The Faithfulness of the Church
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If you would this morning, take your copy of God’s word and turn to Luke 14:25. And when you have found that passage look up here.
Years ago in Kentucky a man walked into a Dairy Queen, placed his order and then paid for it with a $200 bill. The cashier gave him $198 in change and he drove away. Some time later in the day I guess the manager noticed that something didn’t seem right about this $200 bill, maybe because it had a picture of then-president George Bush on one side. Or maybe it is because there is no such thing as a $200 bill in US Currency.
As you probably know, real U.S. currency has a number of features designed to make it harder to counterfeit.
(TAKE OUT A $20 Bill to illustrate)
In the same way that we can be fooled by counterfeit money, we are also in danger of counterfeit churches as well. To be more specific, we are in danger of having a counterfeit faith, of believing in a fake Christianity. We are in danger of worshiping a plastic Jesus.
So what do we mean by “plastic Jesus?” What exactly is a counterfeit faith? Where does this fake Christianity come from and how do we recognize it? More importantly, how do we make sure we don’t fall for it?
The answer to all those questions is this, now the true Jesus and the true words that He spoke.
Now today, we are talking about “The Faithfulness Of The Church”. We are talking about discipleship.
Discipleship has to do with the faithfulness to follow Christ. So lets take a closer look at Luke 14:25-33. Here we are going to see what Jesus really said about what it takes to be a true disciple/faithful follower of Christ.
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
I. THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP v.26
Jesus doesn’t make it easy. Jesus doesn’t coat it over with ideas of success or ideas of what He would do for you. Or ideas of what He will do for your self esteem. He doesn’t coat it over in order to get you to follow Him. Jesus was not concerned about having a large crowd. If He was, He wouldn’t have preached this sermon.
Now I want you to notice as we talk bout the faithfulness of the church, the call to
discipleship. He is saying here as He calls to discipleship count the cost. Salvation is free. It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast, but in salvation we accept Christ as Savior and we confess Him as Lord. When He comes into our life, He comes to be Lord of all. He can’t come in to be Lord of some things and not Lord of other things. He comes in to be Lord of all, of every area of our life. So as much as we know of His lordship, we commit to Him when we accept Him as Savior and Lord.
Now I want you to notice that Jesus challenges the crowd to think carefully about the radical call to come unto him, (14:25–35). Jesus invites all to follow him (cf. vv. 15–24). Yet, following him is not easy but requires ruthless self-denial. The call to hate one’s family members is startling (v. 26).
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Obviously, Jesus is not speaking of “psychological hatred” (cf. 6:27–28).
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 14
Jesus is using hyperbole—a figure of speech that relies on exaggeration to make a point.
Some common examples of hyperbole's today are:
“I am so hungry I could eat a horse.” but of course you do not really mean eating a horse. It is just a representation of how hungry you are. With that, you can tell that hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration to emphasize real situations.
Here are other example is...
I have not seen you in ages
I have a million things to do
If I can’t buy that dress, I will die!
My wife has a Million pairs of shoes
I ate a ton of food for dinner
The sermon this morning was never-ending
The point Jesus is making here is that He is not to take second place in your life. But Jesus is to be Number 1 in your life, and that means not just in one area of your life but in ALL areas of your life.
II. THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP v.27
Now notice secondly not only the call to discipleship, but the cost of discipleship. Let look again at v.27
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Notice in this verse what Jesus is saying, if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
The radical demands placed upon a true disciple of Jesus is further stressed in this verse.
People in Jesus’ day knew what it meant to "take up" a cross. They saw scores of criminals bearing the cross to the place where they were to be executed, and they witnessed scores of crucifixions, some even by the side of the roads that led in and out of the cities they knew what it implied: in effect, Jesus’ disciples were asked to consider themselves already dead.
This was the ultimate in self-denial. On an earlier occasion, Jesus had spoken of self-denial in the context of taking up the costly challenge of discipleship on a daily, ongoing basis (9:23).
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
One must renounce “even his own life” and be willing to follow Jesus in the way of death (vv. 26–27). Those who are not willing to follow Jesus in such a radical way cannot be his disciples.
This passage (Luke 14:28-ff) further develops the theme of the cost of discipleship by introducing two striking parables: the tower builder (14:28–30) and the warring king (14:31–33)
The Two illustrations that Jesus gives are given to show the need for counting the cost before embarking on the road to discipleship.
Someone building a tower (vv. 28–30) would surely calculate the cost of the project before starting.
A half-finished building would be the object of ridicule.
So too, no king would plan to wage war against an enemy without considering beforehand the possibilities of victory (vv. 31–32).
The application from the two illustrations is shown in verse 33. Which leads to our final point.
III. THE COMMITMENT TO DISCIPLESHIP v.33
Lastly there is the commitment for discipleship.
Before one embarks on the road to discipleship one needs to recognize from the beginning that Jesus demands total and complete commitment. Only those who have such a radical commitment can be Jesus’ disciples…Look again at Luke 14:33.
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
The word forsake can be translated - to renounce:—bid farewell, forsake, take leave, send away.
Jesus sees an abundance of possessions as a hindrance to faith. He instructs His followers to rid themselves of anything that prevents a total commitment to God’s kingdom (see note on Matt 19:21).
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Jesus sees the young man’s attachment to his possessions as a hindrance to faith. He commands the man to rid himself of whatever prevents him from making a total commitment to the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus’ instructions suggest that the man has not truly kept the commandments, beginning with the first one—the command to have no other gods except Yahweh (Exod 20:3). The man’s wealth is his god, and he is unwilling to part with it.
The same can be true in your finances, your relationships, your life passions, and pursuits.
George Beverly Shea, (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) he was 104 when he passed away, as a young man, he was offered the opportunity to be an opera singer. He was offered wealth and fame. And he was considering his options. He also felt the call of God on his life to the gospel ministry. And as he weighed his options he visited with his mother about it. He prayed about it. And he sat down at the piano and he wrote those words that now are immortal words.
And almost every Christian in the world has heard those words – “I Would Rather Have Jesus Than Anything This World Affords Today”.
And of course, the name of George Beverly Shea, the beloved singer who was apart of the Billy Graham team was known around the world. But he didn’t know that he would be known around the world when he made that commitment to Jesus Christ.
Let us Pray
Jesus said, if you want to be my disciple your love for me compared to your love for others and other things should look like hate. Because if it doesn't your can not be my disciple.
Jesus said, if you don't bear your cross of self denial and come after Him you can not be His disciple.
Jesus said, to count the cost of discipleship
Jesus said, if you don't forsake ALL you can not be His disciple.
I don't know about you, but I would rather have Jesus than anything else, this old world affords today.