The Price

Have you ever thought of the price, or the cost, of being a disciple of Jesus?  Jesus said this in Luke 14: 28 to the crowds that were following Him, “But don’t begin until you count the cost.  For who would begin construction on a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills.”

Jesus said in Luke 14:27, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”  What do you think this means?  Do you think this means that everything is going to go smooth and you will not have any problems?  There are many people in the church that are born-again that, I don’t think, understand what these things mean.  

Many people say they love Jesus but what would they be willing to sacrifice for Him?  This is not a call to be selfish and to be “me centered,” thinking only of yourself and your own happiness.  Many in the church are willing to serve the Lord as long as it doesn’t cost them anything.  Many people come to the church to be spiritually fed but they don’t do much with what they learn.  It seems like some won’t get involved in a ministry unless they get paid for it.  Then they don’t want to do any more than they have to.

What is the matter with just being a servant?  Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”  If we could just learn to be servants there wouldn’t be any need for competition in the church.  We would be able to love, encourage and work with one another without jealousy, bickering and complaining.  If we could just look at it this way; the Lord has given us the privilege to minister for Him here in this world.  If we get all bent out of shape over little things, what will happen when we face real difficulties?  If we falter in the little things, what will we do when the big trials and problems come our way, and believe me they are coming.

If you live long enough it will cost you plenty to be a disciple of Christ. Things are being prepared right now for a one world religion and true believers are not going to want to be a part of it.  In Russia there are what they call the underground churches which are house churches and the people in those churches are paying a dear price to serve the Lord.  There are many Christians in many parts of the world that have paid a great price to serve the Lord and if things don’t change here we will have to pay a great price also.  Are you willing to suffer for the cause of Christ?  Only you can answer that question.  I have heard it said something like this, “If a cause isn’t worth dying for, it isn’t worth living for.”

This is a sobering message but I am not trying to tickle anyone’s ears and if you feel like I am stepping on your toes you aren’t alone, mine are being stepped on also, praise God.  So what did Jesus mean when He said in Luke 14:27, “And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me cannot be my disciple?”  In my King James Life Application Study Bible I found a good explanation of this verse, it says: “Jesus’ audience was well aware of what it meant to carry one’s own cross.  When the Romans led a criminal to his execution site, he was forced to carry the cross on which he would die.  This showed his submission to Rome and warned observers that they’d better submit too.  Jesus gave this teaching to get the crowds to think through their enthusiasm for Him.  He encouraged the superficial either to go deeper or to turn back.  Following Christ means total submission to Him – perhaps even death.”

What about you, have you counted the cost?  Are you superficial, ready to turn back, or are you willing to go ahead no matter what the cost? Something to think about, hey have a great day, and I hope you choose to go on.  God bless you!