Modern Day Disciples Series

Modern Day Disciples

Pastor Glenn Newton July 4, 2004

Text: Luke 14:25-33

LK 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

LK 14:28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

LK 14:31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

This morning we will begin our investigation of what it means to be a Modern Day Disciple. I can tell you that some of you will be offended by what you hear…. That’s OK, some of you need to be offended with the Truth, and heed what it says. If your comfortable in your walk with the Lord, God’s Word and His teaching has a way of offending you right out of that comfort level, if your satisfied that you have progressed enough in your Christian walk and you don’t plan on changing anything anymore, you definitely will be offended today.

Last week I asked you, Is there a difference between a Christian and a Disciple? As we go through the next couple of weeks talking and learning about what discipleship is, my hope is that there will be no doubt in your mind what the answer is…. You will know.

Anybody know what the main responsibility or the main job that Jesus left us to do is? The main job of the church, your main job as a Christian….. To make disciples. So we surely need to understand what a Disciple is, so we know what it is we are to be making, right? There is a difference between a believer and a disciple. There is no such thing as an instant disciple; like the word, it takes discipline.

A Russian comedian, Yakov Smirnoff talks about when he first moved to America, he was amazed at the variety of instant products he could buy in the store. There’s powdered milk: just add water and you have milk. There’s powdered orange juice: just add water and you have orange juice. Then he saw Baby Powder and thought, “What a great country! If you want a baby, just add water!” Some people think that’s how discipleship works. You take a believer, add a little baptism water, and “poof” you have a fully-devoted follower of Jesus–a real disciple. But it takes more than water to make a disciple. Disciples are made, not born.

In Luke 14, Jesus was getting closer and closer to the cross. People who wanted to see a miracle or get a free meal from Him were mobbing Him. The crowd is about to become much smaller because He started setting forth the cost of discipleship, and it’s not a popular message. It requires total commitment.

A hog and a hen sharing the same barnyard heard about a church’s program to feed the hungry. The hog and the hen discussed how they could help. The hen said, “I’ve got it! We’ll provide bacon and eggs for the church to feed the hungry.” The hog thought about the suggestion and said, “There’s only thing wrong with your bacon and eggs idea. For you, it only requires a contribution, but from me, it will mean total commitment!” That’s the cost of discipleship.

In our passage this morning we are going to notice what Jesus says about Discipleship, it may be offensive, but when Jesus says it, maybe we should listen. This morning I want to share with you 2 Marks of a disciple, these are basic and mandatory to being a disciple, these aren’t marks of the greatest disciples who we will never measure up too. But instead, if we will notice what Jesus says, without these marks, we are not His disciples, so those who have ears, let’s hear what the Word says.

LK 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.