Drs. Nick & Leona Venditti

Following Jesus: His Way

• And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his

cross daily and follow Me. • Luke 9:23 (NASB)

• See Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-9:1

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Will to Follow Jesus • The Way to Follow Jesus • The Method to Follow Jesus • The Time to Follow Jesus • The Commitment to Follow

Jesus

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Will to Follow Jesus •“If anyone wishes to come after Me,”

•If………….. •It is a response of the human volition to

God’s initiative •God ALWAYS takes the first step! •This means to be identified with Jesus

in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice •Surrender

• Jesus is Lord (Phil 2:9-11)

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Will to Follow Jesus •“If anyone wishes to come after Me,”

•Suffering (Phil 3: 8-11) •Sacrifice (Heb 12:4-6) •John Newton, slave-trader turned

abolitionist author of Amazing Grace wrote “This is faith: a renouncing of everything we are apt to call our own and relying wholly upon the blood , righteousness and intercession of Jesus.”

•Discipleship=to follow Jesus

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Way to Follow Jesus •he must deny himself

• ἀρνέομαι- refuse, disown, deny, disregard and renounce

•It is a totally radical decision (Mr 10:21)

•The main concern is God and His wishes (Ps 123:2)

•This transformation is done through the on-going work of the Holy Spirit over the flesh (Gal 5:18-26)

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Method to Follow Jesus •And take up his cross

•Isaiah 53- the suffering servant •What was done to him…

• Despised and rejected by men • A man of sorrows • Acquainted with grief • Smitten by God and afflicted • Pierced for our transgressions • Crushed for our iniquities • Upon him was the chastisement • He was wounded

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Method to Follow Jesus •And take up his cross

•Isaiah 53- the suffering servant •What he did for us…

• He healed us by his wounds • He made a guilt offering • He made many to be righteous • He bore the sin of many • He makes intercession for the

transgressors

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Time to Follow Jesus •Daily

•Only Luke uses daily •Discipleship is an on-going process

that does not end until we are in the presence of our Lord

•I am holy, I am being holy and I will be holy

•God works, is working and will continue to work through the Holy Spirit in fashioning us to the image of Jesus Christ

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Commitment to Follow Jesus •And follow me

•Following Jesus is not a ride on the merry-go-round or a roller coaster that we get on and off the ride

•Following Jesus is a life-time journey of transformation and obedience

•We are to respond to Jesus through the Holy Spirit

Following Jesus: His Way

• The Will to Follow Jesus • The Way to Follow Jesus • The Method to Follow Jesus • The Time to Follow Jesus • The Commitment to Follow

Jesus

Following Jesus: His Way • “Cheap grace is the grace we

bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Drs. Nick & Leona Venditti