Luke 9:57-62
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 142 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The barriers to becoming a true Follower Jesus.
The barriers to becoming a true Follower Jesus.
Luke 9:57-52
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, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Intro:
In this message we see three potential followers. The subject is following Jesus. The first man says “I will follow”, to the second man Jesus says “follow me” the third man says “I will follow”
“I will follow” To go in the same direction. It’s all about following Jesus. But is more then just walking behind Him. It is going in the same direction, but there is more to then that. It is walking along side of Jesus. If we get to far behind we can have problems.
This happened to Peter. Elab on what Peter had told Jesus.
54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.
Mark
It’s the high cost of following Jesus that hinders people from following Jesus. He calls and then it is your choice.
Jesus many times called men to follow him. He called Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He called Philip, he called Matthew. At some point and time he called all the 12. He called the rich young ruler to follow him,but he didn’t want to give up all his stuff. He called others to follow him.
And always when he did he used the same Greek word, akoloutheo. It is an ongoing command. It implies a future; it implies something continuous, something from beyond the moment. This word for follows implies; Keep on following me. You might say, “from now on in your life follow me”
For many today it’s a matter of a moment not a life time. It’s an emotional experience led by some fiery preaching, or heart rendering story or music.
Some use whatever it takes to get someone to have some kind of an emotional breakdown where they pray a prayer make a decision to accept Christ. Elab
Bow your head and pray this prayer with me and everything will be ok. It becomes something of the emotion of the moment.
That is not what Jesus did. He didn’t want people just for the moment. When Jesus asked someone to come to his kingdom, when Jesus invited someone to receive his forgiveness and salvation, He asked that person for the rest of their life.
He didn’t want the emotion of a moment. He wants a carefully thought out understood commitment of a life time. Repentance of sin, confession that Jesus is Lord. And there is always an emphasis in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus didn’t want short term followers. He wanted followers that were in it for the long haul, and he didn’t make it easy. Many would walk away because the standard was too high.
In this text we see three illustrations of following Christ. The word follow appears in each one. Two men would come to Jesus to say they wanted to follow him. The other Jesus would call him to follow. He will be asking them for their full devotion, a calling that is permanent following. Not just an event but for the rest of their lives.
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
VS 23 “let him deny” To disown. You give your life to Jesus. You give up your own interest, to give up self. Paul called himself a servant “slave”
“Cross” In our day a cross is something we see on steeple or wall or on a necklace. In Jesus day it was that a much different meaning it was an instrument of torture. So Jesus is letting them know that Following Him would not easy task.
So being a Christian is more than just asking Jesus to save you. It is giving your life to him that is what being a follower of Jesus is about.
VS 51 heading to Jerusalem.
I. The First Potential Follower.
I. The First Potential Follower.
VS 57-58
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
Luke 9:57
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
Luke 9:57
1. The book of Mat tells us that this man was a scribe.
1. The book of Mat tells us that this man was a scribe.
a. Scribes were experts in the Jewish law. They were religious lawyers that were highly educated and loyal to the Jewish system. They were generally hostile to Jesus. They joined the Pharisees and the Chief priests to kill Jesus.
b. He had been a part of the crowd that had experienced great miracles. The excitement grabbed his attention, and he said I will follow you wherever you go.
c. Someone may go to retreat, seminar, revival service they get fired up ready to serve Jesus. Then it last about a week and the flame goes out. Why? It was the emotion of the moment too many times people act out on an impulse. (Seed falls on stony ground)
c. Someone may go to retreat, seminar, revival service they get fired up ready to serve Jesus. Then it last about a week and the flame goes out. Why? It was the emotion of the moment too many times people act out on an impulse. (Seed falls on stony ground)
2. This man seemed to be an impulsive man. He had heard the words of Jesus, the seed was sown. He acted out on his emotions.
a. He said I will follow. Jesus didn’t say pray this prayer with me. Jesus didn’t say thank you, welcome abroad. Jesus didn’t seem to be overly impressed with the enthusiasm of this man.
b. This man may have been sincere in his desire but he has yet counted the coast.
c. When someone wants to do work in the ministry of the church today they are usually put to work before they count the cost, or in most cases not even told the cost.
d. Jesus knows our hearts, he knows our intentions. He knew that’s this scribe had not counted the, so Jesus lays all out for him.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
1. Foxes and birds. Even a sly fox and a pesky bird have a place to call home.
a. Jesus didn’t own anything other than the clothes on his back. He didn’t own a home; he knew this man had a desire for the comforts of home, personal comfort.
b. Why did Jesus make an issue out of this? Because it was an issue with the man’s heart. There was no Self-denial. “If any man come after me let him deny himself”
c. For many people it’s what’s in it for me? That is the wrong way to proclaim the gospel, that the wrong way to be a follower of Jesus, it’s not about self-satisfaction, it’s about self-denial.
d. It’s about what can I do for Jesus.
II. The Second Potential Follower
II. The Second Potential Follower
VS 59-60
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”
1. Now we come to a man that Jesus calls out too. “Follow me”
a. Why did Jesus single this man out? Jesus knows your thoughts. Maybe he’s thinking saying I’ll follow you. Whatever the case Jesus turns to him and says “follow me”
b By the way. Jesus is still in the business of calling people to follow him.
2. This man to had good intentions but he had other priorities.
“But he said, Lord, suffer (allow) first to go bury my father”
a. According to Jewish custom, burial took place immediately after death. They didn’t embalm they just wrapped the body and put it immediately in the grave. So it would have been appropriate for the son to be there. It would have been his responsibly to make sure his father body was cared for.
b. In middle-Eastern statement “I must bury my father” meant I must stay home until he is gone. It had a lot to do an inheritance that they would get.
c. Look the answer Jesus gives him.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:
60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
“Let the dead bury the dead”
1. That may seem like harsh thing to say to someone. Remember it’s all about putting Jesus first.
a. Go back to what the man said to Jesus. “Suffer me first” to go bury my father”
b. There, fully exposed, is the fallacy of his offer and the reason that the Lord was so blunt with him.
with him.
c. You cannot say “me first” and be a follower of Jesus. It is an effective denial of Lordship of Christ.
d. What Jesus said in effect to both the scribe and other man was “me first”
e. Jesus knew this man’s heart. He may have wanted to follow Jesus but he wanted to wait. His priorities were all wrong.
d. What Jesus said in effect to both the scribe and other man was “me first”
e. Jesus knew this man’s heart. He may have wanted to follow Jesus but he wanted to wait. His priorities were all wrong.
“but go thou and preach the kingdom of God”
f. Jesus simply told him to go preach the gospel. Elab
III. The Third potential Follower. VS 61-62
III. The Third potential Follower. VS 61-62
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”
1. Another man with good intentions “I will follow you” (he had heard the others) He may have been thinking, “I don’t have to wait for my father to die, but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house”
a. Greek word: Farewell To set apart, to take leave.
b. It was more than just going home and saying bye. It was a farewell party. He wanted time to go home have a party and raise support for his ministry venture.
c. He wanted to follow Jesus but he had other priorities. VS 51
d. Time for the life of Jesus was coming to an end he didn’t have time to wait on this man. If he was going to follow Jesus had to leave his family and follow Jesus. Jesus first.
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14
1. This is a verse that blows people away. If Jesus tells us to love our neighbor, why would he tell us to hate our family?
a. We need to look at the word hate here.
Greek: Miseo. To love less, to detest.
26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters—[yes] and even his own life also—he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14
To love someone or something more then you love someone or something else. To favor one over another.
33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:
1. The issue in this verse is salvation, the coming into the kingdom.
a. Jesus is simply saying. “If you are holding back anything, you can’t come in”
b. Salvation is for those who have come to complete self-denial.
c. The Lord may take away all your comforts; he may take away your possessions. There is no negotiating. The gospel of Jesus Christ is so great that if he asks, I’ll give it up.
d. Jesus gave his all. Elab.
Conl: Are you a follower of Jesus? What are you willing to give up to do more Jesus?