The Cost of being a Christian
The Life of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
opening Hymn What a friend we have in Jesus
Opening prayer
Not one place in the bible did Jesus invite those to follow Him Promising illusions that to do so would be fun exciting with organized potlucks, good music on Sunday mornings, Christian events that are going to recharge and motivate the Christian. Jesus never said to follow Him, and all your troubles will be no more.
On the contrary Jesus spoke of what it would be to follow him.
Luke 14:26–27 (NASB95) — 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. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
That my friends, does not sound like a normal invite a friend to church type invitation.
What is A Christian?
What is a Follower of Christ?
Are you willing to pay the price for following and proclaiming the name of Christ?
Matthew 9:9 (NASB95) — 9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
Mark 2:14 (NASB95) — 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.
Luke 5:27 (NASB95) — 27 After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.”
IN all three synoptic Gospels, the writers include the command of Jesus to the tax collector,
Akolouthei Moi “Follow me”
In our study of the Life of Christ in the mornings we have been studying what it is means to follow.
We have studied three of the four implications behind the command to follow.
1. Guide/follower relationship
2. Teacher/student relationship
3. Command/subordinate relationship.
There is a distinction made in the time in which we live between being a Christian and being a Christ Follower.
Is there really a distinction between the two?
Does everyone who says that he or she is a Christian is truly a follower of Christ?
Most define a Christian as being one who believes that he or she has been saved through the work of Christ on the cross and is Going to heaven. That is what we teach here from this pulpit. Salvation is a free gift of God, given freely and received freely to those who trusting in the Lord for it.
We all in this room and in the sound of my voice would concur and would claim the title of Christian.
But what if we would define Christianity this way.
One who upholds the very image of Christ and pursues with all of one’s heart the glorification of God.
Does this define your Christianity?
What we do not teach is that your journey is over at the point of conversion, but is only beginning.
The end Goal of your salvation is not to keep you out of Hell.
Jesus’ chief objective in humbling himself as a man, living and dying to be resurrected and then ascending to sit at the right hand of the father was all for the glory of God.
there is but one objective to the Christian’s life and with it is attached all the blessings that come with it. The Glory of God.
It was Christ’s accomplished objective as it should be our set objective.
What stood before us entering the Christian life was the cross that Jesus bore in order that we might be saved.
What stands before the Christian is more than a potluck dinner and the festivities of being a church members but another cross, our own.
Our question today is not where one is going to spend eternity, that is between the individual and God.
To those who call themselves Christians and yet only pay lip service every once in a while, to the name of Jesus if at all, and go about living out their carnal lives, it is not the question of where they will spend eternity (though that should be a concern) but how well do we the title of Christian.
Where there is no following in discipleship, where there is no following in obedience to a life worthy of our calling, can we truly forsake all others even ourselves to pick up our own crosses to follow Jesus?
Luke 14:26 (NASB95) — 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.
There is the figure of speech called a hyperbole which in comparison to the things of God all else is treated with less value. And when it comes down to a choice then it is the family relationship that is abandoned.
In context even to this day there are families that do not accept with open arms a member of the family who has become a Christ follower.
This was the testimony of Nabeel Qureshi
In 2001, Qureshi attended Old Dominion University in Virginia and served as the president of the Pre-Medical Honor Society. He also studied Islamic apologetics and engaged Christians in religious discussions. After one such discussion with a Christian at Old Dominion University, David Wood, the two became friends and began a years-long debate on the historical claims of Christianity and Islam.[7] According to Qureshi, Wood encouraged him to research Christianity and Islam in an equally objective light.[8] Qureshi recounted that he had been happy with his faith and with his Muslim community and did not want to leave it, but he ultimately converted to Christianity after years of dialogue with Wood. He described his conversion as "the most painful thing [he] ever did" because he subsequently lost most of his friendships and relationships with fellow Muslims.[9]
Nabeel said that telling his father was like ripping his heart out his father’s Chest.
A husband who converts or a wife who converts may not bring the couple together, but it may indeed split the couple apart. Prior to the conversion the couple may have been Carnally compatible, even honoring the marriage in human integrity, but when one or the other converts the relationship with Christ can indeed drive a wedge in that relationship, and even break it up.
What is the wife or the husband to do? Paul covers this in 1 Corinthians 7 and the answer was not to do all to save the marriage, but to do all to glorify God and if the unbelieving husband or wife wants to go then let them.
In the time of writing, and to this day, if one was to be a disciple, a follower of Christ, He and she had to be prepared for the ramifications.
Luke 14:28–33 (NASB95) — 28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Baptism was a declaration that the old things were left behind to embrace the new, and if that meant leaving behind father, mother, sisters and brothers and wife, even self, so be it.
Baptism was not only a declaration of following Christ, but it was also a death sentence to many.
What was the price of some who were baptized and became followers of Christ? some were made human torches to light Nero’s courtyard. Others were cooked in a metal bull in Smyrna; other men woman and children were fed to the hungry beast in the midst of a cheering crowd while others were burned at the stake.
What are you willing to pay to be a follower of Christ?
Luke 14:27 (NASB95) — 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Jesus says about such things
Matthew 10:24–25 (NASB95) — 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25 “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
Yes, the journey of the Lord would come to the place where he would have to carry his cross. Can any of us ask ourselves when the time comes would we be ready to pick up our cross?
If we were faced with an indictment, if we were asked if we were of the Christ and we knew that if the next words out our mouths would be yes and knowing that we would never see our family again and that the most brutal torture will lie in front of us and even our family will have to suffer, could we say that word, “yes,” when a quick answer” no” would make the road a lot smoother?
I tell you right now, I may not be able to do it, as the spirit might be willing but the flesh is certainly weak.
How then can the Christian gladly follow the command when faced with such ramifications?
Only when one’s hearts aim is to our highest calling to Glorify God. when one’s heart is removed from oneself and is fixed upon the Lord is when one truly becomes a living sacrifice.
Point of Doctrine: the Cause must be greater than self
The Lord demonstrated this on his way to carry his own cross.
Jesus said
John 4:34 (NASB95) — 34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
It was Jesus who gave everything that he had to accomplish the will of the Father
He dies a criminal’s death. There is not a single thing that remained with the Lord on the cross, for the criminal hung there without a stitch of clothes. Even being abandoned by God in those last three hours. As Job had said it was also the one who lives for the glory of God who gave his all
Job 13:15 (NASB95) — 15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
And having picked up His cross Jesus says to us now
“Pick up your own cross and follow me.”
You cannot do it when there is even an ounce of self within your heart. You can’t do it when you are holding on to that one thing you cannot bring yourself to let go of.
Maybe it is not even your own safety but the thoughts and the care of a loved one such as the man on the shore telling Jesus
Luke 9:59–60 (NASB95) — 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
There was a family relationship that stood as a stop sign to following Jesus in even getting into the boat.
Peter said that he was ready to give his life to follow Jesus, but Jesus knew better.
John 13:36–38 (NASB95) — 36 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Jesus had said to Peter
Luke 22:31 (NASB95) — 31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you all like wheat;
Was Jesus speaking of just the disciples present or all who would pay the price of following Jesus. And notice that Jesus did not deny the permission for Satan to do so.
For what reason will Satan be allowed to sift each of us, followers in Christ?
All for the glory of God.
To be the sacrifice one must be willing to deny self and offer oneself and will not be able to as long as we hold on to any measure of self.
Romans 12:1 (NASB95) — 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 14:7–8 (NASB95) — 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
What stands between you and total giving of yourself for the Glory of God. What is that one thing that stands between you and picking up your own cross.
Remember the victory was at the cross where Christ gave his all.
Will we give our all?
Will we bear the name Christian proudly and have followed as did Christ follow for the Glory of God the Father?
There is a great price to pay to wear the name Christian.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB95) — 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Closing hymn Trust and obey
The Lord’s table
Closing prayer