How Much Does it Cost?

 Message Aim: To be a disciple of Jesus will be to give up our all and follow Him.

 Sermon Title:  “How Much Does it Cost?”

 Scripture:  Luke 14:25-27

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  Luke 14:25-27

Message Synopsis:

 We think we’re getting a great deal by advertisement because of their appeal , but we’re actually being ripped off. But much of it is caused by our own failure to ask the question, “How much does this cost?” You see every day in life we face choices. Every choice that we make, should involve asking the question how much does it cost. That’s the way life is…life is full of choices that are not paid at the start of making the decision.

Let me give you an example. How much does it cost to act foolish at school and not finish or not really try to learn? Some say practically nothing. You don’t know how much it is going to cost you. Many immoral things are done because people have not answered the question fully, “how much does it cost”? How much does it cost to not go to the doctor because you’re afraid they might find something? I’m not talking about money, I’m talking about what will it cost you emotionally, spiritually and socially.

How many of you have ever thought you were getting something at a good price and it ended up costing you more than you ever dreamed it would. How many of you can look back at your life, and say, what I got out of that was not worth the price that I paid for it to happen. Here’s how Christianity works. All of us have disobeyed God. All of us deserve hell and will be punished for our sin. If we do not find forgiveness for our sin, we will end up in hell. God loved all of us so much, that he made a way to have a right relationship with Him. God will not make anyone accept his plan. It is a choice.

How do we begin a right relationship with God our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus is the WAY.

Jesus could never have been a pastor of a church in his day, because he kept turning people off with his message.

I want you to imagine Jesus being surrounded by hundreds and thousands of people. Jesus looked at the large crowd running after him, and he knew they were looking for a religion on the discount. One that could change as they changed depending on how they felt on a given day. Jesus then puts the cost of being his disciple out in front of them. He says to the crowds, listen to this, those of you who are wondering what is the cost to be one of my disciples. Here it is. Luke 14:26-27  “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.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus says the first cost of following him means there are going to be some relationship changes in our lives. Following Jesus is not about simply coming to church, singing some songs, hearing a sermon, and going back home to live the same old kind of a way. Following Jesus is about counting the cost every time we have decisions to make so that it becomes second nature to us to be obedient. It is about admitting when we have sinned and asking forgiveness and turning away from it. It’s not just believing, it’s repenting and believing.

When Jesus says anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. The most difficult thing you can do in life is to pick up your cross and follow Jesus. There is no greater challenge in life. It’s good to ask the question, “How much does it cost to follow Jesus Christ?” But it’s equally as important to know, “how much does it cost to not follow him.”

How much does it cost to follow Jesus—everything we’ve got and everything we are going to get. Anything less than that Jesus must walk away from the deal.