Count the Cost
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Count the Cost
Count the Cost
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.
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?
35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
“Jesus’ warning against thoughtless discipleship.”
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
How do you measure success?
“Great crowds accompanied (Jesus)
Jesus would routinely ask his “followers” questions we should ask ourselves.
Why are you here?
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
“Follow us on...”
FB, twitter, TikTok, InstaGram...
I looked on FB to see some groups I follow
Bad Dad Jokes
Trash2Treasure (multiple)
CHS Class of ‘92
I had no idea what groups I was following
It is so easy now.
If you get enough followers to can be an “influencer”
JESUS WAS NOT AN INFLUENCER - HE IS THE CHRIST.
This is important to me because I spent so many years not knowing the answer.
Every Christian has reasons (stories) about what brought us to Jesus.
raised to believe
appease significant other
overcome addiction, catastrophe
How much thought did you give to following Jesus?
(or our question)
Do you know what it means to follow Jesus?
There are a couple of deal breakers that are non-negotiable.
This must be true or … no deal
(Like our travel trailer)
It means Jesus comes first (period).
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.
Be honest, does this one make you uncomfortable?
It’s not polite to hate.
“Hate” = loving less
example: Gen. 29:30-31
30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
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.
So thankfully this isn’t as extreme as it might seem.
But let me assure you … it is extreme.
It is an all-in kind of thing.
There are ramifications to this kind of Christianity!
True Christianity (the kind Jesus is talking about)
Effects every part of your life, every decision. every relationship.
Making Jesus a priority in your life means...
You don’t fit Jesus into your life, you start with your relationship with Jesus. Then change or remove anything that doesn’t compliment that relationship.
You’re going to have to decide what come first, your job or your family.
I already have.
It means submitting to God’s will.
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
We’ve covered this extensively the last two weeks
Worth repeating because (well)
It’s important!
Jesus in the garden...
“Not my will but yours be done, father”
Our prayer should be that same.
It means counting the cost of following Christ.
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?
Of course I don’t have what it takes
“All fall short” and all that...
Don’t focus on the prize without knowing the cost.
Homeownership 101
It doesn’t take much to START a project.
Finishing however is another matter.
“Being a Christian will help me build...” (v28-30)
family
ministry
Being a Christian will help me defeat...” (31-32)
addiction
past mistakes
Jesus is the answer (regardless of your need or your past)
But if you don’t understand the cost of discipleship then you will be more likely to quit when it gets hard.
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
There is nothing in the life worth more than my relationship with Jesus!
Final thought … Don’t be useless.
34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Does this passage seem out of place?
Christian in name only
I go to church
I tell people I’m a christian
Then Jesus would compare you to salt that has lost it’s taste.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
If you are able to comprehend what I’m telling then you
Pay attention because this is serious.
Do you have ear to hear this morning?
Are you listening?
Is there something you need to get straight with Jesus?