There are those who want to avoid all that is difficult. Some look for the easiest way. Some seek that which will bring less challenge or less hardship. The US Marine Corps takes pride in having a far different attitude. On the US Marine Corps website are these words under eligibility, “Our standards are high, our ranks are few. Marines are men and women who, once trained, will meet the highest standards of moral and physical strength.” In other words, the Marine Corps is not looking for slackers, or those who lack commitment, or those looking for the easy way.
This month we have been making a PRIORITY CHECK each week. We have checked our priority of OTHERS. Last Sunday we checked our priority of COMMITMENT. This week we are checking our priority of DISCIPLESHIP – today’s priority check is closely linked to last week’s priority of commitment. Last week we saw the danger in having misplaced priorities toward THINGS, toward WORK, and even toward FAMILY. As we continue to read in Luke 14 we will see that Jesus expects those who follow Him to have a very high priority of DISCIPLESHIP. Jesus was not looking for those who wanted an easy, pain free, challenge free life. Jesus was not seeking followers who would take the easy road in life but those who wanted to take the high road and were willing to pay a high cost to be on that high road that leads to a high destination!
Jesus gives some matters of important consideration for those who desire to follow Jesus – to those who desire to be His disciples.
Luke 14:25-26
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
NASU
I. Priority of Christ Above Others
We began this series with a study of Luke 14:1-14 in which we saw the importance of showing priority to others. Now in this message we see that we are to give Christ priority over others. Are these contradictory? NO! While it is very important for us to show much love, concern, and care toward others. Our priority to Christ is above our love, concern, and care toward others. The two are really linked and not in opposition.
Matthew 5:43-46
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
NASU
Last Sunday we gave attention to the importance of placing our Lord in higher priority than our family. We cited another passage of Scripture where Jesus said . . .
Matthew 10:37
37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."
NASU
Jesus is making the same point here when He tells those who would follow Him that their love and commitment for Him must be higher than their love of others – even of their own family. Jesus is not teaching His followers to have actual hatred for family for that would be contradictory to what he teaches in many other places. He taught we are even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But as much as we are to love others, as greatly as we love our family, that love IN COMPARISON to our love for Him could seem like hate. Our love for the Lord FAR exceeds the love we have for others, even for our family.
That is a priority of very great importance! If we move Christ down from the highest position in our life, we are not being His disciple! He is our highest priority.
II. Priority of Christ Over Self
Luke 14:27
27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
NASU
A cross, of course, was an instrument of death. Jesus would soon be put to death on a cross. He was willing to take up that cross and sacrifice His life for our sake. He died so we can live. He sacrificed His sinless life so we could know forgiveness of our sin. Jesus put us and His Father’s will above Himself. Jesus expects us, as we follow Him, to follow His example of denying self. A disciple of Christ has HIGH priorities. Jesus said at another time . . .
Luke 9:23-24
23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
24 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”
NASU
There is so much in life to which we can give our attention, our time, our money, our priority – but if we are a follower of Christ we die to those priorities to live to follow Him.
III. Priority of Christ Includes Determination
Luke 14:28-30
28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
NASU
When a person comes to Christ there is certainly reason to rejoice and celebrate. Even the angels rejoice at such a time. But we need to realize that being baptized into Christ, as important as it is, it is a new beginning. A person coming to Christ for salvation, to become a follower of Christ, needs to realize the serious commitment he/she is making. It is a life-long commitment. FOREVER! Jesus made the illustration of building a building and considering the material needed to see the job to completion.
What does a disciple of Christ need to have to finish the course? DETERMINATION! That is a WILL to continue. A disciple of Christ realizes difficult times will come, but those difficult times will not take a determined disciple off course! That is what the writer of Hebrews is emphasizing as he wrote to some who were stumbling in their walk with Christ. What he wrote has much to say to each of us today.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
NASU
Disciples of Christ have a real determination to remain committed to Him.
IV. Priority of Christ Over Opposition
Luke 14:31-33
31 "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
NASU
Disciples of Christ, those who follow Christ, will have some severe opposition. The opposition will at times seem overwhelming. Give that some real thought. Jesus warns in another place that being His follower will not be without some real opposition.
John 15:18-20
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
NASU
When the opposition seems overwhelming what will you do? You can give up, surrender. Or you can consider your resources. When we look at the opposition that Satan throws at us and compare it with our personal power, we are in very serious trouble. We might even say, “I am not strong enough to get through this.” And your assessment may be completely valid. You are outmatched by Satan’s opposition. The good news is you don’t need to face that opposition alone, or on your own power. You have given up self. You have united completely with Christ. You have a power greater than your own power. That is what we read in 1 John 4:4.
1 John 4:4
4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
NASU
Followers of Christ know they need a strength greater than their own. Followers of Christ KNOW the ONE who gives them a strength greater than their own!
V. Priority of Christ Remains Within
Luke 14:34-35
34 "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?
35 "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
NASU
Salt has a purpose. Of course we are aware of salt being used as a seasoning. It can also be used as a preservative. Jesus talks about salt that has become tasteless – it has lost its purpose. It might still appear to be salt – but appearances can be deceiving. This salt has no taste. It has no value, it has lost its purpose.
Followers of Christ, disciples of Christ, must keep their priority of commitment to Him in all areas of life. If they no longer give Christ supreme place in their lives, they have lost their purpose. They may appear to be followers. They may do certain things that makes others think they are followers, but those things are only an act. Christ has been moved to a lower tier in life than Lord of all.
Jesus does not have part-time disciples. Jesus does not have nominal-followers. There are no “reserves.” All disciples of Christ are on ACTIVE DUTY.
Revelation 3:14-16
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
NASU
You do not need to be lukewarm. You can be completely committed to Him. That is YOUR decision. We definitely need to make a priority check when we come to Christ, when we are baptized into Christ. We also must continue to make a priority check as we continue to follow Him!
[Prayer]
