Count The Cost and Burn The Plow
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We all desire to live a life full of purpose and meaning. We all desire a life that matters.
Last week we discussed, how Jesus calls us into that very kind of Life – A life of discipleship.
However, choosing a life of discipleship is hard – sacrificing – pick up your cross and follow.
Often people quit – settle for being a Church goer rather than a disciple.
Others because of the sacrifice choose to quit Jesus all together.
I believe God is calling this church – You and me to move from church attendance and into a discipleship and disciple making.
In other words, he is calling us into a life of purpose and meaning
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But that life also calls for self-sacrifice.
It is a life that calls us to give up authority of our own life – And to bow our lives to Jesus as King!
Will we choose to be our own ruler and settle for the normal life?
The pain of self-denial – humility – loving others more than self – real forgiveness – long suffering will test our commitment to Jesus as King.
Will we choose to be our own ruler and settle for the normal life?
Or will we choose to bow our whole life to Jesus and live in purpose and meaning>
The Spirit of God gave us as a church a simple phrase for the year!
Don’t Quit.
Don’t Quit.
Strike your arrows and keep striking until the last arrow breaks.
Strike your arrows and keep striking until the last arrow breaks.
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Today I want to talk with you about the first two steps of Choosing the Life of Discipleship!
Today I want to talk with you about the first two steps of Choosing the Life of Discipleship!
Let me remind you what discipleship to Jesus is.
· A disciple believes was Jesus believed – Transformed mind
· Lives as Jesus lived – Transformed life
· Loved as Jesus loved – Transformed heart
· Ministers as Jesus ministered – Transformed service
· Leads as Jesus led – Transformed influence
· Disciples others as Jesus discipled -Transformed relationships
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There are two initial steps to choosing the call of discipleship to Jesus.
So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”
Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”
So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
The First Step To Being A Disciple of Jesus is
COUNT THE COST
COUNT THE COST
Elijah is passing the prophetic mantel to Elisha.
The Glory of the Mantel -
Speak to kings, set kings in power, remove kings, speak to the nation on behalf of God
But this mantel also comes with great cost!
No king wants to be told they have lost the approval of God and will be removed.
People of power do not want to be told they are in sin and must repent.
No one likes it when we are confronted with our evil in plain view.
No one wants to be told their national religion is not the worship of the true God.
Elijah has been on the run – hiding in a cave in fear of his life
King Ahab and his wife Jezebel want his head!
He is an outcast / The nation has a love hate relationship with the prophets.
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When Elijah places the mantel on the shoulders of Elisha he commands him to
GO BACK AND THINK ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE!
COUNT THE COST!
COUNT THE COST!
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Jesus like Elijah demands that we too count the cost before we enter the life of Discipleship.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “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. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a 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.’
Luke 14:
A disciple of Jesus is choosing a life of purpose and meaning.
lUKE 14:25
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “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. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a 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 out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
A disciple of Jesus is choosing a life of purpose and meaning.
They are choosing the Life that builds the influence of the Kingdom of God in the heart of people.
A disciple is choosing the only way that can bring transformation to this world.
A disciple is choosing to go into war with the weapons of humility and love.
But they are also choosing the life that:
Loves their enemy as much as their own life.
A life that forgives before it ever takes offense
A life that will be seen as foolish to the world
A life that will cause those you love to be uncomfortable around you.
A life that will cause the powers and principalities to take aim at you through those you love.
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Have you counted the cost?
My family that I was nuts -
I lost friends
Dad never understood why I gave up pursuing a professional baseball career.
I chose a profession that is not respected today
My mother thought I was misguided for not seeking a large church with large attendance.
It is very difficult for me to have close friendships.
Count the Cost!
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The second step
BURN THE PLOW
BURN THE PLOW
Elisha knew he would be tempted to return to the old life when times got hard.
His solution was to burn the bridge back to his old life.
Burn the Plow
We are all tempted to hold onto something, just in case this following Jesus thing does not work out.
I am reminded of a story of a young man who was unwilling to let go and burn the plow.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
What are you still holding on to that you need to burn?
What are you still holding on to that you need to burn?
· Relationship
· Job
· Money
· Dream
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For me I have always struggled with the desire of being important.
When I first came to this church, it was difficult to me.
I wanted to be important on a big stage.
I received a couple opportunities at much larger churches, but God would not let me walk away.
3 years ago, I fell in love with rural ministry – burned the plow of my dream – chose to be here.
1 month ago, I was offered my dream job.
Plant a church with unlimited resources, a few hundred people to start with, work with a mentor of mine, and Callie would be helped to start a free clinic.
Two weeks later, I called the friend back and said sorry but no.
Do you know why?
I saw Jacob, Jordan, Jeremey, Todd, Allandis, and Kayla in my mind.
I saw the people God had called me to.
I could chase fame and my desire to feel important or I could live a life of purpose.
Once we count the cost we have to burn the plow!
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As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 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.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
What is holding you back from choosing the life of Discipleship?
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Family ties?
Worship team up
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Count the cost
Count the cost
Burn the Plow
Burn the Plow
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God has called each of you to never quit
Never stop striking your arrow until the last one breaks
But before you can enter a life of purpose/ discipleship
You need to count the cost
You need to burn the plow.
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Over the next week I would ask that you seek God in prayer and meditation.
What does his call of discipleship mean in your life?
What does it look like?
What will you have to give up to go all in?
Before you burn the plow make sure you have counted the cost!