Lucas 14

Lucas 14

Sproul - The corrupting influences of pragmatism are seen even in the church. “Seeker-sensitive” worship can increase attendance without ever seeing the congregation grow to maturity. Churches targeting specific ages or lifestyles might attract a lot of people from these groups and not minister to those who do not fit certain classifications. Beware of any ministry that emphasizes “what works” and do what you can to help your church avoid slipping into pragmatism. (Read this entire interesting devotional - Luke 14:25–33 Pragmatism) ILLUSTRATION - Pollster George Gallup contends that fewer than ten percent of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed. Most of those who profess Christianity don’t know basic teachings and don’t act differently because of their Christian experience. George Barna found that almost half (46%) of evangelicals read their Bible only once a week or not at all. ILLUSTRATION OF COMMITMENT - As Alexander the Great was carrying his triumphant military campaign towards the East, he and a section of his army approached a strongly fortified, walled city. Alexander approached the city, demanded to see the king and set out terms of surrender. The king only laughed: “Why should I surrender to you? You can’t do us any harm! We can endure any siege.” In response, Alexander offered to give the king a demonstration. Nearby, within sight of the city walls, was a sheer cliff. He ordered his men to line up in single file and began to march them towards the precipice. The city’s citizens watched with horrified fascination as the column moved unhesitatingly towards and over the edge. Only after several men had plunged to their deaths did Alexander order the rest of the column to halt. He then called his troops back to his side and stood silently facing the city. The effect on the citizens was stunning. From spellbound silence they moved to terror. They realized they had no walls thick enough and no resources extensive enough to defend themselves against that kind of loyalty and commitment. Spontaneously they rushed through the gates to surrender themselves to Alexander. It is impossible today to be sure of the authenticity of such a story. But there can be no doubt about the power of commitment. People loyal to a leader or a principle and willing to pay the price required will always overwhelm people who value comfort and convenience more than a cause. Our society generally does not breed strong commitment. The self-fulfillment ethic seduces us to believe that we have no higher loyalty than one to ourselves. The tragedy is that self-centered values eat away at commitment—not only at commitment to leaders and causes, but at commitments to marriage, family, and friends. Believers are not immune to the world’s value system. One missionary statesman has observed an irony of church life in the 1990s. While Third-World Christians are information-poor, they are commitment-rich. Sadly, Western Christians are information-rich, but they are commitment-poor. All generalizations are suspect, but that one seems to be uncomfortably true. Yet this condition collides with the plain teaching of Jesus. The demands of our master are incompatible with partial commitment or casual discipleship. The Lord’s call to Himself requires intelligent, unconditional allegiance to His person and work. Jesus was always intensely realistic about what it meant to be His follower. He was never a huckster pushing a product while hiding the real costs in the fine print. Instead, He realistically spelled out His requirements, nowhere more clearly than in Luke 14:25-35. In this passage Jesus makes a different use of parables than we usually find. Normally the main point the Lord makes is made powerfully in the parable itself and needs little explanation. However, the parables of the careless builder and the careful king are used almost as a modern preacher would use a sermon illustration. The Cost of Comfort Isaiah 39:1–40:31; Luke 14:1–35; Job 9:12–19 “ ‘[You all] comfort; comfort my people,’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, that her compulsory labor is fulfilled, that her sin is paid for, that she has received from the hand of Yahweh double for all her sins’ ” (Isa 40:1–2). God directed this command at the prophet and a group of people—possibly all those remaining in Israel. They were to speak comfort to the exiled Israelites, to call them home again. Sometimes we feel the need for this kind of comfort. Like the prodigal son in the pig sty, we feel exiled and alone; we have paid our sentence, and we want to go home. We’re not even asking for joy—just comfort. Despite their sins, God responded to the Israelites. But God did not merely restore them to their former state. He sent the Suffering Servant, prophesied later in Isaiah (Isa 52:13–53:12), to die on behalf of the people, to pay for the sins that resulted in exile in the first place. God does this so that all our sins—past, present and future—might be paid once and for all. But God requires much from those to whom much has been given, which is all of us. The great news of the Suffering Servant, Jesus, is not only that we find comfort and peace in Him, but also that we are empowered to act—free from sin. As Jesus’ disciples, we must live the way that He has called us to live, being willing to make the sacrifices that discipleship requires (e.g., Luke 14:25–35). The grace we receive from God is free, but a great price was paid for it. We must live fully in it. We must embrace it with our entire being. For when we do, we become not just a comforted people, but a restored people, instruments of God’s work in the world. What is God calling you to sacrifice? How can you take joy in the comfort He has brought you, and then show others that joy? JOHN D. BARRY What’s The Cost? Read: Luke 14:25-33 What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. —Philippians 3:7 Years ago when Romania was under the control of Communism, Bela Karolyi coached gymnastics. He skillfully developed the talents of stars such as gold-medalist Nadia Comaneci. For his success in training athletes who were bringing fame to his Iron Curtain country, he was rewarded with an expensive car and many other favors. But Bela hungered for freedom. So one day, carrying only a small suitcase, he resolutely walked out of Romania into penniless liberty. There’s also a cost in following Jesus and experiencing the freedom He gives. When fishermen Peter and Andrew heard Jesus call, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” they “immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:19-20). Similarly, James and John left their father and their livelihood to embark on a precarious life of discipleship. They knew the cost and chose to follow Jesus, leaving everything behind (vv.21-22). When we follow Jesus, all of life changes direction. Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. KJV 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. NET Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. CSB Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-- yes, and even his own life-- he cannot be My disciple. ESV Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. NIV Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. NLT Luke 14:26 "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison-- your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-- yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. NRS Luke 14:26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. If anyone comes to Me Dt 13:6-8; 33:9; Ps 73:25,26; Mt 10:37; Phil 3:8 and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, Ge 29:30,31; Dt 21:15; Job 7:15,16; Eccl 2:17-19; Mal 1:2,3; Jn 12:25; Ro 9:13 yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple Acts 20:24; Rev 12:11 Luke 14 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 14:25-27 The Extreme Nature of True Discipleship, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 14:25-35 The Extreme Nature of True Discipleship, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 14 Should a Christian Hate His Family? - John MacArthur Luke 14:25-35 The Cost of Discipleship - Steven Cole Luke 14:26 The Cross and Relationships (includes several real life examples) - L E Maxwell Luke 14:25-35 The Cost of Discipleshp 1 - Steven Lawson - Listen at your own risk! You will be challenged! Luke 14:25-35 The Cost of Discipleshp 1 - Steven Lawson - Listen at your own risk! You will be challenged! Related Passage: Mt 10:37+ “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (THIS VERSE IS THE KEY TO INTERPRETING Luke 14:26). A DISCIPLE'S LOVE FOR JESUS SURPASSES ALL FAMILY TIES If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (miseo in present tense) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he (ou = ABSOLUTELY) cannot (dunamai) be My disciple (mathetes) - If is a first class condition introducing what follows as assumed to be true from Jesus' perspective. Note the pronoun anyone, which implies a "no exception" clause. “Hate” is a Semitic expression for loving less. The parallel passage in Mt 10:37+ helps us understand what Jesus means by hate. Jesus is referring to coming to Him by grace through faith for salvation. When we compare the passage in Matthew, we can understand that Jesus is not using hate in an absolute sense, but in a relative sense. In other words, Jesus calls for such love and devotion of Himself, that by comparison all other relationships appear to be hatred. Jesus does no prohibit love of those close to us, but calls for our greatest love to be toward Himself. When we evaluate our devotion to every earthly tie, they must all be given a lesser place with Jesus alone receiving preeminence. Jesus is calling for complete commitment. Jesus is calling us to love Him above every person and every thing! He cannot be My disciple is a strong warning which is repeated three times for emphasis (Lk 14:26, 27, 33). The Greek negative term (for "not") used here is "ou" which speaks of absolute negation. The point is that if one is devoted to anyone more than Christ, he absolutely cannot be Jesus' disciple. Jesus is very clear about this. Beginning with these words, Jesus "quickly put an end to the idea that He offered some kind of welfare program. Although the gift of eternal life is free to anyone who asks (John 3:16), the asking requires a transfer of ownership (Luke 9:23-note; Galatians 5:24-note). “Counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing to some terms first. In following Christ, we cannot simply follow our own inclinations. We cannot follow Him and the world's way at the same time (Matthew 7:13-14). Following Him may mean we lose relationships, dreams, material things, or even our lives. Those who are following Jesus simply for what they can get won't stick around when the going gets tough. When God's way conflicts with our way, we will feel betrayed by the shallow, me-first faith we have bought into. If we have not counted the cost of being His child, we will turn away at the threat of sacrifice and find something else to gratify our selfish desires (cf. Mark 4:5, 16-17). In Jesus’ earthly ministry, there came a time when the free food stopped and public opinion turned ugly. The cheering crowds became jeering crowds. And Jesus knew ahead of time that would happen." (What does it mean to ‘count the cost’)? THOUGHT - As you (I) go through each requirement of discipleship, you will need to take a close look at yourself asking, "Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?" Steven