The Cost of Discipleship

Introduction

Secular Worldview versus Christian Worldview

Secular Worldview

Comes from the world as we know it; “of man, mankind, humankind.; it says that man, or mankind, is at the center of all things.

Christian Worldview

Comes from the Bible; “of God”; it says that God is at the center of all things.

The world we live in today (since ‘The Fall’ really) predominantly takes the secular worldview of things.

Sometimes even we Christians can take on a Human centered worldview.

Our terminology, the way we pray (lists of things we want, for example)

love over holiness

Blessings from God

All things that are focused on us

Yes, God loves us, blesses us, working on our behalf; human focused, not God focused

Taking a Christian Worldview

Living for God, not us

When we take a Christian world view, we realize that God takes center stage and we live our lives within our main purpose (ever wondered what you are here for?), to point to and bring glory to God. He spelled out His will for us when He told us to love God will everything you have and then to take it further and love your neighbor at least as much as you love yourself, maybe more.

Our good, God’s glory (Margaret’s story)

Through trials, we change

Overall focus = God’s glory

find our enjoyment, pleasure in spending time with God and serving Him

Scripture Lesson

Luke 14:25-35

We read in Luke 14:25-35 “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “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. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 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? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. “Salt is good, but if it loses it’s saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Following Jesus is not cheap

There is a cost (Jesus paid the ultimate price; cost to us).

We read in Matthew 19:21 “21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.””

When you take a secular worldview of Christianity, you believe that God loves us and that He is so overjoyed that we came to Him, that the way we live our lives doesn’t matter. This is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called ‘Cheap Grace’.

When we adopt a Christian worldview, we realize it’s all about God and that He indeed loves us. He loves us so much that He paid the ultimate price for our sins and He is now calling us to live our lives for Him!

Jesus is laying it all out for us in this passage. He says that following Him will not be easy, that grace and salvation came at a cost and that there will be a cost to being His disciple.

Jesus at the center

We have to get into the mindset that Jesus is at the center of everything and that being a disciple of Jesus is the most important thing in the world to us. Stephen Covey refers to this as a paradigm shift. This is the only way to navigate the shark infested waters of this life.

Counting the Cost

Building

The tower, Luke 14:28-30 “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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’”

Recent personal experience

Military Battle

The King, Luke 14:31-32 “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? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.”

Former Army Infantry Officer, battle plans

Discipleship Risk Tolerance

Savvy Investors - (2009-2021), (2022)

Questionnaire; knowing the risks and costs up front, before investing, no surprises

Cost = “effort, loss or sacrifice necessary to achieve or obtain something”; in other words, our time, talents and / or treasure

You’ll see how each of these play out in the various types of cost Jesus describes

Costs of Discipleship

Relationship

We read in Luke 14:26 “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.”

John 14:21 “21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Do you know Him? (Dr. S.M. Lockridge, “That’s My King”)

Question I ask (if not evident or known); nothing else matters as much

Read the Word enough to know what God commands

Do you listen to His Word preached?

Do you gather for Bible studies to hear His Word taught?

You say, “This all takes time!” Yes it does; relationships take work! The cost of discipleship!

Holy Living

We read in Luke 14:27 “27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Further, we read in Luke 9:23-25 “23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

We read in 1 Peter 1:14-16 “14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We read in Romans 12: 1-2 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Examples of what the world (our culture) condones (adultery, gluttony, abortion, idolatry, gossip)

Disciples of Christ are different, separate, peculiar. We should stand out from the crowd. If you’re not...

T-Shirt

Faith

And finally, we read in Luke 14:34-35 ““Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 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.”

So, are you a ‘fair weather Christian’? Do you fall by the wayside when things get tough?

Faith is not blind! Huge body of evidence.

First, we have the Word of God to go on and by.

Second, there is ample evidence to not only the existence of God, but His ever presence with us.

Yet there are many things we will never know, are not to be known this side of eternity. Faith is believing God in the face of the unknown; even when we don’t understand.

Faith is believing God when you face dark days, believing that He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Faith is believing that God answers prayer, even in the bleakest of circumstances; that He always answers, either yes / no / in His time, that His timing is perfect and all is according to His perfect loving plan. Only He can see the ‘big picture’.

Salt was and is valuable.

Are you salt or not; light or not?

We read in Matthew 5:14-16 “14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We read in James 2:14-18 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Get yourself straight

relationships

Set apart

Faith in God’s promises

Count the Cost; Worth it!