LUKE 14:25-35

DISCIPLESHIP

 

According to Anne Dillard, “In 1845, Sir John Franklin and 138 officers and men embarked from England to find the northwest passage across the high Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. They sailed in two three-masted barques. Each sailing vessel carried an auxiliary steam engine and a twelve-day supply of coal for the entire projected two or three years’ voyage. Instead of additional coal, according to L.P. Kirwan, each ship made room for a 1,200 volume library, “a hand organ playing fifty tunes,” china place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine goblets, and sterling silver flatware. The officers’ sterling silver knives, forks and spoons were particularly interesting.  The silver was of ornate Victorian design, very heavy at the handles and richly patterned. Engraved on the handles were the individual officers’ initials and family crests.  The expedition carried no special clothing for the Arctic, only the uniforms of Her Majesty’s Navy.

 

“The ships set out in high dudgeon, amid enormous glory and fanfare…Two months later a British whaling captain met the two barques in Lancaster Sound; he reported back to England on the high spirits of officers and men. He was the last European to see any of them alive.

 

“Years later civilization learned that many groups of Inuit – Eskimos – had hazarded across tableaux involving various still living or dead members of the Franklin expedition. Some had glimpsed, for instance, men pushing and pulling a wooden boat across the ice. Some had found, at a place called Starvation Cove, this boat, or a similar one, and the remains of thirty-five men who had been dragging it. At Terror Bay the Inuit found a tent of the ice, and in it, thirty bodies.

 

At Simpson Strait some Inuit had seen a very odd sight: The pack ice pierced by three protruding wooden masts of a barque.

 

“For twenty years, search parties recovered skeletons from all over the frozen sea….Accompanying one clump of frozen bodies…were place settings of sterling silver flatware engraved with officers’ initials and family crests.

 

“Another search party found two skeletons in a boat on a sledge. They had hauled the boat sixty-five miles. With the two skeletons were some chocolate, some guns, some tea, and a great deal of table silver. Many miles south of those two was another skeleton, alone. This was a frozen officer….The skeleton was in uniform: trousers and jacket ‘of fine blue cloth…edged with silk braid, with sleeves slashed and bearing five covered buttons each. Over this uniform the dead man had worn a blue greatcoat with a black silk neckerchief.’ This was the Franklin expedition.

Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk (New York: Harper and Row, 1988) pp. 24-26 quoted by R. Kent Hughes, Luke, Volume 2, That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word Series (Wheaton, Ill, Crossway Books, 1998), pp. 123-124

 

According to Kent Hughes, “Sir John Franklin and 138 men perished because they underestimated the requirements of Arctic exploration. They ignorantly imagined a pleasure cruise amidst the comforts of their English officers’ clubs. They exchanged necessities for luxuries, and their ignorance led to their death.” R. Kent Hughes, p. 124

 

And we would say, “How dumb or ignorant to not consider what it would take to carry out an arctic expedition!  This is no more dumb or ignorant than how some Christians have gone into Christian discipleship.  They tried to be followers of Jesus, but didn’t have a clue.

 

As we continue our “Uniquely Luke” series tonight we come to a passage in which Jesus gives a warning and a challenge to those who would follow Him.  Jesus is talking about discipleship.

 

A disciple is a follower.  A disciple is a learner.  A disciple spends time with his teacher, either through personal contact or the teacher’s writings, and strives to be like the teacher.

 

Luke 14:25 - And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

 

At this point, Jesus was immensely popular and was being followed by multitudes.  Not all of these people were true believers in Jesus and thus they were not true disciples.

Jesus gives a great challenge concerning discipleship that would have certainly thinned out the crowds!  In this teaching of discipleship we want to see:

 

THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY - Vss. 26-27

THERE’S A PLAN TO CONSIDER - Vss. 28-33

THERE’S A PROBLEM TO AVOID - Vss. 34-35

   

THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY - Vss. 26-27

 

Luke 14:26 - If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

 

Does the Bible tell us to hate our parents? No!   

Ephesians 6:2 - Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

 

Does the Bible tell us to hate our spouses or children? No!

Titus 2:4 - That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

 

Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

Ephesians 6:4 - And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

And what about hating brothers, sisters, and friends?   

 

John 13:34-35 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

 

And what about hating ourselves?

Matthew 22:39 - …Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

   

Jesus is speaking of a comparison here.

Jesus should be loved more than father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, or self.

Everyone and everything should be loved less than I love the Lord Jesus.

Compared to my love for the Lord Jesus, my love for others is, by comparison, hatred.

 

In order to be a true disciple of Jesus, I must love Jesus first, last, and always.   

Some have trusted Jesus as Savior and have lost relationships with their relatives and friends.  This has especially happened to Jewish believers.

 

To be a true follower of Jesus, it may mean not participating in the questionable behavior of my friends, and getting them angry.     

 

To be a true follower of Jesus may mean not attending or allowing our children to attend activities on Sunday Mornings.

 

To be a true follower of Jesus may mean less time in front of the television and listening to the radio and more time in His Word and talking to Him in prayer.

 

To be a true follower of Jesus may mean spending less money on myself and more money on Him.

 

To be a true follower of Jesus may mean forgiving the person that has hurt us so deeply, because we love Jesus more than we do ourselves.

 

R.J. Karris said, “Discipleship is not periodic volunteer work on one’s own terms and at one’s convenience.”

Quoted by Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, (Revised Edition) Luke, (Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974, 1988), p 258

 

Discipleship means paying the price to love the Lord Jesus with all our hearts, souls and minds. It is a 24/7 proposition.

 

It is very easy to look at others and think them not to be very good disciples.  But before we do, let’s consider ourselves, and all the ways we don’t love Him the way we should.

 

Our love for the Lord Jesus should be a growing, progressive thing.  We’ll show our love for Him in one area, making costly decisions in favor of Jesus, and then Jesus will show you another sacrificial way that we need to express our love.

 

Luke 14:27 - And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

 

When Jesus bore his cross he was headed out to die!

A cross is symbolic with death.

 

If I love the Lord Jesus, I must die to my own selfish ambitions, my own selfish desires, my own selfish plans and follow Him.

 

We said that the aim of a disciple is to be like His master. This is what Jesus said.

Luke 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

 

If I am going to be like Jesus, I too, must be dead to myself.

 

If I can up my cross, I must also follow Him.

How often in your day to you consult with the Lord about what He wants you to be doing?  I am ashamed to tell you that all too often I do not take into consideration, what the Lord wants me to do.  I just do my own thing.

With the Lord’s help and by God’s grace, I’m changing that.   

 

Nathan C. Schaeffer  - At the close of life, the question will not be,

·        “How much have you gotten?” but “How much have you given?”

·        Not “How much have you won?” but “How much have you done?”

·        Not “How much have you saved?” but “How much have you sacrificed?”

·        It will be “How much have you loved and served,” not “How much were you honored?” Bibliotheca Sacra, 137:547:267 http://www.bible.org/illus/d/d-70.htm#TopOfPage

 

THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY - Vss. 26-27

Are you willing to pay it?

Are you willing to strive to love Jesus more than you do anything and anyone else?

 

THERE’S A PLAN TO CONSIDER - Vss. 28-33

 

Luke 14:28-30 - For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

 

No doubt you’ve heard this parable before.

A man decides he’s going to build a watch tower above his land.  But he doesn’t take into consideration what it will cost to finish the project.

The foundation is laid, and that’s it. There’s no more money available, and the man becomes the laughingstock of the whole community!   

 

To the multitude of followers Jesus is saying, “Consider the cost of being my disciple before you commit yourself.”

Don’t lay a foundation and then fall away.

All too many people have done this.

Jesus talked about this in the parable of the sower and the soils in Luke 8:4-15

 

Vss. 4-8 – Read

The explanation of the parable is found in Vss. 11-15

Vs. 11 – The Seed is the Word of God.

 

Vs. 12 – The hearts of some are hardened, the devil snatches

               the word away.

 

Vs. 13 – Some seed falls on a rock ledge, covered with a little soil.  The “hot house effect” takes over and seed sprouts quickly. When it can’t put down roots, the plants die.

Some people are like this.  They make a profession of faith.

They are excited about their supposed faith.

 

Then some sort of adversity or temptation takes place and then they fall away.

 

Kent Hughes – “On one occasion I saw a young make a dazzling profession of Christ. In a few weeks he was speaking boldly everywhere, dominating testimony meetings, reproving old Christians for their coldness. But then he broke his leg, cursed God and his people for his condition, attempted vindictive litigation on an innocent property owner, and abruptly fell away from following Christ.”  R. Kent Hughes, Luke, Volume 1, That You May Know the Truth – Preaching The Word Series (Wheaton, Ill, Crossway Books, 1998), p. 290

 

Vs. 14 – Some make profession of faith and then get sidetracked with the cares, riches and pleasures of this world. They don’t bring any fruit to perfection because they are distracted with the things of this life.

 

Vs. 15 – Then there are those with an honest and good heart. They are the ones who have counted the cost of discipleship.

They receive the Word of God and do it. They are the ones who bring forth fruit.

 

If yours is an “honest and good heart” you will be willing to count the cost and do what it takes to be a true disciple.

 

Luke 14:31-32 - Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

 

I want you to think of God as the invading King.

He certainly has us outnumbered.

 

When we realize that we can never win against God, that He is our righteous judge, it is time to negotiate peace.  Of course, we come to God on God’s terms, it means that we secure peace by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

Surrender to God through Christ is more than just negotiating peace.  It means that we become His subjects.  We become His servants.  Peace has been secured and we are active citizens of His Kingdom.

 

John 13:13 - Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

 

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

 

Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

The dumbest thing a non-Christian can do is to resist God.

The dumbest thing a Christian can do is to resist God.   

   

Luke 14:33 - So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

 

A true disciple has given in.

A true disciple has laid everything at Jesus’ feet.

His relationships are surrendered to Jesus.

His reputation is surrendered to Jesus.

His job is surrendered to Jesus.

His money is surrendered to Jesus.

His family is surrendered to Jesus.

His marriage is surrendered to Jesus.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

John H. Sammis

 

THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY - Vss. 26-27

THERE’S A PLAN TO CONSIDER - Vss. 28-33

THERE’S A PROBLEM TO AVOID - Vss. 34-35

 

Luke 14:34-35 - Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? [35] It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

We have talked about salt before.

Jesus gives a similar warning in the Sermon on the Mount about salt losing its saltiness.

Salt is good as a preservative against decay.

Salt is good for flavor.

Salt is good for making one thirsty.

 

·        As Christians we should act as a preservative against evil. We are the ones who are to stand for righteousness.

·        As Christians we should “spice things up” with our Godly, joyful living.

·        As Christians we should make non Christians thirsty for the Gospel.

 

When we stop being salty, it means that the salt has been diluted with impurities.  Salt that is no longer salty is useless.

 

If we lose our saltiness as disciples, we too, will be useless.

 

But if we love Jesus more than anyone else,

And if we take up our crosses and follow him,

And if we count the cost of discipleship and follow through,

We will be “salt” in a dying world.

 

At the beginning I told you about the failed Franklin expedition to the Artic.  It failed because it was not prepared.  They had not calculated the true cost of the expedition. The Franklin expedition failed.

 

Kent Hughes – “The upside was that their failure to calculate the cost paved the way for the success of future expeditions. In the following decade no less than thirty ships set our looking for traces of the Franklin expedition. All with increasingly careful calculations of what it would take to succeed. Ultimately they mapped the Artic, found the Northwest passage, and developed a technology that conquered the Arctic.” R. Kent Hughes, Luke, Volume 2, That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word Series (Wheaton, Ill, Crossway Books, 1998), p. 128

 

Let’s count the cost and follow through as disciples.

 

THERE’S A PRICE TO PAY - Vss. 26-27

THERE’S A PLAN TO CONSIDER - Vss. 28-33

THERE’S A PROBLEM TO AVOID - Vss. 34-35