Follow Me Exodus 13:21-22 Leviticus 20:22-24 Jeremiah 6:16 John 14:5-7 Matthew 4:19-20 11.19.14

FOLLOW ME

BREAD

21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Exodus 13:21-22 (NIV)

22 “Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24 But I said to you, ‘You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.’  I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.”

Leviticus 20:22-24 (NIV)

16 This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:5-7 (NIV)

19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

Matthew 4:19-20 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Would you follow Christ?  Then follow Him in self-denial, in humility, in patience, and in readiness for every good work.  Follow Him with a daily cross upon your back, and look to His cross to make your burden light.  Follow Him as your Guide and Guard, and learn to see with His eyes, and to trust in His arm for defense.  Follow Him as the Friend of sinners, who healeth the broken in heart, and giveth rest to the weary souls, and casteth out none that come unto Him.   Follow Him with faith, resting your whole acceptance with God, and your title to heaven, on His meritorious blood and righteousness.  Lastly, follow Him with much prayer.  For, though He is full of compassion, He loves to be much entreated; and when He is determined to give a blessing, you must yet wrestle with Him for it.  Thus follow Jesus, and He will lead you to glory.”   K. H. Von Bogatzky

“Discipleship is much more than simply strolling with the Savior.”   Detzler

“Our identity as Jesus’ followers should define and dictate our lives.”  Joseph Stowell, III

“Most of us get up in the morning saying, ‘I am going to make something of my life, and I’ll follow Jesus too.’  But I just want you to know that we can’t have it both ways.  We have to have the formula right.  ‘Follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and as you follow Me, I will make something of your life.’”  Joseph Stowell, III

“O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee.  I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow, may richer fuller be.  O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee.  My heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine’s blaze its day, may brighter fairer be.  O joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee.  I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.  O cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee.  I lay in dust life’s glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be.”   George Matheson 

“To be rebuffed by a loved one causes pain not to be compared with the cruelties inflicted by an enemy.  So your indifference and unresponsiveness to My call brings anguish to My soul, indeed, deeper grief than the crimes of the reprobate sinner.  I have laid My rod upon the sinner, but I have laid My hand upon you.  And I have put My arm around you to draw you closer, but you have been impatient and irritable as though I sought to interfere with your liberty.  I am able to give you greater liberty than you will ever find by seeking to be independent of Me.  I seek not to interfere with your happiness, but I do require that you relinquish your will; for I cannot bless you as I desire until your will is yielded up and you accept Mine in exchange.  As you love Me, you accept My will as your own, and the caliber and extent of your love for Me may be accurately measured to the degree that you accept My will with a peaceful heart.  You can best sing ‘My Jesus, I Love You’ when you can truly sing ‘Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow.’  For whoever does not take up his cross daily to follow Me cannot be My disciple.”   Frances J. Roberts 

HEART SAVOR

• ·       Jesus desires for me to follow Him and in doing so I experience all that life has to offer for me this side of heaven.  I am the ultimate loser if I do not follow Him.
• ·       God’s way is the good way.
• ·       I bring harm to myself when I do not follow the One Who loved me and gave Himself for me.