The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 9:23–27 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

What does it take to be a disciple of Christ?

If anyone desires to be like Christ. If anyone hopes to follow after Him, behave like Him, there are certain things that are required.

Deny Yourself

This word, means to disdain, disown, disregard, renounce. It is the same word that was used to describe Peter’s denial of knowing Jesus, as Christ was being prosecuted on His way to the cross.

Take up your cross daily

This must be done on a daily basis. It’s not just one trip to the top of a mountain to die.

It is not just courageously, yet foolishly plunging oneself into a futile battle, where victory is impossible and destruction is certain. There is a clear distinction, as to what we are giving our lives to. We are told whoever gives up their life for Christ’s sake, or for the sake of the Gospel, for the Kingdom of God, they will take up their life

Follow Christ

Paul uses this same terminology

Luke 9:57–62 ESV

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 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.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Don’t look back.

Being a disciple of Christ is an all out commitment to God’s will.

Philippians 3:13 ESV

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

2 Timothy 2:4 ESV

4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

A disciple of Christ has One Priority, One Passion, One Love!

Luke 14:25–27 ESV

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “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. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Each one, must accept the call

This is not a family decision. It is not a choice that is made through democratic means. Each person has to follow as an individual before they become a member or the body of Christ. Though a family influence is important and though a godly father and mother will pray for and train up their children in the things of the Lord, the call of God is to the individual disciple.

Verse 27 says, whoever does not bear his own cross-

Bonhoeffer references a barrier that must be built up between a one’s natural life and their life in Christ. Christ is the barrier.

The picture that we get from each of these passages, is quite contrary to the consumer minded soft sell, of “Christianity Lite” as some have come to refer to the false gospel that has become prevalent in the modern and new even more so in the post-modern church.

There is a critical distinguishable difference between a false gospel’s message of self-fulfillment, which views Jesus as virtually a genie. “A messiah that says, “your wish is my command.” A prosperity gospel, is what Paul warned about in his second letter to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:2 ESV

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Luke 14:28–34 ESV

28 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? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 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? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

Wisdom in counting the cost.

How embarrassing would it be for someone to build a foundation, but not have the resources to complete the project? It would be a shame upon someone to do such a thing, and a waste of time and energy to begin, but not to complete a tower.

One writer also made note of the fact that the Tower builder was an optional undertaking, while the next illustration of a King counting the cost of going to battle, may not have been voluntary, but rather he may have been forced into defending and protecting his kingdom of citizens and property.

Confirmation that we need to bear our cross.

Dying to our own selfish desires and fleshly pleasures, to honor, obey and glorify God Our Father, whose Kingdom we desire to see come, whose will we want to be done. Confident that He has forgiven us, will provide for us and sustain us, guide us and direct us

A living sacrifice. Fully comprehending the cost, before you join the ranks.

We cannot serve two masters. So Jesus says, if we don’t let go of all that “we have” all that is “of Us”, we cannot be His disciple.

These efforts, or these works are not anything that can salvation, rather they are evidence of a genuine faith according to James 2:14-26.

Though we measure the cost, in our finite self-refusing, self-denying, submissiveness to God, we are given further details, which serve to encourage us as we count the COST OF DISCIPLESHIP. The good news, which I am referring to is found in Lk 18:24-30.

Luke 18:24–30 ESV

24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Great is the reward!

Jesus, did not immediately communicate this to His disciples. But we are able to read various accounts, which reveal to us that God’s reward and His blessing is many times more that what has been given.

Job’s faith was tested, yet he recieved back double

Abraham was tested, even to the point of giving up is one true heir, yet God has delivered and made him the father of many nations, and has

Communion with Christ

Channels Only- Read, Comment and Pray

Distribute the elements

Ask and Elder to Pray

Partake

Closing Song

Benediction/Closing Prayer