The Aggravation Factor Series

SERIES: “THE GROWTH FACTORS”

TEXT: LUKE 14:25-33

TITLE: “THE AGGRAVATION FACTOR”

INTRODUCTION: A. When I was much younger, I played a board game called “Aggravation”

1. 2-6 people could play

2. Each person got a set of colored marbles

3. The goal was to roll the dice, move the marbles along the board, and be the first

one to get all of your marbles safely to home base

4. The “aggravation” came when another player’s marble landed on a space occupied

by one of your marbles.

--When that happened, your marble had to go all the way back to its starting

position (no matter how close to home base you were)

5. The thing that kept you going in the game when your marbles got sent back to

home base was that you still had the chance to be the first one to get all your

marbles to home base

--You had to consider how much aggravation you were willing to put up with

to make it to the goal – to finish the purpose of the game

B. We’re on our third message in the series: “The Growth Factors”

1. We’ve talked about “The Motivation Factor”

--Why are we here? Why does FCC exist? What are the purposes of the church?

2. We’ve talked about “The Expectation Factor”

--What is Christ’s vision of His church? Are we in line with Christ’s expectation

for His church?

3. Today we’re going to talk about “The Aggravation Factor”

--What are willing to go through and change to become a church that is in line

with Christ’s expectations of the church?

C. I heard an interesting adaptation of the biblical account of Adam and Eve:

God was talking with Adam. He said, “You really need a helper, don’t you?” And

Adam answered, “Yeah, I really do.”

So God said, “What if I make a woman? She’ll be perfect for you. She’ll be

beautiful. She’ll rub your back at night, and your feet in the morning. She’ll plop

grapes into your mouth. She’ll prepare all your favorite meals without fail. She’ll

clean up the kitchen and take care of the kids. You’ll never have to do a thing, just sit

around and be the king of your household.”

Adam said, “Boy, that sounds great, but how much is this going to cost?” God said,

“Well, it’s pretty expensive. It will cost you an arm & a leg.”

Adam thought for a moment and then asked, “What can I get for a rib?”

--and the rest is history, as they say…

D. Lk. 14:25-33 – “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:

’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. And

anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 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? For if he lays the foundation and is not

able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, This fellow began to

build and was not able to finish. 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? 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. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he

has cannot be my disciple.”

1. Someone: “You’ve got to count the cost when you carry the cross.”

2. Martin Luther: “A religion that does nothing, that saves nothing, that gives nothing,

that cost nothing, that suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”

I. TIME

Ps. 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

LORD USE MY TIME

Lord I have time

I have plenty of time

All the time that you give me

The years of my life

The days of my years

The hours of my days

They are all mine

Mine to fill, quietly, calmly,

But to fill completely, up to the brim,

To offer them to you, that of their insipid water

You may make a rich wine such as you made at Cana in Galilee.

Eph. 5:15-17 – “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”