The Cost of Following Jesus

1. Down to your last penny?

a. Have you ever been almost out of money but there was still 3 or 4 days until your get paid again. You’re not sure you going to make.

2. You Go to the Store-

a. You take out your calculator and you add up everything you put into the cart. You get the most important items first.

3. You are counting the cost. Do you have enough money to buy the items you need?

A. Count the Cost of to Follow Jesus

1. There is going to a cost to following Jesus. In almost anything we do there is going to be a cost.

a. Money

b. Friendships

c. Time

d. There is always going to be a cost.

2. The first person comes to Jesus and says, I will follow you.

a. Jesus basically tells him, “I am going to be homeless and if you follow me you are going to be homeless. Do you want that?”

b. The second person says, “I will follow you but let me go bury my dead relative.

i. Now this seems reasonable.

ii. When I read this, and you may disagree with me, but when I read this I hear Jesus tells the follower, “You can follow me. One thing though there are no “buts”. You can say, “Jesus I want to follow you but first let me do this or that or the other.” Jesus is saying, “You want to follow me? It means no excuses.

B. Count the Cost of not Following Jesus

1. What does it cost you to not follow Jesus.

a. Let me tell you some things it won’t cost you.

i. You won’t have to get up early to go to church on Sunday.

ii. You don’t have to worry about someone harassing you because you follow Jesus

iii. You can do anything you want. There are no rules.

b. What will it cost you not to follow Jesus.

i. A relationship with Jesus

ii. A relationship with brothers and sisters in the church

iii. No Heaven

iv. If you choose not to follow Jesus you can look forward to an eternity in Hell.

C. How do I know it will be worth following Jesus?

a. Paul- Listen to Philippians 3

i. Paul considered everything he had in this life to be rubbish, trash, actually the Greek would allow for the translation of dung. When compared to knowing Christ.

ii. Do You consider everything that you have dung when you compared to knowing Christ? When you compare it to eternity in heaven?l

iii. Following Jesus is not something we do when it is convenient. No follow Jesus has to be our number one priority if life. I want to encourage you today to count the cost and then follow Jesus.