Discipleship - The Cost Of Following Jesus

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Decision (verse 57-58):

(2). Delay (verses 59-61)

(3). Determination (verse 61-62)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas,

• Is a portrait with the following inscription:

• "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists.

• This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased,

• Who greatly resembled his uncle.

• It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man

• Who died for freedom."

• No literal portrait of Jesus exists either.

• But the likeness of Jesus the Son needs to be seen in each one of us!

• A disciple is one who follows, embraces, copies, reflects;

• And acts like their master.

Note:

• The New Testament word used for “disciple” is the Greek word ‘mathetes’;

• And it means ‘learner’.

• In other words, disciples are people who LEARN to be like Jesus in character;

• And learn to behave like Jesus in their conduct.

• Quote:

• “It's been said, 'A student learns what his teacher knows,

• But a disciple becomes what his master is.”

Ill:

• When Wycliffe Bible translator Doug Meland and his wife;

• Moved into a village of Brazil's Fulnio Indians,

• He was referred to simply as "the white man".

• The term was by no means complimentary,

• Since other white men had exploited them, burned their homes,

• And robbed them of their lands.

• But after the Melands learned the Fulnio language;

• And began to help the people with medicine and in other ways,

• They began calling Doug "the respectable white man".

• When the Melands began adopting the customs of the people,

• The Fulnio gave them greater acceptance and spoke of Doug as "the white Indian".

• Then one day, as Doug was washing the dirty, bloodcaked foot of an injured Fulnio boy,

• He overheard a bystander say to another:

• "Whoever heard of a white man washing an Indian's foot before?

• Certainly this man is from God!"

• From that day on, whenever Doug would go into an Indian home,

• It would be announced: "Here comes the man God sent us."

Quote:

• One great writer on discipleship put it this way:

• “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you”.

• Doug Meland and his wife were genuine disciples;

• Because the acted and became like Jesus to those Fulnio Indians,

• Being a disciple encompasses more than just asking Christ into our lives,

• And goes far beyond baptism and Church membership.

• These events are simply the beginning of our new life in Christ and not the end.

• We are saved to know God, to enjoy God and to serve God daily!

• And by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus day by day.

Notice:

• There is an urgency about these verses in Luke chapter 9:

• Jesus is constantly on the move;

• In a series of rapid-fire encounters with disciples and would-be disciples.

• The journey to Jerusalem begins (verse 51);

• “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem”

• And that determination is reinforced by a number of words that suggest movement:

• 'Heading' (verse 53), 'walking' (verse 57), 'follow' (verses 57-61).

With steely determination (that is the force of the word rendered 'resolutely' in verse 51):

• He strikes out on foot;

• Going from Galilee in the north to the capital Jerusalem in the south.

• Straight line distance from Nazareth to Jerusalem appears to be about 101kilometres;

• That is about 63 miles in old money.

• Because the route was not a straight line;

• The walking distance would be more on the order of 110 kilometres (68 miles).

• On this journey Jesus encounters a number of ‘Would-be Disciples’;

• Who at first appearance had the right motives and desires;

• But Jesus looked below the surface and saw their true intentions.

(1). Decision (verse 57-58):

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, I will follow you wherever you go.

58 Jesus replied, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head”.

Matthew in his gospel (chapter 8 verse 19) tells us:

• That this first man was a ‘Teacher of the law’, or a ‘scribe’.

• Most ‘Teacher of the law’, or ‘scribes’ were hostile to Jesus.

• But here is a teacher of the law who is different;

• One willing to break the mould, willing to acknowledge Jesus as his teacher!

• His desire and his sincerity to follow Jesus has to be admired,