(If you have found this sermon helpful, please visit us at www.HeritageRestorationProject.org or www.ChristianWisdom.info)
One day, a young disciple of Christ who wanted to become everything that God had in mind for him visited the home of an elderly Christian seeking his advice. He had heard that this old man had never lost his love for Christ in all the years he had known the Savior.
The old Christian was sitting on the porch with his dog stretched out before him taking in a beautiful sunset. The young man asked a question: "Why is it, sir, most Christians zealously chase after God during the first year or two after their decision to follow him, but then fall into the complacent ritual of merely attending church once or twice a week and end up losing their passion for the Lord?” The young man continued: “I have heard you are not like that. I’ve been told that you have fervently sought after God throughout your years as a Christian. People see something in you that they don’t see in most people who claim to be Christians. What makes you different?"
The old man smiled and replied, "Let me tell you a story: One day I was sitting here quietly in the sun with my dog. Suddenly a large white rabbit ran across in front of us. Well, my dog jumped up, and took off after that big rabbit. He chased the rabbit over the hills with a passion. Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking. What a sight it was, as that pack of dogs ran barking across the creeks, up stony embankments and through thickets and thorns! Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, discouraged by the course and frustrated by the chase. Only my dog continued to hotly pursue the white rabbit. In that story, young man, is the answer to your question."
The young man sat in confused silence. Finally, he asked, "I don’t understand. What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the quest for God?"
"You fail to understand," answered the older man, "because you failed to ask the obvious question—‘Why didn’t the other dogs continue on the chase?’ And, the answer to that question is that they were only joining the excitement of the group. They had not seen the rabbit. Unless you have actually seen the rabbit, the chase is just too difficult. You will lack the passion and determination necessary to keep up the chase."
And this brings us to the pertinent topic of this particular discourse: Have you seen the Lord? Have you really seen Him? Do you realize and accept that He is carrying a cross. Do you understand what it means to be a Christian? In order to follow after Him, the first prerequisite is that we actually see Him and understand what it means to be called to Christian discipleship.
In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus talks about the importance of counting the cost of becoming His disciple. Jesus tells them, and us, that it is not easy to be His disciple. There is a price to be paid for becoming a Christian, the complete surrender of all self-interest. Jesus says, "If any man desires to follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and, whosoever will lose his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). If requested of us, we must surrender all. All things, including love of family and self, must be subordinated to our loyalty to God.
Christians are called to put in second place everything in our lives except God’s will for us. God comes first. God comes before family. God comes before our friends. God comes before our own lives. God is our ultimate concern. As we let the impact of that statement filter into our hearts and minds, we see that Jesus is calling us to a radical kind of life, a life which sets those who follow Him apart from the rest of society.
Jesus asks his disciples if they are willing to pay that kind price to follow Him? And He asks us, are we willing to turn the love we have for Him into actions that will potentially set us apart, separate us, isolate us from our friends and families, and from our personal goals and ambitions? That is a big price to pay. Are you able to be “crucified” with Him?
Christianity is not just a nice philosophy. Christianity is a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ as Lord. Do you want to His disciple? If you want to follow Him, here is what you are called to do. Place Him first above everything else in your life, and then before you say that you are willing to do that, you had better count the cost. Are you willing to make such a sacrifice for Him? Are you really willing to pay that kind of price?
Know and fully appreciate the fact that you are called to self-denial! Then, the cost of being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ will come as no surprise to you, and you will not be easily overcome by the temptation to abandon the course when the going gets rough. If you do not understand this, then you are not seeing Jesus. And if you do not see Jesus and understand what He is asking of you, then there is probably no way that you will stay the course once the going becomes difficult. Like the dogs that hadn’t really see the rabbit, you will likely abandon the course.
Sadly, this fact is not being taught in many pulpits today. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, "We have cheapened grace, and cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. … Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession”. Have we become a society in which inconvenience is unacceptable?
The following are actual responses from comment cards given to the park rangers visitors at a wilderness recreation area:
1. “Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.
2. “Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the areas of these pests.
3. “Please pave the trails. Chair lifts need to be in some places so that people can get to those wonderful views without having to hike to them.
4. “The wolves made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.
5. “A small animal came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call…
6. A MacDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead.
These comments and complaints indicate that the persons who made them did not really understand what it means to stay in a "wilderness camp area”. They were looking for something convenient and comfortable, but not truly a wilderness park experience. In similar fashion, many people today do not understand what it means to be a Christian. There are multitudes who claim to be Christian, but they do so on their terms and not the Lord’s. They do not truly comprehend the biblical definition of discipleship.
Because of not really having seen Jesus and not having heard His call to carry the cross, many persons who consider themselves followers of Jesus are not, even though in many ways they do look like followers of Jesus. They go to church, recite a profession of faith, read their Bibles, pray, and give contributions in support the work of the church, but these characteristics are superficial. In contrast, Jesus makes it quite clear what it means to truly be His follower. A person must be willing to give up everything in order to follow Him faithfully. (see Luke 14:25-33 and related passages). There is no excuse for anyone to be ignorant or self-deceived about what it means to be a Christian.
Cheap grace is grace without discipline, grace without the opposition, grace without the inconvenience and grace without the cross. In contrast, our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to make the redemption of humankind our ultimate concern. It was God’s ultimate concern when He gave up His son to die for our sin. It was Christ’s ultimate concern when He gave up His life on the cross for our sake in obedience to God’s plan of salvation
A wise Christian theologian, I believe it was Martin Luther, once said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” While people may prefer to give up nothing, they also recognize that a church that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing is actually worth very little.
When Christ who gave His all and who asks that we give our all is no longer seen, people no longer follow. Parishioners have been let off the hook by irresponsible pastors who ask far too little of them. They have been allowed to feel that they don’t need to be actively involved with the worshiping community, that they don’t need to change their lifestyle, that they can cheat their neighbor, that they can gossip, that they can hold grudges, that they can be greedy and not share their wealth with others, that they can be disrespectful, that they can abuse themselves spiritually and bodily. Nothing could be further from the truth! We, as Christians, will not grow into the image of Christ, God’s goal for us, unless we first see Christ as He really is.
How can we rebuild the churches in America? The starting point is to tell it like it is so that people can see who it is they are being asked to follow? Let them see the Lord and know that following Him will not be easy. Tell people the truth. The truth is, those who wish to follow Jesus are not being asked to give up just a portion of their life to Him. They are being asked to give their life in its entirety to Him. Jesus did not teach that we love God to the limits of our convenience, but rather that we love God with ALL our heart, soul and mind. Jesus did not teach that we love our neighbor to the limits of our convenience, but rather that we love our neighbor AS WE LOVE OURSELF (see Matthew 22:37-39).
“Take up thy cross,” the Savior said, “if thou wouldst my disciple be; deny thyself, the world forsake, and humbly follow after me.”
Take up thy cross, let not its weight fill thy weak spirit with alarm; his strength shall bear thy spirit up, and brace thy heart and nerve thine arm.
Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame, nor let thy foolish pride rebel; thy Lord for thee the cross endured, to save thy soul from death and hell.
Take up thy cross and follow Christ, nor think till death to lay it down; for only those who bear the cross may hope to wear the glorious crown."
(If you found this sermon helpful, please visit us at www.HeritageRestorationProject.org)
