Are You Willing to Pay the Cost?
Text: Lk. 9:57-62
Introduction
1. Read Lk. 9:57-62
2. Illustration: In his book "The Cost of Discipleship," Dietrich Bonehoffer wrote "When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die." Bonehoffer was a Christian leader and pastor in Nazi Germany during WWII. He would not give in to Hitler’s tyranny and evil, and as a result, he was sent to a concentration camp. It was there that he was hung by the Nazi’s. He knew what it meant to count the cost.
3. We don’t like to talk about the cost. We just want to reap the benefits. But Jesus tells us if we want the benefits we first must count the cost.
Proposition: If we want to be Christ’s disciple, we must be willing to count the cost.
Transition: To be his disciple...
I. We Must Lay Aside the Future (57-58)
A. The Son of Man
1. In verse 57, the first of three people come up to Jesus and says "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."
2. Now a person might expect Jesus to say "Great! Let’s go!" However, Jesus tells the man something totally unexpected.
3. Jesus says, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
a. At first glance, it may appear that Jesus is trying to discourage the man, but on the contrary, he is simply trying to find out what are his expectations.
b. Jesus sensed that this man wanted to follow him like many of the other famous Rabbi’s of the day, which was a plush existence.
c. Rabbi’s lived in the finest houses, and ate the best of meals.
4. However, following Jesus was different type of discipleship.
a. Jesus ministry was more like following a prophet.
b. The prophet was an itinerant teacher, not a part of an established community.
c. He had an uncertain existence and lived on donations of those who responded to the ministry (Bock, NIV Application Commentary, 284).
5. Mk. 10:38 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
B. Willingness to Follow
1. Illustration: When things are good we sing "I shall not be, I shall not be moved." But things aren’t going so well it sounds more like "Let me hurry and get up out of the way!"
2. I’m not saying that God has not promised us blessing, prosperity, joy and peace, but if that’s why we are following him we are doing it for the wrong reasons.
3. Truly, God wants to bless his people and give us abundant life, but if that’s all we expect when difficulties come we will get discouraged and give up.
4. That’s why people church hop.
a. They’re happy as long as they are getting "blessed," but when things get difficult they jump ship.
b. Once their ears aren’t being tickled anymore the go looking for another "blessing."
5. Sometimes it’s not just about blessing, but it’s about...
a. Commitment
b. Trust
c. Faith
Transition: We cannot just follow Jesus because of the blessings, but because He is the Son of the Living God.
II. We Must Lay Aside the Past (59-60)
A. Lord, Let Me Bury My Father
1. A second person comes to Jesus and he tells him "Follow Me."
2. The man says "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."
a. Again, this seems like a reasonable request since burying a family member was a priority in Judaism (Bock, 285).
b. But, as before, Jesus saw the intention of his heart.
3. Jesus tells him "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
4. Jesus did not teach people to forsake responsibilities to family, but he often gave commands to people in light of their real motives.
a. Perhaps this man wanted to delay following Christ and used his father as an excuse.
b. There is a cost to following Jesus, and each of us must be ready to serve, even when it requires sacrifice. —Life Application Bible Notes
5. This man needed to be willing to lay down his past with his father and embrace his future with Jesus.
B. Put the Past Behind You
1. Illustration: Paul was a person who had a storied past. While he did not hide from but testified of it, he also did not dwell in it.
2. Phil. 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
3. We must leave our past behind us and press on toward the goal.
4. Too many Christians are looking to the future, but they also want to hang on to the past. They want to hang on to:
a. Old sins
b. Old attitudes
c. Old memories
5. But God tells us to forget what lies behind and move on.
a. Let the dead bury the dead
b. Let the dead deal with the dead
c. Move on and live
Transition: We must also...
III. We Must Lay Aside the Present (61-62)
A. Having Put His Hand to the Plow
1. A third person came to Jesus and said "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."
2. The man had a double allegiance. Note the words "but" and "first."
a. The man had thought through his decision and concluded that he was willing to follow Christ, but something else needed to be handled first...
b. A family affair, a business affair, an employment affair, a financial affair—some other concern was put first (as is the case with so many).
3. Something else could have been concerning the man.
a. He may have wanted his family’s counsel and advice, to see how they felt about his decision.
b. Perhaps he felt their approval was needed.
4. Then again, he could have been putting his love for family before his love for Christ.
a. Perhaps he was attached to his family more than he was attached to Christ.
b. Family should be our first attachment after our attachment to Christ. Christ is to be first in our lives.
5. Look what Jesus says to him: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
6. The idea is this. A man who begins to plow and then looks back...
a. Plows a crooked row.
b. Plows an inconsistent field. The field under his care is never matured; it never receives consistent work.
c. Plows in a spirit lacking total commitment. He may turn away at any time, leaving a job unfinished.
d. Plows but allows distractions and disruptions which affect the crops (the plants are not cared for).
B. The Here and Now
1. Illustration: A lady once asked John Wesley that suppose he were to know that he would die at 12:00 midnight tomorrow, how would he spend the intervening time. His reply: "Why madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in Glory."
2. We’ve got to live for Jesus today, because tomorrow may never come.
3. We’ve got to live for Jesus today, because he could come today.
4. Lk. 12:19-20 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ’ 20 But God said to him, ’Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
5. Don’t wait for tomorrow to live for Christ; live for his today!
Transition: Are you willing to pay the cost?
Conclusion
1. What is the cost of discipleship? You must be willing to lay aside:
a. Future
b. Past
c. Present
2. Are you willing to pay the cost? Jesus is waiting for your answer.
