"Counting the Cost to be a Disciple"

“Counting the Cost to Disciples”

Introduction:

- Introduce who you are

- Welcome everyone to MCC - It is a privilege and honor to preach Gods word tonight

- Before we recap quickly about last week’s sermon on the points and Vision for MCC

But before I begin, I want to quickly recap on last week’s sermon

Pastor Aaron talked kicked is off with our sermon series on our “Vision, Mission, and Values”

And briefly talked about “Why Mosaic City Church?” - What is is our vision as a church?

With that being said, I want to remind us our vision for MCC that is going to lead us into tonight message:

Our vision for Mosaic City Church is: - “To Glorify God by making Disciples of all people through Gospel-Centered Worship, Community, and Mission”

I want to remind ourselves of our vision and goal for Mosaic City Church - “To Glorify God by making Disciples of all people through Gospel-Centered Worship, Community, and Mission”

So therefore, we want to be the church that God in scripture commands us to be faithfully

Where we center our lives on the Gospel and to be on mission together!

That when people hear and see Mosaic City Church- they see a church that is on fire for Jesus

They see a church that wants to live radically on mission- pointing people to Jesus Christ and to making disciples who to grow in their faith!

Pastor Aaron talked about 4 commands that we would want to see in our story and to be remembered as which is:

1. “We want to be a church that demonstrates faith in Christ”

2. “We want to be a church that loves one another”

3. “We want to be a church who’s hope is in the Gospel”

4. “We want to be a church who engages others with the Gospel”

Therefore, for tonight’s message- we will center our focus on our mission as a church:

Therefore, in order to live these 4 commands out and to be a church that glorifies God by making disciples through all people and to faithfully live out our vision

We must first remind ourselves that our vision leads to mission!

And a huge key part of our mission as a church is to make disciples of all people:

Therefore, we must understand two important factors:

1. What is a true disciple is?

2. Counting the cost to follow Jesus

To be fishermen as Jesus told His disciples as they left everything behind to follow Him- which is going to be the center focus of tonights message

We must see the very essence and Glorious truth of not only having the privilege and honor to be a disciple, to be a servant of Christ, but also :

Understanding what it takes to “Count the cost” to truly follow Jesus!- To be fishers of men that want to multiply more disciples for Gods Kingdom!

Problem:

Making disciples is not option, it is a command by God, but it is a joyful command where we can see the final piece of what God is doing in ones life!

One of the many problems when it comes to making “disciple” for many Christians today is not fully understanding what being a disciple is and not knowing how to make disciples

Also, many people are not willing to do what it takes to live on mission or even willing to take the sacrifice to become a disciple themselves!

So tonight

Rather, many hope they can maybe get a little bit of Jesus on a Sunday, but lose their life to the things of the world M-Sat.

But we as a church want every person that comes to MCC and walks through this door to truly know what it means to not only be a true disciple themselves

and to live on mission together pointing people to our Lord and Savior as He commands us to!

So tonight through Gods word, my hope is that we can clarify truly what a disciple is and what it takes to be a disciple of Jesus

Which will help lead us into our mission for MCC:

So regardless if you have been going to church for years or if you are new in the Christian faith, or just experiencing Christianity…

My desire and prayer tonight through Gods word that He would light a flame in your hearts:

To not only be a disciple of Christ Jesus

That if our mission is to be a church that wants to make disciples through all people through Gospel-Centered community, worship, and mission here at Mosaic and to live out the 4 commands as a church that Aaron highlighted:

But:

To also desire to want multiply more disciples

Most importantly- I want everyone to be thinking about this very question to examine our own hearts of where we are at tonight:

That it is going to cost us us much to sacrifice follow Jesus, but it is going to be worth it at the end for Gods Kingdom and that He will get all the praise!

“Am I a true disciple of Jesus myself?”

Therefore- our main focus on tonights message is to talk about our mission as a church

But to emphasis more on how we want to accomplish that mission together as a church family!

And what we want to be known as for MCC:

“What” Why” “How”and the “Cost” of following Jesus Christ is so worth losing it all for His sake!

I am going to have 3-4 points tonight that are going to walk us through text which will be on the screen:

So if you have a bible- we are going to be in

So if you have a bible- we are going to be in

As Aaron said last week- we encourage to always bring your bibles every Sunday so you do always need to rely on the screens

But if you do not have your bible, you can follow along on the screen behind us

HISTORY AND CONTEXT:

Luke who is known as the physician, was Apostle Paul’s companion during his missionary journeys

It is said that Luke wrote this letter from Rome during the time of Pauls imprisonment around (60-62 A.D.)

Which was about 30 or more years after Jesus death and resurrection

And it said that Lukes letter was a follow up volume of work from the book of Acts

His audience was focused on the Greek world and upper - class of Rome who needed confirmation in their faith and argued to defend it

His main purpose was to highlight Jesus’s identity and mission as the suffering servant that was prophesied by Isiah 4:17 in the Old Testament

Lukes main purpose was to make clear that Jesus himself is the only one who can offer salvation through his death, burial, and resurrection for all sinners (His elect who names was writeen in His book of life before the beginning of time)-

And willing to give up whatever it takes for His sake to further the Gospel and empower others

That most importantly - the one who would follow Jesus should be willing to give up whatever it takes for His sake to further the Gospel and empower others to proclaim this good news to the world

BACKGROUND:

Therefore, what we are going to see here specifically in in is that Jesus himself emphasizing what the cost will be in following Him”

He is reminding His disciples that it is going to take suffering to follow Him and that they must be ready to count the cost

So through verses 23-27 tonight, I am going to have 3 points that is going to not only help walk through the text

But also to remind us most importantly:

- How we want to go about our mission as a church to glorify God through makinng disciples through all people

Which you can follow along on the screen:

I am going to also have 3-4 points tonight that are going to help walk us through text which and meaning

READ THE TEXT:

Which you can follow along on the screen

:

“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. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his [b]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. 27 But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Verses 23:

In verses 23, Jesus starts off by using a metaphor to His audience which was the disciples themselves, that in order to follow Christ:

One must be willing to deny themselves!

- One must be willing to deny themselves!

- One must be willing to deny themselves

That the very cross Jesus suffered on the behalf of our wicked sins, those who want to follow Him must be willing suffer also

Even if it means martyrdom, persecution for your faith in Him

This mandates a rejection of ones life, self-interest, and pride full of self-fulfillment!

This mandates a rejection of ones life, self-interest, and pride full of self-fulfillment!

It means if it that takes one to hate their own lives for His sake to follow Him

A true disciple of Jesus is the one who seeks to fulfill, to obey, and to love Gods commands more then their ways!

Jesus does not say “Love me on Sunday, but love yourself and the sins of the world M-Sat”

Verses 23 - But rather, Jesus himself commands that in order to be worthy of following Him: It must be continual and daily process of sanctification to become more like Him

It is either you are all in or not ! - There is no half Jesus/half the world!

We need to see that Jesus shows His disciples the very nature and callous heart of a man in this verse!

Because He is speaking directly to the disciples and He knows many will reject Him

That we also today can have a heart who would quickly reject God when its comes to ones own self-interest due to our sinfulness that reigns tempts us daily

That a person may claim to be a disciple and says they follow God, but when it comes to the sins of the world

You and I can be just like Judas in where Judas claims to follow Christ

But betrays Him over 30 pieces of silver to give Him up to the Chief priest!

Therefore, we must always revaluate our own hearts daily to ask- Are we being true disciples ourselves?

Because we can not make disciples if we are not discipling our own hearts through Gods word and other Christians around us!

We are tempted to fall short- but we must be willing deny and surrender ourselves for Jesus to take over our lives!

Therefore, if we are going to be a church that is on a mission to Glorify God to make Disciples through living a Gospel-Centered life....

(PAUSE)

Jesus then continues and says- “Take up your cross and follow me”

What he means is that following Him is a call of commitment until death!

There needs to be a willingness to suffer as He did- even if that means martyrdom and persecution of our own faith

Therefore, if we are going to be a church that is on a mission to Glorify God to make Disciples through living a Gospel-Centered life....

We must be ready to count the cost!

Part of living a “Gospel-Centered” life is to surrender everything to Jesus!

To take up your cross means to suffer like Him!

So for those here tonight who’s true identity are in Christ- God has called his people to represent him:

On earth

To trust Him and His ways in every circumstance in our lives

To obey His commands because His ways are better

And to be transformed into His personal character to be more like Him!

The point of being a disciple and making disciples is not claim you are a believer of God and come to church on Sunday to consume...

The point of being a disciple and to make disciples is to follow Jesus with your life- That your identity is no longer part of this world

It is to enter in this personal and intimentiment

It is to teach others to follow you as you follow Christ in obedience!

It is to point people to Jesus to become more like His Son- so they can multiply more disciples

And lastly- It is so God can be glorified and get all of praise!

Apostle Paul said in in - “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ”

So when people come to MCC, they do not see Pastor A

So what does that mean for us today?

We need to understand that God has placed Mosaic City Church in a place and location that is surrounded with “all people”- What I mean by that is:

We are surrounded by different cultures from all over the world that surrounds this place right outside our doors

We have people with different religions, beliefs, and backgrounds

And God did not plant this church here on accident, even if its for a temporary season!

To make disciples through denying ourselves, our time, and be willing to sacrifice it all to point people to Him who is truth!

Therefore, when Jesus says in - “Make disciples of all nations”

In order to make disciples, we must deny ourselves, our time, and be willing to sacrifice it all!

He means exactly where God has placed us!- Mosaic, our work, neighbors, coffee shop, family members, our friends, and more....

From our works, homes, and wherever God has placed you...

That those who are true disciples are Christ have mandate and obligation to love others, to multiply, and to share the Gospel!

That when people come to Mosaic City Church, they do not see Pastor Aaron for his sermons or see me, and they do not even see you!

No, they see Christ Jesus in us and they see servants who are willing to deny themselves for others to make disciples!

So if that means giving up our time and resources to meet a person for coffee over and over again to point them back to the Gospel- so be it!

Or getting a phone call 4 in morning because a friend is reaching out for prayer because their marriage is falling apart- be there!

If that means reminding your volunteers of why they serve every week for this church which is Jesus , even when it gets redundant and hard- be that disciple!

You get the point

Lay down your life- Deny yourself- and be ready to count the cost to follow Him!

Or if that

How you take up your cross and follow Christ as an example to others who follow you- will most likely be how they follow Him also!

Therefore, as we think of our mission as church and our story for MCC- This leads to my first point:

We want to be a church on mission that is willing to deny ourselves to make disciples of all people

Pastor/Author Mark Dever who pastors at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in D.C says this about discipling and I quote:

“ Discipling is inviting them to imitate you, making your trust in Christ an example to be followed. It requires you to be willing to be watched, and then folding people into your life so that they actually do watch.”

Brothers and sisters- How you take up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Christ as an example to others who follow you- will most likely be how they follow Him also!

(PAUSE)

Verses 24-25:

Jesus continues in verses 24-25 and says:

“ For whoever wants to save their lives will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is it a man profited, if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?”

So what is happening here in verse 24-25:

Jesus is telling His disciples that the one who seeks to preserve ones’s life will result in its loss

But the one who gives their life up for His sake will lead to it being saved eternally!

But whoever wants to save their own life for by forfeiting it for the world- the things the world- sins of the world- will lose it!

- Not only to become a disciple of Him, but to also make disciples and multiply to follow Jesus

This very command by God for many of you who have been attending church forever may not be new to you and may think of it as being “redundant”

That as a Christians, you may have heard this command and mission growing up in the church

Because to be honest, it should be every church mission to make disciples

And for many of you who may be a new Christian and are still trying to figure out what it means to follow Jesus- this command by God may be new to you

And I want to say we are glad you are here!

But what I want to really focus on tonight for our mission for MCC is truly understanding ew