John M. Brown, Flatwoods church of Christ Flatwoods, KY https://flatwoodschurchofchrist.org/

2. NIV

3. The words of our Lord here are powerful,
profound, life challenging and life changing.
Consider what is involved in following Christ
“ ”
There are conditions - and a choice must be
made, but there is opportunity afforded to any
and all: “ ”

4. We must make a choice to follow Christ!
The Lord neither forces nor forbids man to
come. Some choices are good, some bad; some
easy, some hard; some inconsequential, some
eternal in implication! I’ve long been convinced
that we pretty much do what we choose to do!

5. “ ”
Not just a denial OF self, but denial TO self –
from self to Christ!
We are soldiers of Christ – and a good soldier
doesn’t think of saving self, but of
winning the battle!

6. Let’s listen in on a who has a the
really wants.

9. God has given us all we have & are!
Christ requires, demands, we give up all He has
blessed us with in order to be His Disciples!

10. NIV

12. We have all heard that young people today don’t
want “the old values and religious practices of
the past” – Interestingly, in 2000 the Phillips
Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant for a study
of the relationship between young people and
Christian orthodoxy – the study dealt with
values, worship styles, and lifestyles among
generations X and Y.

13. Last fall the study was published and the results
somewhat surprising – the study showed that
“young adults reject the immorality of American
culture and racy television shows that are in
prime time. They are also looking for worship
that is less showy and entertaining and involves
more personal reflection”

14. What does all that mean? Simply this – there
must be a cost to Christianity to make it
worthwhile and fulfilling! A religion of
convenience and ease doesn’t satisfy - and a
religion that costs nothing is worth just that!
David offered to buy a threshingfloor, wood, and
oxen to make sacrifice to God – the owner
offered to give it to him for free – but David
insisted on paying fifty shekels of silver – WHY?

15. NIV

16. “ ”
Take up your cross voluntarily:
NIV

17. Take up your cross sacrificially:
NIV

18. Jesus took His cross!
Poem,
They borrowed a bed to lay His head,
When Christ the Lord came down,
They borrowed an ass in the mountain pass
for Him to ride to town.
But the crown that He wore,
and the cross that He bore were His own.
He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fed,
On the grassy mountainside,
He borrowed the dish of broken fish with which He
satisfied,

19. He borrowed the ship in which to sit,
to teach the multitude;
He borrowed the nest in which to rest,
He ne’er had a home so crude.
He borrowed a room on the way to the tomb,
the Passover lamb to eat,
They borrowed a cave, for Him a grave,
They borrowed a winding sheet.
But the crown that He wore and the cross that He
bore were His own,
The cross was His own.

20. Jesus took His cross – and tells us we must
take ours!
But how are we able? The poem continues…
The thorns on His head were worn in my
stead, For ME the Savior died,
For the guilt of my sin the nails drove in,
when Him they crucified.
When you think about the COST of following
Christ, think also of the cost of NOT following

21. What will it cost to NOT follow Him?
Salvation, fulfillment, hope, purpose, eternity!
POEM,
You’ve counted the cost of following Christ and
find it too much, you say;
But what of the cost of rejecting Him and
turning His love away?
It will cost you far more than money can buy,
it will cost you a lifetime of pain;
And then when you life on earth is done,
you’ll have to start paying again.

22. For the cost of rejecting Christ, my friend,
is not paid at the close of life;
You’ll pay with your soul at the bar of God,
your conscience will cut like a knife.
It will cost countless ages away from the Lord
and leave hopeless pangs of regret.
Oh think once again and turn to Christ,
ere judgment forever is set.

23. “ ”
I don’t mean to sound redundant, but think about it:
some have the idea they can be a “Christian” and do
what they want – No!
“ ” means we walk as He walked; talk as
He talked; live as He lived; do as He did; serve as He
served; love as He loved!
“What Would Jesus Do?” is not merely a question
adorning a bracelet or T-shirt – for the Christian, that
question and its answer directs the life!

24. We must persevere in following!
A young boy grabbed his snow shovel and
started to clear away snow after a big downfall –
A neighbor hollered and asked him, “Young
man, how are you going to clear away so much
snow?” – “By keeping at it,” replied the lad!
That’s it!
In following Christ, we’ve got to “keep at it”!!!

25. Why is it important?
Judgment is coming!