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The Cost of Discipleship 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Today, we are in Luke chapters 13 and 14 verse 33 of chapter 14. So, likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be0:22 my disciple. So what's the cost of following Jesus? Well, that's gonna be our focus today. But first, I wanna give a quick overview of these 2 chapters. Now as we move here into chapter 13, we're gonna see0:34 several accounts that are unique to Luke's gospel account. It's not recorded in the other gospels. Let's start right with verse 1 chapter 13. There were present at that season some who told him about the Galileans whose0:43 blood present at that season some who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, do you suppose that these Galileans were worse0:55 sinners than all of the other Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Now this brief mention1:07 of the Galileans being murdered by Pilate is not recorded anywhere else. We know from other historical accounts, scholars believe this could have been a reference to a1:19 small group of followers of a of a person named Judas of Galilee, a zealot who refused to recognize the authority of Caesar and and therefore refused to pay tribute to to1:31 him. And they were killed, by Pilate as they were making sacrifices, and and so their blood mingled with the sacrifices. Now Jesus1:42 uses this for a, a teaching Alright? Verse 4. Or those 18 on whom the tower of Shiloh fell were and and were killed, do1:54 you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. You know, bad things2:06 happen to good people. You know, we cannot determine the spiritual condition of a person's heart by the tragic events that may envelop them. Matthew chapter 5 verse2:18 44 says, he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. You know, the reality is we live in a fallen world. It's a corrupt world, which Satan2:29 still operates within and controls a lot of it. The church, filled with the Holy Spirit, our mission is to restrain the lawlessness of Satan as we2:41 carry out the core of our mission, which is to share the gospel, make disciples, and live sanctified lives. However, however, this does not exempt us from the consequences that flow2:54 from the fallen nature of man in this fallen world. Sin is all around us. Evil is all around us. Look at the headlines of any particular day of the week, or watch cable news, and you'll3:06 see it. See, following Jesus, as we will see in a moment, does not exempt us from the problems of this world. In fact, sometimes it makes us more of a target.3:18 But it does mean this. It means that we will not face these difficulties alone, and and we have the encouragement that comes from3:30 the certainty of eternity. Alright? We have if if we live with this eternal perspective, it causes these temporal difficulties3:51 events come upon us, which are not of our own doing, I mean, we weren't looking for them. It has happened. It it is to, what what we have to do to to to make4:03 it through this is we need to we need to learn very quickly to get to a place where we can thank god for those experiences even in the midst of them. Now I know that sounds bizarre to4:15 thank God for difficulties, but it's biblical. Look at Philippians chapter 4 verse 6. Be anxious for nothing. Now generally, you're anxious when things are happening. But in everything by4:26 prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The key to4:38 facing the difficulties and challenges of these life of this life that come upon us, unprovoked by anything that we do other than following Jesus, is to have a heart of gratitude. Now Paul wrote a similar message4:50 to the Thessalonians in first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 16. He says, rejoice always. When are we to rejoice? Always. Pray without ceasing in everything.5:02 In what? Everything. Give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Now don't miss what Paul said here. I have a lot of people asking, you know, I I'm just looking for the will of God. Well, alright.5:14 Well, here's 1. Here's a very clear description of the will of God for you. This is the will of God of Christ Jesus for you. Alright? It doesn't get any more explicit than that. Now 2 quick5:26 observations before we move to the last part of chapter 14. The Sabbath and Jesus' healing of the infirmed are spotlighted. Once again, we've seen this before. Now this contrast, a man Then5:41 most of chapter 14 happens over a meal. Then most of chapter 14 happens over a meal5:53 where Jesus uses a meal for an illustration. You know, a lot of kingdom work is, as we see in Jesus. Jesus did a lot over food, surrounding food, and a lot can be done6:05 over a shared meal. Just a side note, you may not believe this, but in in Washington, a lot of ministry takes place over dinner with members of congress. You know, God using his people6:17 to vote, you, pray, vote, stand, those of you who have voted, what I've seen in the last 15 years now I've been here 22 years. And what I've seen in the last 15 years is6:29 an increase in the number of men and women called by God to be here. And, of course, they're supported by Christians, and they're voted they're voted on. They come here. And, you know, I have the6:41 opportunity among the many policy discussions and oftentimes over dinner simply to pray, discussions and oftentimes over dinner simply to pray and encourage them in what can be a very difficult place in Washington, DC.6:53 So I I wanna encourage you by by praying and by voting and by standing for truth and being engaged in the process. We're making a difference. You're making a difference. God is using7:05 you to make a difference, and so do not grow weary in well doing. Alright. Let's move now to the cost of following Jesus. Chapter 14 verse 25. Now great multitudes went with7:16 him, and he turned and he said to them, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, Yes. Even his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Why?7:28 Does Jesus really want us to hate those people? Let's keep going. 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 sit7:40 down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? Left after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying this man began to7:52 build and was not able to finish. Or what king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider where he is able with 10000 to meet him who comes against him with8:03 20000? Or else while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation to ask conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot8:15 be my disciple. Anyone who reads the Bible sees that Jesus, excuse8:29 me, very clearly lays out the cost of discipleship. He provides an extensive warning of what will come if we follow him.8:41 He does this in John chapters 15 and 16, which we'll get to later. But in this passage, he provides the terms of discipleship. And I and I think, you know, the8:52 gospel's presentation by many, especially today, is softened to make it, you know, make it more palatable and, you know, what some describe as seeker friendly. Right? Jesus didn't do that.9:04 Recall what we read over in chapter 9 of, of Luke, Luke 9 23. Then he said to to them all, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. There is a9:16 cause to following Jesus, and he tells us he tells us to count those calls. Don't get started and turn back. Now following Jesus requires, number 1, loving Jesus9:28 more than what we value most. Alright? And what was that? Family. Jesus is not telling people to hate their family. He's not telling you hate your mom and dad, your wife, your kids. Not not at all.9:40 But he's saying he must be first. Is he first in your life? Life? Because if he's first in your life, you've got your priorities straight. And guess what? All those other relationships are gonna9:52 flow. But if you put your children first or you put your spouse first above god, I'm telling you, you've got the order wrong and you're gonna have complications. In Mark 10 20 29,10:04 Jesus in answer Jesus answered and said, surely, I say to you, there is no 1 who has left house or brothers or sister or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels, who shall not receive a10:16 hundredfold now in this time houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life. You see, we must love Jesus10:28 more, not only the family, but life itself. It doesn't mean that you wanna die. It doesn't mean it doesn't mean that you're walking around with some kind of suicidal complex. It means you're ready10:40 to live. You see, you can't really live free until you're prepared to die. William Wallace, a Scottish knight who became 1 of the the, main leaders10:51 of the first war for Scottish independence is credited with saying this, and I love the quote. I use it often. Every man must die, but few men really live. Yeah. We're all gonna die, but some are so11:03 afraid of dying that they don't live. And Jesus is saying, look. You die. Die to self. And guess what? Then you find your life. Matthew 10 39. He who11:15 finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. Focusing, number 2, focusing on the work of the kingdom despite the personal cost. That's what a disciple is. A disciple focuses on the11:26 work of the kingdom despite the personal cost. Matthew Henry says this about the personal cost, and I like Matthew Henry. I quote him often. I most of the11:39 the commentaries that I use and study, most almost exclusively are men that are no longer alive. I I think it's important. I like to study and read dead people11:51 because I know that they're not gonna change, and I can see the consistency and the totality of their life. But Matthew Henry says this about the personal cost. He says, let them consider that it will cost them12:03 the mortifying of their sins, I mean, the death of their sins. Even the most beloved lust, the things that we hold on to the most, our passions, oftentimes coming from our fallen nature, those will die. It will cost12:15 them a life of self denial, watchfulness, meaning we we've gotta deny those things that creep up in our human nature, and we've gotta watch for them constantly in a12:27 constant course of holy duties. It's not just stopping the bad. Bad. It's replacing it with the righteous. It may perhaps cost them their reputations among men, their estates12:39 and liberties, and all that is dear to them in this world, even life itself. Then he goes on to say this. He says, and if it should cost us12:51 all this, what is it in comparison with what it cost Christ to purchase our salvation? Number 3, the cost13:03 of discipleship is enduring the difficulties and the conflict for the sake of the cross. Deciding to follow Jesus is a decision to go to war, a spiritual war, a war with the prince of darkness,13:26 battle only to surrender, for the end will be worse than the beginning. Look back at what Jesus said in in Luke 11 24. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places seeking rest and finding none.13:38 He says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and he takes with him 7 other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell13:50 there. And the last state of that man is worse than the first. Don't dabble in following Christ. You don't dabble with being a disciple. You have to decide to follow14:02 Jesus and then don't turn back. And I recall the the words of 1 of the hymns that I learned when our family first began going to church when I was a a boy. It was, it's a very14:13 familiar hymn. I'm sure most of you know it. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back no turning back. The cross before me. The world behind me, no14:25 turning back. No turning back. There is a cost we must pay if we are truly to follow Jesus, but it is nothing in comparison to the price that he14:37 paid for us on the cross to redeem us from our sins and to secure our eternal salvation. Father, we thank you for your word. And, lord,14:49 I pray that we would count the cost. And I pray, lord, that we would be willing to die to self, to our desires, our ambitions, and we would be willing to face the conflicts that15:01 come with being a disciple of Jesus Christ, but knowing that we don't face it alone. We have the Holy Spirit who is our comforter, who is our strength, and and and when we face these things, we can pray for15:12 wisdom, and you've promised lord, strengthen us. Make us bold witnesses for you, and give us the confidence to walk as disciples15:25 submitted to you and, Lord, empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a part of advancing your kingdom and bringing glory to your name. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining15:37 me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.15:42 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:54 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Cost of Discipleship
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