WHO SAID FOLLOWING JESUS WOULD BE EASY?
Warsaw Christian Church, Richard Bowman, Pastor
Scripture: Luke 14:27-33
When in the Bible did God ever give anyone an easy job? God comes to Noah and says, “I have a job for you. I’m not happy with the way things are going in my world, so I am going to destroy it and you and your family will start over again. Build an ark and survive the flood.” Noah doesn’t fully understand, but he obeys. It wasn’t easy. I am sure he was ridiculed by his neighbors as that huge ark took shape. David took on the giant Goliath in battle with a slingshot. It wasn’t easy. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and ended up in prison. He finally assumed a high position in the court of the Pharaoh of Egypt, but it wasn’t easy. Daniel’s faithfulness led him to the lion’s den. He survived, but it wasn’t easy. Paul was commanded to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, and he did, but it wasn’t easy. Our Lord was sent to redeem the world, but He had to die on a cross to accomplish it. It wasn’t easy.
I believe God called me to be a pastor, and while I have enjoyed the ride, it hasn’t always been easy. What about you? God has called each of us to faith in His Son, and to a life of radical obedience. The prize that awaits us is glorious beyond our comprehension, but the pathway to the prize will never be easy. Jesus once told us to count the cost if we wished to be His disciple. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me’” Following Him involves self-denial and taking up the cross.
Martin Luther felt he had to challenge the authority of the church in the Middle Ages. He was excommunicated three times, sent to prison, and generally harassed by his opponents. He succeeded in launching the Protestant Reformation, but it wasn’t easy. John Wycliffe was an early reformer before Luther. He produced the first English translation of the Bible. He died a natural death but was declared a heretic by the Catholic Church. His body was exhumed and burned by the church. Following Christ for him was not easy. One modern preacher reports that at the end of his sermon a man walked up to him and punched him in the mouth! Following Jesus on that day was definitely not easy. If any of you feel like punching me in the face after a sermon I hope you will consider my age and reconsider!
Christ Jesus has called many to live as His disciples. Often that call leads to adversity, persecution, hardship, and sometimes death. Jesus warned us that we may be called upon to pay a heavy cost if we seriously seek to follow Him. Notice in our text how Jesus defines a disciple. A disciple is a person willing to forsake all that he has for Jesus' sake. Another way to say that is that a disciple is a person who gives to Jesus first place in her heart and life. Our Lord used two everyday illustrations to make his point clear. You don’t begin a building project unless you know you have the resources to finish. A half-finished building may lead to mockery. A king does not go to war unless he is reasonably confident that his forces are sufficient to defeat the enemy. Many military leaders have sacrificed lives in a hopeless war. They failed to sufficiently count the cost. Then Jesus hits us with the clincher: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Those are sobering words. “Whoever” - - - that means me. “Cannot” - - - That means true discipleship is impossible until Jesus has first place in my heart.
Are there no positive benefits to being a Christian? Of course there are, and we have looked at them often over the years. Our heavenly Father does shower His people with blessings. Those I mentioned earlier who suffered because of their faith in Christ would be the first to tell you that following Jesus brought enumerable blessings, ending with eternal life in His presence. They would also say that following Christ was not always easy. There is a cost to discipleship.
Some pastors only emphasize the positive side of discipleship. They don’t want to drive people away by referring to sin, opposition, persecution, judgment, divine wrath, or hell. While I don’t like to dwell on the negative aspects of the Christian faith, neither do I avoid them altogether. They are integral to the teachings of Jesus, and to omit them altogether amounts to robbing the people of God of important truths we all need to hear.
In our text, Jesus calls us to radical discipleship. Until we grasp that truth and walk in its light, the Christian life will be a burden. Trying to live a Christian life with anything less than full commitment to the Savior is foolishness. It just doesn’t work. The idea that you can be a faithful disciple and attend church when you feel like it; give what you feel like giving; serve God when you feel like serving; follow Jesus as long as He makes life good and there is no pain involved - - - that is a fools dream.
Many of us who assume the role of pastor struggle with this issue. Pastors do not always admit it, but many are looking for a good church that pays a high salary and doesn’t demand much. I had a friend in seminary who once confided to me that he wanted to be a pastor because it was an easy job. He could make a decent salary and get by doing very little work. I like to believe that most pastors do not have that attitude. Pastors as well as all Christians are not called to a life of ease, but to radical discipleship. If we are not willing to forsake everything we possess, Jesus said we are not His disciples at all. We are hypocrites pretending to be disciples.
Without a doubt, the blessings of faithfulness are wonderful, but they are blessings that flow from faithfulness. The blessings of discipleship are not known by those whose devotion to Christ is less than total. What dismays many Christians is that radical discipleship can lead us into deep, dark valleys. Some teach that the more we walk by faith, the fewer valleys we will have. Anyone familiar with the life of Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles, and the great leaders of the church throughout history, will understand that faith does not always lead to a life of ease. Jesus said once, “In the world you have tribulation…” The word “tribulation” does not mean a life of ease. It means pain, anguish, trials, troubles, problems, persecution, difficulties, and the like. Yes, we do see the blessings of God in this life in terms of a down payment. The full blessings of faith, however, await eternity. Peter understood that when he wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5). Note that our inheritance, the reward for faithful discipleship, is reserved in heaven for God’s people. We receive morsels of that inheritance in this life, but the full meal deal awaits eternity. Can you live with that?
One pastor asked a group of preachers this question: What would God do in your life if you were able to trust Him with absolutely everything? What about us? What might God do in our lives if our trust in Him was total, covering every aspect and detail of our lives? Ask yourself this question: “Is my trust in God total? Are there areas in my life where I act independently of God and His will?” If God is excluded from areas of our lives how can we claim to be disciples of the One who said, : “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” If anyone ever suggests to you that following Jesus is easy, shut your ears, or change the TV channel!
Is Jesus saying that only those who forsake everything will be among the redeemed? Listen carefully! We have been over this ground before and it must be repeated here. There is a difference between salvation and discipleship. Salvation is the gift of God given freely to all who trust in Jesus as Savior. Discipleship refers to the way those who are saved live their lives. Jesus only acknowledges as disciples those who are willing to forsake everything to follow Him. There are saved people who are not very good disciples. Salvation is a total blessing that includes the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternal life. Discipleship is also a blessing, but discipleship also leads through dark valleys. We live in a world where the vast majority do not take Jesus seriously. Those who do take Him seriously and live as His radical disciples will often lock horns with the prevailing culture.
In Acts 5:41 the apostles are rejoicing. Why? Because they are considered worthy to suffer shame for His sake. If you have the notion that following Jesus is easy, read again the book of Acts. Following Jesus led them into many dark valleys. It will be no different for us when we begin to take Jesus with radical seriousness. Those who refuse to live as radical disciples think that following self-will is a better path than following the will of God. Here is the truth - - - Your life will unravel if you are the captain of your soul. If you allow anything or anyone but Christ to define who you are, you will find yourself in increasing misery.
Satan whispered to Eve that God cannot be trusted, and she took the bait. Satan will tempt you in this same manner. We have reason to believe that Adam and Eve were saved, but their lives on earth were miserable. Well, I have said that following Christ will lead to dark valleys, and not following Him will lead to misery. What’s the difference? Either way, we experience hardship. The misery of disobedience impacts the heart and soul. It is a misery that goes clear to the bone. Faithful discipleship may lead to pain, but it is a pain that does not touch the soul. It is an outward pain, but faithfulness also brings with it the presence of Jesus. The 23rd Psalm says it well. “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil --- (why?)--- because thou art with me.”
Which kind of trouble do you prefer? The trouble you endure alone because you have ignored the will of God and thus feel abandoned by God, or the trouble that comes from faithfulness, which brings with it the presence of God? Jesus spoke with usual clarity in John 6:33. He said that in this world you will have trouble or tribulation. It is almost like a spiritual weather forecast. “The forecast for today is trouble; tomorrow, more of the same.” But then He added, “But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” Faithful disciples will experience hardship in following Jesus, but they can still be of good cheer for the One we follow has overcome the world.
Who said that following Jesus would be easy? Not Jesus; not His apostles; not the thousands of martyrs who have died for the faith. Following Jesus can be costly, and we need to count the cost. I can tell you something that is even more costly, and that is the path of disobedience. Following Jesus may not be easy, but it is a whole lot better than the alternative. As the hymn writer expressed it, “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.”
