18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20  "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

I. Our Habits & Values create Expectations, influencing our Perceptions & Emotions, determining our Performance.

Experiences Values Expectations Filter Perceptions Emotions Performance Feedback

Uncomfortable: low intensity: boredom, impatient, uneasy, distressed, embarrassed

Message: need to change, clarify what you want, take action until you get it.

II. Curious>>>Convinced>>>COMMITTED

Those who believed Jesus was the promised King, and who follow in spite of hardship, willing to pay the same price Jesus did to accomplish God's will for their lives. John 6:66  many of his disciples turned back

Luke 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 15:8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Matthew 19:27 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

III. CONFORMED in the process of following Christ experience a transformation of values, attitudes, and actions, becoming like Christ.

Decision to be Made Mt 9:9 Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.              

Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Luke 14:28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 9:57 "I will follow you wherever you go." He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

I to be Denied Luke 14:25, 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Mt. 10:37 "Anyone who loves his father/mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son/daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

Savior to be Followed 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

John 10:4 he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 12:26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

1Cor 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Alternatives to following Christ  1TI 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 5:15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.   2 Peter 2:2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.   Jude 1:16 These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. 18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

Cross to be Carried Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Mt 10:38 anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Incarnation to be Imitated   Immersion (in Water & Word) to be Continued

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore going,  make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

John 8:30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.

Luke 6:40 A student (disciple) is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Production to be Produced

Mark 1:17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Acts 14:21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Love to be Lavished

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Acts 11:29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.

IV. CROWNED Those who have paid the cost that Christ paid will share in the reward  that Christ received for His faithfulness and service.

Expectation to be Earned

Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.