Message for the Hillsdale Free Methodist Church
September 1st, 2024
Message Text: Luke 14:25-33
Aux text: 2 Samuel 24:18-25
“The Cost of Discipleship”
Background Information:
- In Jesus’ time and in the early generations after him, to decide for Jesus usually meant facing rejection, ridicule, and tension. No one decided to embrace him casually. Today, many people assume they are Christian simply because they live in a culture grounded in Judeo-Christian roots. (Darrell L. Bock, the NIV Application Commentary: Luke, 403)
- When Jesus said this He was on His way to Jerusalem. He knew that He was on His way to the Cross; the crowds who were with Him thought that He was on His way to an empire. That is why He spoke to them like this. In the most vivid way possible He told them that the man who would follow Him was not on the way to worldly power and glory, but must be ready for a loyalty which would sacrifice the dearest things in life, and for a suffering which would be like the agony of a man upon a cross. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke, 203)
Service Orientation: The disciple Jesus is looking for is not necessarily an intellectual giant, a dynamic personality, a star artist or an athletic MVP. Instead, Jesus is looking for those who have humble hearts from being crushed by their own depravity and are desperately looking for, continually learning from, and willing to unreservedly trust and follow Jesus at any cost.
The Word for the Day: Disciple
Memory Verse: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. {27} And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. —Jesus in Luke 14:26-27
What does it cost to be Jesus’ disciple?:
I- Your pride. (Ps 51:17; Isa 57:15; 66:2; Mt 5:5; Rom 12:16; Eph 4:2; Phil 2:3, 5-8; Col 3:12; Jam 4:6, 10; 1 Pt 5:5-6)
Pride in the Hebrew means literally “a bubbling up or a foaming over.” It is the attitude of self-exaltation at the expense of honoring God. …Pride regards self as fundamentally more significant than anybody else. (Stuart Briscoe; Choices for a Lifetime,188)
It is impossible to have spiritual maturity and pride at the same time. (Rick Warren; The Purpose Driven Church, 338)
I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled. (D.L Moody as quoted by J. Kuhatschek; Taking The Guesswork Out of Applying The Bible, 153ff)
If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility. The second is humility. And the third is humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are meaningless. —St. Augustine
If we saw ourselves as God sees us there would be no room in us for pride. —Sharon Titus
The proud person has a hard time coming to God. We want God on our terms, in our understanding. It’s simply impossible. He wants us, as He tells us in the Bible, on His terms. He wants our childlike faith. The Good Shepherd goes out to find those who finally come to understand they are lost without Him. I experienced precisely this. (Charles Colson, The Good Life, 381)
I am persuaded the more light we have, the more we see our own sinfulness: the nearer we get to heaven, the more we are clothed with humility. (J. C. Ryle; Holiness, 33)
Pride is the sin we cannot see in ourselves and yet so detest in others. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. One, 365)
II- Your prideful illusion of being self-righteousness. (Ps 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccl 7:20; Isa 53:6; Jer 17:9; ; Lk 13:24; 18:9-14; Rom 3:10, 20-23; Phil 3:7-9)
It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to Church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, and follow Christ, and believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, and our self-righteousness, and our ease, and our worldliness. All–all must be given up. (John Charles Ryle, Expository Thought on the Gospels: St. Luke, part I, 168)
The Law is a divinely sent Hercules to attack and kill the monster of self-righteousness and to show us every day just how desperate we need God’s grace. (Martin Luther as quoted by Tullian Tevidgjian; Life Without God – Pt 7)
III- Your war against your natural self to insure you have no affections or allegiance greater than those for Jesus. (Mt 5:3-6; 6:24; 10:37-38; Lk 12:33-34; Rom 7:7-24; Gal 5:17; Eph 6:10-18; Phil 3:7-21; Jam 4:4; 1 Jn 2:15)
A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing. — Martin Luther
Jesus does not demand actual hatred of one’s own parents (which would directly contradict and violate the commandment of Ex 20:12), but his forceful exaggeration makes it clear that one’s love for Jesus must outweigh all other loyalties. (Craig A. Evans, New International Biblical Commentary: Luke, 229)
Love of family is a law of God (see Eph 6:1-4; 1 Tm 5:8), but even this love can be self-serving and used as an excuse not to serve God or do his work. We must not be so devoted or enmeshed in family love that we push Christ into the background. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Matthew, 214)
The one who would have God’s power must lead a life of self-denial. There are many things which are not sinful in the ordinary understanding of the word sin, but which hinder spirituality and rob men of power. I do not believe that any man can lead a luxurious life, overindulge his natural appetites, indulge extensively in dainties, and enjoy the fullness of God’s power. The gratification of the flesh and the fullness of the Spirit do not go hand in hand. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal 5:17). Paul wrote: “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Cor 9:27; see ASV, Greek; note also Eph 5:18). (R. A. Torrey, The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, 75-6)
The characteristics of Christian discipleship are, from the world’s perspective, the marks of losers. (Alister Begg ; A Christian Manifesto – Part 2)
IV- Your time in always wanting to obtain a more comprehensive knowledge of Jesus and His Kingdom. (Acts 17:11; Col 3:10; 2 Tm 3:16-17; 2 Pt 3:18)
The New Testament Greek word translated as “disciple” comes from a root that means “learner.” By definition, a disciple is someone who never stops learning. (Mark Batterson, Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, 107)
A true disciple is a disciplined man. When all one’s aims and ambitions are laid at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, when the Word of God becomes the guiding principle for life, when the Holy Spirit is allowed to fill the life consistently and the fruit of the Spirit is evidenced and when prayer is a constant part of life, then you are on the pathway of true discipleship. (Mark Jackson, Our Perfect Example, 95)
In a real sense, a disciple (i.e., a learner) is a person under constant renovation. I often joke with my classes that if there is any doubt renovation is needed, all I need to do is ask their spouse or roommate! A good disciple recognizes that renovation is never done. He or she also recognizes that sometimes renovation means tearing down before building up something fresh and new. The rebuilding that God does is not always easy or pleasant, but like the goal of renovation, what emerges is much better than what was there at the start. The hope of such transformation is what makes discipleship worth the journey. (Darrell L. Bock, the NIV Application Commentary: Luke, 403-4)
V- Your entire life. You are daily dying to your own agenda, priorities affections, and values to follow Jesus more closely. (Mt 10:37-39; 16:24; 19:27; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23; 14:33; Phil 3:7-8; Col 1:18; 2 Tm 3:12)
When God calls a man, he bids him come and die. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer; The Cost of Discipleship)
Love of one’s own life is often the greatest hindrance to full commitment to Christ. Yet Jesus calls His disciples to total self-denial, including, if necessary, sacrifice to the point of death. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: Matthew 8-15, 233)
Jesus is not offering a makeover. He’s calling for a takeover, very different from the easy kind of Christianity light that we’re so familiar with. (John MacAthur; The Extreme Nature of True Discipleship – Pt 2)
Worship Point: Worship of the God of the Universe can only truly begin when we see His righteousness in contrast to our sinfulness, His power in contrast to our weakness, His wisdom in contrast to our foolishness, His love in contrast to our self-centeredness. TRUE worship occurs when we become a TRUE disciple. (Jn 4:23-24)
The proud and lofty man or woman cannot worship God any more acceptably than can the proud devil himself. There must be humility in the heart of the person who would worship God in spirit and in truth. (A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship?, 84)
Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God’s truth, not its own. True worship doesn’t put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn’t forced, isn’t half-hearted, doesn’t keep looking at its watch, doesn’t worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark. (N. T. Wright, For All God’s Worth, 6-7)
Right worship of God requires recognition of the glories of his nature; and true recognition of God’s glory always causes awareness of human need that can only be met by