Welcome to Zion Bible Church
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Faith Family
    • Our Doctrinal Statements
    • Contact Us
  • Our Ministries
    • Bible Discussion & Church Service Times
    • TeamKID: Kids in Discipleship
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Adult Ministries
    • Calendar of Events
  • Outreach
    • Our Missionaries
    • Missions Trips
  • Listen to Sermons
  • How to be Saved
  • Links
    • Our Daily Walk in 2015

luke 13-15

10/20/2015

7 Comments

 
Luke 14:25-35
​
When Jesus left the Pharisee’s house, great crowds followed Him, but He was not impressed by their enthusiasm. He knew that most of those in the crowd were not the least bit interested in spiritual things. Some wanted only to see miracles, others heard that He fed the hungry, and a few hoped He would overthrow Rome and establish David’s promised kingdom. They were expecting the wrong things. Jesus turned to the multitude and preached a sermon that deliberately thinned out the ranks. He made it clear that, when it comes to personal discipleship, He is more interested in quality than quantity. A “disciple” is a learner, one who attaches himself or herself to a teacher in order to learn a trade or a subject. Perhaps our nearest modern equivalent is “apprentice,” one who learns by watching and by doing. The word disciple was the most common name for the followers of Jesus Christ and is used 264 times in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.

​To begin with, we must love Christ supremely, even more than we love our own flesh and blood. The word hate does not suggest positive antagonism but rather “to love less”. Our love for Christ must be so strong that all other love is like hatred in comparison. In fact, we must hate our own lives and be willing to bear the cross after Him. What does it mean to “carry the cross”? It means daily identification with Christ in shame, suffering, and surrender to God’s will. It means death to self, to our own plans and ambitions, and a willingness to serve Him as He directs. A “cross” is something we willingly accept from God as part of His will for our lives. The Christian who called his noisy neighbors the “cross” he had to bear certainly did not understand the meaning of dying to self.
Jesus gave three parables to explain why He makes such costly demands on His followers: the man building a tower, the king fighting a war, and the salt losing its flavor. The usual interpretation is that believers are represented by the man building the tower and the king fighting the war, and we had better “count the cost” before we start, lest we start and not be able to finish. But I agree with many commentators that the builder and the king represent not the believer but Jesus Christ. He is the One who must “count the cost” to see whether we are the kind of material He can use to build the church and battle the enemy. He cannot get the job done with halfhearted followers who will not pay the price.

Jesus had already told His disciples that they were “the salt of the earth”. When the sinner trusts Jesus Christ as Savior, a miracle takes place and “clay” is turned into “salt.” Salt was a valued item in that day; in fact, part of a soldier’s pay was given in salt. (The words salt and salary are related; hence, the saying, “He’s not worth his salt.”) Salt is a preservative, and God’s people in this world are helping to retard the growth of evil and decay. Salt is also a purifying agent, an antiseptic that makes things cleaner. It may sting when it touches the wound, but it helps to kill infection. Salt gives flavor to things and, most of all, makes people thirsty. By our character and conduct, we ought to make others thirsty for the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation that He alone can give. Our modern salt is pure and does not lose its flavor, but the salt in Jesus’ day was impure and could lose its flavor, especially if it came in contact with earth. Once the saltiness was gone, there was no way to restore it, and the salt was thrown out into the street to be walked on. When a disciple loses his Christian character, he is “good for nothing” and will eventually be “walked on” by others and bring disgrace to Christ.

Discipleship is serious business. If we are not true disciples, then Jesus cannot build the tower and fight the war. If we tell Jesus that we want to take up our cross and follow Him as His disciples, then He wants us to know exactly what we are getting into. He wants no false expectancy, no illusions, no bargains. He wants to use us as stones for building His church, soldiers for battling His enemies, and salt for bettering His world; and He is looking for quality.
After all, He was on His way to Jerusalem when He spoke these words, and look what happened to Him there! He does not ask us to do anything for Him that He has not already done for us. To some, Jesus says, “You cannot be My disciples!” Why? Because they will not forsake all for Him, bear shame and reproach for Him, and let their love for Him control them.
7 Comments
Tammy
10/21/2015 03:04:58 am

when you quoted when a Christian loses his character as a Christian...he is good for nothing. I agree with you in this....as people always watch and listen to us when we profess to be Christians. We have to try and keep Jesus' name pure and be worthy of the call. When I think of where I've come from and where I am today, I've come along way, but I'm not any where close to where He wants me to be. I try to watch what I say and do as I know others watch me. Loving Jesus above everything and anyone else does come with a price. Many say they will pay the price and follow but sometimes evidence shows differently. Jesus has called his disciples and we need to follow....wholeheartedly. Great explaination pastor Jeff....thanks.

Reply
Jeff
10/21/2015 06:45:58 am

Thanks. When I was writing this the thought of salt just kept ringing in my head. We need to make others thirsty for Jesus or else...

Reply
Tammy
10/21/2015 05:02:18 pm

And if we don't make them thirsty for Him...we have a lot to answer for. You explained the salt analogy real well....I have always wondered about that.

Reply
Bruce
10/22/2015 12:19:05 pm

I agree that as Christians we are all being watched everyday and people are quick to it point out. They say things like " look he or she is a good Christian" when the struggles of daily life take over. I had this same conversation with a lady at work the other day and she was quick to bring it up. She stated that she has gone to churches and listened to people preach and they, or someone in attendance had a shady past. I related to her that as far as that goes for me "Bruce" and not necessarily anyone else. That the things that have happened to people in the past is sometimes what makes them turn to God and that if they were once a bad person, that they may now be good or at least a better. Then she brought up people that claim to "good Christians", however their actions show otherwise. I again tried to explain that even the best Christians fail and that i have failed many times myself, but i keep trying. She has seen me reading my bible and one of the other guys at work has talked with her as well about Jesus, so maybe just simple things like that will be something positive she can take away, even though as i told her " my job makes me sin". She seemed to understand that point. I look forward to talking with again, but I guess what this comes down to is that; i need to show her what a better Christian is to be like, and less what Bruce the bad sinner is.

Reply
Tammy
10/22/2015 01:59:46 pm

its all a part of growing.,..all we can do is plant the seed and let God do the rest. Keep striving to do better and live how our God calls and He will show you how to do it. You have great stories of how God is working in your life. It's a testimony to those around you and when they see how much you love Jesus....you become the salt that makes them thirsty for Him. Amen!
I am trying to talk more about Jesus to people....but ones I work with know I am different than most. They don't like to swear or say bad Things around me. They know where I stand with the Lord and it sounds like your co workers are noticing the same things. It's funny that before I was saved I spent my life trying to fit in and be like everyone else.....now I'm trying hard not to fit in so Jesus will be seen....hopefully. He tells us the world hated him so they will hate us too....when that happens and I hear remarks made to me....I smile cause I know Jesus has my back and He's working and if I'm hated then he's doing something right through me. That's how I look at it. Keep letting your light shine. And keep telling us your testaments of faith! Thank you!

Reply
Bruce
10/23/2015 08:06:18 am

Your statement of how you spent your life before being saved, trying to fit in is the same way for me. At times i do see others looking at me differently because of my actions. Not all of it is bad though. I was out eating breakfast with a couple of co-workers and i was saying grace. They both stopped talking and bowed their head. Then the other day one of them was on the phone with me and he was talking about how is wife was thanking God for the good things in their lives. That lead to a short conversation about God and Jesus, but it was a conversation all the same. I found myself smiling after i had gotten off the phone.

I want to thank you as well for sharing with me some of how God is working in you. Karen will show me some of the things you put on Facebook and they are good things to see.

Reply
Tammt
10/23/2015 09:08:53 am

Thanks Bruce....I try I be a light for Jesus and I fail a lot, but we have to get back up and start again. Last night in the ladies study we talked about how anything we do or Christ must be motivated by love or it's worthless. People need to know we genuinely love them and look to us for example. It sounds as you have a love for people as you share with them and they notice a change in you. Amazing testimony! I'm sure our God is proud!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Jeff

    Archives

    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly