THE PRICEY CALL

Matthew 8:18-22 “18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 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.” 21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus had had a busy day with large swams of people from the villages and towns who had various desperate needs for Him to meet. Many were attracted to him for what they were hearing, and seeing him do.

Matthew 8:16-7 “16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

What makes you follow Jesus? What attracts you to in church?

People often come to Jesus Christ because of what they can get out of Him. Men have a faint idea and some understanding that He can meet needs; so when they face bad situations, they come to Him and to the church for help. Jesus said it well:

John 6:26 “26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

1.Some profess Christ and belong to a church because of the image and social standing it brings. Belonging to a church helps to show a well-rounded and moral person. Some just want the image that profession of faith conveys.

2. Some follow Christ and His church because of family and friends. They are urged to belong to a church; therefore, they profess and attend—some regularly, others irregularly

Some have a faint understanding of God. They want to be approved and accepted by Him. They know that they must show some interest in Him if they wish Him to show interest in them, looking after and caring for them. So they profess Him and attend church as much as they deem necessary in order to secure His approval and care.

Some have seen God’s power to change lives and deliver through terrible trials. It may have been in the life of a family member, a friend, a fellow employee, a relative, or a distant acquaintance. But the power of Christ was clearly evident. Thus they know that Christ and His church might be able to help them when trouble comes.

Some believe Jesus is the Savior, the promised Messiah, and they want to be identified with Him. So they follow Him and His church.

What brings you to church?

This scholar, being a proffessional teacher himself, must have had admiriation of f the teaching ability of Jesus. He yearned to follow Jesus.

He declared his willingness to everywhere with Jesus. He said, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

What a win on the side of Jesus? some must have said, finally we have started winning the opposition to our side. what an opportunity to have such a learned fellow in our church. what an oportuntiy to have such an influencial personality join our church. the members were elated but not Jesus.

Elselwhere Jesus interact with a personality the bible calls a certain rich young ruler who came to Jesus to not be saved but to follow Jesus. Mathew record says that Jesus saw him and love him and said to him, “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Mathew 19:21-22).

The Pricey Call

Being willing to follow Jesus is good but not free. Being willing to go to the ends of the earth is good but not free. There is a cost .

Many desire to follow Jesus; but they stumble at the demands that require more.stumble over personal poverty. Giving and working ever so diligently in order to give more is foreign to them. Giving to the point that they would have to trust Christ for the necessities of life is unknown

They have allowed the world to influence them. They seek the material security and comfort of this world. They save, lay up, and insure.

They feel that it is the willingness to give that Jesus is really after. A person does not necessarily have to give it all.

But christ ‘s responds to the both the scribe and the rich ruler communicates heavens desire for they who shall follow him. v.20, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

In other words, “I have no luxuries, not even a place to lay my head. I have given all. You must give all if you wish to follow me.”

Christ gave all in following us:

Philippians 2:5-8 “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

2 Corinthians 8:9 “9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

The greatest challenging of this call is that: Many are committed, but their commitments are self-commitments not Christ commitments.

Christ is looking for a total commitment to him, abandoning all of self and all of the world for Him and His cause.

Disciples left all to follow Jesus

Mark 10:28 “28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.””

Luke 5:27-28 “27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.”

Luke 14:33 “33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”

The call is pricey, but worthy it

Luke 14:26 “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.”

Philippians 3:8 “8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”

Surrendering all for Jesus sake is not loosing

Luke 18:29-30 “29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.””

The other disciple gave an excuse of burrying his paret. “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

the words of this disciple show that he sensed a call from God. He is characteristic of many who call Jesus Lord with their mouth but fail to make Him Lord of their lives

They have heard the call of Jesus and have a desire to follow Him, but they put off the actual act of obedience. They allow other concerns to prevent immediate discipleship.

They deceive themselves, thinking there will be a more convenient time later on. No excuse is justifiable in delaying God’s work.

Romans 13:11-12 “11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Ep 5:16 “16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Yes the call is pricey but worthy the call.

Jeremiah spent nights in a cold chisten,

Hosea had tomarry a prostitute.

Jonah had to be imprisoned in an animals belly.

Isaiah had to walk naked for 3 years (Is 20:3).

Elijah had to endure the terrifying Jezebel’s terror

Moses had to miss the promised land

Peter had to be hang head upside down

Batholomeo had to be skinned alive for the gospel

The three Hebrews had to endure the furry of the firely furnace, while Daniel had to endure the lion’s company.

Yet for the sake of the gospel they remained faithful solders of God.

Hebrews 12:2, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 “17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,”

1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.