FOLLOW

LUKE 9:43-62

      Jesus always stated the cost of discipleship to those who wanted to follow Him.

Mk. 8:36. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

  I. Follow to the cross (9:43-45)

Jn. 12:25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

 II. Follow like a child (9:46-48)

Mt. 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.

III. Follow with a company (9:49-50)

      Robertson said, “The man was doing the Master’s work in the Master’s name and with the Master’s power, but did not run with the group of the Twelve.”

Jn. 21:22. Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what [is that] to thee? follow thou me.

 IV. Follow without any criticism (9:52-55)

      Jesus did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save. Disciples who follow Jesus respond with a different spirit (1 Pet. 2:23).

  V. Follow counting the cost (9:56-58)

      Disciples cannot hold ownership of any possession as their own.

Mk. 1:18. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

Lk. 9:23. And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

      Proclaiming the Kingdom of God to those without the gospel outweighs the sacrifice of following.

      Billy Graham said, “David Brainerd at the close of his life wrote in his diary, ‘I cared not how I lived nor what hardships I went through if I only might gain souls for Christ.’”

 VI. Follow surrendering all claims (9:59-60)

      Disciples must say goodbye to lesser loves in order to follow Christ.

Mk. 10:21. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

      Robertson wrote, “The explanation is that the spiritually dead can bury the literally dead.”

      Robertson explained, “This scribe’s father probably was still alive. What the scribe apparently meant was that he could not leave his father while still alive to follow Jesus around over the country.”

VII. Follow after Jesus completely (9:61-62)

      Robertson wrote, “It is thus a formal function and this man meant to go home and set things in order there and then in due time to come and follow Jesus.”

Mt. 10:34-37. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

 35. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

 36. And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household.

 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

      Disciples do not draw back from the high calling of Christ and become mired in mediocrity. Nothing can be first with a disciple except obedience to Christ.