Joining God Requires Adjustments

7 Realities of Experiencing God

Part 6

JOINING GOD REQUIRES ADJUSTMENT

Luke 14:24-34

Prayer:

If you have your Bible with you today open it with me to the book of Luke Chapter 14.

If you are unfamiliar to where the book of Luke is it is the 3rd book of the New Testament; Matthew , Mark the Luke, chapter 14 is where we will be this morning.

We are in week six of our teaching series, the 7 Realities of Experiencing God.

Let's just take a moment to review the last 5 weeks:

THE FIRST REALITY IN EXPERIENCING GOD WAS THAT GOD IS AT WORK ALL AROUND US.

SECOND, GOD INVITES US TO A LOVING RELATIONSHIP.

THIRD, GOD INVITES US TO BECOME PART OF HIS WORK.

FOURTH, GOD SPEAKS TO REVEAL HIMSELF, HIS PURPOSES AND WAYS.

THE FIFTH REALITY IS GOD'S INVITATION LEADS TO A CRISIS OF BELIEF.

We can see the progression of these 5 realities in the Story of Moses.

God revealed Himself to Moses through the burning bush- it was on fire but wasn't being consumed by the fire- it struck Moses odd, and He went to investigate. And God revealed Himself as "He called out to him from the bush, Moses, Moses."

Then God invited Moses. God said don't come any closer to Moses. Take off your sandals because you are standing on Holy Ground. God said, "I am the God of your fathers, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."

Then God revealed His work. He told Moses what the mission was to rescue His people, and He would be the one to join God in His work.

Next, we find that Moses was in a crisis of belief – He found himself at a turning point in His life to join God in this God-sized task or not. And what Moses did next told God what He believed about God.

That brings us to today once we take the step to do what God is calling us to do-

Reality #6 In Experiencing God Is This; Joining God Requires Adjustments.

You know, every time in the Bible that God speaks to people about something He wants them to do, they had to realign their lives in some way.

Think about it for a moment:

Noah, for example, spent 100 years building an ark for a flood that had never happened before.

Abraham, God told him to sacrifice his one and only son who God had given to him.

Moses could not stay with his family, herding sheep and go before Pharaoh at the same time.

Or what about Mary, when the angel came to her to tell her that she would be the mother of Jesus. Joseph had to realign his life to accommodate Mary and the Baby Jesus.

What about that man who went from Saul to Paul and preaching the Gospel to the Gentile Nations.

We see it time and time again in the Bible when people joined God in what He was doing it required change and adjustments to their lives.

Folks, the truth is there is a turning point when we are faced with a crisis of belief. You must believe that God is who He says He is, and He will do what he says He will do; then next comes adjusting our lives to God.

Let's look at what Jesus says about this subject:

If you are there in Luke 14, follow along with me from the 24th verse. This is the Word of God and it begins like this.

"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the 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 to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

Notice with me three times Jesus uses the word Disciple.

A disciple is someone who follows another person or another way of life and who submits himself to the discipline (teaching) of that leader or way.

The Bible teaches us that a disciple of Jesus is one who follows and is a student of Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us that there is a cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus. Look at verse 25

"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,"

Large groups of people have heard of Jesus, Many have witnessed His healing- they have listened to Him, and large groups were following Him. The Scripture is not clear on the number of people, but it does say that great crowds of people were traveling with Him and following Him.

But Jesus did not want to have people follow Him to just hear Him speak and not be changed.

Wouldn't you agree with me that anyone can follow Jesus and never change their habits, never change their lifestyle, never get away from the sin they habitually do, never read the Bible, and let God's word change them? Jesus wants people to commit, to be changed, and to become disciples of Him.

Jesus doesn't want you to come to church. He wants you to be the church, and by becoming the church, it means that we must become His disciples- we must be deeply committed- adjusting our lives to God every day of our lives.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO OUR TAKE-HOME TRUTH TODAY

THE TAKE-HOME TRUTH IS:

Getting from where I am to where God wants me to be requires adjustments.

Many of us want God to speak to us and give us an assignment. Yet, most of us are not interested in making any significant adjustments in our lives. But if you look at the Bible that is impossible.

Every time God spoke to people in the Scripture about something He wanted to do through them major adjustments were necessary.

They had to adjust their lives to God. Once the adjustments were made, God accomplished His purposes through those He called.

Adjustments may be required in your...

• CIRCUMSTANCES (job, home, finances)

• RELATIONSHIPS (family, friends, business associates)

• THINKING (prejudices, methods, your potential)

• COMMITMENTS (to family, church, job, plans, tradition)

• ACTIONS (how you pray, give, serve)

• BELIEFS (about God, His purposes, His ways, your relationship to Him)

Listen, God wants you to make adjustments in your life to be where He wants you to be.

What kind of adjustments should we have to join our lives with God?

Jesus outlines three adjustments to Join Him in our lives.

The first adjustment to get from where I am to where God wants me to be requires:

AN ADJUSTMENT OF DEVOTION.

An adjustment of Devotion

Look at verse 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."

This is a pretty rash statement, is it not?

Jesus uses the word hate as an exaggeration to make His point. No one teaches more about love than Jesus, so Jesus is not encouraging us to hate our family to become a disciple; He is saying that if you are devoted more to your family than you are to Him You cannot be His disciple. If the family is more important to you than your relationship with Jesus, if your life is not aligned with Gods then you cannot become a disciple of Jesus. Jesus and the Kingdom of God must come first in the life of a believer to be a disciple.

Matthew 10:37 Jesus said something very similar to the cost of discipleship- he said:

"The person who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."

Jesus means that our allegiance and love for Him must be so great that by comparison, our love for our families and even for our own lives looks like hatred. God demands our first.

Jesus is here using the language of the Bible, where in the Old Testament, there were two brothers, Jacob and Esau. In Romans 9, God reveals that "Jacob I loved and Esau I hated." Now God was good to both of them, but He chose to work through the family line of Jacob and put him in the first position of priority. That's precisely what Jesus is talking about here. The Bible tells us to honor our mother and father. In Ephesians 5, the Bible says that husbands must love their wives. Titus Chapter 2 says that wives should love their husbands. In Mark 12, Jesus said the two greatest commands are to Love God and to love your neighbor.

The Bible teaches us that we are made in the image of God, that we are to gravitate toward the loving affection of our family and others.

But Jesus says that devotion to Him is an altogether different category.

In all practicality, what this means to us today is that you will often face relational pressure as a disciple of Jesus to quit being His fully devoted follower from those you love. This could be your parents, friends, family telling you.

The late theologian/philosopher Francis Schaeffer, whose life and books have impacted thousands for Christ, was raised in a non-Christian home.

After becoming a Christian, his father did not want him to go to college and did not want him to become a minister, which young Fran felt called to be. When the moment finally came where he had to decide to go with what he thought God wanted or submit to his father's wishes, Fran asked in a strained voice, "Pop, give me a few minutes to go down in the cellar and pray." In fear and uncertainty, he went down there and wept hot tears of sorrow for his father.

Then, in the act of desperate and simple faith, he did something that he would never advise anyone else to do, but what he felt was right for him at the time: he prayed, "Oh, God, please show me." Then he took out a coin and said, "Heads, I'll go despite dad's desires." It was heads. Still weeping, he cried out, "God, be patient with me. If it's tails this time, I'll go." Tails. The third time he pleaded, "Once, more, God. I don't want to make a mistake with Dad upstairs. Please now, let it beheads again." It was heads. So he went upstairs and told his dad that he had to go.

His dad looked hard at him, then went out to slam the door. But just before the door hit the frame, his voice came through, "I'll pay for the first half-year." It was many years later that Fran's dad became a believer, but Fran thinks that this moment was the basis of his salvation when Fran, in effect, declared, "I must follow the Lord."

(Told by Edith Schaeffer, in The Tapestry [Word], pp. 60-62).

The key to making adjustments to becoming a disciple of Jesus is Devotion- you must decide who will be the priority in your life- who are you devoted to?

We live in a day of easy believer-ism. Churches today stress convenience over-commitment. We all want to be the biggest and greatest church, but it comes as a price.

God wants you to make a major adjustment in your life- To put Him first. Devote yourselves to Him.

#2 Getting from where I am to where God wants me to be requires;

AN ADJUSTMENT IN MY LIFE.

Adjustment in Life

Look at verse 27

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Dedication to Jesus means that we often need to reject our self-interests and personal desires because Discipleship is a full-time job and a daily attitude.

There are two parts to this passage I want you to see: To get from where I am to where God wants me to be requires an adjustment in life by;

1. SURRENDERING our life to God.

Look back at verse 25- there were great multitudes following Jesus.

V27 “whoever does not bear His own cross.”

The Bible tells us in Luke 9:23-24 That Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

This means first wholly surrendering to Christ.

Matthew 10:38 "whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me."

Surrendering to God in your life is an adjustment that requires complete faith in God. Jesus uses the illustration of the cross in several passages to show us that He meant that we are to have a commitment and dedication in our lives to Him that He has in us. After all, Jesus used Himself on the Cross to show His commitment to us. He is asking nothing less from us in return.

These words of taking up the cross foreshadow His death and His call on our lives to identify with Him to die as He has died.

Dedication to Jesus is a lifelong commitment.

When Jesus talks about bearing a cross, He is not talking about the typical hassles and problems that afflict us daily. Yes, it can be frustrating when the kids don't behave. It can be harsh when a disease strikes us down. Unemployment can be frightening. These are all hardships, but they are not crosses.

Our cross is the hardship we endure simply because we are Disciples of God's Word. It is the attack that the world mounts against us merely because we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Remember Salvation is free, but Discipleship costs everything.

Getting from where I am to where God wants me to be requires an adjustment in life by Dependence

The second part of verse 27, "come after me." is DEPENDENCE on Him.

First, we carry our own cross as we surrender to Him, and second, we follow Him – this shows our dependence on Him.

Without surrendering to Jesus and being dependent on Him not only for Salvation but everything we need from day to day, we cannot become a disciple of Jesus- These are His words, not mine.

In John 15:5, Jesus is again speaking, and He said

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without Me.." John 15:5

Dependence on Jesus means that with Him, we can do all things.

It is through Jesus that we have the strength to do everything.

Without him, we cannot fulfill what God calls us to be.

The first adjustment to get from where I am to where God wants me to be requires an adjustment of Devotion.

The second requires an adjustment of life.

The Third Adjustment to go from where I am to where God wants me to be requires:

AN ADJUSTMENT IN MATERIALISM.

What are the three things that people love the most?

Ourselves, family and our stuff!

Maybe not in that order, but these are the very things that Jesus said to adjust in our lives to put Him ahead of everything.

Jesus also says that you should calculate the cost and if you believe the cost is worth the risk, you can be a disciple of Jesus.

I don't believe that everyone will come up with the same conclusion that others will. Some people will count the cost and say that they are all in. Others will calculate the cost and think that Jesus is asking too much from them and don't believe it is worth the cost.

Look at verses 28-32. These are examples-

This first example is about building a building- how much will it cost? Can you afford it? Can you afford to get the work completed?

This second example is about war, a king who must carefully analyze the situation before thrusting his people into battle- Can he beat the opposing force? Can He win the battle with what he has, or should he surrender to the king with the most men?

In both situations, the person must carefully analyze the situation that they are in.

Jesus is telling each of us that we must carefully decide IS HE WORTH IT or should we stay the same. Consider the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. Look at verse 33

"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." NKJ

"In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say goodbye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple." HCSB

There is a story of a rich young ruler in the Bible. Some of you may know it. It comes from Matthew 19:16-23

He came to Jesus asking, "what good must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus responded; If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

18 "Which ones?" he asked Him. Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; 19 honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.

20 "I have kept all these," the young man told Him. "What do I still lack?"

21 "If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

22 When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving because he had many possessions."

The question is; why did the man go away upset?

Because he counted the cost, His earthy wealth, His earthy status, the things that he loved, He wanted more than becoming a disciple of Jesus.

Now I have to tell you, and I am not making this up.

One day I was working on the sermon about The Rich Young Ruler, and as I was working on the sermon, the church's doorbell rang. It was a homeless man asking for a bus ticket or some food. To tell you the truth, at first, I said no.

I was busy working on the sermon in my office, and as I sat down at my desk and began working again, I read these words. This is precisely where I left off when I had heard the doorbell.

"If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

I searched for the man, but I could not find him. It was like he had vanished, I went back to the office and asked God for forgiveness, and I failed to recognize what He had done. I sat at my computer and read that verse again. "If you want to be perfect," Jesus said to him, "go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me."

I went back out and found him sitting in Arby's

I walked up to him and asked if he wanted a sandwich. I ordered for him, which came to 4.76. I had four ones and some change- after paying for that meal, I had 8 cents left.

Was it a coincidence? Or Was it God? I will let you decide.

When Jesus said those words, "whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

This means that you can't just add Jesus to your already materialistic lifestyle to round out your spiritual needs.

To be a disciple means that you have been bought with a price, and you are not your own (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Nothing you own is your own.

There is a story of the Pearl of Great Price. It goes t like this:

A man sees this pearl and says to the merchant, I want this pearl. How much is it?

The seller says, "It's very expensive." "How much?" "A lot!" "Well, do you think I could buy it?" the man asks.

"Oh, yes," says the merchant, "everyone can buy it."

"But I thought you said it was very expensive." "I did." "Well, how much?" "Everything you have," says the seller.

"All right, I'll buy it." "Okay, what do you have?"

"Well, I have $10,000 in the bank." "Good, $10,000. What else?" "That's all I have." "Nothing more?" "Well, I have a few dollars more in my pocket." "How much?" "Let's see … $100." "That's mine, too," says the seller.

"What else do you have?" "That's all, nothing else." "Where do you live?" the seller asks. "In my house. Yes, I own a home." The seller writes down, "house." "It's mine."

"Where do you expect me to sleep—in my camper?" "Oh, you have a camper, do you? That, too. What else" "Am I supposed to sleep in my car?" "Oh, you have a car?" "Yes, I own two of them." "They're mine now."

"Look, you've taken my money, my house, my camper, and my cars. Where is my family going to live?" "So, you have a family?" "Yes, I have a wife and three kids." "They're mine now."

Suddenly the seller exclaims, "Oh, I almost forgot! You yourself, too! Everything becomes mine—wife, children, house, money, cars, and you." Then he goes on, "Now, listen, I will allow you to use all these things for the time being. But don't forget that they're all mine, just as you are. And whenever I need any of them, you must give them up because I am now the owner." (Adapted from The Disciple [Creation House], pp. 34-35.)

Jesus said that Discipleship is adjusting ourselves to God and that adjustment comes in devotion to Him above all else, in our personal lives and from the things we hold dear to us. A disciple knows that what is ours has been given from God and therefore belongs to God.

The Bible tells us, in Matthew 6:4 "No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other."

So what is Jesus telling us today? He is saying that the world hates the children of God. He says that the world will use all its resources against us - even our own families - and even our desire to survive. Jesus tells us that His disciples must be ready to cut off ties to father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters rather than be unfaithful to Him.

He tells us that we must be ready to lose our lives rather than be unfaithful to Him. To lose it all for HIM -Jesus says, "He who loses his life will find it."

It costs something to be a faithful disciple. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal believer, and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear the voice of God and follow Christ, believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, self-righteousness, ease, and worldliness. All must be given up.

Count the cost- before you answer Him- Is HE worth it to you? Only you can answer that question.

HE IS WORTH IT TO ME!

The world has great multitudes of churchgoers- many followers- but few disciples…

We must make adjustments in our lives to get from where we are to where God wants us to be. That comes in the form of dedication, life, and materialism.

Is God's Spirit speaking to you today? Maybe He is calling you to put your trust in Jesus today. Perhaps the Spirit is calling you to be a disciple or join this fellowship.

If the Spirit of God prompts you to do something right now, I will ask that you do it right now-- come and stand with me.

What you do right now tells God what you believe about Him. Is He worth it?