Untitled Sermon

Luke 9:23-26

The Cost of True Discipleship

Wednesday May 7th, 2025, PM Service

Caledonia Baptist Church

Introduction

· As I was praying over what to preach (going into the preaching file to find best one)

o “Priority Kids”: “If I get saved, what’s it going to cost me?”  I replied: “The same thing it costs me 52 years after getting saved.”  Cost = Everything

· As we get into Luke, chapter 9…John gives an overview of the first days or weeks of Jesus’ ministry… 

o Verses 1-17

§ Sends 12 – Preaching (stay 1sthouse/peace with you/shake dust off feet)

§ They come back together to give Jesus a report – the crowds follow them

§ Leave for Bethsaida – but the crowds continue to follow

§ Jesus teaches – kingdom of God – heals the sick

§ As night approaches – feeds 5000 (5 loaves/2 fish) – taking up 12 baskets

· Then beginning in Verse 18 = Jesus again leaves the crowd to pray alone with his disciples. And as they prayed, knowing the hearts of the crowd that followed…

o Jesus asked the disciples: “Who do people say I am?” What is the crowd saying about me?

o “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

o But he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah (Christ; Anointed one) sent from God!”

· Then in verse 22, Jesus tells them…

o “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

o But he also told his disciples not to tell the crowds, because he knew their hearts and knew that most of them were not there to follow him in faith, they were following him because of what they thought Jesus could do for them.

· So, as Jesus finished talking with the disciple’s he turned His attention back to the crowds (the would-be followers) and began teaching them.

o Luke 9:23-27 (NASB) 23 And He was saying to themall, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Pray………………………………………….

· In His own words (23-27), Jesus laid out not only what it means to be a genuine believer (saved) but also a true follower (disciple), of Christ.

· This passage strikes a blow to the “feel good” Gospel. The self-centered false gospels that are so popular in contemporary Christianity.

o The gospel of “getting” (just ask God for stuff).

o The gospel of “health and wealth” (if you don’t have it’s your own fault).

o The gospel of “self-esteem and self-love” (love self before you can love others).

· Here, Jesus makes it clear that there must be a…

o  cross before the crown…

§ Suffering before glory,          Sacrifice before reward,

§ Giving before gaining,           Losing before winning.

· There is a cost associated with salvation. There is also a cost associated with being a true disciple.

o  Crowd tonight– salvation or true discipleship = message is the same.

Luke 9:23 (NASB) 23 And He was saying to themall (crowd and disciples)(saved/unsaved), "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

· The good news Jesus preached is the truth that God offers forgiveness of all sin and the “free” gift of eternal life to those who genuinely follow Him in faith.

o The bible says this faith is of God and not of works lest any man should boast.

§ Why? Because this faith calls for the total abandonment of self (goes against teaching of today – church is all about us). Paul wrote – Galatians

§ “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;” 2:20a. (no longer about me – it’s all about Christ)

o Jesus’ message is radically different than the “easy” salvation we sell in the church today.

§ Believing that all you must do is say a prayer and get dunked in some water. Salvation may be free, but it carries a heavy price. Being a follower of Christ was never meant to be the “easy road”.

· It is difficult for the sinner to come to terms with hating sin, rejecting the world and submitting to Jesus Christ.

o My young friend – Moses – Understands that God loves him enough to forgive him of his sins yet has trouble submitting to God’s righteousness.  

o My older friend – “I’m no sheep” – Even though claiming to be a believer, he rejects the Lord’s call to forsake self, money and possessions, to follow Christ.

o Just as the Rich Young Ruler, “was saddened, and went away grieving, for he was one who owned much”.

· Worldly people (and even many believers) have trouble accepting “total surrender” (submission) to Christ. 

o Remember, in John chapter 6, John said that “many of Jesus’ disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore”. Because the cost was too high.

· So, what is the “Cost” associated with being a “true” follower (disciple) of Christ?

o Self-denial          Cross bearing          Obedience.

True Discipleship Requires Self-Denial – anyone who wants to follow me, must…deny himself…

· Verb “Deny” = Greek = aparneomai (apar a nair a mi) = to have no association with or to disown completely. A complete rejectionof something or someone. It also means losing sight of one’s own interests. We are to reject (deny, no assoc., disown) self…

o This isn’t easy.  We learn from childhood that self is more important than anything else.  Don’t believe me, ask my 4-year-old granddaughter.

o She believes that the entire world (including Grammi and PawPaw) revolves around her (her needs, her wants and her desires).

· And if we are honest, so do many Christians/Leaders (church). Take Paul for example.

o No one had more impressive religious credentialsthan the apostle Paul. Paul was circumcised the eighth day, he was from the tribe of Benjamin, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews; he was a Pharisee, and even a persecutor of the church and blameless under the law.

o Yet when he met Christ on the road to Damascus, all his accomplishments became meaningless: he died to self (picture of true repentance).

· But true repentance is not just as essential for salvation, it is essential for being a true disciple. The New Testament uses three Greek words to describe repentance.

o Metanoeō (Meta no wayo) = Mental aspect of repentance.

§ It involves a reversal of one’s thinking = We begin to see ourselves as God sees us – fallen, depraved, and helpless to save ourselves.

o Metamelomai (Meta mel o my) = Emotional aspect of repentance.

§ It involves the regret and sorrow that the mental aspect produces because of the reversal of one’s thinking.  

o Epistrephō (Epee straph foe) = Intellectual aspect of repentance.

§ It involves the act of the will in changing one’s direction in life, turning from sin to God.  It is the deliberate change of direction in life away from sin to Christ. Deny self (reject sin completely; lose concern for one’s own interests)

§ Example: losing weight – Agnostic friend – False Conversions/Disciples – no evidence of turning from sin (rejection) to God (intellectual).

True Discipleship Requires Cross Bearing – if you want to follow me you must …take up your cross daily (not just on Sunday or when you feel like it).

· To us today, the cross symbolizes the death, burial and resurrectionof Christ (Agape). 

o We wear the cross as jewelry, we hang the cross on our walls, we tattoo the cross on our bodies, we hold the cross as we pray.

o We hold the cross dear to our hearts because Christ died on that cross for us. To us the cross is a sentimental reminder of what Christ did for us.

· But for those living in the first century, a cross was known as an instrument of execution (pain/death), like the way the electric chair might be viewed today. 

o Thus, when the Lord declared that anyone who would follow Him had to take up his cross daily they understood perfectly what He meant.

o Jesus was calling for a “willingness” to endure hatred, hostility, rejection, persecution, shame, and even death.

o Not to say that all of us will suffer these things, but we must be “willing” to endure them.  To say “no” to self for the sake of Christ (small sacrifice for eternal life).

o It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Jews were crucified during Jesus’ lifetime.

· So, when Jesus said that we must take up our cross daily, his audience knew exactly what that meant.

o Rather than seeking prosperity, money, fame, or fortune…daily

o We must be willing to endure persecution, rejection, hardship, and even death.

o There is no crown without a cross.

· Eternal life is so precious that we who truly seek it are willing to give up everything to obtain it.

o No reward without sacrifice. No glory without suffering…but not to worry…

o 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT2) 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

True Discipleship Requires Obedience – deny self, take up our cross daily…follow me…

· The verb follow = Greek word akoloutheō (ah ko new they o) = to followor accompany the one who proceeds (as in a disciple, servant) = refers to continual pattern of following even in the face of diversity.

o Same verb found in John 10:27, where Jesus described believers as His flock of sheep, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

o Same verb as found in Markand in John where Jesus says, “he who loves his life will lose it…Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me”.

· Speaking to the apostles in the upper room on the night before His death, Jesus emphasized that genuine saving faith (following Jesus) will inevitably manifest itself in obedience to God’s commands:

o If you love Me, you will keep My commandments...He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…Following = Obedience

· Are you ready tonight/today to obediently follow Jesus? Consider these questions:

o Are you “willing” (there’s that word again) to obediently follow Jesus …if it means…

§ losing your family or closest friends?

§ losing your reputation?

§ losing your job?

§ Are you willing to obediently follow Jesus if it means losing your life (are you willing to give up your own life for others?

· Self-denial, cross bearing, and obedience are not a set of self-help steps for making you a better Christian.  But is requiredto make the sinner acceptable to God.

o They are the “attitudes, actions and words” (logical components) of saving faith and true discipleship.

o Neither saving faith nor true discipleship can be produced under human power.

o They are components of the divine work wrought by the Holy Spirit of God.

Then (24) comes the Paradox of True Discipleship (seemingly contradictory statement)

Luke 9:24 (NASB) 24 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself (soul)?

· This type of paradox (call) was a regular part of our Lord’s preaching.

o Luke 17:13 Jesus said: “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it”.

o Matthew 10:29 he said: “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

o John 12:25 states that during Passion Week He repeated this call: “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.”

· Those who focus on self-love, self-esteem, and fulfilling all their desires, dreams, and ambitions in this life, will lose their eternal soul.

o But those who abandon their self-interests, deny themselves, hate their sinful condition, and give themselves wholly to Jesus Christ will be saved.

· And to enforce this point, Jesus asked a rhetorical question in verse 25…

o For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? (loses his/her soul).

· Let me say it in a different way. Assume for the sake of an argument that you could have everything you think you have always wanted.   

o What if all your dreams could come true.  What if you could have all the health and wealth the world could offer.  Cars, trucks, boats, lake houses, etc.

o No more money problems, no more fussing with the wife, no more working 60 hrs. week. All your passions, desires (needs and wants) are fulfilled.

· But what would that profit (benefit) you if you forfeited your eternal soul?

o Absolutely nothing. Remember we are “all” eternal beings…each of us will spend eternity somewhere…which leads us to the last point of this scripture…

The Punishmentfor a False Disciple (Believer)                                  

Luke 9:26 (NASB) 26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

· The word ashamed = Greek verb = epaischunomai (e pac shoe no my) = means to despise, reject, or refuse to accept.

o To be "ashamed" of Jesus' words means to refuse to publicly align with Him and what He teaches.

· The ultimate testof this for the disciples is to face rejection by the Jewish religious leaders even to the point of death (many by crucifixion) (Luke 9:22–23). (YOU?)

o Peter fails this test during Jesus' trial when he denies Christ 3 times. 

o But once filled by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, he boldly and bravely preaches and even finds “Joy”in the opportunity to join in Christ’s suffering.

· While Christ was alive…

o The disciples used Christ’s power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.

o They paid the personal cost of discipleship (left their families, their jobs and their friends and many died. 

o And they will soon see Jesus arrested, beaten, and crucified. When they do, they will find themselves locked in a room, afraid for their lives.

· But then, while in the upper room, they will meet the risen savior.

o And then beginning with the book of acts, the disciples will preach boldly even unto death (crucifixions/beheadings/mouths of lions).

· We too must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. If we don’t?  

o 26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Conclude in Prayer (pray for the room – the willing and the un-willing)