Series: More Than Words Message: What It Means To Follow Christ (Luke 9:23)

(Luke 9:23)(NLT) Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

The Truth Of The Matter:

A. It’s easier to be a JESUS FAN than a JESUS FOLLOWER.

B. It’s easier to CELEBRATE the cross than to CARRY YOURS.

C. It’s easier to SEEK YOUR WILL, than to TRUST GOD’S.

WHAT DID JESUS DO?

1. Jesus never lived with a SELFISH AMBITION.

(Philippians 2:1-11) (NIV) 1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the

earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Matthew 20:28) (NLT) “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (John 3:30)(NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

2. Jesus always prayed THY WILL BE DONE.

(Matthew 26:36-42)(NLT) 36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”

(Matthew 6:9-13) (NLT) Jesus said, 9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

3. Jesus TOOK UP HIS CROSS daily.

(Hebrews 12:1-3) (NLT) 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s thron