Count The Cost Series

April 16, 2022

Have you ever asked this question, “How much is this going to cost?”

Before buying a car….

Before investing in that cruise….

Before getting those Solar Panels….

Most of us don’t like to be surprised by the bottom line. We want to know UP FRONT how much that big purchase is going to cost.

I have a personal pet peeve ---- companies who don’t put pricing on their websites. You know the ones…. “Here are all the things we offer, now give us your contact information and a representative will get with you shortly to schedule a tour of the facility.” They do this intentionally so that you are forced to listen to their sales-pitch before they drop the price bomb on you. I hate that!!!

When it comes to Christianity, it seems like most of us don’t even consider the question of cost and it’s certainly not something generally discussed at the annual evangelistic series.

We stick with the tried-and-true talking points that will get people in the tank and boost numbers - but no one ever talks about what it will cost to follow Jesus.

Why not? Because it’s an uncomfortable conversation to have. So, we stick with what’s easy.

We are impressed by mega-churches that can seat 20 thousand people.

We are impressed by full parking lots.

We are impressed with activity……

These things, however, did not seem to impress Jesus. As a matter of fact, scripture leads us to the conclusion that he deliberately tried to thin the crowds:

• Matthew 8:18-20 - Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

• Mark 8:34-38 - 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. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospels shall save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 "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."

• John 6:53-66 - Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. 58 "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever." 59 These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? 62 "What then if you should behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before? 63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father." 66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.

Now why would He do that? Jesus knew that most of the crowds followed Him for the wrong reasons:

• because it was popular

• to see what miracle He would do next

• to get in on the ground floor when Israel was finally restored to its rightful place on the world stage.