Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit and Pastor Andrew T. Okai
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 4th 2016
Sermon text: Luke 14:25-35
Sermon theme: On the mission with Christ
Introduction
Grace mercy and peace...
In today’s gospel reading Jesus make clear to his followers what the
call to discipleship demands...
Jesus had to make clear this mission because like I said last week he
understands very well how we behave...
While some of us are very interested in reading the fine print before
affixing our signature to a document, there are others of us we would
and read after we’ve gotten in trouble...
So he looks behind him and there is this very large crowd of people in
the parade; he realized that some of them didn’t know where they
were going; didn’t know why they were going; (stereotype)...
Jesus stops the parade and he says hey folks listen up; before we go
any further I need you to understand this mission...
Luke 14:25-26 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning
to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own
life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
From this text and the proceeding verses are some truths that we
need to know as we have verged to follow Jesus... and holding to
these truths I believe will help us as we persevere on this mission with
Jesus...
It is a mission of separation
Luke 14:26 if anyone comes to me and does not hate father and
mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own
life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
It sound like the scripture is contradicting itself when in one place we
are told to love other and in another to hate... (Hating anyone or thing
that stands oppose to the mission of Christ...)
Notice he doesn’t only say hate those things, but he gives a listing of
personal relationships that could be savaged by this mission...
(Something we see happening most often in other religions...)
He makes it even more personal talking about separation from one’s
own life... E.G. Paul the apostle... Roman 7:19 I don’t do what I want
to do...
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ...
It is a mission of persecution
Luke 14:27 and whoever does not carry their cross and follow me
cannot be my disciple.
I don’t know what you think of when you see a cross – as for me it is
an emblem of sufferings and shame...
So in other words Jesus is saying sufferings for his sake is a part of the
mission (Thank God for the united states...)
Question: what will you do if caught up in a situation that demands
being put to shame/your life?
Matthew 5:12 rejoice and be glad...
It is a mission of calculation
Luke 14:28 suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you
first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money
to complete it?
So now we can see that one of the hallmarks of a successful mission
with Christ is to have an estimate of your loss and gain before signing
up... (There are losses and there are gains)... E.g. new countertops
Personal experience: I’ve lost relationships on this journey – my
personal desires –
But nothing can be compared to Jesus’ losses...
It is a mission of consideration
Luke 14:31 or suppose a king is about to go to war against another
king; won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten
thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty
thousand?
This text suggests to us that before missioning with Jesus, we must
consider the mission (Think carefully about something before making a
decision)
Consider the temporal vs. the eternal... ($1000.00 vs. a job)
I got in mission with Christ many years ago, and stayed in because I
did a very careful consideration on the temporal vs. the eternal...
I also found out that once with Jesus there is no loosing there is
rewarding...
Lastly, I found out that the present sufferings cannot be compared to
the glory that will be revealed in me... Romans 8:18