Counting the Cost

Have you ever felt like you were going through the motions? Maybe you’ve become disinterested with your daily grind so you’ve lost the feeling of joy you use to have in it so now you just go through the motions and never really pay much mention to it? Or maybe you’ve found your relationships growing that way. There have been times that Ragan has gone out of town to see her family and I will sit in our house all by myself and think, “Man, I really miss my girls.”

Well, in Luke 14:25-35 we see that there was apparently a large, large group of people following the Lord. Yet in the midst of this popularity He knew that there were disingenuous followers. And so, He turns to them and says *READ PASSAGE*

It Is Possible To Be A Superficial Follower of Christ.

Christ is Calling Recruits, Not Spectators.

What the Lord is doing here is making clear that when He calls us to follow Him, He’s not calling for sideline bench sitters, but people willing to commit and contribute. So. what He does is He makes three radically sweeping statements to cause us to search our hearts to see whether we are really committed to Him or not. But why? Why is He doing this?

He is doing this because He wants a people who are willing to stick with it no matter what comes. When I was growing up, I would sit through church services with extremely emotional and long altar calls and there would be tons of people moving, but there was very rarely any genuine change in the lives of these people. As a matter of fact, I read one commentator stating that most evangelists report a retention rate of 10-15% in the people who make confessions. But what Jesus is asking for here is for us to be fully aware of the cost. To sit down and think about this, that it’s real life. And He does that in these 3 statements.

1. Relationships

What people would you say are the most important to you? What relationships or friendships?

There is no one I love more than my wife and daughter. (John Bunyan story)

The cost of my friendships

What Christ is calling us to do is to be much like John Bunyan was. To show love to our family and friends and even those all around us. But when it comes to the Lord, He is the first priority in our lives. No matter what.

2. Self-Regard

To face crucifixion would be a one way trip. A thing of pure agony where the person facing it would have no hope, no dreams or aspirations for themselves. When we look over our Christian lives, we should often look back to our baptism, when we were buried with Him in death and raised to walk in newness of life.

Galatians 5:24 NKJV

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

3. All Reservation

Finally, the Lord gives us two pictures of the building which needs to be financially thought out and the battle which needs to be planned. What He is pushing across here is that He demands total devotion to Him. And unless we thinks He’s missed anything, He addressing all the way down to the things we own.

Now, what do you guys think He means here in v33

The key word here is “give up” or apotassetai. When someone used it as a verb in reference to people it would mean to say goodbye to someone and when used concerning objects it would mean to give up something. What the Lord is saying here is not that to be saved we have to go sell our houses and clothes. But that we should entrust all that is ours to Him. To hold the things we possess with a loose grip. (Whether losing it for the sake of the Gospel or giving to the needs of others)

What Does This Look Like In Our Lives?

Does anyone know why Luke wrote this Gospel by chance? He wrote it to a guy name Theophilus so he would be able to read and be strengthened in his walk with Christ. So as we think of why Luke placed this in here it may be worth saying that Luke wanted us who are saved to make sure we haven’t minimized our commit to Christ. Luke wants us to know that there is no such thing as “cheap grace” but that is cost the blood of the Lord and it costs us a life of commitment. Robert Stein said, “A half-hearted disciple is doomed.”

I think we really need to be careful when we read this passage. Because it would be pretty easy for us to say, “Well, everyone I know loves Jesus and in our nation no one is losing their lives or possessions for Christ so this doesn’t really apply to me right now.” So how does this apply?

What does this look like in daily life with our parents, teachers, our boss or spouse?

It looks like us striving to be the most loyal, committed and loving people they know while also knowing that when it comes to choosing them or Christ, we must follow Him.

What does this look like when it comes to our goals, passions and desires?

What does it look like with our finances or maybe the businesses that we run or hope to run?