Following Jesus - Counting the Cost

The problem. Accelerated disruption in our culture has highlighted our weak discipleship. Too many were willing to “pay up” to be in the church but didn’t understand the true cost.

Barna research: We’ve probably lost about 1 in 3 completely. another 2 in 10 are drifting from their faith. The cost attached to knowing, following and loving Jesus in a pandemic has been too high. The changes to our traditional models of “doing church” have disrupted their expectations and willingness to participate.

For quite some time we’ve been emphasizing that discipleship - following Jesus - and making disciples need to be our key focus.

We’re in a crisis where this is absolutely essential.

While this may sound and feel like a new circumstance, it’s not. Jesus had to be explicit about his expectations on more than one occasion.

He’s going to tell us that we’re not like game show contestants who might win a prize or two because we know the price of a thing. He tells us that the cost is staggering but it’s worth it.

Context: Luke chapter 14.

Luke 14:25 NLT

25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,

That crowd wasn’t so very different than us when we’re being entertained. They liked the food, the excitement of seeing a miracle or a healing, maybe a hint of rebellion in the air. Or perhaps just curiosity.

But Jesus knew that their motives couldn’t tolerate the cost of what it truly meant to follow him.

First, he sets

The Relational Cost:

Luke 14:26 NLT

26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

Jesus means what he says but he’s also willing to use hyperbole or exaggeration to make his point.

In this case, he wants us to understand the priority of relationships.

It’s simple: We can do what Jesus wants, or we can do what others want.

But wow, that’s harsh, Jesus!

Rule of bible interpretation: the bible interprets itself. To pull this verse completely out of context of the passage and the rest of the Bible is to make it contradictory to the intent of the whole Word.

Jesus himself told us to honor our father and mother.

Mark 7:9–13 NLT

9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

Ephesians 5:25 NLT

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her

Mark 10:16 NLT

16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

Luke 6:27 NLT

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.

John 13:34–35 NLT

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

No, Jesus is saying that by comparison, our love for others must be that much lower a priority than loving and following Him.

The paradox is, when we love Jesus that much we’re enabled to love our children, spouses, parents, friends even more because we are becoming more and more like our Lord who gave the greatest love possible. We’ll be willing to love and serve them in the best possible way.

The Sacrificial Cost:

It’s not just what someone else’s agenda may be. We do a pretty good job of following ourselves first.

The greatest struggle in the Christian life is to respond to “Thy will or MY will.”

Jesus next startling statement on the cost of following is to tell us to go and die.

To self.

it’s clear that Jesus knew our biggest struggle in following Him would be choosing between our our own self-interest and His plan for life.

The answer is to simply choose to “end” this life. Not literally, of course. But to consider life as a “series of deaths.” That’s self-denial.

Paul wrote:

Philippians 3:10–11 NLT

10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

It’s a sacrifice of the things that we think will make us happy so we can choose Christ’s life as our model and find true deep satisfaction.

Calculating the Cost

One time on the Price is Right (9/2008), a contestant (Terry Kneiss) bid the exact cost of a Showcase. One man, Ted Slauson, had constantly watched the show, noted what products consistently showed up and the price. He used statistical analysis to legitimately determine the exact prices of the items in the showcase. He signaled the price ($23,743) to Terry on stage. They won.

Can you imagine the hours of study and concentration that went into learning all that just to win a camper, karaoke machine and a pool table as well as the other showcase of mainly trips.

Can you imagine the difference in our lives if we put in a tenth of the effort to follow Jesus that these guys did to win prizes?

Jesus likens it to calculating the effort it takes in construction and in war.

Luke 14:28–33 NLT

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ 31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.