Luke 14:25-35 "A Costly Kingdom"

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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We come this morning in our study of Luke's gospel to a really hard passage.

It's not hard because it's complicated to understand.

In fact, it's remarkably simple to track with.

It's hard to live out.

It's one of those that although many of us in here profess to be followers of Christ,

and most of us understand what this passage means,

I don't know if any of us truly, consistently live by its standards.

It's Luke 14, at verse 25.

Jesus is in the midst of teaching about his kingdom while he journeys toward Jerusalem and the cross.

This is God's holy word.

And if not, while the other is yet a great way off,

he's laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying,

this man began to build and was not able to finish.

Or what king going out to encounter another king in war will not sit down first and deliberate

whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000?

And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile.

It is thrown away.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Let's pray as we look at God's word together.

Father, we need your help.

I'm afraid we understand already some of what your word calls us to.

But it is hard for our hearts.

Holy Spirit, would you come and would you challenge us?

Would you show us what we need to see in your word?

And would you show us Jesus?

We might love him, that we might know more what it looks like to follow him.

We ask in his name.

Amen.

Sir John Franklin was a British explorer who in 1845 departed with about 130 men on what would be his final expedition.

Author Annie Dillard describes their plans this way.

They embarked from England to find the Northwest Passage across the high Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Ocean.

They sailed in two, three-masted barks.

Each sailing vessel carried an auxiliary steam engine and a 12-day supply of coal for the entire projected two or three years voyage.

Instead of additional coal, each ship made room for a 1,200-volume library,

a hand organ playing 50 tunes,

China place settings,

cut glass wine goblets,

and sterling silver flatware.

Two months after departure,

a British whaling captain met the two barks in Lancaster Sound.

He reported back to England on the high spirits of officers and men.

He was the last European to see any of them alive.

They died of disease,

starvation,

of cold in the Arctic.

Or you could say,

they died of underestimating the cost.

The cost of their commitment to explore.

They packed for a pleasure cruise, as it were,

and walked into a much more serious and difficult situation.

They thought they could continue their comfortable officer club lifestyle they'd been enjoying in England

on board this expedition around the world.

But the truth was,

everything about that needed to change.

And that's a big part of Jesus' point here,

when he tells the stories of counting the cost before heading into a battle,

before building a tower.

He's saying,

just as in those situations,

when you determine to follow me,

to be a part of my kingdom,

you should consider what is required.

What you're really committing to.

See,

many of us think we can continue our comfortable lifestyles,

and just kind of tack Jesus on the side,

as a nice addition to what we already do.

It'll be a master suite on the back,

you know,

nothing else will change.

It'll work nicely.

I thought about it in terms of my phone.

Most of you have a phone.

I try really hard not to have mine with me when I'm up here.

But there's a significant difference

that Jesus is asking us to consider in following him.

It's like the difference between adding an app on your phone

and changing operating systems.

See,

like you,

I can just add a free app on my phone anytime,

right?

Just click,

and it's there.

And I can use that app,

and it doesn't affect any of the rest of the phone.

I can open up that Jesus app

and use it,

and the emails work just the same,

and the text messages are the same,

and the calendar is just the same.

Nothing else changes.

But Jesus is suggesting that following him

involves changing operating systems.

Now, that's something entirely different, isn't it?

How many of you, like me,

avoid updating your operating system

as long as possible at all costs?

I know some of you do this.

Why do we do that?

You're pointing at each other.

This is terrible.

That's so mean.

Why do we delay so long

updating our operating system?

Because it changes everything else,

doesn't it?

Nothing else works the same.

It doesn't work right.

I changed mine finally over a year ago.

I still can't add a new event to my calendar.

I have not figured it out yet

in the new system.

They mess with you.

Why would you want that to change, right?

My email doesn't load the same.

Texts don't look the same.

All the other apps function differently.

And Jesus says,

that's what it means to follow me.

To have that center operating system

of your life changed

so that everything else has to adapt

in light of that priority.

He's not just one thing on a list of many.

He must be the first priority,

the greatest value

that everything else revolves around.

That's what it means to follow him,

to be a part of his kingdom.

And he challenges us, doesn't he,

on that very issue

in some specific areas

that are not easy for us to hear.

But we need to hear them

and to trust that he knows what's best for us.

Three times in this passage,

he says,

as you're counting the cost,

realize that unless,

fill in the blank,

you cannot be my disciple.

Unless this changes,

you cannot be my disciple.

What things does he say have to change?

First one, verse 26,

if anyone comes to me

and does not hate his own father and mother

and wife and children

and brothers and sisters,

yes, and even his own life,

he cannot be my disciple.

We must value Jesus

more than any other person.

Now listen,

kids,

you especially listen,

okay?

This does not mean

that it is okay

to treat your brothers and sisters meanly,

unkindly.

It does not mean

that it is okay

to be disrespectful

to your parents,

to hate them.

It does not mean

it's okay to be harsh

with your children,

parents.

Those are not okay.

It's not what Jesus is saying.

Jesus says in many places

we are to honor our parents,

to love our spouses,

to care tenderly

for our children,

and even we're to love our enemies.

So we know

that he's not saying

those other things are okay.

What he is saying

in this passage

is that we are to love him

above all others.

He gets first place.

Everyone else

gets second place.

This idea in the Hebrew culture

when we talk about hate

in this passage

is one of your greatest priority.

What will your heart be given to?

To hate in this sense

is a disavowal

of primary allegiance.

It's a change

in who is most important.

I think of it in terms

of what I would say

to a couple

in premarital counseling.

I will often remind

that couple

that leaving and cleaving

means something

very important.

It means once we get married

there must be

no confusion

about who my primary

commitment is to.

It's to my new wife

or my new husband.

Now I'm still to honor

my father and mother.

That relationship

remains important.

We should care about it.

But we must make sure

that our spouse

understands

he or she

is my first priority

in my family.

Right?

You may have said

you cannot be married

to me

unless you value me

more than your mother.

Jesus says

you cannot be my disciple

unless you value me

more than any other person.

For many of my friends

in India

that has meant

losing relationship

with family

who have disowned them

because they embrace Jesus.

Some of you

know that experience.

You've dealt with

some of that pain

in your close relationships.

Mocking

from friends.

Rejection

from family.

But for many of us

it looks a little bit

different

from that.

It's that we have

such high

family values

that we subtly

begin to value

our family

more than we value

Jesus.

And it's not that

these people

we value

are bad people

they're just bad gods.

Last week

in the passage

we were looking at

it was three good things

used as excuses

to keep people

from rejoicing

in the king's banquet

wasn't it?

A wife

some oxen

a new field

good things

that kept people

from God

eternally.

Watch out.

They're not sinful

things.

We recognize

those more quickly.

These are not

sinful things

keeping us from God

but when we try

to put these good things

in God's place

they ultimately

can't bear that weight.

Isn't that true

in your marriage?

I've watched myself

more than I

care to remember

forgetting

God's delight

in me

and trying

to fulfill

myself

through Christi

to think

that she's

the one

who's got

the pressure

on her

to make me

okay

to have

her approval

and her affection

make me feel

secure

and significant

and accepted

and when that

happens

I become

this

needy

demanding

person.

it's exhausting

it can be

even crushing

to a spouse

right?

Many of us

do the same

to our kids

centering

our lives

around them

so that

our priority

of worshiping

God

accidentally

becomes

secondary

and our kids

can wilt

under the pressure

right?

You've seen it

happen.

They're not

bad people

to love

they're just

bad gods

I found

this to be

one of

many

very

very

hard

aspects

of parenting

how do you

make it

so your

children

feel

deeply

unconditionally

loved

without them

also feeling

the world

revolves around

them?

Isn't that

hard?

How do you

communicate

to them

and demonstrate

to them

how loved

they are

without making

them think

it's all

about them?

It's one of

those hard

questions

that's very

difficult

in many

situations

it's one of

the reasons

I'm so

thankful

Derek's

going to

answer it

for us

in about

30 seconds

Tuesday night

so you'll

want to be

there for

that

thank you

Derek

but what I

see in my

own parenting

and in our

church culture

is a tendency

to love

our children

so much

that we

obscure

the person

we actually

want them

to love

most

God

sometimes

unwittingly

we communicate

to our

children

their

athletic

performance

their

academic

success

their

having

fun

in the

worship

service

or

Sunday

school

or youth

group

is what

really

matters

we need

to make

sure

that you

like it

that you're

happy there

and that it's

more important

than the

worship of

God

itself

than living

in community

together

than learning

about God

together

just want

you to

like it

now those

things don't

have to be

competing

priorities

but sometimes

we treat

them that

way

pastor

Kent Hughes

says we

often love

our kids

in a way

that shows

we hate

God

in the

language of

this passage

we get it

backwards

thinking what

are even

our highest

priorities

for our

kids

he writes

we fall

short

when we

spend more

time in

the car

in one

day

shuttling

them to

games and

lessons

than we

do in a

month

in prayer

for their

souls

ouch

what kind

of pastors

say things

like that

it's convicting

isn't it

what do we

most long

for for

them

what are

our hearts

for our

kids

we love

them but

do we

love them

as God

has called

us to

Jesus

says put

me

first

value

me

prioritize

me

and those

second

things

will

flourish

your love

for your

family

will deepen

and be

enriched

when it's

in its

proper

place

it can't

handle

first

place

that's

not what

they were

created

for

I am

I'm

the one

you must

trust

then Jesus

continues in a

similar vein

with some

other specific

things

he says

we must

value him

more than

our own

comfort

or reputation

look at

verse 27

whoever does

not bear his

own cross

and come

after me

cannot be

my disciple

now this

certainly could

involve dying

for the cause

of Christ

after all

Jesus has

made it very

clear he's

headed where

he's headed to

Jerusalem

to a cross

to lay down

his life

and so

if you're

considering

following

him

you ought

to count

that cost

he's

saying

to those

walking

along the

road

with him

carefully

count the

cost of

following

Jesus

but even

more

particularly

this second

statement

is talking

about how

we live

Jesus

elsewhere

calls us

to take

up our

crosses

not once

when we

die

but daily

right

as we

live

that's

the picture

taking

up your

cross

the part

of that

journey

where the

condemned

criminal

would actually

put the

cross

on his

back

and have

to walk

through

the streets

of town

up the

hill

in deep

physical

agony

carrying

this heavy

weight

with friends

and neighbors

gathered around

mocking

shouting

at them

ridiculing

them

so the

emotional

agony

the shame

that is

experienced

in taking

up

one's

cross

well before

the actual

death

that's what

Jesus is

describing

he's saying

that truly

following him

will not

be comfortable

will not be

socially

advantageous

it's a lot

less like

a pleasure

cruise

and a lot

more like

a death

march

that's why

I bristle

when someone

says to me

and it

happens

quite

regularly

well I

I just

know God

wants me

to be

happy

so

he does

you know

that

I know

he wants

you to be

completely

satisfied

in him

that's

that's

one thing

but the

bible

seems to

say that

reality

might involve

quite a bit

of painful

suffering

difficult

obedience

when it

doesn't

feel like

it

humiliating

repentance

when we

fail

things that

you may

well not

mean in

your definition

of happy

that you're

suggesting to

me right now

God wants

you may not

use those

words

you wouldn't

think of

saying that

perhaps

but where

are you

believing that

lie

about happiness

in your

life

if we're

not walking

into

uncomfortable

places

and painful

situations

taking up

our cross

we're not

following

Jesus

and cannot

be his

disciple

finally

after reminding

us to

count the

cost of

following him

telling those

parables

Jesus makes

a third

statement

in some

ways it's a

summary

statement

verse 33

so therefore

any

one of

you who

does not

renounce all

that he

has

cannot be

my disciple

we must

value Jesus

more than

any other

possession

yes that

could mean

very broadly

anyone or

anything

you can't

follow Jesus

and hang on

to a pet

sin

you can't

follow Jesus

and hang on

to old

priorities

and habits

that's

losing

your

saltiness

losing

the unique

flavor

and impact

of the

kingdom

becoming

eternally

useless

Jesus

says

but especially

here this last

statement in

terms of money

and possessions

they certainly

have value

to us

don't they

they must

not be more

valuable

than Jesus

we must

not use

our things

to build

our status

rather than

build his

kingdom

we must

not pursue

financial gain

at the expense

of kingdom

gain

rather

Jesus is

saying

everything we

have is

valuable

in relation

to furthering

his kingdom

what matters

most

one of the

things I always

say in the

welcome to

Southwood

class is

is that there

are no

membership

dues here

at Southwood

there's no

fee to be a

member of the

church

and that's

true

perhaps I

should also

say but you

need to know

that following

Jesus with us

here will cost

you everything

we want to be

shaped by God's

word right

which says here

if I'm to be

his disciple

everything I

have is at

his disposal

I must not

cling more

tightly to

anything

than I do

to Jesus

so here's

what I've been

wrestling with

lately

what God has

been showing

me in my

own life

is that if

that's to be

true

it must

actually begin

with me

treasuring

valuing

Jesus

himself

for who

he is

for how

wonderful

and glorious

he is

that God

himself

would be

the greatest

prize

the only

one I

truly can't

live without

the one

worth more

who's

more fulfilling

than everything

I own

or could

own

I love

the way

Paul says

this after

he reviews

all his

assets

his possessions

his spiritual

resume

boosters

he looks at

all of them

and he says

whatever gain

I had

I counted

as loss

for the

sake of

Christ

indeed

I count

everything

as loss

because of

the surpassing

worth

of knowing

Christ Jesus

my Lord

for his

sake

I've suffered

the loss

of all

things

and count

them as

rubbish

in order

that I

may gain

Christ

the surpassing

worth

of knowing

Christ Jesus

my Lord

have you

experienced

that

have you

have you

felt that

reality

that surpassing

worth

Paul says

even suffering

can help him

know Jesus

better

as he learns

how Jesus

suffered

and what

could be

better than

knowing

Jesus

he's all

glorious

he's perfectly

good

he's endlessly

faithful

he's so

worthy

of our

worship

right

kids

all of you

who are here

have people

who've brought

you here

today

who could

be

during this

couple of

hours

doing

something else

to make

some money

whether it's

the work they

usually do

or something

else

and you need

to know

that a

big part

of the

reason

that they're

here

and not

off doing

that

is they

believe

Jesus

is worth

it

Jesus

is more

valuable

than money

we have

to believe

that

to be here

together

but sometimes

that reality

is hard

to remember

at other

times

and on

other days

isn't it

am I truly

delighted in him

do I

really

treasure

Jesus

because

I've had to

wrestle with

that

because if

I don't

treasure him

for just

who he is

in himself

he's going

to ask me

to do

really hard

things

and to

leave behind

other things

that I

really love

and so

there's

no way

I'm

going

to do

that

unless

Jesus

is worth

it to

me

that's

what I've

been

wrestling

with

that's

what

Jesus

is

calling

us

to

consider

this

morning

so often

I

don't

trust him

value

him

follow

him

if you're

really up

for a gut

check

if you

really want

to consider

Jesus'

challenge

in this

passage

here's a

question

that gets

at the

same

issue

a different

way

I've been

wrestling

with

and dodging

this

for a few

weeks

now

so you

can dodge

it too

or wrestle

with it

along with

me

what would

change

in your

life

if Jesus

left

if your

relationship

with God

ceased

if it was

no longer

a priority

what would

change

would it

just free

up two

hours on

Sunday

and say

roughly

10%

of your

income

just a

little

blip

on the

radar

screen

but

everything

else

basically

the

same

would you

treat your

spouse

any

differently

if

Jesus

didn't

matter

would you

live in a

different

neighborhood

attend

different

schools

spend

time

in

different

relationships

in other

words

if the

operating

system

of your

heart

changed

today

it wasn't

Jesus

anymore

would the

money app

function

any differently

from what it

does today

the parenting

app

work different

or just the

same

how about the

free time

app

the workplace

app

would it

affect

any of

those

if the

honest answer

is no

then

something's

wrong

I know

I'm

meddling

but Jesus

started it

he did it

first

and he's

doing it

to me

first

this is

where he

calls us

to consider

the cost

of following

him

and to

ask

how much

do I

truly value

him

or do I

just say

I do

what would

it cost

us to be

in relationship

with Jesus

to be part

of his

kingdom

he tells

us we

should expect

it to cost

us everything

we have

Walter

Gowans

was one

of three

friends

who in

1893

followed

the call

of Jesus

to go

from Canada

to Sudan

with the

good news

of Jesus

like many

other

missionaries

of the

time

they sold

many of

their

possessions

and they

packed

what little

they kept

into a

coffin

and bought

a one way

ticket

across the

Atlantic

to Africa

not expecting

to come

back

counting the

cost

prepared to

give

everything

the

efforts

of

Walter

and his

two

friends

were the

beginnings

of a

long-standing

mission

agency

called

Sudan

Interior

Mission

but Walter

never saw

that

himself

one year

after leaving

Canada

he was

dying

of malaria

and he

wrote this

final journal

entry to

his mother

back home

August

9

1894

written in

view of my

approaching

end which

has often

lately seemed

so near

but just

now seems

so imminent

and I want

to write

while I have

the power

to do it

well glory

to God

he has

enabled me

to make a

hard fight

for the

Sudan

and although

it may seem

like a total

failure and

defeat it is

not

we shall have

the victory

and that

right speedily

I have

no regret

for undertaking

this venture

and in this

manner my

life has

not been

thrown away

my only

regrets are

for my

poor dear

mother

for her

sake I

would have

chosen to

live

mother dear

and what a

mother you

have been

it seems

I appreciate

you now

more than

ever I

did

oh how

often I

have thought

while lying

here of

your love

and how

I have

longed to

see you

again in

the flesh

don't mourn

for me

darling

dearest

mother

if the

suffering

was great

remember it

is all

over now

and think

of the

glory I

am enjoying

and rejoice

that your

boy was

permitted to

have a

hand in

the redemption

of the

Sudan

oh how

I did

wish to

live for

your sake

goodbye

dearest till

we meet

at Jesus

feet

Walter

you may

or may

not have

to leave

those you

love

pack all

your

possessions

in a

coffin

for

following

Jesus

to cost

you

everything

but he

does ask

for

everything

and knowing

him is

worth it

isn't it

after all

no matter

what it

costs us

to be in

that

relationship

to be a

part

of his

kingdom

being in

this

relationship

with us

cost him

more

didn't it

he gave

up

heaven

he

bought

the

one way

ticket

as it

were

to

earth

and with

passionate

resolution

headed

to the

cross

for you

and for

me

what a

great

savior

to trust

and to

follow

let's

pray

Jesus

we need

your help

to know

what this

call means

in our

lives

we need

your help

to be

willing to

embrace

that

to be

willing to

give up

things that

we love

so

Holy Spirit

would you

make Jesus

glorious

beautiful

and valuable

in our

eyes

this morning

that we

might follow

him

no matter

the cost

we ask

in his

name

amen

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information

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at

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