Counting the Cost of Following Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Scripture Reading
Prayer
Review
Remind that the people were expecting a conquering king who would lead them to victory on a literal battlefield
Instead, Jesus came to provide victory on spiritual battlefield. Victory over sin and death.
Introduction
In today’s passage, Matthew uses Jesus’ words clear up a potential misunderstanding, namely that following Jesus would be a peaceful journey.
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Remember last week, Jesus encouraged His followers to fear God rather than man
He called His followers to proclaim the Gospel from the housetops.
Jesus now
I. If you are a follower of Jesus, you will stand for Him, despite the cost (32-33)
I. If you are a follower of Jesus, you will stand for Him, despite the cost (32-33)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.
II. If you are a follower of Jesus, expect strife and battle rather than peace (34-36)
II. If you are a follower of Jesus, expect strife and battle rather than peace (34-36)
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Worthy, as in verse 11, does not refer to morally upright or religious but one willing to accept the disciples of Jesus and their message.
Loving a parent more than Jesus is not the kind of love exhibited by those whom Jesus truly calls to Himself
Same with your own child
This does not say to not love your parents or children
rather, love them as much as you can, yet love Jesus more.
Explain symbolism of the cross
Pre-crucifixion
Post-crucifixion
Dying to self
Philippians 1:21
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Death to self can be both literal (martyrdom) and figurative (sacrificing person will for God’s will
III. If you are a follower of Jesus, you must be satisfied completely in Him (37-39)
III. If you are a follower of Jesus, you must be satisfied completely in Him (37-39)
Love Jesus more than family
Love Jesus more than life
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
IV. If you are a follower of Jesus, you must support your brothers and sisters in Christ (40-42)
IV. If you are a follower of Jesus, you must support your brothers and sisters in Christ (40-42)