Sermon Central
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Discipleship: The Call Of The Cross
Contributed by Richard Deem on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: It is important to understand that God has freely given us salvation. It was paid for by the cross of Christ. Along with this salvation comes discipleship. Jesus said if you are going to be His disciple, you have to bear your cross.
One of the main conditions of discipleship is bearing one’a cross. Listen my friend, no cross -- no crown. Why, you can¡¦t even get to the upper room without going by way of Calvary¡¦s cross. The "cross life" is greatly missing in many churches today.
The mandate of God is that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily! That leads to our next point ...
The Costly Call of the Cross [..deny himself]
Christ is seeking those who are willing to abandon all in pursuit of Him. Discipleship is costly. It will cost a man his life. Dietrich Boenhoffer once said: "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die!"
Listen, we have made the call of Christ much too easy. Yes, salvation is free but it is not cheap! It cost Christ His precious life! Bonhoeffer speaks of "Cheap grace." Allow me to read a couple paragraphs from his book The Cost of Discipleship:
"Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ."
Bonhoeffer contrasts cheap grace with costly grace: Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field: for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods -- it is the call of Jesus at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.
Such grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow Him. It is costly because it costs a man his life. It is costly because it condemns sin. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son.
My friend there is a great need to understand the cost of discipleship. This is not the day to offer a "bargain" religion. Preach the word. Make disciples. Inform the Christian of the requirements of discipleship.
Discipleship involves ---
1. Servanthood [Matthew 20:25-28]
"The only way to servanthood is through the Cross: until we have died to self, there is no true servanthood. God does not want our contribution, He wants our surrender to our created purpose."
2. Stewardship [Matthew 25:15-28]
Stewardship is based upon the biblical assumption that everything we have and are belongs to God and must be used according to God’s will.
3. Sacrifice [1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Tim. 2:1-4]
We MUST understand that "we are not our own, for we’ve been bought with a price." The Lord has not called us to comfort and ease. We’re not called to a life of luxury and great esteem. Jesus clearly taught that the servant was not above his Master. Listen to the words of Paul to Timothy:
1Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.[2 Timothy 2:1-4]
