Counting the Cost Luke 14 25 33 1

Counting the Cost Luke 14: 25 -33 1

Jesus was not a Crowd-Pleaser • Much more concerned with telling people what they needed to hear about following Him • Fully aware of its demands and challenges, they could count the cost of discipleship, Lk. 14: 25 -27 • Cannot be a disciple of Christ without forsaking all, Lk. 14: 33 2

The Cost of being a Disciple Luke 14: 28 -33 • The Call: PREFER CHRIST ABOVE ALL, 14: 2627 (16: 13) – Hate: Not sinful hatred; to love Jesus more than everyone else, Matt. 10: 37 (Gen. 29: 30 -31) – “If”: Cannot have a divided heart (Jno. 12: 42 -43) – Two points of preference: • Relationships (family, brethren, life itself), 14: 26 • Responsibilities (bear your cross), 14: 27; Gal. 6: 5 3

The Cost of being a Disciple Luke 14: 28 -33 • The Consideration: WHAT WILL IT COST TO SUCCEED? 14: 28 -32 – Intentions do not equal success, 14: 28 – “Sit down first and consider”, 14: 31 • The Cost: SELF-DENIAL, SACRIFICE AND SERVICE, 14: 33, 9: 23 – Jesus set the example, Matt. 26: 38 -44 – Lifelong obligation, Heb. 3: 6, 14; 10: 36 -39 4

Have You Counted the Cost of being a Christian? Lk. 14: 33 • COST OF BEING SAVED FROM YOUR SINS – Obedient faith, Mk. 16: 16; Acts 2: 38; 17: 30 – Renounce sins, Acts 2: 37 -38, 41 (19: 18 -20) • Humble yourself, Jas. 4: 10 • Loss of friends, family, business…, Acts 19: 24 -27 – Different way of living, Rom. 12: 1 -2 (1 Jno. 2: 15 -16) 5

Have You Counted the Cost of being a Christian? Lk. 14: 33 • COST OF STANDING FOR THE TRUTH, 1 Cor. 16: 13 -14 – Loss of friends / some brethren, 2 Tim. 4: 16 – Loss of reputation about false brethren, 3 Jno. 9 -12 – Cost Jesus…Cost the apostles… 1 Cor. 4: 9 -13 – Does it cost us anything? (2 Tim. 3: 12) 6

Have You Counted the Cost of being a Christian? Lk. 14: 33 • COST OF BEING FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, Rev. 2: 10 – Context: Remain faithful in the face of persecution – even to the point of death – Conquer the fear of men, Matt. 10: 28 (Heb. 13: 5 -6) – Be watchful against sin, 1 Pet. 5: 8 -9 (Heb. 5: 12; 6: 9 -12) 7

Have You Counted the Cost of being Lost? Matt. 16: 26 • YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE OF NEVER-ENDING SEPARATION FROM GOD AND HIS GOOD BLESSINGS, Rom. 6: 23; Matt. 7: 23; 25: 30 • YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE OF NEVER-ENDING TORMENT, Lk. 16: 24; Mk. 9: 43 -44; 2 Ths. 1: 8 -9 • YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE OF NEVER-ENDING REGRET, Lk. 16: 25 -27; 12: 15 -21 8

Counting the Cost • Sin comes at too high a price! Rom. 6: 23 • Sin will always take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you wanted to pay! 9

Counting the Cost • So we deceive ourselves that the cost of sin is not real (Prov. 13: 15) • We comfort ourselves that we are not as bad as other people (2 Cor. 10: 12) • We convince ourselves that death is far away so we can change later (Lk. 12: 20) • Now is the acceptable time! (2 Cor. 6: 1 -2) 10