FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY

TEXT:

(Mark 3:13-15 KJV) "And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those He himself wanted: and they came unto him. {14} And he appointed twelve, that they MIGHT BE WITH HIM, and that he might send them out to preach, {15} And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons"

1. DISCERNMENT: Jesus spent the night in Prayer

(Luke 6:12-13 NIV) "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. {13} When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:"

2. CALLED MANY: All are called

a. Jesus called those who were interested in him

3. APPOINTED DISCIPLES

a. TO BE WITH HIM

b. TO PROCLAIM

c. TO HEAL

d. TO DELIVER

THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS WAS FOURFOLD

1. TO BE WITH HIM

GOD IS NOT ON A RESCUE MISSION TO SAVE US SO WE CAN KEEP OUR STUFF..

GOD IS ON A MISSION TO BRING US TO FULFILLMENT IN HIMSELF!

JESUS IS CLEAR ABOUT HIS PRIMARY CALL TO US…

(Luke 9:23-24 NIV) "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. {24} For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

YOUR CROSS IS WHERE YOU END.. AND HE BEGINS..

HE WANTS TO BRING YOU TO THE END OF YOURSELF SO THAT YOU WILL FIND HIM!

JESUS WANTS YOU…

HE IS NOT HIRING…

HE IS NOT TO ADOPT…

HE IS NOT COMING BACK FOR FOLLOWER…

JESUS IS PASSIONATELY PURSING A BRIDE!

THE FIRST BELIEVERS WERE KNOWN FOR ONE THING..

BUT THEY GAVE THEIR ATTENTION TO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

“CHRISTIAN” – IS WHAT THEY CALL US…

(Acts 11:26 NIV) "and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. THE DISCIPLES WERE CALLED CHRISTIANS FIRST AT ANTIOCH."

“FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY” – IS WHAT WE DO…

JESUS CALLED HIMSELF “THE WAY”

a. (John 14:6 NIV) "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

THE CHURCH CALLED “DISCIPLES” OR “FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY”

(Acts 24:14 NIV) "However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,"

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Acts 9:2 19:9,23 24:14,22

MARY OF BETHANY… FELL AT HIS FEET.. POURED OUT THE OIL..

- SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY KNEW WHO JESUS WAS

WHAT WILL MAKE THE WORLD CALL US “CHRISTIAN”?

1. CHRIST-LIKE IN APPEARANCE?

a. Barna Statistics say that the church is statistically no different than the world

b. FOCUS BECOMES “LOOKING LIKE JESUS”

i. It becomes WORK.. trying to look like Jesus!

2. CHRIST LIKE IN CHARACTAR!!

a. We are the BODY OF CHRIST

b. We represent HIM here on the earth

c. IF JESUS IS THE HEAD.. (directing, protecting, guiding..)

i. THEN WE WILL BE CALLED “CHRISTLIKE!”

3. FOLLOWER OF JESUS means LOVER/PURSUER OF JESUS

a. WHEN WE ARE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS..

i. Transformation is what God does when we pursue Him

b. WE KEEP PROPER FOCUS – LOVING GOD!

i. LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL HEART, MIND , STRENGTH

ii. LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS WE LOVE OURSELVES


IN FACT, WE CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE/CONCEIVE WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US!

(1 Cor 2:9-13 NIV) "However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- {10} BUT GOD HAS REVEALED IT TO US BY HIS SPIRIT.

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NEXT WEEK….

2. TO PROCLAIM

(Rev 12:11 NIV) "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

OUR SPEECH IS WHAT EMPOWERS US TO OVERCOME

IF WE ARE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS 24/7- 365 (ALL THE TIME)

- THEN WE MUST SPEAK OUR FAITH ALL THE TIME

- IF WE LIMIT OUR SPEECH BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID THEN WE WON’T OVERCOME.. WE WILL BE ASHAMED.

3. TO HEAL

(Luke 10:18-20 NIV) "He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. {19} I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. {20} However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.""

(1 Cor 4:20 NIV) "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A COMMISSION OF POWER..

- WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THE BUSINESS OF JESUS

- JESUS BUSINESS WAS TO HEAL THE SICK AND RAISE THE DEAD

o HE TOLD US THAT THESE AND GREATER WE WOULD DO!

4. TO DELIVER

(Gen 1:26 NIV) "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.""

(Luke 4:18-19 NIV) ""The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, {19} to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

WE HAVE BEEN IN A WAR – BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN AT WAR!

- WE ARE CALLED TO DO BUSINESS ON THE EARTH FOR HIM

- TRAMPLE ON THE HEAD OF SATAN

- BRING HIM UNDER OUR FEET

IF WE ARE NOT A THREAT THEN WE ARE A TARGET

- SATAN IS AFTER US..

- HE WANTS TO STEAL KILL AND DESTROY

(1 John 3:8 NLT) "… But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil."