Requirements of Discipleship

Main point: To be a true disciple of Christ one needs to radically follow Jesus above all other commitments, no matter the cost, for the rest of their days.

Introduction:

The question for us is very simple this morning, “do you have what it takes to be a true follower of Jesus?”

For many, it would be just saying that we are Christian, saying that we are saved.

It’s one things to wear the label “Christian”, it’s an entirely different thing to live it.

I. Hating one’s life and family (25-26)

a.) Setting: large crowds now accompany Jesus

b.) Jesus is NOT saying that you shouldn't love your family. “hate” emphasizes “to love less”.

c.) Condition 1: We cannot be a true disciple of Christ if we don't love Him more than our own family as well as our own lives.

Q: What does it mean to love Jesus more than your family?

A: discussion

Q: What does it entail for you to love Jesus more than your own life

A: Own priorities, plans, identity, etc.

d.) Picture: Young man who grew up in Muslim home, realized he needed to love Jesus more than his family. (Nabeel Qureshi)

e.) Practice: We need to love Jesus more than our own family as Nabeel did.

Q: How has loving Christ first affected your relationship with your family?

A: discussion

Q: How does loving Christ first more than yourself affect you?

A: discussion

II. Bearing one’s cross (27-32)

a.) Condition 2: We cannot be a true disciple if we don't bear our cross to follow him

Q: What does it mean to bear our cross to follow Jesus?

A: to be in complete and utter submission to the point of death.

b.) Picture: criminals who were crucified demonstrated Rome's complete control and authority over them as they took up their cross to die.

c.) Practice: so we must be completely under the authority of Christ.

d.) Jesus gives us two analogies that relate to bearing one's cross: a builder and a king preparing for battle

🔨 Builder: one must count the cost like someone building a tower/building. Or else he risks being humiliated by being unable to finish it. We must count the cost so that we may bear the cross to the finish line. (imagine if Pastor Andrew didn’t count the cost of the new building!)

👑 King: the king has a greater risk as he considers battling an army that's twice the size of his army. He deliberates whether to attack or make peace. So we must deliberate if we are truly a spiritually-fit follower of Jesus in the midst of a spiritual war.

e.) In summary, bearing our cross entails 1.) considering the cost to persevere and 2.) deliberating our spiritual standing in the midst of a spiritual war.

[33] In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

III. Renouncing all possessions (33)

Condition 3: We can't truly be disciples if we don't renounce everything we own.

Cross Reference: Philippians 3:7-8a ESV

[7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…

Q: How might possessions keep us from being true disciples of Christ?

A: discussion - cares of this world, examples from last week of property. Materialism.

Picture: to hold our possessions with a loose grip.

3 examples from last week from the parable of the great banquet..

Practice:

Salt prevents decay and corruption.

Sometimes salt was added to dung piles to increase the value of the manure pile as fertiliser. However, salt was also used to destroy the nutritional level of soil, and sometimes heavy dosages of salt were spread secretly upon the enemy’s fields to spoil their soil, so that crops could not be cultivated and their armies could not be fed.

Bottom line: We are to be salt of the earth in that we remain in Christ for the rest of our lives!!

Conclusion:

So do you have what it takes to be a true follower of Jesus Christ? Do you love him more than your family? Do you love him more than life itself? Have you truly renounced anything in your life that would take place of him?

If you have any “nos”, turn those to “yeses”. Make today the day where you give your life to Christ and follow him with all that you are.