September 6, 2009
Sermon #800
The Cost of Discipleship
Luke 14:25 - 35 (NKJV) 25Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26“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. 27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31Or 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? 32Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 34“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Introduction:
It is possible to be a follower of Jesus and not be a disciple of Jesus - to be a camp-follower without being a soldier of the King. A man was talking to a great scholar about a younger man: “I understand that he is one of your students.”
The scholar answered, “He may have attended one of my classes but he definitely was not one of my students.”
There is a world of difference in attending a lecture and being a student! It is the supreme handicap of the Church that there are so many followers and so few disciples.
The hatred Jesus demands
Hatred contradicts the teachings of Jesus
Matthew 5:21 - 22 (NKJV) 21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Matthew 5:43 - 48 (NKJV) 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Jesus taught us to honor our Father and Mother
Mark 7:9 - 13 (NKJV) 9He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Jesus on the cross committed the care of His mother to His friend
John 19:25 - 27 (NKJV) 25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
This “hate” is not a diminished love.
Ephesians 5:25 - 33 (NKJV) 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
ILL: I cannot love Christ more by loving Mary (my wife) less!
1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV) 22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…
ILL: I cannot love Mary more by loving the members of the Church less!
Key: What am I to hate about my own life!
Luke 14:26 (NKJV) 26“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.
Romans 7:11 - 25 (NKJV) 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. 13Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
ILL: I am to “hate” anything that holds me back from following Christ.
ILL: There is a “Moslem” girl in Florida who does not want to return to her parents. Their law says that they must kill her because she has become a follower of Christ. She is “hating” her parents by cutting off relationships. I did not have to cut off relationships to my “Mormon” parents, but I had to oppose them by following Jesus.
Count the cost before you decide
Am I willing to deny myself
Matthew 16:24 - 27 (NKJV) 24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Salvation is by faith – Jesus is speaking about discipleship
The cost:
Galatians 2:20 - 21 (NKJV) 20I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
ILL: “The Christian way is different…Christ says ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time, and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here, and a branch there. I want the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth or crown it or stop it but to have it out. Hand over the whole self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked – the whole outfit.”
-- C. S. Lewis
Are you willing to follow Him to the end?
The reckless builder
ILL: When we were building the Cathedral of His Glory we had to stop just after getting the roof on because the contractor cheated. “Many said, ‘Pastor Paul will never get it built.’” I had to become the contractor and worker – that’s right – I worked on the construction with labor but I was determined to get it finished. It took nearly two years but we finished the building.
The king going into battle
ILL: He had to determine if he had the courage even if it cost him his kingdom and his life!
ILL: The parable is true to so many things in life:
Before you make that marriage commitment, are you sure you are willing to pay the price? (better or worse, sickness or in health?)
Before you make that financial commitment, are you sure you can pay the price? It’s a question you should answer before you purchase anything!
Jesus’ commitment
Matthew 26:39 - 42 (NKJV) 39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
ILL: Jesus counted the cost of building the Kingdom; He counted the cost of entering into battle with Satan. He knew the cost was death on a cross and yet He committed Himself to obedience – discipleship!
The Apostle Paul’s commitment
2 Timothy 4:6 - 8 (NKJV) 6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
