The Cost of Being a Disciple of Christ
Intro (Lk 9:51-56):
1. The Lord wanted to go to the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem.
2. He planned to go through Samaria but was rejected there - so He had to detour through the Jordan Valley. (The Dead Sea is 1400’ below sea level; Jerusalem is 2500’ above sea level)
3. If the Lord Himself was rejected - will you, His disciple, be treated the same way?
4. What’s the price of being a disciple of Christ?
Matthew 8:18-22
I. v19-20 - Discipleship Demands Ministry
A. v19 - It was demanded of a scribe.
1. The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
2. A scribe was a professional copier of the Law.
a. He knew the Law in minute detail.
b. He would be called upon to be an informal judge.
c. He was called Rabbi - Doctor - or Lawyer.
d. He was always given a place of honor at social events.
B. v19 - He wanted to be a disciple.
1. Whenever a scribe called you Teacher, it was an honor because he was considered to be the most apt teacher.
2. Whenever anyone said to a rabbi, “I will follow you”, it meant, “I want to be a disciple”.
3. It was also very obvious that he was willing to make a sacrifice to do this because he said, “Wherever you go”.
C. But - he was not aware of the price!
1. He wanted to be a disciple - not an apostle.
a. Disciple (μαθητής) = student.
b. Apostle (ἀπόστολος) = one who is sent out with a message.
2. The Lord was training His disciples to be apostles after His death & resurrection.
3. So - a call to discipleship is also a call to ministry!
4. This is why Jesus discouraged this man.
D. My job is to make each of you into effective ministers!
1. Most church members simply want to be disciples - learners. So they attend worship & Bible studies.
2. The purpose of worship & Bible study is to prepare you to be ministers.
a. Eph 4:11-13 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
b. As soldiers of the cross, how many of you have spent 20 years in basic training but have never gotten out onto the battlefield?
II. v21-22 - Discipleship Demands Absolute Loyalty
A. v21 - It was demanded of “another disciple”.
1. Another (ἕτερος) = one of a different kind; in contrast to another (ἄλλος) of the same kind.
2. The scribe called Jesus “Teacher” - this man called Him “Lord”.
3. v22 - Where the scribe invited himself - this man was invited by the Lord.
B. v21 - He wanted to be a disciple.
1. But - he wanted to fulfill his obligations first so he could be free to follow the Lord. Admirable!
2. It was the obligation of the first born son to bury his parents. The rabbis even said it was more important than Bible study & prayer!
C. But - he was not aware of the price!
1. It would take several days to bury someone, mourn for them properly & then go through the ceremonial purification process.
2. If Jesus intended to send out the 70 to “preach the kingdom” & he was one of them, Jesus needed his service now!
3. The Lord’s answer to him in Lk 9:60 was Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
D. The Lord is not against you fulfilling your duties - but loyalty to God takes priority over all earthly obligations!
1. Is it possible to get your mind off the earthly & onto the spiritual?
a. When tragedy strikes - do you blame God? Read Job!
b. Heaven is worth more than anything that happens to you in this life! Matt 16:26 - What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
2. You may say, “I keep the 10 Commandments!”
a. If you are too busy to serve God - you just broke the first two!
b. You just made another god out of whatever you were too busy doing to give God complete loyalty!
It’s when you orient everything in your life around obeying God -
that you are paying the price of discipleship!
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