While it is all good and nice to preach repentance, only those who become followers of Jesus Christ i.e. those who are born of the Spirit of truth will enjoy that which Jesus Christ has indeed promised His own.
No one can become a follower of Jesus Christ simply by wishing for it. Jesus required that those who choose to follow Him do the work that He commands they first do.
1. Be prepared to abandon parents, brother, sister, children, spouse, in-laws, e.t.c.
2. Abandon all that you know/believe, have, and all that you are
3. Bear your own burden (not someone else's cross- not even your family's or children's)
Matthew 10 vs 34-39
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34. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace. I came to bring trouble.[h]
35. I have come to make this happen:
‘A son will turn against his father.
A daughter will turn against her mother.
A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.
36. Even members of your own family will be your enemies.’
37. “Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy of me. And those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy of me.
38. Those who will not accept the cross that is given to them when they follow me are not worthy of me.
39. Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it. But those who give up their life for me will find true life.
4. Become a child again in your thinking and your actions
Matthew 14 vs 23-24
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3. Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom.
4. The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.
5. Be prepared to lose life(reputation, career, control, property, etc.)
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Matthew 16 vs 24-27
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24. Then Jesus said to his followers, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me.
25. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life.
26. It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life.
27. The Son of Man will come again with his Father’s glory and with his angels. And he will reward everyone for what they have done.
6. Desire above all to find and enter the Kingdom of God and also walk the path of righteousness, with God as your guide every step
7. Let go of all control you have over your life and circumstances, allowing God to take care of your every need
Matthew 6 vs 31-34
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25. “So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it.
26. Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are?
27. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
28. “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves.
29. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.
30. If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!
31. “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32. That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.
33. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.
34. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.
