Counting the Cost
Luke 14:27-30
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Over in Acts 12, we find that Paul and Barnabas took with them a young man on their missionary endeavors named John Mark.
-not sure what happened along the way… but John Mark ended up going back home.
Then in Ch. 15 when Barnabas wanted to take John Mark again, Paul was against it.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Some look at this passage and assume that these great men of God were acting impudent over a little silly matter.
Some think that they actually ended up in a bad fight over this and ended up hating each other because of John Mark.
-I don’t believe that to be true. I believe that Paul was settled in his view, and Barnabas was settled in his, and they both stood their ground.
-doesn’t mean one was right and the other wasn’t.
Listen: there will be times of disagreement, but you can Disagree with someone and still not fall into sin.
-when you sin is when you let the disagreement burrow roots of bitterness within you.
But nevertheless… something happened in John Mark’s life for him to quit along the way.
We can surmise… I believe HE DIDN’T COUNT THE COST!
YOU YOUNG FOLKS are fixing to go back to school. Some of you to a Christian school, some of you home school, and some of you public school.
What you have received from God from youth camp and throughout the year here at church can become easily lost if you DON’T COUNT THE COST.
God has given us many tools to help us in our journey as a Christian.
1. A Good Church – I know at times, you might get wandering eyes and look at so and so’s church and say, man, I wished we could do things like their youth group does…
-but in all reality, you’ve got a great youth group and a great church right here.
-people that love you
-Pastor and wife that are behind you
-great teachers who care about you
2. Good Parents – not all of you have Christian parents, but thank God for your parents.
-they provide for you, love you, are interested in your well being.
3. Good Sense – (some of you parents may fall out of your pew with disbelief)
But hear me out: we’re living in a very crazy Mixed up world.
-you go to the mall, and find a lot of strange looking teenagers, and wonder what planet they came off of.
-God has given you good sense… Godly understanding to know how to conduct yourselves, and how to present yourselves.
-note: for the most part, you all have good sense in your clothing.
-every now and then, some of you
young ladies wear clothes a little too
tight and revealing, but for the most
part, you all look great.
4. Fourth thing God has given you… is the Holy Ghost!!
Mentioned this morning I was going to preach on something tonight based on an experience that Bro. & Sis. Curry and their family had while on vacation.
Utah: on I-70, there is a stretch of interstate going from Green River, west to Salina that is very baron.
A sign warns motorists… that there is no service on I-70 for the next 106 miles.
What it really means is this: Buddy, you better have enough GAS to make it through this stretch.
-So they stopped at a rest area, about 30 miles into this stretch, and met a family who were so occupied in their travels listening to hardy boys cassette, that the father forgot to get gas.
-he was asking around if anyone had extra gas.
So Bro. Curry told him to follow him and go as far as he could, and if they ran out of gas, they would at least take him to a gas station.
-42 miles later, they saw an exit that had gas about 12 miles north of the interstate. The Curry’s escorted him there.
Coming back… several days later… coming back East,
They came across a stranded motorist who had run out of gas. They stopped and offered him a ride, but he didn’t want to leave his computer and equipment in the car, so he just asked them to call his wife and let her know where he was.
Now they were 99 miles into that 106 mile stretch and came across another car… a couple that had run out of gas.
-they stopped at the exit and when getting ready to get back on I-70 going East, they saw this couple getting ready to try to get a ride going back West to get back to their car with their gas.
They gave them a ride, and then resumed their trip back East.
Said all that to say this: all of you are fixing to take this trip back to school.
And all of you need more than just a good service and a pat on the back.
You need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Ghost in your life!!!
You can sit here tonight and say to yourself… ah… I can make it, I don’t need anything else… but sure as I’m preaching this to you… you’ll run out.
Why? Because you didn’t count the cost.
