LIFE: According to Jesus
09/04/2011 - Follow Me
Before I went to graduate school I can remember my dad sitting down at the kitchen table with me and literally counting the cost of a four year seminary education. In keeping with the businessman he was, he pulled out a sheet of paper and began to jot down some figures.
I had just graduated with a marketing degree from Drexel University and so he said, "Bruce, let's see. You could probably make a minimum of $15,000 a year with your bachelor's degree in marketing. Over four years that would be $60,000." Now granted these are 1978 figures, so you have to adjust them for inflation.
Then he said, "Seminary is going to cost you about $4,000 a year which over four years will be $16,000. So you're talking about sacrificing at least $76,000 to go to Dallas Seminary. Do you really want to do that? Is it worth that much to you?"
And I have to admit, I hadn't looked at it that way. I hadn't thought about the cost in terms of dollars and cents. I was only paying attention to what I believed was the Spirit of God compelling me to go to a school where I could study and learn the Bible. And the people I respected the most encouraged me to go to Dallas. I didn't even know what I wanted to be when I grew up and certainly hadn't thought much at all about being a pastor.
But my dad wanted to make sure that I counted the cost, at least financially, of what I was about to get myself into before I drove 1,500 miles down to Texas in my little 1970 Volkswagen. And that was a good thing. That was a wise thing for him to do. That was the first time I had to count the cost, but it wouldn't be the last time.
Counting the cost is important to do before we make any kind of major decision in life ... whether it's going to college or graduate school or getting married or having children or buying a house or changing jobs or starting a church. It just makes good sense.
Jesus wants us to do the same thing when it comes to being his disciple. He wants us to count the cost. Two weeks I ago I quoted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book The Cost of Discipleship. And in his book he makes the statement, "When Christ calls a person to follow him, he bids them come and die."
That's quite a cost. Are you ready to die to yourself to follow Jesus? In some cases that literally means die, as it did for Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was hung from a gallows in a Nazi concentration camp at the age of 39. But in most cases, it seems to me, it means dying to ourselves and to our own innate desire to be the most important person in the universe.
In John 12:24-26 Jesus says, Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Dying to self and living for Jesus is what being disciple is all about. It's how we make the most of our life. The most productive life we can possibly live, according to Jesus, demands that we die to ourselves and put him first in everything we do. That's the cost of discipleship and that's the best investment we can ever make.
The cost is great, but not greater than the cost of nondiscipleship. Dallas Willard, speaker, author, and professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California writes these provocative words, "In 1937 Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave the world his book The Cost of Discipleship. It was a masterful attack on 'cheap grace' and 'easy Christianity' ... It was right to point out that one cannot be a disciple of Christ without forfeiting things normally sought in human life ... But the cost of nondisicpleship is far greater - even when this life alone is considered - than the price paid to walk with Jesus."
Should I walk with Jesus or should I not walk with Jesus? It's going to cost me to follow Jesus. But it's going to cost me not to follow Jesus too.
"Nondiscipleship costs us abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout with love, faith that sees everything in light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, nondiscipleship costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring.
"The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul.
"The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane." Being a disciple is life according to Jesus.
The cost of discipleship is great. And it's worth counting before we begin. But the cost of nondiscipleship is even greater. As Greg Porter said two weeks ago coaching from the cross, parenting from cross, teaching and leading from the cross, living our lives from the cross where we put others ahead of ourselves is ultimately the best way to live.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
This morning we come to the fifth mark of a disciple and its full allegiance to Christ's compelling leadership. Simply put, it's follow me. The first mark was love Jesus. The second was abide in his Word. The third was deny self. The fourth was take up the cross. And now, follow me.
Jesus illustrates what it means to follow him later on in the chapter. If you have a Bible turn with me to Luke 9:57-62. In my Bible this section is called "The Cost of Following Jesus" and it highlights three obstacles that can get in the way of our attempts to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Look at Luke 9:57-58, As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
In Matthew's account he tells us that the man who came out of the crowd that day was a scribe, a teacher of the law. He was a prestigious man who had seen Jesus heal people and perform miracles. He had marveled at his teaching. And now he was ready to say, "I'm in, Jesus! I'll follow you anywhere. Let's go!"
And in that culture that was literal. This man was ready to leave everything, get in the boat, and follow this up and coming rabbi all over Galilee and beyond. This was an amazing commitment for a scribe, a company man, a member of the religious elite!
Think of the help this guy could be to Jesus' ministry? Not one of the Twelve disciples was a scribe. This guy could be a huge draw. He could help build this fledgling movement into something great and get this kingdom thing off the ground. He could stand up and tell his story at the next Jesus Fest right after the David Crowder Band performed with their smoke machines and strobe lights. "Move over, Peter, let this guy in the boat. We need him."
But before Jesus says hop in, he warns him that the journey won't be easy. In fact, he can't even guarantee him a room that night! Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. "You might get a rock for a pillow my friend. Are you ready for that?"
When we choose to follow Jesus we don't know where he will lead us or what it will cost us. We need to be careful not to put words in Jesus' mouth. Not to expect things from Jesus that he never promised.
I was talking to Greg Aikins this week. Greg and Betsy are back in Iceland now and he told me how much this passage meant to them. Early in their first term as missionaries in Reykjavik their landlord raised the rent on their apartment. And they couldn't afford to pay it. So they made the difficult decision to move out and look for another place to live that they could afford.
But apartments were hard to come by, especially for a couple with three young kids. So they moved temporarily into a one bedroom apartment that was vacated by a fellow missionary who was back in the States for a short time on furlough.
So all five of them, plus Betsy's mother, who happened to be visiting at the time, slept on the floor of that one bedroom apartment. And Greg said, "I was angry at God. And I had it out with him. I said, 'God, I can't believe this! Is this the way you treat your servants? You don't even give them a place to live? I need a housing promise from your Word.' Give me some hope that we're going to find a place that we can afford.'"
So he opened up his Bible and the passage God gave him was Luke 9:58, Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.
He said, "Bruce, that was not the promise I was looking for! But that's when I started to realize that when you choose to follow Jesus you have to willing to make sacrifices and give up things you think you're entitled to because we don't always know where God will lead us or what it will cost us. No Holiday Inns are guaranteed when we follow Jesus."
And that he said was a turning point for him. They lived in that one bedroom apartment for two weeks until a house became available for them to rent just a few doors down from the place they had left. So God did provide for Greg and his family, but not before he taught them all a valuable lesson of faith. Have you turned that corner yet? Life will bring you there sooner or later.
Be careful what you expect from Jesus before you choose to follow him. We don't know where he will lead us or what it will cost us. Don't put words in Jesus' mouth. Don't hold him to promises he hasn't made and then be upset with him when he doesn't come through.
A seminary professor of mine had names for the three guys in this story. He called the scribe Mr. Too Hasty. He needed to slow down and count the cost of following Jesus.
The next fellow he called Mr. Too Hesitant. He needed to speed up to follow Jesus. Look at Luke 9:59-60, Jesus said to another man, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let we go and bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
While the scribe was too impulsive, this guy was too cautious. Now at first pass it sounds like a reasonable request. He wants to attend his father's funeral. What's wrong with that? Jesus won't let this man go to his own dad's funeral? That's sounds harsh.
But the truth is, this man's dad hadn't died yet. If he had died the man would be at his father's funeral because it was the custom of the Jews to bury the dead the very same day they passed away.
No, what this man is saying is, "Look, Jesus. I want to follow you. But I can't come yet. I need to wait until my dad passes away and then I'll get my share of the inheritance and once I'm set financially then I'll follow you." That's what I think is going on here. And to that Jesus says, Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Following Jesus is about stepping out in faith. It's not about waiting until we have all our ducks lined up in a row. We have to count the cost, but we also have to allow God room to provide.
Valley View Community Church started under an oak tree in Valley Forge National Park because a few families were willing to step out in faith and follow what they believed was Christ's compelling leadership to start something brand new. There was no endowment fund or denominational support. No deep pocket or guarantees of anything. We didn't even start with a roof over our head, just the branches of an oak tree. We didn't know where the money was going to come. In fact, we still don't know where the money is coming from. But through eighteen years of ups and downs, Jesus has over and over and over again proved himself faithful to this church community financially and in every other way.
When we sense the call of God to follow him we need to respond and let Jesus take care of the details. So you have Mr. Too Hasty who needed to slow down and Mr. Too Hesitant who needed to speed up. And then there's Mr. Too Halfhearted who needed to become more focused and cut bait with his past.
Look at Luke 9:61-62,Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 62Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
This is another tough one. Why won't Jesus let this man go back and say good-by to his family? That's a great question. And I'm not sure I know the answer to it.
But I do know that Jesus is quoting a passage from an Old Testament story here when he says, No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
The story is found in 1 Kings 19 when the prophet Elijah calls Elisha to be his successor. And Elisha was plowing fields at the time with twelve yoke of oxen when Elijah came up to him and threw his coat over his shoulders, which was a sign that he was passing the baton of his ministry. And when he did Elisha left his oxen and ran after Elijah and said,"Let me kiss my father and mother good-by and then I will come with you."
And Elijah said, "Sure. That's okay. Go back and say good-by to mom and dad." So Elisha did, but then he made a wall to wall commitment to the kingdom of God and slaughtered his oxen and burned his plow and set out to follow Elijah.
I'm not sure Jesus is saying to this man, "Don't go back and say good-by to your family." I think he's saying, "After you do I want you to be fully focused on kingdom work. I want you to keep your eyes fixed on what's really important so you don't get distracted by lesser things. I want you to cut bait with your old life"
And that's a good word for all of us because it's so easy to lose focus on what really matters in life. It's so easy to take our eyes off of Jesus and start to plow a crooked row. That's why we worship, that's why we read and study the Scriptures, that's why we seek out community with others who are trying their best to serve Christ and his kingdom. We need to stay focused on living out the life that Jesus came to give us.
Someone has said that there's a reason that the windshield of a car is whole lot bigger than the rearview mirror. We need a rearview mirror because there are times when we need to look back and see what's behind us. It's good to look back sometimes to see where God has brought us. But most of the time we need to look ahead and keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. We need be looking through the windshield to where we're heading a lot more than looking in the rearview mirror to see where we've been. So that when our life is over we won't regret not following Jesus.
So there is a cost of discipleship. And we need to count it. But we can't be too hesitant and we can't afford to get distracted for very long if we're going to make the most of our lives.
The cost of discipleship is great, but it will be worth every penny. Peter wondered about that when he said to Jesus in Luke 18:28-30, Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" 29"Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers of sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."
Mark #5 is full allegiance to Christ's compelling leadership. My Father will honor the one who serves me. It's worth it. It's worth living our life for the one who died to set us free. Let's pray as we remember his death at the Lord's Table.