WAS DEAD!!!! -------- No more excuses now. God’s waiting to use your full potential!

2. FOLLOWING JESUS AS A PRACTICE

(Mat 16:24 NIV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Note: You can’t follow Jesus empty-handed… you must come with your cross… your cross is your calling…

3. FOLLOWING JESUS TO PERFECTION

(Mat 19:21 NIV) Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Note: Everything must be surrender… nothing can come between you and Jesus… then you can follow to perfection… not in perfection… to…

4. FOLLOWING JESUS FOR THE PRIZE

(John 12:26 NIV) Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor (reward, prize) the one who serves me.

Note: Being a Christian… “Servant” … implies we are a follower… a follower implies we are imitating Whom we follow… Ill: “Simon Says Game”

5. FOLLOWING JESUS THROUGH PAIN

(John 21:18-19) I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." (19) Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Note: When we follow Jesus… he must “dress us and lead us where we do not want to go…” EMPHASIZE: do not want to go!!!

Conclusion: Mat 8:18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Mat 8:19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Mat 8:20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Mat 8:21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Mat 8:22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."