Count the Cost

The kids are going to go out to Kids Church now, and the rest of us are going to pick up Bibles.

If you haven't got your Bibles open, grab a Bible, turn to Luke 14, and I'm going to pray.

Gracious God, we thank you for the privilege of joining together as your people.

Lord, as we look at your Word now, I pray that we might have ears to hear.

We pray also for our young people departing from us now to their program.

Lord, I pray for them too that you might pour your Spirit out amongst them and upon their hearts and their minds

so that they might have ears to hear and willing hearts to obey.

I pray that for ourselves too, Lord, and we ask for your sake. Amen.

The radio station Today FM used to have what was called the annual celebrity party.

I don't know if they still do. I haven't listened to Today FM for a while, but it was an annual celebrity party.

It was a little misleading though because although there was a couple of famous people, you know, 15-minute fame kind of people there,

the bulk of the party goers were average Joe blows like me.

Not the rich, not the famous.

Those who never really get a chance to mix it with a high life of the famous people.

Apparently it was a great party, an enormous party, a lot of people there, heaps of drink and fun and food and average people like me were there.

It was advertised as the party to beat all parties, the party that everyone wanted to be at.

And one year in their promotion for this celebrity party, they had a guy ring up pretending to be Kerry Packer

to the radio station wanting to buy tickets for this party.

He was promptly told that no amount of money could buy him a ticket to the party.

It was invitation only and he wasn't invited.

Luke 14, Jesus tells the story of the greatest party of all times.

It's a party that we've been all invited to, a party that we have to RSVP for.

It's also a party that no amount of money can purchase a ticket for.

This party is invitation only.

I think it's a surprise to most people to discover that Jesus liked to party as much as anyone else.

He often saw Jesus attending weddings and dinner parties.

But what is really surprising is that he actually describes heaven as a party, as a great banquet,

which is a little bit different from the popular notion of hymns and harps and halos.

It is a big banquet.

And so Jesus is at this dinner party.

He's at a dinner party with some of his disciples and he leans across to the host of the party

and tells him who he should invite to his parties.

It's there in verse 12.

So have a look at Luke 14, verse 12.

Luke 14:12

When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives or your rich neighbours.

If you do, they may invite you back and so you'll be repaid.

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind and you will be blessed.

It's an amazing thing.

He leans across to the host of the party and says,

don't invite people to your party who you want to be there.

Invite everyone else.

Don't invite your friends, your neighbours, your rich.

In other words, what he's saying is,

I want you to live a life.

Remember Jesus talking about discipleship here.

I want you to live a life where you do things and don't expect to be repaid for it.

But he's so different than us, isn't it?

I mean, isn't it good to be able to do things and get some sort of recognition for it?

It's so much easier to pick up your cross and follow Jesus when there's a crowd clapping,

acknowledging you picking up your cross.

It's so much easier being humble when you can tell people that you've been humble

so they can pat you on the back for being humble.

And Jesus says, don't invite the people who are going to pay you back.

Invite, in fact, he says, the poor, the sick, the crippled, the outcast,

the people who were the outcast in first century Palestine.

Invite those people, the ones who can't pay you back.

Why does he tell us to do that?

Well, that's how God treats us.

It's how God treats us.

This is God's attitude.

The invitation that God gives us to have a relationship with him

and to spend eternity at his banquet table in heaven

is to everyone who doesn't deserve it, everyone who can't pay him back.

God invites the sinful people of this world.

He invites those who live life as if he doesn't exist,

those who go about their daily routine of life

and give no acknowledgement to God whatsoever.

Don't give him a second thought.

Reality is what he's saying is that everyone who dines for eternity

at God's table in heaven will not deserve to be there.

There won't be a single person there who will deserve it,

who would have earned it, who would have bought their way there

simply just because they're there,

because they have accepted the invitation

to join with God for eternity

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Well, that must have been a party clangor.

But Jesus didn't stop there.

He reclined back in his chair,

started to tell a story about a particular party.

It went something like this.

There was a rich man who organised a party

and he invited heaps of people.

And then when it came time for the party,

he sent his servant out to get them to come on in.

What we've got to realise,

this is a party in first century Palestine.

Parties took a lot longer to organise back in those days.

Nowadays, quick text message,

and you've got, you know, put on food,

and you've got a bunch of teenagers home in no time at all.

But it was different back in those days.

Significantly different.

Kid comes home, wants to have a party.

You know, yes, certainly,

the food's out there in the paddock.

You've got to go and chase it down

and kill it and slaughter it

and do all that sort of stuff.

It takes a while.

So what they used to do

was they put out the first invitation first.

So out you go, invitation to everyone.

We're going to have this great party,

a big banquet.

This is not necessarily just two hours' worth of,

you know, dinner time.

This could go on for days and weeks.

Out goes the first invitation.

People go, yeah, I'll be there.

Sounds like a great idea.

Then the servant gets and does all the preparation.

He slaughters the cows,

picks the carrots,

barbecues the meat,

puts the drinks with the sterly straws in them,

all set aside.

Desserts are cooling in the fridge.

It's ready to go.

Goes around, brings in the party goers,

and what he discovers is

those who said yes to start with

are now saying no.

And what he gets faced with

is a bunch of excuses.

Verse 18,

I have just bought a field

and I must go and see it.

What an idiot.

He's just bought a field

and now he must go and see it.

He's just bought himself a farm, right?

He's just bought himself a business,

hasn't looked over the books,

hasn't seen whether or not

the paddock actually exists or not,

but I've got to go and see it now.

I can't come to your party.

I can't wait, you know,

a couple of days or anything.

I've got to go and see it now

because I might not be there in the morning.

Verse 19,

I've just bought five yoke of oxen

and I'm on my way to try them out.

This guy has just bought a secondhand tractor,

hasn't even seen it,

doesn't even know if it's got all of its wheels

attached to it,

whether there's a motor there,

a transmitter,

got no idea whatsoever.

He's bought it

and he's got to go and try them out now

when the party's on.

He can't wait a couple of days

because they might get lonely tonight.

Number three,

verse 20,

I've just got married so I can't come.

Well, that's pretty self-explanatory.

You know,

you get married,

you don't go to parties anymore,

you know,

got other things on your mind,

don't go and worry about that.

You see,

what it's saying here is

all these people who were initially invited

have changed their mind.

They signed up to it,

they thought it was a good idea

and then when push comes to shove,

don't want to be part of the banquet.

And what Jesus is faced with here,

what he says is,

is that they are just excuses.

And in actual fact,

Jesus is saying these excuses

are both laughable and pathetic.

They are laughable and pathetic,

even good things like buying a field

and buying a bunch of cows

and getting married,

even good things.

When it comes up against

the greatest thing of all,

they can be but distractions

from the greatest and the best thing,

an invitation to party with God for eternity.

So he wants to make it clear

that every excuse that we make

to put off an invitation

of a relationship with the God of this universe

is pathetic,

it's laughable.

There is nothing more important

for yesterday,

today and always

than to know the one who gives us life,

who has control of eternity

in the palm of his hand.

Anything that puts that relationship

to one side

and makes it less important,

the number one priority

is a pathetic excuse.

And I think we've been challenged

about this as we've journeyed

with Jesus to Jerusalem,

haven't we,

over the last few weeks?

When Jesus describes

about what it means

to be his disciple,

what does it mean

to walk with Jesus

along this road to Jerusalem,

into Jerusalem,

to pick up our cross,

to walk outside of Jerusalem,

to die with Jesus

out there on the place

of the skull?

And how often

do we make excuses?

What this passage is saying

and the next one,

this whole collective passage

is saying here,

which is the whole point

of this travel narrative,

do we actually trust Jesus

with our life?

Do we really trust Jesus

with our life?

Jesus is not asking us here,

do we go to church,

we part of a Bible study group,

do I arrange the flowers

at church,

do I,

he's asking,

do I actually trust him

with my life?

Or am I still making excuses?

I've come up with all sorts

of excuses over the years,

so I've been faced

with all sorts of excuses,

I've made excuses myself.

One of the classic ones

is I'm too smart

to be a Christian.

A Christian is just made up

for dumb people

who need some form of crutch,

but I'm too smart.

I've heard that one,

I've heard it,

the most clearest excuse

in that regard

that I heard

came from a 16 year old

and it was in the middle

of a scripture class,

this kid said to me,

the Bible's full of mistakes

and Christianity's all flawed.

And, you know,

very authoritatively said that

and I said,

so tell me where?

He goes,

well,

you haven't got a Bible.

Unfortunately,

I had my big Bible bashing Bible

at the time

and I threw my Bible,

which just landed perfectly

on his desk

and slid into his lap

and it was just,

you know,

just a great effect.

And I said,

so show us where the,

you know,

show us where the mistakes

all are.

And he goes,

well,

I don't know exactly

where they are,

I've just heard

it's full of mistakes.

Well,

who told you?

Well,

I don't know where

I heard it from.

I've heard it from someone.

I said,

is the person reliable?

I don't know,

I don't know who it was.

And I said,

so in other words,

you don't really know,

do you?

And he goes,

no,

you're right,

I don't really know.

Or the other one I've heard is,

I'm too good looking

and too cool to be Christian.

Like being a Christian

is going to spoil my image

because clearly Christians

are the people

who tuck their ciglet

inside their undies

and we're the guys

who wear the sandals

on outside of our socks

and dagginess

has nothing to do

with Christianity.

It's in your jeans,

not in the type you wear

but in your mum and dad

so blame them for that.

Or I'm too involved,

I'm too involved

in the opposite sex

or with family

or friends,

you know,

what would those people think?

I'm too involved

with all these other relationships

to actually give

great consideration

to the best relationship

at all,

a relationship

with a guy

in this universe

or I'm just too busy.

I'm too busy with my work,

I'm too busy with my hobbies,

I'm too busy with my clubs,

I'm too busy with my study,

I'm just too busy

with life itself

to give a thought

for the one

who gives me life itself.

How do your excuses stack up?

In Jesus' story,

and this is,

you've got to read this one here,

not one of those

who are invited to the banquet

got a taste of the banquet.

Verse 24,

I tell you,

not one of those men

who are invited

will get a taste

of my banquet.

Not one.

What Jesus is saying

is if we continue

to reject the invitation

of our relationship

with him,

if we continue

to make our excuses,

if we continue

not to trust in Jesus,

then he will end up

treating us

for eternity

the way

that we have treated him

in the short span

of our lifetime.

Away from me,

I never knew you.

Away from me.

What Jesus wants

to make very clear

for us here

is that it is

the most important decision.

It's what we do with Jesus.

It's the most important decision

in our life

and that is why

Jesus wants us

to be so,

so clear

about what we are doing.

So clear

about what we are doing

when we sign on

to follow Jesus.

I want to say

that as well

by way of encouragement,

I have been amazed

recently,

the last two weeks

have been the most

difficult ministry years

of my,

ministry weeks

of my life

and yet

in amongst that difficulty

I have been rejoicing

consistently

of those

who have been coming

to Christ

in our midst.

God has been good.

God has been good.

The evil one

would want to distract us

from the main game

and Jesus keeps

encouraging us

with those

who have come

to Christ.

Praise God.

God has been good.

But he wants to make

us very,

very clear

what we are signing

on for here

as his people.

Jesus says

if you want to follow him

it's going to be tough.

It's going to be tough

because you die to yourself

and you rise to me.

It's going to be tough

because you take up

your cross

and you follow me.

It's going to be tough

following me

on this road

to Jerusalem

and outside of Jerusalem

to the place

of the skull

so you better get ready

for it.

You better get ready

for it.

He says

you've got to realise

that you are sheep

amongst ravenous wolves.

You've got to be ready

for it

because I'm getting you

to carry your cross

as well

as much as I'm carrying mine

and you need to count

the cost.

It's no good

RSVPing for heaven

signing up

for a gentle Jesus

meek and mild

and then realising

that Jesus

is more than meek

and mild.

Jesus is a king

who demands

my allegiance

and then realising

you've signed up

and you've made a mistake.

And so Jesus

uses two illustrations

to make the point.

He says

you don't go

building a building

if you haven't got

the money

to finish the job.

You look like an idiot.

You don't just

get the foundations

and you go

okay well

where's the rest

of it going

to come from now?

And he says

you don't go

picking a fight

with a guy

who's bigger than you

if you're going

to lose.

You know

I don't go

walking around

picking fights

with you know

two foot tall

sorry

two meter tall

two foot tall guys

I'll pick fights

with those guys

two

you know

two meter tall

bodybuilders

you don't pick

fights with those guys.

In other words

he says

think about

what you're committing

to

and this is

a significant

warning for us

I've said this

before

from the pulpit

that it's easier

for us to be part

of the Anglican Church

of Australia

than it is to be part

of the kingdom

of God.

That what Jesus

demands in terms

of discipleship

is not what

is demanded

in terms of

the Anglican Church

of Australia.

It is much

harder

to be part

of the kingdom

of God

than it is to be part

of Sir Paul's

Chatswood.

And let's be

frank about this

even the rich

young ruler

would be welcomed

amongst us.

He would be

included

given a position

of leadership

and frankly

right now

the Sydney

Diocese

could do

with his money.

And he even

came running

up to Jesus

with the all-important

question

what must I do

to inherit

eternal life?

If he came up

to me

and said that

it would be

vastly different

than what happened

when he said

it to Jesus.

He walked away

sad

because he wasn't

prepared

to trust

Jesus.

He wasn't

prepared for

Jesus to be

number one

he trusted

his money

more.

If he ran

up to me

I would have

had him

praying the

sinner's prayer

before he

caught his breath

and I would have

had him baptised

before he filled

out a follow-up

card.

Jesus was a

magnet to

people like

him

people who

want Jesus

for all that

they could get

out of him

but not prepared

to give Jesus

everything.

Verse 25

tells us

that there

are a great

number of

people who

were travelling

along the

road with

Jesus

but he was

never fooled

by the

crowds.

Jesus always

made a distinction

between the

crowds and

his disciples.

He was never

fooled by the

crowds.

Just because

they were there

he didn't think

for a moment

that they

were his

true

disciples

and so

he told

them what

it meant

to be

his

disciple.

And so

here's the

question for

you.

Do you

want to be

a disciple

of Jesus?

Do you

want to be

a true

disciple of

Jesus?

Do you

want to be

at his

banquet table

whatever that

is for all

eternity in

heaven?

Do you

want to be

there in

the end?

Jesus?

Well then

you need to

do this.

You need to

put your

hands up

like this.

Both of

your hands.

Come on.

I'm not

going to be

the only

idiot here.

Everyone's

got to do

this.

And you

need to

get behind

your ears

and you

need to

do this.

Because

Jesus says

this in

verse 35

he who has

ears to

hear let

him hear.

You want

to be my

disciple?

Listen up.

Okay?

You don't

need to keep

doing that.

Listen up.

Jesus says

three things

in this

passage.

What it

means to

be his

true

disciple.

Jesus said

first of

all you

cannot be

my

disciple

if you

love

other

people

more

than

you

love

Jesus.

Have

a look

at verse

26.

If anyone

comes to

me and

does not

hate his

father and

mother,

his wife

and

children,

his brothers

and sisters,

even his

own life,

he cannot

be my

disciple.

Now if

you had

an argument

as a

family on

the way

here today

you'd

think these

are great

words but

that's not

quite what

Jesus is

saying.

The point

is that

the relationship

that Jesus

calls us

to is an

exclusive

relationship.

Jesus says

the first

thing that

has to

happen if

you're going

to be

his disciple

there is

no more

important

relationship

than your

relationship

with Jesus

and as

C.S.

Lewis says

when you

put the

first things

first everything

else doesn't

become second

it actually

becomes

first.

when God

is first

you will

love your

wife,

your husband,

your children,

your friends,

your neighbour

like you

will not

love them

now.

What Jesus

is saying

is that there

is no

competitors

for this

relationship.

He says

it won't

be our

parents,

it won't

be our

wives,

our husbands,

our brothers,

our sister,

our children,

our boyfriend,

our girlfriend,

our best

friend,

our work

colleagues,

it won't

even be

ourselves.

He says

there,

I won't

even love

myself.

I won't

live for

my security,

for my ease,

for my comfort,

my pleasure.

Nobody

will be

competing

with Jesus

for our

love,

our affection,

our allegiance.

Jesus

will be the

one who

sets the

agenda for

my life.

He'll be

the one

who I

love,

who I

will serve

like no

other.

We will

do what

Jesus wants

us to do

before what

our friends

want us

to do,

even before

what my

boss wants

me to

do.

It means

when Jesus

speaks to

us through

his word,

as our

dearly loved

friend,

as our

king,

we will

listen and

we will

obey.

We will

listen and

we will

obey.

Do you

trust Jesus

enough to

do that?

Do you

trust him

enough to

do that?

Jesus

also said

that you

cannot be

his

disciples.

Number

two,

if we

are

people

who

love

safety

more

than we

love

Jesus.

Verse

27,

anyone

who does

not carry

his cross

and follow

me

cannot be

my

disciple.

Amazing

verse.

Jesus

calls us

into a

relationship

that is

actually

worth

dying

for.

He

calls us

into a

relationship

that is

actually

worth

dying

for

and

that

means

it's

everything

to live

for.

When

something

is worth

dying

for,

it is

everything

to live

for.

You

see,

the decision

is now,

tomorrow,

the day

after,

the next

day,

take up

my cross

and follow

Christ.

Even if it

costs me

my friends,

it costs

me money,

people think

I'm an

idiot,

even if it

costs me

my life,

no matter

what,

I'm going

to follow

Jesus.

Do you

trust

Jesus

enough

to do

that?

Third

thing,

Jesus

also said

that you

cannot be

my

disciple

if you're

a person

who loves

things

more than

you love

Jesus.

Have a

look,

verse 33,

in the

same way,

any of

you who

does not

give up

everything

he has

cannot be

my

disciple.

And

I've

spoken

on this

one a

number

of times

lately,

and I'm

going to

consistently

do it,

because

the world

in which

we live

wants us

to love

things.

You

turn on

the TV

and every

ad is

telling

you that

your life

is

meaningless

unless

you buy

this,

fill in

the blank,

whatever the

product is.

You know,

a bowling

ball,

a backing

clinic can

lift a

bowling

ball,

I mean,

that's the

meaning of

life.

You know,

everything.

And what

Jesus is

saying here

is that

he is the

one who

determines

our future,

our goals,

our plans,

our security,

and even

our spending.

Do you

trust

Jesus

enough to

do that?

do you

love

Jesus

more than

anything

or anyone

else?

I'm not

asking you

are you

a member

of the

Anglican

Church?

I'm not

asking you

whether you

go to

Bible

study.

I'm not

asking you

whether or

not you

arrange the

flowers at

church.

I'm asking

you,

do you

trust

Jesus

more than

anything?

Maybe you

know the

Christian message

well.

You pray

regularly,

you can

memorize

important

Bible

verses

and it

hasn't

changed

your

priorities.

It has

an impact

on the

way you

treat

people,

even the

way that

you treat

God.

Or even

the way

that you

day by

day go

about your

business and

even plan

your life.

How many

of us

here

prayerfully

considered

our last

purchase?

Okay,

that might

be a bit

harsh.

How many

of us

here

prayerfully

considered

our last

holiday?

How many

prayerfully

considered a

career change?

Because

all of

those

decisions,

I

significantly

consider

and take

into

consideration

the thoughts

of and the

words and

wisdom of my

lovely,

dearest

wife,

Natalie,

but if I

considered

Jesus to

be the

most

important,

wouldn't I

be prayerfully

considering those

decisions with

him as well?

Wouldn't he

have something

to say about

my spending,

my leisure,

my time?

how many

people have

got an

ache in

their gut

right now?

When you

realise what

Jesus is

calling us

to as we

walk along

that road of

discipleship to

Jerusalem with

him.

Jesus

wasn't

fooled by the

crowd who

followed him

around,

who only

followed him

because of

what they

could get

out of

him.

He wasn't

fooled then

and he

certainly isn't

fooled now.

What I'm

calling us

to do here

is the

very thing

that Jesus

called his

disciples to

do 2,000

years ago in

clearing up

their misconceptions

of what it

meant to be

his disciple.

He called

them to a

life of

radical

discipleship.

Actually,

let me

retract that.

No,

he didn't.

He called

them to a

life of

following him,

the radical

king.

That's the

key.

The key

is not

our life,

but the

king who

we follow,

the radical

king.

And what

the radical

king offers

us,

what the

radical king

offers us

is an

eternal

banquet with

him,

the greatest

thing you

could ever

possibly have

or imagine,

and he

says,

follow me.

Follow me

all the way

there,

me the

radical

king.

And when

you stuff

it up,

as you

will,

keep looking

to me,

the radical

substitute

king who

sacrificed in

your behalf

because you

failed to

follow me,

the pace

setter.

So let us

be a people

who in

the power

and the

comfort of

the gospel,

in the

power of

the indwelling

spirit,

with the

great king

Jesus before

us,

decide today,

tomorrow,

the next

day,

10 years

time,

30 years

time,

to get on

that road,

to stay on

that road to

Jerusalem,

to get to

Jerusalem,

to pick up

our cross,

and to walk

with him to

the place of

the skull,

and there with

him die to

the old life,

and with him

rise to a

new life.

Amen.