The Cost of Following Jesus (Luke 14:25-35)
- this morning, you’re aware, we’re beginning a 50-Day Spiritual Adventure called “50 Days for Christ to Visit my Community”
- and we’re beginning by thinking of Christ coming and calling us to be his disciples
- we’re thinking of how much things can change in our communities as Christ calls us to follow in his steps
- I’m going to challenge you to follow along in the adventure journal, as well as to read In His Steps by Charles Sheldon, if you haven’t already
- my challenge is going to be to commit your life to Christ completely, if you haven’t already
- to give your life to him
- and this will have a tremendous impact on those we come in contact with
- but this morning we’re going to begin by thinking about the cost of what we’re about to do
- let’s pray
- this month my wife and I are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the purchase of our first house
- at times we don’t know whether to celebrate or to play a dirge
- since we bought the house, we’ve renovated the kitchen and the bathroom, re-shingled the roof, replaced the furnace, rebuilt the chimney, on top of regular maintenance
- and despite all our hard work, and the exorbitant interest rate we’ve been paying up till now on the mortgage, the value of our home has gone down by about 10 or 15%
- so I can tell you that our party won’t be nearly as fun as Uncle Jed’s Hootenanny
- it’s amazing how much better investments look up front
- I have a friend who lives by the credo, “Buy high, sell low”
- when stocks or mutual funds are on their way up, he buys
- and when they begin to wane and lose money, he dumps them
- why I bring this up is because the Bible warns us against the unscrupulous investment of our lives
- and not just in bad things, in good things as well
- even if I lose $20,000 or more in my house, there’s always going to be another $20,000, eventually…
- not so with your life
- you’ve only been given one life, and you need to be careful in how you invest it
- at the height of his popularity, when large crowds were following Jesus, he turned around and said some shocking words:
- (Luke 14:26) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.
- (Luke 14:27) And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
- and then he told two stories
- one about a man who started to build a tower and then ran out of money
- and another about a king who went to war, but first had to figure out if he had enough military strength to win it
- and listen to his conclusion:
- (Luke 14:33) In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
- Jesus didn’t want blind, na?ve followers who hadn’t anticipated the commitment he expects: full and absolute surrender
- another time, a wealthy young man approached Jesus and asked the classic question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Jesus ultimately gave the man such a demanding answer that the man left dejected, realizing he didn’t have the commitment necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven
- this goes so counter to the way we think and operate
- it’s like catching a big fish and throwing it back in the lake
- we have seeker sensitive churches today
- you could almost call Jesus seeker-insensitive at times, turning away large crowds and interested seekers
- admittedly, following Jesus back then demanded a greater change of lifestyle than today
- to be a disciple of Jesus meant that you left your livelihood, and became homeless and ridiculed
- but today the call to us is for a high level of commitment
- this morning I’m going to ask three questions:
- now, I’m not a very fancy preacher, so this morning I’m going to ask three questions in terms of the commitment Christ demands:
- how much?
- why?
- and perhaps most importantly, how?
- SO FIRST, LET’S ASK OURSELVES, HOW MUCH COMMITMENT DOES CHRIST DEMAND FROM HIS FOLLOWERS?
- about a year ago, I conducted a funeral
- often the strangest part of conducting a funeral is the ride to the cemetery
- I ride in the lead car with the funeral conductor
- I have this theory that most funeral conductors are frustrated preachers, because inevitably I listen to a sermon the entire way to the cemetery
- this one man theorized that a little religion does one good, but too much commitment to Christ is dangerous and frankly, too much of a good thing
- how much commitment can Christ realistically expect?
- let’s read what Jesus had to say himself, in Luke 9
- 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
- 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
- 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
- 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
- 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”
- 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
- when you read this passage, the commitment that Christ is expecting is unreal
- in that day, many rabbis would travel as itinerant teachers
- most had a trade to support themselves, but they depended on the generosity of others for their daily provisions
- as they traveled throughout Judea and Galilee, these rabbis had disciples, who were being trained to develop into teachers just like them
- and so when a man came to Jesus and said, “I will follow you wherever you go,” what he had in mind would be becoming a disciple
- Jesus said in effect, “You’ll have to be more committed to me than to your possessions and comfort”
- “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
- does following Christ cost us today in terms of our possessions and comfort?
- absolutely
- like the young adult who was on the fast track to advancing her career
- since becoming a Christian, she’s lost a bit of his ruthless edge, become a little less self-promoting, is less willing to step on others, more committed to leading a life that serves God and family
- in short, less promotable
- like the young missionaries who had a burden to serve in Japan
- but were told that the best thing they could do was to wait until they could invest in real estate in Toronto, and that should come before their missionary service
- and they chose the principle of service ahead of net worth
- like the family who live more or less paycheck to paycheck
- and yet are committed to give generously and sacrificially to their local church
- and as a result, lose that extra buffer that could mean a vacation or a new car
- in the next case, Jesus calls out to a man, “Follow me!”
- but he man says, “First I have to bury my father”
- what we have to realize is that in all likelihood, this man’s father was still alive
- what he was saying is, “Jesus, I’m going to wait to follow you until my father’s dead”
- and Jesus gives the harsh reply, “Let the dead bury the dead”
- in other words, “One’s commitment to the kingdom takes priority even over family commitments”
- does following Christ today cost us in terms of our families?
- sometimes
- in the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, following Christ would likely lead to alienation from your family
- they would write you off for following this man who claimed to be Messiah
- in the New Testament it becomes evident that as people began to follow Christ, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians, their spouses would leave them
- would you follow Christ if it meant the possible loss of those who are dearest to you?
- and then another one says, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”
- seemingly a reasonable request, but what does Jesus say?
- “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
- what kind of commitment does Jesus call for?
- complete and total commitment, above families, possessions, and comfort
- a radical commitment that leaves nothing behind
- 1 Kings 11:4 describes Solomon as he aged as king over Israel
- two words leap out at me as I read this verse
- As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
- Solomon’s heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God
- sometimes when I read this verse, I ask myself, “Am I fully devoted to the Lord my God?”
- what would be written about me?
- are you fully devoted to the Lord your God?
- YOU MIGHT ASK, “I KNOW THAT CHRIST DEMANDS FULL COMMITMENT, BUT WHY?
- in Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
- loving and hating is a Jewish expression meaning you’re going to give preference in the end to one master over another
- through the centuries, people have said, “I think I can serve two masters at one time”
- but Jesus says, “It’s impossible!”
- Jesus is saying, I’ll be your master
- but I won’t accept a full time position
- I want all of your loyalty to go to me
- somebody once asked Jesus what the highest law is
- Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
- why does he demand an exclusive franchise?
- because he’s arrogant?
- no, because we’re dependent creatures, and He knows we’re going to serve someone
- so he says, focus it exclusively on me, because when you try to serve someone else, you risk great disappointment
- money is fine
- Jesus never condemns money
- but it never satisfies the soul, and it can’t bail you out when you die
- look at Howard Hughes
- philosophies and ideologies are fine
- but they come and go
- look at communism
- a career is necessary and can be wonderful
- but when it becomes the driving force in your life, it can shred your family
- pursuit of pleasure burns brightly for a while, but the cool embers of regret come eventually
- friends can disappoint, political and religious leaders can fall
- but Jesus says, I never disappoint
- it’s not out of selfishness, it’s because he loves us
- what are some of the benefits of having Jesus as our master?
- there are many, let’s just talk about 10
- He always has our ultimate interests at heart; you can’t say that about other masters
- He’s not demanding and relentless, he’s compassionate and gracious
- Only God has a supernatural ability to help us and equip us and protect us
- God’s truth leads to wisdom, not enslavement
- He sets behavioral boundaries for our own good, to prevent us from harm
- He changes our outlook and attitudes on life so we can make healthier attitudes
- He gives us a mission that really matters and that has eternal consequences
- He helps us build community with other human beings; he doesn’t tear it down like other human beings
- He guarantees rewards in this life and the next life
- When you come to the end of your life, He is the one you should have as your master
- He satisfies our soul and gives us satisfaction where it really matters
- this book guarantees that if you give your life to Jesus Christ, he will not fail you
- when you think of the training that Olympians submit to, when you think of the sacrifices that a soldier endures, why is the call to discipleship and full commitment deemed radical?
- especially when you consider the way God blesses the one who is fully devoted to Christ
- BUT PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION THIS MORNING IS, HOW?
- how do I develop this full commitment to Jesus Christ?
- let me ask you what it is that is keeping you from being fully committed to Christ
- because whatever it is, you have to relinquish it
- If you encountered Jesus Christ face to face, is there anything in your life that if he asked you to give up, you would have to say, “Sorry, I can’t”
- an attitude, a possession, a secret sin, a relationship
- Who would you say is becoming the single greatest influence on your attitudes and behavior?
- parents? peer group?
- who is it?
- whose teachings are beginning to shape you the most?
- If you were to review your calendar and checkbook for July 1996, the month just coming to an end, what priorities did they reflect?
- I’m not saying 51% of your time and resources would go to God
- but is there any meaningful evidence that you’re serving God and others
- If people knew what you gave to God in terms of money and time, would you be embarrassed?
- When you pray, do you just list things that you want, or do you consistently tell God you’re available?
- Do I have a mindset of trying to placate God, to try to just get by, or do we try to actively please God?
- If you lost every possession and dollar you had, how shattered would you be?
- Do you consider yourself to be a representative of Jesus Christ so you live your life in such a way to protect His reputation?
- Billy Graham said once, “I would rather be struck down dead than to discredit God”
- Would you say the overall general trend in your life is to have a heart that is growing more compassionate toward people or one that is shrinking and becoming more selfish?
- you see, whatever it is that is keeping you from full commitment to Christ, you have to relinquish it
- just like the rich young ruler who loved his riches more than God, Jesus said to him, “Give all your riches to the poor, then you can follow me”
- listen to this story:
- “At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of everything I did wrong so He knew whether I deserved heaven or hell when I die. He was out there kind of like the president. I recognize his picture when I see it, but I really didn’t know him. But later on when I met Christ, it seemed that life was really like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was on the back helping me peddle. I don’t know when it was that he asked me to change places, but my life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew that way. It was kind of boring but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when he took the lead, he knew delightful long cuts, through mountains and rocky places at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on! And even though it looked like madness, he said, ‘Peddle! Peddle!’ I worried and was anxious and said, ‘Where are you taking me?’ He laughed and didn’t answer, and I learned to trust. I forgot my boring life and I entered into the adventure.”
- “I am a disciple of Christ. I won’t look back, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, by present makes sense, my future is secure. I am finished with low living, sight walking, small thinking, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talk, chincy giving and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough. But my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, associate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, let up, or shut up till I’ve preached up, paid up, stored up and staid up for the cause of Christ. I’m a disciple of Christ. I must go until He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till he stops. And when He comes to claim His own, He will have no problem recognizing me, because my colors are clear.”
