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Follow Me

Matthew 4:19. Follow Me. and I will make you fishers of men. To Follow…. Set aside our own goals to embrace the purposes for which God created us. Purposes: . To know Him. To make disciples of others by teaching them all of His commandments. Results:. Take on His brightness.

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Follow Me

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  1. Matthew 4:19 Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.

  2. To Follow… • Set aside our own goals to embrace the purposes for which God created us. • Purposes: • To know Him • To make disciples of others by teaching them all of His commandments • Results: • Take on His brightness • Be a fisher of men

  3. Study Question… Why did Jesus require His disciples to be with Him to the end of His ministry while Moses and Paul taught their followers by writings that they received through the Holy Spirit?

  4. The Call to Follow • To Who? • “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.“ (1 John 2:2) • “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:13) • “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)

  5. Song: Call to Follow You have given us the call to follow, day by day with standards not our own. No one can serve two masters, so with undivided hearts we choose to follow You alone. Break the fear of man within our hearts. Send Your fire and make us set apart. Tear down the idols and make us fully Yours, we surrender all and nothing less as worship to You, Lord

  6. Song: Call to Follow Let us stand for righteousness, integrity and truth, living out the gospel as You have called us to do. Let us walk in purity and holiness, That all would know that we belong to you.

  7. What does following Jesus mean? To exchange my affections, goals, and priorities for His. • The Rich Young Ruler – priority of money • Peter, James, John – goal of being successful fishermen • Jesus called them to forsake their goals and follow him. For those who did, He gave them a new goal to be “fishers of men.”

  8. “We’ve drifted away from being fishers of men… …to being keepers of the aquarium.” --Paul Harvey

  9. Basics of Fishing… • Fishing for fish and fishing for men • Lure vs. Light Jesus is The Light of the world.

  10. Why are We Lights? When Jesus was on earth, He drew multitudes to the light of His life. Now that His physical being is no longer here, His light must shine through us. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

  11. What is Our Light? • The light of every believer is the bright presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. • For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,“ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

  12. Light vs. Lures • Those attracted by the bait and “bite the lure” feel they have been tricked into hearing the Gospel and become resentful. • Paul stated that he had “renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in the craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully.” (II Corinthians 4:2)

  13. Answer to Key Question • Why did Jesus and Elijah require their followers to be with them until the end of their ministries? • Transfer of Power: • Elijah > Elisha: cloak/double portion of his spirit/cloak • Jesus > Disciples: power of the Holy Spirit - Pentecost

  14. Answer to Key Question • To receive the transfer of power Elisha and the disciples had to follow until the end. Since they stayed devoted, they received the transfer of power. • “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

  15. How can we follow? The disciples were with Jesus 24/7 for three years. They learned how He thought, how He answered questions, how He lived, and how He gave himself for people. Now Jesus is in heaven; however, He made provisions so that we can be with Him for the rest of our lives.

  16. His Provisions • He is within us – “… Christ in you, the hope of glory. “ (Colossians 1:27) • He sent His Holy spirit – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.“(John 14:16-18)

  17. How can we follow? • The disciples walked with Jesus and did as he directed. In the same way we should walk in the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Galatians. 5:16-17)

  18. A Result of Following • “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12) • When we are in fellowship with the Holy Spirit the Lord can accomplish even more through our lives than He accomplished in His personal ministry.

  19. When our focus is on following Jesus, rather than fishing for men, we will have no trouble attracting others because of the light of Christ.

  20. What does Jesus require of those who follow Him? • Putting His Kingdom before work/school. • Putting His ministry and others before ourselves. • Setting aside of any expectations or preconditions.

  21. Fishermen will rise early in the morning, endure harsh weather, and wait long hours to catch fish. This the spirit Jesus wants in His followers.

  22. Fishers of Men vs. Founders of Churches

  23. Follow Christ, not the doctrines of men

  24. Following Christ requires perfect trust because we all go through the valley of the shadow of death.

  25. Name of God Jehovah-Roni: The Lord My Shepherd “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11)

  26. Name of God Good Shepherd “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:11,27)

  27. Meeknessvs.Anger Meekness is yielding our rights to God so He can demonstrate His peace and power through us.

  28. Meekness is not weakness. It is STRENGTH… …under God’s Control

  29. Follow Me by Ira F. Stanphill

  30. I traveled down a lonely road and no one seemed to care. The burden on my weary back had bowed me to despair. I oft' complained to Jesus how folks were treating me. And then I heard Him say so tenderly: "My feet were also weary upon the Calvary road. The cross became so heavy I fell beneath the load. Be faithful weary pilgrim the morning I can see. Just lift your cross and follow close to Me"

  31. “I work so hard for Jesus.” I often boast and say, “I've sacrificed a lot of things to walk this narrow way. I gave up fame and fortune. I'm worth a lot to Thee. And then I hear Him gently say to me, "I left the throne of glory and counted it but loss. My hands were nailed in anger upon a cruel cross. But now we'll make the journey with your hand safe in mine. Just lift your cross and follow close to Me"

  32. Oh Jesus, if I die upon a foreign field some day, t'would be no more than love demands no less could I repay. No greater love hath mortal man than for a friend to die. These are the words I heard Him say to me, "If but a cup of water I place within your hand, then just a cup of water is all that I demand.” But if my death to living they can Thy glory see, I'll take my cross and follow close to Thee.

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