1. The Crowd
Luke 9:18-20, (49-50), 57-62

2. Luke 9
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”

3. 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus 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 goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

4. The Crowd
Luke 9:18-20, (49-50), 57-62

6. Luke 9
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”

7. 2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
2 Peter 2:1-3 there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.

8. He asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
Thoughts/Beliefs
He asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
“But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?”
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Am I being mindful of that which, even within the church-world, would influence me to think or believe different from Jesus and God’s Word

9. 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus 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 goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

10. 2 Tim 3:1-5 There will be terrible times in the last days
2 Tim 3:1-5 There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

11. 2 Pet 3:3-4,17 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”… Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.

12. “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and…”
Actions/Behavior
“Follow me.”
“I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and…”
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Am I being mindful of that which, even within the church-world, would influence me to act or behave different from Jesus and God’s Word

13. What To Do?

14. What To Do? Hold Fast to The Word
Luke 13:24 Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many will try to enter and will not be able to
Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

15. Remember Love and Unity
What To Do?
Hold Fast to The Word
Remember Love and Unity
Ps 133:1 How good and pleasant it is     when God’s people live together in unity!
Eph 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Rom 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

16. Right Doctrine/Living or Unity?
1 Cor 5:11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
James 5: My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

17. Remember Love and Unity
What To Do?
Hold Fast to The Word
Remember Love and Unity
Luke 9:49-50
“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
  “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

18. What To Do?
Luke 9:50
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Luke 11:15,23
15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” …
23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

19. Ask the Audience – Be Aware Hold Fast to The Word – Compare
Remember Love and Unity – Be Fair
“Who do the crowds say I am?”
“But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?”