Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text   MS Word Category Bobby Stafford If Anyone Desires to Follow Me     Christian Living

If Anyone Desires to Follow Me

Introduction:

“Some have reported that in the days of the early church some Christians would carve images for the pagans.  They would try to justify their actions by saying, ‘We do not bow down to these images’ or ‘We have a talent’ and also, ‘After all, somebody will do it anyway, and I have to live.’  Tertullian challenged them with a very probing question, ‘Must you live?’ ”

These had not counted the cost of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.  “Disciple”: “One who follows and accepts the teachings of another and helps spread that doctrine.”  There are disciples of Karl Marx and Charles Darwin.  The word is used over two hundred times in the New Testament.  (Acts 11:26) “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.  And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” NKJV  Followers of Jesus Christ are those who have been taught the Word and live in it and by it.  (John 8:31) “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.’ ” NKJV  Note that by definition disciples of denominations are not Christians.  In our text Luke 14:25-35, Jesus answers the question, “What will it cost to be His disciple?”

Text:  Luke 14:25-35 

Body:

I.  What Does It Mean To Be A True Disciple?  Luke 14:25-27 “25 Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them,” NKJV  Jesus finished giving the “parable of the great supper,” in which three different excuses were given for not coming to this feast.  On the tail of that, he makes clear that one must put the Lord first if they are to be disciples of His as well as bear their cross.  (Luke 14:15-24) “Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, ‘Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!’  Then He said to him, ‘A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  But they all with one accord began to make excuses.  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it.  I ask you to have me excused.’  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them.  I ask you to have me excused.’  Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’  So that servant came and reported these things to his master.  Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant.  ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’  And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’  Then the mater said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.’  For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ” NKJV

A.  Put the Lord First  Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” NKJV  The meaning of “hate” here:  Matthew 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” NKJV  As true disciples of Christ, we must love our family less than we do the Lord.  We must regard and esteem [those closest and dearest to us] less than we do Jesus.  I think of the Macedonians who gave themselves fully to the Lord.  (II Corinthians 8:5) “And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.” NKJV  Notice this includes not regarding our own selves as much as we do Christ, either.  This is a condition of true discipleship and how difficult it is, too.

B.  Bear His Own Cross  Luke 14:27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” NKJV  Those in the 1^st Century, seeing a person bearing a cross, knew what it meant – an agonizing death.  Therefore a real disciple of Jesus Christ is willing to die for his faith than to give it up.  (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” NKJV  While we may never have to sacrifice our lives for Christ, we must be willing to make necessary sacrifices for Jesus and His church.  Illustration:  A teacher was asked concerning a person in his class, “Isn’t he one of your students?”  The reply:  “He attended my lectures, but he was never one of my students.”  [Make comments about former students.]  “Some just never got it.”  “The material never sunk in.” Are we “getting it” today?  Do we understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

II.  What Does It Cost To Be A True Disciple?  Luke 14:28-33  Jesus urged people to “count the cost” of being His disciples, to make sure they were willing to pay the price.  He sets forth two illustrations for the necessity of counting the cost.

A.  The Tower Builder  Luke 14:28-30 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the 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’?” NKJV  Possibly this refers to towers constructed in vineyards used to watch for intruders.  If a man begins to build one without first calculating the total cost and fails to finish, those who live nearby will laugh at him and ridicule him.  Jesus wants His followers to be fully informed of the cost and then determine to stay to the end.  This revolves around repentance.  One determines to submit his whole life to the Lord – completely dedicate oneself to following Him – make every effort to finish what one has started regardless of the cost.  If one doesn’t intend on doing this, he has not really repented.

B.  King Going to War  Luke 14:31-33 “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all the he has cannot be My disciple.” NKJV  A king should not enter battle unless he is fairly sure he can win.  He must sit down and count the cost first.  It may be to make peace before battle begins.  Far too often people have been baptized who did not count the cost of being a Christian.  They didn’t sit down and consider the price to be paid for being His disciple.  [Attending services, sacrificial giving, new lifestyle. . . ] They eventually surrendered to Satan.  An example of one who was willing is the apostle Paul.  While facing death as a prisoner in Rome, he wrote:  II Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” NKJV  Luke 14:33:  We must be willing, if necessary, to give up everything for the cause of Christ.  Read Matthew 19:29. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” NKJV  I think often about the early pioneer preachers and how much they had to give up to preach the gospel.  Walter Scott during 1827-1830 preached two or three times daily, eating and sleeping when he could.  William Lipscomb, David’s elder brother, taught at Franklin College.  He had severe bronchial problems, often bled from his lungs.  Friends would have to carry him into his classes to teach.  They knew what it meant to forsake all and follow Christ.

III.  What Are the Consequences of Not Being A True Disciple?  Luke 14:34-35 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him heat!” NKJV  True disciples are compared to salt.  The true disciple, the one willing to forsake all, influences others to become a follower also.  He makes the world a better place to live, helps cure some of society’s problems.  (I Thessalonians 1:6-8) “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.  For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place.  Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.” NKJV  Disciples can lose their saltiness through worldliness, apathy, and allowing our lives to become stressed with sin. . .  We become worthless to Christ when we fail to count the cost of being a disciple and lay down our cross.

Closing:

As the apostle Paul said near the end of his life (because of his remaining a true disciple of Jesus Christ)  “. . .there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day,. . .” II Timothy 4:8  Have you completely submitted your life to Jesus Christ?  Can you honestly say you have?

 Bobby Stafford  July 14, 2019