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    Jul 28, 2013

    Foundations of Discipleship, part 1

    Passage: Luke 14:25-35

    Series: Disciple Making Disciples

    Keywords: discipleship, cost, weighs

    Summary:

    God is looking for reproducing disciples to start a movement. Disciples the weigh the cost, weigh their love and understands the road they are choosing to walk on. Disciples plan to finish the race that is before them,

    Detail:

    Read Luke 14:25-35

    25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

    28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

    31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

    34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” Luke 14:25-35 NLT

    Let me illustrate…

    The following are actual responses from comment cards given to the staff members at Bridger Wilderness Area in 1996:

    Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.

    Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the areas of these pests.

    Please pave the trails…Chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.

    The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.

    A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call…

    Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.

    A MacDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead.

    Too many rocks in the mountains.

    Citation: Mike Neifert, Light and Life (February 1997), p. 27

    Oh there’s More… Listen to these from The Trailmaster.com (John McKinney, Hiking Expert 2013)

    These comments and complaints indicate that the people who made them do not really understand what it means to stay in a "wilderness area." They were looking for something convenient and comfortable, but not truly a wilderness experience.

    I wonder if many of us look like this when we consider our walk with Christ? I know I am. I want it comfortable, relaxing, the road well lit, well defined, less mysterious and of yes, easy!

    We go to church, have a profession of faith, read their Bibles, pray, even give in the offering and we think that is “just enough”.

    Jesus confronts this problem in our text today. He makes very, very clear what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, i.e. a DISCIPLE! He makes it clear:

    1. There is a cost
    2. There is a loss
    3. There is “no looking back”
    4. There is and will be a burden to carry as a result… the burden of Jesus Christ

    A disciple is a true follower of Jesus Christ. In other words, what we would call a "Christian." If you are a Christian, you are a disciple; if you are not a disciple as Jesus defines it then you are not a Christian. These two terms (Disciple and Christian) mean the same thing in the same way that I mean that the same thing when I speak of my "spouse" or my "wife."

    In fact the term "disciples" occurs 269 times in the New Testament, while the term "Christian" only occurs three times. In the Book of Acts we’re told that "The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26)." This makes clear that the terms are interchangeable. I wanted this to be clear because I believe it greatly clarifies the seriousness of what Jesus was saying. For instance, Jesus words in verse 27, "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" could also be phrased as "Anybody who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be a Christian." That phrasing somehow gets our attention more and clarifies the seriousness of the issue or subject Jesus is teaching about.

    I.          Consider the Audience to Whom He is Speaking

    The first thing I want you to notice is to whom Jesus is speaking these words about being his disciple. Luke notes specifically that "large crowds" were following Jesus and that Jesus specifically "turned to them" and elaborated on being a disciple.

    They considered themselves to be followers of Jesus but in reality they were only casual followers and not committed followers.

     

    Consider the difference between the runner and audience watching him. It has been said that one is, “Spectator and the Other the Participant” or perhaps the “Woeful Spectator and the Progressive Participant” One talks a good talk, the other strips down and participates in the race.

    These followers were willing and even anxious to follow Jesus providing the cost was not too high or the demands too great. IN a sense they were “along for the ride” but were unwilling to give up everything in their lives that conflicted with following Jesus in a committed way.

    Perhaps like many today that look to Jesus to solve their money problems, relationship problems, health problems, etc. but who quickly grow disillusioned and unwilling to obey Jesus completely when following Jesus doesn’t solve these problems or following Jesus requires real sacrifices in their lives. These "large crowds" were casual followers (Woeful Spectators) and not committed followers Progressive Participants)?

    II.         Consider the Message Jesus Communicated. (Listen Carefully)

    Jesus addresses this mistaken understanding of discipleship in verses 26 and 27. He explains in vivid and clear terms what it means to be a disciple of his. In summary, Jesus’ message in these two verses is:

    To be a disciple of Jesus you must be three things:

    1. A Disciple Weighs the Cost!
    2. A Disciple Plans to Finish the Race Well!
    3. A Disciple Makes a Decision and Sticks with It

     

    #1        A Disciple Weighs the Cost

     

    Weighs His Love

    26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.”

     

    In our hearts Jesus must come before our loved ones, self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, goals in life, and even our very lives. In practice this commitment to Jesus will be tested and sometimes, in a moment of weakness, Jesus will not come first in our choices, but genuine disciples have made a sincere commitment in their hearts and will not continue to put other things before Jesus.

    In verse 26 Jesus says that this commitment level applies to "anyone who comes to me. . ." In other words, Jesus is not speaking exclusively to a special group of Christians such as apostles, evangelists, missionaries, pastors, or even mature believers. He is saying that this principle applies to everyone who would be one of his followers.

    Jesus goes on to say, "Anyone who comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters,-yes, even his own life cannot be my disciple."

     

    Now the word "hate" here is not meant to be taken literally but is rather used figuratively to express a point. It is hyperbole or exaggeration similar to what we use when we say, "That man was as big as a house. . ." In Jewish culture the word "hate" was used to express lesser love, so Jesus is saying that we must love him much more that we love our closest family relationships or even our own lives. We must love him more than our hobbies, more than our goals in life, more than our careers, and more that our self-interest.

     

    Listen to the parallel passage:

     

    “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” (Matthew 10:37)

    Jesus is not speaking of our emotional feelings toward him or our families but rather he is speaking of our level of commitment. He is saying that our commitment to obey and following him must be greater than any other commitment in our lives. In other words, Jesus must be first in our priorities and loyalties.



    Weighs His Life

     

    Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

     

    In order to fully understand this, let’s look at the exact parallel in Luke 9:23.

     

    “…if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (9:23)

     

                -“Come after” means to attach oneself to Jesus as a disciple.

                -“deny himself” means to once and for all say no to self!

    -“Take up the cross” is likened to the convicted man who carries his own cross to his place of execution. This is what the convict does under duress, the disciple of Christ does willingly.

     

    “He voluntarily and decisively accepts the pain, shame, and persecution that is going to be his particular lot because of his loyalty to Christ and his cause.” (Hendriksen, pg. 498)

    Weighs His Decision

    Following Jesus will many times mean making such sacrifices. Free choice decisions. We choose to:

    -Trust Him (John 3:16)

    “For God so loved the world. That He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.””

    -Walk in His Footsteps (1 Peter 2:21)

    “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.”

    -Obey His Commands (John 15:14)

    “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Cf “He who has m commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me…” (John 14:21a)

    Summary of this passage:

    “If anyone wishes to be counted as my adherent, he must once and for all say farewell to self, decisively accept pain, shame, and persecution for my sake and in my cause – day in, day out – and must then keep on following me as my disciple (student) and must subject himself to my discipline.” (Hendriksen, pg. 498)

     

    #2        A Disciple Plans to Finish the Race or Build the Building Well!

    28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

    By Looking before he Leaps! (Calculates the Cost!)

    By Understanding the Details of the First Step! (I.e. be sure to Leap in the Right Direction.)

    To not finish the work… well, one becomes a laughing stock. To not finish the course, the world wonders of the stability of the God we believe in. To not finish the course, leaves things… well… half done!

    Thus many fall away… (Consider Hebrews 6 and 10)

     

    By Knowing is “Isn’t a Bed of Roses”!

                Jesus made it very clear.

    14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14

     “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Luke 13:24

    33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

    12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Tim 3:12

    #3        A Disciple Makes A Decision and Sticks With It

    31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

                Says NO to Neutrality!

    Says NO to the LIE that there isn’t an ENEMY (Someone Else I Fighting for Your Soul)

    -16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

    8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

    Says NO to NO Decision!

    We cannot play on the fence. “Double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1)

    Unlike many people today, including many preachers who are only interested in large crowds, Jesus wasn’t interested in numbers. Large crowds didn’t impress him but what he wanted was totally committed people.

    Jesus doesn’t want crowds, he wants commitment!. There are many who have not listened to Jesus and considered the cost. That total commitment is lacking even though a profession of faith is present.

    In verse 33, Jesus once again makes clear the cost of following him. He says the disciple must be willing "to give up everything." Everything is a fairly inclusive word! Everything means everything! Everything means your cushy job, favorite hobby, most prized possessions, free time, money, goals and dreams, and more. Now we may not literally "give up everything" but Jesus is referring to an attitude of the heart in which these things don’t have priority over obeying Jesus in our lives. The Greek word translated as "give up" can also be translated as "say goodbye or renounce."

    III. What Happens When We Don’t Care?

    Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”      

                #1 When we choose to not be sold out, our voice isn’t heard

                #2 When we choose to not be sold out, our cries go unheard

                #3 When we choose not to be sold out, our testimony falls on deaf ears.

    “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13

    Conclusion:

    So what take away can we take today?

    What is one truth you have heard from this passage today that you can put into practice right away? What truth do you think you could obey?

    Share it with 5 people this week!

    “If anyone wishes to be counted as my adherent, he must once and for all say farewell to self, decisively accept pain, shame, and persecution for my sake and in my cause – day in, day out – and must then keep on following me as my disciple (student) and must subject himself to my discipline.” (Hendriksen)