23. THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE
Read Luke 14:25-33
Jesus used three analogies to talk about the cost of following Him and being a disciple:
1. CARRYING A CROSS - they needed to give up everything that was important to them.
"So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own." Luke 14:33 (NLT)
2. BUILDING A TOWER - * they needed to "estimate the cost" and see if they could afford it.
* they also needed to "lay a foundation", so they could finish it.
"For if you would begin the construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if ther is enoug money to finish it. Otherwise, you might only complete the foundation before running out of money." Luke 14:28b-29a (NLT)
3. A KING GOING TO WAR AGAINST ANOTHER KING - * needed to consider whether his "10, 000 men" could win the war against the "20,000" of his opponent.
* If he can't, he will send a "delegation" to make PEACE with them, while "they are a long way off".
"What king would go to war without sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army could defeat them...should they discuss terms of peace?" Luke 14:31a & 32a (NLT)
Jesus is telling hiswould need whatever they decided to do, to make a TOTAL COMMITTMENT. If they want to "give up their possessions" , "their family" and even "carry their own cross"; just like the the builder, who needed to commit himself to what he started, so he could finish; or the king, who needed to risk everything, even if it meant losing his life.
"The image of the cross clearly suggests that there will be suffering. We hold on to lots of things, but we need to open up our hands and give everything you have to Jesus. The cost of FOLLOWING JESUS is nothing compared to the blessings God gives you. It is nothing compared to the cross that Jesus carried for you. " Nicky & Pippa Gumbel
"The cost of giving up everything is like a covenant of marriage, that requires sacrifice. There is nothing worse than a Christian acting as though their possessions and still their own. Look at everything in Luke 14 - are you willing to PAY THE PRICE, just as Jesus did." Kris Langham
"HOLY BIBLE - NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION", 2011, Biblica
" HOLY BIBLE - NEW LIVING TRANSLATION", 2015, Tyndale House Publishers
GUMBEL, Nicky & Pippa, "The Bible in One Year - Your Invitation" - (2009/2025), Alpha International/You Version
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