Discipleship and Relationship

DISCIPLESHIP AND RELATIONSHIP

LUKE 14:26–27 (NKJV)

26“IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, WIFE AND CHILDREN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YES, AND HIS OWN LIFE ALSO, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

27AND WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS CROSS AND COME AFTER ME CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE.

I. RELATIONSHIP

a. BY BLOOD

i. WE HAD A SAYING WHEN WE WERE COMING UP” BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER”

ii. NO MATTER WHAT INNER STRUGGLES WE HAD AS A FAMILY WE ALWAYS HAD EACH OTHER’S BACK IF ANYTHING WOULD HAPPEN

iii. I REMEMBER HAVING REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS THAT WE WOULD CALL EACH OTHER COUSINS, BUT THAT RELATIONSHIP DID NOT EXTEND TO THE BLURRED RELATIONSHIP, BECAUSE THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT BLOOD RELATION

b. THEREFORE THERE IS NO DISCIPLESHIP WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP

i. JESUS SPENT TIME WITH HIS DISCIPLES IT WAS NOT A TEACHER PUPIL ARRANGEMENT IT WAS A RELATIONSHIP

ii. THEY WENT EVERYWHERE TOGETHER

iii. EVERY MEAL THEY HAD TOGETHER

iv. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT BREAKING BREAD WITH PEOPLE

v. THEY PRAYED TOGETHER

vi. IN JESUS TAUGHT THEM HOW TO LOVE THE MISSION

vii. IT WAS A RELATIONSHIP

c. BY MARRIAGE

i. JEWISH CUSTOM OF BETROTHAL AND MARRIAGE:

THE MAN AND WOMAN BETROTH THEMSELVES TO ONE ANOTHER.

THIS IS SERIOUS AND LEGALLY BINDING TO THE

JEWS.

ALTHOUGH THE CONSUMMATION HAS NOT HAPPENED YET, THE BRIDE CAN BEGIN TO LAY CLAIM TO THE

GROOM’S NAME AND AUTHORITY BECAUSE SHE HAS FAITHFULLY BETROTHED HERSELF TO HIM.

THE GROOM GOES TO PREPARE A PLACE!

THE BRIDE WILL GO TO PREPARE HERSELF!

SHE WILL GO TO THE BATH HOUSE AND BE FULLY SUBMERGED AND RE-IMMERSE AGAIN.

SHE WILL THEN PUT ON A NEW ROBE, NEW SANDALS, NEW EVERYTHING.

THEN SHE BEGINS A JOURNEY FROM THE BATH HOUSE TO WHEREVER THE WEDDING CEREMONY WILL BE HELD.

ALONG THE PATH, HER GROOM IS HIDING FOR HER AND WILL SURPRISE HER, SCOOPING HER UP IN HIS ARMS, CARRYING HER THE REST OF THE WAY TO THE CEREMONY.

d. JESUS IS STILL CALLING US TO RELATIONSHIP TODAY, BECAUSE THERE IS NO DISCIPLESHIP WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP, NORMALLY YOU WOULD JOINED BY ONE OR THE OTHER BUT WITH JESUS WE ARE JOINED BY BOTH

II. LUKE 14:26-34

a. WE SEE THAT GREAT CROWDS WERE FOLLOWING JESUS

i. BUT HE WANTED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PRICE OF DISCIPLESHIP

ii. NOT EVERYONE THAT IS “FOLLOWING JESUS” WILL BE COMMITTED ENOUGH TO BE HIS DISCIPLE

b. SUPERIOR RELATIONSHIP

c. JESUS IS NOT SAYING YOU CANNOT LOVE YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR DAUGHTER AND YOUR SISTER BUT HE IS SAYING THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SHOULD SUPERSEDE ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS

i. A COMMITMENT

1. PROVERBS 16:3 (NKJV)

3COMMIT YOUR WORKS TO THE LORD, AND YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE ESTABLISHED.

ii. FAITHFULNESS

1. DEUTERONOMY 5:32–33 (NKJV)

32“THEREFORE YOU SHALL BE CAREFUL TO DO AS THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU; YOU SHALL NOT TURN ASIDE TO THE RIGHT HAND OR TO THE LEFT.

33YOU SHALL WALK IN ALL THE WAYS WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU, THAT YOU MAY LIVE AND THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY PROLONG YOUR DAYS IN THE LAND WHICH YOU SHALL POSSESS.

iii. PRIORITY

1. MATTHEW 6:33 (NKJV)

33BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU.

d. CONSIDERING THE COST

i. LUKE 14:28–29 (NKJV)

28FOR WHICH OF YOU, INTENDING TO BUILD A TOWER, DOES NOT SIT DOWN FIRST AND COUNT THE COST, WHETHER HE HAS ENOUGH TO FINISH IT—

29LEST, AFTER HE HAS LAID THE FOUNDATION, AND IS NOT ABLE TO FINISH, ALL WHO SEE IT BEGIN TO MOCK HIM,

ii. IT IS A REASONABLE SERVICE

1. ROMANS 12:1 (NKJV)

1I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE.

III. SALT AND LIGHT

LUKE 14:34–35

LIFE APPLICATION COMMENTARY

IN THE ANCIENT WORLD, SALT WAS USED AS A SEASONING AND AS A PRESERVATIVE. THE SALT CAME MOSTLY FROM SALT MARSHES IN THE AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE DEAD SEA. THIS IMPURE SALT WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DETERIORATION AND COULD LOSE ITS FLAVOR, LEAVING ONLY USELESS CRYSTALS. SUCH SALT WAS SIMPLY THROWN AWAY. JESUS’ QUESTION, “HOW DO YOU MAKE IT SALTY AGAIN?” DID NOT REQUIRE AN ANSWER—FOR ONCE SALT HAS DETERIORATED, NOTHING IS LEFT BUT WORTHLESS RESIDUE.

MANY CHRISTIANS BLEND INTO THE WORLD AND AVOID THE COST OF STANDING UP FOR CHRIST. BUT JESUS SAYS IF CHRISTIANS LOSE THEIR DISTINCTIVE “SALTINESS,” THEY BECOME WORTHLESS. JUST AS SALT FLAVORS AND PRESERVES FOOD, CHRIST’S DISCIPLES ARE TO PRESERVE THE GOOD IN THE WORLD, HELP KEEP IT FROM SPOILING, AND BRING NEW FLAVOR TO LIFE. THIS REQUIRES CAREFUL PLANNING, WILLING SACRIFICE, AND UNSWERVING COMMITMENT TO CHRIST’S KINGDOM. BEING “SALTY” IS NOT EASY, BUT IF CHRISTIANS FAIL IN THIS FUNCTION, THEY FAIL TO REPRESENT CHRIST IN THE WORLD. THE PERSON WHO IS WILLING TO HEAR SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THESE WORDS AND APPLY THEM.1

1 BARTON, B., COMFORT, P., OSBORNE, G., TAYLOR, L. K., & VEERMAN, D. (2001). LIFE APPLICATION NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY (P. 319). WHEATON, IL: TYNDALE.