The Cost & Commitment Of Following Christ (2)
Notes
Transcript
Text: Luke 9:57-62
Chris Correa
Chris Correa
Introduction
Good evening, WCF.
My name is Chris Correa, and I am the Worship Pastor for South Valley Community Church in Lemoore Ca.
It is always a joy to be with you all on Wednesday nights.
Normally, I get the privilege to lead you all in worship. However, my assignment tonight from Pastor Shane is to lead you in worship and share a message that God put on my heart from the book of Luke.
The passage we will spend time in tonight is Luke 9:57-62
So if you brought your Bible today, would you please turn to Luke 9:57
As you’re turning there I’d like to look back on the past few chapters and passages before we get to where we are tonight.
So in preparing for this message, I kept thinking about these two words “Cost” and “Commitment” and how their ideals are found within each of the chapters leading up to this point.
In Luke 4:14-30: We learn about how
Jesus launched His ministry and how He was rejected for it.
He fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy and starts ministry (Commitment)
The Jews in the synagog reject Him and attack Him. (Cost)
In Luke 5:17-32: We learn that
Jesus is the great physician for the spiritually sick
Jesus forgives the paralytic man’s sins (Commitment)
Gets rejected by the scribes and Pharisees (Cost)
Luke 7:36-50: Shows us that
Those who truly experience Jesus’ mercy can’t help but pour out love in return.
The sinful woman washes Jesus’ feet with her most valuable perfumes and oils (Cost)
She worships Jesus whole heartedly regardless of the Pharisees criticism (Commitment)
In Luke 8:4-15: we find out that
Your heart’s condition impacts your growth in Christ and your impact on sharing the gospel.
Jesus uses a parable to reveal the condition of a true believer.
Growth in seasons of testing (Commitment)
Growth in sacrificing the cares of this world and its many pleasures (Cost)
Luke 9:18-27 : shows us
Jesus’ bold command to his followers
Deny yourselves (Cost)
Take up the cross daily and follow Christ. (Commitment)
And Finally in Luke 9:28-36: We learn that
Jesus’ transfiguration was a preview of the resurrection.
The glory revealed on the mountain points directly to the price He will pay at the cross. (Cost)
The command from God the Father to obey Jesus’ every word (commitment)
leads us to our topic for today;
The Cost & Commitment Of Following Christ
As I was reading through our passage for this week and thinking about those two words, I began to reflect on personal stories and experiences where I saw cost and commitment lived out.
I thought about my Parents.
I grew up in a house hold that floated between lower and middle class income.
I thought about their commitment to our family and to ministry regardless of their work situations, finances or health problems.
They were committed and wanted us to see that.
In the early 90s My dad was a volunteer worship pastor at a small Assemblies Of God church in Palmdale not far from where our SVAV campus is located. And my mom served as the women's ministry leader.
I watched my parents who were struggling financially invite teens and young adults into their home for dinner and share the gospel to them.
I saw my dad graciously invite people from different religious backgrounds to sit at his table and open the bible and teach young men the truths found in the scriptures while refuting their false doctrines.
My parents opened their home to the lost, the abused, the misguided, the broken and yet never left their faith or children behind in the process.
My parents were ready and willing to stay up late and talk through each of mine and my sibling’s struggles.
My sisters and I didn't always have a lot, but what we did have were a father and a mother who were committed to Christ and to us.
They understood that commitment to him was greater than anything else.
As a little boy, I’d even try and trick my mom. “Mom, do you love me more than Jesus?” I’d say this with a little grin. She’d look at me and hug me and say, “no”.” “I love you very much, but I love Jesus more than anything in this world.”
I learned later as a parent that it is my love for Jesus that helps me love my children in the ways my mom loved me.
It was their Love for Jesus that gave them the ability to love and disciple me.
Today in our series we will hear the story of three would-be disciples and “The Cost & Commitment of Following Jesus”.
Lets pray and we’ll begin.
Luke 9:57-62
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
At a surface level this passage might have given you a harsh image of Jesus.
Before we delve into a case study of each of the three would be disciples and their interactions with Jesus, I believe it’s crucial to establish some context. Let’s begin with some background information.
Just from the start of chapter 9 to our passage today we see that:
Jesus empowers and sends out the twelve disciples to preach, heal, and cast out demons and they do!
Word about Jesus and his disciples is spreading and Herod who ruled over that area is curious and confused and wants to see Jesus because people are claiming he’s John the baptist resurrected (After Herod be-headed him), or Elijah, or another risen ancient Prophet.
Crowds are looking for Jesus to witness his miracles or to receive healing.
Jesus then feeds 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and two fish
He’s preaching a controversial message that is powerful and stirring a movement
He casts a demon out of a little boy in front of a crowd of people
Then Jesus suddenly sets his sights on heading to Jerusalem.
On his way to Jerusalem Jesus encounters three would-be disciples and with each interaction we see three different barriers to true discipleship.
3 Main Points
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
After taking a look at the events leading up to this moment, scholars feel fairly confident that Jesus has exposed the first would be Disciples Obstacle to following him.
1st Point:
The First Barrier To Following Christ Is Comfort
Disciple 1 sees the crowds following Jesus
He has seen or heard of Jesus’ miracles
He’s likely heard of Jesus’ great wisdom and knowledge
Maybe he thinks that by following Jesus he will be able to perform miracles, or have power, influence and wealth, like other disciples and their Rabbi’s.
Maybe he assumes that following Jesus will lead to health, wealth and prosperity?
So this 1st potential disciple with enthusiasm says, “I will follow you where ever you go.”
Jesus responds: “Foxes have holes… but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Jesus paints a very different picture than what he may have expected.
The cost of this man following Jesus would be, discomfort, rejection, and financial sacrifice.
Matthew Henry says it like this:
“Christ tells this man what he must count upon if he followed him, to lie cold and uneasy, to fare hard, and live in contempt; if he could not submit to this, let him not pretend to follow Christ.” Matthew Henry
Jesus was not afraid to discourage potential disciples by telling them upfront what it will cost for following Him.
What can we take away from this exchange?
COST: Sacrificing comfort, convenience, and earthly security.
COMMITMENT: Trusting in Jesus even when its uncomfortable, inconvenient, and difficult.
This would-be disciple was volunteering to follow Jesus anywhere, because he only considered what he could gain from Jesus in this life.
He didn’t know where Jesus was headed.
He didn’t know the humiliation and rejection that was ahead.
He didn’t Know about the suffering and death Jesus would endure.
He didn’t really know who Jesus was.
I have seen and heard of many would-be pastors, would-be christian artists, and revival movements that say they follow Jesus but they resemble more of this disciples heart.
They are looking to use Jesus as their platform.
They are looking to use Jesus as the face of their of their religious pyramid scheme
They’re looking to use Jesus’ name to bring them the same things this man desired.
Why are you here today?
Are you like this would-be disciple?
When the trials of life come will you still follow?
When the comforts of this life decrease will you still follow?
When the world rejects you for your faith in Him, will you still follow?
In America we are largely blind and ignorant to the cost and commitment of following Jesus.
Many of our nation’s struggles with following Christ stem from inconveniences, business, laziness, or a lack of care.
Here are some alarming stats on christian persecution from Opendoors.org’s World Watch List between 2024 and 2025
As of 2024 approximately 365 million christians face severe persecution or discrimination worldwide.
55 countries reported extreme or high levels of persecution against christians.
4,476 Christians were reported to have been killed last year for their faith.
Are you quickly saying you’ll follow Christ without considering the cost and commitment?
J.C. Ryle said this of those who are too quick to be disciples of Christ:
“But they never considered the watching, warring, wounds, and conflicts which christian soldiers must endure. Let us never forget this lesson. It need not make us afraid to begin serving Christ, but it ought to make us begin carefully, humbly, and with much prayer for grace.” J.C. Ryle
Are you watching over your families or friends spiritual health?
Are you warring in prayer for your faith and the faith of those around you?
Are you a battle tested disciple of Christ who has endured spiritual warfare and earthly conflict for the gospel?
We must be cautious not to become these flashy, trendy, and prestigious would-be disciples who scatter when times get tough.
Application
Are you prepared to possibly surrender:
Your comforts
Your plans
Your security
Are you ready to push through the first barrier towards the call of Christ.
If you are we have two more barriers to go..
2nd Point:
The 2nd Barrier To Following Christ Is Delayed Obedience.
59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
One of the first notable differences we observe here is that instead of the second would-be disciple volunteering, we witness Jesus calling him to follow him.
Instead of obeying him the man replies: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
This man appeared to be on the verge of following Jesus, yet seemed torn between doing what was right and…. what also seemed right?
Jesus then shocks the would-be disciple as well as those who will read Jesus’ words here
“Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (v.60)
Was Jesus being harsh, or was this man merely making an excuse that would indefinitely delay his discipleship?
If we read this passage at a surface level we may be inclined to adopt a critical view of Jesus as some of the Pharisees and scribes.
A Jewish man burying his father was sacred duty.
Pharisees and scribes and modern day readers would see this and reject Jesus for making such a shocking statement.
In Jewish culture, honoring your parents extended to ensuring they received a proper burial.
To neglect a burial would be seen as disrespectful and even shameful.
But let’s dig deeper here and see If there’s more to this moment.
Due to things like climate and cleanliness the custom for burials was immediate or within 24hrs.
Leaving a body unburied was a profound dishonor to the deceased and would have brought shame upon the family.
The preparation for the burial was also a family affair and would have been something this man would need to be present for.
Now there were cases where a person may have their burial delayed and that would have been if they died on a holy day or sabbath.
If this man’s father was indeed dead then he would not be wandering around where Jesus was because he’d be considered unclean from handling a dead body.
So the truth of the matter really is that:
The man’s father might have been ill or very old but it was highly unlikely that his father was actually dead.
Some scholars believe he may have been wanting to wait so he could receive the inheritance from his father after his death.
Some believe he may have felt bad for leaving his father at this stage in his life.
Whatever the case may be, this man responded with a lack of urgency and disobedience.
Jesus doesn’t just dismiss his excuse. He commands him to go proclaim the kingdom of God.
In this moment the would-be disciple is choosing his family over the God who created him and his family.
In other words He is choosing a temporal man over the eternal God-Man Jesus Christ.
After hearing this some of you may feel critical of this man’s excuse. but maybe some of you identify with him more than you realize.
there are three temptations we must be cautious about:
Living on the edge of discipleship, with a small commitment and minimal engagement in ministry, allows for a loose lifestyle. However, it never leads to true ministry or personal impact.
We might be tempted to delay our Christian responsibilities through exaggerated acts or ordinary situations.
We might be tempted to employ a good excuse to defer our service or devotion to someone else, avoiding the commitment of serving or following Christ.
Examples:
I would be willing to participate in this ministry event, but I have a so many things to catch up on at home.
my children have sporting events three times a week, and games on Sundays.
I would get involved but my family requires my attention at the moment, and I can’t make significant commitments.
Maybe I could sign up for another time. Ultimately, I will follow Christ or serve him when I can and if I can.
Once we work through those difficult situations, then we may start thinking about spirituality.
But here's the trap.., we often get sucked into spending time on things that aren't really important because we're so caught up in the present moment.
3. We are tempted to think our duty to our relations excuses us from our duty to Christ.
The kingdom of God and its righteousness must be our top priority.
It’s important that we do remember that Jesus did not teach people to forsake responsibilities to family.
Jesus understood the need to mourn our loved ones who have passed.
Jesus mourned John the Baptist.
But He often taught lessons or gave commands to people based on their real motives.
Remember, Jesus knows their hearts and what they're thinking and he’s speaking to them based on his knowledge of their motives.
So what can we take away from this exchange?
Cost: Immediate obedience to Christ over all else.
Commitment: Proclaiming The Kingdom Of God Cannot be postponed.
Application
Are you ready to stop making excuses:
Instead of hiding behind your family involve your family.
Instead of using time as an excuse, take a look at what’s consuming your time and prioritize knowing and sharing the gospel with the people you spend time with.
Don’t just use work as an excuse. You can allow your job to contribute to kingdom work or use it as an opportunity to disciple others through your work ethic, kindness, and Christ-centered servant’s heart.
Are you ready to push through the 2nd barrier of delayed obedience to Christ?
If so, we have one more barrier left..
3rd Point:
The 3rd Barrier To Following Christ Is Divided Loyalty.
61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The final would-be disciple desired to follow Jesus as long as he could quickly go and say goodbye to his friends and family and his current life.
We assume the would-be disciple was concerned about being gone too long to see his loved ones or about the dangers of following Christ and fearing death.
The great danger here is when we hear the Lord call us forward and we look back, we will inevitably fall into our previous life.
The devil can use our most beloved relationships to turn us away from following Christ.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Jesus sees that this man has his heart in two places and gives him a strong warning, giving the man, future readers, and anyone listening at the time a perfect image..
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The scratch plow was a delicate tool. It needed precise pressure on the handle and steady power to hold it straight, which was challenging because it could easily shift and damage the furrow.
The plower would look for a large rock or tree ahead of him and use that as his point of focus then he'd have his animal pull the plow as he carefully guided the animal and plow.
Short story about my time as an assistant sports director lining soccer fields.
So what can we take away from this final exchange?
Cost: We must repent of our divided heart and leave our past behind us
Commitment: We must have a single-minded devotion to Christ.
Application
Are you ready to stop looking back:
Stop fantasizing about the very things in your past that brought you down?
Stop looking back to Your old vices that left you in bondage?
Stop looking back and wishing you were where you used to be.
Set your eyes and mind on Christ.
Are you ready to push through the 3rd and final barrier of divided loyalty?
Conclusion!
Jesus leads us by example
Jesus left his comforts in heaven to walk the earth as a suffering servant
Jesus left his heavenly father and his earthly mother to proclaim the Kingdom of God
Jesus set his eyes on a fixed point… A cross in Jerusalem.
His mind was never divided on his mission.
Jesus came to us in the flesh to be our fixed point.
Jesus isn’t rejecting family, security, or comfort.
He’s teaching us that if we choose to accept the “Cost” & “Commitment” for following Him, He becomes our family, our security, and our comfort.
Final take away!
If anything could be considered a valid exception or postponement to Jesus’ call to discipleship, these three examples might appear to be, but divided loyalty never works.
That’s the danger and deception: no reason, no matter how compelling, can justify rejecting Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.
End
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