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,
• His problem is that he has not thought about the consequences regarding following Jesus;
• Maybe he is caught up with the enthusiasm of the crowds;
• And the excitement of seeing some of the miracles Jesus performed!
Notice his request (verse 57): “I will follow you WHEREVER YOU GO”
• He had no idea what he was saying;
• Not even the 12 disciples had grasped the fact;
• That following Jesus would lead to self-denial, sacrifice, & suffering!
Ill:
• As a ‘Teacher of the law’ he was part of profession;
• He would have been prosperous & well off.
• He would have been use to a secure, steady life-style;
• In following Jesus all that would have to change.
Jesus reminds this man that true discipleship means giving up everything.
• Jesus informs him that he has nothing, and has to trust God for all his daily needs;
• For food, for shelter, for clothes etc.
• Jesus tells him straight: “Foxes have holes and birds have nests”
• But I says Jesus; “Nothing!” No home, no security & no comforts!
• It’s an incredible statement; even the animals have shelter & security;
• But the Son of God, the one who created this world and everything in it;
• Has nowhere! Not even a pillow to put his head on at night.
• The challenge Jesus makes to the man is simple; “Are you prepared to live like that!”
• Will you give up your home comforts and trust God regarding the future!
Ill:
• An American tourist while on holiday;
• Ended up in the home of the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim:
• The tourist was astonished to see that the rabbi’s home was very simple & almost bare;
• All he had was a few books, a table and a bench.
• The tourist asked him: “Rabbi, where is your furniture?”
• “Where is yours?” replied the rabbi.
• “Mine?” asked the puzzled American. “But I’m a visitor here. I’m only passing through.”
• “So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim, “So am I.”
Jesus reminds this man that he is just passing through:
• He has an appointment with death waiting for him in Jerusalem;
• And therefore did not need many of the things that clutter up our lives.
Ill:
• William Holman Hunt was a 19th-century British painter.
• Probably his most famous painting is ‘Jesus light of the world’
• Picture of Jesus standing at a door with a lantern waiting to be invited in.
• One of his other paintings shows the interior of a carpenter’s shop.
• Joseph and the young man Jesus are working inside.
• The painting shows Jesus pausing from His work in order to stretch Himself.
• And as He does, His shadow on the wall behind Him is in the form of a cross.
• ‘The shadow of the cross’
Jesus reminds this man that he is just passing through:
• He has an appointment with death waiting for him in Jerusalem;
• And therefore did not need many comforts that this man would have seen as essential.
• Jesus informs him that he has nothing, and has to trust God for all his daily needs;
• For food, for shelter, for clothes etc.
• And those who follow him as disciples are required to live the same way;
• As is the master, so is the learner.
Note:
• No-one who reads the gospels can ever say;
• That they were induced to follow Jesus under false pretences;
• Jesus paid men & women the compliment of telling it as it is!
• He did not promise an easy life, he certainly did not promise material blessings!
Ill:
• The following ad once appeared in a London newspaper:
• "Men wanted for hazardous journey.
• Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness,
• Constant danger, safe return doubtful”
• Amazingly, the ad drew thousands of respondents,
• Because the ad was signed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer.
• That name and the adventure he would lead them to;
• Made all the difference!
This man had the opportunity of a life time:
• But he was required to make a decision;
• To give up what he had for what he wanted!
(2). Delay (verses 59-61)
“He said to another man, Follow me. But the man replied, Lord, first let me go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, BUT you go and proclaim the kingdom of God”.
• The first man was too ready to follow Jesus;
• This second man is not ready enough!
• Please notice that to this second man;
• Jesus actually called him (what an honour) – called to follow Jesus;
• And yet…he would not come!
Ill:
• Gladys Aylward, missionary to China
• During the 1930s as a young woman she left her home in England and sailed to China.
• Here she opened a home for orphaned children;
• Who'd been left to starve or wander the streets.
• When the Japanese invaded China,
• Gladys was forced to flee.
• With only one assistant, for 12 days;
• She led more than a hundred orphans over the mountains toward Free China.
• In the face of extreme difficulty and danger;
• She devoted her life to becoming a mother to each of them.
• Years later when she was publicly honoured, she explained her amazing work like this:
• "I did not choose this. I was led into it by God.
• I'm not really more interested in children than I am in other people.
• But God gave me to understand that this is what He wanted me to do - so I did it!"
• Her incredible story was told in the book
• The Small Woman by Alan Burgess, published in 1957.
• In 1958, the story was made into the Hollywood film,
• The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman.
On one occasion during her many years of missionary service:
• Gladys was a spinster – horrible word;
• I like what Ivor Powell used to say instead; “An unclaimed treasure”.
• One time in her life she noticed the happiness and companionship;
• Shared by a missionary couple.
• She was alone and so she asked God to call a partner to join her on the mission field;
• No-one ever came!
• When giving her testimony she said (not sure if it was tongue in cheek or not):
• Because she was an incredible woman of faith.
• She said: “God called him, but he wouldn’t come!”
Well this second man had a definite call; “Follow me”;
• His reply was;
• “First let me bury my father”.
• I do not think for one minute that the mans Father had died hours or days earlier;
• And that the man was in grieving making preparations for a funeral!
• I believe that he is saying to Jesus; “I will follow but not just yet”.
• He wanted to fulfil the normal custom of looking after his father, until his father dies.
• Then he will be free to follow Jesus.
• So he is saying: “I will follow…but not just yet”.
Jesus replies by saying that the kingdom of God is here now.
• Ill: It is like a train calling at a station;
• Get on board or you will be left behind!
• The opportunity is now not tomorrow!
• It will not wait 5, 10 or even 20 years!
• Now is the time to follow.
Verse 59 contains that damaging word ‘but’:
• It is the one little word in our language which when placed after a statement,
• Becomes the biggest negative word in our language.
• “I will follow you, Lord, but…..”
• As soon as it is introduced it negates all that come before.
• Or, “I love you and I will do anything for you, but.......”
• ‘But’ so often negates all that come before.
• We can have great intentions yet when we inset that little word into the statement;
• Everything changes!
• Using the word ‘but’
• Is a good way for us to go back on our commitment our promises, our faithfulness!
To many Christians today use that little word ‘but’;
• “I’ll follow the Lord but first…”
• “I will witness for the Lord but first….”
• “I will give, serve but… I will worship but… I will give but first….”
• Jesus teaches us that God must be first, even over family!
The point of this incident is Jesus takes priority over everything else!
Ill:
• At last year’s F.A. Cup final a diehard fan remarked about it to a woman sitting nearby.
• That he was surprised to see an empty seat at such an important game.
• The woman explained, “It was my husband’s, but he died.”
• The man replied;
• “I’m very sorry to hear that! But I am really surprised that another relative, or friend;
• Didn’t jump at the chance to take the seat reserved for him.”
• “Beats me too,” she said.
• “But they all insisted on going to the funeral.”
The story is funny because the woman had mixed up priorities:
• Priorities - learning the difference between what is important and what is essential.
• And learning to always do the latter!
• Quote:
• "The main thing, is to keep main thing, the main thing!"
• Quote:
• “The greatest thing you can do for Jesus, is the very next thing he asks you to do!”
(3). Determination (verse 61-62)
61 Still another said, I will follow you, Lord; BUT first let me go back and say good-bye to my family”.
“Jesus replied, No-one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
• Like the first would-be disciple;
• This third man also says that he wants to follow Jesus ‘BUT’.
• This mans ‘But’ is that he wants to go home to say his goodbyes!
• On the surface the request seems fair, but below the surface is a deeper meaning.
To this third man, Jesus is again saying that he must come before family ties;
• Note: That in this verse there is a different emphasis than in verse 57 (the first man);
• The focus here is on authority.
• The word translated 'say good-bye' means; 'take my leave of'.
• The man is saying that he will follow Jesus if his family give their permission.
• ill: He reminds me of the husband who said to his mates:
• “I’m the boss in my house and I have my wives permission to say so!”
Jesus' response to this man is simple & he uses a very familiar farming illustration:
• ill: In ploughing with oxen,
• It is essential to look forward otherwise the furrows will not be straight!
• I guess the closest experience you and I have to this illustration;
• Would be pushing a lawn mower or a small white paint line marker wheel.
• In both cases if you don’t look out ahead of you, you won’t have very straight lines.
• The point being:
• Ploughing is a precise art that requires our full and undivided attention;
• Without our full concentration we will make a complete shambles of it,
• So to with discipleship;
• Disciples were to be committed to their teachers 100% - teacher came first!
Quote:
• A disciple in Bible days learned from a teacher.
• Attachment to a specific teacher was the essence of discipleship.
• Both the Pharisees and John the Baptist had disciples (Mark 2:18).
• A disciple attached themselves wholeheartedly to their teacher.
• They would leave their occupations to follow, live with;
• And learn from their chosen teacher.
• Discipleship in Bible times always meant putting the teacher first;
• Not just before self, but also putting him before family and possessions.
• Just as ploughing is a precise art that requires our full and undivided attention;
• Or we'll make a complete shambles of it,
• So to with discipleship;
• Disciples were to be committed to their teachers 100% - teacher came first!
Jesus was well aware that if this man returned home;
• The fervent and emotional pleas of his family to stay;
• Would anchor him at home and prevent him following Jesus.
Ill:
• If you ever go down to a fish market;
• Look out for and look into the crab barrel.
• You will notice that they never have to put a lid on it!
• The reason being that if one crab starts to crawl out,
• The other crabs in the bucket will grab onto him and pull him back down.
• That’s what negative peer pressure does.
• And that’s what this man would have to have fought against had he returned home.
Jesus tells this man that discipleship requires that we focus on him & his authority alone:
• If we gaze all around us and take our cues from anyone else,
• Even our family, we'll quickly go wrong and lose our way.
Note:
• We don't know how many, or if any of these would-be disciples responded;
• After Jesus laid out the cost of discipleship.
• Luke leaves it open for us to fill in the answers.
• Maybe he does that because the principles of discipleship are timeless.
• Maybe Luke leaves those decisions unanswered:
• Because we may well be in the shoes of those three men this morning?
• Having heard these words and thought about these principles?
• Are we willing to follow Jesus wholeheartedly;
• Or are we limping along, using these same old excuses?
Note: Now do not misunderstand this passage:
• Security, customs and home ties are not necessarily wrong.
• On other occasions Jesus approved and encouraged them.
• But at certain times in our lives God steps in and speaks to us;
• And at those times;
• The claims of Jesus must over-ride those customs, comforts and home ties.
• When confronted with a parting of the ways – who wins?
Quote: Luciano Pavarotti
• “When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,
• He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice.
• Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy,
• Took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college.
• On graduating, I asked my father,
• ‘Shall I be a teacher or a singer?’
• “‘Luciano,’ my father replied,
• ‘if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them.
• For life, you must choose one chair.’
• “I chose one.
• It took seven years of study and frustration
• Before I made my first professional appearance.
• It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera.
• And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book
• Whatever we choose - we should give ourselves to it.
• Commitment, that’s the key. Choose one chair.”
Question:
• Jesus asked these three men to choose one chair!
• Jesus asks us all this morning to choose one chair – will you?
Ill:
• When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions,
• He took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture.
• Ordering his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover,
• He commanded them to look down at the water below.
• To their amazement,
• They saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel engulfed in flames.
• Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat.
• Now that his soldiers were unable to return to the continent,
• There was nothing left for them to do but to advance and conquer!
• And that is exactly what they did.
