How can a man “follow Christ”? I. In Salvation II. Through Situations III. Above Stock (family) IV. Above Silver (Riches) V. Above Self VI. Through Succession (Beyond the grave)

1. How can a man “follow
Christ”?
Matt 9:9
9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man,
named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he
saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed
him.
Mark 10:21
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto
him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever
thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and
follow me.
John 1:43
43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee,
and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
I. In Salvation

2. 2Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
1Pet 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit:
II. Through Situations
For “better or worse”
Phil 1:29
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not
only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
"I saw the martyr at the stake,
The flames could not his courage shake,
Nor death his soul appall:

3. I asked him whence his strength was given;
He looked triumphantly to Heaven,
And told me 'Christ was all.'"
Many seek to follow Christ solely for the loaves and
fishes;
they want to join the big church, the popular church, the
worldly church.
With them it is not a question of "What wilt Thou have me
to do"? but of
"What advantage wilt Thou be to me?"
2Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution.
"Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee,
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken;
Thou, from hence, my all shall be:
Let the world despise and leave me,

4. They have left my Saviour, too,
Earthly looks and friends deceive me,
Thou art not like them untrue."
III. Above Stock (family)
Phil 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the
Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; KJV
Phil 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I
counted loss for Christ. KJV
Luke 9:59-62 59 And he said unto another, Follow
me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury
my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury
their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of
God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee;
but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at
home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No
man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Matt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more
than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son
or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

5. Luke 17:32-33 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and
whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
IV. Above Silver (Riches)
Matt 19:21
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and
sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow
me.
1Tim 6:17-19 17 Charge them that are rich in this
world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us
richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that
they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing
to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves
a good foundation against the time to come, that
they may lay hold on eternal life.
Prov 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is
not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they
fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

6. Prov 27:24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the
crown endure to every generation?
V. Above Self
Matt 16:24
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me.
1Pet 4:1-2 1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the
same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the
rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to
the will of God.
Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Matt 16:21-22 21 From that time forth began Jesus
to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto
Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and

7. chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised
again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and
began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord:
this shall not be unto thee.
"Must Jesus bear the Cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for every one,
And there's a cross for me."
"A beautiful crown in Heaven to wear,
For those who here the cross will bear,
Then bear it, my brother, and when you get there
A beautiful crown you'll wear."
VI. Through Succession (Beyond the grave)
John 21:18-19
18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast
young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither
thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt

8. stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee,
and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should
glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith
unto him, Follow me.
2Pet 1:14-15 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off
this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath
shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye
may be able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance.
Josh 24:24-29 24 And the people said unto Joshua,
The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we
obey. 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the
people that day, and set them a statute and an
ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these
words in the book of the law of God, and took a
great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that
was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua
said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a
witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the
LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a
witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. 28 So

9. Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his
inheritance. 29 And it came to pass after these
things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the
LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
Deut 31:19-29 19 Now therefore write ye this
song for you, and teach it the children of Israel:
put it in their mouths, that this song may be a
witness for me against the children of Israel. 20
For when I shall have brought them into the land
which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with
milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled
themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto
other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and
break my covenant. 21 And it shall come to pass,
when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that
this song shall testify against them as a witness;
for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their
seed: for I know their imagination which they go
about, even now, before I have brought them into the
land which I sware. 22 Moses therefore wrote this
song the same day, and taught it the children of
Israel. 23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a
charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage:
for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land
which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. 24

10. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of
writing the words of this law in a book, until they
were finished, 25 That Moses commanded the Levites,
which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD,
saying, 26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the
side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God,
that it may be there for a witness against thee. 27 For
I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I
am yet alive with you this day, ye have been
rebellious against the LORD; and how much more
after my death? 28 Gather unto me all the elders of
your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these
words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to
record against them. 29 For I know that after my
death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside
from the way which I have commanded you; and evil
will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do
evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger
through the work of your hands.
Ps 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O
God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy
strength unto this generation, and thy power to
every one that is to come.

11. 2Tim 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me
among many witnesses, the same commit thou to
faithful men, who shall be able to teach others
also.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
How can a man “follow Christ”?
I. In Salvation
II. Through Situations
III. Above Stock (family)
IV. Above Silver (Riches)
V. Above Self
VI. Through Succession (Beyond the grave)