December 15, 2013
Morning Service

Luke 14:26-35

 

We began our study in chapter 14 of Luke on Wednesday evening.  There were three topics we looked at.

1.       Whether it was right to heal on the Sabbath or not.  The Sabbath is not to be taken lightly, and Jesus didn’t take it lightly.  But He set straight what it was for.  FOR MAN.   

·         Gen 2:2-3  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.  (3)  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.  ( This was the recorded act of creation given by Moses.)

·         Then upon deliverance from Egypt;  Exo 16:29-30  See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.  (30)  So the people rested on the seventh day.

·         Then in the law:  Lev 16:31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.   GIVEN TO THE JEWS.  NOT GENTILES.

·         This sabbath was given to the Jews:  It is very clear in the N.T. Jesus fulfilled the demands of the law, and He is our eternal sabbath rest.  God removes the guilt of keeping the sabbath so rigorously, through the writings of the Apostle Paul. 

2.      The way to act when invited to a special party, or dinner.  To be humbled or exaulted.

3.      The parable of the great supper.  Showing that when the Jews rejected the gospel, it was opened up to whosoever will accept it’s wonderful grace, and mercy.  The acceptance of the gospel message is the way into the kingdom of God.

 

This morning we will look at one of the very hard sayings of the Lord:

Luk 14:26-35  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  (27)  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

·         The teaching is very simple.  Total commitment to Jesus, and His teachings, They must come first in our lives.

·         He realizes that if we are willing to do this, everything else will fall into place.  We will have much love for our families, and friends, and even our enemies.

·         How does this happen?  When you put Him first, what you are doing is asking Him to fill you with His Spirit.  When this happens you are filled with the Spirit of love, and then you can reflect His love to all those around you.  Everything you do will be motivated by love.  Jesus is the love of God.  LOVE NEVER FAILS.

NOW NOTICE:

(28)  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  (29)  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,  (30)  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 

·         The idea being;  intending to build a tower, or begin to walk with the Lord.

·         First sits down;  God said through Isaiah; “Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”  How’s that for a good reasoning tool?

******Unless converted on the spur of the moment, one should sit down, look at the plus, and minuses of the decision we make to serve the Lord.  As we will see it is not an insignificant decision we make when we choose to serve the Lord.  There will be changes in our life.  Changes for the good.

Paul says we actually become a new creature in Christ.  ( 2Cor. 5:17 )

 

 

WE MUST COUNT THE COST:

 

Counting the cost of serving the Lord:  There will certainly be changes made in our lives.

1.       Putting Jesus first in your life above family, and friends.  Not self anymore.

2.      Certain habits that we will want to change.

3.      Certain places we went before will not be appropriate anymore. 

4.      In some cases it will mean a change in our dress code.  We no longer dress to please the world, and it’s fashions, but we dress to please our betrothed, the Lord.

5.      In what we read, and watch on T.V.  This is what fills our minds, and influences our understanding.

The Apostle Paul said this:  Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

This must be our attitude concerning the things that will change in our lives:  all things are dung, that I might win Christ.

 

Then another example of reasoning: 

(31)  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  (32)  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 

·         The conclusion:

(33)  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

·         Again, total commitment is all the Lord will accept in servitude to Him.  However, He has patience, and understands that one doesn’t always know what is required.  Most of us are still in the process of learning, and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

·         Paul said this:  1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

·         We could say it like this;  “When I was in the world, I spoke as a worldly person, I understood as a worldly person, I thought as a worldly person:  but when I became a Christian, I put away worldly things, and put on the things of Christ.

(34)  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?  (35)  It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

·         Being a Christian, and having Christian attributes is wonderful, and meaningful, but if we have lost our witness, and Christian values, and it shows to the world, then we have, and are worth nothing.  We are neither fit for the land, nor the dunghill, even the world will cast you out.

 

Almighty God, help us to use our ears to hear the truths of Your Word, and to be doers, and not hearers only.  Amen.