Sermon: What It Means To Follow Jesus

Sermon: What it Means To Following Jesus

Scripture Lesson: Luke 14:27-33

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, "This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish." Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose a king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Introduction: Jesus Changes Everything! Salvation was instant, but what does it mean to follow Jesus? How should we follow Jesus? Follow him when, where, how long? It is more than walking behind Him, it means obeying His commands and living our lives according to His Word. It means being willing to sacrifice our own desires and plans to serve Him and further His kingdom. In short, being a disciple of Christ requires a willingness to put Him above all else in our lives. Discipleship comes with a cost, as Jesus often reminded His first followers. Rather than hiding is in the small print, Jesus put it on blast. Following Jesus is costly. Following Jesus is like building a great tower or like strategizing for warfare, that’s a radical idea. Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 16:24-26 that, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would it be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”

1. Following Jesus Means Embracing The Cost. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?”

Salvation is free but it is not cheap. The grace God freely gives ultimately has a cost, because we can't fully receive that gift without responding. Just as in a romantic relationship, truly receiving the love from another can't help but make us care and return that love.

It might seem to be a paradox to say Salvation is free and at the same time say, we must pay a price. But Following Jesus and walking in His way is not a way to comfortable living or of what Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in The Cost of Discipleship, mockingly calls "cheap grace." Cheap grace is not real grace but an illusion. It is what happens when people approach the following of Christ as a way to pleasant experiences and feeling good. Bonhoeffer contrasts this with "costly" grace. It is costly because it calls one to give up their lives and take up a cross. It is costly because it requires every disciple for Jesus' sake to put aside the craving for domination, possession, and control, and embrace a completely different kind of life. That new life leads to true liberation and eternal life. Yet James, John, Andrew and Peter gave up fishing careers. Matthew gave up a government Job and benefits. All gave up the comforts of home, family ties and embraced criticism and being ostracized. Each must count the cost and be willing to pay a price. Following Jesus Means Embracing The Cost.

2. Following Jesus Means Walking Away From Sin and Pursuing Holiness. "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would it be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?”

To walk away from the old life and pursue Scriptural holiness is the cross we must bear and the cost we must pay. It is costly, because it requires Christ’s followers to forsake sin, condemn old sinful practices and embrace a new way of living. Yet it is grace because God offers justification to every sinner who will believe and repent. As believers follow Jesus, becoming true disciples is a journey of transformation. The Believer’s experiences with Jesus changes the heart and life. They begin seeing the world in a different way, through Jesus' eyes. They begin seeing and serving the poor and marginalized. They commit to new core values and adopt new goals. They want to grow spiritually, please God fully, live life simply, and embrace community with others. They move from selfishness to selfless service. That’s a radical conversion.