Luke 14:24-35
The Highest Price
\\#24\\ Jesus, as He continued His journey to Jerusalem, spoke to the
large crowd that followed Him. From what He said, you might think
that Jesus did not want people to become disciples. He certainly did
not speak words that might encourage followers to become disciples.
But Jesus’ ways are far different from ours. We, in attempting to get
people to follow Jesus, might turn to a crowd like this and praise
them. Jesus turned to the crowd and screened them. Instead of telling
them what they would RECEIVE for following Him, Jesus told them what
they would have to PAY to follow Him, and it was the highest price.
Let’s consider some thoughts about the high price of discipleship.
I. The refusal of discipleship
A. Jesus refused to call every Christians a disciple.
1. Notice some statements that Jesus made.
Luke 14:26 …he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 …cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 …he cannot be my disciple.
2. This was not reverse psychology. This was Jesus stating
a fact.
B. Throughout this section, Jesus was not telling the people that
they were His disciple or even that they could be. He was
telling them that they were not and could not be His
disciple.
1. Why? Because Jesus knew the price was higher than most
people are willing to pay—even before most knew what the
price would be!
2. Granted, by verse 26 and 27, Jesus was sharing the price
of discipleship in general terms; but some of us have
set our too-high price before we even know what the price
will be.
3. Questions:
a. Have we determined what the too-high price for us is?
b. Have we already determined we will not pay a high
price even before we know what the price will be?
(1) Have we determined our high price is our job?
that we will not sacrifice our job, our career,
our income, or our standard of living?
(2) Have we determined our high price is our
location? that we will not sacrifice our home,
our family, our friends, the place we have lived
most of our lives?
(3) Have we determined our high price is our comfort?
that we will not stretch ourselves beyond our
comfort zone or learn or become anything more
than we presently are?
(4) Have we determined our high price is pain? that
we will not embarrass ourselves, be mocked, be
4. It is for certain that no one knows what price Christ will
call upon them to make, no one; but if we have already
determined we will not pay a price, then we cannot be
Jesus’ disciple and we will lose the rewards God desires
us to have in eternity.
II. The difference of discipleship
A. Christianity and discipleship are not the same.
1. Jesus told the people that they could not be His
disciples.
2. He did not tell them they could not be His sheep.
3. There are some similarities in Christianity and
discipleship, but there are also some differences.
B. Some differences:
1. Christianity and discipleship center on two different
persons.
a. Salvation is mostly for us.
(1) Even as I say that I want to emphasize that even
our salvation is about God.
(2) God saves us to glorify Him, but most of us are
not thinking about that when we get saved.
(3) Most of us are thinking about us.
(4) Conviction causes us to think about our
sinfulness, our need for a Savior, our
damnation.
(5) The reason most of us get saved is because we are
thinking about ourselves.
b. Discipleship is completely for God.
(1) Salvation is us getting from God. Discipleship
is us giving to God.
(2) Discipleship has nothing to do with us.
(a) In fact, we must continually take our cross
with us \\#27\\ so that we can die to our
self in order to be disciples.
(b) As long as our attention is on us, we cannot
be God’s disciple.
2. Christianity and discipleship have two completely
different purposes.
a. Salvation gives us the ability to worship God.
Discipleship is our work for God.
b. We know that salvation has nothing to do with our
work.
(1) As we sing, "Jesus paid it all. All to Him we
owe."
(2) Anyone who is working for their salvation is
lost for salvation is all by grace, God’s work.
c. However, discipleship is all about our work.
(1) Discipleship is serving. Serving Jesus by
serving others.
(2) Discipleship is the next and the logical
progression of believing on and following
Jesus Christ.
(3) If you are a Christian and are not a disciple,
you either do not know the teachings of Jesus
Christ or you are not being obedient to the
teachings of Christ.
(4) As long as a Christian lives on earth, he/she is
to be a disciple.
3. Christianity and discipleship typically follow two
different patterns.
a. Both are of the Holy Ghost’s doings.
(1) The Holy Ghost calls men and women to salvation.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him….
(2) I do not believe anyone becomes a disciple
without the Holy Ghost calling him/her to it.
(3) Some use that as an excuse.
(a) They say, "God’s never called me to be a
disciple."
(b) God calls all of His children to pray, to
read the Bible, to witness.
(c) Many of the just don’t do it.
(d) You say, "That’s not the same as
discipleship."
(e) It is the beginning of discipleship.
(f) It is the call to obedience and serve.
(g) Typically, if you won’t obey in these
matters, God won’t even bother telling you
what else He wants you to do.
b. Typically, these callings come at two different times.
(1) Not always, but usually.
(2) First the Holy Ghost calls you to salvation THEN,
after a period of time, He calls you to
discipleship.
(3) Why? In my case, I needed to learn a bit before
I could even respond to God’s call for my life.
c. Someone says, "I never heard the second call."
(1) Again, if you will not do the things you know you
should for God, don’t expect to hear God’s voice
telling you to do something else.
(2) I compare God’s guidance in our life to a garden
hose. More water cannot go in until some water
goes out.
4. Christianity and discipleship have different prices.
a. The cost of Christianity was the sinless life of Jesus
Christ. Jesus paid that price.
b. The price of discipleship is summarized in this
passage; but I will tell you up front, we pay the
cost of discipleship.
III. What is the cost of discipleship?
A. Jesus mentioned three costs in this text.
B. I see them being intertwined. I will illustrate in a moment.
1. \\#26\\ It costs unlimited love.
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.
a. Again, Jesus’ ways are not at all like ours.
b. We read this passage and we think God wants us to hate
our family.
c. He does not.
d. He wants us to love Him so much that it appears that
we hate our family.
e. I will illustrate in a moment.
2. \\#27, 33\\ It costs unlimited sacrifice.
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you
that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be
my disciple.
a. There is only one sacrifice greater than giving your
life for Jesus Christ.
b. That is living your life for Jesus Christ.
3. \\#34-35\\ It costs unlimited service.
Luke 14:34 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.
a. Discipleship is our work for Christ.
b. If we work, we will have an impact.
4. We can see this price intertwined in the true story of
John Rogers.
John Rogers lived in the 1500’s, the reformation,
and took up the translation of the Tyndale Bible
after William Tyndale was burned at the stake. He
was arrested and also sentenced to burn at the
stake. His wife and 9 children had been refused
permission to see Rogers until they got word that
he would be executed at Smithfield that day. The
guards allowed to them meet on his way to the
stake. His wife hugged and kissed her husband,
telling him she loved and wanted him alive. She
told him that the cardinals had offered John
freedom if he would recant, but also said she
would not ask him to deny himself or his Lord.
Likewise one of the children told his father that
he wanted his father to live but would not ask
him to deny Jesus. So John Rogers walked to
stake and was burned alive.
http://www.rlhymersjr.com/Online_Sermons/2006/021206PM_JohnRogers.
html
a. Here we see discipleship in John Rogers, his wife, and
their children.
b. They all showed unlimited love for Jesus, gave an
unlimited sacrifice for Jesus, and have had an
unlimited impact, helping to give to us our own King
James Bible.
c. But the story does not end there for one source,
speaking in February, 2006, spoke of meeting Jim
Rogers in the United States. He was a minister of
the gospel and the 11th generation descendent of John
Rogers. The sacrifice of that generation was still
impacting John Rogers' family 500 years later.
IV. \\#28-32\\ Discipleship requires a carefully considered answer.
A. As far as I am concerned, Christianity is a no brainer.
1. And if you understand repentance when you are saved, you
should not have any problem with discipleship.
2. But many do and so you should consider it carefully.
B. This tells me you have a choice. You can serve or you can
remain on the sidelines.
C. What will determine your decision? Whether you are willing to
pay the price.
D. And just in case you have not figured out the price yet, what
is this most highest price?
E. While we do not know exactly how much God will call upon us to
pay, we must be willing to pay everything.
F. Unless we are, we cannot be His disciples.
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