Counting the Cost = Luke 14:25-34

Being born in America / not really sure what the cost is / Be ready to pay the cost

Distractions in america

Family in Pakistan Family burned house/ Sira Lanka Man beaten to death

The parable before is the ( Great Feast )

The material things where more valueable(land,Oxen,wife)

Multitudes=Alot of people where following Him

Why was the multitude following Him? ( healing food health & wealth)

They may have been following him because they wanted a good life

Why are you/we following Him?

Have you counted the cost?

He wants all of us

1 John 2:15–17 KJV 1900

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

The New King James Version Chapter 28

The Great Commission

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Disciple = Follower = learning from there master( employer/apprentice? )

Christ must be Our #1

over family ( Very Dearest ) Christ is King

To love less = Jacob loved Leah less

Genesis 29:31 KJV 1900

And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Example of disciples in Luke 5:4-11

Luke 5:4–11 KJV 1900

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Gave up everything to follow Jesus ( where they not better off )

Are we willing to give up everything this morning?

families, our possesions, work, hobbies ( those things nearest to us )

We cant have idols / Jesus must be #1, because we love Him

Example of a disciple is Ruth how she followed Noami not know what he future held ( away from her people )

Bear your cross = total sacrifice

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary 3. Taking up the Cross (9:23–27)

23. The follower of Jesus must deny himself (not just his sins, himself; he cannot be self-centred). There is nothing self-indulgent about being a Christian. The disciples had probably seen a man take up his cross, and they knew what it meant. When a man from one of their villages took up a cross and went off with a little band of Roman soldiers, he was on a one-way journey. He would not be back. Taking up the cross meant the utmost in self-denial. This is Luke’s first use of the word cross and it comes with striking effect. Christ’s follower has died to a whole way of life (cf. 14:27). Luke tells us that this is not something that can be finished and got out of the way: it must be done daily (cf. 1 Cor. 15:31). So, says Jesus, will he follow me.

Luke & Acts Notes

the disciples had likely seen a man “take up his cross” in the company of a small band of Roman soldiers, and they knew what it implied: in effect, Jesus’ disciples were asked to consider themselves already dead. This was the ultimate in self-denial

Gal 2:19–20 “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Could we walk away from everything on this earth?

Like Jesus request to the rich young ruler?

Cross-bearing is of the essence of discipleship

And carry our cross daily ( Give up your way )Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

Living Sacrifices to God

12 I 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.

Following Him may mean we lose relationships, dreams, material things, or even our lives.

Counting The cost

It is a serious choice to make

It a tower can’t be built it will worse off than if he hadnt started

As a king needs to asess where he is at and if he can fight

We need to give up all our proirites to Him and His calling

Salt

For it to retain any value it must remain ( salty )

If we lose our passion to follow Christ we are savorless

Not even good for fertilizer or the Dung hill

but to be thrown out

Matthew 5:13 ““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

If we lose our ( saltiness to the world around us we become useless )

Christ wants a true follower not partial

Why are we following Him?

It needs to be about Him

And sharing Him to a dieing world

It is a serious commitment and should not be taken lightly

Could we walk away from everything for Christ?

The heavenly kingdom will be worth everything ( eternity ) ( song 10thousand years)

What will be important in a million years from now? 10 Million? ABOUT JESUS

It will be the people that we helped along on this jornuey of life

We will never know the inpact of sharing Jesus with one person.

We should serve and love Christ because he gave it all for us

He left a perfect example for us to follow

we have an oppurtunity today. The world needs light

God will put divine apointments in our life

to be a disciple we need to know who we are following

To caught up in wants going on around us and maybe forget the true reason we are here

Luke III. Conclusion: Dying to Live

social status, family, and personal achievement must die, replaced by absolute commitment to Jesus—a commitment that will lead to rejection and crucifixion. If the aim of life is death, then you must count the cost. Are you willing to die for Christ, or must you live for self, family, and fortune

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