I. Introduction: What does it mean to be a Disciple of Jesus?

     There are many that claim to be Christians today.  A lot of folks do a lot of talking, but their life does not demonstrate a changed life in Christ.  To be a disciple of Jesus we must be willing to go where He went.  For example.....
A. He calls us to take up a cross....
      And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever lose his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it. "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? "For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38)
B. He wants us to count the cost of discipleship...
      "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish." (Luke 14:27-30)

A. We are taught to live as Jesus did.  How was His life Described?
        He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.  But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.  All of like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (Isa 53:3-7)
B. He was Humiliated even to the bitter end.
      And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,  save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"  In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. (Mark 15:29-31)
Yet, He forgave His mockers and murderers..

C. He Humbled Himself and God Exalted Him
         Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every knee,  that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Phil 2:5-11)
D. He suffered for us.
     He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21)
     But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

A. To Be A Disciple is to Suffer
      For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,  WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;  and while being reviled, He did ot revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you ere healed. (1 Pet 2:21-24)
      Why should we expect to be spared when Christ has said: "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat 5:10-12)
B. We may even suffer because of our own Families
 "And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.  "And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. (Mat 10:21-22)

Read the “Moth Story”

The Emperor Moth
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth.  He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon.  On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole.

        Then it seemed to stop making any progress.  It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.  It just seemed to be stuck.  Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

        The moth then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.  The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.  Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.  It never was able to fly.

        What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.  Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle.  By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

        Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.  If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, He would cripple us.  We would not be as strong as what we could have been. - Author Unknown

A.  Our Sufferings make us who we are
      And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has en poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom 5:3-5)
B. Our sufferings will not overcome us
     No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure .(1 Cor 10:13)
C. We are Blessed when we suffer from Righteousness sake
      But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone o asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it s better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit..(1 Pet 3:14-18)

     Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so hat also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.  If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.
(1 Pet 4:12-16)