Count The Cost

Scripture

Luke 14:25–33 NIV

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Introduction

Today I would like to speak to you all on Counting the Cost

Now every single one of us have followed this advice in some period of our life

In this New Year some people may decide that they want a stronger body and they might join a gym and then after a few weeks of gyming and not seeing any results they will quit the gym.

They didnt properly count the cost

They were expecting quick fix which did not happem

For example whenever there is a very big decision you need to make you tend to count the cost before making that big decision

E.g if you are married - before you would have said I do - you would have counted the cost of saying that because you know there is no turning back once you said those 2 couple words.

You won’t marry someone if you are not willing to spend the rest of your life together with them .

Same thing with having kids.

A lot of young couples these days do not want kids because after counting the cost it is better to do without kids

E.g They find that kids will slow them down in life

Or some find that the price of pampers etc is too much now and they dont think they can afford to have kids

Or some people just like the freedom of not having to take care of kids

The point is they have spent time counting the cost

One of the worst things you can do is not count the cost and you embarass yourself

E.g it have some people today who chose to have kids and they are like the worst parents ever

They dont even take care of their kids

They dont even feed them and other people has to take care of their children and these are the same paretns who keeps making more and more kids and not taking care of them

It sad but it is a reality

If they had properly counted the cost they would have decided that it may be best to just be married but not have kids because they are not willing to take care of them

What big decision have you made in life that resulted in you having to count the cost?

My story about promotion in Town

Counting the cost can save you from embarassment and wasted time

Change or Die is a book written by Alan Deutschman and he ask the question what if you were given that choice to change or die? Would you change your habits?

What he discovered is that the majority of people rarely ever choose to change.

From patients suffering with heart disease or repeat offenders in the criminal justice system - people choose not to change.

They have counted the cost and find that the cost of change is too much.

friend who didnt want to give up drinking

Today i just want to remind you of something and that is there is a cost to following Jesus and it is a cost most people are not willing to pay

We ask ourselves why are there so many empty pews on a Sunday, why is it that people no longer come to church.

Danny reminded us last week that this issue is a worldwide church issue and not just our church.

We ask ourselves where are those who started with us.

It could be that they have counted the cost and it is a bit too high.

This year IPA celebrates 70 years and when we go back to our founder Peter H Hosein and we see all that this humble man would have accomplished and we make statements such as I want to be the next Rev. Peter Hakim Hosein but the truth is that is just a statement

This man was just an ordinary man but he achieved so much for God because he was willing to pay a huge price

He counted the cost and had no isssue of giving up all for the sake of Christ

You dont really find men like that today.....

In fact sad to say you dont really even find men at all day...

Men scarce in the church and it is mostly the women doing everything

Another great man who passed through the IPA and was a Pastor in IPA and eventually moved into Open Bible was the late Rev. Kenneth Ragoonath

He was a good friend to our family and growing up I would look up to this man

Whenever you heard him speak you can tell that this man was sold out for God and he was a student of the Word of God

He had no big car or fancy house or any of those things and those things never bothered him

God allowed him to be a missionary in 92 different countries which is remarkable.

I was listening to an interview they had with him on youtube and he made a very strong statement that goes against what most people believe in.

He said that when he became a Christian anything outside of the Work of the Lord does not attract him

He said people will tell him why you don’t play a little cricket or a little football etc.

He said I did those things before I found the Lord and now I am just concerned with the work of the Lord and those things have no interest to him.

Now that is a man you can tell who counted the cost of following Jesus and decided that nothing else was more important to him than God’s Work.

We tell ourselves that we want to be like them but the truth is we are not willing to pay that kind of price.

We see their glory but we don’t know their story.

Now when we look at this scripture we see that Jesus lays out what it really means to follow him and we see firstly that

Jesus Isn’t Impressed by Crowds

Luke 14:25 NIV

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:

Before we go further let us just focus on this first part that says Large Crowds were following him

Now if you compare the preacher Jesus to the average preacher and pastor today Jesus is the opposite of them

Lots of preachers today would be glad to hear people following them

In fact the more followers it would be better for their ministry

Like and subscribe to my youtube channel

Follow me on facebook for updates on my Ministry

The average Preacher now would love to know that they have a huge following

It will help their ego to grow bigger

I have 1 million followers on Twitter

And they would do more and more to make sure that they get more followers online

The average Pastor would love to be able to boast about the size of their congregation

Man we have over 100 members coming every single Sunday

Our car park is packed out we might need to expand the parking

Our church is getting so large we might need to build a next level for it

Crowds upon crowds coming to church is a big thing nowadays

If your church not packed out maybe the Anointing is not there

You need to do better

But here’s the thing

Crowds mean nothing much

Crowds do not mean they are following

Jesus knew something about crowds

He knew that a lot of them was just fans and not really followers

A lot of them had a wrong motive in following him and Jesus wasnt interested in such people

Now it is a bit of a shame when you might compare Jesus approach to the average Pastor today who overly obsessed with crowds

It’s a bit like Facebook

People have thousands of friends on facebook but the truth is how much of them really is your friend

How much of them if you call them when you need help will really be willing to help you

The truth is not much

Jesus knew that a lot of these people who were moving as though they were his friends were not his friends

Sometimes we keep telling ourselves we want the church filled, we want it filled, too much empty pews

While that is a noble goal to want the pews filled - the more important goal is that the pews be filled with the right kinds of people.....

I going to say something a bit harsh but it is truthful and that is - it have some people when they leave your Ministry that actually is a blessing in disguise

When they leave your Ministry and go to someone else Ministry well pressure for that other Pastor

People keep harping about crowds and wanting to fill the church

Numbers are misleading

It is better to have a church with a few committed sheep thaan a church that is packed out not with sheep but with goats

Jesus knew that in his time a lot of people came to hear him cause of the food that they got after hearing him speak

If we decided to do something similar

Advertise that every Sunday - you don’t have to worry about lunch

Every Sunday lunch will be given to you - Man our church gonna be packed out

Bishop advice to Youth Leaders

The problem in a lot of churches is that leaders are so desperate to look good that they paint a picture of Jesus and this Christian life that is so attractive and it is because they just concerned with getting members

WE preach about a Jesus who can save you, who can heal you, who can prosper you but we don’t mention the commitment it would take as a follower of Jesus

We dont mention the cost of following Jesus

Sooner or later when the bad times comes - what happens is ..... As Russel used to say - They do like a mat and dust it

Numbers can be misleading.

When we invite people to church or to follow Jesus what language are we using to pursuade people to come

Are we preaching a false gospel in order to attract them

Now last week Sunday Brother Danny was reminding us how for OLD years service it only had OLD people IN THAT service.

We no longer young. WE around long time.

We involve in this church thing for quite a while and if it is one thing I have noticed is people come to church to have certain needs met and there is nothing wrong with that.

All of us have needs at times that we need help from the church to meet.

The problem lies when we get those needs met and then we are gone after.

People come to church for all kinds of reasons

People use the name of Jesus for fame

People come looking for a wife

A lot of people who would have passed through church came when they they had nothing in life and from the moment they got something like a job that’s it for them

Can’t see them again

One thing I have seen with my own eyes is that prosperity when it comes to money while it can be a good thing it can also be a bad thing

Most people cannot handle prosperity

It easy to want to come to Jesus when you have nothing but when you have everything why bother following Jesus

Background

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Thirteen: The Man Who Came to Dinner (Luke 14))

When Jesus left the Pharisee’s house, great crowds followed Him, but He was not impressed by their enthusiasm. He knew that most of those in the crowd were not the least bit interested in spiritual things. Some wanted only to see miracles, others heard that He fed the hungry, and a few hoped He would overthrow Rome and establish David’s promised kingdom. They were expecting the wrong things.Jesus turned to the multitude and preached a sermon that deliberately made the crowds lesser. He made it clear that, when it comes to personal discipleship, He is more interested in quality than quantity.

Jesus was not a salesman. He did not try to sell Christianity by telling people the benefits they would receive, the wonderful experiences they would have, and the reasons they should follow him. Instead, he told them the costs, the hardships, and the difficulties they would experience, and he encouraged them to carefully evaluate the costs before they followed him.

I can almost guarantee you that if this church had miracles every week people would come out

People nowadays want the miracle but they dont want the miracle worker

They want healing but they dont want the healer

They want Jesus as their Savior but they dont want Jesus as their Lord

Jesus basically separates the average person who labels themselves a Christian from the one who is known as a Disciple.

So what are some of the costs in following Jesus

The Cost Of Your Life

Luke 14:26–27 NIV

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

These 2 verses helps us to see some of the cost of following Jesus and 1 could be your life

We in this Western World doesnt think of the word death when it comes to serving Jesus

We think of things like going Sunday School and Youth Group -

Going on excursions -

Let’s not forget camp - oh the joy of pasting someone in camp -

Church is fun church is cool

Following Jesus aint so bad

Man we look forward to hear someone renewing their vows

Another cool event to dress up and go to

That is what we know about following Jesus

In the days of Jesus they knew that you being associated with Jesus could cause you to die

Just ask Peter who would have denied Jesus 3 times when they asked him if he is a follower of Jesus

Peter wasnt ready to die then - he screamed no no no I do not know that man

Today if I stand up and declare to the entire population of Barrackpore that I am a follower of Jesus - nobody aint coming to kill me .

I don’t really have to think of death

the most someone might say ohhh he is a hen....

Brian is a hen.....

But that’s no kinda persecution

Jesus said we need to take up our cross and in those days that means that you were going to die.

Some may say well he means more to die to yourself and to your desires and to your will that is what it means to die but it doesnt mean you will die in the literal sense of being buried

the truth is it can be like that as well.

There was this incident that happened recently that was on news that really shook me up a bit and helped me to see what it meant by being prepared to follow Christ even if it costs you your life.

I remember hearing this story of this Pastor in Diamond who went to buy BBQ right in Debe , where I go regularly and this man getting bounced down and he died.

Now when I heard that story I was kinda a little angry and disappointed with God.

I was like Lord, this man doing so much for you and your kingdom and how could you allow this to happen to him.

I think this was Christmas Eve and I think they said this man had gone to pray for someone and after praying for someone he went to get bbq and then someone just bounce him down and this fella from CLaxton Bay hit him on that hill.

That sounded so weird

This man had given up his Christmas Eve time to go pray for people instead of wrapping gifts and baking cake etc like the rest of church people....

Who in church does those things....

Christmas Eve is when you just relaxing and yet this man did that and God allowed him to die

It’s like God owed this man for what he was doing for him

I started to think that could have been someone from our church or another church that we know and God allowed them to die that way

I questioned God and then I was reminded of some scriptures that says

Luke 9:23–24 NIV

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Following Jesus could cost you your life

It would cost you your Relationships

Luke 14:26 NIV

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.

Following Jesus will cost you in your relationships

You are going to lose some of your pally wals as we like to say

People who you used to drink with both outside church and even inside church to get vex with you when you really commit to Jesus

Noticed I said inside church as well

yeah it have some church people who right after church done or youth meeting done - is time to take a little thing

After they come youth group and had to endure sister neisha the youth leader talking up a storm

is to take a little thing after ..

But when you fully commit they get vex with you cause you turn against their ways

So yes you will lose relatioships both inside and outside the church

I remember some years ago in youth group I asked the youths at the time about this scripture and what they thought Jesus meants by hating your family

Nobody knew because it felt strange

Why is Jesus telling me to hate people

That doesnt sound like Jesus

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive A. Jesus First: Before Personal Relationships

He is not saying that we should not love our families. As a matter of fact, He teaches us to love our families. As a matter of fact, you cannot really love your family until you love the Lord Jesus. And if you love the Lord Jesus, you will not love your family less; you will love your family more. But what He is saying is that my, “Your love for me is to be so strong and so great that in comparison to your love for anybody else it will seem as though it were hate. That is, if a choice ever has to be made, than I must come first, regardless of the cost.”