Parable of the tower and the king

Question of the day: Are you sure you want to follow Jesus?

(Luke 14:25)

audience: Large crowds, all kinds of people

Jesus is well into his ministry. He’s argued with scribes and Pharisees. Healed.

(Luke 14:26)

Hate: I’ve heard this taught and so have you, please try to come to this with fresh eyes

μισέω (miseō). vb. hate. To strongly dislike or have aversion toward someone or something that usually results in separation between the one who hates and the thing hated.

Luke 1:71 Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us

6:22 Blessed are you when people hate you

6:27 But to you who are listening I say; Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

16:13 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

19:14 But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.”

21:17 Everyone will hate you because of me.

::It means hate::

So then how do we hate our mother and father who God has commanded we honor, how do we hate our wife and children whom God has told us to love like Christ loved the church, how do we hate our brothers and sisters who God has told us to care for?

Praise God Jesus explains this parable for us… just be patient

(Luke 14:27)

They didn’t know Jesus was going to die on a cross

The cross was for rebels and murderers, it was a symbol of ultimate suffering

twice, “cannot be my disciple” why?

Two possibilities:

1. Maybe Jesus won’t let them; He wants a certain type of person

2. They won’t make it; you can try but you’ll fail

If you think you are going to follow Jesus and fight along side Him, in a world that put Him on a cross, against a legion of demons who would love to see everything come crashing down and you can’t take suffering you’re not going to make it. You don’t understand the cost...

(Luke 14:28-30)

No one builds without first counting the cost and if they do they’re set up for failure

(Luke 14:31-32)

There is a king with twice the strength of another, don’t over read… the one king is not you and the other God, God has more than twice your strength ;P

It’s another venture, if pursued, will fail

(Luke 14:33)

Here’s the explanation of hate: willing to give up

Graham Staines was an Australian Christian missionary. He worked in a group called the “Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home” caring for tribal people who were in extreme poverty. Graham and his family worked among Hindu extremists, in a very dangerous place.

One night while Graham and his two sons, Phillip who was 10 and Timothy who was 6, slept in their truck 50 people attacked them. They locked them in their vehicle and set it on fire. Murdering Graham and his two sons.

Let me ask you a question: What kind of father brings his wife and family to a jungle to work with people who could kill them at any moment?

But it goes further...

His wife Gladys continued to work in India for 5 more years.

What is this except hate? This man got his sons murdered and his wife is lucky she didn’t get the rest of his family killed afterward.

What is it, except hate, that leads a men to move their families to the middle of mexico to preach Christ to the cartel?

An aspect of loving something is to cherish it, to hold on with dear life, to never let go. We cannot have that type of love with anything in this world.

Detour: Deuteronomy 33: 1,8-11 Levi was blessed by Moses because he didn’t regard his family but was focused on his work with God

(Luke 14:34-35)

This is part of the preserving work of the people of God. To live in a way that both loves as Christ loves the church but also lives willing to act in ways that are deemed hateful...

Consider Abraham, did he hate Isaac or love him? Stabbing your son to death is hateful no matter how you put it, at least if you asked Isaac. ;P But Abraham also loved his son dearly.

Let me make it clear

If you are not willing to act in ways that are not good for your family and disregard your life you are not going to make it as a disciple of Christ. You will be like a man who starts to build a tower but can’t finish it.

You can’t move to that place think of the school district, you can’t sell everything and give it away you might starve, you can’t, you can’t, you can’t… blah blah blah. God is going to call us to be extremely loving and bold as we move into this new building. You might have to put your family in uncomfortable and possibly dangerous situations. For the sake of the Christ you may need to disregard your families needs. Are you willing to do that? If not are you sure you want to follow Jesus?