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Sunday 7 April 2002 - The cost

(Summary of sermon by Rev John Powys)

Lk 14:25 - 35

Who were these multitudes that were following Jesus? Were they just people that were impressed by His miracles and therefore followed Him? Some of them were definitely of that kind, but not all. If we read the corresponding passage in John 6, we see that Jesus was speaking about some very difficult things here. And then, many of His disciples left Him, and He was left with only the 12.

A disciple is someone who learns from his master or teacher. So too is a disciple of Jesus Christ, someone who learns from Him. I once saw an advert at a church, "Do you want to become a Christian?", and below it, "Do you want to become a disciple of Jesus?". What is the difference? You cannot be a Christian without being a disciple of Jesus Christ, because a disciple of Jesus simply learns from what He says and teaches, and then practices that.

Here Jesus makes it clear what it costs to follow Him. We all know how He invites us to come to Him (see Mt 11:28). But there is an "if", and it is this "if" that is difficult. Someone said very appropriately, "Jesus wants you to come to Him just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you just as you are." Jesus lays down the conditions of discipleship clearly from the beginning. You cannot be His disciple, unless you fulfill the conditions, even if you want to.

In verse 26, Jesus says something that looks like it contradicts the old testament. Should we not honour, love and respect our parents? But in actual fact, He is saying exactly what the old testament is saying (see De 6:5), that we should love God with our all. De 13:6 - 11 makes this very clear. Your love for the Lord Jesus must exceed your love for your beloved ones, as far as love is from hatred. You must love Jesus so much, that when a situation arise, such as in De 13, where your beloved wife, or son or daughter, comes to you, even in secret, and wants to draw you away from Jesus and His way, that your decision will be as radical against them as we've just read. This is what God feels about our love towards Him, and without such a Godly love, we cannot be His disciple.

We all know the gods that are served today. How many times have your bosom friend secretly enticed you to the fashions and pleasures of this world? One finds that the father of a home stands for God, but his children slowly brings in the things of the world into the home, and because he loves his children and pities them, he tolerates it. In doing so, he disqualifies himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He cannot be a Christian. If only we would listen to God's Word, and not pity them nor consent to them! Many parents have gone this way, pitying their child who leaves God's way, and so have lost the soul of their child and in the end lose their own soul too.

Jesus does not wants to entice us under false pretences, without us knowing what the cost is to be His disciple. Yes, Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. He has proved it on the cross, and needs not do it again. Neither do we need any more proof of His love and faithfulness. Now it is our duty to fulfill His conditions, otherwise we cannot be His disciple. We cannot share our love towards Him with anyone or anything else, and still be His disciple. It is impossible. Now He asks you to sit down and count the cost, and see if you are still prepared to come to Him and be His disciple - to be a Christian. Are you prepared to pay the cost? Are you prepared to forsake your wife, children, brothers and sisters, if such a situation arises, and follow Him wholeheartedly? And are you prepared to do it, not in theory, but in practice?

And then, after this, Jesus adds, "yes, his own life also". Are you even prepared to forsake your own ambition and goal in life for His sake? Are you prepared to forsake all your learning and royal pedigree for His sake? Paul was prepared. He said that he counted his learning and honoured family line, etc. all as dung, to gain Christ.

Now we can understand that so few continued to follow Christ. Only the 12 remained with Jesus. Jesus certainly was no English gentleman with English manners. After all left Him, He even said to the twelve, "Don't you want to go too?", and in another place He said to the twelve, "one of you is a devil". They did not know of whom He was speaking, except Judas.

Now, if you now still say "yes, I'm prepared to pay the cost and follow Him", remember that He will put you to the test. He wants to see if you will put your "money" where your mouth is. The proof of it will be seen in practice and not in theory.

In verse 34, Jesus is speaking about half-baked, lukewarm Christians. They are of those that love pleasure more than God. They very quickly want to follow Jesus, but the temptations and pleasures of the world, and the hardships of being a Christian, quickly cause them to throw in the towel. They are not even worthy of the dunghill, but are simply thrown on the street to be trodden under foot by people. The world doesn't want them, and neither are they of any worth to the church. They are simply worthless. All that see them will mock them. It would be better for such people to have never started.

You need to count the cost and be sure that you are prepared to pay the price unto death, even if it is the one closest to you that you love, that you must separate from. Jesus said that in the last days even brothers will betray you. Are you still prepared to follow Jesus? Are you prepared to put those to death spiritually, who forsake God's way? If not, you will make a mockery of the faith.

May God help us and give us an ear to hear to honestly choose to follow Him 100%.