COUNTING THE COST OF TRUE DISCIPLESHIP
Luke 14:25-35
In this parable Jesus is illustrating one very simple and obvious basic truth: His disciples may have to pay a price. It may cost you if you commit yourself to believe, receive and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. It not only, may, but it will cost to be a true follower of Jesus of Nazareth. He is surely saying to all those in any age who may consider becoming one of His true followers: "You better count the cost before you commit." You need to look before you leap. Don’t be carried away by a moment of emotion or swept along by a temporary tide of popular sentiment. BUT FIRST COUNT THE COST!
We should make a realistic cost estimate before we commit ourselves to any important project. History is replete with the wreckage of those who have not heeded this common sense advice. Both Napoleon and Hitler failed to count the terrible punishment a harsh Russian winter and a fervently patriotic population could inflict upon their poorly prepared and scantily clad troops. After hundreds of thousands of casualties, both armies found themselves involved in costly and humiliating retreats.
Those of us who remember the construction of the Sydney Opera house recall the low estimates and the astronimical final bill. The construction of our nation’s new capitol building in Canberra followed the same pattern. Cost over runs in time, energy and money were enormous.
It is a well known fact that over eighty percent of all new businesses fail within the first year. Why? It is agreed that a lack of a good business plan; including an accurate survey of possible adverse contingences and a complete and accurate cost analysis is usually the common factor in failure. Many attempts are doomed from the start and the common sense approach of carefully counting the cost would quite often prevent much heartache and financial lost. All of this illustrates the ultimate folly of the failure to realistically assess the costs of a worthwhile endeavor.
The Bible also gives us ample evidence and a number of examples to confirm the truth of the matter. The Jews failed the count the cost before they left the land of Egypt. The result was rebellion and disobedience in the wilderness of sin. This brought the predictable application of God’s heavy hand of chastening upon them and the subsequent defeat, death and destruction of a whole generation if Israelites. Why? Because the failed to count the cost of following Jehovah and Jehovah’s man, Moses. They should have known that life in the wilderness would be no rose garden. Those should have known they would find no leeks, onions and melons in the harsh, dry and arid desert that lay between them and the promised land. "And [when] the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard [it]; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed [them that were] in the uttermost parts of the camp." (Numbers 11:1)
Contenting for the truth of God and a committal to the way of God has always cost the followers of God tremendously. Such true discipleship cost Abel his life. It cost Joseph his family and Moses his fantastic future. It cost Elijah his safety and security. The same could be said of other prophets. This is to say nothing of the stories of Job, Daniel and the three Hebrew children. The history of true disciples in every age has been written in the blood of martyrs, beginning with Stephan, the apostles and thousands of other believers in the first century. Such history cleary confirms the prophetic preditions of the apostle when He said, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Tim. 3:12
Paul, alias Saul, surely counted the cost that would be exacted from him. After all, he had inflicted a heavy penalty upon others who were simply followers of Christ. Yet he paid the price of being misunderstood, misrepresented, slandered, maligned, imprisoned, stoned, beaten, as well assassination attempts. He wandered as the off scouring of the world until he was ultimately slain as a true disciple of Jesus Christ. But he evidently thought that the cost was worthwhile. "Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ," (Phil. 3:8)
I asked myself as a prepared this message, "How can you give a positive slant to all this?" "Everyone wants to be encouraged. How could such a message be possibly be encouraging?" I truly believe Paul found the key and by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he gives it to us today. When compared to what we gain in Christ, how could we count the loss of the things of this world as any loss at all? Paul had a privileged position that gave him worldly power, prestige, prospects, popularity, possessions and pleasures. But as a man of the world, he surveyed all this and simply said, "Compared to what I have as a true disciple of Christ, all that is just like a great manure pile!"
But before we go any further perhaps we should scripturally define true discipleship. Jesus gave us the commission to make disciples. This commission has been called a three-fold commission. It obviously entails the process of gospel preaching accompanied by Holy Spirit conviction that leads to true repentance and faith and real conversion. A disciple is made at the point of real conversion. The new creature that comes into eternal existence is automatically a disciple of Christ. Jesus becomes both his Savior and Lord. At the beginning he is a baby disciple, but he is of necessity to be a learner and a grower. This supernatural spiritual process also involves the living out of the spiritual principles being ingested.
The modern concept of easy believism has no part, parcel or place in this process. The idea that a person becomes a disciple by simply saying a sinner’s prayer and then adding six or seven thou shalts and thou shalt nots to his life and then he is free to do his own thing and live his life as he wishes, is totally contrary to the Biblical definition of discipleship.
That seems to be the problem with the multitudes here in this story. They had been hanging out with Jesus and going along with the crowds. That’s understandable. He was obviously a good bloke and great to be around. Lunch time comes and He takes a couple of minnows and a few loaves and presto! Since the Jews were always looking for signs and sensationalism, He really was a great guy to get close to. All day long sick folk were being healed and occasionally he repealed the laws of nature by walking on the water. How exciting. Besides that He was a great teacher.
Then Jesus challenges them. He doesn’t say what the Pharisees and the religionists of His day said. He didn’t say, "If you jump through these hoops, dot these religious ’i’s, cross these theological t’s or keep these five or six things, you will be my disciples." But He said in effect, "If you are my disciples these will be the marks that will characterize your life." He didn’t say you’ve got to be perfect; but He did say these principles will always be present and flourish in your heart and your life, if you are my disciples. Evidently many of the multitude counted the cost and went away and walked no more with Him. Perhaps they came to understand that:
1. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US WORLDLY POWER AND POPULARITY.
2. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US POSSESSIONS.
3. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US PRESTIGE AND PROSPECTS.
4. TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US WORLDLY PLEASURES.
True Discipleship may cost us popularity with people. This is not abnormal, but normal for a true disciple. When we consider the sin nature of human beings it is quite understandable. Who wishes to be reminded daily of failures and shortcomings? Who wishes to have a living testimony of the life of Jesus Christ impacting his life? What lost person wishes to have a friendship and fellowship with a walking daily reminder of the sort of radical change that is involved in conversion and discipleship? Who really wishes to have the light of the of the Light of the world effectively reflected into the dark corners and recesses of their sinful little world? After all is this not the ultimate practical outcome if we truly follow Jesus and His plan for our life? "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16) Is not the sight of the good works of a true disciple and the glorification of the Father, a condemnation to those who do not know Him? "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19)
With this understanding, it should be no surprise to true disciples that when they were saved those they once considered friends ultimately turned their back upon them. After all, James said, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4) If this is true is not the opposite true as well? Whosoever is a friend of God will not be popular with his enemies, the world’s crowd. If fact, if you call yourself a disciple of Christ and can still comfortably hold hands with the world and do the world’s thing, you better check it out!
Even the world recognizes this principle. Recen tly I spoke with a young lady who is not yet saved. She told me that her father became a Christian about four years ago. She spoke of the radical change for good she and others had seen in his life. Yet, she also indicated that at least in the early days what she saw as his fanaticism and his trying to share his faith had made her and others very uncomfortable! Pray for her as I hope to share further with her by building upon the living testimony of her father.
Yes, true disciples will lose popularity with friends. The world may ridicule, scorn, mock and even hate you. In our culture, this can begin at a very early age. When I was a pastor of a Christian School for ten years, we faced this problem quite often. Our School was just down the street from the local primary school. After school the children from this school would often pass on the footpath in front of our school and yell out at our children, "Bible Bashers!" "Wowsers!" As we all know, in the Australian idiom, these are not terms of endearment! Requiring our children to demonstrate the good testimony of proper Christian restraint was not always that easy. This is just one example of the cost of being a true disciple in that Christian School.
But should we be surprised? Is the servant better than His master? Did not all this and much more happen to our Saviour and to those who followed Him in that first century? When it was placed to a vote He was condemned without a dissenting voice. He was not without honor, save in His own country. The very synagogues in which the popular young Rabbi, Saul, taught, soon sought to destroy his reputation and have the preacher, Paul, assassinated. In fact, Jesus told us of this cost again and again, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you." (John 15:8)
It is said that an early Pastor, Athanasius, who contended for the truth about the deity of Christ, the Trinity and the Godhead, in the face of the Arian Unitarian error, was appealed to by Emperor Theodocius who said bitterly, "Do you not realize the whole world is against you?" Realizing that Biblical truth was at stake, Athanasius replied, "Then I am against the whole world!"
But let us not forget the plus side of this equation. To lose popularity with the world is to gain the pleasure of God. To fall out with the world is to fall in with God. To lose the approval of the world is to have the approbation of God. Our Savior spoke very clearly on the positive side of this subject when He said, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! . . " (Luke 6:26) He makes it clear we cannot have both the praise of men and the praise of God. "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:43)
TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US OUR POSSESSIONS. Perhaps it would be better to say we may lose some of this world’s possessions. True disciples know they really own nothing on this earth. Did He not say He owned the cattle on a thousand hills and that all the silver and gold are His? We must be willing to even forsake any and all of that which He has placed into our hands. Peter and the early disciples left their nets and tax collection booths to be true disciples. That is why Peter and John and the others could truly say, ". . . . Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." (Acts 3:6) Everything belongs to God. At the very most, He entrusts us with some material things to use for His honor and glory for a short time upon His earth.
Of course, there is nothing necessarily wrong with having some of the things of this world temporarily in our possession. The problem lies not in possessing things, but in allowing things to possess us. To be a true disciple we must be aware of the possibility that we may lose all things for Christ sake. We should count this cost and be willing to pay the price if called upon to do so. We may be called to suffer complete poverty and become penniless paupers as many of our forefathers in the faith were.
Many a man in the full time ministry has had a small challenge in this area, even in this age. Leaving promising careers and businesses to serve full time at home and overseas with no prospect of ever earning enough for a comparably comfortable life or retirement. Some would say, that is understandable and as it should be for someone who is called. But are we not all called to be His disciples? The true disciple must be willing to turn his back upon the things of this world.
TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US PRESTIGE AND PROSPECTS. Let us look again at the lives of the early apostles and the early disciples. Let us think of the power, prestige and prospects of a tax collector in a province of the Roman Empire. We know the score. He worked on a commission basis and set the rates and could gouge as much as he could get out of the helpless population. He was both feared and pandered to by the rich and the poor. To walk away from such a position of power and prestige for the prospect of being a follower of a lowly Jewish rabbi would have appeared ridiculous to the world.
Think also of those rough hewn fishermen and their businesses. Such businesses were handed down from generation to generation and were often coveted by the ordinary population. Think again of one called Saul. Scholarship seems to agree that his power, prestige and prospects were very bright in the Jewish world. It is he who would have possibly been the High Priest of Israel. This was seen by some as the most powerful prestigious position in all the land.
But perhaps the prime example in all the scriptures is given to us by the writer of the Hebrew letter when he said, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." (Heb. 11:24-26) The power and prestige that could have accrued to Moses as the ruler of Egypt is beyond our comprehension today. The day he rose up in defense of two helpless Israelite slaves he cast his lot with a slave people and there could be no turning back. Yet he deliberately chose to do so, willingly and joyfully abandoning the power and prestige of possibly ruling all the known world.
There may be some here today who will be called upon to make a similar decision. The corporate ladder is sometimes too steep, slimy and slippery to be successfully climbed by the committed true disciple. We shouldn’t fall for the false philosophy of those who seem to feel that to be successful in the eyes of the world is the road to success with God. As I shared before with some of you, a simple decision to refrain from membership and participation in an officer’s club once cost me a promotion. Later, another decision to refrain from membership in a professional corporate club, brought pressure and all sorts of strife. That was over forty years ago. I’m sure a higher price is sometimes paid by those who would be true disciples today.
TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US WORLDLY PLEASURES. Moses chose to forgo, "the pleasures of sin for a season." There is no denying that there are things in this world that can be viewed as pleasurable that are not pleasing to God. There is no denying that the true disciple is constantly subjected to peer pressure to participate in these pleasures for a season.
There is no denying that the Adversary places the very best possible face on these pleasures. Through his minions and media he continuously bombards the senses of the disciple with images and sounds that tend to glorify these things. There is the constant implication that the simple disciple of Christ is missing out upon life in all its fullness. If we are honest with ourselves and each other, we will confess that we have all been enticed and seduced at times by this clever and attractive shell game.
We need to be careful in this area. In describing temptation James uses words they convey the concept of enticement. This is a fishing concept.. A fisherman could tell you how it works. The bait is dropped. It attracts the fish. An inner hunger and desire is created. Finally, after the bait is moved cleverly and enticingly, the fish yields. He grabs it and usually tries to swallow it. He falls for the enticement, hook, line and sinker. His mistake? He looked, was hooked and then he was cooked! Satan uses the influence of the world around us in a simlar manner. He would convince us that the pleasures of the world are more desirable than pleasing the Lord. He then hooks and cooks our goose in much the same way!
In relation to this devilish process, I would urge you to read the article in our weekly bulletin entitled, "Does God Want You To Be Happy?" After discussing the world’s definition of happiness and pleasure and contrasting this with God’s, the writer continues:
"But doesn’t God want His children to be happy also according the world’s understanding of happiness? Not if it involves sinning. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God .. " (Isa. 59:1) Not if it leads you into following or compromising with false doctrine. Rather, we are to "contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Not if our actions cause anyone else to stumble from the way, "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt. 18:6) Not if it means consorting with others who follow sinful pursuits. "..Neither be partakers of other men’s sins: keep theyself pure." (I Thess. 5:22) Not if it involves following your lusts. (James 1:14-15) Not if it brings reproach upon the church which Christ Jesus died to establish nor if it causes the world to mock. (Eze. 22:4) Not if it makes the Word of God subservient to the reasonings and assumptions of fallible men. (Isa. 55:8-9)"
True discipleship will cost something. Jesus tells us we are not to take discipleship lightly. Those who would be His followers should count the cost. There is no provision in the scriptures for diluting or discontinuing the principles of Godliness that undergird and define true discipleship; merely because those who commit themselves to Christ may find discipleship difficult or discomfiting in this sinful world. Quite the opposite. The true meaning and value of true discipleship is clarified in the price we pay to follow our dear Savior. A discipleship that cost nothing would be worth nothing.
TRUE DISCIPLESHIP MAY COST US WORLDLY POWER AND POPULARITY - POSSESSIONS - PRESTIGE AND PROSPECTS - AND WORLDLY PLEASURES.
Just how will all this work out in the end for the true disciple of Jesus Christ? Those who have been created and then spiritually recreated to be the eternal sons and daughters of God have these precious promises about the final outcome of it all! "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Ro. 8:18) "For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (II Cor. 5:1)
