INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Following Jesus. What does it take? Is it easy, is it hard? Does Jesus ask anything of those who choose to follow Him or is He just happy to have some fans?
• These questions are part of the reasons we are spending time in our series, “COMMITTED.”
• The word COMMITTED is defined in the dictionary as follows: loyal to a belief, organization, or group, and willing to work hard for it.
• I would image we all have our own ideas as to what it means to be committed to Jesus.
• In this series we are on a trek to see how Jesus and the New Testament defines what it means to be committed to Jesus.
• Today let’s examine the principle of counting the cost of following Jesus.
• People today, especially with the busy lives we live, are very selective to what they will commit to.
• In our text today, Jesus was still drawing large crowds. One would think that Jesus would be happy that is was drawing these large crowds of followers.
• As Jesus scans the crowd, He sees a multitude of people; however, He knows He is also surrounded by numerous followers who were non-committed.
• Jesus uses the occasion to share with this crowd the importance of calculating the cost of Discipleship or what it takes to be a committed follower of Jesus!
• Let’s begin our trek this morning by exploring Luke 14:25-27
• SLIDE #2
• Luke 14:25–27 (HCSB) 25 Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them: 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Being a disciple of Jesus is not cheap.
• As Jesus addresses the crowd, He will explain the level of commitment He desires from those who want to follow Him.
• He is driving the point home concerning the difference between simply being in the crowd versus being a disciple of His.
• What Jesus is addressing is the issue of priority and commitment.
• There are so many items of the world which compete for our affections.
• In His address to the crowd, Jesus will disclose three areas of affection which can become roadblocks to having a great relationship with Him.
• These three areas (in which all the other affections of life fall under) are areas in which one’s priorities can be affixed to.
• Jesus comes out swinging as He addresses the first area.
• 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters
• This statement is hard to digest when one initially examines the statement.
• Jesus wants me to HATE people? I thought God is a God of love?
• What is Jesus saying when He tells the crowd they have to hate their parents, wife, children, siblings in order to follow Him?
• John MacArthur Jr. in his commentary Luke states concerning the concept of hate, “Hate in this context is a Semitic way of expressing preference.” MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17.
• SLIDE #4
• Malachi 1:2–3 (HCSB) 2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask: “How have You loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” This is the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, 3 but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
• God did not HATE Esau, rather He gave preference to Jacob.
• In our terms we would say that to follow Jesus, one must put Jesus ahead of family.
• You cannot follow Jesus and put your family ahead of Him.
• This is about priority, not like or dislike.
• This is a cost of deciding to follow Jesus, but here is the blessing in obeying this command.
• If you are a parent, putting Jesus first will make you a better parent. Putting Jesus first will make you a better spouse, and sibling.
• The love you will be able to offer to your family will be a more pure love. It will be a love that is not based on a love for self, but rather it will flow from your love of God.
• A second area of competition for one’s affections is found in the end of verse 26.
• yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
• Jesus wants us to put Him ahead of our own life!
• SLIDE #5
• Luke 9:24 (HCSB) 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.
• This explains the paradox of Luke 9:24.
• When you put yourself first, you will lose your life, the life one is so desperately seeking to cling to.
• When you make Jesus your priority, you will be able to hold a healthy view of self that will allow you to be able to love yourself!
• Selfish people are not joyful people.
• Hedonistic people are very empty people.
• The third area which can compete for one’s affections is possessions.
• SLIDE #6
• Luke 14:33 (HCSB) 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple.
• Jesus is not advocating socialism, or getting rid of everything and living a life of poverty.
• His point is that those who would be His disciples must recognize that they are stewards of everything and owners of nothing. MacArthur New Testament Commentary, The - MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Luke 11-17.
• Jesus desires and expects a full commitment from the one who decides to follow Him.
• We see this theme of taking up the cross and following Him.
• The cross represents the highest level of sacrifice. Once you started to carry your cross, there was no turning back.
• Voluntarily carrying the cross, it represents patience, endurance of afflictions for Jesus sake. This is the condition one must consider before following Jesus.
• The crowd knew exactly what Jesus was conveying to them!
• No earthly affections are to come into competition with Jesus!
• The cost to follow Jesus is high, so this leads to our next thought…
• Let’s turn to verses 28-31
• SLIDE #7
• Luke 14:28–32 (HCSB) 28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
• SLIDE #8
II. Consider if you are willing to pay the price to become a disciple of Jesus.
• Once one begins to grasp the cost of following Jesus, one must sit down and consider whether they are willing to pay the price.
• We need to realize Jesus was not trying to discourage people from following Him, He was wanting them to TRULY follow Him.
• When one is in Christ, we can live life to the fullest!
• SLIDE #9
• John 10:10 (HCSB) 10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
• When we allow the affections of the world to come in and take charge, we will not experience the abundant life Jesus desires you to have!
• One needs to understand that a partial self-surrender will end in failure and open one up to shame and ridicule.
• Jesus shares two stories in order to illustrate His point.
• The first concerns a person who is about to build a tower. He simply inquires as to who would build a tower without first determining the cost, lest they begin and cannot finish.
• Some say Jesus was referencing Pilate’s failed attempt to build an aqueduct. He tries to use Temple money and treasure to build it and the project failed. The Aqueduct (War 2.175-177, Antiq 18.60-62)
• Nevertheless, when one endeavors to do something, they should sit down to make sure they can pay the price.
• The phrase in verse 28, “first sit down” implies LONG and SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
• Jesus then move to the illustration of a king going to war.
• Would a prudent King first consider the foe, the numbers, and the territory among other issues before sending his troops off to battle?
• The Christian life is about building and in a sense fighting. We are working to build our character in Christ, we are working with God so that we can be built into a temple for the Holy Spirit (1 CORINTHIANS 6:19).
• We are called to battle against Satan, not to allow him to gain a strong hold in our lives.
• When you examine your life and when you take stock of the enemy we face, do you really want to take him on by yourself?
• In the illustration Jesus says a prudent King will take stock of his army, and if he determines he cannot win, he would seek peace.
• When you take stock of your army, you cannot win fighting against God, the prudent thing would be so make peace with Him through Jesus Christ!
• Which leads us to a final thought
• SLIDE #10
III. The reward of being a disciple of Jesus is worth the cost.
• Whenever we make big decisions in life, we have to consider if the reward is worth the cost.
• I took Robyn on a trip of a lifetime this past summer, it was costly, but we both agree it was worth EVERY Euro we spent.
• When we examine the cost of discipleship, it is apparent the cost is significant; however, the reward is well worth any price.
• When you follow Jesus, when you really follow Him, whatever cost you pay, Jesus will return a million fold!
• You will experience the peace that surpasses all understanding. You will experience joy, you will gain eternal life.
• Your sins will be washed away, you no longer need to live under guilt and shame, BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO JESUS!
• Life will not be perfect, we live in a fallen world; however, God will help lead you through anything the world throws at you!
• The Apostle Paul, former persecutor of the church, former Pharisee said this about following Jesus!
• SLIDE #11
• Philippians 3:8 (HCSB) More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ
• PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH!
• There will come a day when all will be perfect again, when JESUS returns!
CONCLUSION
• At FCC we want you to come to Jesus, but we also want you to know what you are getting into.
• There is a cost for following Jesus, yet, the cost is worth it. I have seen too many SORT OF GIVE THEIR LIFE TO JESUS.
• Jesus wants you to experience life that happens with 100% surrender!
• Are you ready? If not I hope today is the day where you being to count the cost!
• One thing you need to consider, what is the cost of not following Jesus?
