Emphasize the importance of understanding and embracing the cost of discipleship, which requires great commitment, sacrifice, and a willingness to listen and follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
Good morning, family! Today, we're going to dive into the topic of the cost of discipleship.
In the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Following Jesus is not an easy or comfortable path, but rather one that requires great commitment and sacrifice.
Our main focus today will be on Luke 14:35b, where Jesus tells us, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."
Let's read the full passage from Luke 14:25-35 to get a better understanding of the context:
"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, "This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish." Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he 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, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.'"
Jesus makes it clear in the passage from Luke 14 that following Him is not an easy or comfortable path, but one that requires great commitment and sacrifice.
One aspect of the cost of discipleship is the surrender of our personal relationships. Jesus says that if anyone comes to Him and does not "hate" father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even their own life, they cannot be His disciple.
This can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially in a culture that often values family and personal happiness above all else. However, Jesus is calling us to a radical reordering of our priorities, placing Him at the center of our lives and allowing everything else to fall into place around that central relationship.
Another aspect of the cost of discipleship is the willingness to carry our cross and follow Jesus. In the first century, the cross was a symbol of suffering, shame, and death. When Jesus tells His followers to carry their cross, He is not speaking metaphorically; He is calling them to embrace a life of self-denial, suffering, and even martyrdom for the sake of the gospel.
Carrying our cross means that we must be willing to endure hardship, persecution, and suffering for the sake of Christ. It means that we must be willing to put our own desires, ambitions, and comfort aside in order to follow Jesus wherever He leads us.
The cost of discipleship also involves a willingness to count the cost and make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, knowing full well what it may entail. Jesus uses two parables to illustrate this point: the builder who counts the cost before beginning construction on a tower, and the king who considers whether he can win a battle before going to war. In both cases, the decision to proceed is not made lightly or impulsively, but only after careful consideration of the potential risks and sacrifices involved.
In the same way, Jesus calls us to count the cost of following Him and to make a deliberate, informed decision to do so. This is not a decision to be made lightly or out of a sense of obligation or guilt. Rather, it is a decision that must be made with a clear understanding of the sacrifices and challenges that lie ahead. Only then can we truly commit ourselves to the path of discipleship and be prepared to face whatever trials may come our way.
The cost of discipleship involves a willingness to give up everything we have in order to follow Jesus. This may sound extreme, but Jesus is clear that those who do not give up everything cannot be His disciples. This does not necessarily mean that we must sell all our possessions and live in poverty, although for some, that may be the path that God calls them to. Instead, it means that we must be willing to surrender everything we have – our time, our resources, our talents, our relationships – to the service of Christ and His kingdom.
This kind of radical generosity and selflessness is counter-cultural and challenging, but it is also deeply transformative. As we learn to let go of our attachment to the things of this world and invest ourselves fully in the things of God, we begin to experience a freedom and joy that is unlike anything the world can offer. We discover that the cost of discipleship, though great, is far outweighed by the rewards of a life lived fully for Christ.
It is not enough to merely acknowledge Jesus as our Savior; we must also be willing to listen to His teachings and apply them in our lives ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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