INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Does your life in Christ get frustrating at times? I mean you are trying to be what Jesus wants you to be, yet things keep happening, both good and bad that keeps you distracted.
• Do you feel a little like Paul at times as he writes in Romans 7:18?
• SLIDE #2
• Romans 7:18 (CSB) — 18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.
• It can seem at times that your attempted walk with Christ is a big frustration, especially when you know others who seem to have it all together.
• Today we are going to dive back into the waters of discipleship.
• One of the things we need to understand is that following Jesus is not easy. Being a disciple of Jesus may be one of the most challenging things we are called to do, but it will be with every effort we make.
• I have had times in my life where I wondered why I was not getting very far with my faith. In the first couple of years of my walk, I was excited, but that excitement did not appear to get me too far in my maturity.
• Then something changed in me.
• Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down Luke 14:25-35, today we will focus on verses 25-26 as we begin our look at something many of us say we do but do we really?
• These next few weeks will you join us as we dig deeper into this issue of discipleship.
• Having told a parable about three whose other commitments kept them from enjoying the great banquet, Jesus continues to talk about the high cost of discipleship (9:57–62).
• The cost is, in a word, everything. Those who are considering becoming followers of Jesus should think long and hard about the cost before making the commitment. (College Press Commentary- Luke)
• Let’s begin by turning to Luke 14:25-26.
• SLIDE #3
• Luke 14:25–26 (CSB) — 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.
• SLIDE #4
Let’s begin by seeing that Jesus senses…
SERMON
I. A troubling trend.
• Luke 14 is filled with action! The chapter begins with Jesus tangling with the Pharisees over a Sabbath controversy, then the scene moves to Jesus teaching on the subject of humility.
• Then Jesus teaches on the parable of the large banquet which opens the door to the teachings Jesus will offer on the subject of discipleship.
• Luke 14 takes place between December of 29 AD and April of 30 AD. This is the last year of the ministry of Jesus, not too far from His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
• Jesus ministry began in late 26 AD, and as time passed, the crowds were getting larger and larger.
• Verse 25 tells us that great crowds were following Him.
• When you think about that statement, the metric many use to define success, high numbers, Jesus appeared to be successful.
• He has large crowds following Him, and they hung on His every word.
• At this point, it I think many today would tell Jesus to be happy that He has enormous crowds following Him around.
• I know the religious leaders did not like the crowds He drew; however, the people were enamored with the miracles as well as the teaching.
• We do not know how long this particular crowd was following Jesus before He sensed a troubling trend concerning the crowd.
• What kind of metric should be used in life to gauge success? What kind of metric should we use in the church to determine if we are being successful? Just backsides in the pews or chairs? Or is there something more?
• What metric do I use to determine If I am being successful in life? My bank account, my position? The number of likes and comments I get on my Facebook posts?
• As far as the church is concerned, numbers are an important metric, because without numbers, who are you reaching and teaching?
• For Jesus, there was something more than numbers, He wanted those NUMBERS to become DISCIPLES!
• When you make disciples, the numbers will follow.
• We have a tendency today to dumb things down, to lower the bar of expectations for those we seek to bring to Jesus. And once we get them in the door and baptized, we do not want to run them off by expecting folks to grow and serve.
• Jesus; however, was not one to water down the truth or what He desired from people.
• As Jesus feels the growing crowd, perhaps all these casual followers considered themselves “disciples” of Jesus.
• Maybe they thought He was the Messiah and wanted to be there when He inaugurated his kingdom.
• Jesus needed to explain that following Him did not mean receiving goodies, like so many children. He wanted to explain what it meant to truly be his disciple.
• So, Jesus is going to explain some things to the crowd that probably caused many of their jaws to drop.
• As we look at what He said, even today, what He said will get your attention.
• Jesus wanted to get the attention of the vast crowd.
• There were many who were in attendance versus being a real disciple of Jesus.
• Jesus would point out the vast gap between one who was outwardly following Him versus one who was a true disciple.
• Let’s look at verses 25-26 again.
• SLIDE #5
• Luke 14:25–26 (CSB) — 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.
• SLIDE #6
II. Jesus must come before family.
• Ok, this is where it gets hardcore. Jesus does not pull any punches.
• Look at what He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters
• He starts by saying IF ANYONE COMES TO ME…
• This is where Jesus begins to illuminate the crowd concerning the cost of true discipleship.
• The great multitude that enthusiastically followed him at this time thought that he would establish an earthly kingdom and that they would receive all of its blessings without a change of life. Gospel Advocate Commentaries - New Testament Commentary – A Commentary on the Gospel According to Luke.
• We need to understand that Discipleship is not easy, but our accountability to God and the rigor of the task require that we know the commitment required to walk successfully as his disciples. (NIVAC)
• Jesus tells the crowd “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters
• WOW! Let that sink in! Doesn’t that statement contradict honoring your father and mother and the whole concept of loving others?
• On the surface, it would seem so.
• Jesus uses a hyperbolic or exaggerated Hebrew idiom or saying which means to love less.
• Jesus is not telling people to HATE their family, He is making the point that to follow Him means that your love for your family looks like HATE when compared to your love for Him.
• This thought is easier to see in Matthew 10:37.
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 10:37 (CSB) — 37 The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
• To say that Jesus’ words are hyperbole or overstatement does not lessen the demand at all. The kingdom must come before even family.
• This does not seem right, I love my family with all that I have, and doesn’t it seem selfish of Jesus to demand that I love HIM more than MY wife, my girls, my grandkids (although they are not mentioned by Jesus here ?), my parents, my brother?
• IF love were finite, then I would say yes. IF loving Jesus damaged or hurt my ability to love my family, then I would say yes.
• But here is the truth. Here is WHY it is GOOD to love Jesus so much that my love for family looks like HATE!
• The more love Jesus, the more I become like Him, the more I think like Him, and the more I see people as he does, my capacity to love becomes even greater!
• How much did Jesus love you? HE DIED FOR YOU!
• John 3:16 reminds us of this.
• The deeper my love for Jesus becomes, the deeper my love can be for others.
• Love does not have a limit, you do not only have 300 ounces of love to give, the well of love has no limit!
• My love for Jesus should drive my love for my family.
• In the ancient world, love of family was important, so Jesus saying this really hit people where they lived!
• On the other side of the coin, in first-century Jewish family settings, deciding for Jesus could mean alienation from the family.
• Jesus warned the would-be disciples that they must be clear about their true allegiance.
• Jesus’ point was that those who wanted to be his followers would have demands placed upon them.
• The task would not be easy. Sometimes relationships would be severed, and his followers would have to turn away and remain with Jesus (12:51–53). Those who cannot make that kind of commitment cannot be [his] disciple.
• Now it gets even more difficult!
• SLIDE #8
• Luke 14:25–26 (CSB) — 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.
• SLIDE #9
III. Jesus must come before self.
• I love me some self! Don’t you? ?
• Jesus tells us that to be His disciple, we need to love Him more than we love self!
• Obedience to Jesus demands this because the flesh will pull us away from Him, the desire to do what we want will pull us away from Him.
• We have to love Him enough to trust the direction He calls us to follow.
• We also have to love Him enough to trust that what He is asking us to let go will be replaced with something better for us.
• I have seen way too many folks get hooked into a relationship they should never have been in because they did not trust that God would provide for them.
• What Jesus is saying is that to be His disciple, one must put HIM first, that our full allegiance belongs to HIM!
• When an alien wishes to become a citizen of the United States of America, he must renounce allegiance to his native land and take an oath of loyalty to the country of his choice.
• This does not mean that he cannot continue to think highly of the nation to which he has said Farewell, but it does mean that from now on he must serve “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
• Even far more absolute and unconditional must be the loyalty which citizens of the kingdom of God sustain toward their heavenly country and its “Lord of lords and King of kings.”
• If a person is unwilling to tender that unconditional devotion, then, says Jesus, “he cannot be my disciple.” (BAKER NTC: Luke)
CONCLUSION
• This discipleship business is not going to be easy; however, in the long run, it is well worth it!
• Next week we will dig a little deeper!
