Matthew 16:24-27, Many people claim to follow Jesus but many who claim to follow him are not really following him. It's not easy to follow Jesus.

1. FOLLOWING
JESUS
Matthew 16:24-27

2. Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His
disciples, "If anyone desires to come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Me. (25) For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it. (26) For what profit is it to a man if he
gains the whole world, and loses his own
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange
for his soul? (27) For the Son of Man will
come in the glory of His Father with His
angels, and then He will reward each
according to his works.

3. FOLLOWING JESUS
A. Many people claim to follow Jesus.
B. Many who say they are followers are not really.
Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to
Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day,
'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your
name, cast out demons in Your name, and done
many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will
declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from
Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
C. Following Jesus is not something to be taken
lightly.
D. Jesus tells his disciples that it won’t be easy to
truly follow Him.

4. I. DESIRE - If
anyone desires
to come after
Me... vs 24a

5. I. DESIRE
A. Following Jesus is open to any and everyone.
B. True followers want to follow Jesus.
C. Luke 19:8-10 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the
Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the
poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by
false accusation, I restore fourfold." 9 And Jesus
said to him, "Today salvation has come to this
house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 "for
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost."
D. Zacchaeus desire to follow Jesus was evident in his
willingness to give up wealth and possessions to
follow Jesus

6. II. DENIAL - If
anyone desires to
come after Me, let
him deny
himself...vs 24b

7. II. DENIAL
A. We must say no to self to follow Jesus
B. James 3:13-17 Who is wise and understanding among
you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are
done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have
bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not
boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does
not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual,
demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
C. Denial of self is a requirement to follow Jesus

8. III. DUTY - If any one
desires to come after
Me, let him deny
himself, take up his
cross... vs 24c

9. III. DUTY
A. We must accept the responsibilities of a Christian to
follow Jesus
B. Rom 12:1-3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given to
me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think
soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
C. God expects us to fulfill our duty to him. No one is
beyond the responsibilities of Christianity.

10. IV. DEDICATION - if
any one would come
after Me, he must
deny himself, take up
his cross, and follow
Me.

11. IV. DEDICATION
A. Following Jesus takes dedication and determination. It is
not a decision to be made lightly.
B. Luke 9:57-62 Now it happened as they journeyed on the
road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You
wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have
holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay His head." 59 Then He said to another,
"Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my
father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own
dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." 61 And
another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go
and bid them farewell who are at my house." 62 But Jesus
said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
C. Dedicated people do not make excuses for not following
Jesus.

12. V. DANGER - for what
profit is it to a man if he
gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give
in exchange for his soul?
vs 26

13. V. DANGER
A.Luke 12:16-21 Then He spoke a parable to them,
saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded
plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself,
saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to
store my crops?' 18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will
pull down my barns and build greater, and there I
will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will
say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid
up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink,
and be merry." ' 20 But God said to him, 'Fool!
This night your soul will be required of you; then
whose will those things be which you have
provided?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God.“

14. V. DANGER
B. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 Now godliness with
contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can
carry nothing out. 8 And having food and
clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But
those who desire to be rich fall into temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful
lusts which drown men in destruction and
perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all
kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from
the faith in their greediness, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.

15. VI. DOING - For the Son
of Man will come in the
glory of His Father with
His angels, and then He
will reward each
according to his works.
vs 27

16. VI. DOING
A. Romans 2:5-10 But in accordance with your
hardness and your impenitent heart you are
treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath
and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6
who "will render to each one according to his
deeds": 7 eternal life to those who by patient
continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and
immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and
do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--
indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on
every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and
also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to
everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek.

17. VI. DOING
B. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may
receive the things done in the body, according to
what he has done, whether good or bad.
C. 1 Peter 1:16-17 because it is written, "Be holy, for
I am holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who
without partiality judges according to each one's
work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of
your stay here in fear;

18. THE WORLD OR JESUS?
A.If we are not careful we may find ourselves so
busy following the world, our own desires,
riches, etc. That we are too tired to respond to
Jesus when he calls us.
B. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the
things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For
all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the
Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is
passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does
the will of God abides forever.

20. TONIGHT’S SERMON
WHAT WE WERE MADE