OH, WE MEAN WELL!
LUKE 14:25 35
Read Luke 14:25 35...............PRAY
There is a story about 2 men from New York who had never been out of the city. And they got so fed up with city life that they bought a ranch down in Texas so they could live off the land like their ancestors had done.
The first thing they decided they needed was a mule, so they went to a neighboring rancher and asked if he had a mule to sell. The rancher said, "No, afraid not." Well, they were disappointed, but as they visited with the rancher for a few moments, one of them saw some honeydew melons stacked up against the barn, and said, "What are those?"
The rancher, seeing they were hopeless city slickers, decided to have some fun. So he said, "Those are mule eggs. You take one of those eggs home and wait for it to hatch, and you'll have a mule." The 2 were thrilled to death, so they bought one...put it in the back of their pickup...and headed down the bumpy road to their own ranch.
But on an especially treacherous bump, the honeydew melon bounced out of the back of the truck...hit the road...and burst wide open. Seeing what happened in the rearview mirror, the driver turned the truck around, and drove back to see if he could retrieve his mule egg.
Meanwhile, a big old Texas jackrabbit came hopping by and saw this honeydew burst open in the road. So he hopped over to it, stood right in the middle of that mess and began to eat. Now, here come these 2 city slickers. They saw the mule egg busted open and this long eared creature in the middle of it. One of them shouted, "Our mule egg hatched! Let's get our mule!"
But seeing those men coming toward it, the jackrabbit took off hopping in every direction, with the 2 men in hot pursuit. And they gave everything they had to catch him...but finally couldn't go any further.
Both men fell to the ground exhausted, while the jackrabbit hopped off into the distance. The one said to the other, "Well, I guess we lost our mule." The other nodded sadly and said, "Yeah, but you know...I'm not sure I wanted to plow that fast anyway."
I think there may be some common threads between the Scripture passage I read and the story of these 2 city slickers. These 2 men had good intentions in going to Texas. They meant well...but they sure didn't know what they were getting into. We laugh at the idea of mule eggs, but there may be a "mule egg" or two in our lives...spiritually speaking. That's what I want to look at this morning.
As we consider our passage for today, we should first take a look at what is happening at this time in Jesus' ministry. Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem..and this was to be their final, fateful journey to the big city. Jesus knew there would be a big showdown with the civil and religious leaders...and the outcome was pretty grim.
Now, Jesus had quite a crowd making the journey with Him...and they were comprised of two different types of people. The vast majority was "the multitude" ...who were men and women that half way believed that He was the Messiah. They wanted to be there for the grand opening of the kingdom that He said He was going to bring.
This coming of the kingdom was supposed to be a day of great glory and triumph, according to tradition...and there would be rewards and great rejoicing for all the people. And they wanted to be a part of the celebration.
The other group He had with Him was the disciples. And this wasn't just the 12 that we normally think of. There were many people who faithfully followed and believed in His teaching. And they somehow felt this was no ordinary trek to the holy city. They realized that this was the day...the long awaited time when God, through His Son, would announce and unveil His kingdom.
The Christian life is the best possible life anyone could ever live...but it's not an easy road. And Jesus doesn't want any of His people chasing "mule eggs" because they had no idea what they were in for or what they were doing.
Luke14 16 record several parables which, according to most scholars, are warnings against half heartedness in following Christ...and also starting something and then not following through. Jesus had tried to bring all of these people to an understanding of this truth about wholehearted commitment before...but without much success. And it must have been frustrating for Him...just like it is with any teacher, to know that He was saying one thing and they were hearing another.
But in spite of any frustrations, He stopped the group long enough to have another try at confronting them with the stark reality of not just of what was waiting for Him but also for those who would follow Him.
He wanted them to be sure they understood the seriousness of what they were doing. He wanted people in general...and His disciples in particular, to understand and appreciate the real nature of the kingdom He was setting up...because this was far different than what they were expecting.
Jesus wanted them to catch a glimpse of the hard, personal price each one might be called on to pay if they were to be a part of His kingdom. Jesus knew the dark, difficult days that were ahead for many of them...and He didn't want them to go in without knowing full well what being a true disciple could mean.
Two weeks ago many of you came to this altar to pledge your commitment to God and His work here at this church. This was a promise you made, not to me or to an organization...but to God! And God takes such a pledge very serious...which is why I explained the consequences of making such a commitment and not following through.
Jesus made four points in this short passage that I believe are just as relevant for us today, especially at this point in the life of our church, as it was for those He spoke directly to nearly 2,000 years ago. I want to examine those 4 points very quickly this morning.
First, Jesus clearly shows us that a choice is required...and a cross must be borne. Look at vs. 26 27 (READ).
Here we find a command that shocks us when we first look at it. Hate is a very strong word. Is Jesus saying we should actually hate our parents...our brothers and sisters...even our spouse and our children? I thought we were supposed to love everyone.
The word hate in the Greek is miseo, and aside from the normal connotation, it means "to love less." And this is not the opposite of love...but love to a lesser degree. What Jesus is saying here is not that we should hate our family...but that we have a choice to make. And that choice is "Who do we love the most?" And that is a valid question for Him to ask us.
What He's telling us is that we must choose the priority of our relationships. And specifically, Jesus is telling us that if we are truly going to follow Him...then nothing, not even our family, should keep us from following Him.
Now, I want to make something perfectly clear. Serving in a church is not necessarily the same as following Christ. There are probably millions working in various positions in churches all around the world who are no more following God's specific will for their lives than the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Moonies or the Buddhist's.
And many will literally destroy their families by giving all their time and attention to church programs and activities...neglecting their wives or husbands or children all, they say, in the name of the Lord.
We need to make a clear distinction here. Jesus calls us to follow HIM...not follow a church. But once we understand the truth of that...we have to realize that following Him will involve service of some kind. And when Jesus reveals to us just what that area of ministry entails...that's when we have to make choices about who comes first in our lives.
Much of what some people do is merely an attempt to look good...or to "earn" salvation... or to appease God because they know they're not doing what He really wants for them. They may seem like the most committed of all people when in reality they are not following Christ at all...just their own ideas and plans.
But we also have people who go to the other extreme...we have those who fail to follow God and His plan for their life and use the excuse. "Oh, I need to spend more time with my family, so I'm not going to get involved with anything for a while because they really need me. I don't want to neglect them."
Now that sounds like a noble thought...but most of the time they will only seem to find the extra time for their family when they should be in church learning about God and growing in His word...setting a real example for their family. And its really just an excuse for laziness & disobedience.
They wouldn't think of finding time for the family when their favorite TV program is on...or they're involved in their hobbies...or they're shopping...or visiting etc. It seems that the best time to stay home and bond with the kids or your spouse is when we should be following the command of Hebrews 10:25 (READ)
We must follow Him no matter what the cost and that kind of choice can be a heavy cross. It may mean giving up the temporal for the eternal. But it must be done daily, by all who will follow Him and be loyal to Him to the end. A choice is required and a cross must be borne.
A second warning is seen in the illustration of one who wants to build a tower. He should first sit down and count the cost before he ever lays one brick. And this idea of counting the cost is so important that He gives a second illustration to reinforce just how crucial this really is.
Jesus is saying to them...take great care in counting the cost of being my disciple. And if you doubt whether you have what it takes...don't go any further...turn away go home go anywhere but with me to Jerusalem. Jesus tells us that we're either with Him all the way or we're against Him.
So many Christians start out fine...but when the heat gets turned up, they quickly demonstrate their true level of commitment. They first begin to give up on commitments they've made to the church...the next step is to begin missing church altogether...and the last step is to just give up on their entire relationship with God.
They may tell you they can still keep their relationship with Christ without coming to church...but God's Word contradicts that. Hebrews 10:25... This is not some trick to get the attendance up or to be legalistic. God knows how crucial it is for us to gather together for worship...for instruction...and for fellowship. And I don't care what you say...you won't find that sitting at home.
Verse 29 shows that starting, no matter how strongly, and then quitting because the going gets tough will bring nothing but ridicule to them...but also it reflects on the entire body of Christ. But it gets worse, because the third emphasis warns them to renounce all possessions as well as their earthly relationships. Jesus knew how hard it is to love God and money both...in fact, He said it couldn't be done.
But does this mean we have to give everything away and live like a monk? No! Money and possessions are not evil in themselves. Money is something we all have to have...but Jesus warned His disciples to make as clean a break as possible from anything that would draw them into the world's trap.
It's not the amount of money or lack thereof that makes us either holy or sinful. It's our heart attitude about money and what it can do for us. It's very difficult for anyone who is so deeply concerned about his property and his possessions to be properly concerned about his soul.
The fourth and final warning to the well wishers and would be disciples is to keep their convictions strong and creative...not to lose their enthusiasm for the kingdom or let their loyalty to it run down.
Last week I spoke about the source of our strength, which is what? The Joy of the Lord! Here in this passage we find that Jesus is urging those who wanted to follow Him to first of all count the cost...realize what you're committing to. He doesn't want a bunch of wanna be Christians chasing "mule eggs."
He says that we're to be like salt that is really salty. What does that mean? If our convictions begin to falter...if our loyalty begins to fade...if our joy and enthusiasm begins to fizzle out...then we'll become as useless as salt that's lost its flavor.
And according to God's Word...if that happens to us we're no longer good for the soil...which means we'll never help anyone grow in the Lord. But then it says we're not even fit for the manure pile. And where do you go from there?
Oh, we mean well! I've heard it dozens of times. And good intentions and well wishing have their place...but they are never enough for any serious work of Christian discipleship...they weren't in Jesus day, and they aren't today.
Like any other great Christian leader, the apostle Paul was led by great dreams and ideas...but he was never content just to think about them. And he was never worn out by them to the point that he gave up on them.
When summing up his life's work for a young preacher named Timothy, he didn't say, "I've had a great dream...or I had a wonderful vision." Not Paul! He said, "I fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith."
One of the Steelers coined the phrase "60 minute men"...and it meant that they were in the game for a full 60 minutes...no matter what the score. 60 minute men don't get discouraged and slack off or quit when it looks like all is lost....and they don't quit when it looks like they're so far ahead no one can catch them. They don't give up...they don't get complacent.
Life is not a game...and our work for God is not a game...yet it is compared to a race. God wants us to know exactly what we're involved in. We need to count the cost of being a true, faithful Christian. And once we do....we need to either get in or get out.
God wants 60 minute men and women...He wants people who aren't chasing "mule eggs" ... who aren't just half hearted, well wishers with no real commitment. Jesus calls us to make a choice. "Who do we love the most?" If its Jesus, then we need to take up our cross...and follow Him.
Taking up your cross means there's no turning back. It's a one way trip to the place where we submit ourselves to God and His will...completely and totally. Where do you stand today?
