Luke 14:25-35

Butler's Comments

SECTION 4

Grounded (Luke 14:25-35)

25 Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, 26If any one 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. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, -This man began to build, and was not able to finish.-' 31Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? 35It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Luke 14:25-33 Farsighted: True discipleship to Jesus must be based upon or grounded in reasoned commitment, not on superficial emotionalism. The Jesus movement was gaining a superficial momentum toward that triumphal entry into Jerusalem some three months hence. As He-preached throughout Perea, Christ saw through the facade of popularity and gave this stern, umcompromising lecture, illustrating that there is no place for unreasoning, sentimental enthusiasm in His followers. This admonition of the Lord is doubly pertinent for today's would-be follower of Jesus! There is a vast difference between today's religious sentimentality and the real discipleship outlined in the New Testament.

The verb strapheis (2nd aorist participle) indicates Jesus turned suddenly, and threw into their ears the gauntlet of total commitment. Looking out over that sea of faces, Jesus could find very few whose minds and lives were committed to Him. It was an impulsive crowd spread around Himthey were following on feelings. He wanted thinking, intelligent, logical followers; He wanted farsighted, judicious, sober soldiers in His army, so He used clear, candid language to sift the multitudes and blow the chaff away.

No earthly love must ever come into competition with love for Christ. Entire self-renunciation is the cost of real discipleship. The Greek word misei (hate) carries the idea of choice or priority. A man must choose Christ over father, mother, wife, children, brethren and self. If Christ is not absolutely first in a person's life, he is no disciple (cf. Matthew 10:34-39). To the worldly mentality, these are shocking and severe words. To be a disciple of Jesus men must prepare themselves to choose Him over every one of life's dearest relationships! The world does not think like this. When a choice must be made between the church and one's family, most people choose family. The Bible strongly advocates love of family so the fact that Christ insists He must have first priority emphasizes the seriousness of this injunction. The terms of Christian discipleship are awesome. There can be no higher loyalty than that which Jesus requires. This statement of Jesus strikes at the very core of the excuse of the man who said, I have married a wife. If ever there is a conflict between the highest and dearest earthly love then we must deny that and follow Him.

Jesus associated discipleship with cross-bearing. The cross was the repulsive, terrifying, certain instrument of execution in the Roman world. When a person was given a cross to bear, it was certain he was on his way to deathexcruciatingly painful death. Christian discipleship means certain death to ego-centricity. It means emptying one's life of everything that is selfish. It means choosing death to self and desiring Christ's life over ours (cf. Galatians 2:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Philippians 3:4-11). Taking up the cross means total commitment. It is not easy to be a ChristianJesus never promised it would be. It involves pain, struggle, surrender and death to self-rule. It is not just sufferingmany people suffer and glorify themselves in it. Bearing the cross is not just giving up bad habitsit is sacrifice of self, surrender of all supposed rights to determine what one shall think and do. This was exemplified ultimately by Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11; John 12:20-33).

If Christian discipleship involves the ultimate cost (death to self) then it is imperative that it not be entered into unadvisedly, hastily or flippantly. Christian discipleship involves decisions for eternity and demands, therefore, reasonableness, honesty, humility and faith. Jesus illustrates this with two short parables. He is requiring would-be disciples to count the cost by illustrating the momentous calling of discipleship. He is building an eternal temple (the church) and fighting a life-and-death battle against the strongest of foes. Christian discipleship is no place for the half-hearted. In recruiting, Jesus seeks the few good men. He is far too wise to pride Himself in mere numbers of converts. He is more concerned with quality than quantity. He always loathed the counterfeit, the double-minded and the superficial. Jesus always accentuated the severity and sacrifice of discipleship:

a.

Foxes have holes. but the Son of man has nowhere. (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58)

b.

Are you able to drink the cup. ? (Matthew 20:22)

c.

Go sell all that you have. (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23).

Some tend to cover up the severity of discipleship to Christ. They make out like the Christian life is easy. They try to play down everything unpleasant about it. They do deceitful and indulgent things to lure prospects. Jesus, on the other hand, went out of His way to sift disciples! He was brutally frank and searching in challenging would-be followers. Is it not self-defeating to continually emphasize the difficulties of following the Lord? Should we simply say nothing about the strait and narrow way so we may reach more? Would it not be better to get as many enlisted as possible without worrying about their commitment? Not if we are to take Jesus as our guide. It is better never to enlist a single disciple than to enlist a halfhearted one! Jesus will not have reckless, carefree, spur-of-the-moment enlistments. Christ discouraged half-hearted kingdom enlistments. He was negative about superficiality. Lukewarmness makes Christ vomit! (Revelation 3:16).

The illustration of the man desiring to build a tower would be a familiar figure for that day. The Herod family was noted for its penchant for erecting magnificent public and private buildings. Many men probably tried to imitate them and found they did not have the will nor the funds to finish. There were probably scores of unfinished towers scattered throughout the land. These unfinished building served only as monuments to the hasty, near-sighted, half-hearted efforts of foolish and emotional men.
The picture of the wise king who takes counsel of his strength before he goes to battle is also taken from the history of the times. Herod Antipas-' illicit relations with Herodias caused his first wife, the daughter of Aretas, to divorce him. Aretas, a powerful Arabian king, declared war on Herod and the result was disaster for Herod. Josephus declares that Herod's entry into this war was the commencement of all his subsequent misfortunes. Any commander of troops would be the laughingstock of all his contemporaries if he entered into a battle carelessly, flippantly and expecting to retreat.
Christ wants no shallow, half-hearted builders in His kingdom leaving unfinished towers for the world to mock. No one has any business in His army without the will to fight and finish. The Lord's terms for discipleship are severe:

1.

He is engaged in building and fighting.

2.

He wants followers who will stand by Him until He is done.

3.

He wants quality more than quantity.

4.

Discipleship must not be undertaken in a moment of emotional sentimentality or rashly. If it is, there will be disaster.

5.

No would-be follower of Jesus should put his hand to the plow if he is planning to look back (cf. Luke 9:62; 2 Peter 2:21-22).

6.

The Christian must fight, but not as one that beateth the air. (1 Corinthians 9:26).

7.

The Christian must run with perseverance the race that is set before him. (Hebrews 12:1).

Jesus said, So, therefore, whoever of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. One ancient Christian wrote, We must live in this world as though the soul was already in heaven and the body mouldering in the grave (St. Francis de Sales). To renounce what we have does not mean to indiscriminately throw away those things over which God has placed us as stewards. It means that not one of those things or all those things put together are to have first priority in our lives. These things include families and friends as well as properties. Any person not willing to pay that price cannot be Christ's disciple.

Luke 14:34-35 Functional: The true disciple of Jesus is not merely a follower-he is a functioning follower. Salt that does not function is worthless. Salt is absolutely essential to life. Medical science knows that a patient continually given liquids without salt-content soon has all the salt flushed out of his body and is in danger of death by water-poisoning! Salt seasons and preserves. Disciples who have no tang and no bite and who give the world no preserving functions are worthless. What good is a mountain of granules if they are saltless? What good is a mountain of disciples if they do not function? No wonder Jesus sought quality rather than quantity. True evangelism sifts out the chaff from the wheat! It is the very nature of the gospel to sift, so do not be discouraged when few decide to enlist. You must have willing ears to hear this.

STUDY STIMULATORS:

1.

Jesus accepted an invitation to dine in a Pharisee's housewould you be sociable to a hypocrite? What if one tried to trap you into a religious mistake?

2.

If it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, is it all right to work on Sunday if your job demands it?

3.

If there is an opportunity to help a neighbor who is in true need could one miss church services to help?

4.

Do you see any room for growth in the area of humility among Christian leaders today? Can you name some leaders who are humble?

5.

Is pride really dangerous?

6.

When was the last time you gave a dinner and invited the poor, lame, blind and maimed?

7.

Have you ever heard excuses similar to those of the guests invited to the great feast? What were your answers to the excuses?

8.

If many are invited to the feast of God, why are only a few chosen?

9.

Do you know any builders who have left unfinished towers?

10.

Why doesn-'t the church spend more time emphasizing the cost of discipleship?

CONDUCT WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL

(Philippians 1:27-30)

By Paul T. ButlerOBC Chapel, 10-23-80
INTRODUCTION

I.

THE PHILIPPIAN CHRISTIANS

A.

Lived in a city that had an illustrious history and a great heritage of citizenshipfirst in the Greek empire and later in the Roman empire.

1.

About 100 years previous to Paul's letter, Mark Antony and Octavian (Augustus) fought for control of the Rome empire there.

2.

Philippi had been given Roman citizenship and was proud of it.

3.

Roman colonies were little bits of Rome planted throughout the world. In Roman colonies the Roman citizens never forgot that they were Romans. They spoke the Latin language, wore the Latin dress, called their magistrates by the Latin names, insisted on being stubbornly Roman, however for they might be from Rome.. Barclay

4.

Tenney states that many retired Roman army officers lived in Philippi.

5.

There was a school of medicine there. Many think Luke was a native of Philippi. There seems to be a touch of native pride when Luke calls Philippi a city of Macedonia, the first of the district (Acts 16:12).

6.

They knew about the idea of pride in citizenship.

B.

Were members of the first European church Paul had founded

1.

This church had to endure persecution from the very beginning.

2.

Paul and the Christians there were accused of subversive actions.

3.

They were attacked by a mob, ordered to be beaten with many blows after which they were imprisoned and placed in stocks.

4.

It was here Paul insisted on his rights as a Roman citizen and made the magistrates who imprisoned him illegally come and release him and apologize.

5.

There was a very intimate relationship built up between Paul and this congregation of believers.

They supported his work financially and in prayer, often.

II.

LET YOUR MANNER OF LIFE..

A.

The Greek word translated conduct or manner of life or conversation is polietuesthe.

1.

It is a unique use of the word for Paul. He usually exhorts Christians to walk worthily and uses the Greek word peripatein which means to walk about.

2.

Polietuesthe is the same word from which we get the English words, politics, politicize, metropolis. It means to be a citizen.

3.

This terminology would ring a bell with the Philippians.

4.

Paul wants them and us to understand that Christians are citizens of a heavenly kingdomthe kingdom of God.

5.

Sometimes Christians get the feeling of being disfranchised. They cannot feel at home in this worldeverything they think is opposed to it, nothing in it satisfies them, they know it is going to be destroyed, BUT THEY MUST REMEMBER THEY ARE CITIZENS THEY DO HAVE A CITIZENSHIP. THEY DO HAVE A KING.

B.

The Greek verb is in the imperativeit is a command from Paul.

1.

Conduct yourself!

2.

It will not happen automatically, It takes determination, decision, and action.

3.

It is something the Christian has to consciously do.

4.

It ought to be passionate, like patriotism. Patriotism is not automatic. It is not something one just talks aboutit is something demonstratedsomething done.

III.

BE WORTHY..

A.

The Greek word is axios.

B.

It is the word from which we get the English word, axiom, axiology.

C.

It means literally, value, acceptable, a standard of values.

D.

That which the Christian, the citizen of the kingdom of God, is to walk worthy of is THE GOSPEL.

1.

The gospel is a heritage. It is not a religionit is not something we attach to our worldly lives.

2.

The gospel is a lifeit is a citizenship. We belong to it.

3.

The Pioneer of our faith, Jesus, came to earth as the Perfect Man and struggled, fought the enemy, gave Himself up to humiliation and death, but victoriously won for us the New Beulah Land. THIS IS OUR HERITAGE. struggle, fight, self-sacrifice and victory.

E.

Being worthy means being loyal; it means being a person of integrity, a person of conviction. It means one's conduct measures up to this heritage of the gospel.

The classic illustration of this for me is the military service. There is a great pride (or was, anyway) among America's military men in their calling. This is true of both officers and enlisted men. The oldest of the military academies, West Point and Anapolis, have tried and true traditions and codes of honor by which all cadets conduct themselves.
Those codes of honor have their power, however, in the great heritage of the academies which have produced men who have struggled, fought, died and won victories for the principles of human freedom and dignity.
I-'ll never forget the pride that swelled up in me as I put on my first set of dress blues in the Navy and marched to some of the stirring John Philip Sousa's marches. I thought about the Yorktown, the Enterprise, Halsey, Nimitiz. I was willing to give my life in that uniform, for that flag.
I challenge you this morning, that we must have an even more intense and passionate patriotism for the heritage of the Gospel. Let loyalty to your Christian citizenship swell up in you here and now and regret that you have but one life to give to Christ. Remember John the Baptist, Peter the fisherman, Paul the tentmaker; remember Gethsemane, remember Calvary, remember the empty tomb; remember Jesus!
Our text will tell us how to conduct ourselves worthy of the gospel because patriotism is something you do, something I do.

DISCUSSION

I.

STAND FIRM

A.

The Greek word is stekete. It is present and imperative. It means to be immovable.

B.

Christians will not be moved from their citizenship in the Kingdom of God by anything, nor anyone.

1.

They will not be moved by circumstances.

2.

They will not be moved by fads or fashions or social pressures.

3.

They will not be moved by feelings or fleshly urges and desires.

4.

They will not be swayed by expediency, ease or comfort.

5.

They will not be moved by persecution, ridicule or slander.

C.

This does not mean the Christian will not grow, that he stays on one level of spiritual development all his life.

1.

It means he takes an immovable, unflinching, absolute stand for truth and goodness.

2.

Wherever he finds truth and goodness he appropriates it and makes it hishe stands for it.

3.

Wherever he finds evil, falsehood and wrong, he stands against it.

The early 1940'S were the darkest days the citizens of England would ever know. Hitler controlled all of Europe from the borders of Russia to the coast of France. He was sending his V2 rockets (buzz-bombs) indiscriminately into English cities, killing hundreds. Britain's army had suffered the decimating defeat at Dunkirk. There was rumor that the powerful and ruthless German armies were poised to invade England.
Winston Churchill rallied his people: We shall go on to the end. we shall defend our Island whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..
Long dark months of trials and tribulations lie before us. Not only great dangers, but many more misfortunes, many shortcomings, many mistakes, many disappointments will surely be our lot. Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey; hardship our garment; constancy and valor our only shield. We must be united, we must be undaunted, we must be inflexible..

D.

The trouble with many of youand youI-'m talking about you here, in this building, on this campusIS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER TAKEN A STAND, INFLEXIBLY, FOR THE GOSPEL.

1.

You look around you and it looks like everybody else is indulging themselves in worldliness and you don-'t have the grit and courage to swim against the streamto brace yourselves against the winds of fad and fashion.

2.

It is easier, more comfortable, more popular to vacillate. to drift with the majority.

E.

Why would you let someone you care for very much talk you into taking liberties with your body when you know it is wrong?

Why would you let a buddy or friend talk you into destroying school property (really God's property) by senseless pranks, when you know it is wrong?
Why would you skip the chapel worship service or sleep in on Sunday morning, or waste money on trivialities and not pay your school debt?

WHY? BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN AN INFLEXIBLE, UNBENDING, UNYIELDING STAND FOR THE TRUTH. FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. FOR THE GOSPEL!

F.

And why haven-'t we taken an unyielding stand for what is right? BECAUSE WE VALUE POPULARITY OR OUR OWN COMFORT MORE WORTHY THAN OUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGE. OUR HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP.

Some of you have been lulled into complacency thinking that because you came from a Christian family and are now in Bible College your being a Christian is inevitable. DON-'T BELIEVE IT!
YOU MUST TAKE A STAND ALL BY YOURSELF. IT IS YOUR FIGHT, YOUR STRUGGLE, YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Being a Christian doesn-'t just happen to you.
Albert Barnes (of Barnes Commentaries) wrote: A man who has been redeemed by the Blood of the Son of God should be pure. He who is attended by celestial beings, and is soonhe knows not how soonto be translated into Heaven, should be holy. Are angels my attendants? Then I should walk worthy of my companions. Am I soon to go and dwell with angels? Then I should be pure. Are these feet soon to tread the courts of Heaven? Is my tongue soon to unite with holy beings in praising God? Are these eyes soon to look on the throne of eternal glory, and the ascended Redeemer? Then these feet and eyes and lips should be pure and holy, and I should be dead to the world and live for Heaven.
It is said that when Napoleon's army was invading Russia his soldiers came to a village from which all the inhabitants had fled except one man. He was a Russian peasant, a woodsman, and still carried his ax in his leather belt. When the French captain saw him he ordered that he be shot immediately. The French soldiers leveled their guns at his head but he did not flinch. The captain was frustrated by this old man's courage.
Telling his soldiers to lower their guns, he said, We will spare his life, but we will put a mark on himwe will brand him. So his soldiers brought a branding iron, got it red hot, and placed it on his hand. The man saw and felt his own flesh burn, but still he did not flinch. When the branding iron was removed the peasant saw the letter N branded on his palm. What is that? he asked. This is the letter -N-' and it stands for Napoleon; you belong to Napoleon now, replied the captain.
For a moment the old man did not know what to do or say. His pain was intense, but his loyalty and patriotism was even more passionate, so he placed his burned hand on something solid, and as the soldiers were laughing and jeering at him, he took his ax from his belt with his other hand and brought it swiftly and forcefully down and severed his branded hand at the wrist.
There, he said to the soldiers, the hand may belong to Napoleon, but I am a Russian. If I must die, I will die a Russian.

NOW THAT IS PRETTY SEVERE, YOU SAY. THAT'S A GOOD ILLUSTRATION, BUT WOULD JESUS ASK US TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away.. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell (Matthew 5:29-30). WHO DO YOU THINK SAID THAT? TO WHOM DID HE SAY IT?

JESUS IS SERIOUS ABOUT THIS MATTER OF TAKING A STAND. INFLEXIBLE, UNYIELDING STAND.
Paul wrote to the Christians at Colossae that they were reconciled to God by Christ's death, provided they continued in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which they had heard. (Colossians 1:22-23).

STAND. STAND FOR THE GOSPEL. DON-'T BEND, DON-'T YIELD, DON-'T BE MOVED. DO IT TODAY! DO IT EVERY DAY! IT MUST BE DONE EVERY DAY. THERE ARE NO VACATIONS FROM STANDING. NO R & R. IT DOESN-'T GET EASIER AS YOU GET OLDER! NOW IS THE TIME TO SAY, I AM DETERMINED, I-'VE MADE UP MY MIND.. EVERY TIME YOU HEDGE, EVERY TIME YOU COMPROMISE, EVERY TIME YOU BEND IT BECOMES EASIER TO DO SO! STABILITY AND STEADFASTNESS ARE THE MARKS OF TRUE SPIRITUALITY!

II.

STRIVING SIDE BY SIDE

A.

The Greek word is sunathlountes. From it we get the English word, athletics, athlete. It was used of those who contended in the Greek Olympic games.

B.

Striving in athletic contests demands:

1.

Self discipline, forcing oneself to give up any hindrance to the contest.

2.

Training, practice, repetition, until excellence is achieved (which is never).

3.

Expending energy, working, sweating.

4.

Concentration of the mind, thinking, alertness.

5.

The will to win.

C.

You all know that. We don-'t really have trouble around here getting people to play gamesto strive in contests of physical prowess; they run, jump, kick, tackle, throw things, hit things, shoot things, yell, shout and scream.

THEY DO IT IN AN ORGANIZED WAY, UNORGANIZED WAYS AND UNGODLY WAYS.
THEY DO IT FOR CLOTH LETTERS, METAL TROPHIES, AND THE UNGODLY ATHLETICS OR ANTICS ARE ENGAGED IN FOR THE FALSE JOY OF SELF-INDULGENCE AND REBELLION.

D.

Paul wanted the Christians at Philippi to strive together for their spiritual prize, their spiritual heritage with the same intensity athletes strive for the glory of their country in the Olympics, or for the glory of their college alma mater.

1.

That is what Christ wants for you here too.

2.

When you are assigned a research paper, do you strive or sluff-off? Do you force yourselves to do hours of research in the library, to write and rewrite until excellence is achieved, concentrate, sweat, think, work?

WHY NOT? YOU DO WHEN YOU PLAY BALL, WHEN YOU ROUGH-HOUSE WHERE YOU SHOULDN-'T!

3.

When someone asks you to help at missions emphasis, or ambassadors or survey calling or rest-home visiting, do you force yourself, give up comforts, work, run, jump, yell and shout? WHY NOT?

JUST HOW MUCH IS THE GOSPEL WORTH TO YOU? HOW MUCH DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO STRIVE FOR YOUR HEAVENLY COUNTRY.. TO WIN FOR YOUR KING?

E.

Paul probably meant striving to face the enemies of the Philippians who were without.

1.

But the enemy (the devil) without has a willing tool that is within US, SELF.

2.

We-'ve got to strive with the enemy within us mightilySELF MUST BE FOUGHT, SELF MUST BE BROUGHT UNDER THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST'S SPIRIT.

3.

Have you ever been to boot-camp in the Marines or the Navy? A lot of you need it! Talk about striving, side by side. Reville at Luke 5:30 a.m.; each person has 5 minutes to shower shave and get dressed; march in formation to breakfast; return to the barracks in formation; 5 minutes to get inside, get your pack and piece and fall out in formation; then it is close-order drill, rifle range, obstacle course, close-order drill, etc., etc. until you fall exhausted in your bunk and lights out at 10.

Why such agony, such torture, such striving? Because SELF must be whipped, self-control is an absolute must. Because when a marine is on the front lines, facing the enemy without, there is no way he can win if he has not striven with and conquered the enemy within!

F.

The Christian life and the Christian ministry is no pleasure cruise. We are not here sailing along on the Love Boatthis is not Fantasy Island.

1.

There is no place in the Christian struggle for the flippant and the blase!

2.

There was nothing blase about Paul's struggle!

3.

Listen to this:

a.

5 times 40 lashes

b.

3 times beaten with rods

c.

once stoned

d.

3 times shipwrecked; a night and a day adrift at sea

e.

danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from his own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren

f.

in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night

g.

in hunger and thirst, often without food

h.

in cold and exposure

i.

daily pressure and anxiety for all the churches

PAUL HAD NO OCCASION TO BE BLASE. HE WAS CONSTANTLY STRIVING WITH THE ENEMY WITHIN. He fought and fought, conquered, and then strained more, Philippians 3:7-16.

G.

What is your citizenship in the kingdom of God worth? Have you any sense of honor about being called into the army of Christ?

1.

Is it worth striving against the profane, irreligious and immoral worldliness of a brother?

2.

Is it worth going against a father when he is wrong?

3.

Is it worth having to flee from your home?

4.

Is it worth suffering exploitation and injustice and ridicule?

5.

Is it worth working hard and honestly for?

6.

Is it worth being a pilgrim in this world?

7.

Is it worth going to a foreign country and dying there?

THAT IS WHAT IT WAS WORTH TO JACOB, God said: Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel (prince of God) for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed (Genesis 32:28).

WE HAVE TOO MANY DON QUIXOTES IN THE KINGDOM, PLAY-PRETENDING, JOUSTING WITH WINDMILLS. They never get down to the hard realities of everyday striving with the real battles of lust, dishonesty, laziness, rebelliousness, greed, envy. They-'re out knocking down the imaginary enemies.

H.

Who are we to think we can enter into that rest without striving when it was our Master who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, who with loud crying and tears experienced obedience through the things He suffered. Nothing blase about Gethsemane!

This same Paul, in prison later (after this), facing the end of his race, wrote to his young Timothy, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6 ff.).

SO I SAY TO YOU THIS MORNING, STRIVE, STRIVE WITH YOURSELF AND BRING SELF INTO SUBJECTION TO THE SPIRIT AND WORD OF CHRIST. STRIVE SIDE BY SIDE AGAINST THE ENEMY, THE DEVIL AND HIS TOOLS. AND WHEN YOUR RACE IS OVER, YOU TOO WILL RECEIVE YOUR CROWN!

III.

NOT FRIGHTENED IN ANYTHING BY YOUR OPPONENTS

A.

The enemy cannot shame you or enslave you, or make you less than you are.

1.

You are the citizen of an unshakable kingdom.

Babylon fell, the glory of Greece is gone, Rome remains only in legend and crumbling ruins. Someday the glory that is America will disappear.

BUT NOT SO WITH YOUR KINGDOM, YOUR CITIZENSHIP. IT IS FOREVER YOUR KING CONQUERED DEATH, HERE, IN HISTORY, TO PROVE IT!

2.

You are exalted to joint-heirship with Christ. You are royalty. No matter that now you must wear the tatters and rags of finite fleshsome day you shall wear the star-studded, celestial robes fitted for you from the heavenly closets!

3.

One of the great temptations that has caused so much desertion among the ranks of God's soldiers (ministers of the gospel) today is male mid-life crisis.

a.

There is an interesting parallel to this in a story I once read in Readers Digest, August 1978, Portrait of a Traitor.

b.

Brig. Gen. Jean-Louis Jeanmaire, a man who had outwardly personified the honor of Switzerland and the devotion of its citizen army, was arrested and discovered to be the worst traitor in the history of Switzerland.

c.

His treason is traced in the article mainly to the fact that in his later years he had been transferred from the infantry to the civil-defense forces. His self-image suffered. He always envisioned himself as a combat officer who would lead his men against invading hordes. Now he felt that his career was floundering and the possibility of fulfilling his boyhood dreams was fading.

4.

Your opponents, the devil and his ambassadors, will try to ridicule, slander, and deceive you and destroy your Christian honor.

a.

This is what the Viet Cong tried to do to our POWs. Read again that Book Section of Reader's Digest, June 1976, on the POW.

The way the POWs survived was to hold fast to their belief in who they were and the truth of what they had been fighting for.

b.

The devil attacked Adam and Eve at this vulnerable pointself-image. If you will take the forbidden fruit you will be gods for as a believer you are less than you can be! A LIE!

c.

The devil attacked Jesus at this pointself-image, If you are the Son of God..

5.

Remember who you are. You are royalty. You are beautiful in God's eyes. You are eternally young and alive in God's eyes. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE DEVIL AND HIS HENCHMEN SEDUCING YOU INTO BELIEVING YOU HAVE TO SIN TO RETAIN YOUR BEAUTY OR YOUR LIFE! AS A BELIEVER YOU ARE EVERYTHING GOD MADE YOU TO BE!

B.

The enemy cannot rob you of your heavenly inheritance.

1.

Moth and rust cannot consume it.

2.

Thieves cannot break through and steal it.

3.

You have an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept for you in heaven.. and you are guarded through faith until you receive it (1 Peter 1:4).

4.

Think of the tragic compromises some have made because they have let the enemy frighten them into thinking the only riches, or the only pleasures, or the only fame is IN THIS WORLD!

5.

Esau despised the spiritual birthright which was unseen, for a bowl of bean soup which he could have right then.

6.

This slight momentary affliction of having to stand and strive and be courageous is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:17).

THINK OF THAT. BEYOND ALL COMPARISON. THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS WORLD OF RICHES, ROYALTY, PLEASURE, HONOR, SATISFACTION WITH WHICH TO COMPARE YOUR INHERITANCE!

Don-'t let the enemy scare you into believing there is!

7.

The enemy says, If God has such great things for you, why doesn-'t He give them to you now. because He doesn-'t have them for you.. You-'d better get what you can of riches, pleasure and power now.. You only go around once!

8.

But God, if He did not spare His own Son for you, will certainly come through on the promise of your inheritance (Romans 8:31 ff,).

9.

God has already given you a down payment on your inheritance in the Holy Spirit dwelling in your heart, guiding you into the joys of spirituality through His Word, the Bible.

C.

The enemy cannot destroy you.

1.

In 2 Kings 6:11 ff. the king of Syria sent his army to surround the city where Elisha was and take the prophet captive. When the Syrian army surrounded the city the servant of the prophet arose early in the morning and began to be afraid.

Elisha said, Fear not, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And the Lord opened the servant's eyes and he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha from the Lord.

2.

In Revelation 13:1-18 people of the Roman empire worshiped the beast (Roman emperor), saying, Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it? THE BEAST IS INVINCIBLE, THEY SAID.

But John wrote, ... the beast. is human. its number is 666. THE BEAST IS NOT INVINCIBLE. ROME FELL, AND THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST LIVED ON!

3.

The enemy, using the fear of death, kept most of the world of mankind in slavish bondage to sin, but Jesus came and destroyed that power.

The enemy tried to destroy Jesus, but Jesus rose victorious, having defeated the worst the enemy could do.

4.

The enemy has tried to obliterate the written word of God and cannot even do that, because it is in the hearts of believers generation after generation and will always be.

The enemy has tried to kill the church but he cannot do that. It has survived every stratagem, persecution, false doctrine, materialism.

5.

John's vision in Revelation saw the church Rome tried to destroy as an innumerable multitude of individuals out of every tribe and tongue and nation, alive, worshipping God around His throne.

The great Admiral Nelson of the long-ago British Fleet was about to engage the enemy at the battle of Trafalgar. He dressed himself in his full uniform and placed all the medals and orders that he had won upon his breast.
His officers remonstrated with him, saying he should take off his decorations, or at least cover them with a handkerchief, as otherwise he would become a prime target for the enemy's musketry.
But the gallant Admiral would have none of their advice: I won these distinctions in the face of the enemy, he said, and I shall wear them in the face of the enemy.
YOU HAVE PUT ON CHRIST, YOU ARE A PRIME TARGET OF THE ENEMY. BUT DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED IN ANYTHING BY HIM AND HIS MINIONS.. SO LONG AS YOU WEAR THE CHRISTIAN ARMOR, HE CANNOT HARM YOU, MAKE YOU LESS THAN YOU ARE, ROB YOU OR DESTROY YOU!

CONCLUSION

I would like to discuss the rest of this text in this sermon, but time does not permit.
I close with this story: May 12, 1962, a great old American soldier is speaking some of the last words he will say to an Academy filled with young men preparing to become officers and future leaders of the Army of the USA:

DutyHonorCountry. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.. The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase.. But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character;. they make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success, not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm but to have compassion on those who fail; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future yet never neglect the past; to be serious yet never to take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength. The shadows are lengthening for me, The twilight is here, My days of old have vanished tone and tint; they have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday.. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes in my earsDutyHonorCountry..

Douglas MacArthur, at his last roll call at the Point. He died two years later.
If we filled the stage this morning with old soldiers of the gospel, they would say to you:

Down through the years of your ministry may your memory always come back to God's Word and may this truth echo and re-echo in your heart.. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.. STAND FIRM.. STRIVE SIDE BY SIDE.. AND DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED IN ANYTHING BY YOUR OPPONENTS..

Applebury's Comments

Counting the Cost
Scripture

Luke 14:25-35 Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it? 29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is 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 asketh conditions of peace. 33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Comments

and hateth not his own father, and mother.On another occasion Jesus stated this same lesson in a positive form: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37). Therefore we are forced to understand the expression hate in the light of this positive statement. It simply means that when it comes to a matter of devotion to Christ or parents, Christ must be first in the absolute sense; parents, by contrast, are to be hated, for they cannot be put before Him.

But Jesus upheld the Old Testament law that required children to honor their parents (Exodus 29:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; Ephesians 6:2-4). He severely condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who made the Word of God an empty thing by their tradition that said if a man gave to God what he might spend to care for his parents he was not required to care for them (Matthew 15:3-6). Evidently, they were merely saying that they were giving to God, but in reality neither giving to God nor caring for their parents. Actually, caring for aged parents in obedience to God's command would have been giving to God.

Except for those cases in which parents bitterly opposed Christ, there would be no conflict in loving Him and parents also. See Luke 12:49-53.

and his own life.This shows that Jesus did not intend for a man to hate his parents in the ordinary sense of the term. But nothingnot even the dearest members of one's own family or life itselfcan be exalted above Christ, if one is to be His disciple.

bear his own cross.Jesus demands absolute priority in the thinking and love of His disciples, Selfish ambition has no place in the life of His followers. He had explained this to the disciples before (Luke 9:23). Now the multitudes are to learn the same lesson. Jesus was not willing to accept any disciple who was not willing to meet the demands of discipleship. See Luke 9:57-62. If He had been interested in merely becoming the popular leader of an irresponsible crowda charge made at the time of His trial (Luke 23:2)He would have made no such demands.

For which of you desiring to build a tower.The high standard of discipleship made it necessary for those who would be His followers to count the cost before entering the service of the Lord. In our eagerness to see people become Christians, do we sometimes fail to observe Jesus-' warning about counting the cost? Jesus-' reference to building a tower and to the number of troops necessary to meet the enemy illustrates the lesson. Count the cost before beginning such projects, if you are to avoid the embarrassment of possible failure. Not just those who enlist, but those who fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith are to receive the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8; Revelation 2:10).

that renounseth not all that he hath,Paul is an excellent example of one who renounced all for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:8-11). But no less is required of all other followers of Christ. Jesus had already illustrated this in the parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44-45). All these remarks explain the meaning of true self-denial. See also Paul's challenge to Timothy as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

he cannot be my disciple.This is absolute! There is no place for half-hearted discipleship in the service of the Lord. See Jesus-' warning to the lukewarm Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-22).

Salt therefore is good.This is still another illustration of the necessity of weighing the issues involved and remaining faithful to the end. Salt in this context is a symbol of dedication to Christ. Without dedication, a disciple is ineffective in his efforts to influence others for Christ; he is certainly to be rejected in the end.

Jesus used this same expression in another context (Mark 9:49-50). He had been discussing the destruction of the wicked in hell and added, For everyone shall be salted with fire. He was referring to His teaching about hell which would act as a deterrent to wickedness. He said, Have salt in yourselvesthat is, have this knowledge about the fate of the wicked in your minds that it might keep you from such destruction.

On still another occasion, Jesus spoke of His disciples as the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). In all probability, this means that the disciples by Christ like character and conduct and by teaching the truth of His Word are to preserve others from destruction.

but if the salt have lost its savor.If the salt loses its salty taste, what then? It is fit for nothing but to be cast out. A disciple who loses the necessary dedication and consecration to Christ as suggested by cross-bearing and self-denial will be rejected; such a person cannot be His disciple.

He that hath ears to hear.Thus Jesus emphasizes the lesson He has just taught. His hearers should heed His challenge and His warning.

Summary

Opposition to Jesus became more intense as He came closer to the day when He would lay down His life for His people. His great popularity with the common people was a real challenge to the leaders who were determined to destroy Him, one way or another.
Another Pharisee invited Him to his house to eat. But a man with dropsy was there and they were watching Jesus to see what He would do, for it was the sabbath. He accepted the challenge; He healed the man; He embarrassed those who hoped to embarrass Him, for they were not able to answer the logic of His questions about their own acts on the sabbath.
Jesus was also watching the guests on that occasion. He saw them choosing the chief seats without waiting to be asked by the host to take the place of honor. He taught the powerful lesson, Everyone that exalts himself be humbled and every one that humbles himself shall be exalted, And He was aware that the host had invited his rich friends who would in turn invite him to their homes. Jesus said to him, Invite the poor, and you will be rewarded in the resurrection of the just.
One of the guests began to speak about the fortunate state of those who would be at the heavenly banquet. Jesus responded with the story of the Great Supper. God had invited His chosen people to come to the feast, but they made lame excuses for their insulting disregard for Him. Then Jesus indicated that the gospel invitation would be given to the sinners of all classes and that the heavenly banquet table would be filled, but those who had been invited would not get to taste the supper.

It is a serious matter to be a disciple of Jesus. He demands first place in the hearts of all who would be His followers. Not even father or mother may be put before Him. Before undertaking discipleship, count the cost. Complete dedication to Him is the price. Salt that loses its saltiness is good for nothing. A disciple who loses his devotion to Christ is worthless. Jesus closed His remarks with the solemn warning, He who has ears, let him hear.

Questions

1.

Why did the Pharisees invite Jesus to eat with them?

2.

How account for the presence of the sick man on that occasion?

3.

Why does Luke say that they were watching Him closely?

4.

What day of the week was it?

5.

What question did Jesus put to the lawyers? Why?

6.

Why didn-'t they answer Him?

7.

How did Jesus defend His action of healing the man on the sabbath?

8.

What contrast did His remarks make between what He had done and what they were accustomed to do?

9.

What were the guests doing that led to Jesus-' lesson on humility?

10.

What did He suggest that they do?

11.

What happens to the one who exalts himself?

12.

What did Peter say about humility?

13.

What did Jesus say to His host about the guests he had invited?

14.

Where should he have been looking for his reward?

15.

What do the Scriptures teach about the resurrection of the just and unjust?

16.

What was the occasion for the parable of the Great Supper?

17.

What did Jesus show about the attitude in general toward God's invitation to the Great Supper?

18.

What excuses had the Jews made for not responding?

19.

To what class was the second invitation given?

20.

How was this fulfilled during the ministry of Jesus?

21.

Why was a third invitation given?

22.

What does the third invitation represent?

23.

To whom is the third invitation sent?

24.

How can people be compelled to respond to the invitation?

25.

How did Jesus illustrate the necessity of counting the cost of discipleship?

26.

What did Jesus demand of those who were to be His disciples?

27.

What is the significance of His remarks about salt in this context?

28.

How are we to understand His remarks about one's parents?

29.

What was the Old Testament law about caring for parents?

30.

What had the Pharisees done that had nullified this law?

31.

How does Jesus illustrate the meaning of cross-bearing and self-denial in this context?

32.

Why did Jesus make such demands on His disciples?

33. Is the demand any less now?
34.

What did Jesus mean when He said that everyone shall be salted with fire?

35.

In what sense are His disciples the salt of the earth?

36.

What did He mean by the reference to salt that has lost its taste?

37.

What is to be done with the disciple that is like salt that loses its saltiness?

38.

Why did He say, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear?