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Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #162
TEXT: Luke 14:25-33
During our first three messages in this series, we began discussing some of the things that hold Christians back from being fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Based on Jesus’ words in Luke 14, we saw that some people are caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd but they never venture into the area of total commitment. Others may have gotten over the crowd, but they are tripped up by family ties. And then, there are those who have gotten over family issues, but they are hung up on that old, persistent enemy — self. We looked at how we can overcome each of these obstacles and get on the path of being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
In our fourth message, we focused on Jesus’ call for us to pick up our cross and follow Him. We saw that carrying our cross means being determined, it means sometimes walking alone, and it means not doing what we would like to do all of the time.
Today, we are going to look at two examples that Jesus Christ gives in this passage, and what they tell us about carrying our cross and being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
1. A true disciple will count the cost. Jesus gives us a picture of what a person who intends to follow Christ ought to do. He says in verse 28, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost?”
What is Jesus saying? He is letting us know that following Christ is not something we do blindly. He is not, as some people try to say, requiring us to leave our brains at the door. He is not tying our hands behind our backs, blindfolding us, and telling us to walk off a cliff. He wants us to soberly ponder what we are getting into before we make the decision to follow Him. He wants us to count the cost.
2. A true disciple will contend with detractors. Returning to Jesus’ example, He says that the man who is building a tower will count the cost “lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him.”
Here we see a picture of a man who set out to follow Jesus Christ. He made up His mind that He would be a true disciple. He got rooted and grounded in the faith, but then his detractors showed up. They laughed at him. They told him he was foolish for even trying to follow Jesus. They said that this man would start out well, but eventually, he would give up.
3. A true disciple will continue to the end. In verse 28, Jesus says, “Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Notice the word “finish.“ If you quit halfway through, you are not a true disciple. A true disciple will follow Jesus until the very end. If he sins, if he stumbles, if he makes a mistake, he will get back up as quickly as possible, and get back on the straight and narrow road.
Count the cost, today, dear friend. Understand that you will have to contend with detractors. And realize that you will only be able to continue to the end if you depend on Jesus Christ. Jesus was fair in letting us know ahead of time what to expect if we were to become His disciples. He did not lure us in and then surprise us with a cross to bear. He lets us know plainly that the way of the cross is not always an easy road, but in the end it is a road that is worth it.
Do you want to be a true disciple of Christ? Are you willing to take up your cross? Are you willing to follow after Christ? Have you counted the cost?
MUSICAL SELECTION: “Jesus Promised Me A Home Over There” by Jennifer Hudson; “Let The Church Say Amen” by Andrae Crouch and Marvin Winans
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in twenty-three foreign countries. He is the author of thirty-four books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report and the Second Coming Watch Update. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master’s degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.
BCNN1 WP 