The Cost of Following Christ, Part 5b

During our testimony this evening tonight, Janet mentioned the whole situation with the astronauts and their commitment to a mission. They're a commitment to a mission of exploring space and the possibilities of what might happen in the future. And there was a commitment made by all of them. And there was a cost that all of them had to take into account, knowing that what they were going to do could call. cost them their lives. And yet, they made that commitment. And yet they were willing to do what they needed to do, even though it might cost them their lives.

Did they think it was going to cost them their lives? No, no. They thought they would be like many who had gone before them, that they would arrive back home safely. But they did not. And they gave their lives for the exploration of space. When you follow Christ, he asked you to count the cost. He says, you must be willing to do what I ask you to do. If need be, you must be willing to die, because that's the cost in following me. Most of us here this evening, who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, have counted that cost.

We don't necessarily expect to die because of our faith, but it might happen. People overseas in other countries have lost their lives because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Fortunately, that has not happened in America. One day it will, but today it has not yet. And yet Christ gives that same command. If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. If any man wants to be my disciple, and hate not his father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, he cannot be a disciple of mine.

If any man wants to be my disciple, he must give up all his possessions to follow me. Those are incredible words, but they're true words. Because God says, you can't give up enough for me that will ever match what I will do for you.

You can't. The cost of following Christ is great, but the compensations of following Christ are greater. Unfortunately, we don't see it that way. sometimes. Tonight I hopefully will be able to point that out to you as we finally will conclude this parable in Luke 14 on the cost of following Christ.

And I'm going to begin by having you turn with me to Matthew chapter 19 before we get to Luke 14 because you've only got really one more verse to cover in Luke 14 in this parable.

But just to remind you of a scenario that we have already talked about the rich young ruler who came to Christ in verse number 16 saying, Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life? He said to him, why are you asking me about what is good? There is only one who is good, but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to him, which ones? And Jesus said, you shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

And you shall love your neighbor as the young man said to him, all these things I have kept. What am I still lacking? Jesus said to him, if you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you should have treasure in heaven and come and follow me. But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to his disciples, surely I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, then who can be saved? And looking upon them, Jesus said to them, with men, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. And then it says, in verse number two, 27, then Peter answered and said to him, behold, we have left everything and followed you.

What then will there be for us? I mean, isn't that the question all of us asked to some degree? Lord, if you ask me to give my life away, if you ask me to sell my possessions, if you're asking me to take on my cross and follow you, if you're asking me to deny myself, if you're asking me to love you so much that my love for my He looks like, hey, God, what's in it for me? What do I get? Do I get anything? Jesus said this. Truly, I say to you, that you who have followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you shall also sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms, for my namesake shall receive many times as much and shall inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first.

Christ says, there's going to be something that's going to happen in the future. Oh, there's going to be a day, the day of the regeneration when I, when I'm going to rule from the throne of David. And you're going to be able to rule over the 12 tribes of Israel. and that's going to happen in the future. But there isn't anybody who has left father, mother, brother, sister, who's left their most prized possessions behind to follow me, who shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.

Christ says there is much you receive, much that you can't even begin to comprehend, more than you can ever imagine, I'm going to give to you.

The great thing about being a Christian is that if there was no heaven, if there was no hell, it is still the greatest of all lives. Unfortunately, for most people, if there was no heaven and there was no, there was, they probably wouldn't give their life to Christ. But what Jesus Christ will do for you is beyond comprehensible. battle. If you're going to follow me, you've got to be willing to renounce all that you have, everything, and come and follow me. This is so good. Galatians 5 speaks of the fruit of the spirit, right?

Love, joy, peace. And I think that when Christ gives us his peace, that tranquil spirit, that rests in his work, that rests in his word, that rests in his word, that rests in his will. Oh, there's nothing like it. And that's what God wants to give to his people. The peace of Christ. And you see, Christ says, that's the peace I want to give to you.

You have that kind of peace? Christ says it's yours. I want you to have it. Great peace have those who love thy law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Nothing. Be anxious for nothing. But But in everything, my prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be known to God and the peace of God, which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Wow. Man, that is so good. So, so good. You know, I'm not very old. I don't think I am, at least.

I'm 45 years of age. I've gone through a lot of things in 45 years. and seeing what God do amazing things. And through difficulties that I have had to face throughout all my life, I couldn't have realized one very important thing. That when I am focused on the Word of God, amidst turmoil in all kinds of hearting, God does give me his peace. Whether it was in the death of my spouse, I had peace. Why? Because I knew that God was in charge and in control, and I could rest in his sovereignty. When I would lose a job and be fired from a job right out of college, I was able to rest in the fact that God would give me another job.

That he would take care of me, that he would watch over me. And throughout my entire life, I was able to sit back and watch God work. and be at peace knowing that God was in charge. And I was thinking about that today and thinking, you know, I love the law of God. I love the law of God with all my heart. And that attributes to the peace in your life. God said it. Mark it down. Great peace have those who love my law and nothing causes them to stumble. Do you have peace in your heart? Boy, I'd say there's nothing greater but when there's turmoil all around you and you can be at peace.

Be at peace. Knowing that God's in control and you're trusting His Word to accomplish a great and mighty work. The Bible says I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me.

Isaiah 26th, 3. Perfect peace. Not imperfect peace. Not partial peace. Perfect peace. Whose mind is stayed on thee. So not only you're not going to perish, but you're going to get God's peace. And number three, you're going to get God's power.

God's power. That's why you got peace, by the way. Because you get his power. When you come to Christ and give your life to Him, God instills you, infuses you with his spirit, the Holy Spirit of power. He told the disciples that in a few days that they shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. And they shall be able to do things that they were incapable of doing before. They shall be witnesses. They shall be my martyr race. They shall be my martyrs. You will live for me and die for me because of the power of God inside of you.

And God says, I give you that power because I give you my spirit. The Bible says over in 1st Corinthians chapter 1, verse number 18, we read it earlier.

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. It's the power of God. And we believe that, Paul says. And we told you, I think it was last week, 2 Chronicle 169, for the eyes of the Lord reigns throughout the earth to strengthen those hearts who are fully committed to him. Christ says that if I, as I look over the earth, I am looking for people whose hearts are committed to me and those hearts I'm going to strengthen, those hearts I'm going to empower, those hearts are going to feel the working of God.

We experience the power of God when our hearts are committed toward him. He works through us. in unbelievable ways. And that's what the Lord God wants to do. You know, there's something else you receive. You receive His person, Jesus. He's yours. Paul says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Think about that for a better. Christ lives in me. You see, the Christian life is not so much you living for Christ as it is Christ living in you. That's the Christian life.

He lives in you. That's why that's the mystery of the church age. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Giving your life to Christ, giving your life away, you get his life. He infuses you. He lives through you. It's called the Christian life. It's called the Christ life. And you get his person. One man said it this way. Crucified with Christ my Savior. I am dead to sin and shame. Now his life rules my behavior to the glory of His. His name. His life rules my behavior. His life controls my life. That's why I can have a contented life.

That's why I can have a powerful life. That's why I can have a peaceful life. That's why I'll never perish because Jesus lives in me. And that's the good, great news. Something else you receive. You receive his pleasure. If you get his peace, and power, and you get his person, you get his pleasure too, right? Hebrews 12 too. We talked about it earlier, who fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, who for the joy that was set before him, there was pleasure in his life. Because there was something set before him, knowing that Psalm 1611 says, At thy right hand, our pleasures forevermore.

There was always something that was before him, and that was. the result of the cross work where many souls would be run to his father, as well as his exaltation and his glorification, where he would sit down at the right hand of God the father. But that pleasure that he had before him now becomes ours. That right perspective is ours. Another thing he gives you is his perfection. His perfection. God saved us, Romans 829, internet he might conform us to his image. Listen, Christ wants you to be like him.

Think of that. What better life could they ever be than you being like Jesus? And that's what Christ wants to do. He wants to conform you to his image. And so when you understand that, you realize that everything that happens around about me, no matter where it is, family or work, church or neighborhood. tragedy or triumph. No matter what happens around me, God is doing something to conform me to his image because ultimately I'm going to be glorified. One day I'm going to see him, and when I see him, I'm going to be like him for, I'll see him as he is.

That's the purifying hope with a believer. In the meantime, God is using the events of life to chip away those things that keep me from looking like him and being like him in order that I might be perfected in him. He wants me to be just like. Him. And so when when when when things around you start to crumble, you got to get on your hands and you say oh thank you Jesus. Thank you that things are so bad around me because that means you're at work. You're at work in my life. You've taken the hammer, you're taking the chisel, and you're taking away that dross.

You're taking away those things that are not like you in order to conform me to your image. And I praise you for it. That's why Paul said this light momentary. affliction is but for a moment. It's just for a brief time. It's nothing compared to the glory that we're going to receive when we get to heaven. Oh, you receive his perfection. He is looking to perfect you, to mold you, to make you just like him. And ultimately it won't happen until you get the glory, but it will happen. But in the meantime, don't you think he wants the world to see him and you?

Sure he does. He wants the world to see Christ in you. He says, listen, you give your life to me, you're going to give up what? Your life. And what should the profit of man if you gains the whole world? I mean, come on. Let's be realistic here. If you gain the whole world, lose your own soul, what good is it? Nothing. It means nothing. So give your life away. Lose your life and save it. Save your life, you'll lose it. But if you lose it, you'll save it. And not only will you save it, all satisfy it.

All do for you. you, which you can't even imagine I'll do, because that's the way I am. You also receive his prize. The Bible says over in the book of 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy, the fourth chapter, Paul says, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

That verse right there helps you understand that Paul saw his life as a sacrifice. My life's being poured out of his drink offering. The sacrifice of my life is just about complete. The final act of the sacrifice is the drink offering. I'm there. My whole life has been a sacrifice. I put it on the altar. I gave it away. That's why Paul would say in Romans 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body is a living sacrifice. Holy, except the blend of God, which is your only logical form of worship.

Everything else you do is going to be illogical, but this will be logical. Everything else you do is going to be irrational, But this is going to be irrational. What's that? To climb up on the altar and lay right there to give your life away, the living sacrifice. See, the problem with that is we had to climb back down off the altar again. And Isaac would have done that if Abraham wouldn't have tied him down. So Abraham tied him down, so he couldn't get off. But see, if Abraham would have killed Isaac, Isaac would have been the dead sacrifice, but Abraham would have been the living sacrifice.

Because he was willing to give up all of his hopes and all of his dreams for God. And Paul says, give up all your hopes and all your dreams for God. Because that's the only logical thing to do. Everything else is illogical. So Paul says, I'm getting ready to be poured out as a drink offering. He says, in verse number seven, I have fought the fight. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. In the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

The crown of righteousness, the righteous Christ. ground. That's awaited me. The prize of God. It's mine. I await that. Now, I don't know what that means to you, to me. It means a lot. And so Jesus will close this parable with these words. And this will be the conclusion of this parable that we've spent five weeks on. First number 34 of Luke 14, therefore salt is good.

But if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless, either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He said, what does that have to do with the parable counting the cost? Oh, simply this. When something loses its essential quality, such as salt, and fails to perform its essential duty, It's fit for nothing but to be thrown away. Christ says this, listen, if you don't count the cost and find the cost of following me worth it, you're nothing.

You're nothing. You're not even fit for the dung hill, the manure pile. You're a zero. That's basically what he says. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He says, let him hear. This is what it's about. when you come to me you're going to have a specific mission in life i'm going to give it to you and you're going to fulfill that mission but if you don't want to come to me what good are you you know good that's basically what he says but i love chapter 15 look what it says now all the tax gatherers and the sinners were coming near him to listen to him you think that after he said that everybody They say, who needs that?

That's not what it says. Sinners, the worthless, the prostitutes, the harlots, the drunkards, the liars, the thieves, the hormongers, the drunkards. Tell me more, Jesus. Tell me more. And Jesus embarks from Luke 15 from the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the two lost sons. To give us a great and glorious picture of salvation in the kingdom. them of God. Because the people who counted the cost and found the cost worth it, they just wanted more. And Christ gave it to him. It was Henry Light who said, Jesus, I am my cross have taken.

All to leave and follow thee. Destitute despise forsaken. Thou from hence my all shall be. Perish every fond ambition. All I've sought and hoped or known. Yet How rich is my condition. God and heaven are still my own. He understood his rich condition, even though despised and destitute and forsake. He was rich. Why? Because God and heaven was his very own. Tonight, I trust that God and heaven are your very own as well, and you could sing along with enemy light, that you have a rich and glorious condition.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word, and thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are so great. Thank you for the peace of God, the power of God, the person of God who lives in us, the pleasures of God, the perfection of God, the prize of God, so and so that we will never perish. Lord, you are so good to us. Help us to walk in light of your word, to live in the realm of your glory, and leave this place tonight excited about what you do and how you work. In Jesus' name, amen.