Count The Cost Series

MUB

SEPT. 24, 2006

LUKE 14; 25;27

5Large 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. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

COUNT THE COST

BACK IN 1986, I DECIDED I WAS GOING TO BUY A TRUCK. ALWAYS WANTED ONE, NEVER OWNED ONE, NEEDED A DIFFERENT VEHICLE, SO I WENT TRUCK SHOPPING. I WENT TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND LOOKED AT THE S10, GOT THEIR PRICE. WENT TO THE FORD DEALER AND LOOKED AT THE RANGER, SET DOWN WITH THE SALESMAN. I SAID, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS I AM GOING TO BUY A TRUCK, ITS BETWEEN THE S10 AND THE RANGER, HOW MUCH IS THE RANGER GOING TO COST ME? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PRETTY SIMPLE QUESTION, TELL ME A DOLLAR FIGURE. THE SALESMAN SAID, WE WILL BEAT THEIR BEST PRICE. I SAID, HOW MUCH? HE SAID, WE WILL BEAT THEIR BEST PRICE. HOW MUCH? HE NEVER DID QUOTE ME A PRICE. FINALLY I WALKED AWAY, WENT TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND BOUGHT THE S10.

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT FOR ME, I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH. I DON’T WANT EASY PAYMENTS, I DON’T WANT, WE WILL BEAT THEIR BEST PRICE, I WANT, BOTTOM LINE, OUT THE DOOR, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST. IT WOULD BE PRETTY FOOLISH TO AGREE TO SOMETHING W/O KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING TO BE EXPECTED FROM YOU IN RETURN.

REMEMBER, WE ARE IN THE LAST MONTHS OF JESUS EARTHLY MINISTRY. LARGE CROWDS ARE FOLLOWING. THEY HANG ON HIS EVERY WORD, THEY EAGERLY WATCH FOR HIS NEXT MIRACLE. BUT, MANY ARE THERE SIMPLY FOR THE SHOW. IT IS THE PLACE TO BE. THEY WANT TO FOLLOW JESUS, BUT ONLY IF ITS CONVENIENT. TO THIS GROUP, HE PUTS FORTH THE CHALLENGE.

IF ANYONE COMES TO ME, BUT DOES NOT HATE, PARENTS, WIFE AND CHILDREN, BROTHERS, SISTERS, EVEN HIS OWN LIFE. HOLD ON. HATE IS A PRETTY STRONG WORD. IS JESUS REALLY TELLING US, THAT IF WE WANT TO FOLLOW HIM, WE MUST HATE, MOM AND DAD? BROTHER, SISTER? WIFE AND CHILDREN? EVEN OUR OWN SELVES?

WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS THIS. IF YOU TRULY WANT TO FOLLOW ME. IF YOU REALLY DESIRE TO BE A DISCIPLE. IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET, THE KGD MINDSET, THEN, YOU WILL PUT ALL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS IN THE PROPER ORDER.

IN COLLEGE, I HAD A ROOMMATE, ACROSS THE HALL. HE WAS JEWISH. HE HAD BEEN RAISED IN A JEWISH HOME, GONE THRU THE BAR MITZVAH AND ALL THAT STUFF. NOW, HERE HE WAS IN A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, STUDYING TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN MINISTER. HE WAS BLESSED. HE SHARED WITH ME, THAT HE KNEW ANOTHER GUY, SAME AGE, HAD CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY FROM JUDAISM. THIS GUY, NOT SO BLESSED. WHEN HE TOLD HIS PARENTS, THEY DISOWNED HIM. HAD A FUNERAL FOR HIM, IN THEIR EYES HE HAD DIED. HE WAS OUT OF THE FAMILY. HE BECAME A NON-PERSON FOR HIS FAITH.

WHAT JESUS IS SAYING IS, IF YOU FOLLOW ME, YOUR FAMILY MAY DISOWN YOU. THEY MAY TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU. YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE MAY DIVORCE YOU. YOU MAY BECOME A NON-PERSON FOR YOUR DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS.

I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE, YOU WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY LOSE SOME FRIENDS FOR CHOOSING TO FOLLOW JESUS. YOU WONT BE THE SAME, YOU WONT LAUGH AT THE SAME JOKES, YOU WONT FEEL COMFORTABLE IN SOME OF THE OLD SETTINGS. JESUS IS SAYING, IF YOU FOLLOW ME, YOU MAY WELL LOSE SOME OF THOSE FRIENDSHIPS.

THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE THOUGHT IS THIS. YOU MUST LOVE JESUS MORE THAN ANY OF THOSE THINGS, EVEN YOUR OWN LIFE. IF YOU TRULY LOVE HIM, YOU WILL BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR HIM, IF NECESSARY. AND WHEN HE SPEAKS THOSE WORDS, EVERY ONE OF THE APOSTLES EXCEPT JOHN, DIED A MARTYRS DEATH.

YOU MAY BE THINKING, DO I HAVE TO DIE TO FOLLOW JESUS? THE ANSWER IS YES. YOU MUST DIE TO SELF. YOUR OLD SINFUL SELF MUST DIE. YOUR SINS MUST DIE. B/C ONLY THRU DEATH DOES LIFE COME. IF JESUS DOESN’T DIE ON THE CROSS, YOU AND I WOULD NEVER LIVE. THIS IS THE PRICE OF FOLLOWING HIM. JESUS ILLUSTRATES THIS THOUGHT OF COUNTING THE COST, BY TELLING A COUPLE OF STORIES.

THE FIRST IS THAT OF A MAN BUILDING A TOWER. IN THAT DAY, BUILDING A TOWER WAS COMMON PRACTICE. YOU WOULD BUILD ONE IN YOUR FIELDS. IT PROVIDED A PLACE OF SAFETY FOR YOU AND YOUR WORKERS. IT GOT YOU OUT OF THE WEATHER. IT WAS OFTEN A PLACE TO SLEEP. IT WAS ALSO A PLACE THAT YOU COULD WATCH FOR YOUR ENEMIES. IT SERVED A VERY USEFUL PURPOSE.