Counting The Cost

Counting The Cost

Luke 14: 25 - 33

Intro: I recently read the true story about a preacher who was standing at the door shaking hands as the congregation departed on Easter Sunday. He grabbed one man by the hand and pulled him aside. The preacher said to him, The man replied, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"" I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Preacher." The preacher questioned, "How come I don’t see you except for Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "I’m in the secret service."

I The man was a quick thinker. He knew that he wasn’t going to get by without costing him something.

A If you are like me, you love to shop. I like looking for bargains because I don’t like to pay full-price for anything.

B There are 3 basic types of shoppers:

1) those that will pay whatever the cost if they want it bad enough.

2) Those who want something but will not buy it at the price they are asking.

3) Those who look at the price and then decide how much they really want it.

II Most people think it is free to follow Jesus. There are various types of people who claim to be followers of Jesus.

A Those that tell God: “I’m only on the available like these two hours on Sunday mornings.”

B Those that say, “the Lord does not need to lead me into temptation because I can find it all by myself.”

C And those who “Live at the church, are the first ones to volunteer for everything.

III VSS. 28 – 32 – 2 illustrations of why a person should count the cost of discipleship. Discipleship is not for the faint of heart.

A Discipleship is a process of commitment, not a one-time statement of intention. That is why I don’t like to think of myself as “being saved”. I rather think of myself as being invested.

B We are not called to self-punishment but to replace greed, privilege, and entitlement with justice and compassion.

C Jesus calls us to do something SO difficult that we will doubt our abilities. Yet, we are given the grace and the strength to do what is difficult or hard.

Concl: We cannot be shallow or uncommitted believers. It is going to cost us something. Interesting enough the word “cost” is found only here in the entire NT. Cost is what we give up to acquire, accomplish, maintain, or produce something. --- Commitment to Christ Jesus is more about how much we keep for ourselves than it is about how much we give to the work of Christ’s Church. --- To be my disciples, Jesus says, “It costs something. There is a price to be paid.” Know that it won’t be cheap, and you can’t get by with half or what’s needed. Our lackluster, mediocre resolve won’t save us when the great battles of life have to be fought. IT TAKES COMMITMENT TO THE WAY OF CHRIST!