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LUKE 9:51-62

"FOLLOWING JESUS"

Intro: Last week we considered Christ's words to rich young ruler, search for that  something
       that would satisfy those deepest thirsts of man. Find your King - God  is King - 
       Follow me. What does it mean to follow Jesus?

I. "HE STEADFASTLY SET HIS FACE TO GO TO JERUSALEM."
        A. How did He see Jerusalem?
                1. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem that killest the prophets and stonest them that are
                   sent unto her how often..."
                        a. He saw a city hostile to Him. 
                        b. He already told His disciples how He must go to Jerusalem and 
                           suffer many things and be...
                2. "When you see Jerusalem compassed with armies ye know that her desolation 
                   is at hand."
                        a. He saw the city doomed. 
                        b. He could see the Roman legions.
                3. "And I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
                   God as a bride adorned for her husband."
                        a. He could see the ultimate glory which is still future.
        B. "He set His face to go to Jerusalem" Hostile - doomed - redeemed.
           There visit to a Samaritan city. "Son's of thunder"  loyalty to Christ-wrong spirit.

III. THE THREE WOULD BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.
        A. First came to Him "Lord, I will follow thee."
                1. Some commentators criticize him for being impulsive.
                        a. Nothing wrong with impulsiveness about Christ.
                2. "Foxes have holes, the birds have nests."
                        a. I used to feel sad and pity Him for this.
                        b. Pity those who have homes that have tied them down and kept them 
                           from doing the things God wanted them to do.
                        c. Pity yourself if you are so rooted you cannot move immediately when
                           He calls.
        B. The second Jesus said: "follow Me."
                1. His answer "Suffer me first to go bury my father."
                        a. This seems like a decent thing to do.
                        b. What did he mean by that?
                        c. Postponeing the call of God.
                2. "Me first."
                3. When Christ calls it must be Him first.
                4. His call takes precedence over the highest earthly ties.
        C. The third came to Him: "Lord I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them
           farewell which are at home at my house."
                1. "No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back."
                2. The decision to follow Him m~t be clear and decisive. Nothing must hinder
                   it.

III. RULES OF FOLLOWING CHRIST.
        A. Detachment from all that hinders progress.
        B. When the gighest earthly love comes into conflict with my following Him let the
           dead bury the dead.
        C. When the hand is once placed on the plow don't look back.

IV. ALL THE THINGS JESUS DEMANDED, HE WAS DOING. HIS FACE WAS SET TOWARDS JERUSALEM TO THE
    CROSS.

Put first and last verses of text together "He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."
"No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." 
He was not looking back, he met hostility, doom and death to bring us to life.