SACRIFICE-What It Means To Follow Jesus Christ

SACRIFICE-What It Means To Follow Jesus Christ

A change in lifestyle would mean losing some friends and things that you do.

This in turn would make you become alone.

At times people will have to be alone to take a stand in their beliefs. Such as at school or work, and possibly their own home.

Everyone is a critic. We all have our own thoughts and they don't always line up.
With this in mind should we give up what we do? No we shouldn't.

Hard work and money doesn't mean you will ever be rich. It is your acceptance of who you are and that you are in the will of God that keeps you going.

We as Christians are always in the public eye. Someone is waiting for us to fail and others may not get what we are trying to tell them.


My life story tells about the different seasons. There is nothing wrong with crying and anger if we keep from sinning.

Depression will come and go. But that is a choice.

We are responsible for everything we do.

How we spend our money.
Who we associate with.
Where we go.
How we think of others.

As the title states.

"PRICE"

To follow Jesus is a "SACRIFICE".

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.



Prosperity Theology:
Prosperity theology is the teaching that an authentic religious belief and behavior in a person will result in their material prosperity. That is, the doctrine holds that material prosperity, particularly financial prosperity and success in business and personal life, is to be expected as external evidence of God's favor. This favor may be preordained, or granted in return for efficacious prayer, merit-making and/or appropriate faith.

DENY:

: to declare untrue 2: to refuse to admit or acknowledge : disavow 3 a: to give a negative answer to b: to refuse to grant c: to restrain (oneself) from gratification of desires4archaic : decline5: to refuse to accept the existence, truth, or validity of

Christ doesn't define PROSPERITY like it is above.
BUT

He does talk about "DENY YOURSELF AND FOLLOW ME"

A persons WEALTH is NOT found in MONEY

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Ephesians 2:7
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

It is found in who you are.

Psalm 31:19
How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!!!

Matthew 6:19-21
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Let your life REFLECT that of Christ!

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

3 John 1:11
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

do YOU LOVE CHRIST???

Daniel 9:4
I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 6:24
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

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

Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

Matthew 22:39
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY FOR CHRIST???

Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

GOD GAVE HIS SON AWAY TO DIE FOR YOU

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Let JESUS CHRIST be the CENTER of your LIFE

John 12:25
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

LOVE THOSE YOU KNOW

John 13:34
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

OBEY what the Lord tells you

John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

John 14:23
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Now for those who are in CHRIST
His LOVE has no BOUNDS!

Romans 8:36-38

36As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."[a] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

OUR DESIRE SHOULD BE A FULL COMMITMENT TO SERVE THE LORD

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

So does this COMMITMENT of our whole LIFE and EVERYTHING we do sound like what you are thinking?

It is NOT PROSPERITY & CONVENTIONAL

CONVENTIONAL
1: formed by agreement or compact2 a: according with, sanctioned by, or based on convention b: lacking originality or individuality : trite c (1): ordinary , commonplace (2): nonnuclear 1 3 a: according with a mode of artistic representation that simplifies or provides symbols or substitutes for natural forms b: of traditional design4: of, resembling, or relating to a convention, assembly, or public meeting

Prosperity Theology:
Prosperity theology is the teaching that an authentic religious belief and behavior in a person will result in their material prosperity. That is, the doctrine holds that material prosperity, particularly financial prosperity and success in business and personal life, is to be expected as external evidence of God's favor. This favor may be preordained, or granted in return for efficacious prayer, merit-making and/or appropriate faith.

Following Christ is not COMMON and it is not POPULARITY "the secret" where someone thinks and gives all they have and out of the blue wealth and health will come.

Yes I do believe in blessings and people being healed.

But Christ desires for people to believe the unseen first. There are still those that won't believe until something happens.....