Counting the Cost
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Songs: You are My All in All/ My Jesus I Love Thee (F)
**TURN to LUKE 9**
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Recapping Sunday:
Recapping Sunday:
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
CALL to CONTEND for the FAITH… IN LIGHT of “CERTAIN PEOPLE” WHO CREPT INTO the CHURCH(ES)
DESIGNATED for CONDEMNATION
UNGODLY,, PERVERTED GRACE
DENIED MASTER/LORD, JESUS CHRIST.
Problem: PRACTICAL MORE THAN DOCTRINAL—DIDN’T SUBMIT to CHRIST’S LORDSHIP.…
Recap: COST of DISCIPLESHIP//FOLLOWING JESUS NOT EASY.
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Transition ➡ TONIGHT—LOOKING @ PASSAGE in GOSPEL of LUKE ABOUT the “COST of DISCIPLESHIP”
3 POTENTIAL DISCIPLES W/ GOOD INTENTIONS…
FIRST—WE’RE GOING to SET the STAGE…
READ: 9:51-56
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Pt. 1: Setting: Jesus Going to Jerusalem
Pt. 1: Setting: Jesus Going to Jerusalem
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.
53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
55 But he turned and rebuked them.
56 And they went on to another village.
Background: v51 = KEY… In LUKE’S GOSPEL— JESUS GOES to JERUSALEM 1 TIME…
NARRATIVE BUILDS to THIS POINT—NOW IT’S BUILDING TOWARDS JERUSALEM.
HIS TIME for “BEING TAKEN UP” —DEATH, RESURRECTION, & ASCENSION—WAS DRAWING NEAR.
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Exhort: JESUS SET HIS FACE to GO to JERUSALEM—KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN to HIM!!
Relate: HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD OPT to AVOID IT???
YET JESUS WAS RESOLUTE!!
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Comes to a village of the Samaritans.…
Comes to a village of the Samaritans.…
Background: SAMARITANS & JEWS WERE ENEMIES
**THEY DIDN’T RECEIVE HIM BECAUSE HIS FACE WAS SET TOWARDS JERUSALEM**
SAMARITANS HATED JEWS—HE WAS GOING to JERUSALEM NOT MT. GERIZIM…
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Transition ➡JESUS is ON HIS WAY to JERUSALEM…
ON the WAY.. HE BUMPS INTO SOME PEOPLE…
Read: v57
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Part 2: The Cost of Following Jesus (v57-62)
Part 2: The Cost of Following Jesus (v57-62)
Guy #1
Guy #1
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
MAN COMES to JESUS—LOOKING to FOLLOW HIM.
**MAN INITIATES ENCOUNTER**
MAKES a PRETTY BIG VOW! —(Q) WHERE is JESUS GOING NOW?? —JERUSALEM, to DIE...
PROMISES MADE ARE EASIER THAN PROMISES KEPT! — & HE KNOWS OUR HEARTS!!
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Transition ➡ WE’LL SEE WHAT JESUS SAYS…
READ: V58
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Jesus’s Response:
Jesus’s Response:
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.”
Jesus’s Reply: “REALLY? I DON’T HAVE a HOME” — ARE YOU READY for THAT KIND of LIFE??
FOXES
BIRDS
KING of GLORY—HAD NO HOME… NO POSSESSIONS… NOTHING to HIS NAME. HE WAS a STRANGER & FOREIGNER HERE…
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**Reminder: FOLLOWING JESUS WASN’T an IN-ROADS to A LIFE of LUXURY & PROSPERITY…
IT WAS to LEAD to A LIFE of SELF-DENIAL for the GOOD of OTHERS…
JESUS—THE KING—DIDN’T ENJOY the “PROSPERITY GOSPEL”
(Q) WHAT ELSE DOES the SCRIPTURE SAY of THIS MAN? —NOTHING.… PRESUMABLY HE DIDN’T FOLLOW…
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Transition ➡ WE’LL SEE ANOTHER MAN ALONG THIS ROAD…
READ: V59
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Guy #2
Guy #2
59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
**Difference: THIS TIME JESUS INVITES the MAN**
EVEN MORE, ISSUES a COMMAND: “FOLLOW ME.”
(Q) NOTICE the MAN’S RESPONSE…
“FIRST...” — an excuse.… LET ME BURY MY FATHER…
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Background: THE SIGNIFICANCE of BURYING the DEAD…
Background: THE SIGNIFICANCE of BURYING the DEAD…
HONORING FATHER & MOTHER = HUGE IMPORTANCE BIBLICALLY
J. Edwards: BURIAL WAS an “INVIOLABLE DUTY
Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Whole-Heartedness (9:57–62)
The duty of burial took precedence over the study of the law, the temple service, the killing of the Passover sacrifice, the observance of circumcision and the reading of the Megillah (Megillah 3b).
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Transition ➡ WE’LL SEE WHAT JESUS SAID to THIS POTENTIAL DISCIPLE...
READ: V60
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Jesus’s Response:
Jesus’s Response:
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.”
**Scholars debate: MAN’S FATHER DEAD, NEARLY DEAD, or STILL LIVING??
REGARDLESS: JESUS SAYS—THERE’S BETTER WORK to DO.
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SPIRITUALLY DEAD CAN BURY the DEAD—THOSE APART from HIM CAN WASTE TIME W/ TEMPORAL MATTERS…
**REMEMBER, a VERY SIGNIFICANT DUTY**
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Takeaway: FOLLOWING JESUS MUST BE PARAMOUNT.
POTENTIAL DISCIPLE SAYS: LET ME FIRST...
JESUS SAYS: NEVERMIND…
JESUS WASN’T LOOKING FOR DISCIPLES WITH COMPETING LOYALTIES…
INSTEAD: GO PROCLAIM the COMING KINGDOM
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Transition ➡ NOW WE’LL SEE a 3RD & FINAL CHARACTER SHOW UP…
READ: V61
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Guy #3
Guy #3
61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
(Q) Do you see what the third guy had in common with the second guy? Let me first...
ONCE MORE—WILLING to FOLLOW JESUS… WITH CONDITIONS.
GO & SAY GOODBYE??
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Transition ➡ once more… we’ll see Jesus’s response:
READ: V62
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Jesus’s Response:
Jesus’s Response:
62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
FOLLOWING JESUS = WHOLE NEW LIFE.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING BACK @ the OLD LIFE—YOU’RE NOT FIT FOR USE in the KINGDOM,, HE SAYS…
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Illustration: PRACTICALLY SPEAKING—PLOWING FIELDS YOU’D MAKE a MESS IF YOU DIDN’T WATCH WHERE YOU WERE GOING
**ALSO DRIVING**
EYES NEED to BE FIXED on WHERE YOU’RE GOING MORE THAN WHERE YOU’VE BEEN…
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.
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Transition ➡ THIS CALL to DISCIPLESHIP SURPASSES ELIJAH’S CALL of ELISHA in OT.…
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Elisha’s Call:
Elisha’s Call:
19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.
20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”
21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.
**(V21) GREATNESS of ELISHA’S DEVOTION—BURNING BRIDGES to HIS OLD LIFE...**
SACRIFICED OXEN
YOKE-FIRE
COMPLETE BREAK W/ FARMER ELISHA.
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Takeaway: THIS = NOT GOOD ENOUGH for JESUS.
DON’T EVEN GO BACK to the BRIDGE—JUST MOVE FORWARD.
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**THE EXTREME NATURE of the DISCIPLE’S COMMITMENT…
.… is a PARALLEL to the MASTER’S COMMITMENT to GO to JERUSALEM to DIE for SINS...
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Bringing it Home:
Bringing it Home:
Salvation is free...but following Jesus will cost us.
EARLIER in LUKE 9...JESUS FAMOUSLY TAUGHT:
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Salvation is more than escaping hellfire—
it’s a whole-life transformation
and whole-hearted pursuit of the King.
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**IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT HE CAN DO FOR US…
BUT WE CAN DO FOR HIM…
I’M HERE for HIM—NOT the OTHER WAY AROUND…
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**CHURCH… I WANT to BE FIT for HIS USE—HE CAN TELL ME WHATEVER HE WANTS...**
AS LORD—HE is FIRST—AND HE CAN DIRECT ME as SUCH
(Q) Look back briefly… at how guys #2-3 address Jesus.… Lord.
IN the SAME BREATH: “LORD” — AND… “LET ME FIRST...”
Quote, J. Edwards:
The Gospel according to Luke Jesus Sets His Face to Jerusalem, and the Disciples Set Fire to Samaria (9:51–62)
One cannot call Jesus Lord, as this disciple-aspirant does, and then impose limits on his lordship.
EDWARDS POINTS OUT: THESE THREE ENCOUNTERS ILLUSTRATE 3 PRIMARY AREAS of OBLIGATION:
PROPERTY (NOWHERE to LIE DOWN)
FAMILY (LEAVING DEAD FATHER)
WORK (PLOWING/FARMING)
JESUS SUPERCEDES ALL of THEM.
DEVOTION to HIM OUGHT to TRUMP EVERY OTHER LOVE.
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Conclusion:
Conclusion:
IF JESUS SET HIS FACE to GO to JERUSALEM— WE SHOULD BE ABLE to SET OUR FACE to SERVE & FOLLOW HIM—NO MATTER the COST.
Jesus was on mission to die, are we on mission to live?
JESUS SAYS “FOLLOW ME”
DO WE COME UP WITH EXCUSES?
OR SAY “YES, MASTER”
First Disciples—LEFT EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY. DROPPING THEIR NETS.
WHAT ABOUT US?
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! Closing Thoughts/ Questions? !
!! Close in Prayer !!
