The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35

I.       Jesus has the ability to draw a crowd (v.25)

A.   In the crowd it is hard to tell who is with you

B.   In the crowd it is hard to tell who is against you. Often times we must trust in God when we find ourselves stuck in the middle of the crowd

C.   Jesus often found himself stuck in the middle of a crowd. Mainly, because of the many needs that He met for so many people

D.   It is in the crowd or multitudes where we find potential disciples. Jesus turns to address the crowd as He gives them some terms of discipleship.

II.    When we start to follow Jesus, it costs us something to be a disciple (v. 26)

A.   You must “hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life” Hate means to love less. We love Him more and more each day. And we realize that nothing can separate us from the love of God

B.   “Bear his cross” means to deny your own selfish wants and desires while desiring the will of God for your life. This comes with accepting Jesus as Lord of your life. We must learn everyday, how to give our selves over to God. There is a part in the movie “The Passion” where Jesus picks up His cross and it seems as though He is grinning. One of the by standers in the crowd wanted to know “What kind of man is this that would caress His instrument of death” the way Jesus did. One that knew that if He be lifted up He would draw all men to Him. He knew that if they tore His temple down that he would be raised again on that glorious third day or maybe He knew that He was still in His Father’s will and that meant being faithful even until death upon a cross.

C.   “Come after me” in terms of discipleship means to free our minds of fables and old wives tales. So many people come through our church doors with many preconceived ideas of what God wants for them and how they should govern their lives. People are taken in by cult leaders because they hungry to believe in something, but are taken advantage of by false teachers. Jesus says to us all, “come after me.” Follow me. Do those things that you see me blessing and stay away from those things that I have cursed or forbidden you to do. Surely we are free to be and do as we please, but as a good friend pointed out to me that “it will still cost somebody, somewhere, something.”

D.   Luke records in 9:57-62, “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."

III.  Counting the cost of disciple (v. 28-30)

A.   Requires us to take a mental inventory of what we have to see if it is sufficient enough to finish the job. We should not start things that we cannot finish. But I like what the Word of God says, when I read that “He will finish the good work that He has started in me.”

B.   Requires us to a physical inventory of what God has blessed us with and to use it to the glory of God. Disciples must live in constant readiness to put there means at the disposal of the Lord’s end. That Psalm 24 that was read for us this morning begins with “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.” It all belongs to God but we are called to be good stewards over what He entrusted into our care. (v. 33)

IV.            We are the salt of the earth. (v. 34-35)

A.   "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. Salt is excellent, but if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing.” "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" The Message

B.   Jesus said in Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." ESV

C.   Disciples who do not act like disciples are worthless.

D.   We must remain faithful and persevere until the end.

E.   We must never lose our flavor. We must remain useable by God.