A constructuon illustration

Luke 14:25–29 KJV 1900

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Luke 14:33–35 KJV 1900

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Introduction

Phase 1 of building - Desire.

In the illustration of the building, Jesus talks about the intention to build.

What would lead someone to have the desire to build a tower?

They must have need for it.

No doubt, they’ve already started imagining how they could benefit from this new structure on their property.

They’ve scribbled out some drawings and have even talked to some friends about tower building tips.

In the area of discipleship, Jesus addresses a multitude of people that have already begun to follow him.

They have seen the miracles and heard his teaching.

They may have identified a need in their life for a greater purpose in their life.

Maybe they recognized Jesus as the Messiah and assumed that meant the establishment of a political kingdom.

Their desire is already apparent.

Phase 2 of building - Consider.

Buildings carry a cost.

The hopeful builder must do two things before he starts building.

He must count the cost.

He checks to see if he has enough to pay for it.

These are essential steps that must take place.

You cannot skip this part.

To do so is foolish.

You set yourself up for failure if you don’t figure out how much it will cost, and do you have it.

Discipleship also has a cost.

If a person truly desires to follow Jesus as a disciple, he must be willing to pay the price.

A would-be disciple must be willing to reprioritize their loyalties.

Hate is incompatible with the Christian religion.

God tells us to even love our enemies.

So, what does Jesus mean by this idea of our family and our own life?

He is filling us in on the cost of discipleship.

If we truly desire to be his disciples, we must be willing to give up every other human relationship for Him.

We must even be willing to give up our lives for Him.

In verse 27, Jesus says that HIs disciples must also be willing to take up their bear their cross behind him as he bears His cross.

Too often we think that bearing our cross means dealing with the ups and downs of life.

If someone says. “I guess it’s

Phase 3 of building - Risk.