What Are You Willing To Pay?

What Are You Willing to Pay?

2 Samuel 24:24

It has always amazed me the contrast between people at an auction and those at a garage sale. You can have the same identical item that sells in an auction for a hundred dollars while in a garage sale people are not willing not to spend even one dollar for it. The difference? The difference between the two is in the value of the item perceived or realized by the individuals, how badly they want the item and how much they are willing to pay to possess it. As believers we are called to discipleship that is to be an ever growing closer walk and relationship with Christ. But following Christ, being a disciple, comes at a cost. The question is “What are you willing to pay to follow Christ?” How much do you value your relationship with Christ? How badly do you want to know and serve Him? In Philippians 3, Paul says that there is no price too high to pay for the surpassing knowledge of Christ.

I. There is a cost to following Christ.

A. There's is an old fable about an Emperor who many years ago gathered together the wisest people in his kingdom and said, "I want you to assemble all of the great knowledge of our civilizations so that it will be available for future generations." They worked many years before returning with ten bound volumes. The Emperor glanced at the stack of books frowned and said, "Too long." The sages scurried back to work and did not return until they had edited the ten volumes down to one. However, when they handed it to the Emperor he refused to open it. He said, "It is still too lengthy." Over the next two years, the sages condensed the book into one paragraph. The emperor still wasn't satisfied. Finally, these wise people came back with a single sentence inscribed on an index card. The Emperor read it, smiled, and said, "This is perfect. Now future generations will understand why we have been so successful. All the genius we possess is contained in this brilliant solitary phrase." The sentence read: "There is no free lunch." - The Cost of Following Christ, Brad Whitt

B. Luke 14:25-33 “Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

C. We live in a day of easy believism where a majority of people have been led to believe that becoming a Christian is as easy as praying a simple prayer and requires very little cost or no cost at all.

D. Understand that salvation is offered a a free gift to those who are willing to receive it. You could never live a life that would merit salvation, neither could you ever have sufficient wherewith to purchase i. It is the free gift of a gracious God who provides it to whoever turns from their sin to Jesus Christ by faith receiving Him as Savior and Lord.

E. Jesus declared that unless you repent, you will perish in Hell. We are called by God to repent of our sins and turn to Him.

F. You don’t have to clean up your life before you come to Christ; you come to Him as you are. But you must be willing to follow Him and allow Him to change your life.

G. While salvation is free, the Lord Jesus Christ has made it very clearly in the Bible that being a disciple that lives an abundant, fulfilled Christian life will cost you—it will cost you everything.

H. It will cost you popularity and acceptance - 2 Timothy 3:12; Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

I. Following Christ may cost you your possessions – Mark 1:17-18 “Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters”.