Discipleship– The Cost
Luke 14:25-35
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Costs?
Salvation is free – discipleship
costs everything!
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Big Idea
Our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us to
Make Disciples with guaranteed results
personally and in others. This process is
wrought with challenges, expectations, and
responsibilities. Jesus never sugarcoats His
commands but tells us to calculate the costs,
but, in the end, the investment made pales in
significance to the results gained!
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Background
• Luke, a physician, writes with
the compassion and warmth
of a family doctor
• Most likely a Greek writing to
Greeks
• Documents
the
perfect
humanity of the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ
• Emphasizes Jesus’ ancestry
and birth
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Jesus Popularity
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and turning to them he said:” (Luke 14:25
NIV)
– Jesus ministry is growing in popularity, and from
all indicators, very successful
– By continuing to meet their physical needs would
be a slam-dunk for them making Him King
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Hard Sayings
““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. And anyone who does not carry
his cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Hard Sayings
““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. And anyone who does not carry
hate (miseo) = to love less. This
his cross and
follow me cannot be my
means we must love all less than
disciple.” (Luke
Christ 14:26-27 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Hard Sayings
• a call to self denial
““If anyone
comes
me and
does
not
• voluntarily
andto
decisively
accepts
the pain,
shame, and
and persecution
for the
sakeand
of
hate his father
mother, his
wife
Christ
children,• must
his begin
brothers
sisters—yes,
to follow and
and continue
to follow
even his Christ
own life—he cannot be my
disciple. And anyone who does not carry
his cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Hard Sayings
““If anyone comes to me and does not
hate his father and mother, his wife and
children,
his brothers
and sisters—yes,
Caution: Jesus
is not advocating
a monastic
lifestyle,
self flagellation
in order to
even
his norown
life—he cannot
begainmy
favor with God. But rather, a willingness to take
disciple.
And anyone who does not carry
what ever comes with being a disciple of Jesus.
his cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Illustrations
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.
Will he not first sit down and estimate the
cost to see if he has enough money to
complete it? For if he lays the foundation
and is not able to finish it, everyone who
sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow
began to build and was not able to finish.’”
(Luke 14:28-30 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Illustrations
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war
against another king. Will he not first sit
down and consider whether he is able with
ten thousand men to oppose the one coming
against him with twenty thousand? If he is
not able, he will send a delegation while the
other is still a long way off and will ask for
terms of peace” (Luke 14:31-33 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Illustrations
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war
against another king. Will he not first sit
down and consider whether he is able with
Jesus is not saying from these illustrations that the
ten should
thousand
the
tower
not be men
built ortotheoppose
king should
not one
go
to
war, butagainst
that careful
and preparation
coming
himcalculation
with twenty
thousand?
should
for both
If he be
is made
not able,
he will send a delegation
while the other is still a long way off and
will ask for terms of peace” (Luke 14:3133 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Illustrations
In the same way, any of you who does not
give up everything he has cannot be my
disciple.” (Luke 14:33 NIV)
The design of Christ, therefore, is to warn
his followers to bear the cross, that they
may prepare themselves with courage.
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Savor
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It is fit
neither for the soil nor for the manure
pile; it is thrown out.” (Luke 14:34-35
NIV)
One who merely makes a profession of being a
disciple of Christ without total commitment,
is as useless as salt that has lost it’s saltiness.
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Savor
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.””
(Luke 14:35 NIV)
hear (akouo) carries with it the necessity of
understanding the implications of what is
being communicated.
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“...I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not overcome it. I will give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:18-19 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“...I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not overcome it. I will give
you
the would
keys ofbecome
the kingdom
of heaven;
Church
the gatekeeper
of
those who you
werebind
the disciples
Jesusbe
Christ.
whatever
on earthofwill
bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:18-19 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“...I
build
and the
gates
The will
words
bindmy
andchurch,
loose were
rabbinical
ofterms
Hades
will not
overcome
it. I will give
meaning
to forbid
and permit.
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:18-19 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“...I will build my church, and the gates
of Hades will not overcome it. I will give
you
keys and
of the
kingdom
Thisthe
authority
power
given to of
theheaven;
church
whatever
bind
willdisciples
be bound
was meantyou
to be
usedon
to earth
guide His
in
journey to
become
like Him.
intheir
heaven,
and
whatever
you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:18-19 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“Every day they continued to meet together
Three Marks of a True Church
in the temple courts. They broke bread in
1.Faithful
preaching
the whole
their homes
and ate of
together
with counsel
glad and
sincere
of
God hearts,” (Acts 2:46 NIV)
“What business
is it of mineof
to the
judgesacraments
those outside
2.Proper
administration
“Preach
the Word; be prepared in season and
the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God
of
andoutside.
the Lord’s
out
of those
season;
correct,
rebuke
and
willbaptism
judge
“Expelsupper
the
wicked man
encourage—with
greatofpatience
and
from among you.””
(1Corinthians
5:12-13
NIV)careful
3.Consistent
practice
church
discipline
instruction.” (2Timothy 4:2 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
“Obey your leaders and submit to their
authority. They keep watch over you as
submit (hipeiko) = to
men surrender:
who must— submit
give an
account.
Obey
self
them so that their work will be a joy, not
a burden,
for that
be trust
of no
obey (peitho)
= havewould
confidence,
advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
Obey your leaders and submit to their
authority.
Theychurch,
keep watch
over you as
In our local
that commitment
men
who ismust
an account. Obey
statement
calledgive
membership!
them so that their work will be a joy, not
membership
process
is be
a mutual
a The
burden,
for that
would
of no
expectationtowhich
the 13:17
use ofNIV)
ones
advantage
you.”includes
(Hebrews
Spiritual Gifts.
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
Obey your leaders and submit to their
“But to each
one keep
of us grace
beenyou
givenas
authority.
They
watchhasover
as Christ
Thisaccount.
is why it says:
men
whoapportioned
must giveit.an
Obey
“When he ascended on high, he led captives
them so that their work will be a joy, not
in his train and gave gifts to men.”
a (Ephesians
burden, 4:7-8
for NIV)
that would be of no
advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
The Purpose of the Church
Obey your leaders and submit to their
“It was he who gave some to be apostles,
authority.
keep
watch
you as
some to be They
prophets,
some
to beover
evangelists,
men
who must
account.
and some
to be give
pastorsanand
teachers,Obey
to
them
so that
will be
a joy, not
prepare
God’s their
peoplework
for works
of service,
so
the bodyfor
of Christ
be built
a that
burden,
that may
would
be up
of...”
no
(Ephesians to
4:11-12
NIV)
advantage
you.”
(Hebrews 13:17 NIV)
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EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Conclusion
1. Are you fully committed to Jesus Christ in
such a way that you know He demands your
all?
2. Are you committed to His church in such a
way that, through membership, you promise
to yield yourself to it’s authority and
discipline?
3. Do you desire to use your spiritual gifts for
the furtherance of His church?
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries
Conclusion
“until we all reach unity in the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole
measure of the fullness of Christ.”
(Ephesians 4:13 NIV)
1/18/2009
EBFC Discipleship Ministries