What Does It Actually Cost To Follow Jesus?
Luke 14:25-33
Dec 2, 2018 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Luke 14:25-33)
A. Wrapping up 2018
B. A year-long study of the Book of Nehemiah
1. Building and RE-building broken things
2. Like communication and relationships
3. Like our prayer life
4. Like our hearts and minds
5. Like our walk with God and worship and prayer life
6. Like our nation and our communities
7. GOD is in the REBUILDING business – the restoration business – the saving broken things business
C. Studied much of the Book of Nehemiah
1. Out of the 13 chapters in Nehemiah
2. We got to Chapter 10 – pretty good, going verse by verse, truth by truth
D. THE greatest Scripture in the entire Book…
1. You would think it was Nehemiah 2:21
a. Nehemiah was excited – and ready to begin the work
b. All the people were excited about rebuilding the city of Jerusalem
c. But that was not what God wanted US in the 21st century to see from this Book
d. That was just the BEGINNING
2. The greatest Scripture in the Book is actually 6:15
3. Why do I say that?
E. Because FINISHING is far better than just starting!
1. Prov 13:19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul
2. Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
3. Paul had great faith, and great intentions to do the will of God, but his GREATEST desire was to “Finish my course with joy…” (Acts 20:24).
4. Which, he was one day, 20 some odd years later to gladly say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2Ti 4:7)
F. The question is, WHY are there so many starters in Christianity, and so few finishers?
II. Background (Luke 14:25)
A. Jesus has been very popular up to this point
1. Thousands of people took time away from their jobs, their farms, their families to just see and hear Jesus, and watch Jesus do amazing, marvellous things right in front of them!
2. They would even sometimes be away from their homes for three long days without food
B. Popularity is a strange thing though
1. It is not an end, even though most people yearn for it and live for it
2. People WANT to be popular – to be LIKED and followed and looked up to
3. Many crave the buzz of popularity
4. But popularity is an empty mirage, that means nothing in the long run
5. It is bitter, and empty, and always moving on
C. So, Jesus Provokes All Those People to a Challenge
1. Jesus was walking at the head of a huge crowd
a. Must have looked impressive, and even imposing!
b. The Pharisees were afraid of Him because of the size of the crowds that followed Him
2. And then all of a sudden…
a. Jesus STOPS
b. and TURNS
c. And right then and there, out on some dirt road somewhere in the middle of nowhere, Jesus EXPLAINS what they were getting into as disciples – actual followers – not just good time Charlies
d. And what it will cost them if they stay the course for the rest of their lives
3. NO ONE expected this!
a. They thought everything was honky-dory
b. But it wasn’t
c. And it is not honky-dory today either! As you shall see!
III. Message – What Does It Cost to Follow Jesus?
A. Two Requirements of a Follower (Luke 14:25-27)
1. Hate some very important people in your life… (look at what Jesus lists)
a. It would have been GREAT if Jesus had said hate…
1) Brussel sprouts
2) Bullies
3) Cleaning up after 2 year olds
4) But He didn’t
b. He said, a follower of Jesus must hate the most important people in your life
1) Your Father
2) Your Mother
3) Your Wife
4) Your Children
5) Your Brothers and Sisters
6) And YOUR OWN LIFE also!
7) Or else you cannot be my follower – my disciple
c. Tough words to hear
d. And by the way, there are different kinds of hate. Jesus waits to explain what He means by hate down in verse 33, so read all the way to the end before jumping ship this morning!
1) Normally, we only take the usual meaning of hate… to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest
2) But Jesus explains that to hate means to FORSAKE something you are clinging to and loving and relying upon – abandon, LEAVE it… TO LET-GO OF THEM
3) So that you can make another choice and cling to something else instead
4) See Genesis 2:24
2. Oh, and, by-the-way, you will need to carry your cross – THAT is what we need to cling to
a. Our WHAT? Cross?
1) A cross definitely was something to fear and stay away from
2) It was an instrument of death – how the Romans killed criminals
3) For the follower of Jesus, our cross is that threat always hanging over ANY follower of Jesus that the world, the flesh and the devil will never stop coming against you to try and hurt you and get you to quit doing the will of God
b. Yet Jesus often spoke of the cross like it was something to be embraced by His followers – not feared
1) Let go of family, friends, your own life (use of the word hate)
2) So that you can cling to the cross – to the will of God for you, no matter how hard it may be
c. Now, believe me, not one of those thousands of people listening to Him that day or any day up until Jesus’ own crucifixion understood just what Jesus was meaning
d. But HERE is the reality:
1) Jesus says, If you are not interested in carrying YOUR own cross AS you follow me…
a) If you are not willing to be hurt, and suffer, and make personal sacrifices
b) And if you are not willing to be persecuted and mocked and even killed just for following Jesus
2) Then you CANNOT follow me – you cannot be my disciples
3) AND you WON’T follow Him anyways!
3. What was the problem?
a. All those people believed that just physically being with Jesus, and showing up every time Jesus was in the area and listening to Him, well, THAT was all discipleship was to them. That was all it involved!
b. So, Jesus was drawing a line in the sand to try and stop the multitudes dead in their tracks!
c. Because as I said, just being popular was not Jesus’ purpose
d. It could do nothing for anyone if He just kept feeding them, and teaching them and healing them
e. They needed to make a total commitment – a choice that might cost them everything
B. Two Examples of Determination (14:28-32) - the kind of determination they needed to have
1. Jesus then uses two examples to illustrate what He was needing from them
a. The Intention to Build a Tower
b. And the Desire to Fight a war
2. Notice first the word “Intending”
a. Desiring, interested in doing something
b. Did you know that good intentions are worthless?
c. EVERY one of those men and women had good intentions – the right desire – to be with Jesus
d. The question was not their intention
e. It was whether they would follow through and actually accomplish what they think they want to do
3. Intending to Build a Tower
a. What kind of a tower was Jesus referring to?
1) This is no simple treehouse
2) But a big building project
3) Brinks, mortar, concrete – big job – take quite a while to build
4) It will cost a lot of money and effort – not a Saturday afternoon project!
b. WHY would someone build a tower?
1) Usually as an observation tower – like a castle tower - looking out for invading armies
2) Sometimes as part of a large farm, to watch over all the workers, and the cattle, and to make sure no one was robbing them
3) Ireland has loads of towers sprinkled throughout the countryside
c. How Does One Build a Tower?
1) Two kinds of men here (one Deliberate, and the other Impulsive):
a) The first kind sits down with pen and paper and makes a plan - Deliberate
i. Takes time to Add up all the costs he will have to pay to build it
ii. Considering weather and delays and problems…
iii. And then checks to see if he has enough money and commitment and determination to see it all the way through – to FINISH it
iv. That is how you are supposed to build things
b) The second man is impulsive
i. Doesn’t care about thinking about costs and problems and obstacles
ii. Nah. He is pressing right into the work
iii. Because he likes the idea of having a tower
iv. He is going to just start anyway
v. Digs a deep trench, and fills it with stone and mortar – concrete
vi. Gets the foundation laid – GOOD thing (1Co 3:10,11) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
vii. Hires a lot of workers
viii. Makes a good show – lots of workers, piles of stones and big dreams!
ix. Impulsive people sure know how to make a flashy start
x. But impulsive people almost NEVER finish what they start – they move on to something else when it gets tough
xi. Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
xii. Jesus warns that too many of the people following HIM, would soon be losing their interest, and would be following something or someone else
c) They BOTH had a good foundation for their lives
d) But only one sweats and labours and sacrifices and struggles and FINISHES, and the other starts well, but walks away when it got too hard and expensive.
e) Which kind of Christian are YOU?
4. Intending to Fight an Enemy Army
a. He evidently HAS to fight an oncoming army – no choice about it
b. Jesus describes a king who DELIBERATELY…
1) Sits down FIRST – makes planning and preparation and THINKING a priority
2) And then consults with some counsellors, advisors, men who see things from different angles
3) To help him make sure he has thought about everything
4) Asks himself, will they be able to WIN with fewer soldiers
5) Or do they need to find a way to make peace with the other king
c. Jesus implies that there is another kind of king - IMPULSIVE
1) Who might just impulsively rush out to fight out of pride
2) And NOT actually work out a plan to WIN, nor count the cost of all the men he might lose and all the weapons and land he might lose
3) Which is usually what happens throughout history, because most wars are fought out of pride and not careful planning!
d. One WINS the fight, or at least lives to fight another day, and the other is defeated!
e. Which kind of Christian are YOU?
C. How All This Relates to Following Jesus – Discipleship
1. God doesn’t want you to LOSE what really matters (Matthew 16:26)
a. Like your soul! Eternity in hell is the most awful reality anyone could ever face!
b. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
2. If you ARE born again… He has invested a lot of ‘building’ and rebuilding into YOU, and your soul that ought not be neglected
a. Jesus began a good work in every believer – and WILL finish that work!
1) Philp 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
2) Heb 13:20,21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
b. He EXPECTS us to
1) Protect what He has given us – like the will of God, second chances, our families, our time with God
2) Expects us to fight whatever the devil throws at us and WIN against him
3) So, Be willing to lose everything if we want to hold onto what Jesus is building in each of us
a) Php 3:7,8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
b) That simply means to Choose Christ over anything I might hold dear
IV. Conclusion
A. To be a Disciple of JESUS
1. Is more than just coming here to church
a. Just physically here
b. Showing up every time you are supposed to
c. Blending with the crowd
d. And listening to His words
e. Don’t let that be all there is to your “Christian” life
f. Make a total commitment – a choice that might cost them everything
2. It is seeing the realities of the road ahead as a DISCIPLE
a. That it will be hard so many days
b. That the devil will make it hard
c. That your own family will hinder you
d. That you yourself will get tired and bored and discouraged
e. You will often get hurt and carry scars
f. That it will always cost you more than you thought it would to follow Jesus
B. God doesn’t want you to lose the most important things you have from HIM – your soul, your family, your purpose in life, your clean conscience, your joy! Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
C. But we need to be WILLING to lose everything if we want to build something lasting in our lives and homes and churches
D. So, what will you do?
1. Be like the majority of people?
a. Who try to live the Christian life impulsively – flippantly – feelings-based!
1) Never considering costs and problems and obstacles
2) Making a good show – lots of smiles, lots of excitement!
3) A flashy start
4) Only to NEVER finish what you start
5) Always moving on to something else
2. Or, be like the few
a. From now on, every morning with your Bible in hand
1) Sit down and PONDER finishing well as you spend time in prayer with God
2) Seek godly influences in your plans from godly friends, and Bible preachers, to help you make sure you have thought about everything
3) Take the time to fight your enemy on your knees until you win!
b. Build Your Life on the Foundation of Jesus’ Life!
1) Add up all the costs you are going to probably have to pay
2) Check to see if you have enough commitment and determination to see it through – to FINISH it
3) Who, plan to finish – sit down and make a commitment to God that you are in this all the way
4) Build until every stone is in place, every family member is saved and serving God, every Scripture that can be memorized is stored away and enjoyed, every command obeyed, and every promise believed!
c. Set Out to WIN Against your Enemy’s attacks, Satan
1) You and I have no choice but to fight an oncoming enemy every day – no choice about it
2) Pay the price to win the war
3) Don’t be the fool who:
a) Thinks they can just resist anything the devil throws at them
b) Thinks they can always just get back up and recover
c) Never actually working out a plan to fight back with the right kind of weapons and WIN
d) Never worrying about the cost that they WILL lose if they DON’T win the fight
4) Pray and fast and love and sacrifice so that no one can mock you in the end
5) Yes, they will fail, and fall, and stumble, and mess up
d. Just don’t quit! (John 6:66-69)
1) Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
2) Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
3) Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
4) Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.