The Cost of Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship

MARCH 15, 2015

I. What does it mean to follow Jesus?

II. The Roman Legionaire

– turn your back on your family

– cannot get married

– Minimum age is 16

– Shortest term of service is 20 years

– They do not want homesick soldiers

– They lay their lives on the line

– Reason for effectiveness: Commitment & Discipline

– What Jesus asks: total commitment

III. The Tower

– When you plant a vineyard, you build a tower

– Like a mini- fortress

– Not finishing the tower means having the wrong priorities

IV. The War

– Terms of peace = terms of surrender

– The victor of war demands absolute surrender

– Surrender means offering tribute

– Surrender means giving up all your rights

V. The Disciples

– Fully understood the cost of discipleship

– They were ALL IN 100%

– The call to discipleship is a call to battle

– Huge crowds followed Jesus for the wrong reasons

– If you follow Jesus for the wrong reasons, you will end up surrendering to the enemy: defeated, discouraged, disillusioned, demoralized

VI. Problem

– It’s about me

– Obedience is optional

– Priority is my schedule

VII. The Punch line

– Salt losing saltiness is an oxymoron. A contradiction in terms

– A follower of Jesus who is not following Jesus is an oxymoron

“The fastest way for evil to triumph is to have a lot of good people do nothing.”